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Organised by
RogerDodger
Word limit
2000–8000
Of Hope and Dreams
Alone, cocooned within the silent sanctuary of her silent cabin, the storm outside paled before the tempest that raged within. How long…? Time had long since ceased to have meaning. There was but the ebb and flow of magic, of dozens of spells interwoven to safeguard her cargo and propel her across the great ocean. She brought with her the hope of Equestria. She was otherwise alone. She dwelt near the dreams of ponykind, but she could not afford the solace of sleep. Were she to slumber, the magic holding back the cold dark would falter, and all would be lost.
Though she knew the importance of her task, it did not soothe the ache in her chest. She had grown used to it, yes. The silence, the solitude. She longed to be amongst her loved ones once more, yet that would not happen till after journey’s end, and she had crossed off so many already. Always, always each destination had proven inadequate, bereft of what was needed, what would allow her to finally rest.
And so she sailed forth. The vast deep was relentless, but so was Twilight Sparkle.
“When I grow up, I want to be like Princess Twilight!” High Tide proudly proclaimed. “She’s my very favorite Princess!” Marigold did not respond, and High Tide frowned. “What? She’s got the coolest story! She sailed away from Equestria to save us all, and she’s still exploring, and someday she will come back and everything will be even awesomer and -”
“I don’t want to talk about Princess Twilight,” Marigold mumbled. “She’s a story for kids, and I’m not a kid anymore.”
High Tide frowned. “Well, what about one of the other Princesses?”
“No,” said Marigold, “They’re kind of boring. I mean, almost nopony ever sees them. They’re always busy, or sleeping, or something. I mean, do you know anyone who met them?”
“No,” High Tide grumbled. Ever since she’d gotten her Cutie Mark, Marigold had stopped being fun. She never wanted to explore, she barely wanted to play, and today of all days she should be happy! Today was High Tide’s own Cutecineara. Today, she’d taken one step closer to her dreams! Ever since she could remember, she’d loved her Momma’s stories. Adventure, danger, intrigue! Good ponies boldly charging forth into the dangerous unknown! It was so cool! And yesterday? Yesterday, she’d finally gotten brave enough to explore that old cave outside of town.
The cave everypony said was haunted. It was dark, and cold, but she’d gone in anyway. She had naught but the light of her horn to guide her, and it had been enough. Twisty, turny, left, right, left, always leaving a chalk mark at each junction to guide her back.
She’d emerged triumphant, an awesome golden chalice hovering beside her, and her new Cutie Mark proudly stamped upon her flank. All the adults had been excited! Her Momma had swept her up in a hug, told her she was so very, very proud.
But Marigold had seen it, and scowled. At the party, no matter how much High Tide tried, Marigold would barely talk.
Finally, she gave up. If her best friend wouldn’t be happy for her, then she was gonna hang out with those who would! Plenty of the other foals in their class were jealous of her awesome Cutie Mark. Not a bad jealous, not really. More like a ‘That’s the coolest thing ever! Oh, I wish I had a Cutie Mark that cool!’ way. A good jealous.
The rest of the party was awesome. High Tide had the time of her life, and by the time she was ready for bed, she was absolutely, positively certain today had been the best day ever! She was just like her hero, after all. Well, not yet, not entirely, but someday soon she would be.
Something had changed, recently. A faint glimmer, a faint spot of warmth that had been absent previously. But that was good. Twilight tweaked a thread of magic, and one of her dormant spells responded, ready for when the time came. Slowly, her lips curled upwards. The most recent storm had passed, and she could relax, just a little. Let her mind wander back to happier days, to the warmth of Ponyville. To recall the laughter of her friends. They were waiting for her to come back to them.
She could sense another destination drawing near. Too far out, still, to know if it would work. Too many rejected already, yet perhaps this latest would do. Twilight could hope, at least. Hope had carried her this far. Love, loyalty, determination...focus.
Twilight brought herself back to the task at hoof. With the storm ended, she was free to focus upon propulsion once more. The ship accelerated, and Twilight once more hoped her next port of call would have what was needed.
The next morning, High Tide woke up late. She’d stayed up far, far too late last night. Every time she’d tried to go to sleep, she just couldn’t! Her bed lamp had gone on, off, on, off, until finally she’d given up and buried herself in her favorite book, and as a consequence, woken up the next morning with a sore nose. She’d fallen asleep, eventually, and the book had landed on her face.
Her Momma had made her a big breakfast, though! Even better than yesterday! Chocolate pancakes, chocolate milk, even chocolate toast! She’d been stuffed to bursting when she’d finally left the breakfast table.
Even better, she got to skip school today! Every time a filly or colt got their Cutie Mark, it was the same. The day after, their Cutecineara. And the day after that, they got to go visit the council. She’d asked and asked and asked, but nopony ever would tell her about it.
That was okay. Today, she finally got to learn.
It turned out it wasn’t nearly exciting as she had hoped. She’d been asked a bunch of questions while some doctor lady had poked and prodded her to make sure she was healthy. And that was it.
How was this worth keeping secret? It was dumb! Her Momma at least picked up on her grumpiness, and she’d gotten to visit the park after lunch as a consolation prize. That was good, in a way. The park always had cool paths to explore. It was never the same twice, and that made it exciting.
But evening had come, eventually. High Tide had gone home, and curled up with her favorite books about Princess Twilight’s adventures. How she beat Discord! How she banished Tirek! And of course, how she’d set sail to save Equestria.
She hoped to see when Princess Twilight came back.
Twilight’s stomach turned an uneasy somersault, and she distantly noted the strange sensation. Her jaw worked, chewing at tasteless fodder conjured from the aether. Nourishing, but boring. Necessary, however. No matter how far she had come, her body still had needs. Magic could stave off her need for rest, but creating food from nothing was much more practical a way to refuel.
She was unhappy. Yet again, she’d departed unsatisfied. It had been quick, at least; she’d been able to scry from a distance and turn away without stopping, certain the latest was no safe harbor.
Unfortunate. At least the next upon her list was relatively close. Twilight shifted, stretched, worked out kinks that had settled within her muscles. And then she sat once more, turned her eyes to the distance, and adjusted her course.
When High Tide awoke, everything was cold and dark. She wasn’t in her bed. She was laying on something soft, but she couldn’t see until she lit her horn. It twinged uncomfortably, but soon she could glance about.
The room was boring. It was totally bare, just dark grey-blue walls. The floor was hard once she’d wiggled out of her strange berth. High Tide had turned and looked - simply a soft white concave cradle, a pillow, and nothing more.
“Hello? Is anypony there?” She felt proud of how strong her voice sounded. Even with her Cutie Mark, she was frightened. Not that she’d tell anypony. But this wasn’t her bedroom. At the opposite end of the room, light was blooming. Slowly, wavering, dancing up the walls, growing strong as High Tide shrank away.
The light dimmed, and out stepped a pony. High Tide recognized her instantly. Her picture had been in all of her favorite stories, and there was no way she’d ever forget it!
“Oh my GOSH! You’re Princess Twilight! Omigosh this is so cool!”
Twilight bent her head forwards, and smiled. “I am. What is your name, little one?”
“I’m High Tide! I’m, like, your biggest fan ever! I’ve always wanted to meet you and -” She stopped, and her face fell into a frown. “And I’m dreaming, aren’t I?”
Twilight’s laughter warmed the room, an easy chuckle that set High Tide at ease. “Yes and no, High Tide. Not all dreams are what they seem to be. I am here because I need your help. Will you help me?”
“Of course!” High Tide couldn’t contain her glee. “I would do, like, anything for you, Princess! You’re the coolest Princess ever! Not like those other ones, all they do is sleep and sleep and sleep and be boring!”
Twilight smiled at her. “Now, now. They rest because they need it, little one. I know they would spend more time among you if they could, but I fear it is just not possible. Please, come with me.”
“Where are we?” asked High Tide as she bounced behind Twilight. “I thought you were on a boat! This doesn’t look like a boat! It kinda looks like the cave I got my Cutie Mark in, only that was all dark and brown, and this is more blue and kinda shiny.”
“We are under Canterlot,” Twilight replied. “But don’t worry, it’s a short ride up into the city proper. You will not be here very long, my little pony. Soon you’ll be back with your friends and family.”
“But I don’t want to go back,” High Tide whined. “I want to stay with you!”
“I would like that,” said Twilight. “But they would miss you. They would miss your special gifts. You have much to offer them, High Tide. I am glad you have come, but you cannot stay.”
High Tide pouted, and for a time, only the sound of her own hooves echoed. Together, they entered a small room, and she shouted in surprise as it hummed and she felt herself pressed briefly downwards.
“What was that?!”
“I call it a Booster. It’s a little something I have come up with to make this journey easier. Before, ponies would have to walk through Canterlot. It’s a long walk, and this way, the journey home is not so tiring.”
The magical hum surrounding them eventually dimmed, and High Tide enjoyed a brief moment of lightness before Twilight set out, and she followed. They traversed a darkened corridor, and entered a small chamber with glass walls.
Outside, the night sky was clear, stars twinkling beyond a distant shimmer. Beneath, the city of Canterlot sat silent, and High Tide pressed herself to the glass, smearing her face against it as she stared in awe at empty spires and deserted streets.
“This is amazing,” she breathed, “I’ve never seen anything like it.”
“I hope, some day, you will come to live here,” Twilight replied. “But please...I know you have questions, but it is better to not waste any time. Sit here, and look up.”
High Tide rushed into place, and craned her head up. She felt a sense of awe as, above, she saw the Princess. Twilight shone like a star, radiant and proud. Her eyes were open, a pure white while her Cutie Mark glowed with power. Her mane shimmered in a silent breeze, and slowly she shifted her gaze from the stars down to High Tide.
For an instant, their eyes met, and High Tide smiled. And then she suddenly felt...tired. All her energy vanished in an instant, and legs wobbled as she collapsed to the platform beneath.
“Rest,” said Twilight, appearing once more at her side. “Close your eyes, and dream of home, little one. Wake up to the new day.”
The next morning, High Tide awoke. Her mother was surprised to see her so happy, but she wouldn’t stop chattering on about having met Princess Twilight. It was her best dream ever, even if it had ended a little weird.
Twilight Sparkle shifted in place. The warmth had come to her, and she had swallowed it up. That was good. Her burden was a little easier to carry, now. She focused yet again upon a distant star, the next destination. To her left and right Celestia and Luna slumbered on, protected, their blank flanks cradled as they hibernated the ages away.
Canterlot lay sprawled beneath, an empty ghost city, buildings centuries uninhabited as generation after generation dreamed their lives away. And beyond, beyond the bubble of magic that cradled the city and the vast chunk of mountain ripped away in their exodus from Lost Equestria, beyond the irreplaceable remnants of a lost world, the silent void was spattered with distant pinpricks of light.
Somewhere out there lay their new home, and someday, the dreamers would awaken and set hoof upon a new world.
Though she knew the importance of her task, it did not soothe the ache in her chest. She had grown used to it, yes. The silence, the solitude. She longed to be amongst her loved ones once more, yet that would not happen till after journey’s end, and she had crossed off so many already. Always, always each destination had proven inadequate, bereft of what was needed, what would allow her to finally rest.
And so she sailed forth. The vast deep was relentless, but so was Twilight Sparkle.
“When I grow up, I want to be like Princess Twilight!” High Tide proudly proclaimed. “She’s my very favorite Princess!” Marigold did not respond, and High Tide frowned. “What? She’s got the coolest story! She sailed away from Equestria to save us all, and she’s still exploring, and someday she will come back and everything will be even awesomer and -”
“I don’t want to talk about Princess Twilight,” Marigold mumbled. “She’s a story for kids, and I’m not a kid anymore.”
High Tide frowned. “Well, what about one of the other Princesses?”
“No,” said Marigold, “They’re kind of boring. I mean, almost nopony ever sees them. They’re always busy, or sleeping, or something. I mean, do you know anyone who met them?”
“No,” High Tide grumbled. Ever since she’d gotten her Cutie Mark, Marigold had stopped being fun. She never wanted to explore, she barely wanted to play, and today of all days she should be happy! Today was High Tide’s own Cutecineara. Today, she’d taken one step closer to her dreams! Ever since she could remember, she’d loved her Momma’s stories. Adventure, danger, intrigue! Good ponies boldly charging forth into the dangerous unknown! It was so cool! And yesterday? Yesterday, she’d finally gotten brave enough to explore that old cave outside of town.
The cave everypony said was haunted. It was dark, and cold, but she’d gone in anyway. She had naught but the light of her horn to guide her, and it had been enough. Twisty, turny, left, right, left, always leaving a chalk mark at each junction to guide her back.
She’d emerged triumphant, an awesome golden chalice hovering beside her, and her new Cutie Mark proudly stamped upon her flank. All the adults had been excited! Her Momma had swept her up in a hug, told her she was so very, very proud.
But Marigold had seen it, and scowled. At the party, no matter how much High Tide tried, Marigold would barely talk.
Finally, she gave up. If her best friend wouldn’t be happy for her, then she was gonna hang out with those who would! Plenty of the other foals in their class were jealous of her awesome Cutie Mark. Not a bad jealous, not really. More like a ‘That’s the coolest thing ever! Oh, I wish I had a Cutie Mark that cool!’ way. A good jealous.
The rest of the party was awesome. High Tide had the time of her life, and by the time she was ready for bed, she was absolutely, positively certain today had been the best day ever! She was just like her hero, after all. Well, not yet, not entirely, but someday soon she would be.
Something had changed, recently. A faint glimmer, a faint spot of warmth that had been absent previously. But that was good. Twilight tweaked a thread of magic, and one of her dormant spells responded, ready for when the time came. Slowly, her lips curled upwards. The most recent storm had passed, and she could relax, just a little. Let her mind wander back to happier days, to the warmth of Ponyville. To recall the laughter of her friends. They were waiting for her to come back to them.
She could sense another destination drawing near. Too far out, still, to know if it would work. Too many rejected already, yet perhaps this latest would do. Twilight could hope, at least. Hope had carried her this far. Love, loyalty, determination...focus.
Twilight brought herself back to the task at hoof. With the storm ended, she was free to focus upon propulsion once more. The ship accelerated, and Twilight once more hoped her next port of call would have what was needed.
The next morning, High Tide woke up late. She’d stayed up far, far too late last night. Every time she’d tried to go to sleep, she just couldn’t! Her bed lamp had gone on, off, on, off, until finally she’d given up and buried herself in her favorite book, and as a consequence, woken up the next morning with a sore nose. She’d fallen asleep, eventually, and the book had landed on her face.
Her Momma had made her a big breakfast, though! Even better than yesterday! Chocolate pancakes, chocolate milk, even chocolate toast! She’d been stuffed to bursting when she’d finally left the breakfast table.
Even better, she got to skip school today! Every time a filly or colt got their Cutie Mark, it was the same. The day after, their Cutecineara. And the day after that, they got to go visit the council. She’d asked and asked and asked, but nopony ever would tell her about it.
That was okay. Today, she finally got to learn.
It turned out it wasn’t nearly exciting as she had hoped. She’d been asked a bunch of questions while some doctor lady had poked and prodded her to make sure she was healthy. And that was it.
How was this worth keeping secret? It was dumb! Her Momma at least picked up on her grumpiness, and she’d gotten to visit the park after lunch as a consolation prize. That was good, in a way. The park always had cool paths to explore. It was never the same twice, and that made it exciting.
But evening had come, eventually. High Tide had gone home, and curled up with her favorite books about Princess Twilight’s adventures. How she beat Discord! How she banished Tirek! And of course, how she’d set sail to save Equestria.
She hoped to see when Princess Twilight came back.
Twilight’s stomach turned an uneasy somersault, and she distantly noted the strange sensation. Her jaw worked, chewing at tasteless fodder conjured from the aether. Nourishing, but boring. Necessary, however. No matter how far she had come, her body still had needs. Magic could stave off her need for rest, but creating food from nothing was much more practical a way to refuel.
She was unhappy. Yet again, she’d departed unsatisfied. It had been quick, at least; she’d been able to scry from a distance and turn away without stopping, certain the latest was no safe harbor.
Unfortunate. At least the next upon her list was relatively close. Twilight shifted, stretched, worked out kinks that had settled within her muscles. And then she sat once more, turned her eyes to the distance, and adjusted her course.
When High Tide awoke, everything was cold and dark. She wasn’t in her bed. She was laying on something soft, but she couldn’t see until she lit her horn. It twinged uncomfortably, but soon she could glance about.
The room was boring. It was totally bare, just dark grey-blue walls. The floor was hard once she’d wiggled out of her strange berth. High Tide had turned and looked - simply a soft white concave cradle, a pillow, and nothing more.
“Hello? Is anypony there?” She felt proud of how strong her voice sounded. Even with her Cutie Mark, she was frightened. Not that she’d tell anypony. But this wasn’t her bedroom. At the opposite end of the room, light was blooming. Slowly, wavering, dancing up the walls, growing strong as High Tide shrank away.
The light dimmed, and out stepped a pony. High Tide recognized her instantly. Her picture had been in all of her favorite stories, and there was no way she’d ever forget it!
“Oh my GOSH! You’re Princess Twilight! Omigosh this is so cool!”
Twilight bent her head forwards, and smiled. “I am. What is your name, little one?”
“I’m High Tide! I’m, like, your biggest fan ever! I’ve always wanted to meet you and -” She stopped, and her face fell into a frown. “And I’m dreaming, aren’t I?”
Twilight’s laughter warmed the room, an easy chuckle that set High Tide at ease. “Yes and no, High Tide. Not all dreams are what they seem to be. I am here because I need your help. Will you help me?”
“Of course!” High Tide couldn’t contain her glee. “I would do, like, anything for you, Princess! You’re the coolest Princess ever! Not like those other ones, all they do is sleep and sleep and sleep and be boring!”
Twilight smiled at her. “Now, now. They rest because they need it, little one. I know they would spend more time among you if they could, but I fear it is just not possible. Please, come with me.”
“Where are we?” asked High Tide as she bounced behind Twilight. “I thought you were on a boat! This doesn’t look like a boat! It kinda looks like the cave I got my Cutie Mark in, only that was all dark and brown, and this is more blue and kinda shiny.”
“We are under Canterlot,” Twilight replied. “But don’t worry, it’s a short ride up into the city proper. You will not be here very long, my little pony. Soon you’ll be back with your friends and family.”
“But I don’t want to go back,” High Tide whined. “I want to stay with you!”
“I would like that,” said Twilight. “But they would miss you. They would miss your special gifts. You have much to offer them, High Tide. I am glad you have come, but you cannot stay.”
High Tide pouted, and for a time, only the sound of her own hooves echoed. Together, they entered a small room, and she shouted in surprise as it hummed and she felt herself pressed briefly downwards.
“What was that?!”
“I call it a Booster. It’s a little something I have come up with to make this journey easier. Before, ponies would have to walk through Canterlot. It’s a long walk, and this way, the journey home is not so tiring.”
The magical hum surrounding them eventually dimmed, and High Tide enjoyed a brief moment of lightness before Twilight set out, and she followed. They traversed a darkened corridor, and entered a small chamber with glass walls.
Outside, the night sky was clear, stars twinkling beyond a distant shimmer. Beneath, the city of Canterlot sat silent, and High Tide pressed herself to the glass, smearing her face against it as she stared in awe at empty spires and deserted streets.
“This is amazing,” she breathed, “I’ve never seen anything like it.”
“I hope, some day, you will come to live here,” Twilight replied. “But please...I know you have questions, but it is better to not waste any time. Sit here, and look up.”
High Tide rushed into place, and craned her head up. She felt a sense of awe as, above, she saw the Princess. Twilight shone like a star, radiant and proud. Her eyes were open, a pure white while her Cutie Mark glowed with power. Her mane shimmered in a silent breeze, and slowly she shifted her gaze from the stars down to High Tide.
For an instant, their eyes met, and High Tide smiled. And then she suddenly felt...tired. All her energy vanished in an instant, and legs wobbled as she collapsed to the platform beneath.
“Rest,” said Twilight, appearing once more at her side. “Close your eyes, and dream of home, little one. Wake up to the new day.”
The next morning, High Tide awoke. Her mother was surprised to see her so happy, but she wouldn’t stop chattering on about having met Princess Twilight. It was her best dream ever, even if it had ended a little weird.
Twilight Sparkle shifted in place. The warmth had come to her, and she had swallowed it up. That was good. Her burden was a little easier to carry, now. She focused yet again upon a distant star, the next destination. To her left and right Celestia and Luna slumbered on, protected, their blank flanks cradled as they hibernated the ages away.
Canterlot lay sprawled beneath, an empty ghost city, buildings centuries uninhabited as generation after generation dreamed their lives away. And beyond, beyond the bubble of magic that cradled the city and the vast chunk of mountain ripped away in their exodus from Lost Equestria, beyond the irreplaceable remnants of a lost world, the silent void was spattered with distant pinpricks of light.
Somewhere out there lay their new home, and someday, the dreamers would awaken and set hoof upon a new world.