Freebie Mondays: My Little Domerin – Episode 3: Act 2

I promised my twitch chat I would take Domerin, the grumpy elf main character from the Aruvalia Chronicles, and turn him into a pony if they helped me pay for my replacement computer. I never thought we’d reach that goal – but of course we did. Because my twitch chat continues to be the most generous community out there.

For more details on the project, check the intro. (There are pictures of my characters converted into ponies there as well.)

This story is meant to take place in the same world as “My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,” though it’s unlikely any of the characters from the show will appear in the story. I have attempted to adopt the style of storytelling used by the show (including an episodic format and a ‘season’ instead of chapters in a novel). And some of the ponies that appear were created by donators from my chat. VoDs of the writing sessions are available on my youtube channel!

I hope you enjoy this crazy, silly little romp!
. . .

Princess Rose Drathmore saw the deep lines of strain carved into the face of her devoted protector when he agreed to perform the task she set him, and it cleaved her heart nearly in half. She was well aware that it was no light thing she asked. Messing with one of the fundamental forces of the universe did threaten to unravel everything their entire race had built.

And if there had been any other way to correct this situation, she never would have asked.

But Rose had far more abilities than she had ever shared with her loyal subjects. Including the ability to glance across the distance at the destruction being wrought upon her capital. Silvergarden, the once proud sculpture at the center of Aruvalia’s sprawling infrastructure, had already been reduced largely to ruins. Angry ponies frolicked amidst the chaos, celebrating their victory over the vacant structures reduced to piles of brick and mortar, and Rose greatly feared it was only a matter of time before that chaos and destruction rippled outward to other parts of her kingdom.

She could have lived with her palace being reduced to a pile of melted stones. One structure was easy to rebuild. But she couldn’t abide by the loss to her citizens of all they had spent their lives building. Nor could she justify the loss of the soldiers who had fallen to ensure her safe escape.

Because there were many. And there would soon be many more.

That was why she set a grim expression on her face and led the captain of her Royal Guard and his partner resolutely down the stairs into the hidden chamber concealed beneath the spiral of her tower.

It was enormous. In order to accommodate the massive clockwork structure that governed the magic she hoped to perform, the area beneath the hill had to be hollowed out until it met with a natural cavern carved in ancient days by a now extinct river that once swelled beneath this portion of the forest.

Though the top portion of the room was still made of the same ordered brick that adorned her comfortable haven, the rest was smoothed from natural rock. The floating stairs that granted access to this place had to be summoned from small slots in that rock to hover while their hooves passed – then they retreated of their own accord back to their resting niches.

Rose conducted their descent slowly. Not because she feared one of her guardians would fall and need to be rescued from the deadly plunge, but because she knew both Domerin and Crescent would stare open-jawed at what lay beneath them.

In the most technical sense, it was an astrolabe – a complex machine built to trace the precise movement of celestial bodies through the heavens. With it, Rose could tell exactly where each planet and star in the near vicinity would be located on any given date, along with their moons and any passing asteroids or comets.

If she wound the machine back far enough, she could even determine what the sky might have looked like above the ancient founding of her kingdom, though she hoped never to have a reason to gain that knowledge.

A light ticking sound echoed through the vast chamber as delicate gold and silver hands swung along tiny cogs cut with such small and intricate notches, they had taken years to finish. Some of the larger portions of the machine looked like giant levers as they carried planets or comets around the swirling, illuminated sun set near the center of the machine – a tiny burning magical fire that represented the star that granted them life.

On its own and at a glance, it was truly an impressive sight to behold. Rose had been meticulous in her work, granting a certain grace and beauty to the device that would now become the lifeline of her kingdom. But when one understood the true workings of the clockwork that lay at its core, it became as mind-boggling as it was beautiful.

For when the device was activated and properly calibrated, it could carry a small number of ponies through the very fabric of time and allow them to make changes to past – or future – events.

The future, Rose wasn’t much concerned with. It hadn’t happened yet, so she felt as though she had much more control over it than anything that had already come to pass. It was those past events she needed to worry about, things that had gotten out of her control or slipped her notice.

Things that needed to be corrected in order for the citizens of her kingdom to live happy and secure lives.

Her feet touched down on the floor of the massive cavern and she danced lightly to the side so that Domerin and Crescent could follow. They both still moved slowly, as if caught in a dream.

Once the last hoof vacated the floating staircase, the stones glowed lightly and retracted back into their niches, leaving smooth stone along the wall in their wake.

Domerin and Crescent stood rooted to the spot where they first touched the floor, probably afraid of what would happen if they touched something. But Rose swept forward and, stepping lightly, navigated to the center of the machine.

There, she summoned the box that carried the precious crystal vial and opened the lid to reveal the glimmering crystal that lay at its heart. Wrapping her magic gently around the magical heart she had so painstakingly crafted, she discarded the box and set the vial against the niche meant to hold it.

One small application of pressure and one gentle click would be all it took to activate the device.

Perhaps I should have invested my magical studies in divination, the princess reflected with a soft sigh before summoning the necessary force to seat the crystal in its place. That might have allowed me to glimpse a warning of the trouble so an action this drastic could be avoided.

But there would have been pitfalls in any area of magical study. Celestia’s trouble with her sister proved that much. Rose must merely feel fortunate that her great task had been completed mere hours before it became necessary to make use of it.

The click of the crystal sliding into its niche was loud in the quiet space. But it was nothing compared to the whirring of the device as it sprang to life. Those portions of the astrolabe that merely measured the position of astral bodies continued to tick slowly and steadly in time with the stars or planets they measured. But the rest of the machine stirred to a frenzy as calculations were undertaken and results were locked into the computer set in the heart of the machine.

Rose lifted her chin as she backed out of her precarious position and rejoined Domerin and Crescent, who were still staring from several safe feet away from the device.

“I have already calibrated the machine so that it will take you to the most critical moment for solving our current conundrum. Once your jump is complete, you will have limited time to determine where you must go and what you must do, so I suggest you have some ideas in mind when you arrive.”

But that was another reason she’d chosen Domerin for this task. He was the kind of pony that prepared for every situation, no matter how remote the possibility he might encounter it. He was the least likely of all her defenders to freeze at a critical juncture – and once he devoted himself to a task, he saw it through.

“Isn’t there anything else you can tell us?” Domerin protested and shook his head. It was obvious from the way his eyes remained locked on the astrolabe that he was still trying to process what he was looking at.

“I’m afraid not,” Rose admitted. “The mathematics required to perform a time jump turned out to be less complicated than the situation we’re actually dealing with. But I presume all you need to do is locate the band of raiders before they arrive at the capital and deter them. Unless you think it better to muster some form of defense. That answer, I leave to you.”

The captain of her Royal Guard was stout of heart. And while he would be the first to cut down a threat to her or any citizen of her kingdom, he also always tried to do the right thing. With Crescent with him, those qualities would be in their highest form.

“Has this been here the whole time?” Crescent finally murmured. Then his cheeks blushed crimson as he realized it probably wasn’t the most helpful question.

Rose smiled. “This has been my secret project for as long as I can remember. I haven’t always kept it beneath this particular tower, but it’s been here for many years, yes. Longer than you have been in my service, as a matter of fact. Why do you think I kept the location of this place absolutely secret?”

The last thing she wanted was for her enemies to storm in here and attempt to mess with time. That was the main reason she kept the power source separate from the rest of the device – so that only a rigorous set of preparations could lead to the activation of the device. No accidents could be tolerated, considering what they were dealing with.

When neither of her guardians replied, Rose turned again to Domerin. “My magic will protect this area for as long as the machine remains active. It’s a failsafe I built into the device. So if anything accidentally gets messed up, you won’t return to an entirely different world populated by entirely different people.”

“That’s a relief,” Domerin muttered, though his tone suggested he wasn’t actually thrilled by the buffer.

Maybe he thought he was going to mess things up by virtue of the fact that the system allowed for it. But really, Rose simply understood how messy the thing she was attempting would prove to be.

The failsafe ensured she couldn’t make things worse than they already are.

“It’s a safety measure that would have been irresponsible to overlook,” she declared, though she wasn’t sure any more if she was trying to convince Domerin or herself that this was still the right course of action. “It’s robust, but it isn’t unlimited, so try not to need too many jumps. Each will put a new level of strain on the system.”

Rose didn’t know what would happen if the system reached its maximum level of strain. She had been careful with its design, but she hadn’t exactly been able to test it. Aside from quick jumps of a few minutes mostly tested on inanimate objects and small woodland creatures, this was the first time the machine would be put through its paces.

“I’m not planning to need to do this more than once,” Domerin replied curtly and tapped the floor with his right front hoof. “But let’s get it over with,” he added, glancing with some dismay toward the machine.

The whirring sound the machine generated when it started to spin into the proper position for a jump had faded somewhat into the background now. And, as if on cue, the levers and gears all reached their proper places, snapping the celestial bodies into the positions they would need to occupy for Domerin to reach his destination.

A soft glow began to emanate from the machine, and a small dome of green light formed in the center of the astrolabe, near where Rose inserted the crystal vial. Vague outlines and dim images danced on the other side, beckoning the travelers forward.

“Wait!” Rose called as Domerin took his first resolute step and Crescent fell in behind him. “You’ll need this.” The princess used her magic to yank another small device off of a nearby table and set it hovering in front of Domerin’s muzzle. She held it there until he used his magic to take it from her.

“You’ll need this to get back,” she explained hastily. “It’s pretty simple, just press the big red button. But don’t press it unless you’re ready to come back here. Otherwise, you might have to start all over.”

“I’ve got it,” Domerin grumbled as he tucked the remote into the pack strapped to his back. Then he sighed. “Is there anything else we need to know before we step through that portal?”

Rose shook her head, which set her long mane dancing about her back and shoulders. “Just that I’m wishing you good luck,” she said softly.

She did not tell the Royal Guard captain that he carried the hopes and dreams of her people with him – but she was fairly sure he knew.

Once more, Domerin steeled himself, set his shoulders and marched forward.

This time, Rose made no attempt to stop him.

The bright green dome flared when Domerin reached its threshold, and the image on the other side became distinct. Rose caught a glimpse of green grass and tall trees – likely the ones that grew just beyond her tower haven.

Then Domerin shimmered and vanished into the distance. Crescent didn’t hesitate to rush in his wake, causing the same visual distortion as he stepped through the portal.

Then the door sank back into a green circle with only vague impressions visible on the other side. And after a moment, the entire energy construct vanished with a small popping sound, leaving Rose along in her workshop with the hum of the failsafe filling the background.

*   *   *

Crescent’s head hadn’t stopped spinning since he rolled out of bed to the sound of sirens and alarms warning of imminent danger to Silverwing Palace. Though when he paused to think about it, that had actually happened the day before he departed with Domerin through the time portal. It was still the wee hours of morning just before dawn of the day after the attack when they departed, but there had been a change to the date somewhere in there.

Like everyone else involved in the rescue and defense effort, Crescent snatched a few quick hours of sleep when he was able. But it hadn’t been restful, and he could feel that excitement and anticipation were only going to get him so far. Sooner or later, he would start to slow down – and if he wasn’t careful, that would lead to mistakes.

And the last thing they could afford at the moment was mistakes.

Still, all the buzzing quieted for one precious moment as the tingling sensation that suffused him when he stepped through the green circle in the secret room under the tower at last dissipated.

He stood beside Domerin in a dazzling green forest. Thick leaf cover rested over their heads, blocking much of the sunlight, but bright rays still managed to penetrate the canopy, painting bright splotches of light among the dappled shadows. It was late afternoon, from the looks of it – as opposite the time they had departed as it was possible to be. The day was also warm, despite the light breeze that stirred the tree branches.

Domerin glanced down at his hooves in disbelief. He even stamped the ground a few times, as if he expected reality to shatter at any moment.

“It just feels normal,” he exclaimed after a moment. “As if we’ve just gone for a walk on any typical day.”

“Well, wherever we are is normal for this time and place,” Crescent replied, though the reasoning felt odd even as he spoke it. “We’re what’s strange.”

“Strange indeed,” Domerin murmured, then he shook his head as if to clear it.

When Domerin began to scan their surroundings, Crescent joined him. A glance over his shoulder revealed that they were at the base of the tower hill. He couldn’t remember the tower itself being so visible when he approached it before, but both of the times he’d entered this tower from outside it had been either overcast or night. His first approach had been accomplished underground.

The shadow cast by the tower blended perfectly with the shadows of the trees surrounding them, and Crescent didn’t detect anything that seemed amiss. All the sounds were normal wildlife sounds from crickets and cicadas to birds chirping in the distance. He heard no indication that anyone might lurk nearby, and the lack of silence in the grove suggested all was well.

Domerin must have reached the same conclusion because he relaxed slightly. “Let’s skirt the city,” he suggested as he broke into a trot and began darting through the trees. “We don’t want anyone to see us – least of all us. We’ll slide into the hills in the direction the raiders came from and hope we pick up signs of their approach.”

“Sounds like a good idea,” Crescent replied as he bent his head and put on speed to keep up with Domerin’s slightly longer-legged stride. He didn’t ask for more details because he was well aware Domerin was making up this plan as he went. Poking and prodding when they had no information to base anything on would only strain the guard captain’s nerves.

And if there was someone Crescent didn’t want making mistakes at the moment, it was Domerin.

The journey from the tower to the outskirts of Silvergarden wasn’t a particularly long one – at least not for a normal day. But given all that they’d been through during the last forty-eight hours, it seemed to take forever. Crescent’s legs ached by the time they reached the outskirts of the forest, and they still had half an hour of travel at a full gallop to reach the outskirts of the city – on the wrong side from the direction they needed to go.

I hope the princess’s calculations take travel time into account. Crescent really didn’t want to have to do all this again. Because it would probably mean they had to travel faster, and he just wasn’t sure he had it in him.

Even Domerin needed to bend double and pant to catch his breath by the time they caught up to the city’s approach. A steady stream of traffic moved through the wide, open gates and, without needing to discuss it, the two ponies tucked into the shadow of the hills rather than joining the flow of movement. The last thing they wanted was for someone to recognize them and realize they were out of place.

“Strange…” Domerin murmured between deep breaths, “the walls seem higher today than usual. They weren’t damaged during the struggle, so it makes no sense that they would seem different to my last view of them.”

Crescent resisted the urge to point out that the smoke choking the air at the time might have made a difference. Instead, he slunk part way up the hill and gazed at the walls. The sun glinted off the light-colored stone at the top, and Crescent frowned as he retreated.

“You’re right,” he murmured, though he couldn’t dispel disbelief from his own voice. “They do seem higher. But also… more open at the top?” That couldn’t be right!

When the princess informed them that her machine would carry them to the optimal time to stop the invasion, he had assumed that meant one or two days before the attack took place. But there hadn’t been any changes to the city walls in years!

“Hail, travelers!” a sharp voice cut through the stillness, causing both Domerin and Crescent to jump.

All the fur along the nape of Domerin’s neck stood on end and he lowered his head and bore his teeth as if he was getting ready to charge.

Crescent had fairly honed senses himself; his history ensured he paid attention to what happened around him at all times. But Domerin was so aware of even the tiniest movement in his near vicinity, it was almost impossible to sneak up on him.

Which made the fact that someone had managed to do it unnerving.

Fighting to calm the rapid pounding of his heart, Crescent turned in the direction of the voice and saw a singular pony moving at a stately walk in their direction. Most of their form was concealed by a long, flowing cloak, but the face that was visible under the hood bore a wide smile.

If not for that smile, Crescent might have fallen off his feet. As it was, his heart rate skyrocketed and he began to feel faint.

The face of the stranger was almost identical to Domerin’s. His fur was only a lighter shade of brown, but it was framed by the same midnight of Domerin’s mane and tail. The stranger even appeared to have the same braids woven into his mane to keep it out of his face.

But as he approached, it became obvious this new arrival was shorter than Domerin. His horn wasn’t quite as long or pronounced, either, and he bore himself with a lightness and carelessness that Crescent had never observed in his partner – though perhaps he had embodied such things in his youth before Crescent met him.

Was that what happened? Had they gone so far back that they were encountering Domerin in his youth before he ever became captain of the Royal Guard?

Had the walls of Silvergarden been higher back then?

Crescent glanced toward Domerin, seeking some confirmation in his face of the theory forming in his mind, and he saw horror written into every line of Domerin’s countenance. He had frozen with his head bowed and his feet spread into a wide stance, but he no longer looked like he was ready to charge or defend.

He looked like he was ready to fall over dead. His fur had taken on an ashen sheen, and he was breathing even more heavily than when they arrived at the edge of the city after their long run.

Was that evidence that Crescent had hit the mark? Had they traveled back to the time of Domerin’s youth?

“You are confused,” the stranger said as he came to a halt ten paces away. His voice was calm and, somehow, reassuring. “Please allow me to offer some reassurance.”

Crescent noticed as he once again frantically scanned the figure in front of him that the cloak he wore was folded so that it concealed his cutie mark as it flowed over the rear half of his body. But while the earth pony struggled to catch a glimpse of it, the stranger shifted and a pair of dark-feathered wings fluttered from beneath the concealment.

The demonstration lasted only a moment, but it was more than enough to reassure both Domerin and Crescent they were not looking at a younger version of the royal guard captain.

But an alicorn? Most of the citizens of every kingdom were aware of the world’s royalty. They were rare, and the birth of an alicorn was always celebrated.

Crescent wasn’t aware of any princes that looked almost exactly like Domerin.

His partner’s breath hitched in his throat, but the revelation of the wings allowed him to relax enough and straighten. Then together, Domerin and Crescent took three tentative steps forward toward the still-smiling stranger.

“Who are you?” Domerin demanded, dropping all pretense of caution. “And where did you come from?”

“I came from the city,” the stranger declared. And having already revealed his secret, he evidently decided to drop some pretenses of his own. He shook his head to dislodge the hood of his cloak, revealing the rest of his youthful features. His smile even became a grin. “I know what this must look like. But as you have already determined, it is the two of you that are strange here. You have arrived at a different place than you expected. Or perhaps I should say a different time.”

Domerin and Crescent instantly exchanged a glance, though their obviously surprised reactions didn’t trouble the stranger.

“My name is Dormal,” he added and fluttered his wings again. “And though I know it might sound strange, I know exactly who you are. You are Domerin, captain of the Aruvalia Royal Guard.” He pointed a hoof in Domerin’s direction when he said this. “And you are Crescent, his partner,” he added, swinging the hoof in Crescent’s direction.

Crescent frowned. This particular feat was not overly impressive, since most of the citizens of Aruvalia could identify them on sight. But the stranger seemed to realize he was still in murky territory because he added, “The truth is that your princess miscalculated when she sent you on your mission. And we have been waiting for your arrival for some time so that we could set you on the proper path.”

“You have been waiting?” Domerin repeated, his voice barely more than a whisper.

Dormal dipped his head in a nod. “Me and my siblings,” he agreed.

Domerin snorted softly and pawed the ground. Crescent knew him well enough to know he was agitated; clearly he had picked up on something Crescent hadn’t yet put together. But he only had a moment to puzzle on the situation before his partner breathed, “The only way you could be waiting for us is if…”

“That’s right,” Dormal agreed, obviously pleased Domerin had already figured things out. “You haven’t traveled into the past at all. You’ve arrived in the future. Because in order to complete your task, there’s something you need that you don’t yet have. Something even your princess wasn’t aware of when she sent you on your way.”

Crescent’s head was spinning again. He could put all the pieces together and arrive at the same conclusion as Domerin – that wasn’t the problem.

The problem was that the scope of the problem they were trying to solve had suddenly become so much larger than he had ever imagined might be possible. And there was a part of him that thought the only proper response was to pull the remote from Domerin’s pack and smash the big red button like there was no tomorrow.

Because it was clear that not only were they going to have to go back to where they started from and try again, but there were no so many more people involved in and relying on the success of this mission that Crescent couldn’t even begin to contemplate the ramifications of failure.

Which also meant that they couldn’t just turn around and walk away like they probably should have at the start.

Crescent swallowed against a mouth gone suddenly dry as sandpaper, but Dormal had already turned and motioned for them to follow. And since Domerin had also already fallen into step behind him – although somewhat reluctantly – Crescent felt obligated to follow.

Maybe by the time they reached their destination, his ears would stop ringing.

Or maybe the world would open up and swallow him before he had to figure out just how deep this rabbit hole extended.