My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic © Hasbro, Studio B Productions, and Lauren Faust (like a faust).
Dilemmas of the PerpliXing
Chapter 1
Life? It's okay, I guess. About seven years ago, I took a trip to Ponyville. That trip changed my life forever. I made a lot of new friends, and even made my first best friend! It was because my sister Fluttershy wasn't being social enough, and what better place to be social than Ponyville? All the ponies there are nice and friendly.
That was seven years ago, and at this point in time, Fluttershy had decided to move to the tree home we stayed at during our visit to Ponyville and live in it the year after. The Cakes are her legal guardians.
Rainbow got a part-time job as a weather pegasus last summer, after she turned 14. She still goes to school so she can't be full-time. She figured she should get a job now, and have the bits saved up for later. I graduated high school at 14 (for some weird reason, I already knew everything we were learning. I even looked through the twelfth grade textbooks and understood everything) and got accepted into Canterlot's University of the Sciences the year after. I majored in astronomy, and my minor was biology. Right now, it's summer break after my first year there.
Rainbow and I have become really close over the past few years. She's more than just a friend; she's my sister. There's a sad story behind that, but I won't get into it. I don't really talk to Fluttershy anymore, since she kind of lives on the ground now, along with the fact that I have absolutely no spare time because of school.
We were sitting at our kitchen table, and Rainbow decided to break the awkward silence.
"I'm planning in moving out in a couple of years," Rainbow told me.
"Really? Are you gonna go to some kind of college or anything?"
"Nah. I've had enough of school. Oh, that reminds me. How's your school?"
"At least three parties a week." I said in a matter-of-fact tone.
"Wow, I'm impressed. You getting into the university life, or are you in it for the parties?"
"University is pretty cool. I met a couple ponies who have some connections."
"Connections?" She nodded in approval. I heard Rainbow's alarm go off in her watch. She looked at it and sighed. "Horsefeathers, I forgot! I have to help make a rainstorm for Sweet Apple Acres. I'm gonna be gone for a while. See ya when I get back!" She gave me a quick hug, put on her uniform, and then ran out the door. I sighed; I've never seen her so dedicated to something before. She must really want the bits.
"That girl doesn't slow down for anything, does she?" I turned and saw Mom coming out of her bedroom, shaking her head. "Didn't even get breakfast."
"Morning, Mom," I said with a smile.
[-]
Rainbow came home later that evening - a little later than normal - with an unreadable expression on her face. She went upstairs for a few minutes, then came back holding her uniform.
"Rainbow, what happened? And why did you take so long?"
Rainbow hung up her uniform and looked at me. "I, uh… went to see Fluttershy. After I was done with the storm."
"Really? That's cool. How is she?"
"She's awful."
That took me by surprise. I thought going to live in Ponyville was going to help her. "Why? What's up?"
"She's still really lonely. Even with all the friends she's made over the years, she misses us a lot. She was upset about us not visiting her. I told her that we were just really busy, me with my job and you speeding through school. She understood, but was still really sad that she couldn't see us anymore."
I can't believe myself. I had completely forgotten about Fluttershy with all my schoolwork keeping me busy. Now I just feel guilty.
"Ozone, I wanna move to Ponyville."
I could see why. Family is family, even if it's adopted. I couldn't think of anything to say, so I just stuck with "Go ahead."
It was two days later that she moved out.
I can honestly narrate that I spent the rest of that night crying. It hurt to watch her go, but I knew it was for the better. I can never find the time to visit Fluttershy or Rainbow; one of us is always busy when the other is free. It's like Junior Speedsters all over again.
[-]
It's been two months since I was left alone. School is about to start up again, and I decided to take a walk through Equestria's outskirts. It's basically a giant field around Equestria. It has the most beautiful flowers in the world. Fluttershy would've loved this.
"Fluttershy…" I said to myself quietly. I sighed. It's been ages since I talked to her. I know where she is, so why don't I visit her? It couldn't do any harm. Yeah, that's what I'll do. I turned in the direction I was pretty sure Ponyville was in and started walking. I ended up in a really big forest. I was pretty sure that it wasn't the Everfree Forest, but it was still creepy. I heard rustling to my left, and as soon as I looked, I saw a hoof, and it hit my head. The force was so strong, I was knocked out.
[-]
POV Switch
«Ozone—§ OUT
IN §—Gilda»
Ugh, I hate my dad. I needed to get out of there.
My dad and I aren't exactly on speaking terms. He likes to get drunk and yell at me constantly. Today was no different. I wasn't running away, I had nowhere to go. I simply needed to get away from him for a bit. As much as I hate him, I stay there because I have nowhere else to go. My mom died shortly after giving birth to me.
Today, he yelled at me because I tried to write to Rainbow Dash. Again. I was going to congratulate her for getting her promotion. Dad doesn't like the idea of me being friends with a pony. He sent me to Junior Speeders as a punishment; he didn't expect me to actually make friends. So when I tried to write to Dash, he would take the letter, crumple it up, throw it away, and yell at me. That's what happened today.
I was flying over an Equestrian forest (they were always so quiet, nothing was ever there), when I heard really loud rustling and completely blew up my thought train. Hmm, that's weird. I didn't think anything was down there, so that's why I was surprised. I figured it had to be something pretty big to make such a loud noise, so I flew down and into the forest to see what it was. I heard hoofsteps to the east, and they were pretty fast. There was definitely more than one, probably three. I didn't follow them; I had a better chance at going the opposite direction and seeing what the ponies were running from. I started heading west, slowly. I looked around and didn't see anything at first, but after I kept going for a few more minutes, I found a pony. It was definitely a stallion; the facial structure is nothing like a mare's. His physical condition was pretty much in check, except for two things. He only had his left wing, and was bleeding put of his right wing socket.
But this wing wasn't like any old pegasus wing. In fact, it looked bigger than even Princess Celestia's wings. It didn't match his coat color, either; it was black, the rest of his coat was tan. The wing's structure was similar to an alicorn such as Princess Celestia, but it's marginal wing coverts were inverted.
Wait, this guy looks really familiar. He had a tan coat, Rainbow Dash-styled mane, and short tail. I think I met him at camp… That's it! His name is iX Ozone, Rainbow Dash's adopted brother. But it's weird; I thought he had a teal mane. This Ozone had a gray mane with a stripe of even darker gray in the mix. Wait, that doesn't matter right now. What's he doing here? What should I do? Should I get help? I looked at him and decided against leaving him here like this. His wing didn't look broken exactly, but it was definitely limp. The blood rushing out of his right wing socket seemed like too much for anything to handle by themselves. His eyes were closed and his mouth was open. I could just barely hear him breathing, but his breaths sounded strained and weak. The nearest civilization isn't for a while, so it would take a really long time for help to come. I sighed, realizing there was no other option. "I have to carry him, don't I?"
And that's exactly what I did. I picked him up and wrapped him in my arms and took off. After reaching a pretty high altitude, I looked around for the nearest civilization. I found that Canterlot was the closest place. I looked at Ozone. His breathing wasn't doing any better than before, but he was definitely more relaxed. I wasn't sure if that was a good thing, but I stopped thinking about that and headed straight for Canterlot.
It was about three o'clock when I found Ozone. I didn't know how long I was wandering the city trying to find the hospital, but it took a really long time. I ended up having to ask some stallion where it was. He pointed towards its location. I thanked him and ran straight for it.
I burst through the double doors of the hospital, and all eyes were locked on me and the pony I was holding. I shook my head and screamed, asking for help. They were a little slow to react to the sudden outburst, but a mare doctor used her magic to levitate Ozone out of my hands. When she did, there was something about her face that just seemed… off. I don't know what, but it didn't give a good vibe. She grabbed three other doctors and headed for the emergency room. I saw them put him on one of those operating tables, and then the door closed.
I just stood there, for what I learned was a half an hour, gasping for breath. I hadn't realized how much effort it took to get to Canterlot. I decided to take a seat a couple seats away from a light blue unicorn. I looked at myself, and just like I suspected, I was covered in Ozone's blood. I thought about heading home and cleaning up, but the mare that took Ozone into the room came back out. She had a lavender coat, white medical coat, and a black mane with a neon green stripe. She introduced herself as Nurse Summer and asked me if I knew where to contact a member of his family.
"Sorry. I only know one of his sisters, and I haven't been able to talk to her in years."
She sighed. "Well, I have to tell someone…" She breathed in. "It appears he's had some sort of magic-inducing compound infused into him. We can't conclude anything past that. This is very strange. When we tried to go deeper, the compound put him into a coma, possibly some sort of defensive mechanism. If you anything about comas, you should know they are unpredictable. He could wake up in a day, he could wake up in a week, he could wake up in a month, he could wake up in a year, and he could never wake up. And the fact that he only has one wing furthers our confusion. There is absolutely no trace of a right wing structure, and the wound goes so deep we could touch his spine without any sort of difficulty. I asked Princess Celestia to come and examine him, but for now, the only thing anyone can do is wait. Sorry."
Wow. That was the only thought going through my head at the moment. I couldn't believe what was happening. My friend was in a coma. I mean, sure, we weren't best friends, but I could have changed that. I had the chance but I didn't take it. And in all those letters I (successfully) sent to Rainbow, I never asked how he was doing. Now I feel really bad. If he never wakes up, I'll never be able to tell him how much he means to me…
Wait, what am I narrating? It's not like I love him or anything. It's just that… Ugh, stupid teenage brain.
I asked Nurse Summer if I could see Ozone myself. She told me to wait in the waiting room until Princess Celestia came. I walked into the waiting room and sat down next to a blue mare with hair that looked like a certain kind of toothpaste. I couldn't put my talon on it, though.
[-]
Ugh, why is this taking so long? I looked at the clock. Twenty minutes? Feels like an hour. How long does it take for Princess Celestia to get here? I mean, her castle is in the city. "I swear, if she isn't here-"
I couldn't finish my sentence, because the princess herself teleported in front of me. At first she had a comforting smile, but it quickly changed into a look of determination. She gestures for me to follow her, which I did. We walked into the room that held Ozone, and I couldn't narrate how much machinery he was hooked up to. When Nurse Summer saw the princess, she immediately bowed.
"Please, that is not necessary at the moment. You know why I am here." At this, Nurse Summers nodded and left the room and closed the door behind her. "So, this is him?" The princess asked me. I nodded. "He looks so different."
"Wait, you know him?" I asked.
"Yes. I recommended him to the Canterlot University of the Sciences. He is such a good student, graduated high school two years early, and was very fascinated with astronomy."
"Wow, I didn't know that's what he was up to since we last met."
"Yes, he is definitely a pony worth the fuss. How exactly did this happen?"
"Well, I don't really know what happened. I left my house because my dad was being a pain again, and I was flying over the outskirts of Equestria. I heard rustling in the forest, and when I investigated, I saw him. I picked him up and flew straight over here."
"Alright. Just give me a few minutes. I'm going to try to examine his mental condition and give you an estimate on how much longer he will be asleep."
"Okay," I turned to Ozone. "Don't worry. We'll find out what's happening to you. Then everything can go back to normal," I thought about what I said. "Scratch that. How about everything can take a turn for the better?"
Satisfied, I stepped out of the way so the princess had full access to Ozone. She touched her horn to his head and soon, her horn started to glow. Within seconds, she was already showing signs of strain. Her eyes were twitching under her eyelids, and she was sweating a lot. She took no longer than two minutes before she almost collapsed from the strain. I caught her before she could fall though, and I could feel her muscles shaking because she was so weak.
"Are you okay? Do you need water or something?" I asked.
"No… no thank you, I'm fine." She stayed in my arms for a minute, gasping for air, and then was able to support herself. "I have some interesting results. It seems he isn't in a coma. The compound has simply put him to sleep to make it easier to heal. He will be asleep for a little less than a year, and should be fully capable of wing usage a month after."
I felt a smile creep onto my beak. Even though he would be asleep for a year, at least he was sure to wake up. That alone made me happy. But then I frowned.
"Is something wrong?" Princess Celestia asked me.
"It's just… what am I gonna do for a year? I've got no life, no job," I looked at Ozone, "no friends…"
"Maybe you could just visit him every day. I think he would appreciate it if he knew one of his friends were visiting him."
I looked at him, then at this wing. It definitely looked a lot better. The feathers were in place, and looked almost polished. I looked at the princess's wing, then back at his.
"A thing of beauty, isn't it?" I heard her ask.
"The wing?"
"Yes. A wing like that doesn't come around every day. It's even bigger than mine. I'd say whatever magic that compound gave him, it could equal that of my most faithful student, who is a unicorn of many talents."
"You can tell how much magic he has by the size of his wing?"
"I can only assume. But given the circumstances, I would not be surprised if that were the case." Princess Celestia looked at the clock. "Oh, I'm sorry. I'm afraid I have to leave. Remember what I said about visiting him. I'll make sure they let you in at whatever hour you please. Also, go home and wash up. Blood is a tough thing to scrub out if it gets too dry."
I thanked her, and then she left. I looked at Ozone. I heard the steady beeping of the machine that read his heartbeat. "Looks like you got yourself a regular."
And so I started visiting everyday after that. It wasn't hard to visit him; sneaking out is one of my talents. Dad would kill me if he knew I was taking the time to visit a pony in the hospital, especially one in Canterlot. But even if I did get caught, it would totally be worth it.
The next day, after replacing his bandages, they unhooked him from all that machinery. It wasn't necessary; he was healing just fine on his own. "He's a tough pony," I said. "and now he's even tougher."
96 DAYS LATER
"It's me, Gilda. Happy sixteenth birthday!" I came into the room with a slice of cake and a huge smile. "You didn't think I forgot your birthday, did you? Especially when it's your sixteenth! This is probably one of the most important days of your life," The smile I wore began to fade. "And look at you, you're spending it in a coma..." I began to tear up a little, but I held myself together. "That just means I need to enjoy it for you!" I looked down at the cake in my claw. "I got the cake from the local bakery," I took a bite out of it. "And I have to say, it's delicious! Once you wake up, I'm definitely buying this for you one day." I continued to look at Ozone and eat the cake. "I gave the rest of the cake to the hospital staff. I said I couldn't eat it all by myself, and that I insisted they have it. So they took it without hesitation. I guess they were familiar with how good this stuff is," I took another bite. "Looking back on it, I should have kept the cake." I giggled a little and took another bite, only to hear the sound of metal against glass. I looked down, and say that the plate was empty. "Well, looks like I'm all out of cake. I'm gonna head out. See you tomorrow!" I waved, even though I knew he couldn't wave back. I smiled and left the room.
187 DAYS LATER
"Ugh, I can't believe her!" I stormed into the room and almost slammed the door shut. It was almost ten o'clock at night when I got there; I had to pick a fight with my dad to vent my anger. It wasn't as effective as I hoped it would've been. I walked next to Ozone and knelt down. "Hey Ozone, it's me, Gilda. You will not believe what happened today. I finally worked up the courage to see Rainbow Dash! Oh, but guess what? Turns out she made some lame-o friends and would rather hang out with them than me. I know I shouldn't judge them before I get to know them, but they were always trying to take her away from me. Especially some pink freak named 'Pinkie Pie.' I mean, yeah, she threw a party for me, but there were pranks set all over the place! You wanna know who set them? Of all ponies, Rainbow Dash herself! Like a fool, I blamed Pinkie before I even knew what was up, and that got me in deep water with Rainbow. You know what she said? She said 'Maybe you should go find some new cool friend someplace else.' The nerve!" I sighed. "Whatever, I don't need her. Once you wake up, you're the only friend I'll need. Well, you are my only friend now, so you can see how that works." I cracked a smile. "Well, I guess that's all for today. Sorry for ranting in your face. I don't have anyone else to talk to about this, and even if you can't hear me, it still helps. See you tomorrow." I got up and walked out.
349 DAYS LATER
"Hey, Ozone. It's me, Gilda again. Nothing's happened. Dad's still giving me the same crap he always does. Life is actually getting boring," I looked into his closed eyes. "It's almost been a year. That means you're gonna wake up soon. I know we weren't best friends back at camp, but I promise that's all gonna change. We're gonna hang out as much as possible. I can't wait until you wake up. So, I guess I'll see you tomorrow." I got up and walked away.
I would have left, if it weren't for a vaguely familiar voice that said "…Gil… da?"
POV Switch
«Gilda—§ OUT
IN §—Ozone»
"Come on, Fluttershy. We're gonna miss the show!"
"Yeah, get your flanks down here before I kick 'em down here! If you aren't down here in ten seconds, we're leaving without you."
"Okay, settle down. I'll be right there."
Fluttershy ran down the stairs of our house and out the door to meet Rainbow Dash and I.
"Ugh, finally! Took you long enough. What happened that made you so slow in the first place?"
I looked at Fluttershy and she was sitting with her head down, her mane covering her face. "Rainbow, would you at least try to be nice? Remember what I told you?"
"I'm sorry, but do you want to miss The Wonderbolts' last show until next season? I don't know about you, but this'll be the first time I see The Wonderbolts live and in person! I've been wanting to see them for the past couple of weeks, and now is my… I mean, our chance. Sorry if I'm a little antsy. Now that she's here we can go. The sooner the better."
I smiled. "A race then?"
"You know it."
Rainbow and I got into our starting positions. I looked over at Rainbow. She looked at me. She smiled.
Then disintegrated.
Did I just see that? Rainbow just… turned into dust! I looked at Fluttershy and was about to ask her if she saw that, but she turned to dust and was swept away with the sudden wind.
I looked around; everything was being disintegrated by an invisible wind. I started to panic; I didn't know what was going on. I felt the ground slowly turn to dust, too; time was running out. What do I do? I decided there was only one option.
I jumped off the cloud as quickly as possible and used my wings as a boost. As I left, I saw it turn to nothing. In an instant, everything faded to white. I closed my eyes; the light was too bright. Hey, I though gravity was supposed to bring me down, not up. What gives?
All of a sudden, I heard a voice. It was female. She said "So, I'll see you tomorrow." I had been hearing that voice everyday for almost a year. It sounded like she was talking to me, and only I could hear her. All of a sudden, that voice started to sound very familiar. Then, all at once I realized who that was. Wait, is that…
"…Gil… da?"
I opened my eyes, and was greeted by that bright light again. I quickly shut them and covered my face with my hoof. I groaned at the light and cursed its brightness. After I realized I couldn't escape it, I slowly opened my eyes. I had to blink a few times to get used to the light, but I finally knew where I was.
I was in a hospital. Four white walls, white bed, white everything. I inched myself up so that I was on my haunches. I felt a weird feeling in my back, and when I reached to touch it, I found that it was wrapped in a bandage. It seemed to be covering my right wing. Man, what happened? I know I took that nasty blow to the head, but it looks like only my torso is bandaged. However, before I could inspect any further, I heard hoofsteps across the room. I looked up, and saw three faces. One was unreadable, one had a content smile, and one was a blur because the body it was attached to was bouncing up and down at an unusual speed. That one was Gilda. She ran over and jumped on me, hugging me really tight.
"Ozone, you're awake! You're finally awake! I'm so happy! I was so worried about you!" She hugged me for a while longer then let go and walked back to her spot between Princess Celestia and the nurse. She was crying tears of joy.
Princess Celestia stepped forward. "Yes, we are all glad you're awake. Some, a little more than others." Gilda blushed. "I would also like to make it known that this person took the time out of their schedule to see you everyday." She looked at Gilda, who was blushing even more.
"Really?" She nodded.
Princess Celestia looked back at me. "Ozone, I would also like you to meet somepony else. She has wanted to see you for an exceptionally long time. She should be here right about…"
A bright flash of light hit my eyes again, and I shielded my face. After the light faded, I uncovered my face and started in awe at the pony in front of my bed.
It was Princess Luna.
"… Now." She finished with a smile.
I couldn't stop staring at her. It was so unreal. I had read about her in Ancient Equestrian History. She was Princess Celestia's little sister that controlled the night. One day, she got jealous of Princess Celestia because she felt her night's beauty was overlooked. She transformed into this being called "Nightmare Moon" and tried to cast the world into eternal night. Luckily, Princess Celestia was able to use the Elements of Harmony to seal her in the moon. From what I learned, on the thousandth day of the thousandth year, the stars would aid her escape. I guess that's what happened. However, this didn't look like Nightmare Moon; it looked like regular old Princess Luna.
"Wow, what did I miss?" I asked.
Princess Luna was gasping for air; I guess teleporting takes a lot out of a pony. She looked at me and reacted exactly like Gilda. She wore a huge smile, jumped onto my bed, and hugged me with all her strength.
Except she wouldn't let go.
"Princess Luna? You can, uh… stop now."
"Oh, sorry." She got off but stayed next to me with a big smile. "So, how much do you remember?"
I cocked my head. "Remember what?"
Her smile twitched. "Us!"
"What do you mean?"
Her smile was slowly leaving her face. "You don't remember? But… we were best friends… "
"That's impossible. I was born while you were still on the moon."
There was a long silence. By now she wasn't smiling anymore. In fact, she looked close to tears.
"Uh, come on, you two. Let's leave them alone for a bit." Gilda suggested. The nurse and the princess nodded and left. I looked at the nurse, and she looked at me. As soon as we made eye contact, my head started to hurt. She looked so familiar, too. When she left, she took the pain with her. After they closed the door, silent tears left Princess Luna's eyes.
"Princess, are you-"
She cut me off. "You never used my title when you talked to me."
"So, you want me to call you just Luna?"
Se nodded. "Please."
"Okay, Luna. So, can you please explain to me why you think I'm your best friend?"
She hung her head and cried more. "We are best friends. Well, I guess it's more of a 'were' now. We would hang out every night and just look at the stars for hours on end. And then you…" She gasped and covered her mouth with her hooves. "I'm sorry. Big sister said not to tell you what happened yet. So for now, here's all you need to know: we have been best friends for almost three years and every night we sit at the top of our favorite hill and look at the stars." She gestured towards the window. "Look outside."
I didn't know where that came from, but I did what I was told, and saw the night sky. It was beautiful. I turned to Luna. "It's amazing. I can see every little detail. Did you do this?"
She smiled again. "Big sister said you had woken up, so I made sure that the night was beautiful for you. We were best friends after all."
"Were?"
"Well, I just kind of thought…"
"No, nononononono! Of course I wanna be your best friend! If you say that we were, then I completely believe you."
"You trust me? Just like that?"
I smiled. "Well, we are best friends." This earned me a huge smile and another hug from Luna. This time, I hugged back.
It was a whole minute until we let go of each other. Luna then got up. "Well, I hope to see you soon." She was about to walk out but then turned to me with a huge smile. "I just remembered; I will see you soon! Big sister said something about sending us somewhere, but I wasn't paying attention. The only part I heard was 'You and Ozone will be…' and then I started jumping like a school filly. Well, enough of my ramblings. See you when you get out!"
She happily skipped out of the room. I was left alone with my thoughts. So, she's the princess and my best friend? What, is she my mom, too? Boy, would that be a twist. Now, back to my wings…
I felt my side, and I couldn't even feel my right wing. They must have wrapped it pretty tight. I looked at my left wing. I was surprised to see that it was over twice its normal size. It was also jet-black. I also had an arc in its outer-joint-thing. Whoa! This is so cool! Why does my wing look like this? Who cares, this is amazing!
As I was checking out my wing, I started to be able to hear the others talking outside. I know I shouldn't be doing this, but... I got out of bed and started for the door. Like I suspected, I don't have any problems except for my torso. I held my ear up against the door so I could hear them better.
"So, how come he only had one wing? Last time I remember seeing him, he had two normal wings. Not one godlike wing. What happened?" That voice sounded like Luna. Wait, I only have one wing? I guess that explains why I can't feel the other.
"We don't know. Gilda found him like that. Right?" That one was Princess Celestia.
"Yeah! I mean, I heard hoofsteps going the opposite way, maybe that had something to do with it." That one was Gilda.
"Big sister, do you think…" Luna began.
"I'm afraid so."
"Wait, what's happening? Why can't you tell us?" Gilda asked.
"Because, he's already heard enough to know something's up. I don't want him to know what really happened yet."
"Wait, what do you mean 'he's already heard enough'?"
"He's eavesdropping on us right now."
After hearing that I decided I had enough with that and rushed into my bed. They didn't come in, though; I sort of stumbled on the way to my bed, and it made a loud noise. Maybe some rest will do me good.
POV Switch
«Ozone—§ OUT
IN §—Luna»
After hearing him stumble back to his bed, I felt that it wasn't necessary to press the issue any further. I turned to big sister. "So, should we go?"
She smiled a bit. "Yes, there isn't a thing more we can do here." She turned to Gilda and the nurse. "I'm afraid it's time for us to leave. I hope Ozone gets better fast. We all missed him at the university."
I nodded in agreement and teleported out of the hospital.
We appeared in the castle's study. I immediately turned to big sister.
"What the hay? I haven't seen him in a thousand years, and you can't let me tell him what happened? He needs to know where he really came from, how much danger he's in," I lowered my head. "How much he means to me…"
"Luna, I know your upset by my decision, but just think about it. He just woke up from a coma. Rushing him into things like this isn't the best thing right now. Just give it time."
"How long?"
She sighed and walked towards a window. She stared out the window as she thought. "I'm going to send you two to Ponyville. I was going to do it last year, but… well, you know."
"So that's what you were going on about earlier."
"Yes, you two will be staying with Twilight Sparkle, since that's where Ozone was originally supposed to stay."
"So, why am I going?"
"Because your big sister knows you can't spend more than an hour not thinking about him, and even less away from him. If I sent him away, you would end up following him anyway."
I blushed, she was right. I had fought for him and lost him once. I wasn't going to let that happen again. "So, when will we depart?"
She turned to me. "In two month from tomorrow. By then, he should be healed and able to use his wing by average pegasi standards. After that, it is up to him if he should further his abilities or not."
"So, why send him with Twilight?"
"He needed to take a break from school. I was sending him to Ponyville to spend time with his sisters and old friends he made on his initial visit. He wasn't meant to actually stay with Twilight, if that's what you were referring to. He is staying there now, though. If my suspicions are correct, she should be able to help him with his magic."
"Ozone can use magic? And what do you mean? I wasn't concerned about that."
"To your first question; yes, that is what I believe. The thing that gave him that wing probably gave him magic as well, if who I suspect the culprits to be is correct." A smile crept onto her face. "As for your second question; of course you weren't." I could practically feel the sarcasm in her voice.
My face was burning with frustration. "If you'll excuse me, I'm going to take a hot bath before I send myself to the moon."
As I walked away, I heard big sister laughing and say "Oh come on, Luna! Don't be like that. You know I was only joking. If I seriously thought you were jealous of Twilight, I would be teasing you about how much you like him."
I ran up to her and hovered so our faces were level. "I do not like him!"
Her grin grew wider. "Really? So what do call that emotion when you can't stop think about a pony and it just drives you to the point of insanity?"
"I don't like him! He's my only friend, and I don't want to ruin that with some silly crush. Besides, he isn't immortal. He would die long before I did. It wouldn't work."
"… So you do like him?"
I felt my face get hot with frustration. "Ugh!" I dropped to the ground and stomped out of the room. "I don't like him!"
"Oh, but before you go, you should know how excited Twilight was when she heard of Ozone's academic records." She started laughing again.
One of these days, big sister. Straight to the sun.
[-]
POV Switch
«Luna—§ OUT
IN §—Ozone»
Physical therapy wasn't necessary. Once I was released from the hospital, I was able to use my wing just fine. However, I guess it didn't hurt to go along with it.
After the therapy, I was supposed to be heading to Ponyville with Luna. Princess Celestia gave me the semester off from the university, saying I "need to spend time with family." I didn't argue; this whole thing started with me trying to visit Fluttershy. Although, instead of staying with her, Princess Celestia is having Luna and I stay in a library with her "most faithful student," a unicorn named Twilight Sparkle. I didn't question her; she is the princess, she must have her reasons.
Gilda insisted that she come home and help me pack for the trip. Ever since I woke up, she's wanted to spend more time with me. When we got there, Mom and Dad were in tears. They apparently weren't told I was in a coma until a week after it happened. I don't know why; it should have been one of the first things to be done. I mean, I sort of understand not telling Fluttershy or Rainbow, but why not Mom and Dad?
"Oh, Ozone we're so glad you're okay!" Mom was crying onto my shoulder. Dad kept a brave face and didn't say anything, but I knew he was glad I was back.
"Mom, I have to go pack for Ponyville."
She got off me and stared at me. "You just got back and you're already leaving?" She sighed. "I guess there must be some god reason behind it."
"It's under Princess Celestia's order."
She sighed. "Well, I guess there's no defying that. Go ahead and start packing," I nodded and headed up the stairs, but then she stopped me. "Who's the griffon?"
I turned and saw her staring at Gilda. "Mom, that's Gilda. From Junior Speedsters."
"Oh, really? We never got to meet her. Is she nice?"
"Yes, she's fine. Come on, Gilda. Let's pack."
She nodded and we headed up the stairs. I unlocked my door and saw that my room hadn't changed, but it did look cleaner. I guess Mom and Dad cleaned it for me. I found my duffel bags and we started stuffing things in it. I decided not to bring any video games; I didn't know this pony, but I don't think she'd appreciate it if I were awake at two in the morning playing Guitar Hero in her house.
As I was packing, Gilda asked me "So, are we gonna hang out after this? I've been dying to just hang out."
"Don't worry, Gilda. I'll be back before my birthday. We can hang out all winter break. I promise, we are going to hang out more. Why don't you just come with Luna and I?"
"Well, uh… I sort of… had a fight with Rainbow Dash…"
"What? When?"
"While you were asleep. Quite a few things happened while you were asleep."
I sighed, but smiled. "If you want, you can tell me everything once I get back. I know you visited me every day with an update, but I was kind of in a coma, so I didn't really hear you."
She smiled. "Yeah."
I was going through my drawers when I found something that made me gasp.
"What's up?" Gilda asked.
I lifted the object out of the drawer. It was the Evaneighscence album Big Macintosh gave me on my first visit to Ponyville, along with the CD player Dad got me for my birthday. "Oh hey, I know Evaneighscence. I still listen to their early albums."
"Gilda, this was a gift from one of my best friends I had to leave in Ponyville."
"So, I'm guessing it has a lot of sentimental value?"
"It's my most prized possession. I wouldn't sell this to save Princess Celestia's life," I looked at the CD. "I almost forgot about this, with all my schoolwork." The memories of us started to fill my thoughts as I continued to stare at the CD. When I beat Kingdom Hearts 2 with him, when we sang Bleed It Out, and when he gave me the CD. I felt a tear slide down my cheek.
"You okay, Ozone?" I heard Gilda ask.
"Huh? Oh yeah, I'm fine. It's just… there are so many good memories that came with this. His name is Big Macintosh, and when I was staying at Ponyville, we were best friends."
"Ozone, you're going to Ponyville. You know, the place where all this happened? You can go see him."
I felt myself smile a really stupid smile. "Gilda, you're a genius! Why didn't I think of that?" I ran over and hugged Gilda. "Thanks, Gilda! That's the first thing I'll do!"
"You have to finish packing, first."
"Oh, yeah."
It took almost a half an hour, but I was fully packed for the three-month vacation. Funny, I haven't taken a vacation in eight years. Time flies when your having fun. Or in a coma.
"Now, do you have everything? Random tooth crap, random hygiene crap, and any other kind of crap?" Gilda joked.
"Yes, mom." I said with a smile as we walked down the stairs and hugged Mom and Dad good-bye.
"Tell Rainbow and Fluttershy we said 'hey,' got that?" Dad asked with a smile. I nodded and stepped outside. There was already a royal carriage waiting for me. The door opened and Luna was waiting for me.
"Come on, Ozone! Ponyville's waiting!"
"Coming!" I turned to Gilda and smiled. "Don't worry. I'll be back before you know it," I gave her a reassuring hug. She hugged back. I don't know what it was, but something about that hug felt… very comfortable. Maybe it was her feathers. I let go of her and waved good-bye. When she waved back, I retracted my wing (just one of many cool tricks I learned while recovering) and ran into the carriage that held my best friend. I closed the door and we started for Ponyville.
To be continued…
Author's note: Please review this because this is my first pony fiction and I want to know if it's any good. If this doesn't turn out to be a bust, I'll update this thing every two weeks (that is, if I can remember). If this thing needs work (and it probably does) you have to tell me, otherwise I won't know.
UPDATE: Update dates are gonna vary, so you should probably check every few days just to make sure you don't miss it.
