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One Shot, One Chance | Chapter 36: New Pains, New Plans | The hospital warmth left a grounded pegasus full of unwanted peace. He resisted the shining embrace with fury. "Worthless." Vice made no attempts to move himself as every part of his body stung. The soft bed he occupied did little help in comforting his pains. "Complete failure." Vice could feel each stitch on his back where his wings connected, each bandage and wrapping soaked with dark blood. However, each injury could not compare to his internal suffering.
His heart ached with a loathing sadness. All sense of motivation was lost, the burning spirit Vice once had was distinguished. "Goddamn." He could feel his eyes water and shook his head violently. "Crying over this stupid shit. I'm pathetic." Vice closed his eyes and let the past memories mechanize in his mind. He envisioned his former self soaring through the gray sky with arms extended and fingers wide open. The feeling of no feeling, the internal hardware working together in perfect harmony.
A footstep ceased Vice's distress and caused the pegasus to steady himself. Enzo walked in and tapped the door shut behind him. "Vice-"
The pegasus gulped before refusing to look Enzo in the eye. "I'm sorry."
"Vice, it's okay," Enzo said walking closer to his recovering friend.
"No, I-I did everything wrong. Don't you deny that," Vice said still not daring to look Enzo in the eyes. "I failed to solve the damn problem and I made you worry-I hate this! Holy hell!"
"You don't mean that, Vice," Enzo said positioning himself next to his incapacitated friend. "You're just..."
"Just what, huh? Goddamn useless because you hit the mark on that one."
"That's not what I meant," Enzo said now frustrated at Vice's anger. "You're just confused and worried. You need time to relax and just take it easy for once."
"I wanna go back. Back to the way it was," Vice said plainly.
"Wait, what?"
"I want to go back to our world, back to our dimension."
"What did you just-"
"I want to feel normal again. No eating, no breathing no goddamn potty breaks, man. No more bullshit fleshy setbacks. I wanna feel invincible again-Enzo, we were unstoppable! Now we're just walking weaklings. Can't even take any hits anymore!"
"Do you honestly mean that?"
"Of course! I hate being a stupid, shitty horse! I want to be made of metal again, made of steel. Made of a body that doesn't fall apart after one goddamn fight!" Vice eyed his friend with sorrow. "I just wanna go home now. I wanna go home."
"You want to go back to hell?" Enzo's tense was flaring up.
"If I can get my body back, then yes. Yes I do wanna go back to what we call hell."
"That's...just stupid!"
"This whole damn place is stupid. I'm tired of being shut down because of this fucking body!"
"Then you're here for the wrong reason, Vice."
"I'm here to protect you and I can't even do that!" This time, Vice raised his hoof ever so slightly and banged it against the soft bed. His voice was starting to crack. "I can't even protect my own friend from anything anymore."
"You can't baby me forever, I don't need your help all the time," Enzo said calming down.
"Then what the hell are friends for?"
"Just take it easy. Do that for me, as a friend," Enzo said making his way back to the door. Without a response, Enzo simply left as Vice gritted his teeth in silent frustration. He sat in his bed staring at the ceiling with pain circulating through every vain and with every breath.
"Made of metal..."
~~~~~~~~~~
Enzo stormed out of his friend's room in a hurry as his mind raced. "He's here just to fight...I'm here to start a new life," Enzo said walking down the hospital hallway. "I need time to-" Enzo froze and let his jaw drop. "Oh, Fluttershy!" he shouted louder than he wanted to. He cupped his mouth and felt his heart explode as Fluttershy jumped from his call.
"Hello, Enzo!" she squealed back. Calming herself down, she spoke with a soft undertone. "You're not in your room?"
"Um, no I went to visit Vice."
Fluttershy gasped and started running up to Enzo. "Oh no, he's okay right?" she said right in his face.
Enzo looked away from the mare's face. "I guess?"
Fluttershy tilted her head. "Huh? Um...does that mean yes or-"
"Dah-yeah. Yes, he's alright," Enzo said smiling to cover up his freak out.
"That's good," Fluttershy said with a small nod.
Enzo sheepishly went to his room and shuddered nervously as Fluttershy followed closely behind him. Getting back into his bed, he spoke in his typical stuttered tone. "So, uh...yeah."
"Mhmm." Both ponies awkwardly stared each other down before Enzo finally felt his insides burst and looked away.
"Why'd you come here?" he asked as calmly as possible with his eyes glued to the corner of the room.
"I just wanted to make sure you and your friend were okay," Fluttershy said trying to keep her eye on Enzo.
"Oh, that's, um, nice-of you."
"Thanks."
Another moment of stressful silence passed by. "S-uh, how has your day been?"
"Good." More quietness between the two. "Um, I went out with Rainbow Dash today for some-stuff," Fluttershy said abruptly.
"Like what?"
"...Boy advice," Fluttershy mumbled now looking at the ground.
"Wait, what? Sorry, I didn't catch that," Enzo said lightly.
"Dah-I said flying advice!"
"Oh!" Enzo fumbled a bit at Fluttershy's outburst. "Well that's nice...maybe you can take me flying one day," Enzo said extending his last string of words.
"But you have no wings."
Enzo's face slid into a frown as he realized what he had just said. "Guh-I meant you-you fly meuh..." Enzo mentally sighed and felt his ears flaring up. He bit his lip as Fluttershy blushed as well.
"Sure!"
"Okay!" Both ponies could not bring themselves to look each other in the eye. 'I'm exploding right now!' Enzo sunk deeper into his bed trying to hide himself.
Fluttershy's breathing was barely audible as it intensified with silence. "I better go, thanks-I mean-thanks!"
"Bye!" Enzo drowned out his word as Fluttershy had already disappeared. He remained motionless in his little bed in the little hospital room. Fidgeting with his hooves and wiggling his lips, the pony shuddered with disbelief. "Oh my."
~~~~~~~~~~
A quick patter of feet left the Twilight household in chaos. With one missing member, Twilight Sparkle ran the royal guards wild with a single quesiton. "Where's Blitz?"
"Miss Twilight, I-"
"Kid probably took off like the lil hero he is," Brass Dozer said with a disapproving frown.
"I cannot believe so," Clyde said. "Mister Blitz wouldn't just..."
"We have to go look for him-do something," Twilight said.
The mustachioed guard racked his brain trying to piece together events. "Where are all the royal guards? They should have been here by now!"
"You got more beef than us?" Brass Dozer said tugging his little brother closer. "Boy oh boy, did I sign up for some real crap today if we needed more muscle."
"Great, so now we're missing Blitz and a group of guards?" Twilight said with a stressed tone. "What next? Ponyville comes under attack?"
"That's not funny," Glass Dozer said.
"It wasn't supposed to be."
"What is happening?" Clyde said pacing quickly. "These string of events-I can't even begin to understand any of this."
"We have a problem." The whole group craned necks to find Gray Shark storming in through the window.
Twilight gasped and scurried against the wall. "Who are you?"
Gray Shark sighed and apologized with a wave of his golden hoof. "Excuse me, I am Gray Shark, friend of Enzo. At your service."
Twilight inspected the masked pony before coming to a clear conclusion. "Are you...from the other dimension as well?"
"How could you tell?"
"I can see it in your eye. It's very different."
"And that's very perceptive, I'm impressed," Gray Shark said bowing. "However, I have bad news for all of us. Clyde, have the other squadron guards arrived?"
Clyde lowered his head. "No."
"Then we're in for some real trouble," Gray Shark moved to the nearby window and peered out into the daylight. "I tried looking for Blitz earlier today...and I encountered the Misfit Marauders." The room filled with tension as each individual felt their sense of safety leave. "They're here and they're close. We have no choice but to act and prepare."
"And just how are we gonna do that?" Brass said shaking his head. "We have no back up; it's just us four against those damn freaks!"
"Four?" Gray Shark said pointing to Twilight. "I do believe that makes five. Unless you were excluding your brother. We can also use the help of the other elements-"
"But the girls don't have any combat experience," Clyde said.
"That may be true, and as much as I hate to say so, the least we can do is show some numbers," Gray Shark said. "The more of us there are, the more hesitant the Marauders will be to do something. Either that or they'll be too distracted."
"He's right, Clyde," Twilight said. "If it's an attack on Ponyville, then I don't want to be sitting around. No matter how dangerous these characters are, I'm willing to stand up to them."
Clyde sighed, but accepted what had to be done. "...Right." He nodded to Brass who left the room and returned with several spears. Clyde grabbed his own, silver-tipped rod of justice and stamped the bottom on the ground. "Listen up, everypony. Ponyville may be under attack and we may be dealing with the biggest threat since Discord's madness. However, no matter what happens, those thugs will not take Ponyville! We shall do whatever it takes to protect this town even if it means-"
"I ain't planning on kicking the bucket today, Clyde," Brass said scratching his head nervously.
"Even if it means doing things you don't want to do," Gray Shark finished for Clyde. "Spilling some blood, if you will."
"Heh, well then that's what I'm talking about," Brass said.
"All we can do now is hope," Clyde whispered audibly. "Hope for the best."
"I hate hoping," Gray Shark said already out the door.
Clyde looked with surprise. "We'll show those rowdy boys not to mess with Ponyville."
"Let's get it done." |
One Shot, One Chance | Chapter 37: Playtime in Ponyville [Part 1] | "I want this place locked down now. No one gets in or out, you all hear me? We need this to be a trusted safety zone for us."
"Right!"
Sir Cutter X barked orders to his henchmen as the Misfit Marauders paraded just on the outskirts of Ponyville. Stallions rushed back and forth, save Joltaire and Masquerade Blade who watched with pity. Both stayed quiet as their leader continued making requests.
"Dust Crack, come with me."
"Of course, sir!" Dust Crack hobbled willingly to his master's position. "What do you need, Sir Cutter X?"
"Follow me. Doctor Rivet, you know what to do," Cutter X called to the tinkering doctor.
Working on a veiled object of massive proportions, Doctor Rivet smiled as he finished his operations. "Of course." Clicking his glasses into place, he stepped back and marveled at the giant masked mass. "Fuzzy Fry, will you please remove the cloth."
"Yes." the beast raised its claw and slashed at the covering. The blanket flew off gracefully to reveal a locomotive sputtering with energy. On the front of the train lay a plastered white skull, steam flushing from its nostrils. With its black and red exterior, spinning spiked wheels and deathly screeching, Doctor Rivet felt a sense of euphoria. He laughed slightly, to Joltaire and Masquerade's unease.
"Dude really gets his jimmies off creatin' messed up crap," Joltaire commented. "..."
"It is complete. The Death Divider, a train that disobeys the laws of the railroad! The land is its playing field!" Doctor Rivet shouted.
Joltaire almost burst out laughing. "You gave that thing a name-"
"Nothing can stop this ingenious masterpiece. Specially fortified armor and enhanced engine provides endless power and durability! Added traction and modified wheels make this masterpiece able to travel anywhere!"
"So it's just a big ass-UV...I mean big SUV," Joltaire said unimpressed. "Seriously, it's literally a slower off-road vehicle. Skull looks cool and the spinning spike wheels are awesome, but doesn't it look like too much?" "..."
"You're right. Totally."
"It's so beautiful." Doctor Rivet bubbled over to everyone's discomfort now.
"Alrighty, boys-and girls. The time has come," Cutter X announced. "The time to redeem yourselves has finally arrived. As the sun will soon set, we'll walk down that dawning road like complete badasses."
"Here he goes..." Joltaire said.
"Can't blame him, he's a good speaker. At least to these types of ponies." Joltaire turned his head and peered into the eyes of Platinum Chain. He then focused on the cheering crowd of stallions and shrugged.
"It's like a frat party. Everybody's excited to be important while not realizing how much crap they're intaking," Joltaire said shaking his head.
"That's probably what they need. To feel important in this world," Platinum Chain said looking off into the dawning sky. "Just to feel that they are better than others-"
"When they're really not."
Platinum Chain pursed her lips. "You can say that. I just think everyone deserves to redeem themselves one way or another."
"Wouldn't call it redemption," Joltaire said with a chuckle.
Platinum Chain tilted her head. "Maybe not. A better life, perhaps? Chance to change..."
Joltaire looked directly at Platinum Chain this time. "That time you might be right."
Platinum Chain nodded and trotted away. She spotted the other remaining mare and waved with a smile. "Hey, Sweet Pop." The mare looked at Platinum Chain with a sparkle in her eyes.
"Platinum! Can you believe we're actually going to do this? Are you excited?" she said.
"Just can't wait to take my anger out." Platinum Chain held her chain with a distant look. "A lot of things went wrong and I have to set them right."
"I see." Sweet Pop fluttered a bit, to Platinum Chain's amazement, as she could not stop moving.
"Wow, I never knew you were a pegasus," Platinum Chain said instinctively and scratched her head at the stupid statement. "Uhh-"
"Yeah, if things get messy I'll just fly away."
"Real funny. We're gonna win, we have to."
"With this guy in charge?" Sweet Pop pointed at Cutter X who was performing the Bernie on top of a rock. "Why is he even wiggling like that?" He held his hoof over his crotch and started to spin and thrust. "Pfft, yeah I'd like to see that."
Platinum Chain laughed, but stopped shortly of her true feelings. "I just want to get this done one way or another. I-I need to do something in Ponyville."
"Let's not waste anymore time!" Cutter X said ceasing his dance. "Go forth and show these fools who's their daddy." A few idle stares left Cutter X in turmoil.
"That means let's go!" Joltaire said motioning the group to charge. The stallions and two mares screamed with pride as they stampeded towards the entrance of Ponyville. Doctor Rivet laughed maniacally as he set the Death Divider into motion, Fuzzy Fry mimicked the laugh perfectly along too.
"And so it begins. Prepare yourself, Enzo. If you aren't willing to sacrifice your life for this stupid world...then I may just have to burn it down with you," Cutter X said.
~~~~~~~~~~
"Where's Fluttershy?"
"She should've been here..."
"Oh this is simply horrid!"
"Girls! Please, settle down," Clyde said to Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash and Rarity respectively.
"Oh boy, it's like heaven down here. Clyde, you never told me how many lovely ladies were in Ponyville."
"MISTER BRASS DOZER! HOW-"
"Can we focus?" Twilight Sparkle said calming both guards down instantly. "Now if we can just find Fluttershy."
"I'm here. Sorry!" Fluttershy came fluttering quickly to the group with particular stallions following behind. Each held a smug grin on their hard faces.
"Hey, why are those guys with you?" Rainbow Dash demanded as Dumbbell and his two associates stumbled behind Fluttershy.
"You said you needed all the help ya could get," Dumbbell said confidently. "We're here to provide."
"Yeah, provide!"
"Shut up, Hoops," Dumbbell said menacingly to his subordinates.
"Never mind them," Twilight said with annoyance. "Now that we're all here...if we use the Elements..."
"Are you sure they'll work?" Clyde asked.
"No. Since we're dealing with beings from another dimension, I'm not sure what the outcome will be."
"Great. The power of Harmony is going to save our asses again," Brass Dozer said doubtfully. "I seriously doubt a little magic is going to stop-"
"Surely the Elements will do something," Clyde said.
"I can't say for sure whether that something will be in our favor," Twilight Sparkle said. At this point, arguments broke out between the mares.
"This is just an awful scenario. We shouldn't even be out here," Rarity said.
"I say we just brute force it," Rainbow Dash said kicked in the air.
"I agree," Applejack said. "Me 'n Big Mac could do some work."
"Eeyup."
Fluttershy inched herself into the fray sheepishly. "B-but, I can't..."
Pinkie Pie ignored the conversation and narrowed her eyes at an approaching object in the distance. "Hey that's a funny face!" Pinkie Pie started to blow her cheeks wide and used her hooves to manipulate every part of her face. "Oh! You're moving...and you're steaming!" The object came closer and was followed by multiple specks. "Are you mad?"
"Pinkie," Twilight Sparkle said with unending stress. "What are you-" Her face darkened. The whole group turned to see the Misfit Marauders strolling closer and closer. The Death Divider train howled in triumph as its shrill screams sent residents scrambling. Ponies that were still in range fled with each advance. Gulps, sighs and panic flowed through the Mane Six, Big Mac, the three guards and three bullies as they were the only ones left in the center of town.
Clyde stamped his spear. "They're here."
"Which means playtime's over," Brass Dozer said.
~~~~~~~~~~
"This is so boring, man," a stallion said stabbing his knife repeatedly into the soft grass.
"I know, but boss says we got an important job," another pony said with a similar knife swinging lightly atop his hoof. "Keep out any outsiders."
The other stallion dramatically peered around and shook his head. "Nopony's even here!"
"Yo, you know how many mares are in this Ponyville?" a third stallion said. "We are so getting laid."
"Not you, small pint. We are getting the ladies."
"Actually, I'm getting the ladies," a fourth, different voice said.
"What the?"
"Yo-" All three stallions whipped out their knives and formed various combat stances. "Who the hay are you guys?"
"Oh my, my, that really is such a stupid word. 'Hay'," Bloom said strolling with Pride, Greed and Wrath close behind.
"Get lost, punks. This ain't no place for colts like you."
"He just called me a colt," Greed said. "That's pretty grody, see."
"Hey, listen; just get outta here if you know what's best," one of the watchman said. "You don't want trouble."
"You three are certainly asking for it, however," Pride said stepping forward with sword in hoof. "Is this a challenge?"
"What? Are you wanting to die?"
Pride put one hoof behind his back and starting wavering his rapier. "I should warn you. If you take this chance to challenge me, I will not hesitate to end your lives."
"Big talk coming from a fancy-ass-hey!" Without much linger, Wrath had materialized next to the stallion and raised his gauntlet. With irritation, he bashed the pony's head straight into the ground and got to his knees to send a flurry of punches into the skull. With the ground shaking, the two other stallions prepared to attack. The instant they moved, Pride had already beaten them with two quick slices to the chest. They fell with splattering thuds and Wrath completed his task of turning the stallion's head into red mush.
"Neato, eh," Greed said with a slight frown.
"That was a bit excessive," Bloom stated with his arms crossed and back turned.
"Let us continue," Pride said oblivious to the comments made by the other two sins.
"Yeah," Wrath said wiping the dead stallion's blood on the grass. He stared at the headless corpse before standing up shakily. "Let's go." Pride nodded and swung his sword to remove the blood. Striding forward, the other three sins followed without hesitation. The four stallions walked with mixed emotions past the deceased watch towards inner Ponyville where the real action was sourced.
~~~~~~~~~~
"Shake it!" Cutter X resumed his dance as he thrust his two spike arms into the air. Fist-pumping, he performed a small twirl. "Here comes hell!"
"Ahh, save your victory for when we actually do this," Joltaire said hovering in via jetpack. He groaned as his horn felt immensely dull along with his brain. "Stupid-ass magic limit...can't even get a break."
"Here comes the pain train. Choo choo!" Cutter X slapped the Death Divider on the side as it rolled sluggishly into the fray. Its steam filled the sky with choking dread.
"Avec le blasters!" Bull It Buster said from atop the train spinning his guns against the train. Metal on metal created a satisfying grind to the ecstatic pony.
"And everyone suddenly got a boner," Joltaire said to Masquerade Blade. "I'm starting to not like this idea." "..."
"I know you need to redeem yourself, but is it really worth this crap? Honestly, it's embarrassing." Joltaire stretched out his forelegs and tapped his mini cannon. "But, a guy could use a little chaos once in a while!"
Within the train, several ponies waited for their call to redemption. Each one trembled with their own sense of dignity. "I guess this is it," Sweet Pop said twirling her dark purple mane. She looked excitedly into Platinum Chain's green eyes.
"Yeah...I just wanna get out of this thing and get to where I need to be."
"Don't worry, Sir Cutter X promised us that we'll all get our piece of glory!"
"I hope your right..." From the front of the train, Dust Crack operated the controls under strict, delighted order from Doctor Rivet. Fuzzy Fry strolled playfully along the side, admiring his master and the uncanny reconstruction of a train.
"Ahh, finally," the doctor said with pride still pouring out of his mind. "My inventions are going to be put to practicality. Fuzzy Fry, are you prepared?" The pony nodded and clawed at the ground viciously. "Excellent. No more hesitation, understand?" The pony nodded wildly. "Very satisfying results."
With the enemy closing in, Twilight Sparkle bit her lip with elevated stress. "More intimidating than I anticipated. But I have hope we can overcome this."
"Yeah, we're boned beyond all belief," Brass Dozer said clutching his spear tight.
"C'mon, big brother. Be a confident guard!" Glass Dozer swung his spear wildly in blind enthusiasm. Clyde dodged a swipe and put a hoof on the younger brother's shoulder.
"I ain't being a dead one today. Today's not my day..." Brass Dozer said shaking his head. "We are in way over our heads now-aw damn!"
"Alright girls," Twilight Sparkle said ignoring Brass Dozer's protests. "Does everypony remember what to do?" The assortment of mares nodded carefully and donned their Elements. Honesty, Kindness, Laughter, Generosity, Loyalty, and Magic; each piece to their respectful owner. The mares formed a line behind Twilight Sparkle, their hooves shuffling with allegiance, angst and courage. "We've been through this before and we can do it again!" Twilight Sparkle said as the Misfit Marauders waltzed into the center of town.
"Oh, look. The welcoming whores!" Cutter X said giggling like a madman. "See? They created a sexy party just for us!"
"I don't know who you are-or who you even think you are," Twilight Sparkle said with a new, sparked tone. She stood her ground as the stallions before her all eyed with unsure looks. "But if you think you can just walk into Ponyville and try to destroy us, then you're wrong!" She closed her eyes and breathed slowly.
"What is this? A magic show?" Joltaire said putting a hoof on the confused Masquerade Blade. "..."
Twilight Sparkle opened her eyes to reveal white, hot blazes of pure light. Her blank, dazzling eyes matched the growing aurora surrounding the purple mare. Already, the mares behind her shared similar glows; their Elements had started to truly shine. The air grew heavy and the invaders felt themselves being pushed back. With a dashing spiral of energy, the mares started to gravitate off the ground.
"Oh boy, this really is the end!" Bull It Buster said banging his guns against the Death Divider. However, time passed and the mares simply gravitated without any response. The Misfit Marauders watched with growing pity.
"What?" Twilight Sparkle said as her body floated back to solid ground. She blinked before her eyes returned to the purple from whence before. "The Elements...didn't work?" The remaining mares also returned to their previous state, fear now pulsating from each girl's heart.
"Cute," Joltaire said raising his cannon spiraling with blue energy.
"Quite," Cutter X said clapping with his sharp, metal-coated hooves. "I applauded the effort; I was somewhat worried for a second. It looked like you girls were about to explode."
"..." Masquerade Blade held his few remaining blades by his side.
"Hallelujah, we now get to shoot 'em up!"
Doctor Rivet tapped the Death Divider twice and the inmates started to flush out. Patting his pet, the doctor chuckled. "Let's get started, then." |
One Shot, One Chance | Chapter 38: Playtime in Ponyville [Part 2] | Twilight Sparkle closed her eyes and let her life memories flow through her head. Each event, each piece of happiness and sadness drifted by. Her body shuddered as Fuzzy Fry's claw was inches from slashing at her whole body. With dust in his trail, the pony had targeted its prey and was about to end her life in one fell swoop.
"Purple die!"
"Ain't happening ya bastard!" Brass Dozer's spear was rejected by Fuzzy Fry's claws as the stallion tried striking furiously. "Get away from the pretty lady!" The orange pony hissed with each jab Brass Dozer tried to land.
"Hah! Some little horsey magic ain't gonna stop us," Cutter X said waving his sharpened arm. "Bring in the Death Divider, everybody charge with righteous fury!"
"Forward, unto dawn!" Bull It Buster said spinning up his guns, the blue streaks of energy crackling within both muzzles.
"Gotcha!" Dust Crack said operating the internal machine. The train creaked into a faster crawl alongside the springing combatants.
"Time for a steamy, creamy, dreamy pile of eat da poo poo on your faces!"
"Jesus H, that's a stretch," Joltaire said.
"Girls get out of there!" Clyde yelled rushing the group behind a nearby building.
"C'mon, Fluttershy, move!" Dumbbell said grabbing the mare.
"Miss Twilight!"
Twilight Sparkle shook as bullets flew across the ground, painting it with black indents. She clenched her teeth in a frown before fleeing with her friends.
"Jaajajajajaaah!" Bull It Buster screamed in delight as he continued shooting wildly.
"Holy shit?" Joltaire said eyeing Bull It Buster. "Shooting at girls? How could there be such a thing?" He aimed at the fleeing ponies and shot at the ground in front of them blindly.
"Join in, folks!" Cutter X said to the idling thugs and mares. "Get into the fray, into the fun!" He swiped in an X formation before charging past Bull It Buster's bullets and Joltaire's energy blasts. A few meters in, Cutter X found a small ball bounce in front of him. The whole gang of Misfit Marauders watched as their leader exploded in front of them in a black blast.
"What the hell?" Joltaire said. He craned his neck and found his own pellet hopping towards him. Another explosion plus one more as Bull It Buster went flying off the Death Divider in maniacal laughter.
"Shatter my balls until I'm blown away!"
A shadow dashed across the playing field with a silver blade running by the wind. Golden sparkles glinted in Cutter X's eyes as Gray Shark zeroed in. "Bastard!"
"Takes one to kill one," Gray Shark said aiming his sword straight for Cutter X's face. The sharp pony angled his head so that the blade clanged against his open helmet. In his case, that meant smashing his head into the ground.
Cutter X chuckled. "What will you do now?"
"Uh...stab you in the back?"
Cutter X shivered as the blade on his helmet dug into the ground. He was unable to pull his head up and started shaking his body. "No! Don't touch me, get back!"
"Even more pathetic than me," Joltaire hissed on the ground rubbing the black powder from his helmet.
"I think I'd be doing you a better favor if I were to end you right here right now," Gray Shark said pinpointing his blade at Cutter X's exposed neck. He tried to pull through with his attack, but couldn't move his arm. Gray Shark sighed and tugged at the newly wrapped chain around his golden hoof. "Hello there, young Miss. Here to ruin yet another one on one?"
"Heya!" Platinum Chain hollered straining her magic grip on the chain. "I thought I'd just like to lend a helping hoof to this poor-gwah!" The mare rolled out of the way as a bomb erupted right next to her face. Gray Shark felt the chain loosen around his golden hoof and pulled back. With full slack, the chain drooped helplessly and Gray Shark resumed his payroll on Cutter X.
"You are a feisty one!" Another chain coiled itself around Gray Shark's leg and tripped him backwards. Without a scratch Platinum Chain began making her way into an alleyway, shambling Gray Shark across the ground. The masked pony struggled to remove the two chains stretched across his limbs.
"..." Masquerade Blade instantly followed up to finish his never ending rivalry. Blades raised, the stallion burned with a passion to be victor.
"No, Masquerade," Sir Cutter X said halting Masquerade Blade's progress entirely. "Stay. We need to deal with these creatures first." He removed his head from the dirt and brushed the filth from his golden head blade. "Then we can deal with him...there's no doubt he'll probably overpower that girl. Heh, man's job." "..."
"Ahh, the thing's jammed!" a voice called from inside the Death Divider. "I can't get it to work anymore! Damn, the guy blasted something...the train won't start!"
Doctor Rivet unleashed a pained sigh before marching towards his creation. "My work is yet unfinished. How utterly annoying! Dust Crack, I am entering the Death Divider. Get out."
Clyde breathed sighs of relief for the small window of opportunity. "They seem to be distracted, you girls should go," he whispered as quick as he could.
"We can't," Twilight Sparkle said watching Fluttershy sobbing in the arms of Dumbbell. She grimaced, but solemnly held her place. "We have a job to do."
"We're not fillies anymore, Clyde, we can handle this," Applejack agreed with a firm nod. "Right Big Mac?"
"Eeyup!"
"Girls! Don't you understand what's at stake here? I cannot, I repeat. I cannot risk losing any one of you," Clyde said with torment. "Don't do this."
"Clyde, listen to me. It's going to be all right," Twilight Sparkle assured. "You can trust us. We will stop them."
"I can't."
"Totally not trying to be sexist or anything," Brass Dozer said with an honest shrug. "But how can a bunch of girls-"
"You're sounding just like those guys," Twilight Sparkle said with suppressed fury. Brass Dozer shrugged again and brought forth his spear. Twilight Sparkle grew tenser as her gender role was being challenged. "Listen, if you think that spear is any more powerful than my magic..."
"Hehehe, now's mah chance and luck!" Bull It Buster had slid across the wall and peered around the corner to find the hiding ponies. He snickered before banging the wall and jumping in the center of attention. "Guess whose back with a brand new rap!"
The guns spun up and sputtering clicks racked themselves though everyone's ears. Bull It Buster stood with two spinning death machines that refused to fire a bullet. His mouth hung in disbelief and he started chuckling once he realized what was going on. "So, you decided to cock block me with your fancy magic!"
"Sure you can call it that," Twilight Sparkle said, her horn glowing that light purple hue. Similarly purple texture of energy had lathed itself on Bull It Buster's guns.
"Heh, clever girl. But, you're dealing with the rootinest, tootinest, shootinest gunman in all of Gayland!" Bull It Buster reared up and showed his dark pink tongue before rushing at the group. The guards instinctively raised their spears and moved forward. "I will squeeze yo heads in like soft titties!"
"Party cannon!" Pinkie Pie squealed with mirth. Bull It Buster turned his confused face in time to see a full-sized cannon inches away from his chest. He screamed in terrified laughter before getting the wind knocked out of him as the cannon blasted compressed air right into his side. Confetti and balloons flew with Bull It Buster into and through the building wall.
"Over here! I got 'em," a voice rang from the corner again.
"You sure, Crimson? You sure they went that way?"
"I'm sure, moron, let's go!"
Twilight Sparkle strode forward towards the end of the curb and hid herself just next to the end of the wall. Brass Dozer opened his mouth to protest, but was halted by Clyde. "It's time to fight back."
"Like I said you dope, they-hey! There she is!" a red stallion said pointing towards Twilight Sparkle who was now in plain sight. The red stallion and a few others raised their crossbows and aimed directly for the head. "Listen, lil lady. I ain't a stickler for being a gentlecolt. I ain't afraid to shoot you down right here right now, right boys?" His crew cheered and jeered.
"Go ahead," Twilight Sparkle said cloaking her extreme fear by biting her cheeks. "Shoot me." And so they did. They shot, but their bolts never left the bow. A purple mixture had coated their weapons. Dazed, but confident, one of the stallions threw aside his ranged item and charged towards Twilight Sparkle. "Rainbow Dash!"
A multi-colored figure zoomed by and clocked the rushing stallion with a buck to the head. He tumbled and sent the other members into a panic. "Screw it!" The red stallion shrieked before running towards Twilight Sparkle. Rainbow Dash swooped in for another take down, but missed as the red stallion went into a slide straight for Twilight Sparkle's legs. "Gotcha!"
"Nope." Before the red stallion made contact with the purple mare, Applejack had intervened. The crook came to a full stop as Applejack had bucked his body right back into the ground. The pony sprawled back and sprang back into combat stance. Applejack and her brother now stood side by side with Twilight Sparkle. The glares shared between were unsettlingly gloomy.
"Mama always said not to hit girls," the red stallion said. "Too bad for her..." He started to strafe in place, beckoning his partners to follow in his routine. "Let's make this easy. Give up now and maybe we won't do naughty things to y'all."
"Seems like everyone is underestimating us, huh, girls?" Twilight Sparkle said.
"I'd like to think me and mah brother are pretty much on equal terms," Applejack proposed.
"Eeyup."
"I'd like to think I'm the best fighter here," Rainbow Dash called out with a tight landing. She left her wings spread out and looked smugly at her converging opponents. "You boys aren't that tough after all."
"We'll see, punks." As the three mares and Big Mac faced their various enemies, Clyde was dishing out orders to his two other subordinates.
"Do you understand? Go now and don't come back!"
"But, Clyde, how the hell are you gonna stand up to all-"
"Just go. Take them and go. Please."
"Clyde, I will not!"
"You will. No questions."
Brass Dozer cursed in fury before turning to the remaining forces of Ponyville's defense. "Alright, you three guys and three mares, come with us. Me and Glass here are gonna take you all somewhere safe."
"Safe?" Rarity asked. "I fear I'll never feel safe ever again! And we're just going to leave Twilight and the others?"
"Listen, this ain't open for argument. It's Clyde's order so I just follow it!"
"Looks like we're really fighting a bunch of girls," Joltaire commented at the battle royal between the mares and crooks. "Kinda sad how the guards just shut down."
"I don't believe so," Sir Cutter X said. "Look, here comes the big hot shot."
Clyde walked to the three conceited stallions without considering the fight occurring next to him. He stopped with a firm stomp and swung his heavenly spear forward. "Just a royal guard performing his duty."
"Guess so," Cutter X said displaying his bladed hooves. "The hero always falls, however." "..."
Clyde tightened his muscles and tensed his jaw. "If I fall, so be it. I'll die protecting this land! You won't hurt those girls or anyone else in this town, I promise you that!"
On the sidelines, two stallions were conversing comically about the whole scene. "Dude, what a big joke," one of them said unimpressed.
"I know, let's just go pillage the place already. Why we standing around fighting these wimps when we could be making big money?" the other replied with a shake of his hoof.
"Excuse me, but am I interrupting something?" The two thugs spun around to find Pride standing nonchalantly against a back wall.
"What the-hey!" The two stallions revealed their own personal knives and eyed the activated Pride. "Bug off if you know what's best." The stallion had died before he could take another breath. In the distance, Sir Cutter X perked his head up just in time to see the other stallion being cut down. Two bleeding corpses were marked as Pride whipped his sword.
"What..."
"It seems there's already quite the commotion going on here," Pride said edging himself closer to Cutter X and his associates.
"Huzzah, we're late to the party-hoowee, that's a cool looking thingy!" Greed said pointing his cane at the Death Divider.
"Yo who the hell?" Joltaire grumbled to Masquerade Blade. "Who are you fools?"
"They ain't no true horse pisslots," Cutter X said ignoring the stunned Clyde entirely. "Goddammit are you part of Enzo's crew?"
"Not in the slightest," Pride answered striding closer. "All I'm here for is to find the one known as Gray Shark."
"And I want that fancy-ass train over yonder, see," Greed said grinning viciously from ear to ear. "That thing's got style."
"Ugh, Masquerade Blade, take care of them," Cutter X ordered. "We must finish this imbecile gawking in front of us."
"..." Masquerade Blade took his metal rotary blades and aimed them at Pride.
"And now it seems I have yet another duel coming," Pride said.
"Keyword 'I'," Bloom added from the sidelines. "You can probably handle him, he don't look too tough, right Wrath?"
"I don't care."
"Hah!" Cutter X said switching his focus back and forth between Clyde and the sins. "You think you're hot shit? Obviously I'm the best around along with my two buddies so sit down and get owned."
Pride's eyes narrowed and he took a step in Cutter X's direction. A spinning blade found its target and made way for Pride's neck before the fencer dodged. The blade landed itself next to Bloom who jumped into Wrath. "Oi, Pride, you trying to tear my beautiful face off? Block that!"
Pride showed no response and began to bolt en route to Masquerade Blade's position. Sword drawn and sights set, Pride leaped into the air and tried to land an aerial strike. Masquerade Blade selected another blade and defended himself with a crossed block. He swatted and threw Pride back into the air, hurling both blades. Pride tilted his body to dodge one and swiped away the other. He landed close by and resumed his assault.
Masquerade Blade restocked and threw both his saw blades horizontally. Pride ran faster before somersaulting in-between the space given and attempting to pierce Masquerade Blade's skull. The pony held up a blade at the last second and managed to catch Pride's sword within the hole. Without hesitation, he launched the blade and sword into the air.
Pride jumped back and tilted his head as Masquerade Blade began chucking every rotary blade he had. Pride swung by each with incomprehensible ease, inching closer and closer to Masquerade Blade. Pride started to side strafe, making Masquerade Blade miss completely. The unarmed swordsman was already behind Masquerade Blade by the time he had figured out what was going on. The sword in the air landed perfectly in Pride's hoof and the rearmed fencer dashed forward.
Masquerade Blade reached and felt his stomach churn as he felt air where his blades should have been. He had run out. "I commend you for your fighting skills. Certainly you must be the best out of your group." Pride's blade was homing in on Masquerade Blade's neck and the pony could do nothing but stare at his maker. "However, you are not the best and so-" The sword took another victim as it sliced through the flesh in a clean cut. Masquerade Blade's headless body crumpled to the ground, his head went flying as blood splattered everywhere.
"You lose. Now then, you say you're the best?" Pride said now looking at a mortified Cutter X. "Let's find out." For the first time, silence washed over the dull expressions everybody owned. All quarrels stopped and Pride slowly crept up on Cutter X specifically.
"He just...killed Masquerade...he killed him," Joltaire whispered backing away.
An air of passiveness swept across the playing field. The fighting stopped. "No, no," Cutter X cried as Pride stalked his prey. "Get away from me!" Cutter X maneuvered himself into a rampant sprint. "Slow him down you assholes! Do it!"
"Wait for me!" Joltaire howled running after his leader. "Every guy for himself!" he called back to the now formed line of stallions.
"Pitiful," Pride commented with scorn. "I only seek the one who calls himself the best. However, should you all get in my way; I have no other option but to cut you all down."
Behind the line of terrified stallions, a mare and stallion were fleeing the scene as Pride proceeded to dash and slice through the defense without any effort. Lifeless bodies flew as the swordsman continued bolting after his target. "Deal with the rest if you wish," he announced back to his partners.
Twilight Sparkle and her friends had all watched the carnage take place. Death, gore and screams had filled their hearts with permanent scars. No more spirit was needed for Twilight Sparkle's opponents also fled the scene. All that remained were a couple of abandoned Misfit Maruaders and the sins. "Well, the man said clean up so let's roll boys, eh? Wrath!"
Already airborne, the frustrated sin crashed into a cluster of enemies. Bloody cries echoed into the crater Wrath had created with single body forged into the middle. "Screw that, forget Cutter X's order!" one of the stallions said watching multiple bodies flying lifelessly onto the blood stained ground.
As the stallion turned to flee, he felt a burning sensation pouring onto his back and in an instant, he was dead. A white hot light had devoured the crook with a single blast from Greed's cane and the pony lay askew on the ground singed. "Seeya, sucka." The silver cane had its bottom nozzle lit up an intense, sparkling white. Greed grinned as he aimed his cane at another victim and felt his entire body blowing back as he fired his laser.
The Misfit Marauder death toll was too much for the remaining members to handle. The rest felt their legs mechanically attempt to escape the massacre. "We shoulda left a long goddamn time ago-what the hell is that?" Vines burst from the ground and started to entangle themselves with the scampering stallions.
"Thanks, Bloom," Greed retorted. More lives were vanquished with short blasts from Greed's cane.
"Least someone's getting my name right," Bloom said with relief. He let his magic die down; the dark green glow extinguished itself along with the vines.
Doctor Rivet watched from the Death Divider in complete disappointment. He ran his hoof down the side of his creation before jumping at the voice of his crazy companion. "Oh boy, mah boy, doctah! We gotta scram now! Doc, c'mon," Bull It Buster frantically spat.
"No, that one wants this train, my creation. I am not going to let him take it," Doctor Rivet explained.
"Then you die, bruddah. I'm skidaddling!"
Doctor Rivet saw his options dwindling. "...Fuzzy Fry-we are leaving." The pony kept an eye on the sins before following the doctor, dragging its claws on the blood stained dirt.
"Run, witch doctah, run!"
"Hey, you two think you can just leave, eh?" Greed hollered aiming his cane with a smile. "How rude, see."
"Pissnuggets!" Bull It Buster sent a flurry of bullets Greed's way, causing the sin to retract his shot and hurl himself back.
"Oh shit!"
"Not used to shooting things that shoot back?" Bloom commented slyly.
"Bah let 'em go, see," Greed said while the three ponies made their way out of sight behind a building. "Wrath'll take care of those pricks-oh."
In the distance, Wrath was continuously thrashing at a stallion's body. Sickening cracks and crunches contrasted with chunky, sloshing melodies. The crimson slab of mutilated meat was all that was left for Wrath had completely pulverized the poor stallion into red mist. The sin finally stopped his rampage and glanced gingerly at his fellow sins. He then proceeded to kick the flesh sack away and grunted to himself. "I hate everything." |
One Shot, One Chance | Chapter 39: Playtime in Ponyville [Part 3] | Blitz kept his body parallel to the grassy ground as he slithered towards the exit of the hideout. Making as little noise as possible, he found himself inches away from freedom.
"You're not leaving," Trixie said as Blitz attempted to take a step outside. He licked his lips before addressing his caller.
"This isn't like the last time. I'm not listening to you."
"Doesn't matter," Trixie stood up and marched over. "This time I won't hesitate to fry your brain from inside out." Her face was inches from Blitz's.
"You don't even know how to do that-listen," Blitz said moving away from the opening. "My friend is out there in the wild somewhere. All alone and messed up by that damn doctor. You expect me to sit here and give up? Give up my friend?" Blitz was breathing heavily, his eyes filled with murderous dread. "Do you really think that about me?"
Trixie raised a brow. "I expect you not to cause me anymore trouble. After that failure with Twilight-"
"You were going to kill her; to murder her. You're sick in the head!"
"So? She deserved-"
"Nobody deserves death," Blitz said hesitantly. "Nobody but that doctor!"
"Who is this doctor anyways?" Trixie asked furiously.
"Now, I am leaving and you can't stop me." Blitz ignored his former captor and waltzed back towards the hut exit. Upon leave, he felt a magical barrier crash against his face. A purple shield prevented Blitz's escape into his quest.
"Don't get overconfident, boy. I'm the more skilled one here," Trixie said emphasizing her glowing horn.
"Sure about that?"
"You wanna try me?"
Blitz chuckled as he formulated the perfect comeback. "I'm sure Bloom already did." Trixie's face lit up a bright red and she let her mouth hang in awe. She instantly bit her lip and felt immense heat build in her forehead. Her magic started to crackle and the barrier began to wrinkle. Blitz winked before smashing through the faded barrier and made his way into the forest.
The screeches of a confused and upset mare left Blitz in a victory lap. He grinned maliciously as he escaped into the depths of the green. "Again, I've never been more sickened and more awesome than now." The leaves crunched and the branches swayed. "I will kill that doctor if it's the last thing I do."
Twixie's screams died off as Blitz was out of range and into his own madness. "I know where he'll be creeping at."
~~~~~~~~~~
Chains smashed the ground into oblivion as the masked pony jumped about. Silver snakes flew into the air, cutting through the wind as a bored mare kept Gray Shark at bay. "Listen, we don't have all day. Why don't you just get slapped and we'll say you lost. Okay?"
Gray Shark stayed mute at Platinum Chain's remark. He waved his sword gently as an act of disapproval. "Fine, have it your way." Platinum Chain unleashed a chain head on at Gray Shark. He slashed away the weaponry only to be greeted by more. Ducking, strafing and blocking each chain shot, Gray Shark danced his way towards Platinum Chain.
"You're a pretty skilled fighter," he commented with a chain barely missing his face.
"Do you mean I'm a slightly better than average fighter, or are you calling me a pretty girl?"
Gray Shark's reaction of mere stall left him receiving a blow straight to the face. His body flew back, but he managed to stay upright and caught the chain with his sword through a link. Using his falling momentum, he swung back and launched Platinum Chain towards him. With an exasperated sigh, Gray Shark elbowed the mare and sent her flying. His sword slipped back through the link and Platinum Chain ended up in a silvery pile of chains.
"Hah..." Platinum Chain muttered. "Are you blushing under that mask?"
"Hardly."
"Well," she said getting back up. "Soon you'll be bleeding from it!"
Gray Shark grumbled before dodging another set of flying chains. This time, he observed how Platinum Chain attacked. With calculated judgment, he was able to surpass all instances of assault. Something's off. She's not giving the same vibes as the others, Gray Shark though aimlessly. Is she not- A chain found its target as Gray Shark stuttered back from the hit. He rubbed his cheek smugly.
"Losing focus already?" the mare taunted.
"Quit it, I'm going easy on you," Gray Shark exclaimed.
Platinum Chain stuck her tongue out. "Sure."
'She doesn't know how to kill,' Gray Shark thought with comical relief. 'So why is she with the Misfit Marauders?' Gray Shark peered over at the confused mare. "Hey, why are you-ah!" Gray Shark dodged a side swipe from his blind eye. "Why are you with these guys?" he yelled tumbling across the ground.
"And why do I have to tell you?" Platinum Chain asked triumphantly. "Are you trying to distract me?"
"Because we can stop this fight right now," Gray Shark answered calmly.
Platinum Chain cocked her head. "I just want a lil action. That's all-"
"You sure 'bout that?"
The mare was taken back. "Of course!" She eyed Gray Shark's doubtful expression. "I'm just following this guy so he can help me with something later. You wait, he'll pull through. We're winning after all."
Gray Shark scratched his head. "Is that why they are abandoning you at this current moment in time?"
"Wha?"
Gray Shark pointed sluggishly at the sky. Platinum Chain wrinkled her nose before following the direction of the hoof. Her mouth hung slightly. "Are you kidding me?"
~~~~~~~~~~
"How cowardly." Pride watched in refined frustration as his prey had escaped him in the skies.
"Fly faster you fuck!" Sir Cutter X squealed as he clung onto Dust Crack flapping his legs in the air. "Higher!" The Misfit Marauder leader held onto life as multiple pegasi glided through the air carrying several passengers to sanctuary.
"Holy hell, get us outta here, sweetheart!" Joltaire said tugging at the struggling Sweet Pop.
"You're heavy, fatso!" she replied in pants.
"Just get us outta here. Now!" Cutter X reimbursed. "Whoever is in this group right now is getting a damn promotion for keeping me alive alive, I swear!" Unaware and apprehensive eyes looked at one another. Only a handful of Misfit Marauders remained as they escaped the clutches of the sins. Pride retracted his purple sword and was about to return to his comrades when two more stallions staggered into the open. His rapier opened up.
"Hey, hey, hey, it's da man! Don't yiz leave us!" Bull It Buster screeched to the dots in the sky. He waved his spinning guns in frustration.
"I do believe that we are on our own unfortunately. They seem to have abandoned us," Doctor Rivet said catching up to his partner.
"Well hot damn on my dog, that ain't right, boy!"Bull It Buster exclaimed. After a few seconds of hopeless, the crazed gunner finally noticed the orange stallion rushing him. "Ope, looks like we're boned up the shafthole!" he cried readying himself to fire at the target.
"Erm-" Doctor Rivet choked on his response for Pride was preparing to end their lives.
"So," Pride said stopping and waving his sword. The two stallions tensed up. "Are you two here to give chase or are you going to give me an actual-"
"Yuppee, that's right. We're out!" Bull It Buster blurted with a cranked up laugh. He lowered his guns and started to shuffle away. "No trouble, no siree. No trouble here massa!" Pride gained an unsatisfied look. "Thank you, kind sir. I'm going now! C'mon, doc, let's skedaddle!"
The doctor didn't need Bull It Buster's cue to flee as the two instantly bolted into the forest. Pride stood alone in the open field as the dots in the sky had vanished. He twirled his sword before sheathing it once more with disappointment. Pride sighed heavily before returning to town. "This world really is full of cowards."
~~~~~~~~~~
"Well that was fun, see," Greed said bashing his scepter into the ground with gusto. His smile reached to the end of his ears.
"No, that was disgusting," Bloom exclaimed wiping red splotches off of his black attire. "I got blood all over my poor suit!"
"Like a drop, maybe. Least you're not lathered in the stuff, eh?" Greed pointed to Wrath with his cane.
The blood covered stallion sunk his head. "I couldn't help it. I couldn't stop myself."
"I know, sport," Greed said softly. "You're gonna need a pipin' hot shower after this, eh?"
"I'm gonna need five," Bloom said still flapping his hooves.
"Sure ya do, bigshot."
"Excuse me." The sins turned to a terrified guard.
Greed puffed his cheeks as he commented. "Heya. How ya doin'?"
Clyde tensed his body and gulped hard. "I-we-you-" Clyde paused to reestablish himself. "You killed all of them. Every single one of them."
"Gotta do whatcha gotta do," Greed said twirling his cane. "Speaking of which..." The sin faced the train and pranced joyfully towards his newly prized possession. "Sweet!"
"We had no choice," Bloom said with a shrug. "Damn sham."
Twilight Sparkle's Face darkened. "There is always a choice."
"Hey, you should be thankful," Greed hollered at the top of the train. He pointed his cane at the sky then brought it down on the train. "Without our help you'd alls be road kill. See why?"
Twilight Sparkle bit her cheek. "Yes."
"Good." Greed clicked his tongue at the mare before returning to his glory. "We got some really good stuff goin' on here, mhmm. Ahh yes, I can see it now. Me riding this thing into the sunset!"
"You guys are cool!" Dumbbell stated oblivious to the situation. Everybody looked at him with death stares. "Right Fluttershy?" He eyed the mare with certainty.
"Yeah..." Fluttershy eyed Wrath in particular with unwillingness. "Okay."
Wrath bit his lip as Fluttershy gazed into his blood red eyes. He tried to smile but ended up withholding a stone hard frown. A stern mumble escaped his clenched mouth. Besides the short peep, the looming disturbance brought no attention to the sins. Wrath, Bloom and Greed stayed ignorant to the traumatic effect taking place on the mares and guards.
"Whatsmatter?" Greed said finally noticing the ambiance. "You ladies and gentlemen buggered out by some blood and guts?"
"I am," Bloom said raising his hoof.
"It's just that," Clyde spoke with shaking caution. "We don't see a lot of death around here-"
"I agree," Blood said distastefully. "It's simply awful to kill these scum in front of such lovely ladies." He smiled as the mares found themselves in an even more uncomfortable state.
"Oh well. What's done is done, see," Greed said shrugging. He peered from atop the train and tapped his cane twice. "Where's Pride?"
"Probably fell off a cliff," Bloom said hopefully.
"Don't count on it, Sloth." Pride strode into the equation with a sluggish walk from nearby. His eyes were dull with discontempt.
"Dammit, it is Tony Bloom. Get it right, Pride!"
"Hah, didja catch your fish?" Greed asked rhetorically.
"No."
Greed's smile broke for a second. "Huh?"
"They got away."
Greed and Bloom exchanged nervous glances while Wrath was still in a daze. "Ohhh...that's bad," they both said.
"In any case, Gray Shark is still missing. Our work here is done; he is not in this town. We could not locate him."
'Gray Shark,' Clyde thought with alarm.
"That's such a shame," Bloom said sarcastically.
"Quite. A frustrating, but expected outcome-"
"Hey, w-we heard of a G-" Brass Dozer had his lips shut by Clyde as the larger guard frantically whispered. Clyde put a firm hoof on Brass Dozer's shoulder before speaking himself.
"We heard of this Gray Shark before. Yes, now that I think about it-he was last seen in, uh, Canterlot," Clyde said.
"But, eh, we already checked that place, see. We found nothin'."
"Erm-" Clyde found his heart stop as everybody around him awaited a response.
"Well then, sorry for this inconvience," Pride said adjusting his purple cape. "We'll be departing now."
"I'm taking this thing, Pride!" Greed called. The sin disappeared under the train and scratching sounds could be heard. A few minutes later and the train was already roaring with life.
"How the hell?" Bloom commented.
"Cuz I'm a creative wiz kid, slick." Greed ushered the rest of the sins to board the train. Wrath and Bloom reluctantly entered while Pride merely waltzed along the side. He looked back at the terrified faces of the residents of Ponyville.
"Farewell."
"All aboard the fail bo-uh, train, eh?" Greed said as the Death Divider hovered slowly away.
"Right. Are you sure you know what you're doing?" Bloom asked.
"Nope. I just hit them buttons, see, and this thing starts."
"Because everything with you is just easy and you get everything," Bloom stated.
"I'm Greedy."
Wrath ignored the bickering between Greed and Bloom and peered hopefully out the window. He barely caught a glimpse of a faint wave from the yellow mare. His face sagged and he whipped himself back in the crawling train. "I hate this."
"What you talking about? I got me a new toy!" Greed said in disbelief. "How can ya be upset?"
"He means the girl, stupid gilipollas!" Bloom said passionately.
"Lovely. Falling in love with horses 101."
"I can't help it," Wrath stated with unease. "I like her."
Greed temporarily lost his smile once more. "Absolutely disgusting, mac."
"Oi, Greed, don't ever poke fun at a man's love for another girl!" Bloom said now strolling over to his companion.
"Whatever. You guys can go court horses all you want. That's sick."
"It looked like she was with that other guy. I hate him," Wrath mumbled.
Bloom instantly turned around with tears in his eyes. "Ahh the tragic act of loving the loved! I can feel your pain swelling through you!"
Wrath groaned at Bloom's love spiel, but also at what he conceived as truth. "It's not fair."
"Don't getcha hopes up," Greed said twirling his cane. "We're coming back, mac, I can see it in this guy's eyes." He pointed outside to Pride. "He knows."
"Gray Shark is in this town," Pride said. "And we're going to find him." |
One Shot, One Chance | Chapter 40: Breakdown | With the gentle aura of Ponyville lost and the shadows of death sifting through the wind, two figures still fought despite the calming of tensions. Gray Shark continuously dodged Platinum Chain's now reckless attacks. Each silver swing from the mare was that of frustration and confusion.
"Are we done here?" Gray Shark asked as politely as possible.
Platinum Chain's eyes darkened under her green hood. "I can't believe that they ditched me...that he ditched me. He promised," she muttered painfully.
"Something wrong?"
Platinum Chain grinned. "Wrong? Oh nothing's wrong except that you're not giving up already."
"Why should I? In fact, why don't we both just stop right here right now. Why are we even fighting," Gray Shark said nonchalantly.
Platinum Chain paused. She opened her mouth to say something, but silently cursed as she found her counter. "I don't know."
"Then let's stop." Gray Shark eyed Platinum Chain hard as she stopped and lowered her chains. Her arms folded across her chest and she sighed. "That's better," Gray Shark said retracting his blade. "Now, let's talk about this."
"Sure." Platinum Chain responded with a quick flick to Gray Shark's face that sent him staggering back. "Oops, sorry. Had to get the last his in, Mister," she said with a wink.
Gray Shark furrowed his brow, but nodded. "And so ya did," he said rubbing his cheek with nostalgia. "What will you do now."
Again, Platinum Chain found herself shut down by the statement. "Not sure," she said quickly with feigned confidence. "I dunno."
"Sounds like a personal problem."
Platinum Chain frowned. "I just don't know." She eyed Gray Shark cautiously.
"Don't you have an idea-"
"Why do you care so much about me?"
Gray Shark tipped his hat. "Just checkin' your motives. Why were you with those guys in the first place?"
"I don't have to answer to that-"
"Is it because you can't?"
Platinum Chain raised her hoof to stop the verbal assault. "Listen here. I don't have to tell you anything about me. You don't know me and I prefer it that way. Nobody knows me and what I have to do."
"That's the wrong way of approaching a problem," Gray Shark scoffed. "Keeping your problems bottled up only hurts you. Trust me."
"I just met you and we're trying to kill each other."
"You can't kill."
Platinum Chain shrugged. "Hmph, I guess I really can't." She turned around and made a slow advance out of the battlefield. "I'm leaving."
"To where?"
Platinum Chain abruptly glanced back at Gray Shark. "Somewhere; anywhere away from this place and from you."
Gray Shark watched in disappointment as the mare dashed away, chains flailing back. He could still hear the distant clinking after he made his own way back into Ponyville. "Maybe it is better if I don't know, but she's with the wrong group. I'm not going to see another girl get turned bad because nobody was there to stop her." Gray Shark felt his eye patch with his golden hoof. "Not again."
~~~~~~~~~~
"Clyde?" Twilight called out to the emptied square of Ponyville. "The girls have been settled in...everything alright?" She bit her lip in regret.
"Today has been the worst day of my career, Miss Twilight," Clyde stated staring out into the wasteland of fallen bodies. "I've never seen so much death." The two guards standing side by side next to Clyde shuddered at the thought as well.
Twilight sulked in bitter agreement. "Right."
"In the past, of course I've had to put down a few criminals. Yes, I've have to get my hooves dirty...but this-this was a simple slaughter," Clyde said shaking his head idly.
"I understand."
"Heh, I-I'll have to agree with that too," Brass Dozer said with stifled nervousness. "Even a tough guy like me...this is too much."
"I agree," Glass Dozer said eyeing his brother with pale eyes. "This was so awful. I can't imagine how your friends feel."
"I can-well unhappily say that this is the absolute worst thing we've seen," Twilight said with an anxious chuckle. "Between almost destroying Canterlot at the Gala and almost being torn apart from my friends during Discord's chaos, this is just so wrong. I can compare nothing to something as violent as this."
A dashing shadow swooped in and startled the group. "It appears I missed the carnage."
"Mister Gray Shark, I'm glad to see you're still in one piece," Clyde said still staring off into the bloodied street. "However, you went against my word on keeping watch on both Misters Vice and Enzo."
"I confess. I'm guilty of absence," Gray Shark said. "I went against your word and I apologize."
"I didn't want to risk having more opposition," Clyde explained. "To make the enemy less guarding of their opponents is a key strategy."
"Which didn't exactly work," Twilight added darkly. Clyde gulped audibly.
Gray Shark stayed silent and nodded. He gazed onto the fallen path of death just as Clyde did. Taking a few steps, he almost tripped at what he saw. Lying on the ground was the decapitated body of Masquerade Blade. His head was inches away from the corpse. Gray Shark closed his eye and took a deep breath. "So, you met your match here. This marks your grave; your end. You were a skillful opponent, honorable." Gray Shark tipped his hat off. "Just like me." He kneeled down and extended his sword just above the chest area. "Rest in peace."
"Mister Gray Shark-"
Gray Shark's ears perked up. "Wait, how did you all manage to do this?" He looked at the bodies then at the group. "I'm sorry, but how? It seems too extreme."
"I understand your concern," Clyde said finally breaking his gaze and looking straight into Gray Shark's crimson eye. "These unbelievable ponies-they came and just eliminated those thugs within minutes."
"Unbelievable ponies?" Gray Shark asked suddenly facing Clyde. "As in not from this world," he added slyly.
"I'm not sure, Mister Gray Shark. One of them said he was looking for you in particular."
"Me?" Gray Shark put a hoof to his chin. "Did he have a purple hat? And a sword?"
Clyde nodded firmly. "Yes, the sword and hat were identifiable."
"...Shit!"
"I'm sorry?" Twilight said with a gasp.
Gray Shark bit his cheek. "No, I'm sorry. Didn't mean to have an outburst."
The purple mare acknowledged Gray Shark's mistake. "I can assume that there's a lot wrong with him according to your reaction."
"Yes-I'm sorry, again. I haven't even introduced myself. I am Gray Shark; at your service." The stallion barely bowed without falling over due to embarrassment.
Twilight smiled faintly. "Hello. I'm Twilight Sparkle; student and scholar."
"Interesting. Now, can you recall any other individuals associated with the swordsman," Gray Shark said. "Perhaps, they are just as ruthless?"
"From what I can remember, one of them had a cane in which he was able to cast magic. Another was complaining about his suit and the last sounded very frustrated."
Gray Shark nodded firmly. "That's what I thought."
Twilight shuddered unwillingly. "If you don't mind me asking...are you also from another dimension?"
"Also?"
"Also. I was told there exists an alternate dimension by certain outsiders," Twilight said with a smirk.
Gray Shark considered the information given and concluded what she implied. "What gave it away?"
"Just about everything."
"Heh. Well if you must know, yes, I am a machine, if you will," Gray Shark said waving his golden hoof. "Turned organic by this world."
Twilight's body loosened up as the tension from the day's carnage seeped out. "Well then I'm definitely going to have to study you, especially that arm of yours."
"Is that an invitation?" Gray Shark asked with a chuckle. Clyde almost toppled over and Brass Dozer whistled.
"Huh?"
"Uh-never mind. Ahem...so then, I might as well inform you all about myself and my connection to all of this. No more hiding. I trust you." Gray Shark took a deep breath before taking the next step for clarity. "Now, as you all must know, these Misfit Marauders are not exactly moral characters. In fact, I'd consider them quite evil." He paused before moving onto the next point. "In my world, or my dimension, there was a portal constructed to be homed onto this world. Vice and Enzo must have already told you this so you know they entered the portal firstly. Their friend, Electric Flair, told them everything was alright. He lied. The portal's integrity was failing and he had to use his body to sustain it. Lucky for him, that's when the leaders of the Misfit Marauders showed up."
The three guards and Twilight showed faces of growing confusion, but nodded automatically for Gray Shark to continue. "That's when I came in. I knew they were enemies to my friends so I had to follow them into the portal. And I guess everything comes around because my own enemies must have trailed me as well. Let me ask you this: are you all familiar with the seven deadly sins?"
Twilight was the first to answer. "Of course."
"Good. Then I need not explain what each name means. Those four individuals that appeared today were in fact part of the seven deadly sins; a pact created by their leader, Pride. Only four remain because-well, I've taken care of at least two. Gluttony and Lust should not be a problem. Envy...I'm not sure what became of him. Greed, Sloth, Wrath and Pride are all that remain in this world."
"So many beings from another world," Twilight said with awe. "Can you tell me all of the serial numbers? I need this for-"
"There are no serial numbers," Gray Shark answered grimly. "At least not my generation."
"Generation? How can a species of robots have generations?"
"Let's just say that after the initial creation of robots, the later constructions were absolved of actual numbers. Records were essentially forgotten as the world succumbed to machines. You didn't have a number after a while."
Clyde turned to Gray Shark. "Is this all because of revenge?"
"No, that's not Pride's deal." Gray Shark shifted uncomfortably.
"What is?" Twilight asked.
"To be honest, I don't even know myself. The other sins follow Pride strictly."
"I see," Clyde said rubbing his mustache. "I really am starting to understand all of this. No matter how ridiculous it all adds up to be." The two other guards shrugged in opposition to understanding the situation.
"Hey," Twilight asked with sudden concern. "What about Blitz? He's still missing."
"So he is, we underestimated his will," Gray Shark said.
Twilight scratched her head. "How are we going to find him," she mumbled to herself.
Gray Shark huffed profusely. "Alright, Clyde, when the guards get here set up a perimeter-"
"The guards aren't here. They never arrived in the first place."
Gray Shark flinched. "Wha-alright. Okay." He rubbed his face with growing stress. "Just get everyone secured. Fly overhead and keep watch. Have Twilight keep an eye on Vice and Enzo."
Clyde grimaced at the orders handed out. "Wait, I will not have Miss-"
"I'm no fool, Clyde," Gray Shark said sternly. "I know her magical capabilities surpass the average castor, or unicorn, in this world. Should any of the Sins or Misfit Marauders attack, she would most certainly have the upper...hoof."
The guard pony sighed reluctantly. "I-"
"Clyde, you need not worry. I can handle this," Twilight defended.
"-I will allow it," Clyde stated confidently. "What will you do, Mister Gray Shark?"
"Call me the detective. I'm going out to investigate," Gray Shark said tipping his hat. "I have a solid idea as to where he might be."
Clyde raised a hoof. "And you're sure of this?"
Gray Shark shook his head lightly as he started to walk off. "No."
"What is happening around here?" Twilight said now regaining her stressed composure.
"I fear the pasts of our fellow time travelers have come here to haunt us," Clyde answered watching the gray speck leave town.
"If not for the daunting situation, I'd say that this is the most interesting thing that's happened to me so far," Twilight said.
"So seeing hell is what you mean," Brass Dozer said.
"Exactly."
~~~~~~~~~~
"This is complete bullshit; I can't believe we're still in this hellhole! We should've been out there fighting!" Vice slashed his hoof across the pale white wall as he struggled to get up from his bed. The bandages around him crinkled with crusty blood.
"Vice, you're lucky you were able to be roomed with me," Enzo said watching his partner tremble in pain. "You're also lucky you're still alive with your wings."
"Bah, that's two different things, Enzo," Vice said with a smile. "I'm feeling just fine bab-ehh!"
"Sure."
Vice sighed. "I'm just saying we should've done something."
"We did," Enzo said carefully. "We did something by doing nothing-"
"Goddammit."
"We're not as strong as we used to be, Vice, can't you see that?" Enzo said looking at his partner sternly. "We're not invincible anymore."
"Don't remind me," Vice said settling back comfortably into his bed. "Don't make me remember what I've become."
"Hello?" a voice called from outside.
Vice whipped his head around in confusion. "Huh?"
"It's me, Rainbow Dash. Can we come in?"
"We?" Enzo asked.
"And Fluttershy."
Enzo gulped hard as the knob slowly turned on the door. Vice wrinkled his nose grumpily as the two mares entered the room. Enzo made eye contact with Fluttershy who quickly averted her own eyes. He could feel his heart shivering.
"So, uh, I assume you guys won," Vice said with a smile. "Right?"
"Yeah," Rainbow Dash said with hollow eyes. "We won."
"We're just here to check on you two," Fluttershy added dully.
"Okay," Vice said warily. "It's not like we're going anywhere."
"Hey Fluttershy," Enzo blurted out. The mare still did not respond to him in any way. "Are you alright? I wish I was out there to help."
Vice chuckled. "Correction: you wish your good pal Vice was there to help."
"You weren't there..." Fluttershy muttered coldly.
The two stallions felt dread creeping upon them. "Yeah, I'm really sorry about that," Enzo said genuinely. Rainbow Dash bit her lip.
Vice narrowed his eyes. "Yo, what's wrong?"
"What?" Rainbow Dash said connecting to Vice. "Oh-nothing."
"Hmph. C'mon, don't pull that. What's the matter?"
"Fluttershy, did something happen?" Enzo asked sitting up promptly. "..."
Vice and Enzo exchanged harrowing glances. Vice rubbed his face before speaking angrily. "Hey, what's going on?"
"I'm sorry!" Fluttershy cried before bailing through the door.
"No-wait!" Rainbow Dash called chasing after her friend.
"Yo!" Vice tossed his bed sheets aside and tumbled onto the floor. He pounded the ground in frustration. "Frack!" Enzo remained silent. "What in the name of balls just happened?"
"I-I don't know," Enzo said getting out of bed. "I'm going after her!"
"Wait-agh! My everything!"
Enzo ignored Vice's pains and managed to catch up with the two mares. He immediately tapped Fluttershy on the shoulder who instantly jumped around. She completely blocked her face off with her hooves. "Hey?" Enzo asked almost reaching for her face. "Everything alright?" Enzo mentally sighed. 'What a stupid thing to ask. Of course she's not alright. But, what else would I say?'
Fluttershy poked her face through her hooves with a frown. "Yes," she peeped. "I'm fine. Everything's fine." She could not will herself to look in Enzo's eyes.
"That's-"
"Holy-what happened to your cutie mark?" Rainbow Dash said pointing at Enzo's backside. The stallion sheepishly peered at the picture of a silver hoof now half peeling off his body. He cursed out loud.
"I am shedding!" he said with quick bursts.
"It's fake," a voice said from behind the group. Vice had crawled all the way from the hospital room with a grin. "All good and fake."
"Fake? But why?" Rainbow Dash asked astonished at the idea of a cutie mark sticker.
"Because guys like us don't have what you call cutie mark," Vice said getting up. "From what we know, those things take a while to get...years. We've only been here a few, so naturally it'd be odd for grown up...horses like us to have blank flanks."
Both Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash stayed astounded. Enzo managed to remove his doctored cutie mark before speaking directly to Fluttershy. "If you see any other grown ponies without a cutie mark, run. Please don't trust them." "..."
"Do you understand, Fluttershy?"
"...Yes."
Vice grumbled with his body resting on the wall. "Hey." Faces fell upon him. "I'm gonna be a real asshole for a second. What the hell is wrong with you right now, Fluttershy."
"Vice!" Enzo shouted abruptly. "What do you think-"
"Enzo..." Fluttershy muttered.
The black stallion's anger simmered into thin air. "Yeah, Fluttershy?"
"I have to stop seeing you."
Enzo's body prickled. "Wait, huh? What do you mean?"
"No..." Rainbow Dash whispered regretfully.
"I can't see you anymore," Fluttershy said more sternly. Tears started to roll down her eyes.
"Why?"
The mare took a deep breath before explaining herself. "I'm seeing someone else!"
"Fluttershy, I don't-"
"I'm going out with Dumbbell!"
The intense breathing of Fluttershy echoed throughout the hospital halls. Rainbow Dash's pained face shot away as the two stallions stayed stunned. Vice almost fell over as he stumbled with his next words. "What the hell?"
"I'm sorry, I'm just so sorry! I-" Fluttershy clamped her mouth shut and suppressed further sobs. She shook her head spraying tears all about as she ran away from Enzo.
"I'm sorry too," Rainbow Dash said rushing behind her fleeing friend. "I really don't know why she's dating that bully!"
Vice shook in terror. He watched Enzo's quiet, swaying body with growing sorrow. "No." Vice tried walking closer to his friend, holding his mouth shut. "Fuck no," he spat through his hooves. "What the fuck. What the fucking fuck!" Enzo raised his head slightly and glanced at Vice before trudging back into his room. "God fucking dammit, Enzo, no!"
Enzo brushed by the doorway and headed straight for his bed. "This ain't right," Vice said still shivering. "That can't be true!" Enzo ignored Vice's outbursts and crept back into his bed. He gazed at the ceiling never taking his eyes off the white paint. "Enzo, I-" Vice choked on his words. He tried to hold his mouth even harder, but the tears started to form in his eyes. "No..." Enzo just kept staring at the ceiling.
"I'm sorry," Vice screamed.
"I am too. I'm really sorry. I'm sorry about everything." Enzo could hear Vice crying as he felt his body solidify into stone. |
One Shot, One Chance | Chapter 41: Broken Bodies | The wind rivaled Gray Shark's speed as he rushed through the outskirts of town with his jacket flicking at the dawned sky. 'Pride...' Gray Shark continued striding through the open field with memories of the Sins stinging his brain. Scanning the field, he found nothing but barren green.
"If Pride is this close to town then there really is no holding back for me." Gray Shark felt himself slowing down. He stomped the ground before dashing again. "For now I need to focus on finding Blitz." The masked pony spotted something tainting the greenery and approached it with caution. "Bodies? Out here?" He eyed the slash marks on each of the stallions and sighed. "Must've been the scouting squad. Pride took care of them alright."
Gray Shark finally stepped into the forest with a growing anxiety. "If I remember, this is the path to where we were yesterday." He nodded firmly at the imprints of hooves on the ground. "Now I just have to-" Gray Shark paused and shuddered at the stench of blood. He spotted a stray limb hanging out from under a bush and gasped inaudibly. The odor grew intensely as he neared the bush. Feeling his heart sink, Gray Shark stood glaring at a pile of armored bodies each with a face of dread.
"So this is where the royal guards ended up," he said sickly. "But, how-" Gray Shark gritted his teeth under his mask. "Slash marks again. Means that Pride must've...dealt with the guards too. Of course." He sized up the blood trail leading to the corpses and sighed. "And I can't be following clues either. I have my own priorities; I have to find Blitz." Gray Shark ignored the bodies as he continued to search for Blitz.
"As much as I want to pursue my enemy, I need to focus on other things." Gray Shark noted how deep into the forest he was and clicked his golden hoof reassuringly. "I have to make sure Blitz is safe. That's a promise."
~~~~~~~~~~
Blitz licked the roof of his mouth to combat the drying sensation eating at him. His breaths were short and his heart pounded to escape his chest. But nothing could stop his spirit, his eyes lay stretched open as he glided through the forest. One name kept forging itself in his mind. 'Fuzzy Fry.'
"Yes this is it!" Blitz skidded to a stop and inspected the area around him. He smiled in spite of the situation he was in. "The bullet marks from that crazy guy...yes!" Blitz ran across the darkened spots imprinted on the ground with increased confidence. "Agh, this is the last place I saw Fuzzy Fry...where is he? Fuzzy Fry!" The stallion called out in vain as his newly gained confidence started to drop. Still running, he screeched louder. "Fuzzy Fry!"
Now losing track of his location, Blitz felt himself breaking down. The effects of constant running took its toll as the unicorn felt his entire body burn. With his vision blurring, Blitz wandered off astray. He almost fell over as he spotted sanctuary for his pains. A glistening patch of water smiled upon Blitz, the sun reflected its warmth off the clear surface. Blitz thanked Celestia before reaching for his saddlebag and scooping up the liquid.
"Even if it's dripping, it's still good," Blitz said as he slurped down his refreshment. He sat down and took another sip, his body started to drift into a deep sleep as every part of him became numb. "No!" The unicorn shook his head rapidly. "Fuzzy Fry. There's no time to-"
"Oh little boy..." Blitz jumped up and screamed behind hi m. Two spinning guns stared straight into his terrified eyes. "Are you ready to get penetrated?" Bull It Buster cackled.
Blitz gulped hard, but shifted his face into anger. "Where's Doctor Rivet?"
"None of yo bee's ass wax," the deranged gunner responded.
"Tell me or I will hurt you," Blitz said with his horn glowing.
Bull It Buster stopped spinning his hooves and looked at Blitz with a solid smile. He let his hooves slam into the ground before falling and laughing hysterically. Blitz did not falter and kept his guard up. "I'll die from laughter that's what! You can kill me like dis!"
Blitz took initiative to hurl his saddlebag at the flopping stallion. Bull It Buster spat before getting up and smashing the bag into the ground. Water coated itself all around the pony's hooves. "Are you trying to make me a wet man?" Bull It Buster asked cracking up again. "Arr, me guns have wet powder," he said making clicking sounds with his hooves.
Blitz shook his head before letting his magic surround the two guns. A cyan aura sifted around them as they started to recolor into a steel blue. "Lawl-wait huh?" Bull It Buster said eyeing his changing hooves. "Oh, that's ice cool! Now my hands are all glittery and shiny."
"You really are a crazy bastard," Blitz said with disbelief.
"Say goodbye." Bull It Buster revved up his guns, but stood with confusion as nothing happened. He stared at his hooves and then thrust them forward. Bits of ice sprinkled off. "Well holy anal beads, I've been creamed and iced over!"
"Now, tell me where Doctor Rivet is. Please!"
"Wow hold the phone's dinkus, the sultry test of manhood isn't over. I'm still gonna peen you!" Bull It Buster said shaking his frozen blasters. Blitz's eyes grew wide. He sidestepped away from a full swing launched by Bull It Buster, barely dodging the massive piece of metal-ice. Bull It Buster's hoof smashed against a tree, causing the ice to shatter and the machinery underneath to explode. "What?" Sparks began to fly, Bull It Buster's body jolted as his gun fell apart.
"If you want to hit me, go right ahead. I won't be responsible for your sick toys breaking," Blitz said getting to his feet.
"Ohhh, mama-mia!" Bull It Buster said shaking his broken gun.
"That is quite an amazing feat, Blitz." The sudden voice sent chills into Blitz's heart.
"You," he said turning to Doctor Rivet. The doctor withheld a faint smile. "Where's Fuzzy Fry?"
"Blue!"
"Fuzzy-" Blitz ducked in time to avoid getting his head cleaved off. The orange beast tumbled next to Bull It Buster who whimpered in defeat.
"Remember what I said," Doctor Rivet insisted to his creation. "If you do not kill him this time..."
"Blue must become...red!"
"Fuzzy, stop this!" Blitz said. Fuzzy Fry responded with another swipe. "Can't you remember?" Blitz yelled rolling out of the way. "Bluebelle, Manehatten, your bestest friend?"
"All I know is Blue!"
Blitz growled. "Fine, so be it!" The unicorn pounced for the saddlebag lying harmlessly on the ground and began to surround it with his magic. Fuzzy Fry snarled before leaping for Blitz. The blue pony swung the now frozen bag at his attacker, pelting the orange beast in the face. As the bag shattered, Blitz grabbed a chunk and tackled the dazed Fuzzy Fry. Landing on top, he held the block menacingly over Fuzzy Fry's skull.
"Don't make me do this!"
"Must...kill." Fuzzy Fry started to raise his claw. Blitz thought of his own flesh being torn apart by his best friend.
"No!" Blitz hesitated before bringing down the chunk on Fuzzy Fry's face. He could feel ice against bone. The orange stallion's face turned red as the gash on his forehead began to bleed. Blitz felt the ice dripping with blood as he screamed in terror.
"I hate you." Fuzzy Fry ignored the blood dripping down his face and kept raising his claws.
Blitz's heart broke. "Damn you! Damn you for making me do this!" The unicorn swiftly sent another blow to Fuzzy Fry's face followed by another and another. The orange pony sobbed under the crushing force of the ice.
"Kill...me."
"No, no, it can't be me. It won't be me! Not me!" Blitz still kept smashing in Fuzzy Fry's face. All restraints were broken. All senses within the unicorn were numb. All he felt was rage.
"Kill me!"
Blitz screamed before breaking the ice into a shard and aiming for Fuzzy Fry's eye. He left his hoof drop and felt no regrets. Seconds passed and his hoof was still hanging in the air. Blitz looked behind him to spot Gray Shark firmly holding his arm.
"Don't."
"Let go of me," Blitz cried. "I need to-"
"To be a murderer?" Gray Shark glared at Blitz decisively. "Look at him, he's got nothing left." Blitz looked back to the beaten, bloodied pony that withheld a broken smile. The tears in his eyes finally registered, the coldness stung hard. He let the shard slip and watched it stab the ground.
"I-I did this," Blitz said.
"Anger will do that."
"Doctor Rivet," he whispered. "Where's Doctor Rivet?"
"Gone," Gray Shark replied casually. "When I heard the screaming I only found you."
Blitz's body slumped next to Fuzzy Fry's and the tears finally burst out in full force. "Why did this ever happen."
"Because bad people always exist in a pure world to corrupt it."
"It's your fault."
Gray Shark was taken back. "Excuse me?"
"Because you and your stupid friends created a portal here! All the badness followed you! You're the real reason why my friend suffered!" Blitz screamed through his sobs.
Gray Shark grabbed Blitz by his arm and jolted him up. "Do you honestly think that?"
Blitz looked Gray Shark straight in his crimson eye. "Yes-"
"Then you're a damn fool," he said dropping the unicorn.
"I'm not a fool," Blitz defended crawling towards Fuzzy Fry. "It is the truth-"
"So had we never have been here, things would've been fine?" Gray Shark asked irritably.
"Yes, me and Fuzzy-we would've lived out lives like normal. He wouldn't have gotten kidnapped!"
"You can't say that as a fact," Gray Shark said. "You have to take into account the actual-"
"I just want my friend back!" Blitz cried reaching for Fuzzy Fry.
Gray Shark started to regain himself. "Fate is a cruel bitch," he stated with his eye closed. "She toils with you and makes you stray from what you really want."
"I just want him back..."
"Alright-here." Gray Shark walked over to Fuzzy Fry's unconscious body and pulled out a long string from under his jacket. To Blitz's dismay, the masked pony started to tie up the crazed pony.
"What are you-"
"We're bringing him back," Gray Shark said hoisting the captured Fuzzy Fry on his back.
"Why? What else can we do?" Blitz asked frantically.
"Get Twilight and see if she knows anything about this-"
"But his brain was physically altered-"
"Or we could take him to the hospital."
"But how would they know what to do?"
Gray Shark just stared at Blitz before nervously breaking out in laughter. "Why am I hoping for you?" He shook his head at the astonished Blitz. "I guess you really do see things the way I do."
"Huh? Like what?" Blitz said wiping away his tears.
"Like hell. Cynical." Blitz cringed at the word. "Seriously though, do you want to save your friend or not?"
Blitz nodded. "Yes."
"Then let's go." Gray Shark led the way with Fuzzy Fry slumped over his shoulder. Blood dripped down his hind legs, but he disregarded the feeling. Blitz, however, uneasily watched his friend sway back and forth. The bloodied face made Blitz's stomach churn.
"If I could go back in time...I would. Travel dimensions like you," Blitz said faintly. "We're virtually brothers. My damn brother and now he might as well be dead. All I can do is hope."
Gray Shark sighed. "All anyone can do around here is hope. That's not ethical." |
Late Night Encounters At The Gas Station | pre | "I don't wanna hear it dude." Derrick said, "I already forgive you." |
Late Night Encounters At The Gas Station | Upgrade Your Magic Coverage | After what felt like a mushy hour of apologies and roommate banter over their personal nonsense, the clock showed that thirty minutes was left before it was time for them to leave. "You just want to just lock up the shop?" Mark asked.
"I dunno." Derrick replied, "Given the last time we wanted to try leaving early, Luna showed up. I'd say give it a bit more time."
As if on cue one of the doors had opened, and it was indeed Luna. However this time she was accompanied by another pony. She had the same hairstyle, but it was colored like the early morning sky and her fur color was a brilliant white. "Mark, Derrick; it is great to see you two again."
"Well it's... been one heck of a night on our end." Mark stated, "Who's your friend?"
"This is my sister, Celestia." Luna answered, waving a wing as she introduced the other pony.
"My sister has been telling me a lot about you two." She said with a warming tone, "However we are here to talk about the... predicament that is going on with this store."
"Oh!" Derrick exclaimed, "That reminds me." He reached into his pockets and pulled out a handful of bits, "I think that Twilight girl needs some kind of intervention with coffee."
Celestia looked at the clerk, "She gets like that whenever a meeting of royals and diplomats is around the corner; I'll make sure to talk to her about this when I get a chance."
Luna grabbed the bits and put them in her bags, "Anyways, we might have figured out what might be causing this magic interference."
The two boys perked up, all interest now on the two royal sisters, "Well don't keep us in suspense, tell us."
Luna and Celestia looked at each other and took a step back, giving enough for their magic to form a general map of Equestria and a map of the Stop-n-Snak. "As you can see; this is Equestria, our home." Luna stated.
"And this little map is our shop right?" Mark asked, pointing at the small projection of the gas station.
"Correct." Celestia answered, "There is a magical aura that surrounds our world, it's what gives many creatures in our world their uniqueness. Pegasi controlling the weather, unicorns having an in-depth knowledge of all things magic, and so on."
Luna pointed towards a small shop outside the outskirts of Canterlot city, "And here is one of the many Stop-n-Snak stores in our world."
The two clerks were in amazement, "It is freaky how that place looks exactly like our store." Derrick said, the map closing in onto the ponies version of the store. A few key things were different; gas pumps were water troughs, the fluorescent lights were old style lamp posts, and the road was cobblestone instead of asphalt.
"Right, which is why it took me so long to realize there was something wrong." Luna replied, the maps began to lower as a pinkish aura began to flow over the two maps, "We've theorized that our worlds have their own different magical auras, but now somehow they've somehow become intertwined with each other. As if the frequencies of the worlds were mixed."
"I guess if you wanted to understand it a bit more easily, try thinking of a radio station coming in between other stations, or what your world has a 'cell phone' losing signal."
Mark started to grin at the realization of what was going on, he looked at his friend with the smuggest look, "Guess who was right?"
Derrick sighed, "God dammit..."
"You owe me twenty bucks." Mark said.
"I thought it was Ten?" Derrick asked.
"Think of it as interest for everything else I was right about." Mark replied.
"Anyways, so you think this is what's going on?" Derrick asked the two sisters.
"It is possible, but we are still unsure about it." Luna replied, "At the very best you two just keep doing what you're doing."
"This world is far different from ours, I'm surprised no one has actually noticed anything wrong." Celestia stated. She looked at the various bags of candies and snack foods, the logos and mascots were all alien to her.
"My guess is, because everyone shows up in the middle of the night and just wants to get their stuff and go home." Mark said, thinking of a possible reason as to why no one really questioned why there wasn't any real questioning.
"That could be." Celestia said, "Regardless, we need to fix this as soon as possible. Who knows what could happen if this lingers."
"I'm surprised no one from our world managed to cross to your place." Derrick said, "Though now thinking of it... that'd be worse than us dealing with this."
"Regardless, you two just continue what you two have been for the past few weeks." Luna sighed, "We might have to ask others for help in this endeavor."
"Well whatever is going on, we'll manage." Derrick said, "I mean, we've handled it so far."
"It's good to see you're taking all of this well." Celestia said.
"In all honesty, it gets boring around here, all this insanity is a good change of pace." Mark said, "Like some weird movie or something."
"Good luck you two." Luna said, Celestia and her walking out of the store.
"Keep strong princesses!" The clerks exclaimed, they knew that they were the ones needing more luck than they did.
After a while the two closed up the store and got into the car. "Didn't think there would be a store that looks exactly like ours. It's uncanny right?" Derrick asked.
"Yeah, but at this point anything is possible; heck I didn't even expect magic to work like how they described it." Mark said, looking outside of the car window.
"You're the one that thought of it." Derrick replied.
"Yeah, but I didn't expect it to be it." Mark said, "I thought it was gonna be more complicated or something." Eventually the two pulled out of the parking lot and drove back home. |
Late Night Encounters At The Gas Station | Plain And Simple | A few days had passed, and the two clerks had indeed continued work as usual. At this point, taking the night shift was normal for the two as if they were wanting to see what would happen next. After the fight, the craziness, and odd purchases, they were preparing for anything to happen; but what could happen?
The two looked outside, counting the cars that passed outside and making it a fun game. It was a neck and neck game that was interrupted as the door opened. An orange pony with blonde hair and a cowboy hat walked in.
It was odd, to say the least, but at least there wasn't anything resulting in the destruction of the store. The two were surprised; so much so that they knew there had to be something else behind this, so naturally they decided to follow the pony.
The pony looked around aimlessly, all she could do was rub her head as the colorful bags were not helping her in her shopping.
"Do you need any help?" Derrick asked, breaking the customers concentration.
"I do actually." The pony answered, turning around to see the duo, "Do y'all happen to have any aspirin or something?"
"That's it?" Mark asked.
"Well I would've gotten some earlier, but I got busy with work, and by the time I was finished... all the stores were closed." The pony replied, as she was talking she had made her way to the drink coolers, "I then thought I could wait until tomorrow, but this headache is killing me, I couldn't even fall asleep."
"Yeah I know how that feels." Derrick stated, "Don't we Mark?"
Mark sighed as he knew exactly what his friend was talking about, "Oh... the night when we ran into that pink pony?"
"You know it. I swear by the end of the night I was seriously suggesting we should just find a different job." Derrick said.
"Y'all ran into Pinkie Pie?" The pony asked.
"Well she found us." Mark replied, "We were more or less trying to catch her and stop her from destroying the place; In the end she just ran off with all our candies."
"Yeah that does sound like Pinkie." The pony muttered before extending her hoof, "I'm Applejack by the way."
"Well it's nice to meet ya." Mark said, " I'm Mark and this is my pal Derrick."
"Hey there." Derrick said, "You were looking for aspirin right?"
"Yeah, do you guys got any?" Applejack answered.
"I think we have them in that one section no one looks at." Mark replied.
"That's not where we keep them." Derrick said, "We moved them behind the counter."
"Why did we do that?" Mark asked.
"That was because of that scare, back around Halloween." Derrick replied, grabbing the keys to the locked items behind the counter, "It was that time when people thought it was part of some underground smuggling ring."
"I still don't understand how that sorta junk gets so much traction." Mark replied, "I mean, what could anyone possibly do with it?"
"Stupidity isn't a virus, but it spreads like one." Derrick sighed. He grabbed one of the bottles and placed it on the counter, "So it's just the pills and water?"
"Yeah, now how much do I owe ya?" Applejack asked as she dug around her saddle bags.
The clerks however were too busy thinking about what was going on. This was too simple! No comedic chases, no destruction of store and mind, no comedy of errors when looking for items. It was just a plain and simple purchase that anyone could make. Sure the reason why the item in question was outta place was off, but any store would have a reason to why something is out of place. It was off putting to the duo, and they had to say something about it.
"Are you sure that's everything?" Mark asked.
Applejack looked at the boy quizzically, "What else would I need?" She asked, "I got what I came here for."
Derrick looked up as soon as he was done with scanning the two items, "Sorry, he's just a bit confused why the purchase was so ordinary."
Applejack looked at the two, "You guys must be used to crazy ain't ya?" She asked.
"You have no idea." The two sighed in unison.
The farm pony chuckled, "I get it." She stated, "You deal with craziness so much, it oddly enough becomes normal, anything else seems practically alien to ya."
The group began to laugh for a good while until Derrick looked back at the register, "Anyway, your total is six dollars."
Applejack sighed, "Fair enough." She paid and then proceeded to try and open the bottle.
"Need some help?" Mark asked, Applejack nodded as she was now trying to open the bottle with her teeth. The clerk grabbed the bottle and unscrewed the lid, "this is a easy open bottle, how can you-" Mark stopped himself and looked at himself and then back to the farm pony, "right...hands."
Eventually he solved the bottle issue and Applejack walked out, now hoping for a more restful sleep. "Thanks a lot fellas!"
"So... that was odd." Derrick simply said.
"I know." Mark replied heading back to the register, "I mean after everything we've dealt with before."
"Yeah, I just wasn't expecting something so normal." Derrick said, "But at this point, what is exactly normal?"
Mark smirked, "At least it isn't another Pinkie encounter." The two began laughing as they now saw one of the craziest nights of their lives was now one of the funniest things they can just spring up for a quick laugh. Their lives clearly weren't going to be the same since the night they met these multicolored ponies waltzed into the doors of the store, anything to keep themselves distracted during the night shift was a good thing. Now the only thing that the two clerks were thinking of at this point was how long was this craziness going to last? |
Late Night Encounters At The Gas Station | Roll For Initiative | "Have you noticed the odd pattern going on?" Mark asked Derrick.
"What do you mean?" Derrick asked.
"I mean we've been dealing with two ponies each time we work the night shift." Mark answered, "We already go through one, and it's near closing time again."
Derrick looked at his friend with a judgmental look, "And by the time we're gonna deal with the next customer, it'll be time to close up shop right?"
"Yeah." Mark answered, "It's like a time loop or something."
Derrick just sighed as he tapped the counter, "I can deal with the ponies coming in here, but I draw the line at conspiracy theories." The two clerks looked outside, waiting for anything to happen, soon enough the door opened up. A small green and purple dragon walked around, ignoring most things as if it was in its own little world, "Hey little dude, you need help?" Derrick asked.
The dragon broke out of his concentration, in his excitement fire began to come out of his mouth. The clerks were amazed, for all of five seconds until it hit the chips; at that point they rushed towards the green fire to put it out. "You can breath fire?" Mark asked, still in amazement.
The dragon looked up at the clerks, "Yeah." He flatly stated, "Nearly every dragon can do it."
Mark's eyes grew wider at the knowledge of all dragons being able to breath fire; all sorts of ideas began to run in his head. "Dude, what are you planning?" Derrick asked.
Mark looked at his friend, "We gotta test this dude's fire breath, I wanna see if some of the stuff here can affect it." Without hesitation Mark ran off to the various corners of the store in his quest to test the fire breath.
Derrick rolled his eyes and kneeled down towards the dragon's eye level, "So what brings ya here little dude?"
"Well I had to prepare for a game night with my friends tomorrow, and I had completely forgotten about the snacks!" The dragon exclaimed, he paced back and forth receding back into his own little world, "
"Calm down little man." Derrick said, snapping the dragon out of his trance once again.
"It's Spike." The dragon said, looking back at Derrick.
Derrick sighed, "Okay Spike, let me help you look for what need, that way we can get this finished faster."
Spike nodded, "Yeah, that sounds pretty great."
The two began their hunt for snacks to make Spike's guys night one to remember, without making Spike cry into his wallet. The two began to look high and low for some of the most common things that no game night would be without. From party sized bags of chips, to the cool refreshing sodas, and of course some candy to help anyone stay up no matter how tired they were.
By the time they were finished going through the list of snacks, Mark had returned with a bunch of spicy snacks ranging from jalapeno hotdogs, to Chernobyl ghost pepper jerky. "Let's do this experiment!" Mark exclaimed with joy.
"Uhh... what's going on?" Spike asked, as if knowing his health was in some way going to be jeopardized by this nut case.
"I wanna see what kind of foods affect your fire breath." Mark answered, "What do you say, wanna do some pyrotechnics?"
Before Derrick could derail this insanity train, Spike threw caution to the wind and decided to join in on Mark's crazy idea. They started with a bag of spicy lime chips, they had a bit of a kick yet Spike didn't feel a thing. They tried the jalapeno dogs along with some peppers from the nacho bar, those had more punch; once again Spike did not feel anything. "Is your stomach freaking made of iron or something, how are you not feeling anything?!" Derrick asked in utter confusion.
Spike simply shrugged, "I've eaten stuff like this, I guess I'm just used to it."
"Okay, let's try the ghost pepper jerky then." Mark replied as he opened up the bag. The scent alone was enough to bring the two to tears.
Derrick seeing this, thought it was a good time to stop the madness, "Before you guys open this Pandora's box of pain, maybe try splitting one strip with each other instead of downing the whole bag."
Mark nodded as he pulled out one strip of jerky and tore it in half before eating it. Spike took his piece and chewed it as well, "This ain't so hot." He said, suddenly as if in some cruel form of irony, Spike began to scream in pain. The heat was too much for the little guy; his normal green fire had turned a bright red, he soon started to run around the store as the spice was overwhelming him.
"Holy crap!" Mark exclaimed, "I didn't expect that would happen!"
"What did you expect, you fed him a ton of spicy foods!" Derrick shouted back, he ran towards one of the fire extinguishers. Spike continued to run about the store, setting things on fire as Derrick followed behind trying to put out most of them.
Mark soon had an idea and ran towards the slushie machine and grabbed one of the biggest cups the store sold, "Yo Spike, chug this down!" He handed the dragon the cup and he immediately began to drink the sugary ice mix. After what felt like forever, Spike had finally finished the slushie, the fire was finally extinguished.
"Dude, how do you feel?" Derrick asked, concerned for the dragon's well being.
Spike took a while to respond, "Other than my tongue being burnt, I'm feeling pretty good."
"Well that's a relief." Mark sighed after a long session of apologizing, "Now let's get ya all scanned." Mark took care of scanning the items, he had decided to say that everything was on him. Spike nodded and walked out of the store, bags in tow.
"I didn't expect you to be THAT generous." Derrick said with a smug grin.
"Well it all was my fault." Mark replied, "I just gotta remember not to be surprised at my paycheck on Monday."
"Well just close up, I'm gonna get the car started." Derrick stated as he walked outside. |
Late Night Encounters At The Gas Station | The Return | Another day had gone by, and the clerks were absentmindedly looking around the store; everything seemed to be going perfectly fine, that was until they picked up on the most distinctive scent. "Is that... cotton candy?" Derrick asked.
Mark's eyes grew wide, he knew what was coming, "We gotta barricade the doors!" He exclaimed.
The two began to run about, trying their best to fortify the establishment. A sudden bang had hit one of the doors, the clerks began to lean against the door. However their attempts were in vain as the door flew open. The two cowered in fear at the force breached their defenses, this dark force looked over them. A creature so horrendous that it's very voice could render the skies, and its name could make the bravest cower in fear. Pinkie Pie had returned.
"Hiya guys!" Pinkie exclaimed with joy and pep, she hopped around the store as if she had won the lottery.
The two clerks looked at each other, they sighed knowing this was going to be a long night. "Hi Pinkie." Derrick said in a deadpan tone.
Pinkie stopped in her tracks, "Aw, why the long face?" She asked, concerned for the young man.
"Oh nothing." Derrick replied, "Just getting over the first hurdle of the night shift."
"Well look on the bright side, you guys don't have to stay here all night." Pinkie said.
"Any particular reason why you're here tonight?" Mark asked.
"Well after you guys gave me that idea for putting those candies in cookies, I wanted to see what other kind of sweets I could use in my baking."
"Well that sounds easy enough." Derrick said, "Let's go to the candy section."
Pinkie hopped with joy, the clerks sighed as they knew there wasn't going to be a single chase or the store being destroyed in the process.
The trio looked at the various candies, to Pinkie it is an untapped wonderland of possibilities to extend her culinary reach by combining any of these items; she had reached a new level of nirvana and she wished the night would never end. "Oh my goodness, I don't know where to start!" She exclaimed with unbridled joy.
"Well that depends on what you're gonna do." Mark said, "Some of these can be mixed into cookies, some of them can be mixed into ice cream, or some random combination of the two."
Pinkie looked at the young boy and her eyes grew larger than they already had, "You can put these candies into ice cream?"
The excitement that Pinkie had at that very moment could make anyone become terrified at the implications of what was going on. The amount of energy she had could very well be used as an alternative energy source, and keep an entire city functional for up to three months; the catalyst was set and the reaction was soon to come.
"I see my mistake." Mark said.
"Oh DO YA?!" Derrick shouted, soon enough Pinkie started to run bounce around the store in a ball of pure excitement. It was a strong sense of deja vu as Pinkie jumped about, however the two clerks had learned from the last time and did not try to catch Pinkie, and simply waited for her to wear herself out. This lasted for some time as Pinkie began to slow down, soon enough she collapsed onto the floor. "Did you get all the crazy out of your system?"
Pinkie sprung back up, as if nothing had happened, "Sorry, I'm just not sure how to properly react to this." Pinkie replied, "I'm so used to eating candies and baked goods separate; I can plan parties decades in advance, but I never thought of combining my two favorite things together."
The clerks laugh, "You actually plan parties in advance that far?"
"Well yeah." Pinkie answered, "I also have a list for all my friends preferences, and their fears so I can plan their parties accordingly." She pulled out a list with crudely drawn portraits of ponies that Mark and Derrick had encountered since they started to take the night shift, "For instance, my friend Twilight likes vanilla ice cream and red balloons, and she's afraid of ladybugs and quesadillas."
The clerks looked at each other and started to giggle like a pair of school girls. After their laughing fit, they proceeded to list off which candy would fit best with what kind of treat; they might have slipped the idea of ice cream cakes, but Pinkie oddly enough had thought of the idea beforehand so no real outburst was needed. By the time they were done choosing candies, Pinkie had a bag that any kid during Halloween would consider a night well done.
They started to scan the items and quietly thanked the store for having a multi item scanning system, otherwise they would be there all night scanning the candy they had picked out.
By the time they were done, the total cost was about forty dollars, just from candy alone. Needless to say, the guys were surprised, "I'm guessing they don't have these back where you're from?"
"Well not the way this place has it." Pinkie replied, "They normally sell them in bulkier sizes, but these tiny versions work just as good, plus all the various kinds are better since I can fit so many in our supply closet." The two had been to one of those bulk item shopping centers and they could agree with Pinkie. As cool as the bulk items are, the small things are better to keep around.
After she paid she bounced out of the store, happy with her bag of sweets and the knowledge of some new recipes to try out. "Okay... now let's get this place cleaned up." Derrick said as he walked over to the supply closet.
Mark sighed as he grabbed one of the mops and a bottle of glass cleaner, "Yeah, at least this wasn't before we closed up." And With that, the two began to clean up the shop. |
Late Night Encounters At The Gas Station | Thank You And Goodnight | The two looked around the store, with some eagerness they were anticipating another visitor before the night was over. It was around half an hour until closing and the clerks were getting a tad restless. "You think anyone else is gonna show up?" Mark asked.
"Hard to say." Derrick said, "Although, I'm tempted to do some overtime just to find out."
The two looked around, until they noticed that Luna popped into the room. "Hello you two."
The two nearly fell over in shock, "Do you always make a dramatic appearance?" Derrick asked.
Luna looked around, "My apologies, but I believe I might have found the solution to our predicament."
"Really?" Derrick asked, "Well don't keep us in suspense, give us the details!"
"Well since our world's magic managed to become mixed up, I've found the reason as to why it got mixed up." Luna said, "Back in Equestria we have found out that our magic can be blocked or messed with due to various items."
"Like rocks or something?" Mark asked.
"Sometimes it is rocks, sometimes it can be enchanted items, like shields, armor, or just common things like books." Luna answered, "However I don't know what could be causing this sort of mix up."
The two clerks thought to themselves, the idea of magic just simply being messed with by common items was ridiculous. Then again the idea of magic working much like cell phone service, they thought of something that could be the reason. "Oh god... I think I know the reason." Derrick said before opening the door leading to the back of the store, Mark and the princess followed; Mak and Derrick climbed up the stairs while Luna decided to simply fly up to the roof of the building.
The three looked around the rooftop, nothing seemed too out of the ordinary at first glance; there was some trash that probably was blown about from somewhere else, some old soda cans, rat traps, some wrappers from the burger joint down the road, not much that seemed odd. Derrick sighed as he kneeled down and picked up a large ball of wadded up aluminum foil, "I think this might be the reason."
"Foil?" Mark asked, picking up the ball and tossing it about, "You think this is really the cause?"
"Well, let's test it out." Derrick responded, "Try doing something with this Luna."
Luna tried to pick up the ball of foil with a simple levitation spell, and to everyone's surprise, her magic had no effect on it. "This is interesting." Luna said, looking at the foil with great interest.
"How the heck did this thing even get up here?" Mark asked, knowing that even with all the crazy stuff they had dealt with, this was the weirdest thing to just casually be around.
"Well remember when we had to chase that hobo out of the dumpster?" Derrick asked.
"Not really." Mark asked, "Was it the one that caused the raccoon problem, or the one that kept putting the lawn gnomes around the store?"
"No, that was the one that believed in that crazy cult; you know, the one with that giant blue goat."
"Oh right, what was the name of them?" Mark asked, " Union of Trogdor or something..."
"I dunno, all I know is that this thing was most likely the cause of it." Derrick said, "How on earth are we gonna get rid of it?"
"I'll handle that." Luna answered. She grabbed the ball of foil and place it in her saddle bag, "I have a feeling my sister and Twilight will have a field day with trying to figure out this ball of foil."
"Well I guess that's it then." Derrick said, "How is this gonna get fixed?"
"Once I return home with this ball of foil, the magic frequencies of our worlds should slide back into order." Luna replied, "You two have managed to deal with this mix up better than I had expected."
"It gets boring around her." Mark replied, "In all honesty, I was actually looking forward to who was gonna show up next."
"Yeah, it got pretty crazy." Derrick added. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the bits that they had collected since the last visit they had with the princess of the night.
Luna took the bit and placed them into her bag, "And here is your payment for all this craziness." She handed the two clerks a bag of gemstones along with a small book.
"What's the book for?" The boys asked, confused with the added gift.
"Consider it a way to keep in touch." Luna answered, "You two could use some entertainment if you take up another night shift." She wrapped the boys in a hug with her wings, "Farewell my friends, I have enjoyed our little meetups." With that Luna took flight. The two looked on until she had disappeared, the weeks of insanity had finally ended.
"Wow, I guess it's finally over." Mark said.
"Yeah." Derrick said, he looked at his phone and looked at the time, "And that's our cue to lock up."
The two climbed down the ladder and proceeded to close up the store. As they got into the car they looked at the book, "What do you think she meant as a way to keep in touch?" Mark asked.
Derrick shrugged, soon enough the book began to glow brightly; he opened it up and saw some writing in it.
Derrick and Mark, I am writing to see if this was indeed working. I thought of using this book as a way to keep in touch with each other; my sister once gave one of these books to one of her old students, before Twilight Sparkle. I hope to use this and keep in touch every once in a while.
"Cool!" Mark exclaimed, "Luna gave us a magic book."
"I'd say it's more of a journal, but yeah." Derrick said, "I guess after everything we've been through, she wanted to see what else we get into." He flipped through the book and saw a photo of Luna and all the ponies they had met over their night shifts. Soon enough they pulled out, and drove back home, wondering what might happen next in this crazy job. |
Fleeting Flames | pre | Twilight jumped from her throne, galloping towards me as fast as she could. She apparently decided that galloping wasn't fast enough, so she jumped to the air and used her wings to propel her faster. Thankfully, I was more prepared for this flying hug than the others before it. I spread my arms open, planting my feet firmly in the ground as the lavender mare shot towards me. As she neared me, her hooves quickly went around my neck as I wrapped my arms around her back. Twilight gave a soft nuzzle to my cheek as she sighed happily in our embrace. I heard a loud pop next to me and felt Luna offer a hug of her own.
The three of us enjoyed the shared embrace a few seconds before we finally let go, Twilight's excited voice already making me smile. "Mark, it's so great to see you. How've you been since we last saw each other?"
My happiness died as quickly as it arrived as I tried to think of the best answer. "It has been going pretty well. I actually got a job not too long ago." I rubbed the back of my neck nervously, unsure how I want to talk about what I just heard.
Hearing that I got a job made Luna smile as she joined in the conversation. "You must tell me where you work. I have all sorts of pranks to plan out now that you've found a job."
I could only shake my head a Luna's antics. "I'm actually working for Spitfire and Fleetfoot as their assistant."
Twilight seemed to explode with excitement while I noticed Luna gave a slight wince. There was something I was missing from the way Luna reacted and how Spitfire and Fleetfoot spoke about my housing condition. I wished to speak with Twilight a little more, but apparently there was an appointment. I saw the noble walk in, and Twilight gave a slight eye roll as she went back to the throne. Luna was about to join, but I stopped her with a hand on her back. She looked back at me as I gestured for her to come off to the side.
Luna nodded as she turned around and followed me to one of the ornate columns. Luna gave a confused look as I looked around the throne room. It didn't seem anyone was really listening, but I had to make sure.
Once I finished looking around, I spoke to Luna with a calm tone. "What's wrong with me working as an assistant for those two mares?"
"There's nothing wrong with you working for Spitfire and Fleetfoot as their assistant. I'm very happy that you were able to find a job with them." Luna had many years to build a perfect poker face, but the wince she gave before was all I needed to know something wasn't right.
I pinched the bridge of my nose, refusing to run around in a circle for an answer. "Look, I already spoke to Celestia and she gave me somewhat of an answer. There's apparently something going on if you wince about me working for them. Now, please, just tell me what's wrong with me working for them."
Luna gave a soft frown as she looked at me. She never really liked to upset her friends, especially keeping a secret from them, but she had her reasons sometimes. "I really wish I could tell you, Mark. Spitfire and Fleetfoot are wonderful mares, but I can't give you the answers. The only ones that could would be those two mares."
I let out a heavy breath as I ran a hand through my hair. I was only given another ambiguous answer and I didn't want to pull the information from her. The princesses and Twilight's friends would probably be the only ones that I would trust to give me the truth if I ever asked a question. Nodding to Luna, I stepped aside so she could join Twilight. She offered me another frown as she trotted for the other alicorn. I followed behind Luna, watching the noble leave so I could say goodbye to Twilight.
Once the stallion was gone and the heavy golden doors closed, Twilight turned to me with a bright smile again. "Sorry about that, but I'm glad to hear that you got a job with Spitfire and Fleetfoot. I'm afraid that we will have to cut this meeting short as I have a few more appointments after that one." Twilight gave a small frown at not being able to talk.
I ruffled the lavender mare's mane a little as I offered her a smile. "Don't worry, Twi. It's not like I'm going anywhere anytime soon. You're free to stop by if you ever want to chat."
Twilight playfully batted my hand away as I stood up. She busied herself with fixing her mane as I gave Luna a hug. Luna gave a little more force behind her hug, hoping to make me feel a little better. I returned her intense hug with one of my own. Luna gave a few pats to my back before finally releasing me. I'm sure she didn't mean it, but she may have hugged me a little too tightly. I felt my spine pop as I turned towards the golden doors, heading towards them so I could find the garden and relax in the rain.
As I neared the door, a loud echoing of hooves clopping against tile was heard. I turned to see Twilight galloping towards me. I raised a brow as she seemed worried about something. I know Luna didn't say anything about what we talked about, so I was curious to see what had Twilight all flustered. The lavender mare came to a skidding halt in front of me, her horn glowing its dark purple aura.
"Before you go, Mark, I need something from you," Twilight said as she tried to get her breath back.
I looked at Twilight curiously as I lowered myself to my knees so we could see each other eye to eye. "What do you need?"
Twilight hovered over a plastic cup and I knew exactly what it was for. "I'm going to need a sample at some point." Twilight gave a wide grin as she placed the cup in my hand.
My expression became flat as I stared at Twilight. "Really, Twilight? You need me to give you sample after I've given you at least twenty so far?"
Twilight gave a loud gasp at my words, her eyes going wide like I stabbed one of her favorite books. "Of course I do. I need all the data I can get to see what your body can and can't do in Equestria."
I lowered my head, giving a slight shake before looking back up at Twilight. "What are you doing with all of them? Eating them?"
Twilight's expression turned flat as she stared at me, unamused at my small humor. "You know that I don't do that. That's just wrong, and I need them so I can learn more about you."
I jumped in on the open joke that Twilight left me with. "You know spitters aren't fun, right?" Twilight became a little flustered before her expression went flat again.
Luna seemed to enjoy my little joke as I could hear her laughing from across the room. "Very funny, Mark. Just get me the sample and drop it whenever you get the chance."
I gave a mock salute, earning a headshake from Twilight before she pushed me out the door. Her magic enveloped the door, closing it before either guard had a chance to. I gave a few more laughs before turning around and heading for the nearest park. It was still raining outside, so it was nice enough to get some relaxation in. I found the nearest park and walked outside, heading for a bench that was dry. I took a seat on the bench as I watched the rain cover the entire garden, the plants looking very healthy from all the water.
I did nothing as I watched the water fall from the sky, landing on the plants and the ground in front of me. I pocketed the sample cup that Twilight had given me and decided to lay down on the bench. I listened to the water hit the roof and plants, letting my mind wander as I tried to figure out what to do. I really didn't know what to think of Spitfire and Fleetfoot. I thought that I could possibly become friends with them, but from what I've heard, I'm just some sort of annoyance. I rolled to my side so I could watch the rainfall, pushing away the mares' conversation. I was so distracted by the rainfall that I didn't hear someone coming up behind me.
I felt a claw poke me in my back. I turned around to be met with a griffoness in a Wonderbolt uniform. The griffoness had dark orange feathers around her body, leading up to her wings where they turned brown. Her neck feathers were white, but the tips were pink. The feathers around her eyes and beak were a deep purple. The colors were easy to recognize as they were the opposite of Razor Wing's.
"So, you're the new recruit that's joining the team?" The griffoness asked as she looked me up and down.
"Sure am. The name's Mark, and judging by the coloration of your feathers, you must be Steel Wing," I answered as I extended my hand.
Steel smiled as she gripped my hand with her talon, giving a few hard shakes. "That's right. I guess you've met my sister?"
I smiled as we let go. "I did. Compared to other griffons, she's really nice."
Steel smiled as she spoke in a cheery tone. "She better be. Our parents raised us better than to look down on the ponies." I could hear the dislike she held for those type of griffons.
"Well, I do hope to meet her some more since she's the only one that sells food that I need," I said.
"That's good to hear. Razor likes meeting new ponies and tried to be friendly to them," Steel explained. The griffoness looked around the park before looking back at me. "Hey, do you mind if we continue this conversation as we walk? I need to change out of my uniform."
I nodded to the griffoness, gesturing for her to lead the way. Steel walked forward, already starting to take off some of her uniform. Once she had the zipper down, she pulled her wings out of the holes and gave them a few flaps to stretch them out.
"If they make these uniforms any tighter, I'm afraid I'm going to have to find a way to make a censor bar real," Steel spoke openly.
The way she said that caused my cheeks to flush a little. "I take it that these uniforms hug in areas that aren't really desired?"
The griffoness turned to me, smiling as she spoke. "Exactly. I don't have anything against my body. I just don't want to be showing off."
I nodded to Steel's explanation, understanding exactly what she meant. I remembered that I had a question about the Wonderbolts and Steel seemed like she could give me an answer. "Hey, which part of the Wonderbolts are you with?"
"You have the main Wonderbolts that are led by Spitfire and Fleetfoot. They do the more big shows around Equestria while I, which I belong to the secondary unit, do some of the smaller shows," Steel explained as we rounded a corner, nearing one of the changing rooms.
I nodded my head at Steel's explanation. "That makes sense. If the entire main unit went to every show, then they would end up tiring themselves out and getting hurt."
Steel nodded at my assumption. "We're actually just as famous as the main unit, but just in those smaller areas. We do get to switch off every so often so we all have a chance to be at different shows."
We reached the changing rooms and Steel headed to go inside. Her talon was placed on the door before it fell to the ground. She turned around to face me, a smile on her face. "It's nice to know that you're also staying with Spitfire and Fleetfoot. Those two mares are really great to hang around."
"Oh, are they?" I said sarcastically.
My sarcasm wasn't lost on the griffoness as she hung her head down, shaking it at me. "I take it that you've heard their rougher side?" I nodded. "Believe me when I say don't take it personally. Those two have a lot to deal with than most ponies know about. Just give them some time and you'll see that they're not so bad."
"Sure," I said with a slight eye roll.
Steel saw me roll my eyes and punched me in the leg. "I'm serious. Those two really aren't as bad as they seem. If they weren't dealing with their own problems, I'm pretty sure the three of you would be good friends."
After that, Steel turned around quickly and entered the changing room. I rubbed the spot of my leg that she punched before walking away. I didn't really have a set way to go, so I decided to just walk around. The halls were quiet as the maids turned in for the night, the Lunar Guards taking up posts around the castle. I was headed back to Spitfire's office when a maid trotted up to me.
Her smile was warm as she greeted me, giving the same bow that every other maid gave. "Hello, Mark. I'm here to take you to your room so you can turn in."
I raised a brow at the mare. "Why am I staying at the castle?"
The maid looked up at me, her smile never faltering. "The storm is about to get strong again, so Luna requested that you and the mares stay here tonight. Spitfire and Fleetfoot have already been escorted to their rooms for the evening. Shall I take you to your room?"
I stood in place as I scratched my chin in thought. Bed sounded like a nice thing to have right now so I could sleep and figure out what I'm going to do. I nodded to the mare and gestured for her to lead the way. The maid gave another bow as she trotted past me and I followed behind her. The mare seemed to know her way around the castle as she led me the quickest way to my old bedroom. We arrived at my room and the maid gave a small curtsy before heading off for her own room.
I moved towards my bed, a huge yawn escaping me as I kicked my shoes to the side. I sat on the edge of the bed, throwing my shirt to the side and sliding under the covers. Sleep would help me figure out how to handle my current situation, and if I was lucky, I might be able to speak with Luna. It wouldn't be about anything that's going on, but just a way of just catching up and talking.
Several Hours Later
I let out a heavy sigh as I rolled onto my side, trying to find a way to get comfortable in my bed. It was nice to sleep in my old bed at the castle, but it seemed really empty without my usual stuff in here. The conversation that Fleetfoot and Spitfire had still spun around in my head, causing me to give a small frown. I thought that I wasn't hurt by what Fleetfoot said, but I guess I really had hoped that she cared about me. It seemed like I was back at square one at trying to figure out these mares.
I don't know what was really compelling me to try and befriend these two mares. I could leave whenever I wanted and find another place to live, but I could either end up in three different situations. The first situation would be that everything would be better than what I'm dealing with. The second situation was that everything would stay the same, only causing the cycle to repeat entirely again. The final one would turn out worse than now, and I probably would never leave the castle again.
Those scenarios probably weren't the only reasons why I'm trying so hard. My determination was pushed forward by Celestia's and Luna's ambiguous answers, along with my want to see what exactly the mares had a problem with me specifically. Staring at the ceiling a little more determined, I found a spare clock and set it to the appropriate time. I was going to show these mares that I'm not what they think I am and I'm fully capable of doing any of the work they would give me. Once I had my alarm set for the early training session, I set the clock on the shelf above my bed and closed my eyes to get some sleep. |
Fleeting Flames | Flying Pains | Fleeting Flames
By: Duelist96
Chapter 4: Flying Pains
I woke up to the sound of my alarm going off, and I remembered why I never really had one when I stayed in the castle. Alarm clocks in Equestria were annoyingly loud. I could have it set to play whatever news station was on at the moment, but I wasn't really sure how. This only left me with the good old buzzer sound, but that only made the situation much worse. Thanks to the magic crystal that helped power the infernal machine, it also helped to make the alarm sound. Instead of waking up to a normal beep like I was used to, it turned into a loud hum.
The hum wouldn't have been so bad if I had remembered to turn down the volume a little. Once the alarm started going off, I was wide awake. I tried to turn off the alarm as fast as I could, but I couldn't do it because of the loud hum that it was giving off. Using only one last solution that could solve most alarm problems, I chucked it at the wall. Thankfully, the clock broke on impact, and I could take a second to relax. I laid in bed for several seconds, my heart hammering in my chest as I tried to take in my surroundings.
I left the curtains on my window open so the small amount of light that would come in could give light to my room. Rubbing my face, I rolled out of bed. I was only half dressed and as I neared the dresser, I remembered that I didn't have any clothes. I sighed heavily as I hit my head lightly on the dresser. I could try to do a quick wash for my clothes in the shower, but it wouldn't get rid of the stench entirely. Plus I would have to wait a while for them to dry I was about to take a quick shower and hopefully head back home to get a fresh pair of clothes when someone knocked on the door.
There were only a few ponies that would be up this early in the morning and I went to see if it was either one of them. I ignored my shirt on the floor, not really caring how I was seen from the waist up since most of these ponies have seen my entire nude form before. Giving a huge yawn, I opened the door to allow whoever was standing outside to enter. I didn't even need to open my eyes to know who entered the room. The sound of her joyful trot, the smell of her vanilla shampoo, and her motherly humming gave it all away.
"Morning... Celestia," I greeted between a yawn.
"Good morning, Mark. I trust you had a wonderful night's rest?" Celestia asked happily.
I rubbed the back of my neck, my mind still asleep and unable to filter what I was saying. "I wish I had slept great. I didn't get to see Luna at all to talk with her more, and I'm about ready to lose it with those two mares." Once I registered what I had said, I looked at Celestia with wide eyes.
The cat was out of the bag and I was starting to freak out. I tried to say something to hopefully avoid any incident, but she stopped me by raising a hoof. Her calm gaze became a little serious, but she spoke with a caring tone. "Twilight has already told me about your job with Spitfire and Fleetfoot. I've also finished the paperwork to show that you work with them. Luna has also mentioned that you seemed a little off when you spoke with her privately."
My only response was a groan as I rubbed at my eyes. I could continue with some sort of lie to make it seem as if everything was okay, but I was just getting tired. "Of course I'm a little off. Kind of hard to keep a cheerful attitude when you overhear someone insulting you." My voice was raised a little bit, but I needed to release this energy before causing another incident.
Celestia gave a soft frown, her voice quiet as she placed a hoof on my shoulder for comfort. "I'm sorry to hear that, Mark. Why didn't you say anything earlier?"
I moved away from Celestia's hoof, moving towards the bed and sitting on the edge. "I didn't say anything because I didn't really think anything of it. I had my suspicions, but I wanted to hope that I was possibly overthinking it." I fell back on the bed, staring at the ceiling as I heard Celestia come closer to me.
Celestia sat on her haunches, her eyes showing concern as she continued to speak in her motherly tone. "May I ask specifically what you heard them talking about?"
I let out a loud groan, making sure Celestia knew how frustrated I was. Sure, I was ready to try and face these mares, but after saying something I kept buried, I had to explain myself. "It was the end of whatever their conversation was. They mentioned something about getting a monthly allowance for housing me. Fleetfoot even admitted to not really liking me at all. They're only looking after me just to make sure I don't get hurt."
I sat up from my bed so I could look Celestia in the eyes. "What exactly am I signed up for?"
Celestia looked away for a second, her features showing concerned as she pondered something. Silence filled the space for a few seconds before the alicorn turned towards me. "I'm sorry that I didn't tell you this sooner, Mark, but I wasn't sure how you would've handled it. Please understand that I wouldn't have let it gone this far if I had paid more attention earlier." Celestia looked at me with very sad eyes, her mistake weighing heavily on her shoulders.
I gestured for Celestia to continue, curious as to exactly what she was talking about. I needed to know the full story before possibly yelling at her and creating a fifth incident. Celestia looked between me and the window, her face scrunched in thought.
After a few seconds, she turned back to me, her expression hopeful as she spoke. "Do you mind if we go get something to eat? I promise that it will just be me and you in the dining hall."
I crossed my arms as I gave it some thought. I was getting kind of hungry and Celestia would make sure that our conversation would remain private if I wanted it to be. Getting up from the bed, Celestia let a small smile appear as she stood up. I nodded to her and gestured for her to lead the way to the kitchen.
We neared the door before she stopped and turned towards me. "I almost forgot the other reason I came here."
I raised a brow in confusion at what she meant. Her horn glowed its signature golden aura and she summoned a pair of clothes. She floated the clothes over to me, and I accepted them. Giving a small nod to the mare, I went to the bathroom to change. I was only gone for a few seconds before coming out of the bathroom in clean clothes. I threw my dirty clothes with my shirt that was on the ground. Celestia didn't seem to mind as she smiled and headed for the door again. Neither the princess nor I said anything as we walked to the dining hall.
I gave my greetings to the few maids and guards that were going about the castle, going straight to work. It wasn't long before we finally reached the dining hall. Celestia opened the door and allowed me to enter first. She closed the door behind her, erecting a sound proof barrier around it. I sat at the middle of the table, wanting to at least eat something before continuing my conversation with Celestia. I was expecting Celestia to sit at the head of the table like usual, but I guess today was a different kind of day.
I wasn't sure if it was because she was feeling sympathy for me, or if she wanted to make sure I was fine, but she sat next to me. The next thing that surprise me was that she removed most of her royal regalia. I've only seen the princesses a few times without their regalia, and that was only because they were either relaxing while off duty or in their bedrooms preparing for sleep. I didn't bother pushing the princess away, her presence not entirely unwelcome. I heard the princess let out a soft sigh of comfort, glad to be free of her regalia. I couldn't blame her. All the jewelry that she possessed was heavier than she made it look.
I was pulled from staring at her bare form as the doors to the kitchen opened. The pony and griffon chef walked out, coming towards us to take our orders. Neither the pony or griffon said anything about Celestia without her regalia, so I could assume this wasn't the first time she took it off during a meal. Celestia ordered two fruit parfaits and a cup of coffee. I ordered some sausage and bacon, needing something delicious to help ease my mind. The two chefs nodded before walking back to the kitchen and starting on our food.
Celestia didn't say anything, allowing the silence I kind of wished for. She gave a motherly smile as she stretched out in her seat, a wing draping over my back. Her soft feathers and warm aura helped calm me a little. I hadn't even realized I was tense until Celestia started moving her wing up and down my back. I closed my eyes as I breathed softly, hoping to keep some of my cool until we started the conversation and I go back to yelling about everything. The chefs returned from the kitchen with platters on their backs as they came towards us. They deposited the platters on the table in front of us, pulling the lids off.
Steam rose from my plate of meat, my mouth watering at the succulent meal. The pony and griffon bowed to the princess before going back to the kitchen. Once they were in the kitchen, Celestia silently erected another barrier over the kitchen door. The alicorn took a few seconds to make sure she had everything covered, moving on to her meal once everything was secured. Celestia hummed happily as she ate her parfait, her small smile turning into a bright and warm one as she enjoyed her food. I couldn't resist my own hum of pleasure as I bit into my sausage. The juices and flavor of the meat filling my mouth as I enjoyed the delightful taste.
Celestia started on her second parfait, looking at the doors to see if anyone was about to come in before turning to me slightly. "I would firstly like to apologize for letting things get so out of hoof." Celestia looked at me with slight worry.
I gave a gentle scratch to the mare's neck to show that I accepted her apology. She gave a small sigh at my fingers scratching her neck before continuing. "I can't tell you why they took you in because it does relate to personal issues. I can, however, tell you about the whole monthly payment deal." I nodded as I started chewing on my bacon.
"Finding somepony to house you was actually quite difficult. There were some that were willing to house you, but it just wasn't a safe environment for you. Luna and Twilight were at a loss about what to do with you as well. We actually feared that we wouldn't be able to get you somewhere to stay." Celestia's smile turned into a frown as she thought back to that day.
"That is until you found Spitfire and Fleetfoot," I added, filling in what I understood.
"Precisely. I had forgotten that they were looking for somepony to rent their place out to. I went and talked with them about the situation, but I apparently came at a bad time. They were having a few personal issues at the time. One of those you already know about since they're getting a monthly allowance." Celestia looked at me to make sure I was still following along.
I nodded my head so she could continue. "They were having a few financial problems that arose because of another problem. I thought they would be good enough mares to look after you, so I promised to give them a monthly payment so they could house you and pay off their financial problem." Celestia went quiet as she stared into her steaming cup of coffee.
So far, I was getting what she was trying to tell me, but there was still something that was left out. "What about the whole 'making sure that I stay safe' agreement?"
Celestia took a sip from her coffee before turning fully to face me. "It was more to protect you from one of their personal problems than anything else. From what I've seen so far, the clause shouldn't be there anymore as that problem has been dealt with. I've actually informed them that everything has been settled and they don't need to keep such a close eye on you."
I looked back at my empty plate, my head swimming with this new information. I never really thought much about them having some sort of problem, but the pieces to the puzzle were beginning to make sense. Still, it doesn't entirely excuse their behavior. There was only one question left that I needed an answer to. What problem do they have with me? I didn't know how deep in thought I was until Celestia pulled me from my thoughts.
Celestia placed a hoof on my shoulder, her delicate wing draping over my back. "I know this is asking for a lot, Mark, and I'll understand if you choose not to," Celestia took a deep breath before steeling herself. "Can you find it in your heart to forgive them?"
Celestia's eyes pleaded that I do, but I wasn't sure if I could. "I don't know, Celestia. I want to, but after taking a few minutes to think about it, I don't think I can. If I even want to forgive them, then I need to get some answers."
Celestia smiled as she gave a few pats to my shoulder. Her horn flared to life again and the sound proof barriers were taken down. Once the barriers were down, the griffon and pony walked out of the kitchen and took away the platters. The pony bowed to Celestia while the griffon shook my hand. The two chefs retreated back into the kitchen and disappeared out of sight. Celestia grabbed her regalia and started to put it on. After she placed her crown on her head, she got up from her chair and headed for the door. Seeing there was nothing left to really do, I got up from my chair to see if Spitfire and Fleetfoot were out training.
The two of us neared the door, but Celestia stopped before opening them. She turned around to face me, her face having a serious expression. "May I offer you some advice?"
"Sure..." I said with slight uncertainty.
Celestia held her air of seriousness as she gave a knowing grin. "Spitfire and Fleetfoot didn't make it to where they are now by being soft. If you want those answers, you're going to have to stop avoiding conflict. Make yourself assertive and show that you're tough."
I raised a brow in confusion. "What are you trying to get at?"
Celestia turned back to the door, leaving as she spoke. "I never had to pick Spitfire and Fleetfoot to look after you. If everything works out, you will get along very well, but that's only if you're still willing to live with them."
Celestia left through the door, leaving me very confused. I was ready to leave for the mares when I decided to act on Celestia's advice. Opening the door, I ran down the hall, chasing after Celestia. It seemed she planned this very scenario as she slowed her trot so I could catch up with her. I ran past her, stopping a couple feet in front of her. Celestia smiled up at me as she waited for what I had to say.
I held a serious expression, pointing an accusatory finger. "What plan are you plotting?"
Celestia's smile never faltered. "I'm looking after my friends that could use extra friendship, but if you wish to leave, then I'll see to it that you're moved back here."
I was still confused about what she was trying to get at. "Stop making me run in circles. What exactly are you trying to get out of this? Why are you keeping secrets from me that only seem to make the situation worse?"
I seemed to have asked the right questions as Celestia sat down, speaking in a lecturing tone. "Mark, you need to remember that you haven't been the only human here. Each human has gone through something similar, but have all had varied results. They do reach the same conclusion in the end as they find happiness."
I lowered my finger as I stood up straight. "So is this supposed to be some sort of lesson?"
Celestia nodded her head as she smiled brightly at me. "Exactly. There is only so much that you can be taught from my sister, myself, Cadence and Shining, or Twilight and her friends. Twilight had the same problem, but she finally learned everything on her own, away from books. You need to learn things that we can't teach you, and the secrets were to see how you react."
I stood in front of Celestia, dumbfounded at her explanation. She did all of this just so I could learn more about pony society. I wasn't sure what she was trying to teach me exactly, but I guess that was for me to find out. I looked at Celestia, nodding to her as I stepped to the side. Celestia trotted past me, stopping to give me a quick hug. I happily returned her hug, returning the small nuzzle that she was giving me.
As Celestia pulled away, she whispered something in my ear that confused me. "Just remember, interspecies dating and marriage is allowed here."
Once Celestia was on her hooves, she trotted back to the throne room. I stood stock still at her statement, confused over what she was trying to get at. I was aware that interspecies dating and marriage was allowed, so I wasn't sure why she reminded me of this. There was absolutely no way that any creature in Equestria was interested in me, except for Lyra, but we easily established our boundaries. Plus, it would be awkward having sex with something that barely reached my waist.
Shrugging at Celestia's statement, I turned away from her, heading for the practice field. I took the long path to the practice field, needing time to process everything Celestia and I talked about. Even though I was still slightly scared of how badly Spitfire could hurt me, Celestia was right. I needed to stop avoiding confrontation like I always did so I can get my answers. It wasn't going to be a fun confrontation, but it had to be done. I also thought about pulling Fleetfoot into the conversation, and ultimately decided I was going to.
As I continued my walk, I ran into Steel Wing. The griffoness saw me walking and flew over to me. The griffoness landed next to me, joining me on my walk. She smiled up at me as I gave a small wave. The two of us walked in silence, enjoying the familiar company of each other. Steel Wing was dressed in her form fitting outfit, something I wasn't entirely thrilled to see. It wasn't that I didn't find her attractive, but I really didn't want to make is seem like I was ogling her or having perverted thoughts.
I was pulled from my musings when Steel spoke. "See something you like?" Steel stretched her body a little, showing how tightly the uniform hugged her body.
My cheeks burned lightly, and it wasn't lost on the griffoness. "Must you be so sexually crude? I'm not interested in you like that."
Steel gave a hearty laugh as she turned around, walking backwards as she looked up at me. "I do it because I'm such a tease. You also don't have to worry about me jumping you. My wife wouldn't like that."
I raised a brow at the griffoness. "You're married, but she allows you to walk around, teasing everyone that you meet?"
Steel continued to laugh as she turned to face forward. "I only tease the ones that I know I'll get a reaction from. You're literally too easy."
I rubbed at my temples, fighting back an oncoming headache. "Please tell me your sister isn't anything like this. I really don't need that kind of tension when shopping around."
Steel was able to get her laughter under control, wiping away a tear that had formed. "You don't have to worry about that. Razor likes to be the kind and caring griffoness. That's not to say that I'm not the same, but I like to have a little fun sometimes."
We took a left as we started to near the practice field. "Do you not find you sister fun?" From my one interaction with Razor, she seemed like she could be fun.
Steel shook her head at my question. "That's not what I'm saying at all. She's the best sister I could ask for. She knows her limitations on fun and helps me because I don't know when to stop. Probably doesn't help since my wife acts the same way." There was a small hint of laughter behind Steel's tone.
"Who exactly is your wife?" I asked with a raised brow.
Steel went to answer my question, but I felt something jump onto my back, screaming loudly into my ear. "SURPRISE!"
I did the only sensible action that any human would do when facing the unknown. I dove to the ground, screaming loudly. "Holy fuck! What was that?!"
Whatever was on my back let go. I heard the sound of wings flapping before the clopping of hooves on tile. Steel was having a great laugh at my expense as I laid on the floor, looking for who jumped me. I looked forward to see a pair of white hooves. My eyes traveled up the legs to see the pony in front of me had a white coat. Her mane and tail were very poofy like Pinkie's, but the difference was in their color. The white pony in front of me was a pegasus, as I noticed her wings, and she had a mane and tail color that was blond. Her eyes were a light purple like Fleetfoot's and she had a wide grin.
I slowly got to me feet, and when my beating heart had finally calmed, I spoke. "Who is this?" I asked as I pointed to the mare.
Steel was clutching her sides as she roared with laughter. "She's... my wife." Steel answered between laughs.
I looked at the pony with a raised brow before crouching and extending my hand. "Hello. What's your name?"
The pegasus gave a bright smile as she took my hand and shook it like Pinkie did when she first met me. Looks like I'll be going to the hospital for a dislocated shoulder. "Surprise."
I looked between the pony shaking my hand and Steel, waiting for a name. "Yes, you did surprise me, but I would like to know your name."
Steel recovered from her laughing fit, but remained on floor as she gasped for breath. "That's her... name... silly."
My expression fell flat as I looked at the mare. "Of course it is."
Surprise started giggling as she spoke. "Why else would I yell my name?"
"Maybe to give me a heart attack. I nearly have them every time Pinkie visits, I don't need a second one doing it." This caused Surprise to stop giggling as she stared at me with wide eyes.
The pegasus stepped closer, her eyes wide as dinner plates as she started to shake my leg. "You know my cousin Pinkie?"
My eyes went wide when she put 'cousin' and 'Pinkie' in the same sentence. I just couldn't comprehend there being a second Pinkie, so I had to make sure. "You're really related to Pinkie?"
Surprise raised her hoof, shaking it in between like a human would. "Kind of. I've been removed and put back in several times."
I honestly wasn't surprised by this. One Pinkie is bad enough, and I remember Twilight telling me about the mirror pool incident where there were hundreds of Pinkies. I could only think about how many parties were probably thrown as each Pinkie greeted the new one. No wonder party stores in Equestria are able to stay in business. I took a calming breath as Steel finally stood up and brought Surprise into a deep kiss.
"Thanks for that, Surprise. I don't think I could have gotten him out of that funk any better," Steel said as she gave another peck to Surprise's lips.
I shook my head from everything related to Pinkie and looked towards Steel Wing. "What 'funk' was I in?"
"This awkward funk that you were in since I joined you in walking to the practice field. I don't know what has you so down, but anypony can see it from a mile away," Steel said with a knowing grin.
I rubbed my temples as I closed my eyes. "It's a lot of things, Steel. I've got a lot on my mind and I need to talk with Spitfire and Fleetfoot."
Surprise gave a loud gasp as she floated up to my face. "Oh my gosh. I forgot to welcome you to the team. Welcome to the team, Mark, and I hope we have lots of fun together."
I smiled at the mare's antics as I petted her mane. "Thanks, Surprise. Are you part of the Wonderbolts as well?"
Surprise nodded her head enthusiastically. "Of course I am. I'm part of Spitfire's team."
"Any reason why you aren't in uniform for practice?" I asked with a raised brow.
Surprise giggled at my question. "That's because I'm on maternity leave, silly."
I gave the mare a confused look as I leaned to the side to look at her belly. It show no signs of expansion, but then I remembered her relation to Pinkie. This actually raised a question for me as I remembered she was married to Steel Wing. "How are you pregnant?"
Surprise seemed really excited to talk about it. "Well, you see, there's this spell that Cadence knows-"
I immediately cut the mare off, having a good idea where she was going. "Never mind, forget that I asked. I get the picture and it's very disturbing."
Steel Wing gave a small nod of her head. "You have no idea how weird it was."
"I think I can make a few guesses," I said as I tried to burn the image of Steel Wing and Surprise together out of my mind.
Surprise poked my shoulder a few times to get my attention. "I'm not sure if this information is helpful to you, but Cadence has been teaching Twilight a spell that can help with interspecies breeding."
I honestly had no idea what to do with that information. "Thanks, I guess. Not really sure where that's going to play in my life, but I guess it's good to know."
Surprise smiled as she floated towards her wife. The pegasus whispered something into the griffoness' ear before kissing her on the cheek and flying away. Steel waved goodbye to the pegasus before gesturing for us to continue walking. The griffoness seemed to have an extra spring in her step, and it probably had something to do with what Surprise said. I gave a small chuckle at how cheerful the griffoness was acting.
My chuckle wasn't lost on her as she turned her head to look at me. "What's so funny?"
I got my laughter under control as I gave a small shrug of my shoulders. "Nothing, but you seem really happy compared to when we first started.
Steel seemed to get a little embarrassed as she controlled her walk. "I'm just happy that Surprise was able to get you out of your funk. I may also be a very excited mother as well."
I gave a playful grin as I pressed for more. "Does it have something to do with the baby?"
Steel gave a warm laugh as she smiled. "Surprise is actually having twins. A colt and a filly. The colt is actually a griffon and the filly is a pegasus."
I smiled as I patted the griffoness' back. "Well, congratulations! I hope you, Surprise, and your children have a happy life together."
Steel stopped in her walk, rearing on her back legs and giving me a quick hug. "You have no idea how happy I am. We weren't sure how our children would turn out. Surprise wanted a pegasus, and I wanted a griffon. We really lucked out that we got what we both wanted."
I could feel a few tears damp my shirt as the griffoness let loose a few tears. I returned Steel's hug with a caring one. We held each other for a couple of seconds before Steel finally let go and dropped to the floor. I didn't press for any more conversation, letting the griffoness enjoy the wonderful news. We finally reached the practice field and went our separate ways. Steel went to another group of Wonderbolts and guards that were going on after Spitfire and Fleetfoot's show. I looked up to see the two mares flying around, practicing a few tricks. Fleetfoot noticed me and waved.
I gave a small wave back, not really feeling up to actually giving one that meant something. Seeing the mares were busy, I went to a bench that had a box filled with paper. Guessing that was something for me to work on, I headed for the bench to get started. I moved the bench under a nearby tree so I could get some shade as I grabbed at a few papers. There was nothing much to the paperwork. Most of the papers were either reminders of performances, payments needed to be made to the other Wonderbolts, and a few recruits up for review.
Grabbing the pen in the box, I gave one final look into the sky to see Spitfire directing the guards. Seeing that she and Fleetfoot were busy with their own thing, I went to signing the papers. I went through the recruit paperwork first since there was only a handful. Most of the recruits were trying out for the Wonderbolts and needed to go through an audition before moving on to the academy. Finishing off the reviews, I moved on to the performance reminders. I looked at the dates of the planned shows, comparing them to a calendar in the box to make sure everything was set up accordingly.
Seeing there were no conflictions and that everything was set in stone, I placed those papers with the reviews. I looked at was left of the paperwork and sighed at how much there was. I was probably only through a quarter of all the paperwork and still had much to do. Looking up to the sky, I saw a few other Wonderbolts join Spitfire and Fleetfoot in their practice runs. Sighing heavily, I went back to work. Grabbing the first paper, I skimmed over its contents. It wasn't anything overly too hard, but it was more math than I was really wanting to deal with. Grabbing my pen and a piece of scratch paper, I started to balance their payments.
A few hours had passed as I got through half of the payment papers. My hand ached from all the writing that I was doing, but thankfully I had a chance to relax. A maid brought me a tray of food that contained a peanut butter sandwich and fries. I thanked the maid as she handed me my food and trotted away to get back to her duties. I looked up from the tray to see Spitfire and Fleetfoot eating with the guards and other Wonderbolts. They all seemed so happy together, that I actually lost my appetite. Pushing my food to the side, I grabbed at the papers and started to work through them again.
I decided that the sooner I could finish, the sooner I could head back to the house and leave without them knowing. I really didn't need to put up with their awful attitude towards me. An hour went by as I neared the last of the papers, my hand feeling slight relief at the thought of finishing. Spitfire and Fleetfoot were back in the air, this time practicing their own stunts. Taking my eyes away from their spectacular stunts, I grabbed the next paper. Everything seemed normal on payment, until I reached the bottom.
My eyes widened in surprise at how much they owed the Mareiott. "How the hell does someone owe 100,000 bits in damages?"
Putting the paper down, I looked up at the two mares. They were spiraling around each other dangerously close that if they even touched wingtips, they would come crashing down. Shaking my head, I started rifling through the papers. Thankfully, they were all dated when the payments were due and when they were paid off. I looked through the remaining papers until I found one that was the date I had moved out. Skimming through it all, I reached the bottom to see that Celestia had paid off the 100,000 bit fine. Looking between the two papers, I gave a harsh frown. I folded the papers and pocketed them away.
Now I was needing some answers more than anything. I've been walking in a very tight circle this entire time, letting others keep me on the path. I stood up from the bench, packing away the other papers as I finally decided to choose my path. Once the papers were packed away, I turned around and headed for the middle of the field. I was so distracted in my own thoughts about how I was going to confront the mares that I didn't see something flying towards me.
"WATCH OUT!" a Wonderbolt mare yelled at me.
I turned towards the mare with a raised brow, trying to see who she was yelling at. It started to get dark around me, but everything away from the darkness was still glowing with light. Turning towards the direction I was walking, I looked up to see Spitfire and Fleetfoot falling towards the ground. The two mares were coming in fast, their wings and bodies tangled together from a failed execution on one of their tricks. I didn't move as I stood my ground, arms spread wide. I knew I shouldn't be doing what I was, but a part of me felt a sense of pride for not turning into a total asshole.
The mares crashed into me, the wind getting knocked out of my system as I wrapped my arms around them. The three of us tumbled on the ground, my body taking most of the damage as we rolled on the ground. The mares hit me with a surprising force as they sent me back into one of the pillars. I felt the impact of the pillar against my back, pain racing up my spine as I gave a loud scream. I could hear the screams of other ponies as they went around looking for someone that could help us. I wasn't sure what happened next, but I felt a magic aura envelop me before everything went black.
Several Hours Later
Time went by as I saw nothing but blackness. When I finally came to, I took quick note of my surroundings. Through the small amount of candle light I could see I was in a bed, but not a hospital bed. If anything, I was in a regular guest bed in the castle. It clearly wasn't my room as there wasn't any shattered remains of my alarm clock, or even my dirty clothes. Slowly sitting up, a small throb of pain ached at my sides. I removed the covers to see there were a few bandages wrapped around my midsection. Groaning as I rolled to my side, I picked up the candle holder and walked towards the window.
I pulled the curtains aside to see that night had come along, and it was still early in the night. Remembering one important detail, I felt around my waist. I gave a relieved sigh as I felt my pants right where they belonged. I moved my hand towards my left pocket to feel the payment papers still there. Pulling out the papers, I unfolded them and held up the candle so I could read through them again. It was still baffling to see how much the mares owed the Mareiott, and then for Princess Celestia to pay it off, I had to know what happened. Breathing deeply, I gave a small wince at the pain that shot through me as I headed for the bed.
As I headed for the soft bed to take a nap, I heard some shuffling. Avoiding the bed, I walked around to see there was another only several feet away from mine. Not far from the second bed was a bathroom. I moved the candle light to the second bed, and froze at what I saw. Spitfire and Fleetfoot were in the bed, their wings slightly bandaged. Spitfire gave a low groan as she tried to flex her wing. Setting the candle light on its stand, I moved closer to the mare. I looked at her wing to inspect the damage, and it didn't seem terribly bad.
At worst the mare probably suffered a sprain. Looking around the room, I saw a nightstand near the front door, a bottle of pain pills sitting on top. I moved to the nightstand, keeping quiet as to not disturb the mares. I looked at the bottle to see that it was for the two mares and myself. I read the instructions that were labeled on the side of the bottle. Taking out two pills, I placed the bottle on the stand again and headed for the bathroom. I closed the door behind me so I could turn on the light.
My eyes strained as the bright white light burned my retinas. Giving a few blinks, I walked to the sink and looked at my bandaged body. Not really able to see the damage that was done, I decided to go against the doctor's orders. I started unwrapping the bandages, noticing the large bruise on my back. Seeing where the pain was located at, I gave a few twists and turns. I took note of the pain radiating from my sides and the side edges of the bruise. Giving a few final looks at the bruise, I wrapped the bandages around me again and used the toilet. As my contents were flushed away, I grabbed one of the upside down glasses and filled it with water.
I dropped the pills in the water, watching them bubble up as they dissolved. Taking pills this way was much nicer as I got to avoid choking on the large pills. Grabbing the handle of the door, I opened it and turned the light off as I exited. I walked back towards my bed, but stopped as I watched Spitfire's form quickly turn on its side. Giving a flat look, I went back to the bathroom and grabbed the small chair that was in there. Ignoring my bed, I walked towards Spitfire and set the chair to the side. I sat in the chair, watching the mare's side rise and fall as she slept. She actually would have been convincing if her snoring didn't give it away.
I set the glass on the floor next to me. The mare gave a slight flinch at the glass clinking on the tile. Once the glass was on the ground, I sat up straight in the chair. I didn't say anything, hoping the quiet would coax the mare to turn around again. A few minutes passed, my back growing sore as I tried to avoid moving. The mare seemed determined to be keep facing away from me. My eyes grew heavy, the pain in my side a dull ache as I tried to keep myself awake. Several minutes passed and the mare still hadn't moved. Thinking that she probably had fallen asleep, I moved to head for my bed.
I stopped my movement when I saw Spitfire move. Her body turned to its other side, and her eyes met mine. The pegasus' eyes went wide as she saw me staring at her. Her surprise turned into a small scowl. Spitfire adjusted herself in her bed, wincing a little as she put slight pressure on her wing. After a few seconds of fighting the covers, she was finally comfortable.
She spoke with a slight growl. "What're you doing watching me?"
I grabbed at the glass next to me, offering it to the mare. "I was waiting for you to stop fake sleeping so I could give you this."
Spitfire looked at the water quizzically, taking it from my hand as she swirled it around. "You watched me fake sleep so you could give me a glass of water." Her tone was still harsh, even in her whisper tone.
I held back my anger, trying to keep my voice calm as I explained what I did. "I put some painkillers in there to help with your wing sprain."
The mare looked at the water again, her gaze showing uncertainty. Seeing that she was probably not going to believe me, I got out of my chair. Spitfire's eyes followed me as I walked towards the nightstand. I grabbed the bottle and tossed it near her. The pegasus gave a small scowl as she grabbed at the bottle and read the label. Opening the lid, she counted out the painkillers to see two missing. Seeing that I might be possibly telling the truth, she gulped down her water. Once the glass was empty, she placed the bottle inside the glass and set it on the floor. Getting comfortable in her bed a little more, she looked back at me.
"I'm going to sleep now. Just because Fleetfoot and I are injured doesn't mean you're free to slack off." Her voice held authority as she gave me a piercing glare.
I was ready to submit to her slight command, but then Celestia's advice rang loudly in my head. Steeling my gaze, I walked back to my chair, Spitfire's eyes following my every move. The pegasus seemed ready to pounce as I sat in the chair. I didn't look up for a few seconds, but when I did, Spitfire flinched a little. I don't know how many ponies have ever given a harsh look at Spitfire, but I could assume it wasn't many. Her gaze held up though, even after her little flinch, as she waited.
"How's your wing doing?" I wanted to start a little casual conversation before laying into her.
"It's just a light sprain. Those painkillers and a good night's rest is all I need before I'm back in the air again," Spitfire said as she gave a cocky grin.
I nodded my head as I picked up the glass. "That's good to hear. I was a little worried that the damage was a little more serious than that." I wasn't entirely lying, but my anger outweighed most of my worry.
Spitfire gave a nonchalant wave of her hoof. "We've had worse." Spitfire made to try and get some sleep, but I stopped her.
"May I ask you a question?" I asked as I reached for the papers in my pocket.
"You already did. Now go to bed," Spitfire said with slight annoyance.
I ignored her as I moved forward in my chair a little, her eyes fixing on me as I closed the distance. "How much are you getting paid for housing me?"
It was a simple little question, but it caused the mare to freeze a little. Her eyes widened in surprise for a few seconds before becoming cold. "Go to bed, Mark."
The command wasn't lost on me, but I wasn't really going to back down. "Not until you answer my questions."
This seemed to upset Spitfire as she threw her covers off, causing Fleetfoot to stir. Spitfire spoke with a strong, if slightly threatening voice. "This doesn't concern you. Go to bed and never speak of this again."
Seeing this was how the mare wanted to play, I put the glass on the floor and stood up from the chair. I crossed my arms over my chest as I glared down at the mare. "I'm not backing down from this, Spitfire. We are going to talk about this, even if this has to turn into a shouting match."
Fleetfoot gave a loud yawn, causing Spitfire to turn towards her. Her eyes went from me to Spitfire, her sleep addled mind trying to process everything.
"What's going on here?" Fleetfoot asked as she rubbed at her eyes.
"Nothing you need to concern yourself with, Fleet. Mark was just heading to bed-"
"Don't you dare pretend this isn't something that needs to be addressed!" I yelled, causing both mares to look at me.
I never thought it would happen after seven months of living here. All the time I spent with Cadence and Fluttershy to control my temper was finally flushed down the toilet. Spitfire and Fleetfoot looked at me with surprise, probably because they've never heard many ponies yell at them before. Their eyes were wide as they breathed softly, my own breathing heavy as my anger just continued to burn. Seeing that my anger was in control of my actions now, I wasn't going to stop anytime soon.
Grabbing the papers from my pocket, I threw them in front of the mares. "Care to explain to me what this is?"
Fleetfoot grabbed at the papers, quickly looking them over before handing them to Spitfire. Spitfire grabbed at the papers and looked through them. The golden mare's eyes went wide as she set the papers down. She looked up at me with a mixture of emotions. Anger, surprise, and confusion all passed by quickly, but a few were more intent on staying. Regret, sadness, and guilt painted the new features on Spitfire's face. Spitfire shook her head before hardening her gaze again and looking at me.
"Get out!" Spitfire yelled, pointing a hoof at the door. "Get out before I decide to kick your flank out the window!"
I stood my ground as Fleetfoot rolled to her hooves, grabbing Spitfire by the side as she stroked her mane. I refused to move, looking at Spitfire with my own glare that told her I wasn't leaving.
"I want answers to my questions. I've put up with your crap for five days, and this is the quickest I've lost my temper after learning to control it." I lowered my arms to look less threatening, but my glare remained. "What happened at the Mareiott that caused you to deal 100,000 bits worth of damage?"
Fleetfoot held Spitfire closer to her chest as she addressed me. "It's nothing to worry about, Mark. The payment is squared away and it's in the past. There's no reason to open any old wounds."
I looked Fleetfoot directly in her eyes. Her eyes were pleading that I dropped this, but I needed to know. "If it wasn't something to worry about, then Celestia wouldn't have paid it off. I know you saw that other paper. Why exactly is she paying you to look after me after she paid for the damages? Why was such extensive damage caused?" My voice had calmed a little, but still showed my frustration.
Neither mare said anything as they looked at each other and me. They seemed to be having some quiet conversation with each other that only years of friendship could form. Spitfire looked down at her bed before looking up at me. Her glare was gone as her eyes now filled with tears. The pegasus seemed so hurt at this moment that I fell back in my chair, letting out a deep sigh as I rubbed my temples. My body shook as I tried one of Cadence's breathing techniques to clear my mind.
I was pulled from my calm state when Spitfire finally spoke up. "We get paid to look after you because those bits are meant to help take care of you. All that money is stored away for emergency use if we ever need it."
I looked up at the mare as she wiped away a tear with her hoof. Fleetfoot was stroking her mane, whispering something in the mare's ear. "So it's just an emergency fund in case something happens?"
Spitfire nodded her head as Fleetfoot explained a little more. "You're an exotic creature, Mark. Not trying to say that as an insult or anything, but that's how you're labeled. You have extra needs that ponies can easily look over. Clothes, food, and living quarters have to be taken into account to make sure you don't become sick. Hospital visits are another thing as well since we still aren't sure what magic and medicine can do to you."
Spitfire turned her head from Fleetfoot's chest, looking at me with her tear filled eyes. "None of that money is allowed to be touched unless needed. There is a limit to how much can be stored into that account before we can't earn anymore. Once it gets spent, and that's only in case it needs to be for emergency, then we can get more."
I looked at the two mares, nodding my head slowly at the information. That much made sense to me since even most of the unicorn doctors hesitate to use any medical magic on me. That just left only one thing to be answered. "Why did Celestia have to pay off the 100,000 bits you owe so that you can look after me?"
The two mares looked at each other worriedly before turning to face me. Fleetfoot was about to answer before being stopped by Spitfire. Fleetfoot looked at her friend with worried eyes as the fiery mare looked at me with determination. Spitfire was easily fighting back tears that were threatening to spill forth as she took deep breaths.
After a few seconds to collect herself, Spitfire looked at me with a determined gaze, her voice for once calm instead of annoyed. "The damage that was caused at the Mareiott was my fault."
I raised a brow at Spitfire as Fleetfoot placed a hoof on her friend's shoulder. "Are you sure you want to talk about this, Spits? You're still trying to get over her and I don't want you having another outburst again." Fleetfoot's voice showed her concern as she looked between Spitfire and myself.
Spitfire nodded her head as she continued to look at me. "I have to, Fleet. He's obviously not going to let it slide, even if he leaves. He deserves to know after how I've treated him."
The room fell silent as I grabbed the glass on the floor. Spitfire watched as I got out of my chair and headed for the bathroom. I wasn't sure how long this story was going to be, and I wasn't even sure how much it was going to be painful for her. I filled the glass with water from the sink and headed back to the two mares. Fleetfoot was holding Spitfire's hoof as she stroke her mane. I offered the fiery pegasus the glass of water and she happily took it. Spitfire took a small sip of her water before setting it on the bed.
"As you saw from the date, the damages to the Mareiott were done around the time you arrived here." I nodded my head. "For the past couple of years I was dating a unicorn mare. Her name was Ember Glow. I met her after one of my shows and she seemed pretty interesting to hang around. I took notice of her a little more as she appeared at more of my shows. After about the tenth show, I finally went to talk to her."
"We got to talking and she asked me out for some drinks. I accepted her offer since I wanted to get to know her better. After that, we started going out more. It was casual get-togethers, but after a couple of months, I asked her out on a real date. At first she didn't seem to take me seriously, but after several seconds of laughing, she saw that I was. She accepted my date and we started going to more areas."
"We did everything we could together when we met up. I would take her to some nice pegasus places that I knew and she would take me to some nice unicorn places as well. I grew closer to her as time went on and I thought about having a future with her. I was actually ecstatic to find somepony that was generally interested for me as a pony instead of my title as a Wonderbolt. Now we near about the time you show up."
"The entire Wonderbolts group had a show to do at the Mareiott to celebrate its brand new expansion. I ordered a room for Ember and myself so I could speak with her. She didn't know it yet, but before I went out to perform, I had a jeweler make me a ring that I could propose to her with. I paid him extra so it would be finished by the time night came. After the show finished, I went to the jeweler and picked up the ring."
"I was so excited that I was pretty much jumping with glee. I couldn't wait to get back to the hotel room, propose to the mare that had stolen my heart, and possibly settle down. All those dreams came crashing down as soon as I opened the door."
Spitfire grabbed at her water and looked into it. She gave casual sips as her body trembled. Her tears had fallen from her eyes and Fleetfoot was trying to wipe them away. Fleetfoot was close to crying as well, but she remained strong for her friend's sake. I had a good idea of what was next, but I had to make sure for certain. As much as this pained her to talk about, I couldn't jump to assumptions without hearing it from her.
"What happened once you opened the door?" I asked.
The reaction from Spitfire was one I kind of guessed would happen. Spitfire threw the glass against the wall, shattering it on impact. She was breathing heavily as Fleetfoot tried to reign her in. If it wasn't for her wing being bandaged up, I was sure Spitfire would have flown out of the room. Thankfully, Fleetfoot was able to calm her friend down a little. Taking a few calming breaths, the fiery mare looked at me with the most hurt in her eyes that I've ever seen.
"I found her having sex with some stallion," Spitfire said as her head hung low.
"I'm sorry to hear that," I said.
I hesitantly reached out to Spitfire and placed my hand on her mane. The pegasus didn't fight back as she allowed me to stroke her mane. I could only guess how much that hurt Spitfire. I've only had a few bad girlfriends, but to see someone that you loved with all your heart, and about to propose to, having sex with another? It must hurt immensely.
Spitfire spoke again, but her voice was in a soft, hushed tone. "That's not even the worst part."
Lowering my hand, I cupped the mare's jaw, lifting her head so she could look at me. "What made it worse?"
The mare didn't fight back as she started whimpering, tears free falling from her face and staining the bed. "The stallion she was having sex with was her husband. Apparently, they had been married for about four years. They go around, seducing those that are really high celebrities for a sick thrill and bragging rights to their friends."
"I felt my heart shatter in my chest as I learned that I was a plaything for their sick game. I promptly kicked them out of the room, but I was just furious. I went on a blind rampage, breaking everything that was in the room. Once everything was broken, I flew out the window and went back to Cloudsdale. I stopped by Fleetfoot's home and told her everything that happened."
Spitfire let out a huge breath as she slumped on the bed. Fleetfoot slowly stroked her back as Spitfire took a few relaxing breaths. A lot of things were starting to make sense now. Celestia had asked them to look after me because she knew everything that happened between Spitfire and Ember Glow. Celestia needed someone else that was more of a third party so that Spitfire didn't do anything drastic again. That only left one question that begged to be answered now.
"What was with both of you hating me so much?" My voice was calm as I looked between the mares.
"I have no proper justification other than the fact that I just didn't have much trust for you. I actually forgave you for that shower incident, but I just wasn't sure about you as a pony. I had no idea what kind of motivations that you might have had for when you moved in. I was also still venting some of my anger from before while trying to make sure you knew that you couldn't do anything to harm me," Spitfire explained as she looked at the floor.
I heard Fleetfoot give a heavy sigh as she looked at me. "I guess I don't have a great reason either. I was looking out for Spitfire's safety. I just couldn't stand seeing her get hurt in some way. I've never seen Spitfire so distraught that I just had to do whatever it takes to look after her."
"So where does that leave me?" I asked as I looked between the mares.
"Well, now you know everything. You decide what you want to do from here on out. If you do leave, can you at least tell us and not just disappear. We would at least give you a proper goodbye, even after everything that has happened," Fleetfoot said as she helped Spitfire into bed.
I nodded my head as I got up from the chair. I picked the chair up from the back and carried it back to the bathroom. I walked out of the bathroom to see Fleetfoot give Spitfire a kiss on her head before settling in on her side. I went over to the candle and picked it up, heading for the door.
I was stopped at the door when Fleetfoot spoke up. "Where're you going, Mark? You need your rest to help heal up."
I turned my head slightly so I could look at the mare. "I'm just going for a walk, and this injury is nothing compared to when Spitfire sent me to the hospital and what happened to me back on Earth."
I could barely see anything in the room since I was holding the light, but I could make out Fleetfoot nodding her head. I gently closed the door behind me as I looked to my left and right. I was correct in assuming I was in one of the many visitor rooms as I made note of all the rooms. Taking a deep breath, I turned to my left and started walking. I was left with much to think about now, and I really didn't have any guidance. I decided to stop by the throne room and see if Luna could offer me any advice.
I walked through the halls, greeting many of the bat ponies that I passed. They were an interesting breed of ponies with their slitted eyes, fangs, and cute little tufts of fur on the ends of their ears. Their membranous wings really helped to show the differences between them and pegasi. There were only two thestrals that I would say that I was really good friends with, and they were Luna's very personal guards. I reached the throne room and saw the two mares I was thinking about.
"Echo, Moon, how are you two doing?" I greeted as I ran towards the mares.
"Mark, it has been such a long time. You need to visit more before Moon drives everypony up the wall with her whining," Echo teased as she gave me a hug.
"I do not whine, Echo. If anypony is going to drive somepony up the wall, it's going to be you because you do nothing but complain about Mark not stopping by," Moon shot back as she joined in on the hug.
"Sorry about that. I've been kind of busy for the past while," I apologized as I let the mares go.
"It's fine, Mark. We're just giving you a hard time," Echo said as she gave me a warm smile.
"Are you here to see Luna?" Moon asked.
"Yeah, I have a few things I would like to ask her," I said.
"Good, because I think Luna is getting bored with nopony to talk to," Echo said as she started pushing the door open.
I raised a brow at the mare's statement. "She doesn't have any night court duties today?"
Moon shook her head as she spoke. "Not for the next couple of days. Not many ponies have issues to address her with and she seems so bored in there. I think she'll enjoy your company."
"I guess I'll go make her day then. I'm sorry still for not visiting. I'll make it up to you, I promise," I said as I gave the two mares a final hug.
"You better, or else Moon and I will have to drag you out of your bed to talk with us," Echo joked as she let me go.
Laughing a little at Echo's small threat, I walked into the throne room. The door closed behind me and I was left in an empty room. Knowing exactly what was going to happen next, I closed my eyes as I opened my arms. Not long after had I opened my arms, Luna had me wrapped in a hug. I felt her nuzzling my neck as she gave a warm laugh. I wrapped my arms around the mare, stroking her back as I gave a small smile. We held each other for several seconds before she finally released me.
Once Luna was on the floor, she looked up at me with a cheery smile. "How's your night going, Mark? Are your wounds doing fine?"
I laughed a little at Luna's concern. "My wounds are fine, Luna. My night, though, is something I would like to talk about."
Luna took on a serious look as she looked at me. "Would you like to talk about it?" Luna gestured towards the thrones and I followed her.
"I actually would, but only if you have the time. I know you have a long list of ponies that you need to see," I teased.
Luna laughed a little, her expression becoming joyful as she spoke. "Please, Mark, I will gladly push aside any appointments to speak with you. Now let's see what is troubling you, shall we?"
I nodded as I stood in front of Luna. Luna sat on her throne, giving me her full attention. "I spoke with Spitfire and Fleetfoot about everything that happened."
Luna gave a small frown. "And what do you think?"
I scratched my chin in thought. "Honestly, I don't really know. I was hoping you could give me some advice, or even a push me in some type of direction."
Luna nodded as she placed a hoof on her chin. "There are many courses of action that you can take. Each one has a different outcome, but it depends on what you really feel." Luna placed her hoof back on the cushion as she looked at me." How do you feel?"
I gave a big sigh as I looked at the floor. "I'm not really sure at this moment. Before I was hurt and irritated by their actions. I actually lost my temper with them, but I didn't do anything like I did the last five times I lost my temper."
Luna gave a sigh of relief as she relaxed a little. "That's good to hear. Glad those lessons with Cadence and Fluttershy have paid off."
I nodded my agreement as I continued. "After hearing their story, I'm more confused than ever. I feel sorry for what happened to Spitfire and I can slightly see where Fleetfoot was coming from. That doesn't entirely mean their actions were justified, but I still understand. I've also figured out that you and Celestia are having me room with them because you think I can help Spitfire in some way."
Luna nodded her head before turning to the window and looking up at the moon. "Celestia was telling the truth though when she said that it was also to help you learn what we can't teach. We also thought it would help Spitfire get over her pain. You can think less of us if you want, but we never wanted any of you to get hurt."
"Why have me help her, though? What exactly can I help her with?" I asked with my arms spread wide.
Luna looked at me, her eyes showing a slight determination. "It's because you're a kind person, Mark, but that's only if you're not avoiding confrontation. Spitfire has been through much to reach where she is now, and the same is easily said for Fleetfoot. Those two mares need a very close friend they can lean against for support. You've had your fair share of problems as well, and it seemed like you would be able to relate on some level."
"Those two mares have so much together that I would hate for any of it to be ruined. You've always made sure that you adapted to some of our culture as we allowed to adapt some of yours. We thought that maybe if you could break through Spitfire's hard shell, then she could finally be the mare she used to be."
"But the choice is up to you. You can decide to try and forgive Spitfire and Fleetfoot, and try to become friends, or you can pack up your bags and leave. This choice is ultimately yours to make, and we'll respect whichever you choose."
I looked at the floor as my head swam with many different feelings and thoughts. One choice was easy to follow through with, but Luna was right in what she said. The choice was mine to make and I had to think it through. Picking up everything that I owned and moving out seemed so easy, but it just didn't feel right. Giving forgiveness to the mares was difficult as well since it wasn't that easy to forgive and forget. Looking up at Luna, I nodded my head as I turned to leave the throne room.
I stopped walking as I heard Luna call out to me. "Make sure you pick the choice that makes everyone happy instead of just yourself."
I gave a thumbs up to Luna as I walked out of the throne room. Moon and Echo looked up at me with cheerful smiles. Their smiles made me think back to the ones that Spitfire and Fleetfoot gave me. Even though theirs were fake, I kind of wondered what a genuine smile would feel like. Crouching down so that I could look at Moon directly, I smiled at her.
"Hey, do you know if the flower shop is still open?" I asked.
"Are you asking about the one that has the rare and exotic ones?" I nodded my head. "It is, but why do you need to know?"
"I need to see if I'm willing to follow through with something," I said as I turned to Echo. "Hey, Echo, you mind doing me a favor?"
Echo jumped into the air, her wings keeping her afloat as she grinned at me. "What do you need me to do?"
I went into my pocket and pulled out a key to Spitfire and Fleetfoot's house. "I need you to fly over to Spitfire and Fleetfoot's house and get my money pouch. It's in the top drawer of my dresser. Once you've grabbed it, meet Moon and I at the flower shop, got it?"
Echo gave a small salute as she grabbed the key and took off. I looked down to Moon as she grinned up at me. "You mind leading me to the flower shop?"
Moon nodded her head as she jumped into the air. I followed the mare out of the castle and headed towards the flower shop. I had only seen the shop in passing, but it did have some interesting flora that I kind of thought about getting. It didn't take long to get to the shop and it was open like Moon said. I wasn't sure why I thought it would be closed since it was a shop that liked to stay open throughout the night. Echo had already beaten us to the shop as she leaned against the front of the building, juggling my bit bag.
"Took you two long enough. I could have flown to the house and here three more times before you finally arrived," Echo joked as she tossed me the bit bag.
I could only shake my head at the mare as I entered the store. The two mares followed behind me and went about looking at all the flowers. I saw a mint green earth pony mare behind the counter, reading a flower magazine. She looked up from her magazine as she saw me walking over. She quickly put away the magazine as she gave a warm smile. I waved to the mare as I started looking through the front case. I heard about two flowers that were extremely rare that only this shop carried and sold. I looked through the case for a couple of minutes before coming up short.
I looked up at the mare with a slight frown. "Do you not have any of these flowers in stock today?" I pointed to the two flowers that I was looking for.
The mare smiled as she jumped off her seat. "Actually, you're in luck. Our shipment came in and my friend should be finished preserving them. Would you like me to get them?"
I nodded my head as the mare retreated to her back room. While the mare was gone, I looked back to see Moon and Echo trying out different flowers. I watched the mares mess with different combinations of flower before finally stopping. They both gave small frowns as they walked up to me.
"What has you two so down?" I asked as they jumped up on the stools.
"We're trying to find a flower that would look good for Steel Wing's foals," Moon answered.
I slapped myself on the forehead for forgetting something like that. "That reminds me, I should probably get those two something." I looked around the flowers up front before seeing something that caught my eye. "How about this one?"
The two mares looked at the flower I was pointing to before giving huge grins. The flower I had suggested to them was a rare earthlily. A few ponies talked about this particular flower giving good luck to those that were becoming parents. The two mares nodded as they carefully pulled out the small container holding the flower. The earth mare walked out from the back room with the two flowers that I had requested. She placed them into their own glass containers before setting them in front of me.
"Are you sure you have enough to pay for these? They aren't really cheap flowers," the earth mare said.
I didn't say anything as I looked at the flowers. Echo and Moon took this chance to buy the earthlily as I made sure I wanted to follow through with this. Money wasn't a problem for me since I never really had much to go out and buy. Echo and Moon finished their purchase and watched me as I lifted my bit bag. Giving one final look at the two flowers, I gave a quick imagination of the mares wearing them. I gave a small smile as I turned towards the mare.
I dropped the bag of bits on the counter as I spoke with certainty. "I would like to buy these."
The mare nodded her head as she grabbed the bits. Her eyes went wide as she counted through the bits, taking only the amount needed to pay for the two flowers. Looking at the amount of bits that were left, I looked at a couple more flowers. Seeing three that I liked, I pointed to them as I spoke to the mare.
"I would like this moonlily, icelily, and lightninglily." The mare nodded as she took more of my bits away.
Giving back the last of my bits, she grabbed the three flowers and gave them to me. I wished the mare a goodnight and left the store with Echo and Moon behind me. The two mares gave me curious looks as they looked at the three extra flowers that I purchased.
"What did you get those for?" Echo asked.
"Well, I got the icelily for Surprise since the earthlily is going to be Steel Wing's," I explained as I handed them the icelily.
"What about those two?" Moon asked as she gestured to the other two flowers.
I smiled at the mares as I handed them the two other flowers. "These are for the happy bat ponies that have finally started their relationship." The two mares blushed as they took the flowers.
"How did you know that?" Echo asked as she opened the moonlily case.
I gave a slight shrug of my shoulders. "I might know a lot about flowers, but the few that you tried on I recognized from a magazine. I'm actually kind of glad that you two got together."
Moon raised a brow at me as she put the lightninglily in her mane. "Why's that?"
"You two just seemed like a really good pairing. I've hardly seen either one of you separated, so I guess there was some sort of budding romance," I answered calmly.
"Can you at least keep it quiet for now? I don't want other ponies knowing yet," Echo asked.
I ruffled the bat mare's mane as I gave her a big smile. "Don't worry, your secret is safe with me."
Echo gave an amused laugh as she batted my hand away. We reached the castle and the mares waved goodbye to me as they headed back to the throne room. Waving goodbye to the mares, I turned and headed for Spitfire and Fleetfoot's office. My walk to their office turned into a sprint as I wanted to get these flowers dropped off. I reached their office and grabbed the key that was in the plastic bin. Opening the door, I grabbed the two flowers and placed them on the desks. Making sure the flowers were properly placed and they were still in good condition, I closed the door and locked it.
I threw the key back into the plastic bin and headed back for my own room. Opening the doors to my room, I walked over to my bed and slid under the covers. I was prepared for whatever tomorrow would bring. I fell asleep quickly, glad with the decision that I made.
Morning
I was disturbed from my sleep by a series of knocks at my door. Groaning as I got up from bed, I searched for my alarm clock. Not finding it anywhere, I wondered what I did with it. My mind slowly came to and I looked towards the wall when I remembered what happened to it. Giving a small sigh and chuckle, another set of knocks rang out. Stretching my arms as I got up, I walked towards the door. I opened the door and was greeted by the one pony I wasn't expecting to see yet.
"Hello, Mark. I just came by to check up on you. Are you feeling any better?" Celestia asked as she trotted into my room.
I scratched the back of my head as I spoke. "I'm feeling slightly better. I assume that Luna talked to you about what I talked about with her?" Celestia nodded.
"Have you decided what you're going to do?" Celestia asked with slight concern.
I walked over to my bed and sat on its edge. "I have,' I answered as I scratched at my bandages.
"What did you decide on?" Celestia asked as she trotted over.
Celestia's horn glowed its golden aura as she gripped at my bandages. She slowly took off my bandages, giving small apologies for every time I winced. "I think I've went with the best choice that I could."
Celestia looked up at me, but didn't stop unwinding the bandages. "And what choice would that be?"
"That's going to be a surprise later today," I answered as I gave her a small smile.
Celestia only shook her head playfully as she finished taking off the bandages. She winced a little at seeing my large bruise. She carefully pressed around the edges of the bruise and my sides to see my reactions. Most of the pain in my sides had subsided, but the area around my bruise was still a little tender.
Celestia continued to check on my bruise as she spoke. "I'm still amazed that you only suffered this bruising after impacting that pillar."
I gave a small laugh as I spoke. "If this weirds you out... sore... then you should have seen what happened to me on Earth that left the doctors baffled."
Celestia raised a brow, her hoof no longer prodding at my bruise. "What happened?"
I looked up at the roof as I thought back to that day. "Pretty much what happened was that I was returning home from work. I was minding my own business when a car hit me." Celestia gave a loud gasp at that, her eyes looking at me with a little worry. "I go to the doctor's to get checked up and they were surprised to see that I hadn't really suffered any serious damage. They really couldn't explain how it happened, but they placed it with sheer luck."
Celestia let out a small sigh of relief. "I remember you telling me about vehicles from your world. I'm very glad that you didn't suffer any serious injury.
"Thanks," I said as I gave a smile to Celestia.
Celestia summoned another roll of bandages and had me stand up. I really didn't see the need to wrap me up in bandages since I wasn't bleeding from anywhere, but I wasn't going to argue. After hearing Spitfire and Fleetfoot's explanation about everything, I really couldn't find a reason to argue. After Celestia finished wrapping my torso in the bandages, she got rid of the roll and gave me a fresh pair of clothes. I went to the bathroom and did a quick change before coming out and throwing my clothes to the side.
"So, what's the plan for the day?" I asked as I made for the door.
"Well, it's noon right now, and I have no meetings for a couple of hours, so I was thinking we could have lunch at the practice field," Celestia suggested.
I stopped at the door after she told me the time. "It's noon? Why didn't you wake me up earlier? Why hasn't Spitfire barged in here to yell at me for still being asleep?" I wasn't sure where that last question came from, but I asked it anyway.
Celestia gave a gentle smile as she guided me out of the room. "Mark, take a few deep breaths." I did as she said. "Good. I didn't wake you because you, Spitfire, and Fleetfoot are to take it easy until your injuries are healed."
I nodded my head as she led me to the practice field. Once we were at the field, I saw that there was no one there. I guessed they either moved practice somewhere else, or cancelled it since Spitfire and Fleetfoot were out for the day. I wondered if they had gone to their offices yet to see what I left them. Shrugging my shoulders, I joined Celestia under a shady tree as she summoned a blanket and a picnic basket. I took a seat next to her, leaning against the tree as she filled a small cup with tea.
I gave a small snicker that caused Celestia to look at me with a raised brow. "What's so funny?"
"Nothing, except how much you ponies like your tea," I said as I grabbed a bottle of water.
"There's nothing wrong with a good cup of tea every now and then. You would be doing the same if you actually tried it," Celestia said as she turned her head with a little humph.
"Did you forget what happened the last time I drank your tea?" I asked as I continued to laugh.
"You meant that time you over-reacted?" Celestia asked as she gave a small smirk.
"If you call vomiting all over your dining table over-reacting, then you're right," I said as I laughed at the memory.
Celestia shared in the laughter as she started giggling at the memory. "I really should've made you clean it up."
"I warned you what would happen if you had me try it. You have nobody to blame but yourself for that," I said as I grabbed a sandwich from the basket.
Celestia could only shake her head at me as we ate in silence. It was a pleasant morning where it wasn't too hot to be outside. There was a gentle breeze that felt soothing against my skin as I closed my eyes. Everything just felt peaceful at this moment and I didn't want it to end. After Celestia and I finished our lunch, the princess decided to pass the time with one of her new favorite activities. Celestia laid her head across my legs and I gently scratched her neck. The princesses enjoyed this very much as it gave them a great deal of relaxation.
Celestia let her eyes close as she enjoyed the feeling of my fingers scratch across her neck and mane. I looked around the empty field, relaxing the small quiet that I was gifted with. I didn't really notice it before, but those five days I spent with the mares and that night where we finally got everything out in the open had me drained. I looked down at Celestia as she breathed peacefully, dozing off under my touch. I heard the soft flapping of wings and looked up to see Steel Wing and Surprise coming down. The griffoness and mare landed in front of me and I held my fingers to my lips as I pointed to Celestia.
The two nodded as Steel spoke in a whisper. "We just came by to thank you for getting these flowers for us."
I looked at Steel's talon to see she had the earthlily clipped to her left and Surprise had her icelily placed on the right side of her mane. Both of them seemed really happy to have those flowers as they smiled brightly at me.
I gave a small shrug of my shoulders as I answered back in my own whisper. "Think nothing of it. You should actually thank Echo and Moon for reminding me about it. I would have forgotten at the last minute and gotten you a very crappy gift."
Surprise moved next to me as she gave me a soft hug. "You being there would be enough of a gift for me, Mark. These must have been really expensive." Surprise fiddled with the flower in her mane.
"It was worth it though. I wasn't really spending my bits at the moment and I had enough to get two flowers as well for Spitfire and Fleetfoot," I said as I lightly nudged Celestia awake.
The princess slowly blinked her eyes a couple of times before giving a huge yawn. She slowly lifted off my lap as she rubbed at her eyes with a hoof. Once she wiped away the last vestiges of sleep from her eyes, she waved to the new arrivals. Steel and Surprise waved to the princess as they looked back at me.
"So what did you get them?" Steel asked.
"That is something you're going to have to wait and find out," I answered as I leaned against the tree.
Surprise and Steel gave each other a curious look before joining Celestia and me on the blanket. The pegasus and griffoness were leaning against each other, playing with their flowers as they whispered to each other. They both looked really happy together and I hoped they had a wonderful life together. An hour passed as we continued to sit under the tree. I was worried they weren't going to show up, or I did something stupid, but was given relief as I saw them trotting from one of the hallways. The mares looked around the practice field before spotting us under the tree. I waved them over and they happily trotted towards us.
I heard Surprise, Celestia, and Steel Wing give a surprised gasp as they looked at the mares. I could understand why since I was generally surprised as well. The two mares were wearing their flowers in their manes, and it paled in comparison to what I had imagined. The firelily in Spitfire's mane stood out proudly, glistening in the sun and showing off its fiery petals for all to see. The snowlily in Fleetfoot's mane was subtle, but still impressive as it glittered in the sunlight like a snowflake would.
I don't know what it was, but I could possibly chalk it up to my slight lack of sleep, because the mares looked gorgeous as they trotted up to us. Their coats and manes radiated beauty as the sunlight shimmered off of them. Their manes were still in their messy state, but the flowers finished off their elegant beauty. I couldn't help but stare at them as they neared us, but I was thankfully pulled from my gaze by Celestia. I shook my head from the thoughts that ran around my head, hoping the mares didn't notice my stares.
Once I had my head clear, the mares stopped in front of us. Their wings were no longer covered in bandages and looked ready to fly. Spitfire walked up to me, her face showing slight anger before calming down into a relaxed smile. Fleetfoot joined Spitfire in standing in front of me, her features expressionless at the moment, but there was a subtle hint of happiness.
"You wouldn't happen to know where these came from, would you?" Spitfire asked as she messed with her firelily.
"I got those as a sort of apology," I said as I rubbed the back of my head.
"So, you forgive us?" Fleetfoot asked with a little hope.
"Not entirely," I said as I crossed my arms and looked at the mares.
"Then why did you get us these?" Spitfire asked as she pulled the firelily out of her mane.
"I would like to think of it as a new start. We've gotten everything out in the open, and I think we can try getting along again. I'm still very pissed about everything you did, but if you're willing to accept these flowers, then I'm willing to try and start this friendship again," I said as I looked between the mares.
Spitfire and Fleetfoot looked at each other before speaking in a hushed whisper. I looked at Steel Wing, Surprise, and Celestia to see them blushing slightly and conversing silently with each other. I wasn't sure what had those three slightly flustered, but I was more focused on Spitfire and Fleetfoot's answers. The two mares continued to converse with each other before giving small grins. I shuddered lightly as they turned to me, their grins looking a little predatory. Spitfire's was a little more predatory because of her lioness attitude that she took when she grinned.
"Very well, Mark. Let's start a clean slate with each other, and get to know each other," Spitfire spoke in a slightly sultry voice.
My face grew a slight blush at hearing Spitfire speak, but I quickly shook away my embarrassment. "That's great to hear. I hope that we can be great friends now that we can finally get along."
Fleetfoot nodded as she gave a slight smirk, her voice going a little sultry as well. "Then we accept your offer of a date and look forward to it."
My mind froze at hearing that. My mouth opened and closed, trying to figure out a proper response. I wasn't given a chance to respond as the mares turned around and walked away. The mares gave a little sway in their hips, their tails slightly swaying side to side. They looked back at me, smirking at my stunned expression as they unfolded their wings and took to the air. I watched in stunned silence for a few seconds as the mares disappeared from sight. I looked at Steel Wing, Surprise, and Celestia to see they were holding back their laughter.
I finally found my voice after processing everything that happened just now. "What just happened?"
Celestia was able to control her laughter first to answer me. "I didn't think you were that fast in asking a mare out."
"I'm being serious here. I have no idea what I just did," I said as I gestured to where the two mares were before.
Steel Wing walked next to me, draping her talon leg around my neck. "Dude, if I had known you got something like that, I would have warned you about what you were doing."
"What did I do? Can somebody just tell me that?" I asked.
Surprise jumped on my back, her voice full of cheer as she explained. "Well, it's not used as often, but ponies would usually give either rare or exotic gifts to show they had interest in pursuing a relationship. Flowers were usually a more common gift since a pony would get one that matched the pony's personality or mane color."
"So I pretty much asked out a mare without actually having to speak with them?" I asked as I laid on the ground.
Celestia smiled as she placed a hoof on my shoulder. "I'm very happy for you, Mark. You'll be able to learn something that I wouldn't be able to properly teach you."
I looked up at Celestia with a slightly irritated expression, but I just let out a deep sigh as I softly banged my head on the ground. Steel Wing and Surprise gave me a few comforting pats on my back before getting up to leave. I waved goodbye to the two as I stared deeply into the ground. I could hear the two fly off before rolling onto my back to look at the sky. I could barely make out the small forms of Spitfire and Fleetfoot flying through the air.
"Why does this always happen to me," I mumbled into the ground.
Celestia gently lifted me up with her magic so I could look at her. "Cheer up, Mark. I'm proud of you for getting out there. You should take this opportunity to see what you like in a mare and try to find one you might want to settle down with."
"This isn't making me feel any better," I said as I gave a small frown.
Celestia continued to smile as she spoke calmly. "How about this? Take the day off to think everything through. Go around the city and just have a peaceful walk. If you don't want to walk, then go back to bed and sleep on it. I really think you should give it a chance, but if you don't, then they'll understand. They might also be messing with you since you probably didn't know what you were doing, and if you explain it to them, then you all can share in a laugh."
I thought about what Celestia said for several seconds before nodding my head. Celestia smiled as she released me from her magic hold. I brushed off my pants and shirts before turning around and leaving.
"I'm going to sleep on this," I said as I went for my room.
"I hope you sleep well, and either Luna or I will talk to you later," Celestia said.
I waved goodbye to Celestia as I headed for my room. Celestia waved goodbye as she cleaned up everything and left for the throne room. I went straight to my room and slipped under the covers of my bed to sleep on my decision. I stared up at the ceiling as I let my mind process everything that has happened in these past couple of hours. I saw Spitfire and Fleetfoot quickly pass by my window as they flew around happily.
I laid in my bed, my mind racing at what I've just done. I was still trying to get over the initial shock that I had just apologized to and asked out two mares. They also weren't any ordinary mares. They were both Wonderbolt superstars and that they even said yes to me was still a little surprising. The only thing that bothered me was did I really want this? I've been here for several months and haven't really thought about dating or finding a relationship with anyone. Could I even have a normal relationship with a pony?
I looked out the window and saw Spitfire and Fleetfoot flying around. They seemed to not have noticed me as I smiled. Both mares looked positively happy now that everything was cleared up. I slowly entertained the thought of dating the mares and it didn't seem entirely that bad. The idea seemed fun and it probably would be nice to get out in the dating world again. Looking back at the mares as they flew through the sky, I decided to give it a shot. If it didn't work out, then we could still remain good friends. I was about to sleep when another thought occurred to me. Who was I going to go out with first, and who would I ultimately decide upon if I wanted to pursue a relationship with either one of them? I sighed heavily as it was going to be a long date with those mares. |
Fleeting Flames | Making Choices | Fleeting Flames
By: Duelist96
Chapter 5: Making Choices
Two days have passed since I talked with Spitfire and Fleetfoot. Things have changed, if only slightly. I guess it's just their attitudes, but after the two mares were cleared for flight, Spitfire went back to giving orders while Fleetfoot went back to being hard to gauge. I could probably ask Spitfire to tone down a little with her bossing me around, but then again, everyone did have their own personality. The mares have been treating me a little better, but things were still kind of tense between us.
Thankfully, Spitfire and Fleetfoot would wear the flowers that I got them when they weren't practicing with the guards. The mares also haven't bothered me about the whole 'date' thing, and I was actually kind of glad. Not being bothered by it allowed me to try and think of something we could do while I filled out the paperwork. Rainbow Dash and Rarity also visited during the past two days. Rainbow was a little jealous that I was working with her idols, while Rarity was generous enough to make a few clothes to better fit my job.
The clothes weren't overly extravagant, but neither were my regular clothes since I was able to convince her to keep things subtle. The few shirts that she made me were light blue in color with the Wonderbolt symbol on each sleeve. She made a few shorts that were a darker shade of blue and had the Wonderbolt symbol on the left pant leg. The clothes were actually subtle enough that if I wanted to, I could just wear them like regular street clothes. Rarity didn't seem to like this idea very much, but she did have a good laugh from it.
It was disappointing with their visit though, since they were only stopping by to pick up something from a nearby store. I asked them what they were getting, but after I asked that, their cheeks burned a soft pink as they moved the conversation on. Spitfire actually allowed me to see them off when they left to go back to Ponyville. Spitfire doing this for me was probably the actual first thing that was nice. The kindness, though, was pretty short-lived. After I came back from seeing my friends off, I was immediately given a box of paperwork.
I saw the small grin the pegasus gave before she flew back to her office. Taking the box to a nearby park, I sat on the bench and got to work. I was given my own little office space, but I preferred working outside. Being in college, in a cramped room full of sweaty people makes you enjoy the outdoors a little more. It was also nice to be outside since the air was fresh and wasn't stale with city odors. I lost myself in the paperwork, the forms all the same and easy to follow as I leaned back on the bench.
I was able to get through half of the work before deciding to take a break. Putting away the finished papers, and organizing the ones I still had left, I grabbed my small notepad. I flipped through a couple pages, skipping some random pictures that I had drawn and found the section for date ideas. I looked at the list with slight amusement as it had... nothing. There was nothing on this list and I had no idea what I was doing. Left with little option, I stared at the blank sheet, waiting for words to appear on the paper to give me something to work with. I got bored within a few minutes of staring as I tossed the notepad to the side.
I really wished I knew what those mares enjoyed doing. I mean sure, flying was a thing they enjoyed, but most pegasi enjoyed it, except for Fluttershy. I wasn't really too keen on what food they enjoyed and if there were any restaurants around that had something they would like. As many ideas ran through my head of what I could possibly do for a date, my gut believed that I was overthinking my current situation. Sure that gut instinct that people would get to warn them about danger worked, but I couldn't see how it was working to help me with my current predicament.
Taking a deep breath, I packed away the last of my work and headed for my office. It wasn't a long walk to my office since I didn't travel far from it in case Spitfire, Fleetfoot, or another Wonderbolt needed my help with something. I actually got to meet a few other members of the team and they seemed pretty nice. Apparently, they heard about me working with Spitfire and Fleetfoot because of Surprise going around and telling them. I swear if Pinkie and Surprise actually worked together to plan some ultimate party, everyone would know about it days in advance. That also means a lot of party cannons, and I'm not really looking forward to that.
I prefer my cake served to me on a plate, not fired from a cannon and nearly taking my head off. Still, it was nice enough for Surprise to go out of her way and get the other Wonderbolts to introduce themselves to me. I was able to meet Misty Fly, Rapidfire, and Soarin during the small get-together that Surprise had planned. Misty Fly and Rapidfire were actually pretty calm when compared to the other Wonderbolts. They never really asked too many questions about my home, and I was actually thankful for that. What made me even more happy was that they didn't really care that I was a different species.
I could probably thank the fact that there were other species besides pegasi on the Wonderbolts to make it easy. Soarin, though, was a different person to deal with. He's a very friendly pegasus, maybe a little too friendly, but he was someone that I could enjoy the company of. The only thing that bothered me was how close he liked to be to me. I swear I caught him eyeing me a few times, but I just pushed it to the side. Things were different in Equestria, so I put it up to being a cultural difference.
Giving a small smile at the memory, I placed my paperwork on the table and sat in my chair. Sadly, as I went to sit down, the chair broke underneath me. I looked up at the ceiling, the feeling of a broken piece of chair stabbing in my back as I kept my cool. Moving off the broken pieces, I remained on the floor as I gave a heavy frown. Apparently, it was too much to ask for a chair that could support my weight. I could already hear Spitfire yelling at me for breaking such a sturdy chair, but it's not my fault they were built for ponies. I could hear the sounds of talons tapping against the door frame, and turning to my side revealed Steel Wing looking down at me.
The griffoness was trying very hard to not bust out laughing as she walked up to me. She offered me a talon to grab, but I waved it off as I rolled onto my back again. The griffoness gave a small shrug as she sat in one of the chairs in front of my desk. I didn't even try to move myself from the floor as Steel went about playing with things on my desk. She found great interest in my miniature fun mirror, while she turned to partially face me.
"Are you sure you don't want help?" Steel gestured to my prone form as she made faces in the mirror.
"I need to regain my independence," I said as I continued to lay on the ground.
"You want me to get you anything?" Steel asked as she put the mirror down and jumped from the chair.
I looked towards her as she stepped towards the door. "If you could get me a power bar, that'd be great."
Steel gave a sharp nod as she walked out of the door. She wasn't gone long as she returned a couple minutes later with the requested power bar. She tossed me the bar and I opened it to see that half of it was missing. I looked back at the griffoness to see her smirking as she ate the other half. I gave a small sigh and frown as I ate the last half. I really didn't need a power bar to help me get up, but I was kind of feeling a little hungry. I quickly finished off the bar and rolled to my feet. Steel walked back into my office, jumping on the chair again as I went about picking up the broken pieces of the chair.
"Hey, so have you figured out anything for your date yet?" Steel asked to hopefully break the slowly growing tension.
I placed the broken pieces to the side of the room while I pulled out the notepad. "I actually have. Flip past the first ten or so pages and you'll see a page labeled 'date ideas'."
I listened to Steel flip through the pages while I gave one final look over my office. I was pulled from my inspection when Steel coughed.
"Mark, what are these?" Steel asked as she presented the drawings to me.
"Yeah, I should have probably torn those out or just given it to you already turned to the proper page." I nervously rubbed the back of my head as I turned away.
I could already hear Steel ripping out some of those pages. "You're lucky they aren't anything bad, but you're probably safe without anypony seeing these."
Steel offered the papers to me and I took them from her talon. The griffoness went back to flipping through papers as I locked away the suggestive pictures. Once I locked up the drawer, I felt the notepad hit the back of my head. Rubbing the spot where the notepad hit me, I turned to face Steel.
Steel gave a neutral expression as she rubbed her temples. "You have absolutely nothing written down."
I picked up the notepad and pocketed it before facing Steel again. "It's not my fault that I don't know what to do. It was sort of easy when dating a woman back on Earth, but here, I'm dealing with a different ballfield."
Steel let out an exasperated sigh as she jumped off the chair. She started walking towards my door before looking over her shoulder at me. "Come on, let's get you out in the real world so you don't buck this up."
I gave a small frown as I followed the griffoness. "Hey, it's not my fault a lot of things are backwards here."
The griffoness seemed to ignore my comment as she continued to walk. "Now, what do you know about Spitfire and Fleetfoot?"
"Is that a serious question?" I asked as I gave her a deadpanned expression.
Steel stopped walking, turning to face me with a raised brow. "Please tell me you know more than just their names and occupations?" I didn't say anything as I turned away from the griffoness. My silence seemed to give her my answer as she let out a heavy sigh. "Great, looks like we have to pretty much build an entire foundation."
I gave a sheepish smile as Steel turned around and started walking again. I could hear Steel mumbling to herself and I took this chance to see if I knew anything helpful. Both the mares were long-time friends and really enjoyed flying. Looks like I had basic information, but was there anything that really stood out about them? The house being barren when I first arrived was enough of a dead giveaway that they don't technically live in Canterlot. I was curious as to where they usually lived since nobody has mentioned anything.
"Hey, do you know where Spitfire and Fleetfoot actually live?" I asked as I caught up to Steel to walk beside her.
Steel tapped her chin in thought before speaking. "If I remember correctly, they should be residents of Cloudsdale. The house that you're living in is a place they bought for when they have to be here."
I raised a brow as I looked down at Steel. "Cloudsdale? You mean the city made of clouds that just floats around?"
Steel nodded her head. That killed a possible place to go to show the mares a great time, but Steel seemed to it as a great idea.
"We should head to Cloudsdale. I know a few places there that they might enjoy going to." Steel was giving me a huge smile.
"No way in hell am I going to Cloudsdale," I stated firmly.
Steel gave a small frown as she looked up at me. "Why not? Cloudsdale is a wonderful city and has a lot of memories for Spitfire and Fleetfoot. I think they would really enjoy it."
I gave a small frown at the griffoness. "I may have gotten myself in a little trouble when I punched the current mayor."
Steel froze in place as she stared at me with wide eyes. "Wait, that was you?" I nodded my head as she continued to stare. "I heard the story, but I honestly thought it was just a bunch of rubbish. Were you trying to get yourself locked up?"
"Oh, I was locked up for a few hours for what I did. After that, Celestia had me serve community service for three weeks as my punishment," I answered with a small shrug.
"Why would you do that?" Steel asked as she started walking again.
"This happened during my first couple of months here. This was incident number three and I just really didn't like his attitude. I didn't have the best control of my anger at the moment and I snapped pretty quickly." I gave a small groan as I rubbed the back of my neck.
"I guess today is about learning new things about each other." Steel gave a small laugh as we exited the castle. "Now let's get back on topic. Do you have any kind of idea what, no matter how small, could possibly point us in the right direction?"
I shrugged my shoulders as I looked to the sky. "We just now finally settled on trying to be friendly with one another after yelling at each other. We haven't really talked much since we're trying to give ourselves some time to cool down." Steel was silent for several seconds, and when I looked down, she was staring up at me again. "What?"
Steel shook her head to get her brain working again. "You're probably the first pony that I've met, besides Fleetfoot that has actually yelled at Spitfire."
I raised a brow as I stared at the griffoness. "Why is that so surprising?"
"It's surprising because most ponies don't actually yell at her. Hardly any pony can match her in yelling, except for Fleetfoot. You might have actually gained a few respect points from Spitfire for standing up to her." Steel patted my back in pride.
I gave a small laugh at her attitude. "Trust me, I was actually expecting to be kicked in the chest after I did that." I gave a sigh as I started walking, Steel following as she listened. "A lot of things happened that night. Personally, I think we're a little stressed right now after getting everything out in the open."
Steel looked at me worriedly as she floated next to me. "Are you regretting your actions?"
I rubbed my chin in thought for a few seconds before turning to the griffoness. "Not really, but I also haven't had a lot of time to think about this. I was just trying to start off on this clean slate by doing something nice. In all honesty, I really think this kind of went too far with the 'date' thing."
Steel looked between me and the ground, a worried expression on her face before looking at me again. "Mark, I need to tell you something."
Steel's voice sounded worried, and I was a little concerned with what she had to tell me. "Sure, but you don't really seem up to telling me."
Steel shook her head as she stared at me intently, her gaze showing determination. "I have to, Mark. You can be mad at me later, but this is something I want to tell you. Surprise wasn't wrong when she said that flowers were a common gift to show that you wanted to pursue a relationship." I gestured for Steel to continue. "It's just that flower exchange isn't used that often anymore. Most ponies usually go for the direct approach. Surprise thought it would be a good prank since you weren't aware, but I felt it was a little much after we left."
I stopped walking as I stared at the griffoness. I had been driving myself partly insane because I thought I was about to go on a date with two mares. I glared at the griffoness, who was currently wincing slightly under my gaze. I took a few deep breaths before relaxing my gaze. Steel seemed to notice my calmer gaze and looked at me, waiting for my reaction. I took a few seconds to collect my thoughts before looking back at Steel.
"That's a little upsetting, but I'm not mad." Steel relaxed, giving a small smile that I wasn't going to yell at her or break off our friendship. "Pinkie has done her fair share of bad timed pranks, and I've learned to shrug it off. I know Surprise meant no harm in what she did and I thank her for trying to lighten the mood."
Steel seemed to be happy that I had forgiven both her and her wife. We each gave each other hugs before continuing down the street. I realized that we didn't have any particular place we were going to, but were just going about walking. As we walked a few more steps, I remembered something that I've kind of been practicing with Pinkie. Since the pink mare liked to show up at random times, I took note of each appearance. Pinkie would appear in more of a pattern if she felt sad about hurting someone's feelings within a few seconds.
Seeing as how Surprise was related to Pinkie in some way, I thought I would give my theory a little test. It will probably stay a theory as well, since I'm dealing with Pinkie. Counting down the few seconds that were left before she should arrive, I took a few steps to the left. As soon as I finished counting, a white blur shot past Steel and myself. After Surprise shot past us, she made an immediate stop and turned around to face us. Her lower lip was trembling as her eyes threatened to let tears spill forth.
The pegasus went to say something, but I cut her off with my hand. "I know what you're going to say. No, I'm not mad at you. We are still good friends, and I thank you for trying to lighten up my mood."
The tears in Surprise's eyes were gone instantly as she smiled brightly, launching herself at me and wrapping me in a hug. The mare nuzzled in between my neck, giving a soft giggle as my stubble tickled her muzzle. I really couldn't find myself staying mad at the mare. All she wanted to do was have a good time and I couldn't really deny her nature. I gave a few pats to the mare's back before we finally separated. After sharing a little laughter, all three of us went about our walk. Surprise placed herself on Steel's back, the griffoness trying to fight off a blush as she lifted her wings to keep the pegasus balance. Seeing the two like this reminded me of a question that I had.
"Hey, Steel," I called out.
Steel turned her head slightly to look at me. "Yeah?"
"When I went to get the flowers, I had Moon and Echo there with me. I didn't ask at the time when they mentioned you since I was more focused on dealing with my problem at the moment, but how do you three know each other?" I asked.
"They're my first friends that I made when I first arrived at Canterlot." I raised my brow as it sounded like there was a story to go along with this. Steel noticed my expression and she started to giggle lightly. "I was a new recruit to the Wonderbolts, and between you, me, Surprise, Moon, and Echo, I couldn't read a map to save my life." I tried to hide my laughter, but failed to do so as a few chuckles escaped my lips.
Steel quickly turned her head at me, giving a slight glare before joining in my laughter. "I know it sounds silly, but it's the truth. Anyway, I was walking around the castle during the middle of the night and I ran into Echo. I asked for her help and she tried to get me to my quarters. The funny part was that she was a new recruit for Luna's guard. So we still ended up lost and then we ran into Moon. Thankfully, Moon had been in the castle long enough to get me where I needed to go. After that, I kind of just wanted to get to know them better since they seemed like a nice pair of ponies."
I nodded my own head in agreement as I voiced my opinion. "I think they're pretty nice as well. They're probably my only pair of bat pony friends that I get along with so well. Then again, they're the only ones that I probably talk to since I go to talk with Luna a lot."
The three of us continued to walk as we reminisced about our times here in Canterlot. I was actually surprised to learn that Surprise has only been with the Wonderbolts for two years while Steel had been with them for five. Seeing this as something worth talking about, I wanted to get to know a little more about their past.
"Hey, Surprise, can I ask you something?" I asked.
Surprise stuck her head around her wife's wing so she could look at me. "Sure. What would you like to know, Marky?"
"How exactly did you two end up getting together?" I asked as I pointed between the two.
The two looked at each other before Steel turned towards me to answer. "Would you believe me if I told you that I was the one that tried to get her attention?"
I shook my head in disbelief. "A proud griffoness chased after the mare of her dreams than the other way around." I received a friendly deck in the arm, but the griffoness was laughing at the craziness behind it.
"Yes, I, Steel Wing, went against my pride as a griffon to gain the attention of this lovely mare. And every second I spend with her is a great part of my life." Steel admitted, giggling a little as she nuzzled her wife.
Surprise enthusiastically returned the nuzzle before continuing the story. "Yeah, right. After I joined, I was more focused on trying to be the best that I could be. Steely's advances on me weren't lost, but I just wasn't interested at the time. I actually said no to her a few times for a date, but she was really persistent. What probably finally got my attention is when she planned an entire evening dinner, but that was sadly ruined."
"What happened?" I asked with intrigue.
Steel shook her head as she remembered that day. "The Canterlot weather team forgot to mention that they had a rainstorm planned, and it ruined everything. I had everything planned perfectly and after the storm hit, everything was ruined. I actually went on a rage as I cursed loudly and destroyed the stuff that was already ruined."
Steel rubbed at her temples for having acted so childishly as Surprise finished for her. "I actually never saw somepony act so genuine with their feelings. I kind of blame my parents for that since they never really liked griffons all that much. Once I actually saw that Steely here had actual feelings for me, I went ahead and gave her a shot. About a year and a half later, we're married and now with kids on the way."
Surprise gave a bright smile as she ran a hoof along her belly. She gave a warm giggle as I assumed that one of the little foals gave a kick. Steel ran a talon of her own against Surprise's belly, giving a warm smile as she probably thought about her new future. After giving a few more rubs to her belly, she gave a loud gasp as she turned her heads towards me again.
"Mark, you should be our foals' uncle. Oh, I can just picture it now. You'll all look so cute and happy, too." Surprise's eyes gave a little gleam as her smiled widened.
I held up my hands as I tried to get her to calm down a little. "Whoa there, Surprise. Don't you think that's a little too forward for me? I mean, you only met me a few days ago. You don't really know much about me." The mare really didn't know much about me, especially my first couple of months here.
Surprise lifted herself off of Steel's back and floated towards me. The pegasus placed a hoof on my shoulder as she smiled at me. "It's true that I don't know much about you, except the few rumors that have gone around, but I don't see you as a bad pony. You're very kind to everypony around you, and even though we did meet a few days ago, I don't see anypony else that could be a good fit."
The mare gave a sincere smile that told me how much trust she had in me. It felt nice to know the mare trusted me enough to be an uncle to her foals. This was actually the first time, outside Twilight, her friends, and the princesses, that someone really trusted me. A few tears escaped my eyes as I wrapped the mare in a hug. Surprise gave a loud squee as she wrapped her legs around me. The hug at first was a good idea, until I required air. Finding it hard to breathe, I tapped Surprise on her back to hopefully get her to let go.
Tapping on her back seemed to prove fruitless as she seemed determined to hug the life out of me. Taking the last few seconds of consciousness that I had, I started gesturing to Steel. The griffoness was failing at stifling her laughter as she looked at my panicked face. Steel finally got control of her laughter to help me from my predicament. The griffoness poked her wife somewhere on her back, probably in between her wings, but I couldn't really see very well, and the pegasus let go.
Taking a few deep breaths, I looked at the griffoness gratefully as I smiled at her. "Thank you, Steel." After filling my lungs with air, I pointed to the stiff pegasus on the ground. "What did you do to her, and can you teach me it?"
Steel gave a hearty laugh as she picked up her wife and placed her on her back. "It's just a simple pressure point that has many uses depending on how much pressure you place. I can teach it to you, but you might not like exactly everything it can do."
I raised a brow in confusion, trying to figure out what it was that she meant. "What are saying exactly?" Steel gave me a serious expression as she gave me a few seconds to think about it. What exactly wouldn't I like about learning what Steel did? Rubbing my chin in further thought, I looked to Steel for a little help.
Steel let out a frustrated groan as she rubbed her temples. "Do you know anything about pegasus anatomy?" I nodded my head. "What area is very sensitive to a pegasus?"
Thinking back to the anatomy lessons I had with Cadence, which were really weird to have, I told her what I knew. "Pegasi are very sensitive all along their wings, including the base, but there's a spot that a few don't know about. The other sensitive spot is-"
My eyes widened as I finally understood what she was getting at. Steel seemed to notice my sudden clarity and calmly nodded her head. I let out a deep breath as I tried to keep my small blush under control. I gave a rough cough as I continued on the walk. Steel followed right behind me, her smirk in full bloom as she laughed at me.
"Nothing can ever be easy for me, can it?" I asked no one in particular.
"Cheer up, Mark. You figured it out faster than I thought you would, and this should make things easier for you." Steel said as she bumped against my side to get me to smile.
It worked a little as I gave a small chuckle. This world still knows how to throw me through a loop every day. "So, how do I go about using that pressure point?"
Steel stopped her laughter as she adjusted her wife and looked at me. "There's a spot a couple centimeters below the joint where the wings connect. Press against that area with varying degrees of pressure for different results. To get their bodies to tense up, like I did with Surprise, just use the same amount of force you use to snap a cracker in half."
I nodded my head. "That seems pretty simple. Might come in handy if I ever need to use it."
Steel laughed as we made our return trip back to the castle. "Hopefully, you'll never need to use it." Steel turned to me, giving me a wide smirk. "Unless you're going to be in bed with them."
My face gave a small blush as I scowled at the griffoness. "That's never going to happen."
Surprise gave a soft frown, rolling to her side after making sure her entire body could move. "Don't you wish to be their coltfriend?"
I looked at the small hurt that Surprise had in her eyes, but I couldn't lie to her, even if it kept her from crying. "I honestly don't know. We aren't even friends, and I highly doubt they would want to be something more. I'll be lucky at all if we can at least have a regular friendship." I stopped walking as the castle came closer into view.
Steel stopped next to me, Surprise gently falling to the ground and trotting towards me. Surprise placed a hoof on my leg as she gave me a concerned look. "What makes you say that?"
I sighed heavily as I looked at the white pegasus. "Just look at me." I gestured to my body. "There's nothing here that they would like. I can't fly with them and I don't share any of their interests."
Steel moved next to me and placed a talon on my shoulder as she spoke clearly, but her concern was evident. "Isn't this a way for you to get to know them better? This is your first chance to actually speak with them without resorting to yelling or fighting with each other. You're jumping to conclusions before you even give them a chance."
I was about to say something, but Surprise cut me off as she floated into the air and placed a hoof on my other shoulder. "I won't lie to you, Mark, you're partially right." I gave her a flat look, but she continued on. "You are different from them, but it's that difference that might actually get them a friend that they could really use."
I raised a brow at the mare. "What do you mean they need a friend?"
Surprise looked at the ground before looking back at me. "You've already heard Spitfire's story about her heart being shattered." I nodded my head to get her to continue. "That's not the only problem they have. Most ponies think that Spitfire and Fleetfoot are really harsh and mean, but that's usually not the case. Neither of them really had an easy foalhood and this kept them from making any friends."
I pulled the mare and griffoness away from me as I looked at them curiously. "But aren't you guys their friends?"
Steel and Surprise nodded their heads, the former stepping into the conversation. "We are their friends, but we're not that close. We only know what they'll tell us and that's only a very small amount. There's still things that they only tell each other. If there's anypony that could actually get them to open up more, then it's you."
I didn't say anything as I let my mind ponder on everything I heard. There had been this small sense that they had problems to deal with, but I never pushed for information. Knowing this actually helped to figure a few things out about the mares. Since they never really had friends better than each other, then they would usually be on guard. Being on that guard would also mean their slight attitudes they had, but it didn't seem like those attitudes really kept them from making a few friends.
Steel and Surprise didn't say anything, or even move as they let me think about this. It was a lot to take in and I wasn't sure I could handle it all. I did want to try and become friends with the mares at least, so I had that. Taking a deep breath, I looked at my two friends and nodded my head. Steel and Surprise gave small smiles that I was willing to try and become a very close friend with Spitfire and Fleetfoot. With everything decided, the three of us continued back to the castle.
We entered through the front doors and went our separate ways. As Steel and Surprise walked away, the griffoness mentioned something about going on vacation with the pegasus and their foals. Giving a small smile at how loud the pegasus squealed, I walked as fast as I could to Spitfire's office. As I walked through the expansive halls, I took note that there weren't many guards around. Before, it caused me to worry for the princesses' safety, but Celestia explained that it was common for the guards to get together every once and a while to relax.
Waving to the few maids that were around, I made it to the office. The door was slightly ajar and their light was on. Walking towards the door, I gave a few knocks. The response I was given was a banging on a desk. Taking that as an entrance admittance, I walked into the office. I entered the office to see both the mares working on their own paperwork. Spitfire and Fleetfoot looked really irritated with whatever they were working on. I was tempted to leave and let them work before my presence to them was known.
"Do you need something, Mark?" Fleetfoot asked as she pushed her papers to the side.
"I just came by to see how you two were doing. Should I come back at a better time?" I asked as I took a few steps back towards the door.
"You're fine. We were just finishing up some reports and then head off for some flight practice," Spitfire answered as she gave a few swipes with her quill and pushed her papers to the front of the desk.
"So, have you figured out what we're going for our date?" Fleetfoot asked as she fluttered her eyes a little.
"Not entirely, but I did learn that what I did wasn't asking for a date," I answered as I grinned at the two mares.
"Well, looks like our fun was killed." Spitfire let out a deep sigh, shaking her head softly. "So who gave it away?"
"Steel and Surprise did," I replied as I sat in the chair against the wall.
Fleetfoot gave a small giggle as she shook her head as well. "Sometimes those two are too nice for their own good, but then they wouldn't be who they are if they didn't follow through with it."
Fleetfoot and Spitfire continued to laugh softly before the latter finally settled down again to speak. "Well, it was fun while it lasted. If I may, can I offer a possible place for us to go to?" I nodded my head since I probably would never think of anything for a while. "There's a local bar that's close to where we live. It's nothing too fancy and it has a decent selection of food and drinks to pick from."
I gave a slight frown to the fiery mare. "You're not going to make me drink, are you?"
Fleetfoot shook her head as she gave a small smile. "Not unless you really want us to make you. We just want to see what the place is like and just get to know each other."
I took a second to think about this as the mares busied themselves with cleaning everything up. There wasn't much for the mare to clean up, and by the time they finished, I had decided on an answer.
"Sure, sounds like it could be fun and it would be nice to find a possibly nice place to hang out at," I said as stood up from the chair, stretching my limbs as the mares turned out the lights.
"So does tomorrow afternoon sound like a good time?" Spitfire asked as she locked the door to the office.
I gave the mares a thumbs up before heading to the throne room. The mares waved goodbye before flying off for their own little practice flights. I wasn't sure what would happen when we meet at the small bar, but I pushed the thought aside. I wasn't going to allow these different scenarios to get in the way and cloud my mind. Having a small smile of my own at the thought of making friends with the mares, I began to hope everything would be good. |
Fleeting Flames | Clover's Bar | Fleeting Flames
By: Duelist96
Chapter 6: Clover's Bar
The sun came rising over the horizon and I was thankful that the mares and I had the day off. Spitfire was kind enough to show me how to work the clock and I was able to change the alarm. I messed around with what I would want to listen to when the alarm went off, but found nothing of interest. I kept the annoying buzzer to wake me up, but I did make sure to keep the volume down so I wouldn't have to smash it again. I could hear a few birds chirping in the early morning sun and it was comforting to wake up to.
I rolled out of bed as I stretched in the few rays of light that penetrated my room. I looked at my clock to see that it was eight in the morning and decided to get cleaned. Grabbing a fresh pair of clothes, I left my room and headed for the shower. I reached the bathroom and saw that the door was closed. I looked over at Spitfire's room to see the door closed, and since there was no sound of water coming from the bathroom, I went on in. I instantly regretted that decision after I saw who was currently occupying the bathroom.
My eyes were wide as Fleetfoot looked at me, a towel covering her plot and her eyes narrowing. I quickly put my arms up, readying myself to receive a tackle from the mare. I stood there for several seconds, hoping the pain would be quick, but it never came. Being careful, I lowered my arms to see Fleetfoot continuing to dry herself off. I couldn't do anything but stare as she went slow with drying off her body. The mare made sure to stretch her body, showing off her lithe body with her eyes locked onto me, giving me a sultry gaze.
I actually had to give it to the mare as she caused a deep blush to form on my face. Fleetfoot looked absolutely sexy like Spitfire with her body covered in water. Her mane was down, sticking to her face as her wings gave little flaps to get rid of excess water. The mare seemed very aware that I was staring and seemed to make the most of it. She moved the towel up to her head, covering her backside with her tail. I shook my head after a few seconds of staring at her plot, trying to get out of this awkward situation.
"You know, you're going to have to get up a lot earlier than eight if you want to shower with either I or Spitfire," Fleetfoot said huskily, her eyes giving a few flutters.
"Whoa, I was just coming in here to take a shower. Spitfire's door was closed and I assumed that either one or the both of you were asleep or gone," I defended as I avoided the mare's gaze.
Fleetfoot gave a hearty laugh as she finished drying off and threw the towel to the side. Her voice went back to its normal tone as she trotted for the door. "You're too easy, Mark. I thought you were told about how ponies work?"
I let out a heavy sigh as I tried to control my blush. "I was given only generic information. There are still things I don't know that Celestia believes I can only learn from by being out in the world. I wouldn't doubt that since I did read some of the books about what she wants me to learn, and it doesn't even compare to actually having to deal with it."
Fleetfoot gave a soft giggle as she patted my back with a wing. Only shaking my head, I ushered the mare out of the bathroom as she closed the door behind her. I headed for the shower when I heard the mare call out for Spitfire, causing me to hang my head in embarrassment. It hasn't even been five minutes since I got up and I was already not looking forward to going to the bar. Giving a few hits of my head on the shower wall, I turned on the water and set about cleaning myself.
I was in the shower for a good amount of time before shutting off the water and drying myself off. I ended up using three towels since I haven't grabbed my old ones that were made specifically for me. Getting dressed, I opened the bathroom door and walked downstairs. I turned into the kitchen to see both Spitfire and Fleetfoot sitting at the table, empty bowls in front of them as they drank their coffee. Once I stepped foot in the kitchen, Spitfire lowered her cup and looked at me with a raised brow.
"Do you plan on walking in on every mare as they shower?" Spitfire gave a neutral expression.
I raised my arms as I tried to defend myself. "It was an accident, okay! Can we just pretend this didn't happen and move on?"
Spitfire crossed her hooves and closed her eyes as she hummed in thought. I really couldn't believe that she was taking her time to think about this, but I kept quiet to avoid making things worse. "I guess we can put this behind us since we're going to be heading to that bar here soon to get to know each other."
I gave a sigh of relief as I gave a few mental fist pumps. Glad to avoid any confrontation in the morning, I moved to the refrigerator and opened the door. I gave a few glances at what was inside before finding a container with my name on it. I pulled out the container and opened it to see a few muffins inside. Closing the door to the refrigerator, I sat at the table, happily munching away at my muffin. Spitfire went back to drinking her coffee, giving me a few glances after every few sips. I finished off my muffins and cleaned my dishes as the mares finished off their coffee.
While the mares finished cleaning their cups, Fleetfoot turned her attention towards me, giving a small smile. "After we finish cleaning, we're going for a flight around town. You can do whatever you want. We will meet you at the bar sometime around five."
I nodded to the mare as I headed for the front door. "Cool, I think I'll go see Razor for a bit."
I waved to the two mares, who actually waved back to me with small smiles as I headed for the market district. I walked along the sidewalk, giving a few greetings to a few ponies that greeted me. During my walk, I ran into the two foals that followed me from the last time I was in the market. Both the foals were fillies and seemed to share similar traits. They each had dark blue fur while their manes and tails were white. The two foals were different in their mane and tail styles as the one on the left had a messy look while the one on the right had hers combed neatly. Their eyes were a light fuchsia and they each had small wings.
I continued walking, hearing the hushed whispers of the two foals. I could hear some of their whispered conversation and I couldn't help but chuckle to myself. They were both trying to figure out what I was. I was able to push away the mention of hairless ape and naked diamond dog since they were only kids. The filly with the neatly combed mane gave a small mention about finding me exotically cute and I just found it adorable. The filly with the messy mane gave a gagging gesture as she playfully pushed at the other filly.
As I continued to walk, I heard a stallion call out two names. "Summer Wind, Tiger Lilly, please leave the nice human alone."
I heard the two fillies give a loud moan of disappointment before trotting off. I looked back to see a stallion with two mares on either side of him, and they were all pegasi. The mares were similar to the fillies, except for the coat, mane, and tail color. The older mares had a light blue coat color and their manes and tails were a pale opal. The older mare with the neatly combed mane and tail had on a pink bow. The stallion had a dark gray coat and his eyes were a light gold. His mane and tail color was a light cyan and done up in a Mohawk.
I raised a brow in confusion as the mares nuzzled the two fillies before turning to the stallion and giving him a kiss. I wasn't really sure what to make of that since I thought most relationships in Equestria were monogamous. I put away the thought for later asking with either the princesses or the mares. I could only shrug my shoulders as I continued onwards for Razor's stand. I walked for a few more minutes before arriving at the market district and easily spotting Razor's stand. The griffoness seemed to notice me from afar as she waved me over.
Chuckling to myself at how energetic she was, I made my way towards her stand. As I neared Razor, she was just finishing wiping down the counter before flipping her sign. I stopped in front of the stand and waited as Razor came from around back. Razor immediately gave me a hug once she reached me and I was happy to return it. Even as awkward as it was to get hugs from people that were still slight strangers, I found it be common as it helped to establish some bond. Pulling away from me, Razor continued to smile as she gave one final glance at her shop before giving me her full attention.
"So, what can I do for you, Mark?" Razor asked as she gestured for us to walk.
I followed closely to the griffoness, returning her smile with one of my own. "Nothing, just thought I would come by and say hi. I've gotten to know your sister better and I wish to get to know you more as well."
Razor giggled lightly as she slightly pushed against me. "Thank Celestia. I was kind of getting bored without seeing you for so long. My sister, though, was kind enough to keep me up to date with everything that has happened to you."
I gave a nervous laugh, worried about what exactly Steel had told her. "What exactly has Steel told you?"
Razor gave a small shrug as she faced forward. "Just that you, Spitfire, and Fleetfoot finally had a talk with each other. She also mentioned that you ended up asking out both of the mares on a date." Razor turned back to me, giggling as I shook my head.
I lifted my head to look at Razor. "You have no idea how much I was freaking out because of that. Thankfully, Steel came clean about what I actually did and I was able to calm down."
Razor nodded her head as she smiled. "Yeah, that usually happens when she's around Surprise. Those two really don't know when to tell a joke at a proper time, but they really do care about others."
I nodded my head in agreement as we continued to walk. As we walked down a sidewalk, I took notice of Razor's body. The griffoness had the same build as her sister and I was curious about something.
"Hey, Razor, can I ask you something?" I asked, getting Razor's attention once again.
"As long as it isn't something sexually crude like Surprise likes to ask, then you may," Razor said as she gave a slight shudder.
My own body shuddered as I remembered how her sister acted as well. "If Steel was anything to go by, then I get where you're coming from. Also, my question doesn't have anything to do with anything sexually crude. How come you aren't a Wonderbolt?"
Razor gave a slight shrug as she turned around and headed back to the market. "I just didn't much care for being in an aerobatics show. Nothing against my sister, but I just couldn't see myself doing it. Plus, I enjoy cooking a little more."
This perked my interest as I tried to keep up with the griffoness. "You actually like to cook?"
Razor nodded her head as she continued her explanation. "Being from the Griffon Empire, I kind of had to make a few of my own meals so I could have something decent to eat. I also find it very relaxing for me, and the few that have tried my cooking said it was really good. I'm actually thinking about opening a restaurant once I have enough bits."
I smiled at Razor as I gave her a little nudge. "Let me know if you ever get that to happen. I would love to try some of your cooking!"
Razor smiled up at me as we started to near her stand. We reached the stand and Razor entered from the back, flipping the sign again and taking quick stock. I leaned against the stand, watching the ponies mill about the market. Compared to the few areas that I visited, the middle section of Canterlot was very friendly towards me. None of the ponies gave me any weird looks and they treated me like I was any regular pony in their community. The foals were the most adorable as they would watch me with wide eyes, whispering to each other about me.
The foals' whispers didn't seem to do anything to cause fear as they would sometimes come up to me and just stare. I would wave to them and they would happily wave back. A couple hours went by as I left Razor to her work. I looked around at the other stands and took note of what they were all selling. Compared to Ponyville's market district, there wasn't really much of a difference. All the vendors sold some type of flowers, hay, fruits, or vegetables. Taking note of the things I could possibly buy for a meal that I would like to make, I headed back to Razor.
I watched as a pair of griffons grabbed a bag and left as Razor waved back to them. As I neared Razor, I remembered there was something I would like to get. "Hey, Razor, do you have any bubble wrap that I could use?"
Razor looked at me with a confused expression before looking around her stand. "What exactly do you need bubble wrap for?"
"I need it for a prank that I have planned," I answered calmly with a smirk as Razor pulled out a few rolls of bubble wrap.
"Please don't tell me you're going to prank Spitfire and Fleetfoot. All three of you are now just starting on a good hoof and you already plan on ruining that?" Razor fixed me with a flat stare.
I raised my hands defensively as I tried to explain myself. "The bubble wrap isn't meant for them!" Razor visibly relaxed a little as she started bagging the bubble wrap. "It's actually meant to prank Luna."
This seemed to cause Razor to do a double take as she dropped the bag on the ground. "Are you insane?! Who in their right mind would prank a princess?" Razor looked at me with a slight scowl, mixed with a little bit of concern and fear.
"No, I'm not insane, but Luna brought this upon herself," I explained as I grabbed at the bag of bubble wrap.
Razor looked at me, her brow raised as she shook her head slowly. "I guess you're the one to get away with this since you're friends with the princesses."
I gave a slight shrug as I looked at back at Razor, giving her a few bits to pay for the bubble wrap. "Contrary to what most people think, the princesses actually like to have fun like anyone else. They wish to be able to interact with everyone normally, and they sometimes get that through a few people, but it's not that often."
"Aren't you the same pony that punched one of those princesses in the face?" Razor asked as she gave me an incredulous look.
I looked at the griffoness surprised at how she knew this. "How exactly do you know this?"
Razor shrugged as she put away the bits I gave her. "Rumors spread like wildfire in Equestria. Almost everypony knows about the stuff you've done." Razor looked at me, giving a concerned frown. "You may also want to explain some of those things with Spitfire and Fleetfoot so they don't get the wrong idea."
I actually had to give it to Razor's subtlety. I knew what she was saying and she was kind of right. Looking up at the griffoness, I did have something on my mind. "How come your sister never said anything?"
Razor gave me a serious expression as she stood on her hind legs, leaning on the stand's counter. "Steel likes to be the sexually crude, fun, and a loving sister, while I like to be the calm, forward, and helpful sister."
I nodded my head as the griffoness fell back to all fours. "I guess that's why you both are the best sisters there are."
Razor smiled as she let a little giggle escape her beak. "Despite our stark contrasts, we really wouldn't trade each other for anything."
I nodded to the griffoness as I slung the bag over my shoulder. "Hey, do you know what time it is?"
Razor looked to the side and I could only assume there was a clock she was looking at before turning to me. "It's three right now."
"Thanks. That gives me enough time to drop this off at the house and head over to the new bar." I smiled to Razor as I waved her goodbye.
Razor gave a little gasp as she called out to me. "That's a really nice place! It has a great selection of drinks and really good food."
I gave a thumbs up to the griffoness as thanks for the information. If Razor thought that the new bar was a good place, then I might have a good time. I walked back to the house, waving to a few ponies that were out and about. I reached the house and entered it. I walked up the stairs and placed the bag in my room. I walked out of my room and looked at Spitfire's closed door. Steel's words echoed in my mind as I placed my hand on the door. I was supposed be a friend to those two mares and be someone they could open up to, but I just couldn't see it.
Letting my hand slide off the door, I turned around and headed down the stairs. Looking around, I didn't see either mare anywhere. I assumed they would stop at the house to eat something or even clean themselves, but I guess they went straight for the bar. Exiting the house, I locked the door behind me and headed for the bar. It wasn't hard to find the bar as there were ponies gathered around a building. The entire building was black and there was a sign hanging off the top. On the sign in big, neon flashing green letters was "Clover's Bar".
I easily spotted Spitfire and Fleetfoot amongst the crowd and they waved me over. I pushed my way past a few ponies, who all seemed to ignore my presence as I tried to reach the mares. After a few tries of getting around the ponies, I gave up and steam rolled them out of the way. This seemed to get the ponies' attention as they finally moved out of my way. Spitfire and Fleetfoot greeted me with a curt nod before turning around and trotting into the bar. I followed closely behind the mares, continuing to steamroll the ponies in my way.
Once we were inside, we were greeted by a pony hostess. The hostess was a pink pegasus mare. Her mane and tail was a swirl of blue and lavender and her mane was pulled back in a ponytail. The mare had a cutie mark that was a bell over a platter of food. The hostess gave a beaming smile before her eyes fell on me. She seemed a little nervous about me, so I could only assume that she was new around here.
Thankfully, her attention was pulled away from me when Spitfire spoke up. "Hello there, I have a reservation for three under the name Spitfire."
The pink mare looked away from me as she pulled out a clipboard. She scanned the paper quickly before looking up at Spitfire. "Please, if you'll follow me, I'll show you to your table."
The mare grabbed three menus before hopping out of her stool and floating in the air. The three of us followed her to the back of the bar, where a table was separated from most of the other patrons. The pegasus placed the menus on the table before floating to the side and letting us take our seats. The mare pulled out a notebook and pencil as she gave us a smile.
"My name is Cinnamon Spice and I'll be your waitress today. What can I start you out with to drink?" Cinnamon Spice looked at Spitfire first.
"I'll take a spicy pina colada," Spitfire answered as she opened her menu.
Fleetfoot looked away from her menu to look at the mare with a smile. "I'll take a sea breeze."
The pink mare wrote down the two drinks and turned towards me, her smile faltering for a little before she was able to recover it. "What about you, sir?"
There was a chance that Spitfire was probably going to poke fun at me for this, but it would be worth it. "I'll just take a water." I made sure to speak in a calm voice, hoping to help ease the mare.
My calm voice seemed to help a little as she nodded at my order. Cinnamon Spice was about to leave when Spitfire stopped her. "Hey, tell Clover that I'm here. I'm sure that she would like to say hello."
The pegasus nodded before flying away. Once the mare was gone, I picked up my menu to see what they were offering. I was actually surprised to see the wide assortment of food. The bar apparently catered to every species in Equestria and it was getting hard to decide what I wanted to get. Continuing to look over the menu, Cinnamon Spice returned with our drinks. Taking a few seconds as the mare floated next to us, I decided on what I was going to eat.
"Have you decided on what you would like, or would you like a few more minutes?" Cinnamon Spice asked as she looked at us.
Spitfire and Fleetfoot placed their menus in the center of the table as the former answered, "I would like a daisy parmesan noodle salad."
The pegasus nodded as she turned towards Fleetfoot. "I'll take a hay noodle salad with marinara sauce."
Cinnamon Spice turned towards me, seeming calmer than before as she waited for my order. "I'll take a strawberry and watermelon salad."
The pegasus nodded as she wrote down my order and ripped the paper off. "I also let Clover know that you're here. She said she'll be here in a few minutes."
Spitfire nodded as Cinnamon Spice retreated towards the kitchen. I took a couple of sips of my drink while the two mares easily downed half their drinks. A part of me worried that this was going to end in disaster, but at the same time, I kind of believed they wouldn't overdo it. Neither of us said anything as we looked around the bar, noting things about the place. There was a sit-in bar near Clover's door. All the lights were covered in a black glass that kept the lights in a nice dull glow. The subtle illumination was kind of nice for anyone that would possibly be nearing their drunken stupor and avoid getting a pounding headache.
The dull light also gave a nice darkness to the bar that made it feel calm. Booths ran along walls while tables were evenly spaced apart. The tables could seat at least four ponies and each table had a flower vase in the center. The flowers in the vases were varied and added a little class to the building. I was pulled from looking around the building when I saw a dark green unicorn mare walk toward our table.
The mare had a messy mane and tail like Rainbow Dash had as they were a lighter shade of green compared to her coat. Her eyes were a subtle ocean blue color as she walked with a little sway in her hips. I looked at her flank to see that her cutie mark was a four leaf clover. I was kind of hoping to see it not related to her name somehow, but I guess it's just a hapless dream. The mare, that I guessed was probably Clover, was carrying our food as well. I noticed Spitfire and Fleetfoot finish off their drinks as the former waved enthusiastically to the mare.
Spitfire spoke in a loud, happy tone. "Clover, it's so great to see you after such a long time!" Clover gave a nonchalant wave as she reached our table. "It's good to see that you were able to get your bar running as well."
Clover only shook her head as her mint green magic grabbed our food and set it on our table. "Then I guess that means you're here to ruin it," Clover playfully teased as she refilled the mares' drinks as well.
Fleetfoot downed her entire drink again before looking at Clover. "Please, we're just here to add a little spice to this establishment. If ponies hear about us being here, then you'll get more business."
"Plus, you've asked us to come here when you got it up and running so we can see how well you did," Spitfire added as she downed her second drink.
I was apparently wrong in my assumption that the mares wouldn't get themselves drunk. They've already downed two of their drinks and Clover was more than happy to fill them up again. I was tempted to try and get them to ease off before this went south, but at the same time, I kind of wanted this to happen. Them being drunk would give me an excuse to completely mess with them in the morning as they suffered from their massive hangovers.
I started eating my salad when Clover directed the conversation to me. "So who's this lovely stallion that you brought with you? Are you all on a date?" Clover gave a playful grin as I choked on my salad.
Spitfire gave a small frown at Clover as she spoke. "This is Mark. He's our assistant and we're just getting to know each other as friends."
Clover rolled her eyes playfully. "Sure, and I'm the luckiest unicorn in the world because I have a four leaf clover as my cutie mark."
Fleetfoot downed her third drink as she turned towards Clover, a bit of her salad hanging out the side of her mouth. "It's true. We had a few problems in the beginning, but now we're trying to fix them."
Clover turned to Fleetfoot, a playful smirk adorning her muzzle. "If I choose to believe that, and I don't, I think you both got yourselves a good stallion. I mean, if he has been able to handle the both of you at the same time, then he's a keeper." Clover gave a slight waggle of her eyebrows that caused me to cough harshly.
Clover was kind enough to pat my back as I took sips from my water. Clover refilled my water as well when I finally got my coughing under control. Spitfire and Fleetfoot looked at Clover, bits of their food falling from their mouths or continuing to stick to their muzzles. Clover gave a quick glance at me to see if I was okay, and seeing that I was, turned around and headed back to her office.
Clover stopped a couple of inches away from our table, looking over her shoulder as she grinned at us. "Word of advice, Mark, they both have really sensitive wings that will make them melt if you hit the right spot."
My mouth dropped as Clover faced forward again and disappeared into the crowd of ponies near her office. I looked back at the two mares who had heavy blushes on their faces. I was busy trying to process what had just happened there.
"Why is it that most of your closest friends act like this?" I asked as I prodded my salad with my fork.
Fleetfoot shook her head before answering my question. "Actually, that's the first time that she has ever been that way. She's usually a very calm mare."
The three of continued to stare at the area the mare disappeared at before returning to our food. We didn't say anything as we let the awkward silence comfort us. It didn't seem like either of us could really say anything to help this situation. Spitfire and Fleetfoot were already done with their fifth glass and were already succumbing to the alcohol's effects. Both mares had a bright crimson blush on their faces as they swayed from side to side. The two mares were also giggling uncontrollably, but thankfully they finished their food before reaching this point.
I kept eating my own food as I let the mares enjoy their drunken shenanigans. It wasn't long before Cinnamon Spice returned to gather our plates. The pegasus noticed the slight buzz the two pegasi had and removed their glasses from the table. The mares didn't seem to notice as they were busy trying to figure out how to get out of their chairs. I couldn't control my laughter as I watched the mares try in vain to lower themselves to the ground. The mares slowly grew frustrated at not being able to reach the ground and started flapping their wings.
I already knew this was going to be a bad idea, thanks to Rainbow Dash, and I wasn't going to let them try and fly. I reached Fleetfoot first since she was the closest to me and wrapped my arm around her barrel. Fleetfoot gave out a giddy laugh as I held her against my side, the mare probably believing that she was flying. I reached for Spitfire next, who swatted my hand away as she continued to try and fly. I tried to reach for her again when she gave a small growl like a lioness would.
Continuing to watch the mare attempt to fly while drunk, I softly bounced in place. This didn't seem to help Fleetfoot as she grew a slight shade of green. Stopping my bouncing, I was struck with an idea. This idea was terrible from the beginning, but hopefully Spitfire wouldn't remember when she woke up. I waited for Spitfire to look at the ground again, and when she did, I pressed the area Steel told me about. The reaction I got was expected, but I was really hoping for that lucky chance of at least pulling it off on the first try before having to practice it.
Spitfire let out a loud moan, causing the other patrons to look at us. My face burned intensely as I grabbed Spitfire around the barrel. I felt something wet press against my arm, along with a certain spicy musk. I knew right then what I was feeling and accepted my fate. I knew exactly what I was getting into and needed to man up to the consequences. Carrying a mare in each arm, which probably didn't look that great since all the ponies were staring at me, I grabbed at my bit pouch and paid whatever I thought our total was.
I assumed if it wasn't enough, Clover would be kind enough to probably let it slide since she knew Spitfire. With our meals paid and the mares lost in their drunken thoughts, I moved towards the front of the bar. Thankfully, the ponies moved out of my way so I could get the drunk mares home. I took a deep breath as I surveyed the town in Luna's moonlight. Adjusting the mares as I turned towards the direction of home and started walking. I wasn't far from the bar when I heard a pony call out my name.
"Mark, wait up a second." I turned around to see Lyra galloping towards me, Bon Bon following close behind.
"Hey, Lyra, Bon Bon. How are you two doing?" I asked as Lyra stopped in front of me, giving me a big smile.
"We're doing great, Mark. We're actually here to celebrate," Bon Bon said as she smiled up at me.
I adjusted the mares again as they squirmed in my grip a little. "What're you celebrating?"
"Bon Bon said yes to my proposal," Lyra said giddily, clopping her hooves together.
I smiled at the unicorn. "That's great to hear!" I looked back at Bon Bon to congratulate her, until I saw a white spider on her back. "Bon Bon, you know there's a spider on your back, right?"
Bon Bon raised a brow at this before realization struck her. Giving a little shake of her body, the spider crawled up to her mane, burrowing a little to make itself comfortable. "Yes, this is Scary. He's our pet."
I raised a brow as I looked at the spider. "I thought that you were afraid of spiders?"
Bon Bon went to answer, but Lyra beat her to it. "She was, but after I locked the two of us in my parents' cabin to gain the courage to ask her, she was able to deal with her fear."
I shook my head from what Lyra said. "I'm sorry, did you just say that you locked yourself and Bon Bon in a cabin?"
Bon Bon rubbed the bridge of her muzzle as she let out a deep sigh. "Yes, my lovely little unicorn thought it would be a good idea to lock the two of us away in a cabin for two weeks. She's lucky that she's adorable, or that would have really ruined her entire plan."
I shook my head since that sounded like something Lyra would do. "I want to ask more about this, but I feel like I might regret asking." The mares gave a slight side to side with their hooves. I was about to continue the conversation when I felt Spitfire and Fleetfoot stir again in my arms. "Listen, I would like to continue this conversation, but I need to get these two home."
The two mares nodded in understanding as they each gave me a smile. Bon Bon trotted towards the bar while Lyra stayed back to tell me something. "We'll stop by the castle later where we can catch up then."
I nodded my head to the unicorn. "That sounds like a plan."
Lyra gave a bright smile as she trotted after her marefriend. I gave a small chuckle at how those two acted. Lyra was so childish while Bon Bon acted like a grown adult, but it seemed to work out for their relationship. I watched the two mares disappear into the crowd before I decided to continue on for the house. The sidewalk was void of any ponies, and I could only assume they were trying out the new bar. It was actually kind of nice to walk in the darkness, or it would have been if I wasn't listening to two mares dry heaving the entire walk to the house.
I was able to return home with both mares. Spitfire and Fleetfoot fell asleep in my arms about halfway to the house and were sleeping peacefully. Adjusting the two mares in my arms, I was able to unlock the door and walk in without disturbing them. I silently closed the door behind me before carefully ascending the stairs. Spitfire gave a soft stir and mumble, and I feared that I may have woken her up. I gave a sigh of relief as she buried her muzzle deeper into my neck, the mare giving a soft sigh.
I reached the top of the stairs and looked at Spitfire's closed door. I actually thought about putting them in my room and I take the couch, but it seemed like a bad idea. Going into Spitfire's room was a bad idea as well, but at least there wouldn't be any confusion as to why they woke up in my bed. Taking a deep breath, I hefted Fleetfoot onto my left shoulder and opened Spitfire's door. Once the door opened, I was greeted with utter darkness. Adjusting Spitfire on my right shoulder, I searched the wall for a light switch.
I found the switch after several seconds of searching and flipped the lights on. I was actually surprised to see how much more furnished the room was. I saw a bed, desk, and bookshelf from before, but there were a few other things. There was a closet that was next to the bookshelf, and there were a few articles of clothing. I saw their flight suits, a few exercise clothes, and dresses. The dresses threw me off and as I tried to imagine the mares wearing a dress, it just didn't seem right. There was something else in the closet, though I couldn't make out.
Setting the mares on the bed, who quickly cuddled close to each other, I went closer to the closet. I knew that I should have left the room after placing the mares in bed, but my curiosity to know a little more about the mares was getting the better of me. Looking back at the mares, I saw they were still asleep before reaching deep into the closet. I felt around for a few seconds before feeling something against my hand. Whatever I was touching was smooth to the touch and was separated into two distinct pieces.
Grabbing the hangers, I pulled out whatever was hidden. I really wished I hadn't as I blushed profusely. In my hands I held two separate sets of lingerie. Not wanting to even trail down any thoughts about this, I quickly hung them back where I found them. I closed the closet door and looked back to the two mares. My blush was still heavy on my face, but I couldn't help but smile at the mares from how peaceful they looked. Finding a spare blanket on the lower shelf of the bookshelf, I threw it over the mares.
As I tucked the two mares in, I glanced at the desk to see a piece of paper on top. The top of the paper had my name and it was clearly in Spitfire's handwriting. Looking at Spitfire, I finished tucking the mares in before heading for the door. I could have read that note, but I had already invaded enough of their privacy and decided to leave. I was about to turn out the lights when I saw the shattered picture frame from before. The picture had Spitfire and Fleetfoot together, smiling brightly.
I smiled at the picture since it seemed like they were really happy. As I looked at the picture, I saw there were two frames face down. Against my better judgement, I grabbed the two frames and lifted them slightly. My eyes widened a little at what I saw before placing them face down. I looked back at the mares as I gave a small frown, wondering how long they had to deal with that kind of problem. Turning out the light, I returned to my room to process what I saw exactly in those two pictures. |
Fleeting Flames | Flying Pranks | Fleeting Flames
By: Duelist96
Chapter 7: Flying Pranks
Morning came by again, and it was relatively peaceful. I got showered and dressed for the day as I went to check in on Spitfire and Fleetfoot. Their door was still closed, so I assumed they were still asleep. I headed for the kitchen, wanting to give a few more minutes to the sleeping mares. Heading down the stairs, I made sure that my footsteps were quiet to avoid waking them. I reached the kitchen after my slow descent and got started on cooking. I made sure to grab two bottles from their cupboards and filled them with water.
The mares were going to need the extra water to help with their hangovers. I looked through their pantry to see the small amount of food they had. Looking over the small selection, I was glad they had enough of what I was looking for to make them a decent breakfast. I grabbed the pancake batter, blueberries, strawberries, and chocolate chips before heading over to the stove. I was glad that Chris was able to teach me how to cook. I still couldn't make anything big or extravagant like he probably could, but I learned enough to stop living off of that fast food crap.
One nice breakfast food that I learned to cook was muffins and I thought the mares would like to try some. I smiled as I started humming to myself. It wasn't any particular song that anyone would know, since it was just me making my own melody. As I hummed and moved around the kitchen, making sure not to create a big mess, I let my mind wander to a particular cooking flop. I was learning how to cook a whole chicken and about halfway through cooking it, the entire oven caught fire.
At first we thought it was just a fluke and tried it again. The same results happened, but I believed that the third time was the charm. Chris kept me away from any chicken cooking after that attempt. The most fun part was explaining to the fire department how I could set an oven on fire every time. I honestly didn't know what happened, but after that, I decided to stick to more simple stuff. Coming out of my thoughts, I heard the tell-tale sound of hooves clopping against the stairs. It took the mares a while to get to the kitchen, since they stopped every few steps, probably rubbing their heads from the loud noise.
I didn't turn around, keeping my eyes on the batter that I was mixing instead. I heard the mares pull the chairs away from the table, a couple of groans escaping them as the chairs scratched the floor. I put the bowl down and grabbed the bottles. I placed a bottle in front of each mare and they gave a lazy wave of thanks as they placed their heads on the table. I moved back to the bowl and gave a few more stirs before grabbing for a muffin tray. I really wished that Twilight took up my idea of a muffin button, but she thought it was silly to have such a thing.
Once I put the muffin tray in the oven, I set the timer for twenty minutes and joined the mares at the table. Spitfire and Fleetfoot lazily drank from their bottles, rubbing their temples to stave off the headache. Silence settled between us, but thankfully it wasn't uncomfortable. This silence was welcomed as it gave peace to the two mares and allowed me to think how I was going to use the bubble wrap to prank Luna. I had a few ideas, but I probably wouldn't decide on one until I got to the castle.
Spitfire seemed to have slightly recover from her throbbing pain as her whispered voice pulled me out of my thoughts. "Mark, how did we end up in our room?"
I could have lied to her about how she got there, but I didn't really see any point in trying. "After the two of you passed out while I was carrying you, I put you in your bedroom."
Fleetfoot stopped mid-drink as she looked at me with wide eyes, while Spitfire's gaze became angry. Spitfire was about to open her mouth and say something before being quickly cut off by Fleetfoot. "You didn't see anything in there, did you?"
Now this was a question that I was willing to lie about. Granted, I would deserve a buck or two for snooping a little, and I already felt bad enough about it. "Nope. I entered Spitfire's room, placed the two of you on the bed, and then covered you with a blanket before leaving your room and going to sleep in my own room."
Fleetfoot nodded her head as her eyes showed a little relief. Spitfire on the other hand didn't seem happy about it, still. "Why didn't you just put us in your room?"
I raised my brow a little at her question, unsure if she realized how exactly that question could have actually been taken. I was about to answer her, when the timer went off. I cursed under my breath as I ran for the timer, muttering curses about not paying attention to the time to avoid this situation. Both mares let out loud groans as I fought with the timer to shut it off. After several agonizing seconds, I got the timer to stop ringing and pulled out the muffins. I took a deep breath as I looked back at the mares, who were currently holding their ears down with their hooves.
Letting out a slight cough, I grabbed a large plate and placed the muffins on it. Giving the muffins a couple of minutes to cool down, I cleaned up the dirty dishes. Once I had the dishes cleaned, I took the plate to the dining table and placed it in the middle. I apologized to the two mares as they lifted their heads from the table, rubbing their heads to fight off a strong headache. The mares each took a muffin after rubbing their heads for a few seconds. They each gave their muffin a cursory look before turning towards me.
"They have blueberries, strawberries, and chocolate chips mixed together," I said as I reached for one myself.
The mares looked at their muffins a few seconds longer before each taking a bite. Their chewing was slow as they made sure it was filled with what I described. I smiled as their eyes widened before scarfing down the rest of their muffins. I enjoyed my own muffin as the two mares switched between eating a muffin and drinking their water. It still couldn't cure them of their hangover, but it would be enough that they could probably get through the rest of the day without having too much discomfort.
As I ate my muffin, Spitfire spoke up between her bites. "You still didn't answer my question."
Spitfire looked at me, chewing at her muffin again as I finished off my second muffin. "I didn't put you in my room because I thought it would be better if I put both of you in yours and you didn't think I did something to either of you during the night."
Spitfire looked at me with a raised brow before giving a small smile and nodding her head. My answer seemed to satisfy her as she didn't question me about my actions any further. The three of us said nothing as we polished off the plate. Both mares were a little more lively than they were when they arrived, but the evidence of their headaches was still slightly present. Fleetfoot took the plate to the sink and started cleaning it as Spitfire grabbed their saddle bags. While Spitfire grabbed their bags, I headed upstairs and grabbed the bubble wrap. I walked down the stairs to see the mares grabbing their flight suits.
I'm not sure what really caused me to do this, maybe it was because of the pictures, but I grabbed the flight suits and pulled them away from the mares. "Not happening."
Spitfire and Fleetfoot gave me small glares as the former trotted up to me. "We have practice to attend, and we need to wear those. Now hand them back to us." Spitfire continued to speak in a whisper, but the authority in her voice still maintained as she held out a hoof.
I shook my head, holding my ground as I hung the suits on the back of the couch. "I'm not going to let two pegasi fly around as they suffer through splitting headaches. I don't care if you've done this before, I'm not allowing it." I made sure that my voice was kept at a whisper while being slightly rough to show my stance.
Spitfire didn't seem to like this as she trotted up to me and poked my leg with her hoof. "Who do you think you are telling us what we can and can't do?"
"Someone who isn't going to let a friend hurt themselves because they can't take it easy. I may be an assistant for the two of you, but if I have to, I'll get one of the princesses to back me up on this." I glared at Spitfire, demanding that she try to push back.
Spitfire and I glared at each for a few seconds, neither one of us backing down. I was still really unsure where this slightly protective side of me was coming from, but right now it didn't matter. Fleetfoot trotted up as Spitfire and I continued to stare at each other and placed a hoof on her friend's shoulder. Spitfire's head shot around to look at Fleetfoot, her glare lasting for a few seconds before diminishing to one of understanding. Fleetfoot gestured for her friend to the door and she complied. When Spitfire passed Fleetfoot, the latter looked back at me and mouthed the words 'thank you'.
My glare softened and was replaced with confusion at what Fleetfoot said. Shaking my head, I grabbed the bag of bubble wrap that I had dropped and followed the mares outside. The two mares didn't hover, but stood to either side of me as we walked towards the castle. I noticed the two mares keeping their gazes towards the ground, trying to avoid any strong light from hitting them. We walked at a faster pace so they could get inside the castle. We arrived at the castle and the guards allowed us to pass. Once inside, Spitfire and Fleetfoot headed for their office while I left to find Luna's room.
As I walked through the halls, I greeted a few maids and guards that I passed. A couple of them gave me a curious look from the bag I was holding. Some maids and guards knew about the few pranks that Luna and I pulled on each other, and thanks to Pinkie, I had learned to do some of them better. I knew my way to Luna's bed chambers since I had some conversations with her there. Those visits really caused some scandals as the press went around saying that I was having 'nightly adventures' with the princess.
The thought of those lies made me feel slightly sick, but thanks to Celestia, it was handled before it got out of hand. Still, though, many ponies in Canterlot don't like taking the sticks out of their butts and continue to spread some of those rumors about Luna and me. Before my thoughts were able to go any further into my fourth outburst, I reached Luna's bed chambers. Echo and Moon were standing guard outside her door and waved as I approached them. The two thestrals left their positions and trotted up to me.
As the two mares neared me, Echo took quick notice of my bag before giving a sly grin. "Seems like somepony has something planned for Luna."
I couldn't help but smile at her as I spoke. "Indeed I do, Echo. Is Luna in her bed right now?"
Moon grinned cheekily as she gestured for me to follow her. "She's sleeping right now. Had a long night at court and needs her rest." We stopped in front of the door as the two mares opened them enough to allow me in. "Please try to not make such a big mess."
I nodded to Moon as she and Echo closed the doors behind me. Once the doors were closed, I looked around to see that everything was the same like before. At least, I assumed everything was the same since it was incredibly dark in her bed chambers. I found the door to her luxurious bathroom that had a bath about half the size of a swimming pool. Her bed was big enough to fit ten ponies on it, more if they were closer, and had a starry see-through curtain closed around it.
She had soft black carpeting on the ground and to the sides of her bed were two nightstands. I continued to look around the room before finally making out Luna's form in the bed. Setting the bag down, I grabbed the first roll of bubble wrap and headed for the sleeping princess. I pulled aside her curtains to see her sleeping peacefully. I climbed onto her bed, not even trying to be subtle since she was a very heavy sleeper. Grabbing her left forehoof, I set to work on wrapping it. I made sure to keep an eye on Luna to see if she would stir as I moved from hoof to hoof, wrapping them in three layers of bubble wrap.
When her hooves and her legs, up to where they bend, were securely wrapped, I moved on to her horn. I had to be careful touching her horn, Cadence's biology lessons coming to mind again about the horn being an erogenous zone, as I slowly wrapped the bubble wrap around it. There were a few close calls as the alicorn turned in her bed, but she never fully awoke. Securing off the third layer, I tossed the used roll and grabbed another one. Now came the really hard part as I had to fight against her sleeping form.
Taking a deep breath, I grabbed at her side that was on the bed and lifted her. I carefully set her on my thighs as I held her wings in place. Being careful of another erogenous zone, I began to wrap her wings to her body. As I was about to finish the first wrap, Luna's wing sprang out, nearly smacking me in the face. I felt my heartbeat against my chest as I worried that Luna was going to wake up. I think luck was on my side for today as Luna remained asleep and I gently placed her wing against her side. Taking a few calming breaths, I did two more passes before setting her down on the bed.
I climbed off the bed and went about the room, using the last bits of bubble wrap on whatever I felt like covering. Ten minutes later, I had finished my little prank. Luna was snug in her bubble wrap coverings, her toilet and faucet in her tub were wrapped, and I made sure to place a few strands in her slippers and crown. I gave a satisfied smile as I grabbed my bag and exited the bedchambers. Echo and Moon looked at me, their grins threatening to split their faces as they made a quick peek into the bedchambers.
Moon looked back at me as she tried to stifle her giggles. "This is going to be one interesting morning."
Echo nodded her head in agreement as she closed the doors to Luna's bedchambers. "It's days like these that make me glad I'm part of Luna's Guard. You've really helped liven things up when you arrived here."
I gave a warm smile as I ruffled the bat pony's mane. "Glad to make your day a little less boring. I wish some of the Day Guard would lighten up, though."
Moon gave a small shrug as she moved back to her position. "We all do, but I guess they're just going to have to miss all the fun then."
I nodded my head in agreement as Echo moved back to her post. I turning to leave when I remembered something else that I wanted to do today. "Hey, do you know if Celestia is free at the moment?"
"Yeah, she's currently at the dining hall. If you hurry over there you should be able to catch her before she leaves for the training fields," Echo answered.
I nodded my head as I waved goodbye to the mares. Moon and Echo waved goodbye back as I jogged through the halls to meet Celestia. Making a few turns, while at the same time avoiding running into the maids, I reached the dining hall. Good thing too, since I saw Celestia exiting the dining hall. I jogged over to the princess, who saw me coming over and waved at me. I waved back as I caught up to her, panting a little as I tried to catch my breath. Celestia gave a light hearted giggle as she summoned a bottle of water and floated it over to me. I accepted the water and drank half of it down before taking a few deep breaths.
"What has you in such a hurry, Mark?" Celestia asked as she started trotting down the halls.
Walking next to her, I cleared my throat before speaking. "I actually wanted to ask you something. Do you mind if we were somewhere a little more private?" I rubbed the back of my neck in nervousness, hoping that Celestia wouldn't see.
I was wrong as she took notice of my unease and gave an easy nod. We were silent during our walk as we reached a guest bedroom. Celestia's golden aura wrapped around the handle of the door and opened it. The alicorn gestured for me to enter first, and I did. Walking into the room, I sat on the edge of the bed as Celestia closed the door behind her. Celestia grabbed a cushion from inside one of the closets and set in on the floor. Celestia sat on the cushion, being very close to me to show that all of her attention was focused on whatever I had to say. I know I could talk to the princesses about anything, but what I had to talk about really had me set to a state of unease.
I was slightly pulled from my nerves as Celestia spoke in a calm, motherly tone. "Take all the time you need, Mark. I have no appointments scheduled for the next couple of hours."
I nodded to the princess as I thought about how I was going to word my question. This seemed so much easier in my head since I thought I was just going to get a few answers about Equestria I still didn't know. Now that I was trying to ask the question, even with all the variations, neither seemed really easy to ask. I looked around the room, trying to keep my mind slightly distracted from any negative thoughts.
It seemed to work as I was able to get my mouth moving to form words. "How... how close... are families, usually?"
Celestia raised an eyebrow as she placed a hoof on her chin. "Most pony families are really close. Parents create such a strong bond with their foals that it's very difficult to sever. Many ponies will go out to see family as often as they can because of that bond." I nodded my head, but that wasn't the answer I was looking for.
Taking a few seconds to think, I reworded my question. "Is it possible for pony families to disown a child for choices that they make?"
This seemed to get Celestia's attention as she gave a soft frown. "As much as I would like to say that it doesn't happen, I would be lying. They are very rare cases and there might be some that I don't even know of."
I raised a brow as I looked at Celestia. "How come you don't know about them? Wouldn't the parents have to go through some documents to show they are no longer responsible for that child?"
Celestia nodded her head as she looked out the nearby window. "There are, but when a parent does that, it causes a few problems. Cases like these are usually seen in more of the big cities. Small towns such as Ponyville rarely see them since they are a very tight-knit community."
Looking out the same window Celestia was looking out of, I reached out and stroked along her neck to help ease the tension between us. "Does Cloudsdale and Canterlot have parents disowning their children?"
Celestia looked back at me, nodding her head. "They do, and they're also two of the major cities that don't report that they've disowned a foal. The nobles are too proud and don't want to have their names run into the ground because of what they believe is a 'failure' foal. The foal usually ends up in an orphanage and by the time it reaches my ears, it's out of my hooves. It pains me to see a foal, even a full grown mare or stallion, become disowned."
A heavy silence settled between us as I continued to run my hand along Celestia's neck. I saw that it clearly pained Celestia to think about this, and it hurt me to even think that ponies would do that to their children. Running my hand along Celestia's neck a few more times, I gave a heavy sigh as I stood up from the bed. Celestia watched me as I walked towards the window, looking out into the skies. I looked out the window for several seconds before turning to Celestia and giving her a small smile.
"Thanks for that. I think you helped me figure out a few things." I walked back to Celestia and gave her a hug.
Celestia returned the hug as she wrapped her wings around me. "Glad to help a friend. Is there anything else that you want to know?"
Even with the somber mood that was created during our last conversation, there was still one more thing I didn't know. "Actually, there is one more thing I would like to know."
Celestia pulled away from me as she levitated the pillow back into the closet, giving me a warm smile. "Ask away."
"This was something I saw a couple of days ago. I was going to the market and I saw a stallion that had two mares with him," I said as I thought back to that day.
Celestia seemed to understand where I was going as she perked her ears a little. "Oh, so you saw your first herd?"
I raised a brow to Celestia, confusion written all over my face. "What's a herd?"
Celestia giggled softly behind a hoof as she spoke in a lecture type tone. "This was one of the things I wanted you to experience for yourself. Equestria has a stallion shortage. The ratio of mares to stallion is about five to one." My eyes went wide as Celestia continued her explanation, holding up a hoof to hold off any questions. "To help combat this problem, stallions will court multiple mares to hopefully get a colt."
I shook my head as I moved Celestia's hoof out of the way so I could question her. "So it's okay for a stallion to see multiple mares at one time?" Celestia nods her head in agreement. "Doesn't that create problems between each mare that is involved?"
Celestia shook her head as she gave a reassuring smile. "Problems like that are not very common. Most of the mares give consent to joining a herd, and if they feel the need, they can leave if they want. There's usually a lead mare in a herd that has at least six members so that everypony has at least some time with the stallion. Harems, though, are somewhat similar." I nodded my head for her to continue.
Celestia gave a gentle cough before continuing. "Harems consist of seven or more mares. There isn't a limit to how many mares a stallion can have, but a lead mare helps to keep it in check. Harems, though, will usually have more than one stallion and more than one lead mare. Harems are created by either bringing herds together or a stallion keeps adding mares as long as the lead mare is okay with it."
"Still, couldn't fights break out between either the stallion or mares?" I asked.
Celestia nodded her head. "There are fights between members, but they are relatively small at best. The point of the lead mare is to help avoid these types of situations. Everypony is free to speak their mind, and if they feel unloved, they can either tell the lead mare or leave the group." Celestia's eyes seemed to sparkle a little as she recalled something. "I believe that you mentioned once that your world has polygamy."
I nodded my head. "Some countries practice it. It's also not illegal, but no one really recognizes that you have more than one wife."
Celestia nodded her head in understanding. "Some of the other kingdoms feel the same way, but it isn't entirely unheard of that other species joined herds that are created here."
"So you even have interspecies dating?" I asked with a raised brow.
Celestia nodded her head, her tone still in lecture mode. "Precisely. Granted, they are rare to see, but the process still works the same."
I rubbed my chin in thought as I processed what she said. "Interesting. Thanks for clearing things up for me."
Celestia smiled as we headed for the door. "Any time, Mark. If you have any more questions, don't be afraid to ask me."
Celestia opened the door and held it for me as I walked out. "I'll make sure to come by if I have anything to ask. Again, thanks for answering all my questions. Also, sorry about the depressing subject from before."
Celestia gave a gentle smile as she patted my back gently with her wing. "It's quite alright, Mark. These are things that I want you to see for yourself before telling you anything. Do you finally see why I taught you what I did and left a few subjects off that list?"
"I do, and it has been an interesting learning experience. Did you do this with the other humans that appeared here before me?" I asked as I followed Celestia to the throne room.
Celestia shook her head as she led me through the hallways. "Not at first. You could say I had a few things to learn myself as humans appeared in Equestria. You're the third human that I've done this form of learning with, and it seems to be working appropriately."
I couldn't help but chuckle at the thought of the humans that came before me. There must have been massive confusion between each human and the ponies as they tried to teach each other. My laughter seemed to be infectious as Celestia started giggling herself, probably thinking the same thing I was. The walk ended as we finally reached the throne room. Celestia gave me a final hug that I happily returned before she retreated into the throne room. I waved goodbye to the two guards as I headed for my office. There was a chance that I would probably be chewed out by Spitfire later for not getting straight to work, but it wasn't like I had much to do.
Most of the paperwork was the same like all the others. It was also made easy since they haven't gone to any big shows yet. As I neared my office, I stopped by Spitfire's to see the two mares working on their own paperwork. The big stacks I saw before were whittled down to nothing. Spitfire and Fleetfoot gave me a lazy wave as I stepped into the office. I walked over to the small fridge that Spitfire had next to her and grabbed a bottle of water from it. I threw away the one that Celestia had given me and headed for my own office. I turned the knob to see that the door was locked for some reason.
I raised a brow in confusion as I reached for my key in the folder box. Unlocking my door, I opened it to a big surprise. I stared, wide eyed and mouth agape, at my entire office. The entire room was covered in bubble wrap. Going inside, I looked around to see that, yes, everything was covered in bubble wrap. The sound of popping bubbles filled the room as I traversed to my desk. I was pulled from my shock when I heard Luna laugh.
"Ha ha, the fun has been bubbled," Luna said as she appeared in front of my door.
I looked at Luna to see that she was still wrapped in bubble wrap. Luna had a big grin as she trotted towards me, the alicorn stepping on fresh bubbles to pop as she neared me. She seemed to notice my shock as her grin widened even more.
"How?" I asked, my mind trying to process covered my whole office.
Luna gave a simple answer by lighting up her horn. I let out a heavy sigh as I sat in my chair, loud pops echoing around the room. If there was still one thing that I found unfair in this world, it would be magic. Rubbing my face with my hands, I looked back at Luna and asked the next question that was on my mind.
"Why do you have yourself still wrapped like that?" I asked as I gestured to the areas that were still covered.
"So I can do this." Luna laid on the ground and started to roll around, popping the bubbles around her barrel and floor as she erupted into laughter.
Luna kept at this for a few more minutes before standing on her hooves again. She grinned at me, declaring victory before trotting out of my office. Once the alicorn was gone, Fleetfoot flew in and took notice of my office.
"What happened in here?" Fleetfoot asked as she looked around the entire room.
I sighed again as I leaned back into my chair, bubbles popping even more. "Luna got me back with my own prank."
Fleetfoot nodded her head as she handed me a piece of paper. "I see. I need your signature here so we can finalize some of our finances."
I grabbed the paper and as I went to sign, I froze. I looked over the finances to see that about five thousand bits were going to an orphanage. Going down the list, I saw the name of the orphanage and felt my heart start to race. The name was easily recognizable. I probably would have continued to stare at it, if Fleetfoot hadn't cleared her throat to get my attention. Shaking my head, I signed at the bottom of the paper. Before I handed the paper back to Fleetfoot, I grabbed a journal and wrote down how much was being moved so I could subtract it later. I gave the paper back to Fleetfoot, who looked at my signature, before nodding her head and turning to fly out.
Fleetfoot was about to leave before turning back to me. "You understand that you're going to have to clean this up, right?"
I nodded my head. "Yeah, I know. I'll get started on it right away."
Fleetfoot gave a curt nod as she left my office. Rubbing my head, I took a quick drink of water and got started on my desk. The first of the bubble wrap to be removed was the layer that was covering my drawers. Once I had my drawers freed from their bubbly prison, I opened the bottom drawer and grabbed the box cutter. Pushing out the blade, I moved around the office carefully cutting around the bubble wrap to avoid breaking anything. After a couple hours of back breaking work, I finally was able to remove all the bubble wrap.
Spitfire and Fleetfoot stopped by my office, giving me my lunch. I thanked the two mares as we headed to a nearby field. The three of us ate in the field, enjoying the warm feeling of the sun's rays. Compared to Earth, Equestria never got unbearably hot when the sun was out. The temperature was quite pleasant during the summer, and even with the rain, the humidity never got that bad. Spitfire seemed to really enjoy the sun, because after she finished eating, she rolled onto her side and breathed softly. Fleetfoot followed her friend and I couldn't help but chuckle at the two mares.
Spitfire didn't bother lifting her head as she addressed me. "What's so funny?"
I easily got my laughter under control as I addressed the mare. "Nothing, just seeing the two of you relax like that is entirely new. I actually didn't think you knew how to take it easy." This seemed to get Spitfire's attention as she rolled onto her belly and looked at me with challenging eyes.
"Oh, really? I never relax at all?" Spitfire asked, her eyes looking directly at me.
"Yeah, I mean all the time I see you either yelling at someone, or you're always in just some rush. I actually thought you were too involved into your work," I said honestly in a joking tone to help bring out some laughter.
Sadly, it had the opposite effect as Spitfire's challenging gaze turned somber. "Is that how you really see me? Am I just a mare that yells at everypony and is more dedicated to work than fun?" She spoke in a soft whisper, but I easily caught the entire thing.
I went to answer her, but before I could, she stood on her hooves and flew back to her office. I went to stand up and go see if everything was okay, but I was stopped by Fleetfoot. I looked at the pegasus as she placed a hoof on my shoulder. I was expecting to see anger in her eyes for making her friend feel bad, but I all saw was sympathy. It seemed that Fleetfoot understood that I wasn't trying to be mean to her friend, but actually trying to have a little fun.
"I'll go talk to her. Do you mind cleaning up?" Fleetfoot asked in a gentle tone.
I nodded my head as I picked up the trash. As I cleaned up the remnants of our small lunch, Fleetfoot flew back to the office, closing the door behind her. I mentally chastised myself for saying something stupid. I didn't think her problems were that bad from what I saw in the picture, but I guess there's a difference between an old picture and the current mare. I threw away the trash and headed back to my office. I was tempted to check on Spitfire, but the back of my mind told me that was a bad idea at the moment.
Once inside my office, I grabbed my journal that I left the deduction note on and made a few alterations. I added an extra five hundred bits that were being sent there. I left the name as anonymous so I wouldn't get questioned for my actions. I didn't personally know what that orphanage was like, but it seemed like it was good to send money there if it was getting such a large donation. After finalizing all payments for later, I put the journal away and rested my head in my hands. I honestly didn't think it was going to be this hard to try and connect with the mares. The only thing that made it easy was that I shared a somewhat of a similar past with them.
I could only guess that was another reason why the princesses thought it would be a good idea to get closer to them. I got through my past, barely, but I did nonetheless. I never left my office for the rest of the time, except to go to the bathroom or deliver reports. Spitfire's office door was still locked and I felt worried for the mare. I continued on with the work, my worry for Spitfire growing even more as the day seemed to drag on. I hated it when a day turned out like this. It was fun to be able to joke and hang out with friends as it helped pass the time, but when you end up causing a slight problem, time just slows down.
Thankfully, after a few agonizing slow hours, the day finally ended. I put away the last bits of paperwork that could be held off and organized all my journals. Leaving my office, I was greeted by a slightly more peppy Spitfire and Fleetfoot, but I could feel the tension between us. I didn't say anything as I let the mares lead the way. Spitfire and Fleetfoot took to the air, but remained close to the ground in case they decided to walk. As we made for the exit, Luna was trotting around the castle, still wrapped in bubble wrap. Luna waved goodbye to us and I heard the two mares let out a few giggles at the sight of the princess.
We left the castle and I waved goodbye to the guards as they changed posts with the Night Guard. The walk home was silent as the moonlight illuminated our path. We reached the house and Fleetfoot allowed us to enter first. The mares retreated upstairs after Fleetfoot closed the door, and that left me to make dinner. I didn't make anything big for dinner tonight. I wasn't up to making something nice. I made a simple salad using lettuce, tomatoes, and carrots. I called Spitfire and Fleetfoot down, and thankfully they showed up.
Dinner was a silent affair as we slowly ate our salads. Spitfire finished off her dinner first and cleaned her plate. Once her plate was clean, she retreated upstairs. Fleetfoot finished her plate and cleaned it, but instead of following her friend, she sat back at the table. Fleetfoot regarded me with a serious expression, but didn't say anything as she let me eat. Part of me wanted to eat as slowly as possible to avoid the possible conversation, but if I've learned anything these past few days, it was better to get it over with. Finishing off my salad, I cleaned my plate and joined Fleetfoot back at the table.
The two of us sat there in silence for a few minutes before Fleetfoot spoke in a calm, even tone. "Mark, I know you lied this morning."
I think Fleetfoot saw my eyes go wide, but I couldn't be sure as she remained neutral. Every part of my being demanded that I deny what she was saying. I actually opened my mouth, ready to deny the accusation before she stopped me with a raised hoof.
"Don't try lying to me, Mark. Pegasi have a very good memory and keen eyesight. The pictures were not in their original place and the closet door was closed," Fleetfoot said in a matter of fact tone.
My heart started pounding in my chest as I didn't know what to expect. My mind ran with many scenarios of what could happen. I could be kicked out, bucked in the face, but the pegasus didn't do anything. Fleetfoot just sat in her seat, probably waiting for my side of the story. I looked around the kitchen, hoping to find something to hopefully distract her with, but it was to no avail. Looking back at Fleetfoot, I let out a heavy sigh as I looked down at the table.
"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to invade your personal space," I said, never looking up from the table.
"I would be very angry if anypony would go through our stuff, but with you, Mark, I feel like making an exception." I looked up at the mare, confusion evident on my face.
"Why?" I could have asked any question, but this was the only word that would escape my mouth.
Fleetfoot remained neutral as she moved out of her chair. "I'm not really sure. Maybe it's because you're different from most ponies. Whatever the reason, I'll explain everything tomorrow. Make sure you're up by ten in the morning, and be prepared for a lot of walking."
Fleetfoot started to trot out of the kitchen before I stopped her. "What about Spitfire? Isn't she going to wonder where you're at?"
Fleetfoot turned back to me, giving a small smile as she spoke calmly. "Spitfire knows that I go out around that time. She's the only one that knows where I go and I'll leave a note saying that I sent you on some errand."
The last part caused me to frown. "You're lying to your best friend? Why would you do that?"
Fleetfoot's smile turned to a frown as she looked out into the living room. "Spitfire and I are the only ones that know the other's past. She isn't willing to talk about hers, but I'm willing to share mine. It might also help you understand a little more about Spitfire and her struggles."
I nodded as Fleetfoot trotted off and headed for Spitfire's bedroom. I gripped my shorts tightly as I thought about what Fleetfoot said. My mind raced with so many questions and concerns that were going to happen tomorrow. My running thoughts caused me to have a splitting headache and I decided to go for a walk. Quietly exiting the house, I breathed in the cool night air as I walked along the path. As I continued down the path, I saw Clover's Bar was still open. Looking around, I headed for the bar and entered.
I was led to a single table and given a menu to look over. I ignored the menu as I ordered a hard cider. The mare brought me my drink and I started to chug it down. I felt the alcohol burn down my throat, as it helped to distract me from my current thoughts. I really wanted to get to know the mares more, but I wasn't sure if I wanted to learn it like this. It felt like I was only being shown some of Fleetfoot's past, but the mare seemed genuine in wanting to open up to me some. Shaking my head, I slammed back more of my drink, only to cause me to start a coughing fit.
I was so distracted in my thoughts and my drink, I didn't see Clover trotting towards me. The mare didn't say anything as she pulled a chair up to my table and sat down next to me. Clover gave a small smile as she let me stew in my thoughts and slam my drink back. I finished off my cider, and before I could ask my waitress for another, Clover filled it to the brim. Giving the mare a small nod, I continued drinking my cider.
"Seems like somepony is having a little trouble," Clover said, giving me a knowing smile.
"Everything is just so complicated," I said as I slowed down my drinking.
Clover nodded knowingly as she continued to smile. "Well, when you're around Spitfire and Fleetfoot, then everything is going to be complicated."
I gave a small growl at the mare. "If you're trying to make me feel better, it's not working." I didn't want to sound harsh, but I wasn't in the mood for jokes at the moment.
Clover, though, seemed to ignore my harsh tone as she continued on. "I won't lie and tell you that everything is going to be fine in the end. Spitfire and Fleetfoot are probably the most closed off mares I've ever met, and I'm one of the very few closest friends they have. There are things that I still don't know, but I have learned a few things to help you with whatever you're going through."
I set my glass down as I looked at the mare, gesturing for her to continue. "Whenever they wish to show you something from their past, there are no strings attached. You're free to decline their offer, but that wouldn't be the best choice. Getting them to open up to you is a great feat, and should never be taken for granted. They only share things from their past to ones they feel are trustworthy. So, for your best interest, join them if they invite you somewhere. If you don't, then you're bound to regret it." Clover gave a sharp nod before hopping off her chair and heading for her office.
I stopped her when she was a couple feet from my table. "Are you sure you're a bar owner, and not some sort of mind reader?"
Clover looked over her shoulder, grinning at me. "I'm not a mind reader, but I can tell when somepony has a lot on their mind and what they need to hear."
After that, Clover trotted back to her office. Looking at the mass of ponies on the dance floor, I thought about what Clover said. Swirling my drink a little, I thought about the positives of going with Fleetfoot. If I denied Fleetfoot's offer, I probably would never get the chance again to know more about her. The two paths laid before me had their own sets of consequences, and it wouldn't be easy to cross. Swirling my drink a few more times, I finished off the last of my cider and paid what I owed. I walked by Clover's office and dropped off a tip in her jar before exiting the establishment.
It was going to be a long day tomorrow, but I was ready for whatever that day held. I was determined to learn more about these mares, and I will go through whatever hardship I would need to. I wanted to see the two of them smile more, and if having to learn the dark side of their past was the only way, then I would help them through it. I reached the house and entered it. I moved up the stairs, two steps at a time, and entered my room. I set my alarm for nine in the morning so I could prepare for my journey with Fleetfoot. |
Fleeting Flames | The Orphanage | Fleeting Flames
By: Duelist96
Chapter 8: The Orphanage
My alarm went off at eight in the morning, and I groaned as I turned it off. I rolled to my feet, rubbing my eyes as I tried to stay awake. I tried to sleep during the night, but with everything that was going on with Fleetfoot, I found it hard to fall asleep. Looking out my window, I grabbed my clothes and headed for the shower. I saw the bathroom door closed, along with Spitfire's door, and gave a gentle knock. I waited several seconds before giving another knock, slightly louder than before. After receiving no response, I opened the door to see no one was occupying it.
Taking a deep breath, I turned on the hot water and stood under the shower head. The hot water felt great against my skin as I leaned against the bathroom wall, letting the steam help clear my head. I was expecting Fleetfoot to be up when I was, but I guessed she was probably preparing for the trip we were about to set out on. I gave a small smile, even with my nerves wracking my entire body, at the prospect of getting to know Fleetfoot more. With at least some pleasant thoughts filling my mind, I reached for my shampoo and began my slow shower. As I lathered the shampoo into my hair, I let my mind wander to the picture I saw two nights ago.
On the second picture had been the building of the orphanage, something that looked like the place that Spitfire and Fleetfoot had sent a donation to. The sign on the building read 'Madame Ever Ring's Foal House', but that wasn't what had captured my attention. What really got my attention were the three foals that were standing in front of the orphanage. Spitfire and Fleetfoot were easy to pick out, but there was a unicorn filly in between them, giving a very proud grin. I could only assume the filly was a close friend to Spitfire and Fleetfoot, as they had their wings draped over the filly's back.
The filly had a cream colored coat and her eyes were a light lavender. Her mane and tail were pink with dark violet streaks running through them. Her mane was styled similar to Twilight's, but there was a little extra length to put it into a ponytail. As I thought about it, I don't think I ever heard any of the mares' friends or the mares themselves talk about their unicorn friend. Realizing this, my smile turned to a frown as I wondered what happened to the filly. I guessed that the filly probably went on to live her life, but it seemed unlikely since ponies were very close with their friends.
I continued to think about the young filly, until a light knock resounded around the room. I looked towards the door, waiting to see if I was hearing things again. Silence filled the bathroom, the sound of falling water the only noise I could hear as I waited. A few seconds passed before another knock came from the door, followed by the sound of Fleetfoot's voice.
"Mark, are you in there?" Fleetfoot said in calm tone.
Shaking my head from my thoughts, I cleared my throat so the mare could hear me. "Yeah, I'll be out in a couple of minutes."
"Okay," Fleetfoot said.
With no time left to think in the shower, I washed off the soap and turned off the water. I grabbed a towel from the linen closet and dried off everything below my waist. With my lower half dried, I pulled on my boxers, then followed with my pants. I grabbed my shirt as I finished drying off my top half, opening the door to allow the mare to enter. When the door opened, Fleetfoot stared at me. She was ready to say something when she quickly closed her mouth, a light blush adorning her face. I was pretty sure it was a blush, but I couldn't tell because of how light it was.
I moved around Fleetfoot as she gave a single nod and entered the bathroom. The mare turned around, and for a quick second, I saw her look me up and down before closing the door. Not really sure what that was all about, I shrugged as I finished toweling off. Once I was dry, I threw my towel in my dirty pile that I created next to my dresser as I slipped on my shirt. Going to my closet, I opened the door and grabbed the first pair of shoes that I saw. Seeing as how Fleetfoot had told me that I should be prepared for lots of walking, I made sure that my clothes were appropriate for such a task.
I wore a simple white t-shirt, Rarity's three diamond insignia on the sleeve with the top button undone so I could breathe a little easier. I wore a pair of light gray cargo shorts and I made sure that I was wearing my hiking shoes. Happy with my attire, I grabbed my small backpack and headed for the kitchen. As I neared the stairs, I saw the bathroom door was still closed. I lingered near the door for a few seconds before heading down the stairs. I entered the kitchen and turned towards the clock to see that it was only nine o'clock. With an hour left until we leave, I made a quick breakfast for the three of us and packed my backpack with a few snacks and water.
Getting everything packed only took a couple of minutes, so I sat at the dining table to wait for Fleetfoot's arrival. As I sat at the table, I spread out the small assortment of fruit so that Spitfire and Fleetfoot had a different variety to eat for their breakfast. With the food organized, I leaned back in my chair, trying to see how long I could balance on two legs before setting myself down. I was starting to get the hang of balancing on the chair again after a few failed attempts, and I was now attempting to see if I could break my record.
Everything was working out well as I neared my current record time. "Mark, what are you doing?" Fleetfoot's voice pulled me out of my concentration, causing me to fall back down.
I looked back to see Fleetfoot, but she seemed a little off. The pegasus seemed a little more sluggish in her morning and her eyes were a little red and puffy, clearly signs that she had been crying. Fleetfoot saw the food on the table and lazily floated over to eat the decent breakfast. It didn't seem that Fleetfoot noticed my staring as I took in her entire appearance. Along with her sluggish movements, her coat color wasn't as vibrant, and she seemed ready to break down into a sobbing mess.
Tapping my fingers on the table, I shook my head as I addressed the elephant in the room. "You doing okay, Fleetfoot? You don't seem to be holding up so well."
Worry was laced in my tone, and Fleetfoot winced a little from my concerned question. The mare continued to eat, refusing to look me in the eyes. Silence filled the space between us as I watched her eat slowly. Moving closer to the table, I reached out to the mare. My hand slowly moved towards the mare before finally resting on her shoulder. Fleetfoot didn't move as I held my hand there, slowly moving towards her cheek to have her look at me. The mare resisted a little, but it wasn't much as she easily moved along with my hands. The mare's eyes refused to look at me still, but I held her there, waiting for a response.
Fleetfoot continued to look around for several seconds before letting out a shuddering sigh. "Can it wait until we get into the carriage?" She gave me quick eye contact to see me nod my head. "I'll also need you to wear this, and carry this with you." Fleetfoot produced a necklace and a piece of paper.
I grabbed the offered items and inspected them closely before turning to the mare. I wanted to see what these items were for, but it was something that could wait until later since we had a carriage ride we needed to make. Looking back at the clock, I saw that it was nearing ten and I gestured for the mare to get up. Fleetfoot looked at the clock, nodding her head as she jumped out of her chair, heading for the living room. I grabbed my backpack and slung it over my shoulder as I joined the mare in the living room, the pegasus putting on her own saddlebags.
Fleetfoot looked around the living and at me before nodding her head in satisfaction. Fleetfoot trotted up to the door and opened it, gesturing for me to leave first. I still really disliked having the door held open for me, but it was something I was able to accept in their culture. I walked outside, followed by the pegasus as she closed the door behind us. Fleetfoot lifted herself into the air, floating next to me as we headed for the carriage station. Our walk was filled with a little more silence than I was used to with the mare, and it wasn't helped with how few ponies were out and about.
This whole day looked ready to take the turn for the worst, especially as we passed a weather report bulletin and I got a look at today's weather. A heavy thunderstorm was planned for today and tomorrow, making me a little more curious about where Fleetfoot was taking me. I looked on ahead as we passed Clover's bar, Clover herself waving to us as we passed, and we happily waved back. Fleetfoot would take quick glances back at me, before quickly turning forward, probably thinking I didn't catch her. Something told me that I should give the mare a hug, or even a pat on the back to help cheer her up, but I felt that it would be better if I could see what was wrong.
A few ponies greeted us as we neared the carriage station, Fleetfoot quickly flying towards the ticket booth. There were a few carriages still around with pegasi strapped to them, each ready for take-off to some location. I turned my attention back to Fleetfoot as she continued to talk with the stallion behind the glass. The stallion smiled at her as he handed her two tickets, and I caught a glimpse of their color to know our destination. She was having me travel to Cloudsdale, and I could feel a lead brick fall to the pit of my stomach, my nerves working overtime at what she was doing.
Pushing down some of my fear, I jogged towards the mare, avoiding the need to sprint so I wouldn't cause a scene in front of all the ponies. I was hoping to catch Fleetfoot before she entered a carriage, but I didn't make it as she flew inside of one, gesturing for me to join her. Running my hand through my hair while letting out a heavy sigh, I sulked my way to the carriage. I stepped inside the carriage, taking a seat across from Fleetfoot as the door closed behind me. Hearing the door lock, I felt the carriage lurch forward as we were lifted into the air. I took a quick look at the retreating sight of Canterlot, knowing I would be back very quickly after I explained my situation to Fleetfoot.
Sighing heavily, I looked at the mare as she pulled out a magazine, her attention pulled from it when I addressed her. "Fleetfoot, after we land in Cloudsdale, I need to head back to Canterlot immediately."
Fleetfoot put the magazine down, and raised a curious brow at me. "Why do you need to come back? I thought you were okay with coming with me?" Her tone sounded a little hurt and worried about what I was saying, and I shook my head, knowing full well I would have to explain my situation.
I rubbed the back of my neck, taking interest in the ceiling as I explained myself. "I'm not entirely welcomed to visit Cloudsdale. I made a slightly poor choice, but at the same time, I find that I was justified."
Fleetfoot's expression remained neutral as she leaned back, making me avert my eyes away from her. "Are you talking about the small ban that you have because of punching the mayor?" I nodded my head. "You don't have to worry about that. The paper I gave you allows you to enter the city as long as you do what you're saying you're visiting for."
Raising my brow in confusion, I felt around in my pockets, pulling out the paper Fleetfoot gave me. I presented the paper towards her. "Are you talking about this paper?" Fleetfoot nodded her head.
"Give it a read and you'll understand what I'm getting at." Fleetfoot grabbed her magazine, and I just now noticed that it was a fashion magazine.
Ignoring the fact that Fleetfoot was reading a fashion magazine, I started to unfold the paper. Smoothing out some of the edges, I read what was on it.
This document entitles 'Mark' to visit Cloudsdale with 'Fleetfoot' on yearly visit to the local orphanage 'Madame Ever Ring's Foal House' for a day or two, depending on how long 'Fleetfoot' needs to stay. 'Mark' will accompany 'Fleetfoot' wherever she goes, and 'Mark' will follow all laws regarding 'Cloudsdale'. If 'Mark' is seen anywhere he is not supposed to be at without his guide, 'Mark' will be removed from 'Cloudsdale' immediately and sent for proper punishment at 'Canterlot'.
Signed,
Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Princess Twilight, and Princess Cadence
I read the paper a couple of times over before looking at Fleetfoot. The pegasus gave a curt nod before looking through her magazine again. Taking a final glance at the paper, I put it in my pocket for safe keeping. I looked out the window again to see that we were high in the air, clouds passing the carriage and a cool breeze brushing against my skin. I pulled my eyes away from the calm sight of nothingness as I turned back to Fleetfoot.
"Hey, Fleetfoot, are you doing any better than you were this morning?" I asked with slight concern.
I saw the small wince she gave before letting the magazine fall between her legs, thankfully blocking off what I was avoiding to see. I looked her in her light purple eyes. I could see a hint of worry, but there was a bit of relief as well. Silence filled the space between us for a few seconds before Fleetfoot finally spoke up.
"I'm doing better than before. Thanks for the concern, Mark." Fleetfoot gave a small smile as she adjusted herself in her seat.
I nodded my head, but I could see there was still something bothering her. "Do you want to talk about it?"
Fleetfoot swayed a little as she closed her eyes. She seemed deep in thought as she took careful breaths. After several seconds of listening to her calm breathing, she opened her eyes and looked at me.
"This trip has always been emotional for me. I've done this for at least twenty years, and it just gets harder every year," Fleetfoot said as she scooted towards the window, turning to look outside.
Standing up, I moved to the seat Fleetfoot was in and slowly ran my hand up and down her back. I was expecting to have her swat my hand away, but the soft coos she gave showed that she liked the attention. I made sure to avoid any unnecessary spots that Cadence taught me so I could avoid any real awkward moments.
I continued to stroke her back as I spoke in a soft tone. "If it hurts so much to go there, then why do you keep going?"
Fleetfoot placed a hoof on the window, a small sniffle escaping her before she composed herself. "I keep going because of the promise that I made. As long as I'm alive, I'll keep going until I can't anymore."
I wanted to keep pressing for more answers, but something told me that during this trip, I would get a lot of answers. I kept stroking Fleetfoot's back, the mare continuing to look out the window. Wanting to help cheer her up, I grabbed at the paper she gave me, and presented it to her. Fleetfoot looked at the paper before looking back at me over her shoulder, her confusion evident on her features.
"I was wondering how you were able to get all four princesses to sign this," I said as I offered her a comforting smile.
Fleetfoot ran her foreleg across her eyes, probably trying to get rid of the tears that were building up, but she wouldn't admit that. She looked at me as she gave a cheeky grin. "You're not the only one that's close to the princesses. I was actually honestly surprised that Celestia got the other three to sign it. They seemed really eager to sign it when they saw that you were going with me. Why is that?"
I gave a shrug as I moved my hand from her back and to her mane, ruffling it a bit and getting the mare to giggle. "Honestly, I'm not even sure. It might be because I'm one of their few closest friends, or maybe they just want me to punch the mayor again." This earned a good giggle from Fleetfoot as she rubbed her head against my hand.
"If you're going to do that, then can you at least wait until I show you around? I would like to end on a high note like I always do," Fleetfoot said as she leaned in closer to me, my hand continuing to stroke her mane.
The two of us sat closely together, Fleetfoot giving a soft hum as my fingers ran through her mane. I was actually surprised by how soft it felt. I figured that in order to keep it in her regular messy look, she would have to put some kind of intense care into it. As I continued to run my fingers through her soft mane, there was no feeling of any kind of mane product. It was like her mane was naturally like this, and I started to wonder if Spitfire's was the same way. I looked out my window as Fleetfoot closed her eyes to get a few more minutes of sleep.
There still wasn't much to see out the window, and I didn't really bring anything to keep me entertained during the trip. There was the occasional bird that we passed, or a cloud that was shaped like some kind of animal or object, but that was the only thing I could really enjoy. I was growing restless in my seat as well, but I refused to move to avoid disturbing Fleetfoot, who was resting peacefully. I was sure that she wouldn't mind if I tried to make myself comfortable, but the genuine smile that she gave in her sleep allowed me to handle the slight discomfort.
Not really sure how much longer we had in our travel, I went back to running my fingers through Fleetfoot's mane. Fleetfoot gave a soft coo as she leaned more into me, her wings stretching over my legs and giving me a little warmth. The sight was oddly strange, but it was very welcomed. I gave a small smile as I thought about the subtle differences the two mares had when they were awake and when they were asleep.
Spitfire was a very authoritative mare, but I think I can understand where that attitude comes from. Spitfire tries to make sure that everyone understands what they do, and even with the slightly harsh tone, I could sometimes catch a hint of kindness. When Spitfire was asleep, she would give a wonderful smile that was very rare to see when she was awake. That smile of hers really defined her as a different mare. Spitfire seemed so content without the stress of others and her job weighing her down. Fleetfoot was different compared to Spitfire.
Fleetfoot was a very intelligent mare, if the few interactions I had with her were any indication. She could usually read how a pony would react in a certain situation, and act accordingly. The shower incident I had with her was a good example since she took the opportunity to get me all flustered. Fleetfoot wouldn't yell at others, but there was always a subtle hint of some kind of punishment if someone would argue with her. When Fleetfoot slept, her mind would calm down and allow herself a chance to relax. She never looked it, but her job was really stressful on her, but it seemed she kept it hidden to avoid putting stress on Spitfire.
I gave a small smile as I looked back out the window. The two mares were so different from each other, but at the same time, they were exactly like sisters. Shaking my head a little, I felt the carriage lurch a little. Angling myself a little in my seat, I could make out the landing area on Cloudsdale. Looking back at Fleetfoot, she was still asleep. I nudged the pegasus lightly, trying to wake her up. Fleetfoot seemed to be a little stubborn about getting up, but after a few more nudges, she finally woke up. Fleetfoot blinked her eyes a few times, a large yawn escaping her as she took in her surroundings.
Fleetfoot looked up to see me looking down at her. Shaking her head, Fleetfoot settled herself again, getting ready to sleep again, before her eyes shot wide open. I haven't seen Spitfire and Fleetfoot move at their fastest speeds they could travel, but if anything from the way she jumped away from me, it would be impressive to see them fly that fast. Fleetfoot clutched at her chest, amazing me that she was able to do that with her hoof as she stared at me. I took this as my chance to stretch a little in the cramped space of the carriage.
As I worked out a few kinks in my back, Fleetfoot spoke in a hushed tone. "I'm sorry for falling asleep on you like that." Fleetfoot gave a nervous laugh as she packed away her magazine. "I guess I was a little more tired than I thought."
I waved off the mare's concern, giving her a reassuring smile as I spoke calmly. "Don't worry about. You didn't miss anything during the trip, and you looked like you could really use it. This trip seemed to be weighing heavily on your mind, so I didn't mind being your pillow." I gave a warm chuckle as the mare gave a small smile.
"It has been weighing heavily on my mind. I'm always nervous when coming here, and those nerves don't die down until I get to the orphanage." Fleetfoot put her saddlebags back on as she stood by the door.
"Well, I'm with you the whole way. Let's just hope that nobody gives me any trouble during my stay here." I made sure my backpack was closed before leaning back in my chair, waiting for the door to open. "Hey, before I forget, how long are we staying here?"
Fleetfoot looked back at me as she placed a hoof on her chin. "It depends, really. Sometimes I stay for only one day, but because of the rain that comes, and I don't leave early enough, I stay for two days. It always rains around this time."
Fleetfoot whispered that last part, but I was able to hear it because of the small space. I wanted to see what she meant by that, but I didn't say anything, wanting to see if it would be answered during our trip. We waited for a couple of minutes before we felt the carriage bounce a little, signaling that we had landed. Fleetfoot made sure her saddlebags were secured before turning to me.
"You might want to put on that necklace. Twilight was kind enough to enchant it with her cloud walking spell. She gave it enough power to last a week since we don't know how it will entirely affect you." Fleetfoot turned back to the door, waiting for it to open before turning back to me, realization spread across her features. "You do know how this spell works, correct?"
I nodded my head as I pulled out the necklace and put it on. I kind of wished that I could have picked out the design, but I guess I was stuck with the little flame as the design for now. "Yeah, Twilight had me try it out before to see how well it worked. Everything seemed to work fine during the trials, but you may want to keep an eye on me in case it doesn't last long."
Fleetfoot nodded her head, her tone confident as she placed a hoof on her chest. "You won't have to worry about that. You have one of the fastest fliers in Equestria by your side."
I couldn't help the slight chuckle from how confident Fleetfoot sounded, but it was reassuring to know that she would help me. We felt the carriage give one final lurch as we finally came to a stop. I could hear the clopping of hooves from outside, signaling that the door was about to be opened. A few seconds passed before the door was opened and Fleetfoot and I were greeted by a group of guards. All the guards were pegasi, and they seemed ready to pull out their spears. I gave a small frown as the mayor that I punched came trotting forward, a scowl very prominent on his features.
The pegasus stallion extended his hoof, his voice gruff and full of hate. "Your paper, please."
I kept my eyes on the stallion as I fished the paper out of my pocket. I handed the paper to Fleetfoot to avoid any problems. Fleetfoot handed the paper to the mayor, who almost smacked her muzzle, as he grabbed at it harshly. His eyes skimmed the paper for a few seconds before giving it to one of the guards.
He dismissed the guards, and as he turned to trot away, he turned back to me, pointing a hoof at me. "I have my eyes on you. You slip up once you damned hairless ape, and I will have you kicked off this cloud faster than you can say 'Luna'."
Every fiber in my being demanded I run up to the stallion and slug him across the face again, but Fleetfoot's presence kept me from doing so. Fleetfoot and I watched as the stallion took the sky, and we exited the carriage. I gave a tip to the two pegasi that had flown us up. I was glad that the part of Cloudsdale I was standing on was solid ground, giving me assurance that I was somewhere safe at the moment. Fleetfoot stood by the exit to Cloudsdale, and I sighed heavily as I walked over to her.
I reached Fleetfoot, and before we left, she stopped me with a hoof. "Thanks for keeping your cool."
I nodded to Fleetfoot, keeping my voice at a somewhat calm level. "No problem. I don't wish to add to your stress, but it's going to take a lot of willpower not to deck him in the schnoz."
This got Fleetfoot to cover her muzzle with a hoof as she suppressed her giggles. "I don't think I've ever heard anypony say something like that. I might have to try that sometime."
I gave a light chuckle as Fleetfoot took to the air, floating next to me as I prepared to walk on Cloudsdale. We stepped out of the gates leading to the carriage station, and I was amazed by everything that I saw around me. Like the name suggests, Cloudsdale was made entirely of clouds. What really got my attention was the architecture of the buildings. I wasn't much of an architect myself, but I could make out that the columns that supported the buildings were at least of Greek design.
Another amazing feature of the city was the multiple rainbow falls that flowed around every building. I remembered Pinkie telling me a story about when she tried some of the rainbow in liquid form, and how spicy it was. I followed some of the rainbow falls to a building that was hovering higher in the air, and I could only guess that was the Rainbow Factory. I continued to look around, getting a brief look at Fleetfoot as she let me continue to look around. Pegasi were flying all around, and I could see some stairs that led to the upper and lower levels of Cloudsdale. I could only assume those were for the foals that haven't learned to fly yet, and tourists that couldn't fly.
Taking in a final look of the city, the cold wind causing me to shiver a little, I looked at the edge of solid ground I was standing on. It was one thing stepping on trial clouds since I wasn't hundreds of feet up in the air, and I had a trusty alicorn princess that triple checked everything before I would attempt to walk on the cloud. Taking a deep breath, I reached out with my left foot and slowly placed it on the cloud. I could feel as the spongy feeling of the cloud gave under my weight, stopping when my ankle was buried into it. I put a little more pressure on my left foot and the cloud seemed to continue its hold.
Looking to Fleetfoot, she offered a hoof for me to take so I could place my other foot on the cloud. As much as it pained me to do this, I grabbed the mare's hoof. Fleetfoot flew to my front, leading my other foot to stand on the cloud. My nerves reached a higher peak as I sunk a little more into the cloud. Thankfully, I stopped sinking when the cloud was a couple inches above my ankle. Looking around, Fleetfoot smiled at me as I gave a few test bounces. The cloud continued to hold, and I looked at the necklace to see it giving off a very dull lavender glow. Seeing that nothing was about to go wrong, I let go of Fleetfoot's hoof and started to follow her.
"So, how far is it to the orphanage?" I asked as I stumbled a little on the cloud.
"It's about a thirty minute walk from here." Fleetfoot looked back at me and gave a small grin. "Maybe longer if you can't learn to walk straight."
I gave a small frown at the mare as I tried to make sure I didn't fall face first onto the cloud. "Hey, this is my first time actually walking on a cloud that isn't about the size of a small raincloud. I also don't have the ability to fly like you do."
Fleetfoot shook her head at me as she stuck her tongue out at me. "Sounds to me like somepony is just whining."
I chuckled a little as I slowly grew used to walking on the cloud. To other ponies around, Fleetfoot would have seemed kind of mean, but I knew she was joking. I knew where to draw the line with her teasing, and it seemed she did as well to avoid being mean. Once I got my laughter under control, silence fell between Fleetfoot and I. The silence, though, wasn't unwelcomed as we both smiled happily. There was a slight feeling of unease as I looked at Fleetfoot's smile. I had this strange feeling that when we got to the orphanage, her smile would falter. I wasn't really sure if there would be anything I could do to fix that when it comes, but I was going to make sure her smile stayed long enough until we crossed that bridge.
Fleetfoot continued to lead me through the middle district of Cloudsdale. She explained that the entire city was broken into different districts to help keep everything organized. There were three residential districts, separated similarly to Canterlot's residential districts. Fleetfoot and I landed at the carriage station in the middle district. We passed the stairs leading to the upper district back at the carriage station. The stairs leading to the lower district was at the other end of the middle district, but apparently we weren't heading that way. The rest of the stairs that we passed led to either markets, social areas, or government buildings.
As we continued to walk, I really started to wish that I had pressed further about where Fleetfoot was taking me last night. Cloudsdale wasn't that high in the sky, usually staying about the same height Canterlot castle stood, but it was very cold. I rubbed my arms to warm up my body, the chill air making the hairs on my arms stand on end. Thankfully, Fleetfoot pulled out a scarf from her saddlebags and handed it to me. I gave a slight nod as I wrapped the scarf around my neck, wrapping my arms a little in the extra slack.
The pegasi flew higher above us, not even looking at the weird creature that was visiting their city. I thanked the fact that they didn't notice me, since I didn't want to waste Fleetfoot's time by having to introduce myself to every pegasus that would ask what I was. I continued to look around the cloud city, trying to find anything to pique my interest, but that was becoming more impossible as we headed deeper into the middle district. We were walking for possibly twenty minutes before I noticed dark clouds starting to form overhead.
I stopped walking, looking to the sky as I called out to Fleetfoot. "Hey, how come there are rain clouds here? Isn't it kind of useless having rain since you don't have any crops to grow?"
Fleetfoot stopped her gentle glide as she looked up for a few seconds before turning to me. "There are a few things that we can grow here, but they are usually a pegasus delicacy. Other ponies have tried it, but they usually don't like it. We also have it rain because it helps keep Cloudsdale healthy. There's a small amount of moisture in the clouds that make up the city, and it's good to replace it with new water."
I raised a brow as I looked at the mare. "How's it good for the city?"
Fleetfoot placed a hoof to her chin, probably thinking of the best way to explain this to me. "Since the entire city is made of cloud, water still evaporates over time. We replace that water with fresh rainwater to keep the clouds full of life and to keep the structures of the buildings strong. There's a bunch of other things, but the ponies at the weather factory can explain it better."
I gave a slight nod as Fleetfoot turned around and started leading me again. It didn't take long for the entire city to become cast in a light shadow. I could still see everything around me, but the eerie grayness of everything around me made it a little unsettling. As we continued to walk, I felt a few drops of rain land on my face. I couldn't help but shiver at the feeling of the rain, the height of the clouds making the water colder. Fleetfoot looked back to see me giving small shivers. She gestured with her hoof to show that she was going to pick up the pace to get to the orphanage.
I jumped on the chance to get out of the freezing rain faster. I love rain, but I don't wish to die from hypothermia. We continued to walk for fifteen more minutes before finally reaching the orphanage. Fleetfoot and I stood under the doorway, the pegasus offering me a towel to dry off with. I gladly took the offered towel, drying off as much as I could until I could change my clothes. I got most of the water off, only to get soaked again when Fleetfoot shook off the water dripping from her coat. Once the mare was finished shaking, she looked back at me, giving a sheepish smile as I gave her a deadpanned look.
Letting out a small sigh, I wiped off my face and arms, again. Getting dry for a second time, I offered the towel back to Fleetfoot. Fleetfoot took the towel, giving a small apologetic look as she put it back in her saddle. With us both decently dried off, Fleetfoot trotted up to the door, giving it a few hard knocks. As we waited for someone to answer the door, I looked around at the building. The stairs leading up to the door were shielded from the rain by the overhead stone arch. The building itself was made of cloud, but it wasn't as artistic as the others. The clouds were smoothed out, giving the building an almost flat look.
The eerie grayness didn't help to make the building look approachable. The orphanage looked like something out of a horror movie where I would probably run into a pair of twins, asking me to play with them. I knew I was being silly, but the bland look of the building didn't help to cease those thoughts. I was also surprised at how tall the building was. I was used to the smaller buildings in Canterlot, but the orphanage seemed big enough to accommodate me. I was pulled from my musings when I heard the door creak open.
I turned towards the door, surprised to see a light pink unicorn mare. The mare had a rose colored mane and tail, a blue and white streak running through both. Her eyes were a light amber and she had a pair of glasses at the end of her muzzle. I could barely make out her cutie mark of two gold bands interlaced together. The unicorn had a neutral expression as she seemed to ignore me and look at Fleetfoot. I looked over at Fleetfoot to see her shift a little in place, a nervous smile on her face.
"H-Hey there, Ever Ring," Fleetfoot nervously said.
"Fleetfoot, I see it's that time of the year again," Ever Ring replied, her tone uncaring.
Fleetfoot nodded her head as she fiddled with her saddlebags. Ever Ring looked over at me, then back at Fleetfoot before stepping aside. Fleetfoot gave a nervous wave as she walked into the building. I followed behind Fleetfoot, avoiding Ever Ring as I stood behind Fleetfoot. Ever Ring closed the door and locked it before facing us again.
Fleetfoot continued to shift nervously as she removed her saddlebags. "So, are the foals up or are they already asleep?"
Ever Ring grabbed a cloth from a nearby table, her dark pink aura encasing her horn and the cloth as she cleaned her glasses. "They're currently upstairs playing." Ever Ring finished cleaning her glasses and put the cloth back on the table before looking at me and pointing a hoof. "Who's this?"
Fleetfoot shook her head, seeming to gain a little confidence as she jumped into the air and wrapped a foreleg around my neck. "This is my friend Mark. He wanted to stop by and entertain the foals with me."
I looked at Fleetfoot as Ever Ring looked at me with a raised brow. The lie was obvious to me, but it seemed to go over the other mare's head as she gave a single curt nod. "Very well, but make sure he doesn't scare the foals. I don't need to be interrupted during the night because they had a nightmare of a giant creature chasing after them."
Looking away from Fleetfoot, I gave a small smile as I tried to reassure the mare I wasn't going to be a problem. "I'll try not to look intimidating to them."
Ever Ring seemed to give me a quick look up and down before turning around and trotting away. Once the unicorn was out of sight, I let out a small breath as the tension in the room finally relaxed. I wasn't sure where it came from, but being around that mare made things really uncomfortable. I felt Fleetfoot's leg unwrap from my neck, the sound of her hooves landing on the oak floor drawing my attention. I looked at Fleetfoot to see her lowering her head, her wings sagging a little with her ears splayed back. Reaching out to Fleetfoot, I rubbed my hand along her back, getting her to look at me with a small smile.
Fleetfoot placed her saddlebags on a nearby rack, and I placed my backpack underneath her saddlebags. Fleetfoot tapped my leg and gestured for me to follow her upstairs. I gave a small nod as I followed her, taking this chance to look at some of the building. The inside was pretty dull like the outside, but it seemed to be filled with the necessities a pony might need to live up here. Along the stairwell there were some pictures. The pictures were, as far as I could tell, of the foals living here.
We reached the top of the stairs, and I noticed one picture at the top. The picture had Fleetfoot standing in with the group of foals, the unicorn from the other picture standing next to her. Spitfire wasn't in the picture, which made me give a small frown as I looked back at the retreating Fleetfoot. I leaned closer to the picture, noticing Fleetfoot's small smile, but there seemed to be something else that I couldn't put my hand on. I looked at the picture a few more seconds before turning around and walking towards Fleetfoot.
Fleetfoot was standing outside a door, a nervous smile on her face as she looked back at me. "Hey, do you mind waiting out here? I want to get the foals a little prepared for your entrance."
I gave a quick nod as I stood to the side. Fleetfoot gave a quick smile before turning back to the door. She grabbed the handle with her hoof and opened the door. As soon as the door opened my ears were assaulted by many foals shouting the pegasus' name. Fleetfoot greeted the foals before trotting inside and closing the door behind her. While I waited for my cue to enter, I tested my hearing a little to see if I had any damage done to my ears. Seeing that everything was fine, as far as I could tell, I leaned against the wall, humming to myself.
I waited for a couple of minutes before I heard Fleetfoot's muffled voice. "Mark, you can come in now."
I was a little surprised at how fast she was able to get the foals prepared. It seemed like it would have taken a lot longer since the foals were really excited to see her. Taking a deep breath, I grabbed the handle and opened the door. I walked into the room, closing the door behind me. I looked at the center of the room where Fleetfoot was sitting down, a swarm of foals crowded around her and a few hanging on her forelegs. The foals all looked at me with wide eyes, a couple of them whispering under their breath.
I didn't say or do anything as I let the foals adjust to my presence. While the foals continued to converse, I took a few seconds to see who was in attendance. A quick count showed there were twenty foals in the room. Eleven of those foals were pegasi. Two of them were earth ponies. Five of them were unicorns. The last two were thestrals. I wasn't really thinking about it much, but after running into Ever Ring and these non-pegasi foals, I was wondering how they were able to live up in Cloudsdale.
I was too distracted in my own thoughts that I didn't see a unicorn filly slowly trot up to me. I felt something touching my shin and I looked down to see the unicorn filly. She looked up at me, her body shivering in nervous anticipation. Looking around, the foals all seemed nervous, and I think I knew why. Moving slowly, I gently lowered myself to the floor. I sat with my legs crossed on the cloud floor, leaning a little lower so I wasn't so tall. This seemed to work a little as the unicorn filly climbed on top of my leg and started to touch my arm with her hoof.
I let the filly poke at my arm as I spoke in a gentle, calm tone. "Hey there, little one. What's your name?"
The filly stopped poking my arm as she looked at me, her ears flicking back and forth. "S-Sweetheart."
I gave a warm smile, making sure to hide my canines to avoid scaring her. I lifted my hand and brought it towards her. The filly watched with wide eyes as I reached out to her. I placed my hand gently on her head, and gently ran my hand over her light yellow mane. The filly rubbed her head against my hand, apparently enjoying the feeling of its motions. This seemed to get the attention of a few other foals as they trotted up to me. I smiled at them as well as they went about inspecting me. A few of them pressed against my ribs, getting me to chuckle a few times as they tried to comprehend exactly what I was.
While the other foals were busy inspecting me, a thestral that was laying on top of Fleetfoot's head walked over. I looked at her as she shuffled nervously in place, her tone soft and uncertain. "A-Are you r-really a friend o-of Fleetfoot's?"
I smiled at the filly as I reached at her with a free hand. The filly stood her ground as I petted her mane, smiling as I spoke. "If she considers me a friend, then yes."
This seemed to make the filly smile as she jumped in place. I chuckled at the filly as she happily bounced in place, before a searing pain shot through my hand. I looked at the source to see the filly biting my hand. I let out a muffled groan as I felt the filly's tongue licking the area she bit. Thankfully, Fleetfoot was quick to act as she gently removed the filly from my hand. The filly's smile instantly vanished as she saw my damaged hand. Her ears splayed back as she tried to curl into herself. Fleetfoot grabbed my hand as looked it over, mumbling to herself as the other foals got off of me. Fear was evident in their faces as they looked between the filly and me.
An earth colt trotted in front of me, his voice showing a hint of fear. "Please don't tell on Everglade to Madame Ever Ring. If Madame Ever Ring hears that Everglade bit somepony, then she won't be able to get dinner."
I looked between the colt and filly, Fleetfoot bandaging my hand with stuff from a first aid kit that was in the room. I looked at the colt, my expression neutral as I spoke in a calm tone. "How old is Everglade?"
I heard a few sniffles from behind the colt as the filly moved to the front, her eyes red and puffy. "F-five, sir."
I was a little disturbed after hearing that. Out of all the different races of ponies, thestrals were the only ones that I didn't learn a lot about. Luna helped to fill in some of the blanks, but I haven't had a chance to talk with her more about thestrals. One thing that I did learn was that it was normal for thestral foals to bite things. Biting things allowed them to get used to their fangs, and it showed that they trusted someone. Hearing that Ever Ring punishes Everglade for something not in her control really made me upset. Pushing down my anger, I reached out towards the filly.
I noticed the filly's eyes go wide with terror as I reached for her. I didn't like that reaction, but it seemed expected if that small bit of information about Ever Ring's punishment was anything to go by. Thankfully, the filly didn't move as I lifted her by her barrel and pulled her in for a gentle hug. Everglade was breathing heavily, her heart pounding strong against her chest that I could feel it. I held Everglade securely against my chest, whispering soft coos into her as she slowly started to relax. I held Everglade against my chest for several minutes before she finally calmed down, her breathing slowing down as it turned into a gentle snore.
I wasn't really trying to lull the filly to sleep, but from the look of the other foals, it seemed that they were starting to get tired. Looking to Fleetfoot, she nodded in understanding as she grabbed a few of the foals and started to place them in their beds. The beds had plaques on them that had the names of the various foals. Fleetfoot was finished putting the foals away for bed as I placed the earth colt that stood up for Everglade to bed. I ruffled his mane a little, getting the colt to laugh as he playfully swatted my hand away with a hoof.
Smiling down to the colt, I tucked him in as I spoke in a hushed tone to avoid waking some of the foals. "So, what's your name?"
"Torchlight, sir," the colt said with a small smile.
I chuckled as I finished tucking in the colt. "Please, just call me Mark. You were very brave to stand up for you friend there."
Torchlight continued to smile, but there was something about it that felt off. "She's one of my best friends. She stood up for me when I accidently broke a vase. She's very kind and a lot of fun to be around as well." Torchlight snuggled into his pillow a little more, turning to his side as he prepared for sleep. As I walked away, I almost missed his last sentence. "We all have to stick together if we don't want to end up like Pyro."
I looked at the colt, a small frown on my face as I looked at the other foals. Even with some of them asleep, they all seemed nervous, possibly even scared for the next day. My look wasn't lost on Fleetfoot as she tapped my leg. I looked down as she gestured for me to follow her out into the hallway. Nodding my head, I opened the door and let Fleetfoot through before following her out and quietly closing the door behind us. Fleetfoot stood out in the hall, the mare turning around and looking at me with a hurt look.
I went to say something, but she cut me off with a raised hoof. "I know you have lots of questions, but do you mind holding onto them?"
I looked at the mare, a hurt look on my face evident as I crouched to look Fleetfoot in the eyes. "I can, but how come you want me to wait?"
Fleetfoot turned around and started trotting away. When she was a few paces ahead of me, she turned around and gestured for me to follow. I quickly caught up with her as I heard her let out a heavy sigh. "I actually have one more place I want to stop by, and I could use somepony that can offer a shoulder to cry on."
This caused me to trip a little as I looked at the mare. I knew there was some small amount of hurt, but I didn't think it was this much that she needed someone to vent to. I wanted to decline, but it seemed she really needed to get a few things off of her chest. Nodding to the mare, I gave a gentle stroke through her mane before speaking calmly. "If you need a shoulder to cry on, then I'm happy to offer it. I take it, though, that you just want to talk and for me to listen?"
Fleetfoot nodded her head as we descended the stairs. The rain had picked up in its intensity, the drops hitting the glass hard enough for me to hear. Fleetfoot stopped by her saddlebags and pulled out two umbrellas. Fleetfoot offered me one, and I took it as she looked out the window for a quick second, speaking in a hushed tone. "If you don't mind listening to an old mare and her problems."
I walked next to the mare, chuckling a little at her attempt of a joke to ease the tension between us. "Hey, first off, I'm you friend, and I'll gladly listen to you, and even Spitfire if you have something you want to say. Secondly, you're not that old, and even if you are, you're really doing something right if you're able to look so youthful."
This got Fleetfoot to giggle a little as she gently slugged my arm. I feigned getting hurt as I rubbed my arm, getting Fleetfoot to giggle a little louder. "Hey, flattery can get you some places, but it doesn't work that well against me or Spitfire."
I shook my head playfully as Fleetfoot headed for the front door. Once we exited the building, we opened our umbrellas and Fleetfoot led the way. I could feel my feet getting wet because of the cloud absorbing the water, but thankfully it wasn't soaking through my shoes. We walked in silence for a few minutes before we left the orphanage a good distance behind us.
I heard Fleetfoot give a heavy sigh as she started talking in a somber tone. "I guess the best place to start is at the beginning." She looked back at me, waiting to see if I was going to interrupt her. Seeing that I was keeping true to my word, she continued on. "Madame Ever Ring's Foal House. I was a newborn foal when I was left here. Fleetfoot isn't even my real name, but it's what Ever Ring named me.
"It was tough growing up here, but it was nice since I got to make a few friends during my stay there. The orphanage was also built by Princess Celestia and enchanted to allow other ponies to live there in case their parents were a pegasus and living in Cloudsdale. Moving on from that, though, I still had a hard time following the strict rules that Ever Ring had in place. She's a very mean mare and only cares about getting money from the foals that are adopted."
"She has hurt many foals because of her demand for obedience and proper behavior. About when I was five, a new pony arrived, a unicorn filly that you saw in the picture back home. Her name was Fireheart, but she liked to be called Pyro. She was a very troublesome filly, but the only pony that I knew that would stand up to Ever Ring. She was also the main reason why I became a Wonderbolt.
"By the time I was seven, I met Spitfire, and the three of us really clicked. Spitfire wasn't part of the orphanage, but she didn't like to be around her family that much. I would like to tell you more why, but that's for her to explain. When Spitfire showed up, that was when the three of us really brought Tartarus to Ever Ring. We would do anything to ruffle her up, but she would only ever punish one of us."
"I think you know which one she would punish after our little stunts. By the time we were eight, a Wonderbolts show was appearing in Cloudsdale, and Pyro wanted to see them perform. The three of us snuck away to the show, using the bits we saved up from what we found or earned doing little jobs. The show was so spectacular that not even words could describe how we felt, but out of us all, Pyro was the most inspired."
"Pyro dreamt of joining the Wonderbolts, even though she couldn't fly. She just wanted to be on the team any way she could and help them perform. Our antics went from causing Ever Ring headaches to getting Pyro as prepared for the Wonderbolts as we could. We weren't really sure if they could offer her anything when she got older, but we were determined to help her see her dream."
I heard Fleetfoot give a strong sniffle as she rubbed at her eyes. Even with the rain that was able to get through the umbrellas, I could see the tears that were staining her cheeks. I walked a little closer to her, running my hand through her mane as she tried to get herself under control. It was obvious that Pyro meant a lot for her, and possibly Spitfire, so wherever this story was going, it was only going to cause more tears. Fleetfoot gave a few shuddering breaths before continuing on in her story.
"A year and a half later, about this time, she was ready to see what she could do. Pyro earned her cutie mark in pyrotechnics during her practices, and we tried to use that talent to help enhance the Wonderbolts. Spitfire and I hadn't earned ours yet, but we were happy to see Pyro so energetic to use her talent to help the Wonderbolts. We had everything set up, and we planned to show the Wonderbolts what she could do."
"Spitfire decided to stay over for the night so she could avoid talking to her parents about what she had been doing. As the night grew darker, thunder and lightning started to go off. Pyro woke up because of the noise, and she worried that all the supplies that we had stored away in a shed was in danger of being hit. Spitfire and I tried to reassure her that everything was fine, but she was determined to check on them."
"We offered to go with Pyro, but she told us that she should only be gone for a few minutes. I still remember that uneasy look Spitfire gave me as we looked at each other. In the end, we let her go and headed back to bed. The storm got worse, and those few minutes turned into an hour. Spitfire and I had an unsettling feeling in our stomachs and we left to check on Pyro. It was during that night Spitfire and I earned our cutie marks. We still wish we could have earned ours in a better way."
"As we flew towards the shed, a bolt of lightning shot down from the sky. We thought nothing of it, but as soon as the thunder went off, a loud explosion came from the direction of the shed. Spitfire and I flapped our wings as hard as we could, praying to Celestia that everything was alright. Sadly, it didn't turn out that way. The entire shed had caught fire, debris from the building everywhere, showing that Pyro's supplies had blown up."
"Spitfire was quick to act as she tried to put out the flames. Spitfire tried everything that she could to put out the flames, but nothing seemed to work. She was about to give up when a thought actually occurred to her. Using everything she had, she flew around the flames in a circle. I could hear Spitfire let off a small scream every time one of the flames burned her. Still, she continued on and started flying fast enough that she was able to pull the flames away."
"Spitfire pulled away from the shed and the flames followed her. She carried them away into the sky, and thankfully was able to put them out. Spitfire landed next to me, breathing heavily and a few serious burns on her body. She went to help find Pyro, but I stopped her and went to look for our friend. I started looking all over the place for her, even moving pieces of debris to see if she was pinned under one of them."
"Several minutes went by and I couldn't find her anywhere. Tears started falling from my face as I continued to frantically search for her anywhere. My mind started jumping to the worst case scenario, but then I finally spotted her. I found her buried underneath one of the walls of the shed. I could see her blood staining the clouds, and her eyes were barely open as I landed in front of her. She seemed aware of my presence, but she was too weak to do anything."
"I tried to remove the debris off of her, but it was too heavy. I thought about getting somepony to help, but I didn't want to leave her alone. I shook away my fear at that time, and tried to remove the debris from her again. I flapped my wings as hard as I could, and I finally able to remove the piece of wall. My wings gave me enough strength as I tried to save somepony that I care for. Once I had the wall removed, I saw how serious the damage was."
"Her entire lower half was crushed, blood soaking into the clouds. Pyro couldn't even move as I tried to keep her awake. Spitfire joined me after regaining her strength, and I could see the shock on her face as she looked at our friend. We didn't know what to do, but apparently somepony had called the Cloudsdale weather team. The weather team got the three of us out of the storm and carried Pyro off to the hospital."
"Spitfire and I visited Pyro at the hospital, but she wasn't getting any better. I blamed Ever Ring for everything that happened. She was awake when Pyro left, but she didn't do anything to stop her from leaving. Spitfire and I asked if there was anything they could do to help Pyro, but there was nothing. We immediately knew what was going to happen next, but Spitfire and I refused to accept it. We stopped by again one afternoon to see Pyro just barely holding it together."
"Pyro beckoned us over, and asked for one favor from the two of us. We told her that we would do whatever she asked. Pyro asked for us to keep each other safe from our own problems, and live our lives the best we could. We promised that we follow that through till the day we died. After Spitfire and I left the hospital, we promised each other that we would keep her dream alive as well. The next day we visited, it was the last time we saw her."
Fleetfoot stopped flying and landed on the ground. I was confused as to why until I looked around. I was apparently so focused on learning about her past that I didn't even notice we had walked into a graveyard. I looked at Fleetfoot to see that she was staring at a tombstone. I looked at the tombstone, and saw why she had finally stopped. We were standing in front of Pyro's tombstone.
"She passed away during the night. The funeral just consisted of Spitfire, myself, a few other foals from the orphanage, and the mayor. After the funeral, Spitfire and I headed to the next Wonderbolts show and found out when tryouts were. We trained until that day came, and our hard work paid off. We were both on the team, and we've been doing our best to live Pyro's dream."
"Sometimes we think she's watching over us, keeping us safe during our practices and performances as we make her proud. It's funny as well since Spitfire and I never planned on being Wonderbolts. Now that we're a part of them, we actually happy that we joined. We've made great friends during our time on the team. The only thing I hope for is that Pyro is truly happy with wherever she is."
I didn't say anything as I looked at the tombstone. I could see Fleetfoot out of my peripherals, shuddering as she fought back her tears. It didn't last long as a loud bang from the thunder finally broke her resolve. Fleetfoot cried loudly through the rain, hitting the cloud with her hoof as tears streamed down her face. I couldn't help the few tears that escaped my eyes as well as I thought back to some of my own past. Some things were different from Fleetfoot's, but they were close enough that I could understand how she was feeling. I moved closer to Fleetfoot, being careful not to make any noise as she cried.
I stood next to Fleetfoot, looking at the tombstone. Fleetfoot sat on her haunches, letting the umbrella fall to her side as she placed a hoof on the tombstone. I crouched down, and picking up the umbrella, I held it over her as she leaned against my side. I could hear her sniffling as she buried her head into my shirt. I didn't say anything as I let the mare cry, refusing to leave her side until she was ready to leave. |
Fleeting Flames | Pyro's Wishes | Fleeting Flames
By: Duelist96
Chapter 9: Pyro's Wishes
I wasn't sure how long Fleetfoot was leaning against me, the two of us standing in front of Pyro's tombstone, but I didn't really care. The rain and lightning refused to lighten up, and I continued to comfort the distraught mare. I probably wouldn't have realized that she had stopped crying if it wasn't for her shaking finally coming to a stall. I looked down at the mare, a few whimpers escaping her lips, but her eyes were closed. Continuing to stroke her mane, I looked back at the tombstone, giving a slight nod before looking back at the mare.
I closed up Fleetfoot's umbrella and tied the strap around one of my belt loops. Adjusting the umbrella I was holding, I wrapped an arm around the mare and lifted her off the ground. Fleetfoot squirmed a little as I lifted her, but after I was able to place her head over my shoulder, she settled down. The two of us were soaked because of how long we were out in the rain, and I could feel the mare shiver from the cold. Sure, pegasi could withstand cold temperatures since they live high in the sky, but they could only handle so much when there is intense rain and strong winds.
I've already lost feeling in both my arms, my skin prickling at how cold I was, and decided to make my way back to the orphanage. Even in the dark cloud streets, I made note of how many turns we made, along with which direction we returned, and was able to easily make the trip back. I could still feel Fleetfoot shivering against me, and I felt bad that I couldn't do anything to help stave off the cold until we got back. I picked up my pace, going at a brisk jog as I tried to return back to the orphanage. I jogged for a few minutes before finally making it back to the dreaded building that does more harm than good.
I got underneath the stone arch and shook out my umbrella. Water dripped from both Fleetfoot and myself, and I tried to shake as much as I could off without waking the mare. Sighing heavily at the fact that I was able to only get rid of the top layer of water, I grabbed the handle, only for the front door to be thrown open in a dark pink aura. I froze as Ever Ring fixed me with a look that could probably kill a manticore. The unicorn said nothing as she brought out a couple of towels and handed them to us. I took the offered towels and wrapped Fleetfoot in them to soak up the water that coated her fur. Ever Ring stepped aside, gesturing for me to enter quickly with her hoof. I briskly walked into the building, rubbing the towels against Fleetfoot to get more water off of her.
I didn't even bother addressing Ever Ring, or even bother giving her thanks as I started to climb the stairs. I paused momentarily when Ever Ring spoke up.
"Your room is across from the foals' room. Make sure you dry yourself up and get that worthless mare into bed." I could just feel the hatred in the mare's tone.
I didn't move from the middle step, fighting down my emotions as I contemplated setting Fleetfoot on the staircase, and then kicking Ever Ring in the face. Thankfully, Ever Ring made my decision for me as I heard her trot off, a door closing behind her. I assumed she went back to her office, and took this chance to take a few breaths. Shaking my head clear of any thoughts, I climbed back up the stairs, reminding myself that this was for Fleetfoot. I made my way back to the foals' room and opened the door to see all of them asleep. I left the door slightly ajar as I opened the room across from them, leaving a slight crack as I turned on the light.
The room was about what I expected it to be. There was a single bed in the middle of the room, a nightstand to the left, and a small dresser on the right. The bed was obviously for ponies, since it was too small for me to sleep in normally. It probably could have fit both Fleetfoot and myself, but I thought against it. Sliding my feet along the floor to make as little noise as possible, I made for the bed. Giving a few more rubs to Fleetfoot's body, I pulled the covers back and placed her on her belly. I unwrapped the towels from her and threw them to the other side of the room as I moved her head onto the pillow. Fleetfoot gave a small hum of pleasure as she wrapped her forelegs around the pillow, burying her muzzle deep into it.
I pulled the covers over the mare's body, allowing a little excess in case her wings adjusted during her sleep. Once Fleetfoot was tucked in bed, I moved towards a side of the room and slid down the wall. I saw the trail of water that followed me to the bedroom, and there was a nice streak mark of where I slid against the wall. I grabbed my shirt and peeled it off my body, shivering as the cool air hit my wet skin. I leaned my head down, giving a heavy sigh as I remembered that my backpack was downstairs. I really didn't want to go downstairs, wanting to avoid Ever Ring as much as possible to avoid any kind of incident. I buried my head in my hands as I debated with either getting a cold from my soaked clothes, or heading downstairs to deal with that awful unicorn.
As my mind slowly settled on just sleeping in my soaked clothes, I heard the door creak slightly. I looked up to see a pair of glowing yellow eyes staring at me. The filly moved from behind the door, and I recognized her as Everglade. The thestral's eyes moved between myself, and the other room she was sleeping in. The poor foal looked torn between coming into the room, possibly being a bother to either myself or Fleetfoot, or just heading back to her bed. I watched as she turned around, but stopped when I called out to her.
"Everglade, it's okay. You can come in if you want to. That's why I left the door open." I made sure to speak in a hushed tone to avoid waking Fleetfoot.
Everglade looked back at me, waiting to see if what I said was true. I gave a gentle smile, gesturing with my hand for her to come closer. The thestral shuffled on the tips of her hooves for a few seconds before coming into the room. Everglade closed the door behind her, leaving the little crack like I had left it. The filly trotted up to me and gestured with her hoof if she could sit in my lap. Holding up my hand, I got to my feet and went over to the tossed towels. I lifted them both and checked to see how damp they were. The towel that I had first wrapped around Fleetfoot was pretty soaked, and the second one was just as wet, but still dry enough for the filly to sit on.
I walked back over to my original spot and sat down, placing the towel on my lap. I picked up Everglade and sat her in the middle as I gently stroked her mane. Everglade gave a small sigh of contentment as she rubbed her head into my hand. I never let up on my strokes, but Everglade was able to pull herself out of my gentle pets. The thestral turned towards me, her eyes slightly watery as she continued to rub her head against my hand.
"What's wrong, Everglade? Has Ever Ring done something to you?" This caused the filly to wince a little, making me worried that something had happen.
My worry was pushed aside when Everglade pulled away from my hand and shook her head. "It's not that. I was worried for Ms. Fleetfoot. I'm fairly new here, but the one time I remembered her visit, it turned out just like this." This caused me to raise a brow at the little filly as I took a quick glance at Fleetfoot. "A few of the others said that during her visits, she would sometimes not come back until morning."
I nodded my head as I looked down at the filly, gently scratching behind her ears. "Do you know what she does when she comes for visits here?"
The filly gave a frown as she moved to lay down in the blanket. "We all do. Madame Ever Ring takes us to the tombstone to remind us what happens to foals that don't listen to her rules." I could feel my rage boiling deep inside, my hands shaking as I tried to suppress it.
I could faintly hear Everglade talking, but my rage tuned out everything she was saying. I've only been in Cloudsdale for not even a day, and I could already feel the urge to never return again. Every time I spoke with Fleetfoot or one of the foals, I learned something new about Ever Ring that made her even more of a monster than I thought before. My mind started to wander about what I could do to get the foals out of this orphanage. My thoughts were stopped when I felt a small, searing pain in my hand. I looked down to see Everglade biting my hand, her eyes looking up at me with concern. Seeing the filly's concerned look helped to ease my building rage. I didn't even notice my heart rate increase until it started to slow down as I relaxed under the filly's look.
Rubbing my head with a hand, I spoke to Everglade in a soft tone. "Sorry, Everglade. My mind was off on its own tangent."
Everglade pressed a hoof against my arm, causing me to look at her as she looked at me with caring eyes. "I know what you're feeling, Mark, it's understandable. Ignoring her for now, I was curious to know if Fleetfoot was doing any better after her visit."
I looked back at Fleetfoot's sleeping form, the gentle rise and fall of her body showing that she was calmer than before. Looking at the mare, I thought back to my own past life, and I considered telling her about that part of my life. Fleetfoot was brave enough to share a piece of her own life, giving a few details about Spitfire, that I thought it would only be fair to share a piece of very personal information myself. Shaking my head slightly, I put the thought away for later, contemplating as I turned back to the filly.
I went back to petting the thestral's mane as I smiled at her. "Fleetfoot is doing better. I think she really needed a shoulder to cry on after all those years." Everglade gave me a small smile as she hugged my arm.
"Thank you for being there for her, and being such a great friend to her," Everglade said as she wrapped her tail around my wrist.
I started to pet the filly's mane when a thought crossed my mind. "Hey, I have an idea on something fun that we can all do tomorrow morning. Want to hear what it is?"
This seemed to perk the filly's attention as she pulled away from my arm, raising a brow as she curled her lip curiously. "What do you have in mind?"
I smiled at the filly as I leaned down, whispering my idea to her as I let my excitement show through my words. "How about we go to a park? Just you, me, Fleetfoot, and the other foals. Does that sound like fun?"
The thestral gave a huge smile before it quickly turned into a deep frown. "It sounds like fun, but I don't think Madame-"
I placed a finger on Everglade's muzzle, silencing her before she could even utter that unicorn's name. "I don't care what or how she feels about all of you going to the park. If you're interested in going, along with the others, then we're going."
The filly grew hesitant as she avoided looking at me. I could feel her shift uncomfortably as I held her close. I brought a hand to her chin, gently lifting it up so she could look at me. I gave her a smile that promised everything would be fine, and that nothing would happen to any of them if Ever Ring decided to throw a tantrum. Everglade stared at my promising smile, slowly nodding her head as a smile tugged at her lips. Nodding to the filly, I gave her a few pats to the head before carrying her back to the other bedroom.
I entered the bedroom and took a look around to see the foals asleep, except a few that were trying to fake being asleep. I didn't pay it much mind as I assumed they were waiting for Everglade's return to probably tell them how Fleetfoot was feeling. I shook my head slightly as I gave a small smile at the few foals. Continuing to cradle Everglade, I headed towards her bed, making sure to move quietly to avoid waking all the other foals. I made it to the filly's bed, and placed her on the slightly soft mattress. The thestral smiled up at me as I tucked her in, smiling as I ruffled her mane a little.
Once Everglade was tucked in her bed, and she was comfortable enough to get some sleep, I moved out of the room. As I stepped out of the foals' room, I finally decided to go get my backpack. Thankfully, the water had finally stopped dripping from my body, and now I only suffered cold chills as I briskly walked down the stairs. At the bottom of the stairs, I easily spotted my backpack near Fleetfoot's saddlebags. I opened my backpack, and grabbed a clean pair of clothes. Zipping up my backpack, I threw it over my shoulder and headed back upstairs. I looked to my left to see Fleetfoot's and the foals' bedrooms, but there wasn't a bathroom on their side.
I looked to the right to see a door by itself. With no other options, I walked to the door and opened it. I found the light switch on the wall, and flicked it on. The light blinded me for a few seconds, but once my eyes adjusted, I saw that I was in a bathroom. I closed the door behind me, and started to remove the remainder of my wet clothes. The bathroom wasn't anything fancy or eye catching. It was a simple bathroom, sharing the design of what most people would find in a shopping mall. The sink was a simple white porcelain, and the toilet was a little dirty. I looked towards the shower to see that it was the only nice thing in the bathroom.
The tub was a well-polished marble, but there was a slight problem. The shower had no shower head, but a cloud. I stared at the cloud, packing away my wet clothes as I tried to understand how this would work. Putting my backpack to the side, I grabbed a towel and placed it with my clothes on the sink. I looked around the cloud, trying to see if there was anything I could use to activate it. Not finding anything that I could use to turn on the water, I took a random gamble. Fluttershy talked about her cloud shower that she had in her cottage, especially how the water from the cloud helped to wash her animals' fur.
Not really sure if this could work since I didn't have any pegasus magic, I tapped the cloud. Surprisingly, the cloud let loose drops of water after the initial contact. I gave a slight frown as I stared at the cloud. The water started pouring out of the cloud a few seconds later, and it didn't seem to be losing any of its mass. Rubbing my temples to avoid the growing headache, I pushed aside all thoughts about how this worked. I was about to step into the shower when I decided to take extra precaution. I moved towards the bathroom door and locked it. Nodding my head in approval, I moved back to the shower, and stepped inside.
The water was cold against my skin, causing me to give a harsh shiver, but I could feel the water starting to slowly warm. Not really sure how long the water would last, I moved through the shower quickly. I couldn't do much since I had forgotten my shampoo and body wash at the house, and the other cleaning products were out of the question since I didn't want to smell like some fruit basket. I was in the shower for five minutes, getting rid most of the grime that was on me, and turned the cloud off. Once the cloud had stopped pouring water, I moved out of the tub quickly and grabbed my towel.
I vigorously rubbed at my body, trying to get some heat from my arctic shower. I rubbed a little too hard as a few areas got a slight towel burn from my intense drying. After I finished drying off, I threw the towel to the side where a few other towels were gathered. I got dressed in my dry clothes, and exited the bathroom. I walked back down the hall, looking down the stairs to see Ever Ring's shadow. The unicorn moved from wherever she was standing as her shadow disappeared. Shaking my head, I moved back to the foals' room, and took a look inside. I gave a small smile as I saw the foals peacefully asleep. A few of them had moved from their beds to join Everglade in her bed.
I closed the door, leaving a slight crack so a little light could get in. I moved towards Fleetfoot's room, and as I entered, I saw a pair of light purple eyes staring at me. I didn't say anything as I entered the room, closing the door behind me while leaving a small crack. Fleetfoot's eyes followed me as I moved back to where I was sitting before. I took a seat as I stared back at Fleetfoot, the mare just watching me.
I leaned back against the wall, trying to find a comfortable position so I could get some sleep. "You should go back to sleep. You really need your rest."
Fleetfoot lifted herself from her bed, grabbing the blanket in her mouth as she moved off. I could hear the gentle flap of the mare's wings, and before I could say anything, I felt her blanket thrown on top of me. I looked at the mare as she gave a stern expression, before finally giving a slight shake of her head.
"I heard you talking to Everglade about going to the park," Fleetfoot said as she landed on the floor. "Since when do you make the decisions?" Fleetfoot gave a playful smile as she moved a part of the blanket, and laid on top of it.
"Since I think those foals deserve to have a fun memory," I said as I looked down at Fleetfoot with a raised brow. "Any reason why you're sleeping on the floor now?" I asked as I gestured to her comfy bed.
"I agree, Mark, they do deserve a fun memory. This place is already depressing enough with Ever Ring." Fleetfoot was about to say more, but shook her head as she looked back at me. "As to why I'm sleeping on the floor, I don't want to see you uncomfortable. It's bad enough that there's only one bed, but you can't even fit. It also doesn't help that I'm the only one that gets a blanket." I couldn't help but laugh at this, causing the mare to give me a harsh glare. "What's so funny about that?"
It took me a few seconds before I could finally get my laughter under control. "Nothing, just a memory from my past. But you really don't have to sleep down here with me. I'm just a guest here, and Ever Ring is just a poor host."
Fleetfoot didn't seem to find this funny as she stood on her hooves, and moved in my direction. I watched the mare as she moved closer towards me, and before I could say anything, she wrapped her forelegs around my neck.
I went to say something, but Fleetfoot cut me off. "You said you wanted to try being friends, and I want to be your friend. I don't know what it's like having friends on your planet, but here, friends stick together." Fleetfoot pulled back, looking at me with a caring expression as she wiped her hoof along my cheek. "So please don't cry. You're supposed to be my shoulder for the day, not the other way around."
I was confused by what Fleetfoot said when she mentioned I was 'crying'. Not believing that I had been crying, I moved a hand towards my other cheek, and I froze as I felt a wet spot. I pulled my hand back to see a little moisture on my hand. I had no idea I was crying, and I quickly wiped away the few tears that had apparently escaped. Fleetfoot continued to hold me close, rubbing my back up and down with her hoof as I reeled in my emotions. Fleetfoot held me for a few more seconds before letting go, and moving back to her spot.
Fleetfoot sat on her haunches, moving her hoof along the blanket as she spoke in a careful, caring tone. "Do you... want to talk about it?"
I didn't say anything as I looked at the mare. After Fleetfoot had mentioned that I was crying, I knew what had caused it. It was something that I have long kept to myself, but after seeing everything Fleetfoot has gone through, while learning a little bit about Spitfire, I thought it was fair to maybe share some of my own past.
After a few more seconds of thinking it over, I gave a small smile at Fleetfoot. "Sure, but do you mind if we wait until we get back home?" Fleetfoot raised a questioning brow at my request. "I would like to share with Spitfire as well so I don't have to tell this story twice. It's going to be painful enough the first time."
Fleetfoot stared at me with a concerned expression for several seconds before giving a soft smile. Nodding her head in understanding, Fleetfoot stood up from her blanket, giving me a quick hug before moving towards the light switch and turning off the lights. I could feel Fleetfoot move the blanket around as she tried to get comfortable on the cloud floor, preparing to suffer a painful night's rest with me. I could only shake my head as I thought about how weird a pony's friendship in this world could be. I wouldn't say that Fleetfoot and I were friends just yet, but it seemed like she was willing to try and be one.
Once Fleetfoot had settled into the blanket, I leaned forward and stroked her mane. I was expecting to have her swat my hand away, or even tell me not to touch her, but she just gave a happy sigh. "Good night, Fleetfoot."
"Good night, Mark." Fleetfoot gave a few pats to my hand before she fell to sleep's embrace.
Letting out a deep sigh, I closed my eyes, and tried to get as much sleep as I could so I could play with the foals at the park.
Morning
"Mark, time to get up," Fleetfoot said as she pushed against my side.
I gave a small groan as I tried to push away my assailant. "Just five more minutes."
Fleetfoot didn't seem to like this as she gripped the blanket in her mouth and ripped it away from my body. Once the blanket was removed, Fleetfoot put a little more pressure behind her pushing. I fell to the floor, grateful that it was still cloud and not a hardwood floor. I cracked an eye open to see Fleetfoot looking down at me, a playful grin on her face as I stretched on the floor. A few pops escaped my arms and back as I tried to wake myself up. Fleetfoot offered me a hoof, and I gladly accepted it as she helped me to my feet.
"Sorry about pushing you to the ground," Fleetfoot said with an apologetic grin as she stretched out her wings.
"Don't worry about it. I know you didn't mean it, and at least I landed on a cloud floor," I said as I gave one final yawn.
"So, you ready to head out to the park after I get all the foals together?" Fleetfoot asked as she hopped to the air.
"I'll grab my backpack and your saddlebags and meet you downstairs," I said as I grabbed my backpack.
Fleetfoot nodded as she flew out of the bedroom and headed for the foals' room. I exited the bedroom not long after her and I could hear her faintly whisper to the foals, gently rousing them from their slumber. As I headed down the stairs, I spotted Fleetfoot's saddlebags on a nearby table by the front door. As I went to pick up the saddlebags, I heard Ever Ring's voice from behind me.
"It seems you plan on taking the foals somewhere." I turned to face the mare as she gave a slight glare towards me. "Mind telling me where you're taking them?"
I took a glance towards the stairs to see if I could gauge how far away Fleetfoot and the foals were. Not hearing them anywhere near the stairs, I turned back to Ever Ring with a neutral expression on my face. "Fleetfoot and I are taking them to the park."
Ever Ring took a few steps closer towards me as she stared directly into my eyes. "What makes you think that I'll allow this?"
I set my backpack and Fleetfoot's saddlebags on the ground, and kneeled in front of the unicorn, keeping my eyes locked on hers. "I don't give two shits if you're going to allow this." Ever Ring raised a brow at my slightly harsh tone. "You already treat these foals horribly and I plan on giving them something to smile about, whether you like it or not."
Ever Ring gave a sharp scowl as she pressed a hoof against my chest, her voice dripping with pure hate and anger. "You better watch what you say, or else I will have the mayor here and have your sorry ass thrown out of this damn city. I raise respectful foals at this orphanage, and only punish those that need to be taught a valuable lesson."
I let some of my anger slip as I gripped the mare's hoof, giving a harsh grip, and causing her to give off a quiet whimper. "You keep ponies from acting on their biological instinct! You're traumatizing foals so much that they would probably need years of therapy to get rid of their nightmares of you. You even let a foal go out in a harsh storm, and she died because of you, you fucking bitch." I let go of the mare's hoof, pushing her away from me.
Once I had some space from Ever Ring, I stood to my full height, and spoke to her in a threatening tone. "Go ahead and call the mayor if you want to. I don't care! I'm just going to make sure that the princesses know exactly what has been going on around here."
Ever Ring gave a small giggle as she looked up at me, her features giving a sadistic grin. "You think the princesses would be able to do anything." I raised a brow as the mare's horn glowed, gripping at the collar of my shirt, and pulling me down so her muzzle was pressing against my nose. "Many other ponies have complained to the princesses, but without any proof, they weren't able to do a thing."
Ever Ring let go my shirt's collar, and trotted off back to her office. I heard her give an evil laughter before closing the door behind her. My right eye gave a slight twitch as I slammed my fist on the table. I heard the wood groan under the impact of my fist, and I bit my lower lip as I stifled my own scream of pain. My hand shook violently as Ever Ring's words weighed heavily on my mind. The unicorn seemed so confident that she could get away with everything that she had done, and I honestly couldn't find a way to doubt her claims. Ever Ring had the foals easily silenced under her iron hoof, and it seemed that she was prepared for anything.
I was pulled from my thoughts when I felt a gentle hoof again my leg. Looking down, I saw Everglade looking up at me, her eyes starting to fill with worry. I looked away from the filly, grabbing my hand as I looked at the other ponies that had gathered. Fleetfoot was looking at me with a concerned expression, but she gave a gentle hoof shake, showing we could talk about it later. Looking at the worried foals, I was able to push away some of my anger as I crouched in front of the filly.
"Is everything alright, Mark?" Everglade asked as she wrapped her forelegs around my leg.
I gave a gentle smile as I stroked the filly's mane, speaking in a calmer tone. "Everything is fine." I pulled the filly away from my leg so I could carry her as I addressed the other ponies in the room. "Now who wants to go to the park?"
There was an ear splitting cheer as all the foals scampered outside, stopping near the stairs as they looked back at Fleetfoot and myself. Everglade buried her muzzle into my arms as I stepped outside with the foals. Thankfully, the skies had cleared up, and the sun was shining down on the city. Fleetfoot jumped in front of the group, her wings spread wide as she took to the air, and started to lead the group towards a park. The foals were full of energy as they ran around each other, jumping through the air, and playfully rolling around on the clouds.
I made sure to hang back, keeping an eye on the foals to make sure none of them got hurt, and also to make sure that they don't get separated from the group. Our little tour group seemed to gather a lot of attention as the pegasi that were flying around the sky looked down at us. Many of the pegasi looked at the group of foals before looking back at me, only to stop in their tracks when their brains finally registered what they were looking at. I received many stares from the pegasi, and there were a few flashes that I was sure had come from cameras. I could only assume these pictures were to be used as proof to show the assailant of the current mayor of Cloudsdale visiting their city, or to show that Princess Luna's concubine was with another mare.
If it wasn't for Everglade in my arms, and the mass of foals in front of me, I was certain that I would have screamed at every pegasus that stopped and stared at me. The walk was thankfully short as we arrived at a park. There weren't many pegasi around, and I was generally surprised with what I saw. The park in Cloudsdale was similar to the ones that were around Canterlot, but modified because of its location. There weren't any trees around, but instead clouds in the formation of trees to give some shade from the sun. There was a walkway that a pony could walk on, and there was even a little picnic area that we could sit at.
There was a little jungle gym near the picnic area, and a cloud box for foals to play in. It was interesting to see a cloud box since pegasi could physically manipulate clouds. The clouds in the cloud box, though, were a different variation of cloud that acted like sand in some sort of way. That cloud was still a cloud, but was specifically designed to be molded into anything a foal desired without causing a small storm. Fleetfoot and I took a seat at the picnic table as the rest of the foals ran towards the playground.
I looked down at Everglade, who beamed up at me. I returned the filly's smile as I set her on the ground. She then quickly took off towards the other foals. I watched as the foals ran around, playing a game of tag as Everglade and Torch went for the cloud box. Watching the foals play around without a care in the world put a huge smile on my face as I thought back to my youthful years. I was so occupied watching the foals play that I didn't even notice Fleetfoot scoot next to me. When she finally spoke, I jumped a little from her presence.
"I saw your confrontation with Ever Ring." Fleetfoot looked up at me as her ears splayed back. "What happened?"
I clasped my hands together, placing them under my chin as I let out a heavy sigh. "Ever Ring wasn't entirely too enthralled about us taking the foals to the park. She threatened to call the mayor for this and have me thrown out of Cloudsdale, but..."
Fleetfoot placed a hoof on my shoulder as she looked at me with worried eyes. "But what?"
I rubbed the bridge of my nose as I let out a deep exhale. "I opened my big mouth to call her out on everything she has done to the foals." Fleetfoot didn't say anything, rubbing my arm with her hoof as I continued talking. "She had no fear from my threat, already prepared for anything that I could throw at her. Do you have anything that could possibly convict her of her actions?"
Fleetfoot removed her hoof from my arm, the feeling of the soft underside of her hoof gone made me want to feel it again. "I tried to talk to the princesses about everything Ever Ring had done, but I didn't have anything on her. The foals won't even talk against her for fear that if she doesn't get convicted, then she will severely punish them." Fleetfoot let out a heavy sigh as she looked out at the foals. "I don't blame them since I would never want them to suffer the worst punishment that she could give."
I looked at Fleetfoot with a raised brow, my lips curling into a small frown. "What the hell did she exactly do to you?"
I saw a small tear form at Fleetfoot's eyes before she quickly wiped it away. "After Pyro's passing... I confronted Ever Ring. I just let my anger control me... and I just attacked her. She easily stopped me because of her magic, and after that, she gave me her worst punishment."
Fleetfoot was trembling as a few whinnies escaped her maw. I did the only thing I could think of at the moment, and that was to wrap the mare in a tight embrace. Fleetfoot wrapped her hooves around me, pulling me closer to her as I felt a few tears stain my shirt. The foals were still busy playing with each other, giving us the alone time that we needed.
I stroked my hand through Fleetfoot's mane, speaking softly into her ear. "It's okay, Fleety. Just take a few breaths and we can continue on from there."
Fleetfoot let out a small giggle at me using her nickname, before finally taking my advice. Fleetfoot took deep breaths, collecting her riled up emotions before looking up at me. "I think it's better if I show you."
I didn't know what she meant, but I was answered quickly when she lifted her left wing, and moved closer so I could see a line of missing fur. A scar was clear as day where her fur was missing, and I moved around the mare's wing to look at her. "What did she do to you?"
Fleetfoot folded her wings against her side, looking at the foals as she spoke in a quiet, hurt tone. "After Ever Ring had me held in her magic, she grabbed a knife, and threatened to cut my wing off. She was about to, but she seemed to second guess herself as she placed the blade against the base of my wing."
I easily saw Fleetfoot shiver at the memory of the cold steel against her wing, her hooves moving towards it to cradle it caringly. "She thought that it would be too easy to show that she had harmed you. So instead, she decided to cut you below the base, and then come up with a bullshit story about how you got hurt."
Fleetfoot nodded as she stared off to the side. Even with my short interaction with Ever Ring, it was easy to see that the mare was as smart as she is crazy. I wouldn't be surprised if Fleetfoot told me that she tried to use her scar as evidence against the awful caretaker, but Ever Ring was apparently one step ahead of everyone. I was pulled from my thoughts when I felt something wet sliding down my fingers. I looked down at my right hand to see that I had balled it into a fist. I was clenching tightly enough that my nails dug into the skin, and caused me to bleed. I took a few deep breaths as I uncurled my fingers, looking at the four nail marks that were dripping blood.
Fleetfoot turned around to see a few drops of my blood fall from my hand. The mare surprised me when she grabbed my hand and licked at my small wounds. I saw her face scrunch up as she spat a little after giving a few licks to my wound. Fleetfoot licked at my hand for a few more seconds before spitting out the last of my blood, and turning back to me with a concerned expression.
I looked between the mare and my hand a few times before speaking in a soft voice. "What was that about?"
Fleetfoot grabbed my hand with her hooves, holding it between her soft pads as she spoke in a caring tone. "I didn't bring a first aid kit with me, so I improvised. Ponies do the same thing with foals when they get a little cut to help it heal if they can't find anything else to use."
I nodded my head in understanding as I removed my hand from her grip. I wiped her saliva on my pants as I chuckled internally at that small similarity. Animals from Earth would do the same thing to keep their young from getting any sort of infection, and it wasn't uncommon for humans to do the same since our saliva helped to speed up our healing. I turned away from Fleetfoot as I watched all the foals running around, playing a game of tag. Watching the foals play, I noticed how happy they were, and started wondering if there was anything I could do to help them.
"Hey, Fleet?" Fleetfoot looked at me as I continued to watch the foals. "Are you sure there isn't anything we can do to convict Ever Ring?"
Fleetfoot let out a heavy sigh as she looked back out at the foals with me. "Pyro was trying to gather anything she could use to convict Ever Ring. She did find a few things, but I don't know where she hid them." Fleetfoot gave a soft shake of her head as she turned back to me, placing a hoof on my shoulder. "I've tried looking for where she could have possibly hidden it during my travels here, but I've had no luck in finding it."
I let a deep breath escape my mouth as I rubbed the bridge of my nose. If Fleetfoot had been looking for Pyro's 'evidence', and had no luck in finding it, then there might not be anything that I could do. The feeling made me sick to my stomach. I refuse to think that there was nothing I could do to help these foals out. A slight growl escaped my lips as I looked at the foals, determination burning inside me to help them. I looked back at Fleetfoot, who shied back a little from my gaze. I took a few calming breaths, stretching my arms like Twilight had shown me to ease my anger.
"I'm not going to let this continue anymore. We're going to find wherever Pyro hid her evidence, and we're going to get these foals a better life." I stood up from the picnic bench as I gave a confident smile.
Fleetfoot gave a small smile and nod and she hopped into the air, patting my back with a hoof. "I'm glad to hear you say that, Mark. I want to see these foals grow up into wonderful ponies without fear of having to deal with Ever Ring ever again."
I gave a curt nod to the pegasus as we both went over to join the foals. The foals were excited to have us join them in their little games. I joined Everglade and Torch in the cloud box, building a small cloud castle. Fleetfoot showed off a few tricks from her shows, making sure to use her more simple ones to avoid straining herself. Everglade seemed to enjoy my castle as she started to dig a moat around the building. Torch started building miniature catapults, placing them along the outer walls and towers of the castle.
Fleetfoot and I continued to play with the foals for another hour before finally deciding to go out and get something to eat. The foals were disappointed to hear that we were leaving, but a promise to go the park again during our next visit made them smile brightly. The only thing I hoped for was that during our next visit, Ever Ring would have nothing to do with them. Fleetfoot led us to a little restaurant a few blocks away from the park. When I went up to see what they had to offer, I was surprised to see what they had. A lot of the food on the list isn't something I have seen at Canterlot.
Fleetfoot ordered cloud meals for the foals, and a cloud sandwich for herself. Not really familiar with anything on the menu, I just took a gamble with a cloud sandwich. We all walked out of the building, and took seats at the tables. The foals happily ate their meals, and by eat, I really mean that they made a mess of everything around and on them. I was about to take a bite of my sandwich when Everglade touched my arm. I looked down at the filly to see that she had food all over her face. I looked at the other foals to see they were in the same state, or even worse than Everglade.
I sighed as I got up from my seat, and entered the building to grab a ton of napkins. I walked back out, taking my chair again as I had the foals line up. I went one by one on each foal, cleaning their faces, manes, and coats. A few of the foals squirmed as I cleaned them, upset with a few harsh rubs I had to give to make sure I got everything off of them. While I was busy cleaning them, I glanced up to see Fleetfoot giving me a small smile. I could only assume that it warmed her heart to see me care for these foals like they should be. Giving the mare a smile in return, I passed her a few napkins, and gestured for her to help out cleaning the foals.
I laughed a little as her smiled turned into a bemused look as she gestured for one of the foals to come towards her. After several minutes of cleaning the foals, they were all presentable, and I was given a chance to try out my new meal. I picked up the cloud sandwich, and took a large bite. After I chomped down on the sandwich, I lost the rest of my meal on my shirt. Fleetfoot was busy laughing at my surprised face as I finished the bit of lettuce, tomato, and pickle from my sandwich. Apparently, cloud sandwiches could only be eaten by pegasi because of their affinity with clouds, but if anyone else tried to eat them, the cloud would just pop.
Shrugging at the mess on my shirt, I grabbed one of the many napkins I brought out, and did my best to clean up. I was able to get most of the food off of my shirt, but I would have to toss the shirt later. Not really up to making a fool of myself again, I stood up from the table, and gestured for us to head back to the orphanage. The foals all nodded as I grabbed my backpack, and slung it over my shoulder. Everglade and Torch jumped on the table, extending their forelegs out to me. I looked at them with a raised brow as they gave huge smiles and adorable puppy eyes. I chuckled a little as I picked up the two foals, and cradled them in my arms.
A couple of foals trotted up to Fleetfoot, begging for a ride on her back. Fleetfoot happily agreed to give them a ride, but now she didn't know what to do with her saddlebags. Moving Torch over to Everglade for a few seconds, I grabbed Fleetfoot's saddlebags, and slung them over my shoulder. Fleetfoot looked at me with a worried expression as she turned to look at me fully.
"I can carry that, you know." Fleetfoot gestured to the saddlebags.
I gave the mare a smile as I shrugged my shoulders. "I don't mind carrying it. Plus, I think you could go without having to deal with adjusting while you carry the foals."
Fleetfoot looked away as she mumbled under her breath. "It's usually the mare that would offer to carry something."
"What was that?" I asked as I leaned in closer to hear what she had to say.
Fleetfoot took a few steps back quickly as she looked at me with a slight blush. "I said as long as you're okay with it."
I nodded my head as I moved Torch to my other arm, and gestured for Fleetfoot to take us back. Fleetfoot hovered in the air, but made sure to stick close to the ground in case one of the foals slipped off her back. The foals didn't jump around as much as they did this morning. A few gave large yawns as they fought to stay awake. I wasn't surprised to see how tired they were since they were going at full energy when we left the building. Torch had fallen asleep in my arms, but Everglade was fighting against her sleep by chewing on my arm.
We made it back to the orphanage, and thankfully, Ever Ring was nowhere to be seen. Fleetfoot started to lead the foals back to their bedroom, getting them in bed to get some sleep. I placed Torch in his bed while I continued to let Everglade happily chew on my arm. Since after our first encounter, she was able to avoid biting through my skin, and instead made it tickle. I moved towards Everglade's bed, glancing up at Fleetfoot as she put the last foals away in their bed.
"Hey, why don't you go take a shower? I can take care of everything from here," I offered as I smiled at the mare.
Fleetfoot smiled back as she spoke in a delighted tone. "Thanks, Mark. I'll be in the bedroom after I shower." Fleetfoot started to head for the door, but stopped as she turned around to address me. "Also, we're taking the first carriage back to Canterlot. Make sure to get to bed early."
I nodded to the mare as I waved her off with a hand. I watched as the mare left, waiting a few seconds before looking down at Everglade. "Hey, Everglade, do you think you can help me with something?"
Everglade stopped chewing on my arm as she looked up at me with her bright yellow eyes. "I can try."
I nodded my head as I placed the filly in bed, leaning in close so the others don't hear me. "Do you know where either Fleetfoot's or Pyro's beds used to be when they stayed here?"
Everglade looked at me, her head bobbing side to side as she thought. It seemed like she wasn't coming up with anything, but could I really blame her? I was asking a five year old to tell me the location of something that was many years old. A couple minutes passed, and it seemed like I wasn't going to get an answer. I was about to kiss the filly on the head, and move to Fleetfoot's room before Everglade placed a hoof on my hand.
"My bed used to belong to Fleetfoot. Pyro's is..." Everglade hesitated as her eyes shifted from side to side. She gestured for me to move closer, and I did so. "Pyro's room is the door next to Madame Ever Ring's office."
I nodded my head as I stroked the filly's mane. "Thank you for that. Do you mind if I searched your bed for something?"
Everglade shook her head, and moved so I could look around it. I lifted the mattress, looked under the bed, and pulled it out some to see if anything was missing, but nothing was out of place. I gave a small frown at this setback, but I still had two more places to look. Kissing Everglade on the head, I tucked her into her bed, and wished her a good night's rest. I moved out of the foals' room, turning out the light as I left the door slightly ajar. I looked towards where the bathroom was, and I saw the door was still closed. I moved over to the bathroom, and pressed my ear against the door. I could hear the water still running, and made to move fast with what I was doing.
I moved towards the stairs, but stopped at the picture that had Fleetfoot, Spitfire, Pyro, and all the other foals. Giving the picture a curious look, I moved the picture to the side to see a regular cloud wall. I put the picture back where it belonged, and moved down the stairs. I looked towards Ever Ring's office, and made sure that she wasn't anywhere near. Taking a deep breath, I moved towards the office, and saw a door next to it. There were no other doors, and I could only take the guess that this was Pyro's room. I grabbed the handle of the door, and as I turned it... it was locked. I cursed under my breath as I threw my hands in the air in exasperation.
I looked at Ever Ring's office as I bounded on the tips of my toes. I moved towards the stairway, and took a quick look around. Fleetfoot was nowhere to be seen, and neither was Ever Ring. I moved back to Ever Ring's office, placing my hand on the doorknob. I knew I would get in a lot of trouble for what I was going to do, but from everything I've heard about Pyro as of late, I had a good idea where she might have hidden everything. I turned the doorknob to the office, and the door opened. I looked around the office to see a mahogany desk in the middle, three bookshelves filled to the brim in the back, and two chairs in front of the desk.
I moved towards the desk and started sifting through all the papers. I found nothing on the desk, so I moved on for the drawers. Many of the drawers had books, papers, a flask, whiskey, and a collection of very adult magazines. The drawer with the magazines I quickly shut before opening it again. I looked through the magazines, yelling at myself to stop going through all this, but I couldn't take my eyes away from Ever Ring's vast collection. I probably would have spent hours looking through her magazines if I wasn't stopped by a certain one. I looked at the cover of the magazine to see Spitfire and Fleetfoot on the front cover. I quickly pocketed that magazine in my backpack, and closed the drawer.
There was only one drawer left to look through, and I took a deep breath as I prepared for whatever horrors I might find in the drawer. I opened the middle drawer, and immediately closed it. I found the key I was looking for, and apparently a large assortment of sex toys. I couldn't help but pound my head on the desk at my terrible luck. I started laughing hysterically, making sure not to be too loud as I gripped the drawer again. Mentally preparing myself, I pulled the drawer open, and grabbed the key. After grabbing the key, I slammed the drawer close, wincing at how loud it was as I moved out of the office.
I closed the door to Ever Ring's office, and moved towards Pyro's bedroom. I realized I didn't even take the time to look if there were other keys in the office, but I really didn't want to go back in that nightmare room. Putting the key in the lock, I prayed that this key would work. Turning the key, I heard the door unlock, and started mentally cheering. Happy with my luck so far, I opened the door as quickly as I could. As the door opened, I noticed something fall from above. Looking at the ground, I raised a brow to see a spider on the floor.
The hairs on the spider were white, and it gave it a very fluffy look. There was a blue ring on the top of the spider's abdomen, indicating it was female. Taking a closer look, she was the size of at least a tarantula. The spider looked up at me for a few seconds, before gesturing towards the stairs. I nodded my head as the spider scurried downstairs. I stood at the top step for a few seconds, trying to make sure that I understood what I saw.
"Huh, a female version of Scary. What a small world," I mumbled to myself as I flipped the light switch.
The light was a dull yellow, barely illuminating the room, but I could make out the few things in the room. I saw a bed against the back wall in a corner, a bookshelf next to the end of the stairs, and a small desk against the left wall. With little to work with, and probably not a lot of time to spare, I started my search. I began with Pyro's bed, moving the mattress around, and looking under it. I found nothing around the bed, so I moved towards the desk. Papers were littered across the top, and I saw there were even a few pictures of Pyro, Fleetfoot, and Spitfire. They were very well drawn, and I couldn't help but smile at the picture.
I grabbed all the pictures that Pyro had made, and stuffed them into my backpack. With the pictures collected, I began searching through the desk's drawers. During my search through the drawers, I started slamming each one that I searched through. There was nothing in any of the drawers, and I was starting to worry that I wouldn't find anything. Slamming my fist on the desk, I stood up, and moved towards my only hope. I looked at the scarce amount of books and folders on the bookshelf. Grabbing the first book, I flipped through the pages to see if anything was out of place.
I searched through all the books and folders for ten minutes, and I started to worry that Fleetfoot would come looking for me. Searching through the last book, I threw it against the wall. All my time was wasted as I came up with absolutely nothing. Moving towards the bed, I sat on the edge as I placed my face in my hands. Taking a few breaths, I stood up from the bed, and started for the stairs. As I neared the stairs, I tripped on something, and hit the cloud floor. I groaned as I rolled to my side, and saw a piece of cloud sticking up. Moving towards the cloud piece, I grabbed it, and tried lifting it.
I removed the cloud piece to see a key underneath. I removed the key, but I found nothing for it to go to. I stared at the key intently as I looked over at the bookshelf. Giving the bookshelf a curious look, I grabbed it, and moved it to the side. With the bookshelf out of the way, I saw another piece of cloud sticking out. I grabbed the cloud piece, and removed it from the wall. I looked inside the hold to see a small safe. I grabbed the safe, and pulled it out. I placed the safe on the ground, and put the key inside. The door to the safe unlocked, and I opened the door.
Inside the safe was a folder, and a smaller picture of Spitfire, Fleetfoot, and Pyro. I placed the picture inside my backpack, and pulled out the folder. The folder was decently filled, but I wasn't sure what was inside. Not working with much anymore, I put the folder away in my backpack, and closed up the safe. I returned everything I had moved to its rightful place, and went back up the stairs. I ran into female Scary at the top step, who gave me a gentle nod. Even after those animal lessons with Fluttershy, seeing this much intelligence from a spider was kind of frightening. The only thing that could make the spider even scarier would be if it was working for some mob where the boss had an obvious name that went over everyone's head.
Shaking my head from those silly thoughts, and filing them away to talk to Vinyl about later, I closed the door, and locked it. I moved towards Ever Ring's office to see that she was still gone. I moved into her office, and walked towards her desk. I looked at the middle drawer of doom, which I'm now naming Mordor, and prepared to open it. I grabbed the handles of the drawer, and pulled it open. I threw the key inside, and closed the drawer. I briskly walked out of the office, and headed up the stairs. At the top step, I grabbed the picture that had all the foals that knew Pyro, and placed it in my backpack.
I walked over to the bathroom, and didn't hear the water running. I moved over towards Fleetfoot's bedroom, and looked inside to see the mare asleep. I could assume that she was very tired from everything that has gone on during these two days. Quietly stepping inside, I left the door ajar as I walked over to the mare. I gave Fleetfoot a small frown as I stroked her mane. I heard the mare give a delighted sigh as I moved away from her. I sat against the wall I slept on and opened my backpack. I pulled out the folder, and looked over at Fleetfoot to make sure she was still asleep. Seeing that she was still out cold, I looked back at the folder. Taking a deep breath, I cracked the folder open, and my eyes widened at what I was seeing.
I'd finally found what I was looking for. All the hard work that Fleetfoot had put in to help the foals was finally going to play off. Fleetfoot was still asleep, so I decided to take a small peak at what was inside. I opened the folder and dropped it immediately after what I had seen. Picking up the folder, I looked out the door to make sure that Ever Ring was nowhere near the bedroom. Moving away from the door, I grabbed my backpack, and placed the folder inside. If the few sentences were anything to go by, then there was no chance for Ever Ring to talk her way out of everything she had done. |
Fleeting Flames | Pyro's Peace | Fleeting Flames
By: Duelist96
Chapter 10: Pyro's Peace
I was startled awake by Fleetfoot harshly shaking my body. My entire body went into overdrive as I jumped to my feet. The blanket that I had on at some point fell to the ground. Fleetfoot fixed me with a worried look as I tried to wake up the rest of my body. My back ached as I stretched to the side, Fleetfoot's gaze never leaving me as I tried to work out the kinks. After doing a few twists and turns, I grabbed the blanket and proceeded to fold it.
I was pulled from folding the blanket when Fleetfoot spoke, her voice holding a hint of worry and hesitation. "Is... is everything... alright, Mark?"
I smiled at Fleetfoot, the mare relaxing a little from my chipper look, but she still showed slight signs of worry. "Yeah, everything's fine."
Outside I was fine, but I wasn't doing so well on the inside. After looking inside that folder, my dreams were haunted with awful nightmares. I could understand that Ever Ring was cruel, but I couldn't believe how much of a demented bitch she was. Everything that Pyro had written down - even the pictures that she had taken - was more than I could handle at the time. I took a quick glance at my backpack as I thought about what to do with the information that I had found. I knew that if they read it, they wouldn't be able to stop themselves from lashing out. I was half tempted to just take it to the princesses without telling either mare about what I had learned.
As I looked towards Fleetfoot, that idea was shut down immediately. Fleetfoot had spent years looking for something to use against Ever Ring, and the more I thought about it, Spitfire had just as much of a right to know as she did. I was glad that my smile never faded as I looked at Fleetfoot, my mind finally deciding what to do. I was going to share the information with the mares, and then we will go see the princesses and enlist their help to end this once and for all. Nodding to Fleetfoot, the mare finally stopped staring as she fixed her bed. While Fleetfoot was distracted, I grabbed my backpack and unzipped it. I cracked the folder open, grabbing a piece of paper and quickly zipping my backpack up.
I folded the paper and put it away in my pocket. I was going to let the mares see everything I had found, but this one piece of paper needed to wait until I could speak alone with Fleetfoot. Once Fleetfoot smoothed out the covers, I placed my blanket back on the bed. Fleetfoot turned around with a small smile that quickly disappeared as she stared at me with curiosity. I raised a brow at the mare as I tried to see what she was staring at exactly. Fleetfoot seemed to have read my mind as she lifted a hoof, pointing towards my left shoulder. I looked at where she was pointing, and on my shoulder was the spider from before.
"What are you doing here?" I asked as the spider gave a shrug.
I was pulled away from looking at the spider as Fleetfoot spoke up. "Mark, why is there a spider on your shoulder?"
I gave a gentle shrug of my shoulders as I lifted my hand to the spider. The spider walked onto my hand as I looked at her, answering Fleetfoot's question as I petted the spider. "I found her when I was downstairs grabbing my backpack." I stopped petting the spider as I moved her towards Fleetfoot. "Would you like to hold her? She's very friendly."
Fleetfoot gave a gentle giggle as she shook her head. "Thanks for the offer, Mark, but I think I'll pass." Fleetfoot gave one final look to the spider before looking back at me with a raised brow. "How do you know that it's a she?"
I moved the spider around in my hand so she could see her abdomen. "Fluttershy taught me about this particular spider." I gestured towards the blue ring. "Males have a red ring while females have a blue one."
Fleetfoot nodded in understanding as she turned her attention towards me again. "So what are you going to name her?"
I scratched my chin in thought as I stared at the spider. "I'm not really sure. Are we keeping her as a pet?"
Fleetfoot laughed a little before shaking her hoof. "I'm all for pets, but Spitfire and I want something a little more... Umm, how do I put it...? Exotic."
I gave a soft frown as I stared back at the spider. I looked at the spider before speaking to her, seeing how much she could understand. "Hey, little one, would you like to be with another spider of the same species?" The spider gave what I assumed was an energetic nod as it clapped its front legs together.
Fleetfoot gave the spider a curious look as she turned towards me, pointing a hoof towards the spider. "Does she actually understand what we're saying?"
"From what Fluttershy has taught me, these types of spiders are very intelligent. She even mentioned them being very good pets." I looked back at the spider, thinking of a name before one finally clicked with me. "Ah ha! Frightening, that's her name. I'll drop you off with a couple of friends of mine that have a spider named Scary, and before you ask, yes, Scary is a male."
This seemed to get Frightening's attention as I swore I saw her blush a little. I couldn't help but laugh at seeing the spider blush as I placed her back on my shoulder. Fleetfoot took to the air as she looked at the spider, giving her an apologetic smile as she extended a hoof towards Frightening.
"Sorry that we couldn't keep you as a pet. I hope there's no hard feelings between us." Fleetfoot smiled warmly, hoping Frightening would accept her apology.
Frightening looked between Fleetfoot and her hoof before taking it in one of her small legs and giving it a shake while another leg gave a dismissive wave.
After Frightening released Fleetfoot's hoof, the pegasus turned towards me, her brow raised. "So who exactly is this friend that you're going to give Frightening to?"
I couldn't help the slightly evil grin that appeared on my face. "I'm going to give Frightening to Bon Bon and her marefriend Lyra."
Fleetfoot backed away a little from seeing my grin. "Why do I have a bad feeling about this?"
I looked towards Fleetfoot, getting rid of my grin and replacing it with a reassuring smile. "That's because there's a good chance that Bon Bon will be upset with me. She might also not find it amusing that I'm giving her another spider friend."
Fleetfoot gave a gentle nod before her ears perked up. "When you say Lyra, do you mean Lyra Heartstrings?"
I nodded my head. "Yeah, mint green coat with a dual colored mane of light green and white. Has golden eyes and a cutie mark of a lyre."
Fleetfoot's eyes widened at the realization of who I was talking about. "The same mare that plays the lyre for the Canterlot Symphony?" I gave her a nod and she couldn't help herself as she shook her head while laughing. "How are you still here and not attached to her at the waist?"
I gave a slight shrug as I headed for the door. "She used to pester me a lot about myself and my world, but we were able to work out a compromise where I could answer all her questions, and I don't end up having my hand taken away from me."
Fleetfoot bursted out with laughter as we headed downstairs. "I'm sorry, but that's just too funny! I don't care what some ponies say about her, she seems like a nice mare. She has heart to believe in things against all odds, and that's something I can respect."
I nodded my head in agreement as I let out a few chuckles myself. "She is a really great mare. Probably one of the quickest friends that I ever made beside Twilight and her friends."
The two of us reached the bottom of the stairs and were standing in front of the door. I wanted to say goodbye to the foals, but it just didn't seem appropriate. Some people thought it was weird that I never said goodbye, but that's because of what I believed. Saying goodbye is almost like acknowledging that we won't ever see each other again, and I plan on seeing these foals again very soon, hopefully later today if I can get with one of the princesses. Taking a quick glance up the stairs, I looked towards Fleetfoot as she placed her saddlebags on her back. Fleetfoot gave me a curt nod and I opened the door.
We were about to step outside, but were immediately stopped when five guards blocked our path. All five guards were clearly pegasi, and as I looked them over, I spotted the two ponies that I didn't wish to see. The mayor of Cloudsdale stepped forward, a huge grin spread across his face as Ever Ring trotted up next to him. The mayor stopped in front of me while Ever Ring pushed past Fleetfoot. Fleetfoot seemed ready to pounce the unicorn, but I stopped her as I raised a hand in front of her.
I took a deep breath as I looked towards the mayor, making sure that my voice was collected. "Can I help you?"
The mayor waved a dismissive hoof as he smiled at me. "I just thought that you and your little whorse marefriend would like an escort back to the carriage station since your two days are up."
I think the guards noticed my eye twitch as they prepared for some kind of attack. Taking a breath, I crouched down so I could look the mayor in the face. "Thank you very much for the escort." The mayor raised a brow in confusion as I smiled at him. "Also, I hope you've enjoyed your time as a mayor, since your time is up."
My smile turned into a serious look as I stared straight into his eyes. The mayor trembled under my stare before shaking himself free of the fear. Standing back up, I looked down at Fleetfoot as she gave me concerned look. I gave her a gentle nod as I turned back towards the building and looked up to where the foals' room was. I felt something poke my leg, and looking down revealed Fleetfoot gesturing for us to follow the escort.
"Give me a second," I whispered as I looked back up at the window. "Everglade, Torch, everyone!" I screamed. The window opened a few seconds later, the foals sticking their heads out and looking at me as Ever Ring opened the front door and glared at me. Ignoring the mare's death gaze, I looked back at the foals. "I'll be back very soon to get you out of this hell!" I could barely make out the smiles the foals gave me as I turned back to Ever Ring.
I walked towards Ever Ring, the sound of clanking armor behind me giving away that the guards were following my step. I crouched down when I was a few inches away from Ever Ring, my expression serious as I let hatred lace every work. "If I return to find out that so much as a single hair has been harmed on their head, you better be praying to Celestia that someone is holding me back."
Ever Ring gave a smirk as she leaned in closer, her tone confident as she spoke with pride. "I have gotten away with this for years. There is nothing you can do to stop me. So why don't you stop playing the hero and just go back to your two whorses?"
I continued to stare at Ever Ring as I gave her a big grin. "We'll see about that." I stood back up as I turned my back to the mare, beginning to walk back to the carriage station. I stopped as I glanced over my shoulder to look at Ever Ring. "Just remember that you started this fight against someone that you know nothing about. Also, Pyro wants you to know that she always despised you. So have fun while you can, bitch."
I could feel the mare trying to bore through the back of my skull with her heated gaze as I walked away. Fleetfoot took to the air, hovering next to me as we were escorted back to the carriage station. Frightening looked at me with a worried look, but didn't do anything as she climbed to the top of my head. As we walked back to the carriage station, I noticed the mayor stumble a bit during his trot. The mayor took to the air, trying to collect himself. I smiled internally that I was able to cause his frazzled state. It took a lot of willpower to not cheer in joy that his time here in Cloudsdale was limited.
Fleetfoot and I were escorted back to the carriage station and the mayor handed us our tickets. Well, he handed Fleetfoot her ticket, he just dropped mine on the ground and retreated behind the guards. I picked up my ticket, smiling at the mare as I followed Fleetfoot to our carriage. Fleetfoot allowed me to enter first, the mare quickly following behind me as she closed the door. It wasn't long before the carriage took to the air as the two of us reclined back to relax from that tense encounter.
During the trip back, I saw that Fleetfoot would look towards me, but quickly avert her eyes when I turned to face her. Fleetfoot kept at this for a few minutes before I finally spoke up. "What's wrong, Fleety?"
Thankfully, my little nickname for Fleetfoot was able to get her to giggle as she sat up. Sadly, her laughter stopped as she gave me a soft frown. "Mark, how come you got those foals' hopes up after we left?"
I gave Fleetfoot a frown of my own as I moved to sit next to her. Fleetfoot didn't seem to mind as she made enough room so the two of us could sit comfortably. I let out a deep sigh as I rubbed at my head, trying to push away what the mayor and Ever Ring had called her and Spitfire. "I did that because I meant it."
Fleetfoot looked up at me with a disbelieving expression. "How could you have meant that? It would take weeks if not months to get you another admittance into Cloudsdale, and even then, you don't have enough time to take days off yet."
I could clearly see the concern that Fleetfoot had as I grabbed at my backpack. Fleetfoot watched as I reached inside of my backpack before turning towards me as I spoke. "Do you know if Spitfire is at the house or the castle?"
Fleetfoot raised a brow in confusion as she ignored me digging through my backpack. "She should be at the castle practicing with everypony for the upcoming celebration. Why do you need to know that?"
I felt the folder in my hand, but I was hesitant to pull it out. I looked back at Fleetfoot as I gave her a small smile. "What if I told you I found a way to finally get rid of Ever Ring and the mayor?"
Fleetfoot gave me a bemused expression as she turned to face me fully. "First off, I would be surprised that you would have found something when I couldn't find anything for years. Secondly, no matter how much I trust you, Mark, I don't believe-"
I cut off Fleetfoot as I showed her the folder. Fleetfoot grabbed the folder in her hooves, looking at Pyro's name that was on the front cover. Tears welled up in Fleetfoot's eyes as she looked back at me, her voice cracking a little. "W-what is... what is this?"
I placed a finger on the folder, tapping it gently as I spoke. "This is stuff that Pyro gathered to convict Ever Ring. She even got a few things to convict the mayor as well."
Fleetfoot opened the folder harshly as she started looking through all the documents. She made sure to keep everything in order as she turned back to me, confusion evident on her face. "How did you find this? I've been looking for years, but you found it in only two days."
I gave a small frown as I looked back at my vacant seat, tears threatening to form in my eyes. "I just know a few things. I'll explain it to you later since it goes with what I want to explain to both you and Spitfire."
Fleetfoot closed the folder as she looked at me. She handed me the folder, and I quickly packed it away. The rest of the ride back was quiet, tense, but Fleetfoot wrapped one of her wings around my side to help ease the slight pain that I was feeling. I closed my eyes as I buried my face in my hands, leaning against Fleetfoot as she rubbed my back gently with her wing. One of her hooves was placed on my shoulder as she leaned close to my ear, humming softly as I tried to leave my thoughts of the past.
The carriage finally arrived at Canterlot, and as the two pegasi that were pulling the carriage opened the door, I felt Fleetfoot shift a little as she gestured for the two ponies to move away. It seemed they took to her request as I heard them fly away from the carriage. Rubbing the bridge of my nose, I slung my backpack over my shoulders and grabbed Fleetfoot's saddlebags. Fleetfoot exited the carriage first while I took a quick look around to see where Frightening might have gone. A gentle tap to my cheek alerted me that the spider was still on my shoulder. With everything gathered, I stepped out of the carriage.
Popping my neck a few times, I headed off in the direction away from the castle. "Come on Fleetfoot, I want to see if Lyra and Bon Bon are still in town before heading for the castle."
Fleetfoot quickly flew up to my side as she followed me. "I thought you wanted to get this over with?"
I nodded as I lifted my hands towards Frightening, letting the spider get a better view of the city. "I do, and I plan on getting it done today. I really don't care if I have to interrupt a meeting to get it done. I just want to make sure this is taken care of before we forget."
Fleetfoot nodded her head as she floated next to me. I had a rough idea of where Lyra and Bon Bon were staying, so hopefully it wouldn't take too long. The walk was pretty quiet between Fleetfoot and I, but Frightening seemed to be enjoying the sights. I couldn't help but chuckle as the spider turned around in my hand, her soft hairs tickling my skin. While Frightening was busy spinning in my hand, I took a glance at Fleetfoot to see how she was doing. When I looked at her, I had to shake my head to make sure I wasn't seeing anything.
Before, I used to see Fleetfoot as just a regular mare, just like every other pony, especially my friends. My knowledge about relationships in this world has been very minimal, but I have learned a few things as I've stayed with the two Wonderbolts. It probably didn't help that some of my friends were very lax with being open about what happens in their relations, then that gets added on to that I haven't really had a relationship in a while, so now I've been dealing with these strange feelings. I never really thought about dating in this world, but then again, I've also had my mind set that I would be returning back to Earth.
Now that I've been stuck here for a while, I kind of accepted that some things were going to need some change. With everything that I've been through with Fleetfoot, I saw her in a different light. After sharing that folder with her, she seemed to positively glow with joy. Her wings were lovely as they beat gently to keep her aloft, her mane and tail gently moving as the wind blew past us. Her light purple eyes were lovely as the sun made them shine a little more. It was at this moment that I had no words to describe the beauty that I was seeing. Fleetfoot turned to look at me and I had to quickly avert my gaze.
Fleetfoot didn't say anything as I silently chastised myself for staring at her like some kind of creep. I kept my eyes to the ground for a few minutes before looking up to see where we were. Taking a look at a few of the buildings, I knew we weren't far from where the two mares were staying at. Picking up the pace as I held Frightening close to my chest, I rounded the last corner to see the small house Lyra and Bon Bon were staying at. Fleetfoot landed next to me, trotting along as I walked up the cobblestone path to the door. I didn't pay attention to the details of the house since I wasn't going to be coming here that often.
Reaching the door, I gave a few knocks and waited for an answer. Seconds went by after my first knock. With no answer, I gave another one, putting on a little more force than before. An uneasy silence started to settle as I began to worry that neither of the mares were home. A few more seconds passed before I finally decided that Fleetfoot and I should head back. As soon as I turned to leave, I heard the door click, signaling that someone had started to unlock it. I turned around to see Bon Bon standing in the doorway with a warm smile adorning her face.
"Hello there, Mark. What can I do for you?" Bon Bon asked as she stepped to the side, allowing us entrance.
Fleetfoot trotted into the house with me following close behind. I kept Frightening hidden from Bon Bon as I wanted the spider to be a little surprise. Fleetfoot took a seat on the couch as I saw Scary's aquarium in the corner. I raised a brow as I didn't see the spider anywhere, not even in the sand. I joined Fleetfoot on the couch as Bon Bon closed the door, joining us in her living room.
Bon Bon took a seat in the chair across from us. "Hey, Bon Bon, where's Scary?"
Bon Bon looked confused for a moment before she realized what I asked. Holding up a hoof, she used her other hoof to reach into her mane. I watched with slight interest as she pulled Scary out of her mane. "I was cleaning up in the kitchen and he wanted to join me."
I nodded my head as I mumbled under my breath. "That spider is so weird."
I was pulled from my thoughts when Bon Bon spoke up again. "So was there anything you needed, Mark, or were you just wanting to visit a little?"
Looking up at the mare, I moved my hand away from my chest. "I actually have a surprise for you."
Bon Bon looked at my hand with interest before giving me a deadpan expression. "If it's anything like the other surprises you've given me, then I'm not amused."
I leaned next to Fleetfoot to whisper in her ear. "Told you."
My actions didn't seem go unnoticed by the candy mare. "What did you tell her?"
I sighed as I kept my hand closed, waiting for the perfect moment to reveal Frightening. "That you wouldn't be very amused with my surprise."
Bon Bon rolled her eyes as she began to pet Scary. "That's because you have poor sense in what a surprise is."
I waved my other hand dismissively as I moved on with the topic. "Either way, do you mind bringing Scary closer?"
Bon Bon looked at me with a skeptical brow before getting off of her chair and bringing Scary closer. Once Scary was in front of my hand, I uncurled my fingers, and I'm pretty sure that I saw Scary blush. Bon Bon was busy staring with wide eyes at the spider in my hand. Frightening took tentative steps closer to Scary, a small blush appearing all over their bodies. The two spiders met where there was a gap between my hand and Bon Bon's hoof. The two spiders touched their two front legs together as they did something I assumed was some kind of dance.
I was pulled away from the spiders as Bon Bon spoke. "Mark, where did you get that spider?"
I shrugged my shoulders, making sure to not interrupt the dance between the two spiders as I answered. "I found her during my trip to Cloudsdale. I was wondering if you would be willing to take her in since Fleetfoot and Spitfire don't want to have her around."
Scary and Frightening let go of each other as they made their ways to the floor. Bon Bon watched as the two spiders walked across the carpet, heading for the aquarium. She watched them for a few more seconds before turning around to face me. "I don't know, Mark. Scary already requires a lot of my attention, let alone Lyra taking up a lot of that time as well."
"Yet you still love them," I said as I pointed at her.
Bon Bon rolled her eyes as she gave a small sigh. "Yes, I do love them, but I still don't think having another spider around is a good idea. I mean, I would love to watch after... what's her name?"
"Her name's Frightening," I answered.
Bon Bon gave me a deadpan look as she gestured towards the aquarium, then back to me. "Really?" I gave a slight shrug of my shoulders as Bon Bon shook her head. "I would love to watch after Frightening, but I don't think it's such-"
"Oh, sweet Celestia! Scary, what are you doing?!" Lyra screamed, cutting off Bon Bon.
I looked towards Lyra as I could barely make out sand being thrown around. I scrunched my eyes in concentration as I tried to figure out what exactly could be going on. It's obviously something embarrassing since Lyra was blushing profusely, but I couldn't figure out what it was. Scary and Frightening seemed to hit it off very well, and they seemed to enjoy that... dance. At that moment I just realized what was going on. Bon Bon got up from her couch to see what Lyra was looking at, and I leaned close to Fleetfoot.
I looked towards Bon Bon and the door before speaking to Fleetfoot in a hushed tone. "Let's get out of here before this gets out of hand."
Fleetfoot gave a curious look at me before looking back to the aquarium. I could see the gears turning in her head before a small blush formed on her cheeks, her wings giving a slight twitch. She looked back at me and made gestures with her hooves to symbolize what the spiders were doing. I gave a slow nod, and Fleetfoot immediately got off the couch. The two of us briskly walking towards the door as we watched Bon Bon near the aquarium. As Fleetfoot and I neared the door, we saw Bon Bon freeze in front of the aquarium. Not leaving anything to chance, I opened the door and the two of us bolted out as we heard Bon Bon scream.
"MARK, I'LL GET YOU FOR THIS!" Bon Bon appeared in front of the door, her face red from anger and embarrassment.
"Take good care of Frightening!" I yelled as I hopped a tiny bush and sprinted down the sidewalk, Fleetfoot following suit.
After running for a good two minutes, I slowed down to a walk to get my breath back. Fleetfoot continued to float in the air, her breathing still normal after booking it from the house. Taking a few deep breaths, my lungs began to burn as I tried to get air in them. Once I was done heaving, we started towards the castle.
"Looks like somepony needs to get in shape," Fleetfoot said as she nudged my side.
"I've actually been thinking about going to a gym again, but I really don't want to spend the bits for that," I said as I wiped some sweat off from my forehead.
Fleetfoot placed a hoof on my shoulder as she smiled at me. "If you don't want to pay for a gym membership, you can just use mine and Spitfire's personal gym at the castle."
"Are you willing to be my spotter if I do?" I asked as I smiled back at the mare.
Fleetfoot nodded as she started to float circles around me. "As long as you take your training seriously, then I'm willing to help you."
As the mare started to make another pass in front of me, I stuck out my hand. Fleetfoot stopped her movements to extend her own hoof and grasped my hand. "Deal," I said as we shook on it.
The two of us continued on our walk back to the castle, neither of us saying anything as we tried to think about how to approach Spitfire with the news. I wasn't really sure what Fleetfoot had in mind, but I was thinking of going with just a more direct approach. After a couple of minutes of thinking about what to do, a random thought just crossed my mind. I just gave Scary a spider I had found, named Frightening, who was female. It didn't take long for those two to get intimate in the aquarium. Both Scary and Frightening were very intelligent spiders, and that caused me to wonder what their children would be like.
As I continued to think about the future little baby spiders, I came to the conclusion that I probably just doomed Equestria to a swarm of miniature Scaries and Frightenings. I couldn't help but chuckle at the thought as the two spiders swarmed all over Canterlot, their children helping them conquer the kingdom. Well, it was fun while it lasted. I probably just doomed Equestria, but it was still pretty funny no matter how I looked at it. Maybe if I was lucky, Frightening would be kind enough to spare Fleetfoot, Spitfire, and I.
Shaking away my silly thoughts, I saw the castle coming into view and picked up the pace. As Fleetfoot and I neared the gates, the two guards nodded to us as they allowed us to enter. A few maids and guards were out and about in the castle, doing their regular duties. Fleetfoot and I greeted them as they greeted us in return. Thankfully, the halls to Spitfire's office were clear of any ponies, and we were able to get there without any distractions. We were about to enter the office when I had a strange feeling about mine. I handed Fleetfoot my backpack and her saddlebags as I walked over to my office door.
Fleetfoot watched me with a raised brow as I inspected the door. Everything seemed perfectly fine from what I could remember, and my key to the door was still where I left it. Still, I couldn't shake this weird feeling that someone had been inside and did something. Grabbing my key from the plastic bin, I unlocked my door and opened it slightly. I left enough space to squeeze my arm through and flipped on the light. Seeing that there was nothing on the walls, and that nothing grabbed at my arm, I took a peek inside. My face burned slightly at all the pictures that were strewn about my office.
There were very lewd pictures of mares strewn about my room. Each mare was in an almost exposing pose, but thankfully everything was still covered up. The problem was that a few of the pictures were ponies that I easily recognized. There was a picture of Spitfire with her flank high in the air. A picture of Fleetfoot lying on her back, her tail covering her intimate area as she gave bedroom eyes. Another picture had Echo and Moon cuddling together, their tails entwined as they looked to the side, their eyes burning with desire. A picture of Surprise and Steel Wing hung behind my desk. Surprise was on Steel Wing's back, the pegasus preening the griffoness' wings while Steel Wing was running her talons along Surprise's side. The final picture had Shield, Strongheart, and Razor Wing all lying on a bed together, each of them wearing some very fuzzy socks while their eyes held lustful intentions. I was slightly surprised to see a picture of Clover and Cinnamon Spice together, both mares holding each other as they gave each other a deep, passionate kiss.
I quickly slammed my door, probably causing many ponies to look towards the sound of the disturbance as I tried to banish all those pictures from my thoughts. I locked my door and threw the key into the plastic bin as I planned my next prank on Luna. I knew there was a chance that Luna had possibly gotten someone else to help her put up those pictures, but I wasn't entirely sure who it could be. This left me with only one option, and that was to make sure that Luna understood that she had brought this upon herself. I continued to stare at my door as I tried to figure out how I was going to deal with those pictures, when a sudden thought occurred to me.
I looked back at Spitfire's office to see that Fleetfoot wasn't there. I assumed that she had probably already entered the office and was already talking with Spitfire. Giving a few nods and deep breaths, I took a step towards the office, when a sudden thought returned in full force. My eyes widened as I remembered I had the revealing magazine with both Spitfire and Fleetfoot on the cover. Taking one of my hands, I started to slap myself against the forehead, repeatedly, until a red mark started to form. I took a few seconds to collect my scattered thoughts, assuming that maybe Fleetfoot only grabbed the folder and didn't happen on the magazine. Taking a few deep breaths, I headed for Spitfire's office.
I let out a heavy sigh as I opened the door, a smile spread across my face as I prepared to greet Spitfire. I opened the door, and much to my chagrin, Spitfire was looking at me. Spitfire held the dirty magazine in one hoof for me to see. Spitfire's expression was devoid of all emotion as she gave me a blank stare. I looked over at Fleetfoot to see her staring at me with wide eyes before looking back at the magazine, then only to look back at me. My hand was still on the doorknob, and I took this chance to make this a 'nope' moment for me.
As soon as I turned to leave, I was stopped by Spitfire's voice. Oddly enough, her voice was calm and collected. "Would you care to explain why you have an issue of Playpony in your possession?"
I slowly turned around, sweat starting to form on my brow as I swallowed a lump in my throat. "I promise that isn't mine." Spitfire raised a brow at me as I raised my hands to defend myself. "There's a perfectly good reason why I have that."
Spitfire looked at me for a few seconds before setting the magazine down and gesturing towards a chair for me to sit on. I nodded as I closed the door behind me and took the offered seat. "I promised to try and be a friend, so I'll let you explain yourself."
Nodding my head, I shifted in my seat nervously as I licked at my dry lips. "I was in Ever Ring's office." Both mares stared at me with wide eyes before Fleetfoot gestured for me to continue. "I entered her office to find anything I could use against her, and as I looked around, I stumbled upon her stash of magazines. She has many issues, but seeing that one, I had to take it away from her. I don't really know why you're both on it, but I felt like that bitch didn't deserve to have it, and I wanted to maybe protect you both."
I rubbed the back of my neck nervously as the two mares looked at each other. An uncomfortable silence settled between us before Spitfire finally spoke? "What did you plan on doing with this later?" There was no anger in Spitfire's voice. If I had to guess what her tone sounded like, I would have to say curious would be the very best way to describe it.
I gave a shrug of my shoulders as I leaned back in the chair. "Honestly, I was either going to throw it in the trash or just burn it."
The two mares shared a quick look before nodding their heads. Spitfire tossed the magazine towards me as Fleetfoot spoke. "Thanks for you honesty, Mark. You're free to do whatever you want with the magazine. You may even keep it if you want."
I looked towards Fleetfoot with a raised brow. "Why do I feel like this is a trap?"
The two mares laughed for a few seconds before Spitfire composed herself to answer. "Thankfully, this issue was just a swimsuit issue. Also, none of these should have been in public hooves since the photographer didn't say anything about making any of our photos public. A few still got out, but most of them were collected and destroyed. You pretty much have a collector's item there. Then again, like Fleetfoot said, do whatever you want with it."
Looking at the magazine in my hands, I rolled it up as I stuffed it into my backpack. More than likely I was going to destroy it, but if I was, I wanted to make sure I made some kind of showing for it. Zipping up my backpack, I moved on to the next subject that was at hand. I took the folder that was next to Fleetfoot and dropped it in front of Spitfire. Spitfire ran her hoof over the folder as she gave a small smile. It was really adorable to see her smile like that. I shook my head clear of that thought as Spitfire pushed the folder towards me.
I took the folder as Spitfire jumped out of her chair and flew towards the door. She stopped when her hoof was on the doorknob, turning back to look at me. "Fleetfoot told me about some of the things the two of you did while you were in Cloudsdale." I raised a brow as I looked at Fleetfoot before turning back to Spitfire. "I just wanted to say thanks for looking out for her. It really means a lot to me.'
I nodded to Spitfire as I stood up from my chair, Fleetfoot taking to the air and floating next to me as we headed towards Spitfire. "No problem. I was glad to be there for her, and I'm glad that I was able to learn something about Pyro."
The next thing surprised me as I didn't expect it from this one pony. Spitfire wrapped her legs around my neck, giving me a friendly hug for the first time. I returned the embrace, petting the mare's head as I got a feel of how smooth it was. Just like Fleetfoot, Spitfire's mane was smooth and taken care of. I couldn't help the small chuckle that escaped my lips at that similarity.
Spitfire broke the hug off and gave me a curious look. "What's so funny?"
I gave a few more chuckles before regaining my composure. "I just find it different that both of your manes are taken care of so well, and yet they look like you both just got out of bed."
Spitfire gave a slight smirk as she gave a soft punch to my arm. "Hey, a lady needs to be presentable, no matter their lifestyle."
I raised my brow at Spitfire as I crossed my arms. "Since when was Captain Spitfire ever a lady?"
Spitfire gave another punch to my arm before wrapping it around my neck and did something that I thought I would never expect. Spitfire gave a small nuzzle to my cheek, something that ponies only do to either family, close friends, or loved ones. After two seconds of Spitfire nuzzling me, she pulled back as she gave me a bigger smile.
"You really are something, aren't you, Mark?" Spitfire asked as she opened the door.
Spitfire was the first to leave her office, and I stood frozen in place, looking between Fleetfoot and the open door. Fleetfoot gave me a gentle pat on the back as she gave me a reassuring smile. I wasn't really sure what has brought on all these emotions for Spitfire, but it was nice to see her in this kind of mood. I actually enjoyed seeing her smile, and she even seemed to take my joking in great stride. This was a side of Spitfire I didn't mind seeing, and it seemed like I would be one of the lucky few to ever see that side of her. Even Fleetfoot's attitude had changed after everything we've been through, and it was something I would like to see more of as well.
As I followed the two mares through the halls, I kind of wished we weren't having to deal with convicting Ever Ring at the moment. I really wanted to see the two mares smile even more after seeing Fleetfoot give a bright smile back in Cloudsadle, then followed with Spitfire smiling brightly in her office, but everything that comes up must go down. Ever Ring was something that needed to be dealt with first, and maybe if I was lucky, I would get to see them be happy for the very first time. The walk to the throne room was silent as we prepared to show whichever princess was present the evidence we had found. We reached the throne room, and the two guards standing outside blocked our path.
"We're sorry, but Princess Celestia is currently in a meeting," the earth pony guard on the left said.
"Well, whoever she's seeing at the moment can take a raincheck. We have something that the princess needs to see immediately," I said as I stepped closer to the door.
"Whatever it is, it can wait until the princess is finished with her meeting," the pegasus guard on the right said.
Not really wanting to deal with this much longer, I crouched down so I could look the guards in the eyes. I leaned in close, the guards following suit as I kept eye contact with them. Fleetfoot and Spitfire watched me with curious expressions as the guards and myself leaned closer. Once I felt the guards were close enough, I took a deep breath as I screamed in sudden surprise. "Holy crap, what's that over there?!"
The guards easily took the bait as I pointed to the right, and they quickly turned to see what was going on. I moved quickly as they were distracted with nothing down the hall, and opened the door to the throne room. I didn't catch what Princess Celestia was saying as she stopped her conversation and stared at me with a curious expression. The pony that was talking with Celestia was one I recognized, and who I would consider probably the more respectable noble of the ponies in Canterlot. I couldn't help but smile at the familiar white unicorn with a blue mane and tail. He had a monocle over his eyes and his tux looked as clean pressed as always. The unicorn's blue eyes lit up in recognition as I called out to him.
"Fancy Pants, it has been too long since we've last met," I said as I waved to the unicorn.
Fancy smiled as he trotted up to me, extending me a hoof to shake that I gladly accepted. "A pleasure to see you as well, Mark. I'm sorry that I haven't been around to converse with you, what with all the charities that I have to attend."
I gave a dismissive wave to Fancy. "Don't worry about it. I've had my own things to deal with as well. Anyway, enough about me. How's your wife?"
Fancy smiled at me as he spoke in a cheerful tone. "She has been talking about you nonstop since you two met. She really wants to see you again, and she even wants to meet Rarity again so they can talk about future fashion shows." I gave a slight nod to Fancy as he moved on to the next subject I knew was coming. "May I ask what you're doing here, though? I hope you haven't gotten yourself in any kind of trouble." Fancy gave me a worried expression that made me laugh a little.
I shook my head as I explained my situation using as little detail as possible. "I'm just trying to solve a problem that has existed for too long now. I'm sorry to interrupt your meeting with Celestia. If it was anyone else, I wouldn't have cared, but I feel kind of bad for walking in on your meeting."
Fancy Pants gave a hearty laugh as he waved a hoof dismissively. "Don't worry about it, old sport. You know that my meetings are just me trying to prepare for future events planned a few years down the road. If I'm not here for that, then it's just to make sure that everything is going along smoothly for the upcoming events. This is something I can easily reschedule for a later date." Fancy looked at the two mares behind me before looking back at me, a huge smile adorning his face. "Plus, it looks like whatever you have to talk about is more important than what this old stallion has to say."
I laughed at Fancy as I gave a few pats to his back, the unicorn laughing along with me. "Dude, if you consider yourself old, and are able to get someone like Fleur to marry you, then I have to say that I'm some type of fossil. You're still in your youth just as much as me, and I wish the best for everything for both Fleur and yourself."
Fancy's laughter increased in volume as he gave a few strong pats to my back, causing me to cough a little. "You really know what to say to somepony to make them feel better. How you're still single with no mares chasing after you amazes me."
I let my own laughter grow in volume to help hide the small pain that I felt inside from the truth of his words. I knew he would never mean any harm by them, but it just hurts to be reminded sometimes. "Maybe it's because some mares, especially stallions, are a little intimated by the giant bipedal human."
Fancy Pants continued to laugh a few more seconds before getting himself under control, his cheerful voice still present, but a hint of seriousness was laced within. "Then those ponies don't know what they're missing. You're a wonderful human, and if they can't see you for how great you are, then they aren't worth your time." Fancy's horn glowed for a few seconds as he made himself and myself presentable. "Now if you'll excuse me, I must return home to my wife. You have a nice meeting with the princess."
I smiled at Fancy Pants as I gave him a quick hug. Fancy returned the hug before letting go and trotting through the throne room doors. The two guards looked between me and Celestia before the princess waved them off. The guards gave each other a quick look before closing the door behind them. Celestia gestured for Fleetfoot, Spitfire, and myself to the front. The two Wonderbolts bowed to their princess while I gave a small wave. Neither of the mares seemed to mind my slight 'disrespect' since it's very well known that I haven't treated any of the princesses like 'true royalty'.
Celestia smiled as she spoke in her motherly tone. "It seems that you still like to barge in on meetings that I hold."
Fleetfoot and Spitfire stood up, looking between Celestia and myself with raised brows as I chuckled. "Hey, if it's important, then I'm not waiting around for you to listen to a noble drone on about pointless matters that waste your time."
Celestia raised a hoof, giggling as the two mares stared at their princess with wide eyes. "Never a dull moment with you around, is it, Mark?" Celestia then looked at the two mares and smiled at them as she kept her motherly tone. "You both can relax now. Mark is a dear friend that is open to speak his mind however he wants."
Fleetfoot and Spitfire took Celestia's advice as they shook off their wide-eyed stare. Clearing her throat, Celestia got our attention as she tried to get to the point of our visit. "So what may I help you with?"
Not even hesitating, I brought the folder up to Celestia, and she took it up in her golden aura. "I wish to convict Ever Ring and the mayor of Cloudsdale for child abuse, mental scarring of children, and the death of Pyro."
Celestia looked at me, her expression turning serious as she spoke in an authoritative tone. "You understand that this matter has been brought to my attention a few times before, right?" Celestia looked towards Fleetfoot with a concerned expression before looking back at me. "What makes you think that you can finally convict them?"
I couldn't blame Celestia for her doubt in what I was doing. "This is a folder created by Pyro during her time at the orphanage up until her passing. Everything in there was collected by the young mare to convict the both of them."
Celestia held her gaze with mine for a second before opening the folder. Spitfire, Fleetfoot, and myself remained silent as Celestia looked through the papers. Her brow scrunched as she focused on reading every detail that was in the folder. Silence filled the throne room. Eventually, the sound of papers being shuffled and reorganized drowned out the silence. After several minutes of looking through the folder, Celestia closed the folder. The mares shuffled in place nervously as Celestia placed the folder to her side.
Celestia looked at me, her expression hardened as I gave my own. Celestia gave a single nod, the mares releasing their held breaths as I smiled. "Thank you for this, Mark." Celestia stood from her throne, walking down the stairs. "I shall return shortly."
Spitfire and Fleetfoot bowed to Celestia as I gave a curt nod. Celestia's golden aura surrounded the door as she opened them, her wings spread wide as she took an authoritative stance. Celestia began speaking to her two guards, but I couldn't hear the rest of what she was saying as the doors closed behind her. Once the doors were closed, I let out a heavy breath that I didn't even know I was holding. Spitfire and Fleetfoot joined me at my sides as I slumped to the floor, laughing as the tension eased out of my body.
I was broken from my laughter when Spitfire spoke up. "Seeing that we have some time alone at the moment." I couldn't help but give a cheeky grin at the mare, who in response slugged me in my arm. "I don't mean anything along those lines." Taking a few breaths, Spitfire continued with what she wanted to say. "Fleetfoot mentioned that you had something to share."
I nodded my head as I looked up at the ceiling, my laughter quickly coming under control. "I do, but I think it's better if I talk about it over some cold ones. Do you think Clover could possibly give the three of us a private booth?" I looked over at Spitfire, who nodded her head.
I was pulled away from looking at Spitfire as the throne room doors opened. The three of us watched as Luna walked into the throne room, a large yawn escaping her muzzle. "Hey there, sleepy head."
Luna blinked her bleary eyes before giving a huge smile. "Mark, so you're the reason why my sister has woken me from my slumber. Is this to get me back for what I did to your office?"
Luna gave a suggestive wink as I laughed. "Not really. I have something else in mind for that. Although, do you mind removing them from my office so I don't have to explain that to anyone who walks in?"
Luna nodded as her horn gave a brief flash of dark blue. I gave Luna a warm smile as she shuffled over to her throne. I looked back at Spitfire to see her staring at me with a raised brow. "What?"
Spitfire gestured towards Luna as she spoke. "What kind of pictures were in your office?"
After what happened with the magazine, I felt that Spitfire would be understanding of what exactly I found in my office. "They were suggestive pictures of you, Fleetfoot, Razor Wing, Steel Wing, Surprise, Clover, Cinnamon Spice, Shield, Strongheart, Echo, and Moon." Fleetfoot was next to Spitfire, looking at me with a raised brow. "I can assure you there was nothing too revealing in those pictures. They were just very provocative." I found it hard to look the two mares in the eyes as the memory of their pictures flashed in my mind.
I was pulled from my awkward thoughts when Fleetfoot spoke. "What did you think about them?"
I raised a brow at Fleetfoot as I rubbed my chin in thought. "Honestly, they weren't half bad." I could have sworn that at that moment, both mares had noticeable blushes. "Granted, it wasn't something I was really expecting to see."
The blushes on the mares' faces disappeared as they looked at me. They seemed saddened at this response, and as I was about to ask them what was wrong, the throne room doors opened. The three of us looked towards the large golden doors as Celestia walked in, an aura of power radiating off of her as her wings were spread wide. I have seen Celestia when she was serious, but it paled in comparison when she was using her full authoritative power. As Celestia walked towards her throne, Luna quickly taking her regal pose as her wings spread wide, I saw Ever Ring and the mayor trot in. The two ponies had eight guards, leaving them in the middle of the small circle.
This didn't seem to stop the mayor as he saw me standing to the side with the two mares at my sides. "YOU!"
The mayor took to the air and charged straight at me. Thankfully, I was friends with Rainbow Dash, and getting to know the two mares, the mayor paled in comparison to their speed. The stallion barely went fast enough for me to not follow his movements. No longer taking anymore shit from him, and not wanting to let him get away with what he called Spitfire and Fleetfoot, I steeled my stance. I pulled back my left arm, and as soon as he was close enough, I brought my fist down. The sound of the stallion's body slamming against the marble floor could be heard through the throne room.
All the ponies in attendance stared at me with wide eyes as a few drops of blood dripped from my knuckles. A small trail of blood traveled down the stallion's head. I got on one knee as I leaned in close to the stallion, my voice laced with anger as I spoke in a harsh whisper. "That is for thinking you could assault me." I stood back to my full height, my voice raising in volume as I brought back my left leg. "And this is for insulting my friends!" I slammed my foot into his gut, sending him sliding across the floor.
The guards quickly shook themselves from their wide-eyed stare and quickly ran towards the fallen stallion. Four of the guards broke off and came towards me. I put my arms in the air as I got on my knees. As the guards prepared to cuff me with magic, Luna stood up from her throne and trotted up to the guards.
"Return to your stations with the other two ponies. Mark defended himself from an attack by Cumulonimbus." The guards bowed to Luna before backing away from me, joining the other four guards that were standing to one side of Ever Ring and Cumulonimbus.
As Luna returned to her throne, I rose to my feet. I was about to join Luna's side when I felt something grab my hand. I looked back to see Spitfire holding my hand as she looked it over. Fleetfoot brought over a cloth and wiped away the blood from my knuckles, only to see I had a few minor cuts. Fleetfoot gave them a quick lick before discarding the cloth, and allowing Spitfire to release my hand. I nodded to the two mares as we made our way towards the princesses. As we neared the princesses, Spitfire's voice cut into my thoughts as she spoke in a hushed tone.
"What exactly did he say to earn that second hit?" Spitfire looked at me with a slight frown. What exactly the frown was about, I don't really know.
Scratching my head, I answered her like it was no big deal. "He just insulted you and Fleetfoot by calling the both of you whorses. I'm not really sure how insulting works here in Equestria, but if it has any equivalent to what I think it does, then I wasn't going to let him get away calling either of you that."
Spitfire turned her gaze to the ground as we walked to the thrones. As we neared the thrones, she looked up with a huge smile as a tear threatened to escape her eyes. "Thanks for that."
I nodded to the mare as we stood next to Luna, watching the two ponies in front of us slightly tremble in fear. A heavy silence filled the throne room as Celestia passed Luna the folder. Luna took the folder in her dark blue aura and started to look through the pages. Taking a glance out of my peripherals, I could see Luna using her years of experience of being a princess to keep a straight face. Being around Luna for several months allowed me to see that she cared deeply for all of her subjects, and she hated to hear when any of them were harmed in some way. There was actually one time where she screamed using her Royal Canterlot voice when she heard that a foal was hurt in a carriage crash.
I was fairly certain that if Celestia and her guards weren't here at this very moment, then Luna would really let Ever Ring and Cumulonimbus have it. Looking back to the two ponies, I heard Luna heave a heavy sigh as she placed the folder on the arm of her throne. The two ponies winced from what I could assume was Luna giving them an icy stare. The silence lasted for a couple more minutes before Celestia's stern voice finally broke it.
"Ever Ring, Cumulonimbus, you are brought before the Royal Sisters under multiple charges of mistreating foals at the orphanage." Ever Ring made to say something but was stopped by a harsh glare from Celestia. "The evidence in this folder is enough to convict and have you locked away in Tartarus for years to come." The two ponies winced slightly at the thought of having to go to that prison.
Luna spoke up next, her magic being used to amplify her voice a little. "Instead, we have decided to work out a different punishment." Ever Ring and Cumulonimbus seemed to relax at hearing that, but I glanced over at Luna as she gave a cheeky grin. "The two of you will serve fifteen years in the crystal mines at the Crystal Empire."
It took much of my willpower not to laugh at that. Tartarus was still a very harsh punishment, but out of everything else that was used as a sentence in Equestria, the crystal mines at the Crystal Empire was the second worst place anyone could go to. If I also had to pick between the four princesses on who loved foals the most, I would have to go with Cadence. Then add in the over protective brother of Twilight Sparkle, and Ever Ring and Cumulonimbus are going to have one hell of a time there.
I looked over at Ever Ring and Cumulonimbus to see them staring at the princesses, their mouths agape. Ever Ring stepped forwards to say something, but was silenced when a magic suppressor was placed on her horn and wing binds were placed on Cumulonimbus. I knew Celestia wouldn't let those items stay on either of them for long since she detested them, but she did to make sure they understood that her decision was final. As the guards moved to take away the two convicted ponies, they looked in my direction. I gave both of them a huge smile as I raised both of my hands and flipped them off.
Both ponies looked at me with pure hatred in their eyes as they were taken away. Ever Ring struggled against the guards, but they easily subdued her and were able to take the two ponies away. The throne room doors slammed shut, the noise echoing in the room as the five of us waited for the silence.
After letting my ears ring for a few more seconds from the slam, I turned towards the princesses, a curious expression on my face. "So who's going to take care of the foals now?"
Neither of the princesses answered me as Luna pointed a hoof towards the door. I looked at the door to see it open and two ponies trot inside. The ponies that walked in were both unicorns and mares if I was judging right from what I could make out. The pony on the left had a pink mane and tail with yellow streaks running through them. Her eyes were a bright amethyst and her coat was white as snow. Her cutie mark was a shield with a heart in the middle. My eyes widened as I jumped to who exactly these mares might be. Wanting to be sure, I looked to the mare on the right. The other mare had a snow white coat and her eyes were a deep sapphire. Her mane and tail were an electric orange, which was still odd to see from a member of the guard. Her cutie mark was three shields with the end points on the bottom pointing inward and meeting each other.
I smiled as I recognized the two mares. "Shield, Strongheart, how are you two doing?"
The two mares galloped towards me and tackled me to the ground as they each gave me a hug. I hugged to two mares back as they both sighed happily. I looked at Fleetfoot and Spitfire, and I think I saw them looking at the two mares with slightly jealous looks. Not really sure what they could possibly be jealous about, I ignored their looks as the two mares gave me a quick nuzzle and I stroked their manes.
"It's so great to see you, Mark," Shield said as she dropped back to the floor.
"Really great, Mark," Strongheart said as she smiled at me. "Have you been avoiding us?" Strongheart teased as she poked my shin.
I shook my head as I laughed at Strongheart's antics. "I don't think I could avoid you two even if I tried. You two are always determined to find me when you wish to tease me." The two mares laughed as some of the tension left my body. As I got some of my laughter under control, I looked towards the two mares. "So you two are going to take care of the foals? Isn't that going to cut in your time as guards?"
The two mares gave each other a quick look before Shield spoke up. "Actually, we both have resigned from our positions so we can dedicate full time to watching over them."
I raised a brow at the two of them as I looked back at Celestia. "Guards can do that?"
Celestia nodded her head as Luna spoke up. "Mark, guards are free to join and leave as they see fit. Not all ponies were destined to be guards, but if they show the determination and fortitude, we are glad to have them. Many guards have actually resigned from their posts to do something else that they enjoy."
I nodded my head as I turned back to the two mares. "So you two really want to take care of the foals?"
The two mares nodded as Strongheart stepped forward. "Don't get us wrong, Mark. We've actually enjoyed our time as members of the guard, but we were more inclined to actually take care of foals. Celestia actually came to us about the offer before she brought those two despicable ponies in."
I nodded as I smiled at the two mares. "At least I know they're in safe hands."
Shield gave me a flat look as she let out a heavy sigh, her hoof meeting her forehead. "Mark, for the last time, we have hooves."
I smiled at the mare as I just gave a shrug of my shoulders. "That's just a little detail. Besides, you know what I meant."
The two mares could only shake their heads as a small laugh escaped their lips. Celestia cleared her throat which caused us to face her. "Glad to see that the three of you are getting along so well. Anyways, the foals will be relocated to the Crystal Empire so they can receive therapy from Cadence. They will also be sent to the hospital to see if there are any physical ailments that we need to be aware of."
I nodded to Celestia as I smiled warmly. I was able to help the foals get away from Ever Ring, and now they were going to receive the help they need. I looked back to Shield, a serious expression on my face as I crouched down to the mare. "Hey, Shield, can you do me a favor?"
Shield seemed a little surprised at my sudden shift to seriousness, but nodded nonetheless. "What do you need, Mark?"
I placed a hand on her shoulder, giving a quick look to Strongheart so she understood that I wanted to be part of the favor as well. "There's a thestral named Everglade." I heard Luna give a sharp gasp from behind me. "Please watch over her as it seems Ever Ring was especially harsh with her."
The two mares nodded before I felt a wing against my back. I looked over my shoulder to see Luna giving me a concerned expression. "I'll have Echo and Moon check up on her as well. It sounds like Everglade could use some interaction with her own kind."
I nodded while moving my hand to pet Luna's neck, getting the mare to relax a little. Celestia had dismissed us from the throne room, wanting to discuss with Luna about moving the foals and getting a letter sent to Cadence for her services. I followed the four mares out of the throne room where we went our separate ways.
I was following after Spitfire and Fleetfoot before I stopped and looked over my shoulder, calling out to the two unicorn mares. "Shield, Strongheart." The two mares looked back at me. "Let me know when you're both settled in at the new orphanage so I can visit at some point.
The two mares smiled as they waved back at me. "Don't worry, Mark. You'll be the first to know when we're ready!"
I waved goodbye to the mares as I resumed following Spitfire and Fleetfoot. The three of us walked out of the castle to see the sun starting to set. I rubbed the bridge of my nose as I let out a heavy sigh. I've been going through so much since I started staying with the mares, that I didn't even see how fast time has been flying by. I felt something poke my leg, and looking down, I saw that it was Fleetfoot giving me a concerned expression. She seemed very worried about how I looked at the moment. I leaned down and scratched behind the mare's ears, something I learned that ponies really liked, especially if you have fingers.
I gave a small smile as I looked at the mare. "I'll be fine, Fleety. It has just been a very long day, and we still have a few things that need to be settled."
Fleetfoot nodded her head, smiling a little as she took to the air. Spitfire was already in the air and floated towards me with a raised brow. "Since when did you start calling Fleetfoot 'Fleety'?"
I gave a shrug of my shoulders as we followed Fleetfoot towards Clover's bar. "It started during our stay in Cloudsdale. She hasn't said anything about not liking it, so I assumed she didn't mind. Would you like for me to give you one, too?"
I could barely make out the red tint on Spitfire's muzzle before she turned around quickly, picking up her speed so she could float next to her friend. "You would have to think for a long time to come up with a good one, and even then, I would have to buy you dinner first."
I shook my head as I started to laugh at Spitfire's antics. The chance of her buying me dinner would be as likely as me getting both of them to go out with me. The two of us walked in silence, watching as the setting sun set about beautiful colors to the city. We passed through the marketplace, Razor Wing waving to us as she packed up her stall. She could probably tell we weren't in such an entirely great mood, so she avoided coming to talk with us. I made a note to make that up to her at a later point.
The three of us finally made it to Clover's bar, and it was pretty dead compared to when we went to its grand opening. We walked inside to see Cinnamon Spice at the front, and she smiled at us as we walked in. She didn't even bother asking if we were going to stay to eat as she grabbed three menus and led us to a vacant table.
Cinnamon started to place the menus on the table when Spitfire spoke up. "Do you mind seating us at a private booth where nopony can see or hear us?"
Cinnamon looked at Spitfire with a raised brow before beaming a bright smile and nodding her head. "Of course I can, Spitfire. Clover told me that you both sometimes like a little privacy from everything and asked that I make sure a private booth will always be available for the two of you."
Spitfire nodded her head as we followed Cinnamon Spice further back into the bar. "Thank you. Also, we'll have our regulars while we're here. Can you also let Clover know that we're here so we can say hi?"
Cinnamon nodded her head as we reached a private booth that had a plaque that said it was reserved for 'Spitfire and Friends'. Cinnamon placed the menus on the table as we took our seats. Spitfire and Fleetfoot sat on one side of the booth as I took the opposite side for myself. I placed my menu in the middle of the table, the mares following suit as we relaxed in the dimly lit booth. Cinnamon wrote down the mares' orders quickly, and I guessed mine as well since she didn't really ask what I wanted.
Cinnamon took the menus from the table as she spoke cheerfully. "I'll have your orders out for you soon, and Clover should be here in a couple of minutes after I let her know of your arrival."
Once Cinnamon Spice was gone, the three of us let out a deep breath as we relaxed in the soft cushioned seats. We remained quiet as we waited for our orders and for Clover to arrive. Both mares look exhausted after going through everything and there was a small throb in my knuckles from when I hit Cumulonimbus. I looked at my knuckles to see that no blood has seeped through from my small cuts, and I was thankful for what Fleetfoot did. The two mares relaxed in their seats, breathing lightly as whatever heavy weight was on their shoulders disappeared.
A few minutes passed before I looked out at the bar and saw Clover trotting towards us, our food wrapped in her dark green aura. Clover placed our food in front us and handed us our respective drinks. Clover even handed me a cider as well in case I wanted to drink a little something. I nodded to the mare as I started to eat my food. Spitfire and Fleetfoot took their own bites of food before looking at Clover and nodding their approval.
Clover smiled at us as she hopped up next to me. "So, how have my favorite ponies and human been?"
I gave a slight shrug as Fleetfoot answered for us. "Things have been hectic for the past few days. Good news though, we finally got Ever Ring locked away for abusing all those foals."
Clover seemed to smile even more as she patted my back. "Great job, Fleetfoot. That's wonderful news."
As Clover was overjoyed at hearing one of her friends was able to lift something off their shoulders from their past, Spitfire cut in with even more great news. "We even got the current mayor of Cloudsdale convicted as well." Clover stared wide-eyed at Spitfire as she gestured for her to continue. "Apparently, he had been releasing a lot of his anger on the foals. He even paid Ever Ring to abuse them and paid a few of the guards to keep their mouths shut."
Clover was speechless as she looked between the three of us. We took this chance to eat more of our food. A couple minutes passed, and we finished our food in that small time period before Clover found her voice again. "How did you even find enough evidence to convict them both?"
Fleetfoot seemed to let out a huge smile as she pointed a hoof towards me. "You can thank Mark for that. I don't know how he did it, but he found what I spent years looking for in just two days."
Clover looked at me, her mouth agape as she tried to process this. Shaking herself from her million yard stare, she looked at the three of us with a raised brow. "If this is all great news, then why are you celebrating in a private booth?"
Spitfire thankfully answered for us as she took a drink from her pina colada. "We're here because Mark is going to explain exactly how he was able to do it, but it's a very private matter."
Clover nodded her head in understanding as she stood up from her seat and jumped to the floor. She looked over her shoulder as me as she gave a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, Mark. I won't listen in on your conversation, and you don't have to worry about other ponies overhearing you." Clover's horn flashed a dark green before it died out. "I placed a sound bubble around your booth, it has extra protection so nopony can hear what you have to say."
I smiled at the mare as I gave her a quick nod. Clover nodded back, took our empty plates in her magic, and trotted away from our table. The three of us sat in silence again, taking sips from our drinks as I tried to work up the nerve to talk about my past. I drank from my water, but it wasn't really helping me in wanting to talk about this. Sighing heavily, I popped the cap off my cider and took a deep pull from it. I shook my head from the slight burn it gave to my throat as I looked back at the mares.
The two mares waved their hooves, letting me know that I could take this at my own pace. I nodded my head to them as I already felt a tear starting to form. I hadn't even started talking about it, but the memories brought back a lot of buried feelings.
I took a few deep breaths and a few more pulls from my cider, which was thankfully being magically refilled. "The reason why I was able to find the evidence was because of luck, but my step brother actually helped play a big part in that as well."
Fleetfoot took a small sip from her sea breeze before she spoke in a quiet tone. "What was your step brother's name?"
Looking at the mares, I felt a tear slide down my cheek. "His name was Jackson, and step brother wouldn't be the proper term to use to describe our relation, but I felt it was better than the other since we were so close together." Spitfire looked at me with concern as I continued on. "He was actually my adopted brother." Both mares looked at me with wide eyes as they slowly nodded their heads.
"My parents adopted him when he was seven. I was two at the time, so I was the little brother. We actually got along pretty well, despite the few arguments and fights that we would get into." I took another pull from my cider. "The sad part was that the orphanage we adopted him from was put under investigation for child abuse. The police found evidence to support these claims, and they were actually gathered by Jackson."
The mares looked at me with surprise as I shifted the bottle from hand to hand. "He did the same thing Pyro did when she was in the orphanage. He gathered as much as he could to completely convict those that were guilty, and after we had adopted him, along with a few more years to grow up, he gave the cops an anonymous tip."
"He actually told me this story one night, and I asked him how he knew to hide it so well. He explained that the best place to hide it was somewhere close to one's heart. I never understood exactly what that meant until Fleetfoot took me to the orphanage. After seeing how miserable all the foals were, and hearing the story about Pyro, I finally understood what he meant." I looked at the mares as I smiled at them.
"So taking my brother's advice to heart, I looked in the few places that would have meant a lot to Pyro. I actually had no success in finding it until I tripped on where she hid the key to her safe that actually held that folder." I gave a small smile as I gave a gentle pull to my drink. "So if there's anyone to really thank for all of this, then it would have to be Jackson. I don't think if I ever had him in my life, I would have never thought of looking for Pyro's evidence where I did."
I took a deep breath as I placed my hands on the table, closing my eyes as I collected myself. I felt something touch my hands, and when I opened my eyes, I saw each mare holding a hand in their hoof. Both of them smiled at me as they patted my hands, showing that they were very happy for everything I had done.
Fleetfoot broke our silence as she spoke up. "Jackson sounds like he is a great brother."
I nodded to the mare, but I couldn't help the heavy frown that I gave. Spitfire seemed to notice as she leaned closer, her tone taking on a hint of concern. "Are you alright, Mark?"
I shook my head as I looked up at the mares. "Jackson was a really great brother. He would have loved to hear you say that."
Fleetfoot's expression became one of concern as she leaned closer. "What do you mean 'was'?"
My expression turned somber as my hands slid back to my lap. Several tears bean to fall down my cheek as I remembered that horrid night. "He passed away when I was sixteen."
Both mares gasped as they looked at each other. Silence filled the space between us for a few seconds before Fleetfoot spoke up. "How did he pass... if you don't mind me asking?"
I wiped away my tears as I looked at both mares. "He was killed in an accident. The person driving their car was drunk and smashed right into the side of my brother's car. I was there when it happened as I was sitting in the passenger seat." I gave a small hiccup as I fought back my tears. I heard the two mares move as they gathered on either side of me, wrapping me in their wings. "He took most of the crash, protecting me from any harm. I got away with a few cuts, but I saw my brother in his seat, covered in blood, not even moving an inch."
I could see the slight confusion the mares had, probably because of me mentioning a car, but they seemed to ignore that fact for now as they tried to comfort me. Spitfire rubbed my back with her wings as she spoke in a caring tone. "I'm sorry to hear that, Mark. Is that why you went through so much trouble to help those foals and Fleetfoot?"
I nodded my head as I wiped at my eyes. "I promised Jackson that I would try to do as much good as I could, no matter how difficult. Sure, there was a few things that I couldn't do, but I still tried. I actually became a recluse by the time I turned eighteen."
Fleetfoot gave a small nuzzle to my chin as she spoke in a soft tone. "What happened to make you like that?"
I let out a heavy sigh as I stared at my drink. "I think everything Jackson did, and then his death finally hit me. I just couldn't stand being around others as they laughed together while I was busy feeling miserable. I probably would have stayed that way if it wasn't for three friends that I made."
Spitfire pulled back as she placed a hoof on my shoulder, a small smile gracing her features as she spoke. "Is that when you met Maurice, Chris, and Will?"
I nodded my head as I allowed a small smile to appear on my face. "I did, and they were probably three of the greatest friends that I've ever made. I actually think about what it would be like for them to move here, and I think it's kind of funny in a way."
Fleetfoot pulled away from my chin as she looked up at me with a confused expression. "How would it be funny?"
I grabbed my water and took a large gulp before setting it back down on the table. "Maurice is a pretty fun guy to be around, but he somehow ends up in the weirdest situations you think he could have easily avoided. I actually thought it would be interesting if he ended up staying with Vinyl and Octavia. Then I feel like at some point he would get kidnapped in a situation that should have easily been avoided if he took two seconds to listen to the little voice in his head."
"Chris is a very good cook, actually knows a lot about cooking. If it wasn't for him, I probably would have been living a very unhealthy lifestyle. Chris has one problem though, and that is he sometimes attracts the weird people. I think that's how all four of us became really good friends. Bon Bon and Lyra would actually be a pretty good match for him since Bon Bon is a candy maker and Lyra is just weird enough to help balance each other out."
"Will sometimes likes to keep to himself a lot. He's about as stubborn as Rainbow Dash, but I feel there would be a second pony that he could get along with very well. He and Rainbow Dash could probably be together as well if they both didn't beat around a bush every time they would meet, but that's just my opinion."
Spitfire playfully punched me in my shoulder. "So what's your special quirk?"
I shrugged my shoulders as I rubbed the spot that Spitfire hit. "Maybe because I can understand how people feel sometimes, or I just know when they never mean any harm. I'm not really sure since all three of them were a few years my senior, but I usually got along with people a few years older than me a little better."
Fleetfoot leaned against me as she laughed gently. "That explains why you've been able to handle these two old mares so well."
Spitfire gave Fleetfoot a bemused expression as I raised a brow at her. "Come on, you two can't possibly be that old."
Fleetfoot laughed as she waved a hoof lazily in the air. "Please, I'm twenty-seven years old and Spitfire is twenty-eight. I practically feel like an old mare already."
I sometimes hated being in these situations. It was easy enough to joke with Fancy about our ages since we could take it in stride, but I remember when Fleur and Rarity freaked about how they were reaching twenty-five, and the next thing that happened was the two mares stuffing their faces with ice cream. I don't know what it was like for Fancy to comfort his own wife, but trying to comfort Rarity was like trying to tame a manticore. Actually, now that I think about, I think taming a manticore still would have been easier than trying to comfort Rarity. It was still weird in its own way since it seemed a lot of the mares in Equestria really took their age into account, and that's if someone was lucky to even know how old they are.
I ask one time how old Twilight is, and the next thing I realize, I'm sitting through a six hour lecture about not addressing a mare's age. It was made even worse because she even brought in Rarity, who really let me have it as she tried to teach me proper etiquette. I asked Princess Celestia, and it might be because she has lived for a couple of millennia, but she proudly stated her age. I was surprised to know that Celestia was only two thousand and two hundred years old, while Luna was only one thousand and nine hundred. In the end, I came to the decision that out of everything that could possibly happen, the complications of some of these mares have will be the end of me.
"You could have fooled me." Fleetfoot and Spitfire looked at me with raised brows as I silently chastised myself for opening my mouth. "You both look like you're about to hit twenty-two."
The two mares looked at each for a few seconds, probably sharing secret messages that I wouldn't understand no matter how hard I tried. Spitfire looked back at me as she leaned against my form, her tone becoming neutral as she tested me. "Is that so, Mark?" I did the only thing I could in this situation and that was nod my head as I looked at my water.
Fleetfoot leaned against the other side of my form as her eyes became half-lidded, looking almost the same as the picture that Luna had hung in my office. I was really going to get her back for that. "Would you be willing to have the Element of Honesty stand next to you to see if you're lying about what you're saying?" If it wasn't for the fact that the two mares were leaning against my shoulder, one of them giving me bedroom eyes while the other gave a sly grin, I would be slamming my head on the table.
Spitfire leaned in close, her warm breathing blowing across my ear as she spoke in a sultry tone. "Thank you for the compliment, Mark."
The tension that I was feeling was immediately broken when the glass in my hands broke. This was really not the way I expected the night to go, but it was slightly nice. All three of us had been glum for the entire day, and it seemed the mares finally relaxed after teasing me to such an extent - if Fleetfoot holding my hand tenderly was anything to go by - so I allowed it to slide for now. I rubbed my temples as Spitfire cleaned up the mess while Fleetfoot checked to see if I added anymore wounds to my hand.
I couldn't help the small chuckle that escaped my lips as I looked at each mare. "You're both just so terrible."
The two mares giggled as Spitfire finished cleaning the table and Fleetfoot allowed me the use of my hand. Fleetfoot turned my head towards her as she spoke in a cheerful tone. "You just make it too easy sometimes, Mark. Being able to handle our combined teasing is truly amazing. You should really get out more, though, and try to find some mare to make you happy."
I don't know what it was, but hearing Fleetfoot say that I should find another mare to be around to make me happy really felt unsettling. I pushed the feeling deep down as I leaned back in the booth. "So you do this to everyone you meet?"
Spitfire let out a hearty laugh as she looked back at me, her wings flapping gently as she floated in front of me. "Only to the ones that make it easy, or just really close friends."
I laughed at the last part Spitfire said, causing the mare to raise a brow in confusion. "You're now considering me a friend?"
Spitfire gave a small smile as she shrugged her shoulders. "You've done a lot in two days, Mark. You've done more than I've seen other ponies do, and it's nice to see you do it without really expecting anything. Most ponies would want some sort of compensation for their help."
I waved my hand defensively as I grabbed my cider, taking a small pull from it. "I don't expect anything because hardly anything works for humans."
The two mares gave me a flat look before laughing themselves. Hearing the mares laugh so openly was wonderful to hear. It was weird to see how different the mares could act between their work and their social lives. Being close to them like I have been so far has even been more eye-opening as I've seen a side that probably most other ponies haven't seen. All three of us raised our glasses into the air, cheering at a wonderful day tomorrow and wishing the foals a better life now that Ever Ring was gone.
Once the three of us had a few more sips of our drinks, we made our way out of the bar. I went to Clover to pay for my stuff, but she declined my payment. She said that it was on the house since I made the mares' lives better after everything they've been through. I nodded to the mare as I headed for the exit, but stopped at her office before leaving. I looked back over my shoulder to see the green unicorn taking a few orders from ponies, and I placed a few bits into her office bin. The mare could decline all she wanted to, but I was going to pay her back for her understanding and helpful nature. Catching up with the two mares, I looked up at the sky to see the beautiful moon and stars that Luna had pulled out tonight.
Spitfire and Fleetfoot were about to leave, and I felt in my pocket for the one paper that I had taken out of the folder. Taking a deep breath, I decided to see how she would feel about this. "Hey, Spitfire?" Spitfire then turned towards me as I addressed her. "Do you mind if I speak with Fleetfoot alone for a few minutes before returning home?"
Fleetfoot raised a brow at me before looking at Spitfire. Spitfire just shrugged her shoulders and just shooed the mare towards me. "I'll leave the front door unlocked. Just try and not make too much noise when you get back."
I waved to Spitfire as she flew down the street, a small fire trail following behind. Fleetfoot trotted next to me, shuffling nervously like she had something to say. "What's up, Fleetfoot? Is something the matter?"
Fleetfoot looked at me with hesitant eyes, her tone portraying her nervousness. "Would you mind... letting me... ride your back?"
I was glad that there was no pony that could match Fluttershy's whisper voice as I crouched down to the mare. "Sure, but what brought this on?"
I turned around as I allowed the mare to climb my back, her front legs carefully wrapping around my neck as she nuzzled the top of my head. "The foals seemed to enjoy you carrying them, and I wanted to see what was so great about it. I must say, even though I can fly high into the air, being this high is a really different experience."
I laughed a little at Fleetfoot's antics, and a little from feeling her muzzle against my head as she nuzzled against me. Making sure that I had a good hold on Fleetfoot, while also trying to avoid touching anything too intimate, I started to make my way towards a little park that I knew about. I walked with moonlight guiding me, the mare on my back humming happily to herself as she moved in closer against my body. Her wings would give a gentle twitch that I felt against my arm, tickling me and threatening me to lose my hold on the mare. I walked in silence with the mare against my back for a few minutes before finally making it to the park.
I felt Fleetfoot move against my back as she looked at the park that we had arrived at. It wasn't anything like the ones in the castle, but it was still nice to walk around as it offered its own form of comfort. I walked into the park, heading for a cherry blossom tree that was on a little hill, looking over a little pond at the bottom. Fleetfoot's wings started to flap a little as I assumed the mare took in the sights. Seeing the park in the morning was nice, but it paled in comparison to the night. When the moon was high in the sky, the leaves of the trees would give a subtle pink glow while the stars sparkled against the surface of the pond's water.
I reached the tree that was on the top of the hill and moved to let Fleetfoot down. The mare was hesitant at first to release her hold on me, but a small smile towards her finally got her to let go. Once the mare was off of my back, I pulled out the paper in my pocket, making sure to keep it hidden from the mare. I sat with my back against the tree as Fleetfoot sat at the edge of the hill, staring at the pond and the stars that were reflecting off of it. Fleetfoot's tail swished gently against the grass as she stared into the pond for several minutes. I let the mare enjoy the calm feeling the park gave before she finally trotted next to me.
Fleetfoot laid down in the grass, putting her head on my lap as she let out a happy sigh. I smiled down at the mare as I ran my hand through her mane and down her neck. This got the mare to smile brightly as she hummed in pleasure. I continued to pet the mare, letting my fingers run along her neck and mane to elicit happier sighs from her. I stared in front of me, the subtle pink glow moving across the open air as I gave a small smile of my own.
Looking down at the paper in my hand, I looked back at Fleetfoot before letting my gaze look out into the pond. "Hey, Fleety, can I ask you something?"
Fleetfoot let out a small yawn that looked really cute on her as she buried her head deeper into my lap. Thankfully, her head was nowhere near another part of me that I didn't want to have to explain. "You're free to ask me anything you want, Mark. I'll gladly answer any question that you may have after everything you've done."
Pulling my hand up, I looked at the paper hesitantly before letting out a deep sigh. "If you could figure out what your actual name was, would you ever want to find out, or even take it?"
Fleetfoot lifted her head from my lap, her face contorted in confusion as she looked at me. "What do you mean?"
I lifted my hand up for Fleetfoot to see, presenting the paper that was in my palm. "I think while Pyro was in the hospital, she may have done a little searching to help you."
Fleetfoot eyed the paper suspiciously before turning her gaze on me. Her eyes held a mix of emotions, but two were very prominent. The first was worry and the second was confusion. "What exactly is on that paper?"
Lifting a hand to pet Fleetfoot's mane, which the mare thankfully allowed me to do, I spoke in a calm tone to avoid giving her any stress. "Pyro found out what your actual birth name was, along with who your parents are."
Fleetfoot's eyes widened as she jumped to her hooves, looking between the paper and myself with confusion. "Where did you get something like that?"
Scooting closer to the mare, I pulled her into a gentle hug as she started to shake harshly. "It was in the folder with all the evidence to convict Ever Ring and Cumulonimbus. I know it was wrong of me to hide it from you, but I didn't want to see you get hurt from finding out while we dealt with Ever Ring. I can accept you being angry at me, but I leave the choice to you if you want to know."
Fleetfoot took the paper from my hands, her hooves shaking as she looked at the one thing that could change her life. She looked back at me, understanding that I already knew what was on there since I was the first to see it, before looking back at the paper. I watched with patience as the mare started to unfold the paper. I said nothing as she undid the first fold, but she stopped after that. I raised a brow at the mare as she smiled back at me, adjusting her hooves to each side of the paper. I was surprised to see the mare tear the paper in half, then continue to tear it until it was just tiny scraps. After she finished tearing the paper apart, she threw it into the air, the gentle breeze taking away the pieces of paper.
Fleetfoot turned towards me, the ripped up pieces of paper flying away as she gave me a warm smile. "Fleetfoot is who I am now, and nopony is going to take that away from me. I made that name mean something after I was given it, and if my parents didn't want me, then I have no need to ever know who they are. I have a new family that cares for me and I'm proud to know them." I sat next to Fleetfoot as we stared up into the sky. The both of us smiled as we held each other close, the heavy feeling on our shoulders lifted as we enjoyed each other's company. |
Fleeting Flames | Ponyville Trip | Fleeting Flames
By: Duelist96
Chapter 11: Ponyville Trip
A week had passed since the trial against Ever Ring and everything seemed so much brighter. Spitfire and Fleetfoot were more energetic and even seemed to be a little livelier than before. Cadence had stopped by Canterlot to talk with Celestia and Luna about the foals and their current health. And then there's me, relieved to hear that they were doing well up in the Crystal Empire. I was even happier to hear that Everglade had enjoyed the company of both Echo and Moon. The castle, though, was a little lonely since Shield and Strongheart moved out. Though I did receive a letter from them saying they were making a trip up to the Crystal Empire to get everything in order for the orphanage they were going to run.
Cloudsdale didn't see much change, but I read that there were going to be some projects with the new mayor in charge. There wasn't a good picture of who the new mayor was, but from the small article I read, she was a pegasus mare whose name is Amber Waves. Fleetfoot seemed to think the new mayor was a fine choice, so I didn't really bother worrying about what she was going to do. I was surprised to learn from Luna that Amber Waves had visited Canterlot to talk about allowing me passage in and out of Cloudsdale. Spitfire seemed to have mixed emotions about me being able to go to Cloudsdale without any trouble, but she seemed happy enough that I had one of my problems solved.
There was one slight problem though, as the week went by. With Fleetfoot's newfound happiness, she seemed to get nervous around me on occasion. There were a few times that she either came to my bedroom, or even my office, and knocked on the door. After I would answer it, she would stare at me, her wings twitching nervously as she scraped at the floor with her hoof. I would try to ask her what was wrong, but as soon as I spoke a word, she would gallop away. Seeing her act this way worried me, but Spitfire assured me that there was nothing to worry about. I asked Spitfire how she knew and her best answer was just a knowing smile before patting my leg and trotting away.
Not really wanting to try and get an answer out of Spitfire, and seeing that Fleetfoot has been fine, even with her weird antics, I let things be. It also didn't take long before I started working out in Fleetfoot and Spitfire's gym. We had to go out and buy a few things since most of their weights were a little light for me. Given Spitfire's tough nature, I kind of expected her to be my drill sergeant, but apparently she treated me like a workout buddy. I never exercised for long since I never really admired the whole muscle-bound look, but I made sure to keep some of the muscles that I had.
Everything has been really great with the mares and it seems their rehearsal for the upcoming celebration has been going well. I also finally learned that the celebration that they were preparing for was the Summer Sun Celebration. I was excited for this celebration since it was going to be held in Canterlot this time around. I would have practically been spending my time getting prepared for the celebration if I wasn't stuck dealing with finances for the Wonderbolts.
I let out a heavy sigh as I threw my quill across the office, gripping my hair as I stared at my notebook and the financial sheet. I was silently trying to get the paper to combust into flames before a knock came from my door.
"Come in," I said tiredly as I scratched my scalp.
I heard laughter from the doorway, easily recognizing it as Spitfire's without having to look up at her. "I remember having to do this myself for the last few Summer Sun Celebrations. These were such a headache that I usually had to sit with Clover at her old bar and have her help me with all of this." Spitfire flew to my desk and grabbed the financial paper, giving it a quick look before letting out a low whistle. "This is pretty impressive, Mark. You're just as good as Clover."
I gave a small chuckle as I leaned back in my chair, closing my eyes as I tried to relax my tense body. "Thanks for the praise, Spitfire, but is there something you need?" I looked down to see the mare shuffling nervously, probably contemplating leaving the room and coming back another time. Taking a deep breath, I leaned forward, lifting a hand to scratch behind Spitfire's ears, earning a purr that I had never heard from any of the ponies before. "It's not that I don't enjoy your company, Spitfire, but I have until the end of the month to get this done. I also have to have Twilight to look it over as well, since I know she would find something I probably would have missed."
Spitfire smiled warmly as she leaned her head against my hand, getting my fingers to scratch with a little more force. "I was talking with Fleetfoot and we thought about maybe getting a pet or two. I was going to head to Ponyville to visit Fluttershy since she has lots of animals and I thought you would like to come."
I looked up at the ceiling as I thought about her offer. I looked back at the paper, trying another time to get it to burst into flames before finally giving up. "Anything to get me away from this damn paperwork." Spitfire smiled, her tail wagging excitedly as she grabbed my arm.
Spitfire gave a quick nuzzle to my arm before letting go and going back to the floor. "Then get changed into something more comfortable. The train leaves in four hours and we don't have all day to spend down there."
I nodded to Spitfire as I stood from my chair, popping my back in multiple places to finally get some feeling. "Sure thing. I'll meet you at the castle gates in a few minutes." Spitfire nodded, heading for the door before I stopped her. "Before you go, I have a question." Spitfire turned around, her ears flicking forward to show I had her attention. "Your mane, is it just the color, or can I set this paper on fire if I place it there?"
Spitfire gave me a deadpan expression before shaking her head. Spitfire said nothing as she turned back for the door, walking out of my office and disappearing from view. I only shrugged my shoulders as I opened the bottom drawer to my desk. I kept at least a few work clothes and casual wear in my office if I ever needed to change into anything. I actually ordered a new set of casual wear from Rarity through a letter. After I received her letter that she would make my new clothes, I think she may have been a little confused. I wasn't really sure since it's hard to read emotions through a piece of paper, but I could hazard a guess thanks to the few scratched out words on the letter.
I went back to my old style of where I wear a short-sleeved shirt with a button-up shirt over it, but I leave it open so everyone can see my undershirt. I also went back to wearing cargo shorts since they were really comfortable to walk and run in. On my shirts, though, I have a little design on them. I asked for Rarity to put Spitfire's cutie mark on a few of the shirts by itself, Fleetfoot's cutie mark by itself on the other, and at least two pairs that share their cutie marks. It seems this request is what had her flustered, but she still agreed to do it. Even though she made them out of her generous nature and decline any sort of payment, I had Twilight take my payment to her.
Sometimes I felt that mare was too generous for her own good, and I felt that she deserved a little something for having to make clothes on such short notice. Laughing at myself at the few times I tried to pay for my clothes, I changed into my casual wear. My undershirt had Fleetfoot's cutie mark on the front and my over-shirt had Spitfire's cutie mark on each shoulder. Rolling my shoulders to get out a few kinks, I walked out of my office and stopped by Spitfire's office. I looked in to see Fleetfoot floating lazily on a cloud above her desk. It seemed Fleetfoot was deep in thought about something as she didn't even notice me enter the office until I was standing over her.
Fleetfoot's eyes widened as she rolled to her hooves, a tinge of pink painting her cheeks as she took notice of my shirts. "M-Mark, what can I do for you?"
I smiled at Fleetfoot, chuckling silently as I found her slight awkwardness adorable. "I just stopped by to let you know that I'm heading out with Spitfire to Ponyville. We're going to stop by Fluttershy's to see about getting a pet."
I was pretty sure that I was seeing things, but I was certain that Fleetfoot's left eye twitched a little before she took a few breaths to speak to me. "That's great to hear, Mark. I hope that you and Spitfire find a pet that we can all enjoy."
I reached out a hand, scratching behind Fleetfoot's ears as I spoke in a cheerful tone. "I think I know what to get. It all depends on how Spitfire feels about the animal."
I pulled my hand away from Fleetfoot, the mare giving a small frown as I placed my hand by my side. Fleetfoot jumped off her cloud, giving me a quick hug before laying back down and staring back up at the ceiling. Nodding to Fleetfoot, I turned around and walked out of her office. I walked through the halls, greeting a few of the maids that I passed. I reached the front gates to the castle and saw Spitfire hovering in the air, looking at me with a bright smile. As we waved to each other, Spitfire's face turned pink like Fleetfoot's back in their office. I was tempted to say something, but she just turned around and starting flying for the train station. I followed her to the train station, chalking up her reaction as nothing to worry about.
The two of us boarded the train, Spitfire having already bought our tickets and taking a seat in one of the empty cars. I leaned back in my seat, waiting for the train to get moving so I could get some rest. I was slightly startled when I felt Spitfire lay her head on my lap, her hooves curling into her body as her tail moved to her front. I wasn't surprised that she was already getting some sleep since this entire week has been hectic for her with preparing the upcoming show. The only thing that really surprised me was that she was using me as her pillow. I wasn't sure if she was really aware of where she was sleeping, and I wanted to wake her so I could get her a pillow to sleep on, but the way she looked made me not want to wake her.
Deciding not to wake up Spitfire, I leaned back against my seat again, closing my eyes as the train finally started to move. It wasn't long before I reached up and put my hand on Spitfire's back, the mare letting out a pleased sigh as she moved closer to me. Soon after, I was out like a light.
A Few Hours Later
I was startled awake when the train's whistle blew shrilly. I blinked my eyes rapidly as I tried to get myself standing, finding it rather hard for some reason. Something was weighing me down, and when I was finally able to see, I looked down to see Spitfire had moved to lay across my entire lap. I shrugged, assuming that she probably moved in her sleep and started to prod her awake. Spitfire tried to swat my hand away with a hoof, but I easily moved around it and continued to poke her side. I continued this for a couple of minutes before Spitfire finally relented.
Spitfire opened her eyes, blinking them slowly as she gave a cute yawn and stretched her wings out. "A-Are... we there?" Spitfire asked between yawns.
I grabbed Spitfire, getting a surprised 'eep' from her as I stood. "We're about a couple minutes from the train station."
Spitfire's cheeks were scarlet red as she looked between me and the floor. She continued to avert her gaze for a few more seconds before speaking quietly, surprising me that she could even sound so quiet. "Mark, can I ask for a favor?"
I smiled at Spitfire as I nodded my head. "Sure thing, Spitfire. What do you need?"
Spitfire looked at the ground, refusing to look at me as she pressed her hooves together. "Fleetfoot told me about the piggyback rides you gave to the foals and then the one you gave to her." Spitfire looked up at me, a slightly hopeful look glinting in eyes. "I was wondering if you would give me one as well?"
I smiled at Spitfire, running my hand through her mane. "I don't mind giving you one. Just let me know if you start feeling uncomfortable with it and I'll let you down."
Spitfire nodded as I set her on the ground. I looked out the nearby window as I hunched down, seeing that we were nearing our destination. I felt Spitfire climb onto my back, her weightlessness still surprising just like Fleetfoot's. If I wanted to, I could probably carry them both on my back without any worries. Sure, I carried them once from Clover's bar after they got drunk, but maybe this time I wouldn't be left in such an awkward position. Spitfire's front hooves wrapped gently around my front, the whistle giving one final shrill blow as the brakes on the train screeched.
As the train came to a slow stop, I turned back to see Spitfire smiling happily, her tail swishing as she placed her chin on my shoulder. I cleared my throat to get Spitfire's attention. "Before we get off, I know that we're getting along more as friends, but are you sure that you want to have this piggyback ride? There's a lot of ponies that really hold you as their idol, so they might be a little confused about this. Rainbow Dash on the other hand might not care since she knows that I've been rooming with you and Fleetfoot."
Spitfire looked at me in the eyes as she gave a low hum in thought. As the train finally stopped in front of the station, Spitfire spoke in a confident tone. "I fine with that. I'm always putting work first so I haven't really had time to just let loose. They can think what they want because as long as I'm with you, then I know most of them won't care."
The doors opened, ponies entering and leaving the train as I gave Spitfire a bemused look. "How much did Luna tell you about my visits to Ponyville?"
Spitfire gave a cheeky grin as she looked forward again. "Just enough to know that many of the ponies here like you, barring a few that you got into arguments with, and your first time seeing Lyra."
I walked out of the train, seeing many familiar faces in the small town as I shook my head at Spitfire. "Lyra is a really nice mare, but she really has a hard time making good first impressions."
Spitfire laughed lightly as she gave a small nuzzle to my neck. I couldn't help but laugh as well since even with my first horrible experience with Lyra, I took the chance to get to know her. Now I'm great friends with the human-interested mare and her marefriend. Shifting my hands to make sure I have a good hold on Spitfire, while also making sure that I'm nowhere near her intimate parts, I walked off the station, many of the residents taking a quick look at me and waving at me. I nodded to those that waved as I made my way for Fluttershy's cottage. As I walked through the town, I stared at the giant crystal castle that stood near its center.
How Twilight was able to live in such a place was beyond me, but she seemed happy to have a bigger place to store more books. As I reached city hall, I was surprised that a certain trio of fillies, or even a prismatic pegasus haven't made themselves known, but I knew it would be only a matter of time before I ran into either one of them.
I was starting to pass city hall when I heard a mare call out to me, her voice easily recognized with her playful tone. "Well, if it isn't my favorite human."
I gave a heavy sigh as I turned around. True enough, the unicorn mare who I thought was calling to me stood a few paces away from me. The sun easily made her snow white coat stand out, along with her electric blue mane and her signature purple shades. Next to her was a gray earth pony mare who stood out with her raven black mane and tail. Her purple eyes shone brightly as she gave me a friendly smile.
Nodding to Octavia, I looked back at Vinyl with a bemused expression. "For the last time, Vinyl, it's 'hoo-man' not 'human'."
Vinyl stood in front of me, her tail wagging excitedly as she held a hoof up to her muzzle. Octavia was trying her best to stifle her laughter, but she was doing a very poor job of it. I looked at the two mares with a raised brow, trying to figure out what was so funny. After running through only a few scenarios that could have caused them to laugh, I finally realized my mistake.
"God damn it. I can't believe I walked into that one," I said as I looked at the ground, chastising myself for walking into Vinyl's trap.
Vinyl let her laughter break free as she fell onto her back. She was laughing so hard that I swear I saw a few tears falling from her eyes. Thankfully, Octavia was able to keep her laughter in a controlled state as she took a jab at my mistake. The two mares continued to laugh before finally getting under control, Vinyl taking a few more seconds so she could get some of the dirt out of her coat. Spitfire didn't seem to want to stop her laughter anytime soon, but I didn't mind as I liked hearing her laugh.
After Vinyl finished picking the dirt out of her coat, I looked back at Octavia with a serious expression. "Hey, Octavia, can you do me a favor?"
Octavia smiled at me as she spoke in a warm tone. "Sure, Mark. What do you need?"
I looked back at Vinyl, giving her a small smirk before turning back to her marefriend. I heard Vinyl give a small gasp. "Can you please find Wubz and make him disappear for a couple of days?"
Vinyl let out a loud gasp as she looked between Octavia and myself. "You wouldn't dare, would you, Tavi?" Vinyl asked as she held Octavia in her hooves.
Octavia gave Vinyl a loving nuzzle before prying the mare off of her and giving her a soft frown. "I'm sorry, Vinyl, but I do kind of owe Mark after having him pick up Marchello for me."
Vinyl looked a little crestfallen at hearing this, but quickly shook out of it as she turned back to me, pointing a threatening hoof at me. "Mark my words, Mark. I will have my vengeance!"
Nodding towards Vinyl, I decided to move the conversation along. "So how has everything been here in Ponyville since my last visit?"
Vinyl and Octavia gave small frowns as they looked at the ground. Before a silence could settle between us, Octavia spoke up. "Apparently one of our judges has been taking bribes and is now being sent to jail."
I gave a small frown at hearing this news. A lot of the ponies in Ponyville were so close that there was a sense of closeness that not a lot of other places shared. "I'm sorry to hear that. Who was taking bribes?"
Vinyl decided to speak up. "It was Judge Takes Bribes." My frown turned to into a bemused expression as I stared at the mare. I went to say something, but was cut off as Vinyl continued. "He was such a good stallion. It's sad to know that he had been taking bribes since he took the judge position. I don't think anypony really saw that coming."
"You're kidding me, right?" I asked, causing the two mares to look at me with raised brows. "His name is literally Takes Bribes. How did anyone not see this coming?"
"What do you mean?" Octavia asked.
"I mean it's clearly obvious that he was going to be taking bribes. He stood out, pretty much saying that he was going to be doing something illegal," I explained as I looked between the two mares.
"I don't understand," Vinyl said as she looked up at me. "What exactly does his name have to do with this?"
I looked at the mare like she was crazy. "He was pretty much saying that he would take any bribes. How is this so hard to understand? It's like having a pony named Killing Spree and five of his friends turn up dead."
Octavia gave an audible gasp as she placed a hoof over her mouth. "Who killed all of Killing Spree's friends?"
"Oh come on. You can't honestly tell me that it isn't obvious who did it," I said, hoping that the two mares were just messing with me.
"We're sorry, Mark, but we really don't see where you're going with this," Vinyl said with a small frown.
I wanted to continue this conversation, but I finally convinced myself to stop. I don't know how these ponies couldn't understand what I'm saying, but if I continue, I'm just going to give myself a headache.
Shaking my head, I let out a deep sigh before looking back at the mares. "Just forget it. I'm sorry to hear that one of your trusted judges has been caught doing such a crime."
Both mares nodded as they smiled back at me, giving me a quick hug. I heard a low growl and I was certain that it was Spitfire, but looking at her showed that she was staring across town. Ignoring the growl, I gave the two mares a quick hug before they let go.
"We would love to stay and continue to chat, but Vinyl and I have places to go," Octavia said, giving me a small smile.
"It's fine. I'm only here to see about getting a pet for Spitfire and Fleetfoot, then I'll be heading back to Canterlot. It was nice seeing you again, though," I said as I smiled at the two mares.
"Hope you find a nice pet for all of you. Who are you going to see to get one?" Vinyl asked.
"We're heading over to Fluttershy's to get one," I said.
The two mares nodded before turning around and leaving for wherever their destination was. I watched the two mares trot off before turning around and continuing for Fluttershy's cottage. The walk from City Hall to Fluttershy's place took about several minutes, but it seemed to make Spitfire really happy. I only knew of a few times that Spitfire had visited Ponyville, and most of those visits were mainly work related. Now that she was away from work, she seemed to really take the town in. I didn't say anything as I neared the quaint little cottage, the small river sparkling in the sunlight.
All the animals around the cottage noticed my arrival and were courteous enough to retrieve Fluttershy without having to ask them. As I waited for Fluttershy to show up, I crouched down to let Spitfire off of my back. Spitfire seemed confused at first, a hurt look showing on her face before quickly disappearing as she got to the ground. I felt a little bad about having to let her walk around, but she wouldn't have been able to see the animals as well if she was on my back. It wasn't long before Fluttershy came around her cottage. The mare gave a loud gasp, flying directly at me and tackling me to the ground in a hug.
"Mark, it's so great to see that you're doing okay," Fluttershy said as she buried her face into my shirt, a few tears staining the front.
I quickly pulled Fluttershy into a hug, petting her mane as I tried to coax her out of what was wrong. "Fluttershy, why are you crying?"
Fluttershy pulled away from my shirt, one of her hooves rubbing at where her tear stains were. She quietly whispered 'sorry' as she composed herself. "I-I heard about w-what you did up at Cloudsdale. I was so worried that you got hurt during your trip there."
I couldn't help but laugh at Fluttershy's concern. Fluttershy looked at me with confusion as I petted her mane. "Trust me, Fluttershy. I don't think anyone can compare to when Spitfire tackled me at her house."
Fluttershy continued to look at me with a concerned look before taking a deep breath, collecting her nerves as she finally smiled at me. "As long as you're okay, Mark, then I'll stop worrying about it."
I smiled at Fluttershy as I got to my feet, giving her a quick scratch behind her ear as I moved towards the reason I was visiting. "Anyways, I'm here with Spitfire because we're looking for a pet."
Fluttershy moved her mane out her face, her smile nearly blinding me as she grabbed my arm, pulling me towards her cottage. "Oh, that's wonderful. I have so many animals that would be perfect for you three." Fluttershy let go of my arm, Spitfire floating to my side as Fluttershy gave various whistles. Many animals started to arrive and get in some form of line so we could see them all. While the animals were busy gathering together, Fluttershy turned towards us, her voice barely able to hold back her excitement. "So what kind of animal are you looking for?"
I gestured for Spitfire to explain. "We're looking for something exotic... if you have something like that."
Fluttershy nodded as she started separating the animals. "Do you know what kind of size you want the animal to be?"
Spitfire moved next to Fluttershy, staring at the animals as Fluttershy sorted them. "Well, we need one that isn't too big since our house isn't that big, but nothing too small so we can't lose them easily."
Fluttershy nodded as she continued to sort through the animals, moving them across the lawn with practiced ease. "So we're going with something exotic of medium size. I do have a few, so let me know what you think."
Fluttershy stepped away, letting Spitfire look over the remaining animals. I looked away from the animals as I turned towards an animal that was swimming through the river. The animal was similar to that of a ferret from what I could tell. The animal had red fur covering its entire body. The underside was snow white, along with its face. The tail had two rings near the end that were brown in color. I ignored the two mares as they talked between themselves about the animals, a little more interested in this new animal I haven't seen before. I neared the river and the animal looked at me, its nose twitching with its head cocked to the side.
I crouched down to look less intimidating to the animal. The animal continued to watch me as I extended a hand forward, trying to see if it would come to me. The animal started to lean forward, but stopped as another one of its kind show up. The other animal was similar to the first, but its entire body was covered in snow white fur. The underside was red, along with its face. The tail had two rings that were purple in color. The other animal looked at me curiously for a few seconds before leaning forward, the red one mirroring its actions. The two animals sniffed at my fingers for several seconds before moving closer to me, nuzzling my legs.
Laughing at the animals as they inspected me, I moved to lift them up. The animals happily allowed me to grab them and place them on my shoulders. I was surprised to see how well they could hold on and move freely across my shoulders as I made my way back to the mares. As I neared the two mares, Spitfire was rubbing her head with a hoof while Fluttershy was giving a heavy frown. I could barely make out the little apologies that Fluttershy was making as I saw that there were no animals left.
"Again, I'm sorry that I couldn't find you one that interested you," Fluttershy said, her voice heavy with disappointment.
Spitfire stopped rubbing her head as she wrapped a foreleg around Fluttershy. "It's okay, Fluttershy, you tried your best. I'm probably just too picky about the pet that I want."
A little disappointed that Spitfire couldn't find a pet to bring back home, I decided to see what she thought about the two new additions that I brought with me. "Hey, Spitfire. What do you think about these animals?"
Spitfire looked up at me and her eyes went wide. Fluttershy's eyes went wide as well, a hoof covering her mouth as she stared at the two animals. I went to see what was wrong when Spitfire tackled me to the ground, grabbing the two animals in her hooves.
"Oh, my, Celestia. They're so adorable," Spitfire said as she nuzzled the two animals.
I coughed a few times, groaning as I slightly sat up. "Couldn't you have just... asked to hold them?" I was certain that one of my ribs was broken, but there was a chance I was probably just in a massive amount of pain.
"Sorry," Spitfire said as her cheeks became a little pink.
Fluttershy moved next to me, looking me over with a critical eye before turning back to the animals. "Mark, where did you get these two?"
Moving to sit up, I let out a slight groan of discomfort. "I found them... by the river."
"Do you have any idea what these are?" Fluttershy asked, her eyes still looking at the animals with wonder.
"Not really. You never went over this type of animal," I said, starting to feel slightly better.
Fluttershy looked back at me, her expression calming down as she explained. "That's because I never thought I would see them. These are very rare animals and they hardly ever let anypony see them. These are a very rare kind of ferret species called elemental ferrets." Fluttershy moved towards Spitfire, gently picking up the red one as she showed it to me. "This one is known as a fire ferret," Fluttershy said before switching it out with the white one. "And this one is known as an ice ferret." Fluttershy returned the ice ferret back to Spitfire.
I nodded my head as I looked at the two ferrets nuzzling Spitfire. "Do they make good pets?"
Fluttershy nodded before giving a little information about them. "They're usually pretty tame compared to regular ferrets. They're very loyal like dogs, but they can take care of themselves pretty well. As long as food and water is out for them, or in an easily accessible place, then they shouldn't be a problem."
I nodded as I turned back to Spitfire, smiling as I watched her play with the ferrets. "So what do you think, Spitfire? Would you like these as pets?"
Spitfire stopped playing with the ferrets as she turned towards Fluttershy. "Where do I sign for them?"
Fluttershy gestured towards her cottage and Spitfire trotted towards the door. Fluttershy looked back at me to see if I was going to follow. I gestured for her to head on up and get everything settled. Fluttershy gave a small nod as she flew back to her cottage. Letting out a deep sigh, I laid back in the grass, looking up at the sky. I probably stared at the sky for maybe five minutes before Spitfire came flying out of the house, the two ferrets on her back.
"Mark, I would like you to meet Blaze and Tundra." The two ferrets looked at me, nodding a little before getting comfortable on Spitfire's back again.
"Those are very lovely names. Did you figure out what gender they are?" I asked as I moved to stand up.
"Fluttershy was able to determine that they are female and that they are sisters." Spitfire smiled brightly as we walked back to the train station.
I smiled back at Spitfire. "That's good to hear. I think Fleetfoot will like these two a lot."
Spitfire nodded her head excitedly as she went back to playing with the two ferrets. It was adorable to see the ferrets and Spitfire nuzzle each other lovingly. We passed City Hall and I saw Vinyl on her knees, probably begging for something from Octavia. I couldn't help but smile at how fast Octavia was able to make Wubz disappear. Seeing her do this only pushed me further to the fact that Octavia had some connections with certain ponies. The two of us neared the train station, only to stop and stare wide-eyed at the slight destruction. The station was thankfully safe, but there was about forty feet of track missing.
"Well, looks like we're stuck here," I said as I knew exactly the culprits that probably caused this. I really wondered how those three were able to get away with all the destruction they cause.
"What do you mean we're stuck here? We can't stay overnight. We have to be back in Canterlot to run the performance a few more times," Spitfire said as she started to pace back and forth.
I let the mare do several paces in front of me before finally placing a hand on her back. Spitfire looked up at me, worry evident in her eyes as I spoke in a calm tone. "If it's that important to get back to Canterlot, then fly back. I can stay here for the night and I'll catch the earliest train that will be able to leave."
Spitfire looked at me, then at the mountains before settling on me again. "No, if you're stuck here, then I'm stuck here with you. I refuse to ditch my friend after coming all this way to get two pets. Fleetfoot can handle the practice runs until our return."
I looked at Spitfire, my brow raised in confusion. "Are you sure? I really don't mind if you head back to Canterlot. I have a few friends that would be more than willing to let me crash at their place until the tracks are repaired."
Spitfire nodded her head as she gave a determined look. "Of course I'm sure. Plus, I think this would be a great time to get to know one another. I mean it can't possibly get worse, can it?"
I looked at the mare with a deadpan expression. "First, never say anything can't get worse because then something worse will happen. Secondly, I would like to make this a fond memory that we can look back at to see how much closer we have gotten as friends. Finally, the only way it could get worse is if ponies enslaved humans, and I was a half-blind human who was stuck being mute and my name ended up being Max."
Spitfire looked at me with a raised brow for a few seconds before nodding her head. "Yeah, that last part sounds like it could be worse. Thankfully, that could never happen."
The two of us laughed as we turned away from the train station. As the two of us walked through the town, the sun started to lower. I could feel myself starting to get hungry, and it seemed the same for Spitfire as she looked around at the restaurants. The ferrets seemed to have fallen asleep, Spitfire's wings covering them a little as they slept soundly.
I nudged Spitfire a little to get her attention and she looked up at me. "Hey, it's getting a little late. Want to find a place to get a quick bite to eat and then go find a hotel to stay at for the night?"
Spitfire nodded her head as she stopped walking, pointing her hoof at a nearby restaurant. "Sure, that's sounds like a good plan. Want to eat here?"
I shrugged my shoulders as I gestured for Spitfire to lead us in. The two of us entered the little restaurant and took a seat at a table. A stallion came by our table and I ordered some fries and a sundae while Spitfire ordered a salad and a milkshake. The two of us sat in silence together, Spitfire placing the two ferrets on the table as she smiled at them. I smiled as well as I looked at the peaceful creatures sleeping.
I was pulled from staring at the ferrets when I heard Spitfire call my name. "Mark, do you mind if I ask you something personal?"
I looked at Spitfire, who fidgeted slightly in her chair. Whatever question she had seemed to make her nervous, and I spoke in calm tone to ease her tension. "You can ask me whatever you want, and I'll gladly answer whatever question you may have."
Spitfire nodded as she took a couple of breaths. "Okay, just know that you really don't have to answer it if it's too personal for you."
Spitfire was about to ask her question when the waiter appeared again and dropped off our food. I gave the stallion some bits as a tip before he left. Spitfire took this chance to ignore whatever question she was going to ask and start stuffing her face with her salad. I had a feeling that she would probably ask it later, so I didn't continue where she was cut off. I ate my food happily as Spitfire seemed to enjoy her milkshake. The two of us finished off our meals quickly, just in time as the sun started to set. Spitfire paid for our meal, grabbing the ferrets and placing them on her back. I couldn't help but grin as we walked away from the table.
We were heading for a nearby hotel before I nudged Spitfire. Spitfire looked up at me, her eyes wide as she saw my grin. "You realize what you just did earlier, right?"
Spitfire quirked an eyebrow as she looked at me. "What do you mean? All I did was pay for our dinner..." Spitfire's eyes went wide as she realized what she did. Spitfire let out a deep sigh as she shook her head. "I can't believe I did that without remembering what I said. Go ahead and give me a nickname, but it only stays if it's good. Also, the only ponies that get to know it are Fleetfoot, you, myself, and possibly a few friends that I know that won't tell others."
I nodded my head as I thought about what kind of nickname I would give Spitfire. It took me a few seconds before I finally settled on one. "Fire. That's your nickname."
I didn't think it was possible, but Spitfire's cheek exploded into a deep red that threatened to take over her entire face. "I wasn't expecting that."
Spitfire refused to look at me, her strides increasing as she tried to get to the hotel faster. Spitfire was already through the door and ordering a room by the time I walked through. The mare at the front desk handed Spitfire a key to the room before waving her goodbye. Spitfire gestured with a wing for me to follow her as I waved to the mare at the front desk who happily waved back. Our room was thankfully on the first floor and near the lobby so we could make to the train station as quickly as we needed to.
As Spitfire opened the door to the room, we both noticed how cozy it looked. There was a bed against the side wall and a couch in the middle. I took the couch as Spitfire hopped onto the bed. It wasn't long before Spitfire fell asleep in her bed as I bordered on my own sleep. Staring at the ceiling, I smiled as I remembered the blush that Spitfire had after I gave her a nickname. Since she didn't complain about it, I was safe to say that she liked it. My smile soon turned into a frown as I leaned up from the couch. Spitfire was sleeping peacefully, but I kind of wished that we could have done more together.
Looking around the room, I found a small notepad next to an inkwell and a quill. Grabbing the quill, I dabbed into the ink and made a note to get together with Spitfire again so we could have our own alone time. There was still much I need to learn about Spitfire, and I wanted to show her that I was willing to take the time to get to her know her. My time with Fleetfoot went well, even considering some of the stuff that we went through, so I was more than happy to try and get closer to Spitfire. Finishing off my note, I set the quill down and let the ink dry on the note. I moved back to the couch and closed my eyes as I let sleep finally take me over, a happy sigh escaping my lips as I thought of a few things that Spitfire and I could do. |
Fleeting Flames | Dual Surprises | Fleeting Flames
By: Duelist96
Chapter 12: Dual Surprises
I awoke to a strange sensation on my chest. There was a slight weight pressing down, but it wasn't too heavy to hinder my breathing. Letting out a small groan, I rubbed my eyes as I looked down. I couldn't see very clearly since it was still early in the morning, if the little amount of light coming through the window was anything to go by. Through my hazy eyes, I could make out a few colors. There was a large golden blob on my chest with a red and orange color that I could guess was the front and back. Which one was in either direction, I wasn't really sure. Blinking a few times, I gave a large yawn as my vision finally came back to me.
Looking at my chest again, my entire body tensed as I looked at what the golden blob was. Spitfire had moved from her bed and laid herself down on my chest at some point during the night. She was curled into a little ball, her head very close to my neck while her tail twitched lightly. There was a smile on her face as she gave a quiet giggle. I couldn't help but smile along with her, as she looked adorable with how peaceful she was. Her presence helped to wake me up further and her golden fur acted as a miniature sun. Spitfire gave off an aura of warmth as she buried herself deeper into my chest.
Her entire being radiated a sense of beauty and calm as she continued to sleep peacefully. Carefully moving my hand, I slowly stroked my fingers through her mane, getting Spitfire to smile even brighter. As I looked down at her, I could see there was a difference between her and Fleetfoot. Fleetfoot had a wonderful radiance when she was out in the sun, while Spitfire's golden coat itself gave off her radiance. The sun didn't have to hit Spitfire's coat to make her stand out in my eyes. Her coat shimmered of its own accord, a slight warmth permeating off of her and causing me to feel at ease. I gave a small smile as my mind wandered at the prospect of the sun hitting Spitfire's eyes, causing them to shine just like Fleetfoot's did.
My eyes widened as I realized where my thoughts were heading. I shook my head clear of all my thoughts, deciding that it would be best to get up and check the train station. Giving a quick stretch, I looked over at the bed to see the elemental ferrets still asleep. Looking down at Spitfire, I thought of the best way that I could go about this. Spitfire's tail continued to twitch, showing that she was still asleep. The only problem was that I didn't know how deeply she was asleep. Taking a deep breath, I carefully moved my hands towards Spitfire's sides. I froze when my hands made contact with her, the mare stirring a little.
I waited with baited breath to see if Spitfire would wake up. Several tense seconds passed before Spitfire stopped stirring and I grasped her sides. Taking a few seconds to enjoy the feeling of her soft fur, I gently lifted her off of me. I was taken by surprise when Spitfire's wings flared out, giving a few strong flaps before gently falling limp. I had barely moved my body and I could feel sweat pouring down my head. Making slow movements, I sat up, holding Spitfire out in front to make sure she stayed asleep. Once I was sitting up, I couldn't help but chuckle at the way Spitfire looked. She was hanging limp in my hands, her body entirely relaxed like a sleeping puppy.
Smiling to myself, I placed Spitfire at the end of the couch, carefully standing up as I gave a few more stretches. Looking closely, I saw she was still asleep. I moved over to the bed, grabbing the small blanket that was at the end. I unfolded the blanket and threw it over Spitfire, tucking it in slightly so she was comfortable. I heard Spitfire mumbling to herself, but I couldn't make out what she was saying. Shrugging, I went to exit the room. After I closed the door quietly, my stomach gave a low grumble, letting me know that it was hungry. Knowing that it was still early in the morning, there was only one place that would be open.
I made to exit the hotel when I heard a mare calling to me. "Excuse me, sir?" I turned to see the same mare from last night. "Fluttershy dropped off two bags of food for your pets, along with the documents to show ownership and notes on how to take care of them."
"Thank you," I said as I gave the mare a smile. "Do you mind holding onto those until I get back?"
The mare smiled back at me as she nodded her head. "Of course, Mark. Also, I know you're staying up at Canterlot and I wanted to let you know the train should be ready for its eight o'clock departure."
"Thanks for that. I was going to check on that while I went to get something to eat, so now I have one less stop to make," I said as I gave the mare a few bits.
She nodded her thanks before turning and trotting back to the front desk. Turning around, I walked out of the hotel, greeted by the cool dawn air. Giving a large yawn, I moved away from the hotel and headed for the one stall that would be open this early. I walked through town, a few ponies leaving their homes to get their businesses prepared or to get the foals ready for school. I waved to a few of the early ponies as I headed for the marketplace. I looked towards where the sun was rising and figured that I should run into either Applejack or Big Mac setting up their stall.
As I made my way to the market, I saw Berry Punch leaving her house with Berry Pinch following close behind. I'd heard a few ponies mention that Berry Punch wasn't good enough to be taking care of a foal, but I could easily say they were wrong. I clearly saw the love that Berry Punch had for her daughter, even with the weird teasing that she used, and I would say she knew exactly how to take care of her. Many of the ponies even said that she was a heavy drinker. I wouldn't say they were wrong, but with Berry Punch, I don't think it's really possible. Out of all the ponies I'd ever seen drink till they pass out, Berry Punch could beat them by a hundred miles and still retain some sobriety.
I even spoke with Berry Pinch and she had nothing but nice things to say about her mother. During a few of my stays in Ponyville the young filly would regale to me of tales about her mother and how she was the nicest mother of all. I believe that could easily be challenged by another mare that I knew, but I didn't have the heart to argue with such a happy filly. Smiling at the old memories of the two ponies, I continued on my way.
I entered the marketplace and found Big Mac setting up his stall. It's pretty hard to not notice Big Mac since he's the tallest pony in town and was the color of a fire truck. As I neared, Big Mac noticed me and waved. I waved back to the stallion as I made my strides longer, the stallion quickly flipping over a sign as he pulled out a bucket of apples. I stopped in front of the stall, looking at the various apple treats that he had for the day as he gave a small smile.
Grabbing a few apples, I decided to start a little conversation with him. "You having a good morning, Big Mac?"
"Eeyup," Big Mac answered like he always did.
I couldn't help but chuckle at him. Big Mac was a very kind stallion of few words. Even then, it wasn't hard to learn his mannerisms were never meant to offend.
Grabbing a few apple fritters, I moved onto another topic I needed to know about. "Are the Crusaders up and about looking for me yet?"
"Eeyup," Big Mac answered, his eyes giving me a slight apology.
I gave a deep sigh as I shook my head. "You have nothing to apologize for, Big Mac. I don't know how they do it sometimes, but they always seem to know when I'm in town." Taking a final look at his stand, I handed him the bits for what I grabbed and started to munch on an apple. "Well, I better head out and get everything packed before I get tackled by those three."
This got a small chuckle from the stallion before I gave him a slight punch in the shoulder. Big Mac just shrugged off my little attack as he gave me a warm smile, nodding his head as I turned to leave. My pace back to the hotel was increased with the fear of the three fillies finding me. I never disliked the Crusaders, but they could sometimes be a little over the top about what they did to get their cutie marks. I still didn't understand how syrup, a tree, and hungry timberwolves were a good idea at the time, but it was hard to say no when all three of them gave me puppy dog eyes.
Shaking my head clear of that and a few other horrifying attempts at getting their cutie marks, I kept my eyes peeled for any sign of them. I reached the hotel in record time, the mare at the front desk looking at me with a raised brow before going back to whatever she was doing before. Taking a look around the lobby, I found no sign of the fillies and made my way over to the front desk. Once I reached it, the mare closed up the magazine she was looking at as she smiled at me. I gave her a small smile in return as she started to pull out the things Fluttershy left for me.
As the mare piled my items together, I grabbed a note she had laid to the side and began reading it. The note was just a quick list of things I needed to know for taking care of the ferrets. They each required at least a half cup of food each and we had to make sure they had a lot of space to run around. There were also a few grooming tips, but when I remembered how Fluttershy reacted when she saw them, I didn't think she would mind coming up to give them regular check-ups.
Folding up the note, I looked back at the items and grabbed the documents of ownership. I skimmed through the papers, a brow raising in interest as I learned the two ferrets were only three years old. Nodding my head after seeing Spitfire and Fluttershy's signatures, I folded up the two documents and put them in my pocket. After the mare finished grabbing everything, she kindly stacked them and wrapped them so I could easily carry them.
I nodded to her as I gave her a few extra bits for helping me with things. Taking the items, I headed back to the room. As I neared the door, I could barely make out some noise from inside. Stopping in front of the door, I pressed an ear up to it, listening intently for anything. I could hear the clopping of hooves and they seemed to be moving at a fast pace. I could only assume that Spitfire was probably messing around with the ferrets since they were probably up and hungry.
I slid in my key, turning the doorknob and taking a step inside. I only stepped one foot into the room when I felt something wrap around my chest, pinning my arms to my side as it suddenly became hard to breathe. Ignoring the fact there was something slowly crushing the life out of me, I took the time to look around the room. Spitfire's blanket was on the floor in a balled up heap, a few tables were pushed to the side, and the mattress was on its side. Slowly nodding my head, I looked down to what was crushing me to see Spitfire shuddering, something wet staining my shirt as she buried her muzzle in my chest.
"What's... wrong... Spitfire?" I asked, trying to keep enough oxygen in my body to avoid passing out.
"I had a very... bad dream and when I woke up, you weren't here. I worried that... something bad happened to you when I couldn't find you," Spitfire said, her voice cracking a little as she held back her tears.
Dropping what I had in my hands to the floor, I did the best I could to comfort the mare. I lowered my head until my chin was resting in her mane. Moving my head from side to side, I tried to simulate my fingers running through her mane. I wasn't sure what could have caused her nightmare and why she was worried for me specifically, but these were questions I pushed away for later. There was a mare crying into my shirt that needed my attention and I would be damned if I didn't do anything to comfort her.
Her grip on my body loosened, thankfully, and I moved back towards the couch. I continued to nuzzle into Spitfire's mane as she let out small whimpers, but there was a slight smile on her lips. Once seated on the couch, I took off my shoes and grabbed at the balled up blanket with my feet. It took me a few tries, but when I was able to get the blanket close enough, I grabbed it with my hand and laid it on the couch. Spitfire had finally allowed her body to relax and I was able to move my arms out of her grasp.
This action caused her to squeeze me again, but with my arms now free, I was able to wrap her into a hug as I laid us on our sides. I used one hand to stroke her mane as my other hand grabbed the other end of the blanket and threw it over us. Once the blanket had the two of us covered, I moved my free hand to her barrel and gently ran my fingers along her side. Spitfire let out a happy coo as her shuddering slowly came to a halt, her hooves gently rubbing my back as I let our closeness calm her.
I held the pony close to my chest for several more minutes before leaning close to her ear, my voice calm as I spoke. "Are you feeling better?"
A nod was my response as I pulled away from Spitfire. She looked up at me with a small smile as she wiped at her eyes with a hoof. "Do you want to talk about it?" I asked.
Spitfire shook her head as she gave a few flaps of her wings. I gave a small frown at her refusal, but I didn't press the issue. I scratched behind her ear, getting another little purr from her. "Okay. Just remember that I'm here if you want to talk about anything."
Spitfire smiled as she placed a hoof on my arm. "I will, Mark. Thank you for this, though."
I smiled as I gave Spitfire a warm hug. "Not a problem, my little Fire."
As I pulled back from the hug, I could see the small signs of a blush on her face. I couldn't help the huge grin that took over my face, causing Spitfire to give a playful punch to my arm. "I better not hear the others calling me that. I still have an image to uphold."
I laughed as I moved off the couch, Spitfire following me as the ferrets came out of the bathroom. "Don't worry. I won't let the all-powerful Spitfire fall victim to her friends knowing that she has a lovely nickname."
Spitfire shook her head as she trotted up to the ferrets, lowering a wing so they could climb onto her back. "I'm serious, Mark. You can call me 'your little Fire' all you want, but that's only in private. Fleetfoot can know though since I know your little nickname for her."
I shook my head as the ferrets moved into Spitfire's mane, poking their heads out as they took in their surroundings from a higher vantage point. "Good, because I was going to tell her anyways no matter what."
Spitfire smiled warmly at me; all traces of her fear and pain that she had were gone. With Spitfire back to her bright, warm, and sometimes friendly self, I went back to the door and grabbed the food that I had bought for breakfast. I set the food on a table and allowed Spitfire to eat as I cleaned up the room. Spitfire tried to voice that she would help before eating, but I convinced her that since I had eaten before arriving back, I could handle cleaning up. Besides, the mess wasn't that bad compared to a few that I'd made back at the castle as a prank against Luna. I could still hear her mumbling to herself about not being able to help, or even pick up after herself, but she remained at the table to eat her breakfast.
Thankfully, there was no real damage to the room and everything was easy to put back into place. I had to stop cleaning a few times to get Spitfire to continue eating, but at least she went back every time I asked her to. After several minutes, I was able to finish cleaning and Spitfire finished off her breakfast. I looked out the window to see the sun was higher in the air, nearing the time that the train should be able to leave.
I looked back over at Spitfire to see her doing one final sweep of the room to make sure everything was cleaned up. "We should head out to the train station. The front desk mare said that it should be ready for its eight o'clock departure."
Spitfire turned around to face me, her eyes still looking around the room. "That's good. The sooner we get back to Canterlot, the sooner we can drop off Blaze and Tundra at home. After that, we can catch up with Fleetfoot at the castle and finish up some paperwork."
I gave a loud groan as I looked up at the ceiling. "Is that all you two ever do at the castle?"
Spitfire looked at me with raised brow. "What do you mean?"
I looked back at Spitfire, gesturing for her to follow as we made to leave the hotel. "I've only seen the two of you relax just a few times. Sure it has slightly increased when Ever Ring was finally dealt with, but you both still only focus on work."
Spitfire trotted next to me, her expression showing confusion and a little anger. "It's part of the job. Did you expect us to spend only a couple hours preparing for a show and then just laze about the rest of the day?"
I put up my hands and waved them defensively, seeing where I went wrong in this conversation. "That's not what I meant. I understand all the work that you, Fleetfoot, and all the other Wonderbolts put into your shows. It just kind of seems that you let your work consume you. I'm not trying to say stop what you're doing, but try to make more time hanging with your friends."
Spitfire didn't say anything as she looked at the ground. She was biting her lower lip nervously as one of her wings twitched slightly. "You know what? You're right." Spitfire looked up at me as she smiled. "You, me, and Fleetfoot should walk around Canterlot in the next couple of days."
I smiled at Spitfire as I nodded my head. "That sounds like a great idea. Do you mind if we stop by Echo and Moon's place? They should be back in town and I would like to see how they're doing."
Spitfire nodded her head as we reached the station. "Sure thing. I actually would like to know how they're doing as well, since they've been helping Everglade understand thestral habits."
I couldn't help but smile at hearing that there was a chance to know how Everglade was doing. That filly had a lot of heart and I respected her for that. The two of us bought our tickets, and as we were about to board, I felt a rope tighten around my wrist. My mind jumped to the cause and I sighed heavily as I waited for the impending pain. It came quick as I was tackled to the floor of the train, three fillies cheering as they danced on my back. Next was the sound of disappointment from not earning their cutie marks before they finally got off of me. I groaned as I rose to my feet, Spitfire looking at me with a raised brow as she gestured to the three fillies.
Dusting off my pants, I turned to see the three terrors of Ponyville that I also considered very close friends. Sweetie Belle was Rarity's little sister and Rarity had really rubbed off on her. Sweetie Belle always made sure that her coat was a shining white before ever leaving her house and the curls in her mulberry and rose mane and tail were brushed to perfection. Her emerald eyes shimmered as she looked at me, a huge smile on her face as she waved enthusiastically. Apple Bloom, Applejack and Big Mac's little sister, was next to her and she still wore her signature pink bow. Her red mane and tail were a mess and her olive coat had a few dried spots of dirt, showing that she had probably finished her chores. She looked at me with her gamboge eyes, a smile gracing her features.
The final member of their group was an interesting little filly. Scootaloo, who was Rainbow Dash's biggest fan and self-proclaimed little sister of the cyan mare, stood behind her two friends. Her purple eyes were locked onto Spitfire as she tried to smooth out her orange coat to impress the Wonderbolt. She didn't even bother with her windswept mane and tail, trying to be like Dash as much as possible. With herself as presentable as she was willing to make herself, Scootaloo walked up to Spitfire.
Spitfire looked at Scootaloo with a raised brow. "Can I help you?"
Scootaloo went to say something, but her words seemed stuck as she found it hard to answer Spitfire. I watched with amusement as Scootaloo tried to speak, her mouth opening and closing a few times with a few cute squeaks escaping her. In a way, she was very similar to Dash, if the latter acted the same way she had when she was younger.
With Scootaloo busy looking like a fool in front of Spitfire, I turned to the other two fillies to see what today's adventure was. "So what kind of cutie mark were you going for today?"
Sweetie grew an embarrassed blush as she rubbed the back of her head with a hoof. "Scootaloo thought it would be a good idea to get our human capturing cutie marks." Apple Bloom joined her friend in chuckling nervously as she rubbed the back of her neck.
"I'm pretty sure you tried this before and it didn't work," I said, chuckling at the three fillies.
This seemed to get Scootaloo's attention as she looked away from Spitfire, pointing a hoof at me. "Hey, we used a cage last time. This time we used rope to see if maybe that would work."
I continued to chuckle at them before settling down enough to smile at the three of them. "Sorry that it didn't work out."
The three fillies became crestfallen as Sweetie scuffed at the ground with her hoof. "This is just getting annoying. We've tried hundreds of different things to get our cutie marks, but haven't even come close to getting them."
I crouched down, petting Sweetie's mane as I gestured for the other two to come closer. "Then that just means you get to try more things." The three fillies looked at me with confused expressions as I tried to explain myself. "A lot of ponies here probably figured out their cutie marks without any sense of adventure. You three get to make a list of everything you're tried that didn't work to allow future foals to attempt to see if they are related to their cutie marks. Plus, your club was a great idea because now foals can all work together to achieve their future, and possibly make good friends while doing so."
The three fillies smiled at me, quickly hugging me as they gave me their thanks. It really was kind of adorable to watch the three fillies try their hardest to get their marks. I even believed that in the long run it would help other foals if they were having trouble finding their special talent. Granted, I did try to tell the three what they could do to earn their cutie marks, but Twilight and her friends made sure I kept my mouth shut. I still have phantom pains from when Applejack kicked me in the shin. She did apologize since there was a decent bruise on my leg, but I waved it off since sometimes she really didn't know her own strength.
The three fillies let me go as I ruffled up their manes. The three of them giggled joyfully, their happiness bringing a smile to my face as I reminisced about my past. If there was one thing that I could say about the noticeable difference between my home and Equestria, it was that the ponies here usually seemed to retain some of their traits from when they were foals. Sure, there were a few people on Earth that liked to let their inner child out, while a few mares and stallions acted cocky here in Equestria, but the ponies easily outdid the many humans on Earth. I sometimes missed the days of my youth, running around outside in the rain, playing on the swings, and even staying up late and watching scary movies that my mother told me not to watch.
Still, the way I had grown up wasn't all bad. I was pretty happy with my life back on Earth and I tried to keep some kind fun in my life so I could avoid being a stiff, and I would like to think I'd done pretty well. I smiled back down at the fillies as I hoof-bumped each of them before joining Spitfire on the train. We took one of the empty cars as the train's whistle blew, signaling our departure. As the train started its slow chug forward, I turned back around to see the town slowly pass by. I placed my hand on the glass as I continued to smile, glad to have met some of the ponies that I did during my visits to Ponyville.
I was pulled from staring out the window when Spitfire moved off of her seat and joined me in looking out the window. She placed a hoof on the glass as she spoke openly, not seeming to really focus on me. "You have some very interesting friends, Mark. It's good to see that you've been able to connect with enough ponies to create a friendship that's very strong."
I wasn't sure, since it disappeared as fast it showed, but I was certain that I saw a tear fall from Spitfire's eyes. "I'm glad to call a lot of those ponies in Ponyville my friend. Most of them didn't even bat an eye that I was a different creature from them. I mean I still ran into a few that refused to associate with me, but there isn't much anyone can do about that. Also, if I had to say anything, I think I'm very proud of my friendship with both you and Fleetfoot."
Spitfire released her hoof from the window and the two elemental ferrets that she was carrying jumped to the ground as they ran around. Spitfire looked at me with hesitant eyes, unsure how to process what I said. She didn't say anything as she turned around, sitting in the seat as she looked out the other window. I took a quick glance out the window to see nothing but open fields and turned so I could stare straight ahead, wishing that the train would move faster because I hated long train rides.
Silence easily filled the room as Spitfire continued to stare straight. I began to worry that I may have said something that caused her to feel uneasy. As I opened my mouth to speak, she interrupted me, her eyes taking a quick glance at me before looking away. "Mark, you remember I had something to ask you at the restaurant, but I didn't after the food arrived?"
I nodded my head, only to realize that she couldn't see me so I answered her. "I remember. Are you going to ask me the question now?"
Spitfire tapped her hooves together nervously as she turned towards me. She looked at me, her bright orange eyes that were usually filled with confidence were now faltering. She continued to tap her hooves as she looked at me worriedly. "Like I said before, you're free to not answer it if it's too personal, but I would like to know something." I nodded my head, moving my hand to her mane, which she thankfully leaned into. Spitfire let out a content sigh as she nuzzled my hand. "Fleetfoot will probably ask this later at some point, but have you ever asked the princesses to send you back, and if you did, then would you go back?"
I took a deep breath as I pondered Spitfire's words. This was a question that most ponies assumed I was asked, but in actuality, it was the least asked one of all. I looked at Spitfire, continuing to let her nuzzle my hand as I thought of an answer. I wanted to lie to her, saying that I wouldn't because I enjoyed the friendship, but if she found out another way, then everything I had done would mean nothing because she would believe it all a lie. I looked back at Spitfire, realizing that she stopped nuzzling my hand because of how long I was silent.
I could see the fear in her eyes as she probably thought she stepped into an area she shouldn't have, and as she opened her mouth, I stopped her when I finally answered. "I have spoken to the princesses about sending me home." Spitfire looked at me with slight confusion as I continued my answer. "I asked for their help in finding me a way home, but I also told them to take their time. Sure, I would like to go home and see my old friends and family, but this is probably a one-time experience to learn a different culture. I mean, you and Fleetfoot have even made this an interesting experience, including the rough patches."
This seemed to make Spitfire smile a little before quickly turning to a frown. "But you would still go back to your world, wouldn't you?" Spitfire looked down at the ground, not wanting to look at me for the expected answer.
I couldn't really blame her, but this was something I hadn't given much thought to. I moved a hand to Spitfire's cheek and turned her head so she was staring into my eyes. I was lost for a few seconds in her enticing orange orbs before I finally found my voice to answer her. "I would go back because it's my home." Spitfire's ears flattened and she tried to remove her head from my grasp, but I held her still because I wasn't finished. "Although, I haven't really decided on anything, yet." Spitfire stared at me, her eyes filled with a slight hope, but confusion outweighed it. "I have enjoyed my time here and it would be hard for me to leave the new friends I made. Depending on how things go, I might be able to ask Twilight if it might be possible to create a two-way portal so I could come and visit."
This seemed to cheer Spitfire up as she grabbed my arm with her leg, nuzzling her cheek as she gave me a heartfelt smile. "Would you be willing to do all of that just to see everypony again?"
I smiled at Spitfire as I ran my thumb along her cheek, the feeling of her soft fur giving me a little comfort as well. "Of course I would. I mean, who else am I going to get into yelling matches with?"
Spitfire giggled as she gave a playful punch to my arm. Blaze and Tundra returned to us, jumping up on the seat as Spitfire's eyes started to drift closed. I grabbed Spitfire around her barrel, the mare not caring about me moving her. I laid her down on my lap, the pegasus curling into a little ball as she used her tail slightly as a makeshift blanket. I scratched behind her ear as the two ferrets went underneath her tail, going to sleep as well. I smiled as I thought how good this trip had been for the two of us. I may not fully understand where her worry was coming from, but it was nice to know that she cared to make enough memories before I left. Whenever that would be.
A Few Hours Later
The train had arrived at Canterlot, and I made sure to wake up Spitfire at least fifteen minutes before our arrival so she would be ready to go. After the train came to a complete stop, the two of us exited the train, the ferrets hanging onto my back as they looked around the large city. A stallion came over, carrying our luggage that I assumed Spitfire had put aside to be put away when I was busy talking with the CMC. Spitfire handed the stallion a few bits as I picked up our luggage. The two of us headed back for the castle, Spitfire giddy to show off the two pets to Fleetfoot.
The trip back to the castle was pretty quick; many of the nobles around Canterlot were missing for the afternoon. I nodded to the two guards at the front gate, a unicorn and pegasus who I weren't familiar with, but were the replacements for Strongheart and Shield. The two guards seemed to shy away a little from my presence, making me assume that they were probably fresh members of the guard. I wasn't bothered by it much since I believed many of the other guards would give comfort to the two new members that I wasn't something to be entirely worried about.
As we entered the castle, I learned why there were so many missing nobles in the afternoon. There were four long lines of ponies that were leading to the throne room. I wasn't really sure what was going on, but I ignored it for now as Spitfire and I took another route to Spitfire's office. The two of us had to be careful walking through the halls as many of the castle staff were rushing around, many of them either carrying food or papers to one place or another.
After another set of ponies passed us, I decided to inquire about what was going on. "Hey, any idea why there are so many nobles here today? I know there's usually a long line during some days, but this is more than I've seen."
Spitfire looked back at me as she stepped around a maid that was carrying a platter. "The princesses hold an open court two times a year. Anypony can show up to court and speak about whatever they want, within reason of course." Spitfire gave a little laugh before shaking her head as a small smile appeared. "It actually didn't used to be this bad. Most of the time it was Celestia before Luna's return. Then Luna came back and this increased attendance. Cadence's arrival increased it even further before Twilight's ascendency pretty much made it to where this castle is jammed pack with a bunch of nobles."
I shook my head, not even feeling a bit envious of all the attention the princesses were getting. I actually considered taking back my revenge plot on Luna for those pictures that she hung in my office. The key word being considered, but not actually going through with it. Luna did admit to there being another pony that helped her, and that sealed her fate for me to get my revenge.
My slight smile turned to a small frown as a thought occurred to me. "I do feel bad for Twilight, though. She's still new to being a princess and I think she's dealing with a lot of stress right now with all these nobles."
Spitfire nodded her head in agreement as we made a few turns, finally nearing where Fleetfoot was at. "She has worked hard for her accomplishments. She has done so much that it's kind of sad to see all these nobles try and use her slight naivety about being a princess to fulfill their selfish desires. I do have hope for her, though, because she has Princess Celestia to help tutor her."
I nodded my head in agreement as we finally reached the office. The two ferrets stared at the door with interest, their whiskers twitching as they tried to figure out what was behind the door. I put the luggage by the door as Spitfire opened it. She walked into the office, her voice a echoing around the room slightly as she spoke to her friend. I followed and was immediately tackled to the ground.
I let out a pained groan as Fleetfoot snatched the ferrets, squealing in delight as she hugged them close to her chest. "Oh, my, Celestia! They're so cute! These are the most adorable animals I've ever seen! What are their names?!"
I slowly sat up, feeling my back pop in multiple areas as I slowly recovered from the tackle. "The red one is Blaze, while the white one is Tundra. They're elemental ferrets and apparently sisters from what Fluttershy found out. Also, can I make a rule?"
Spitfire looked at me with an arched brow. "That depends. What kind of rule are you wanting to make?"
I got to my feet, leaning back and listening as my spine popped back into place. "No one is allowed to tackle the human anymore. If that continues, then I might end up back in the hospital."
Fleetfoot giggled as the ferrets nuzzled against her chest. "I thought you liked hanging out with Nurse Redheart. I heard that she has a new nurse that helps her out here in Canterlot. I can't remember her name, but she's foreign. Her names begins with an 'F' and rhymes with heron. I haven't met her, but some ponies say that she's very kind while others say that she's very strict."
I gave Fleetfoot a deadpan expression as I cheered in a sarcastic tone. "Yay, another nurse that gets to poke and prod me. It's not like I have it rough enough with Redheart being so personal about everything I do here. Thankfully, I was able to reduce that questioning by just telling her that most of those things would never change in answers."
Spitfire hovered next to Fleetfoot, taking Blaze from her hooves so she could hold her. "What exactly won't change?"
I gave a shrug, not really minding telling them since I didn't find it too personal to keep private. "The main things that never change are my height, diet, certain measurements of my body, and my sexual history."
This seemed to get Fleetfoot's attention as she placed Tundra on the floor. She looked back at me, her eyes holding a slight bit of worry before she was able to turn it to neutral. "How many mares are you sleeping with that your sexual history doesn't change?"
I couldn't help the loud laughter that escaped my lips. I pounded on Fleetfoot's desk, tears streaming from my face as I found it hard to breathe. I continued to laugh before slowly settling down. I looked back at Fleetfoot to answer her question, only to burst out laughing again.
Spitfire placed Blaze on the floor as she hovered next to me. "Are you almost done yet?"
I laughed for several more seconds, my face red from how hard I was laughing. I wiped away a few tears that were still present as I rubbed my sides. "I haven't had sex for the past seven months that I've been here. I actually haven't even relieved myself because I feel that I don't actually have any privacy. Redheart is to thank for that second part because of her little quip about unicorns and a spell that allows them to see through objects."
Both Spitfire and Fleetfoot had visible blushes as they stared at me with wide eyes. Fleetfoot landed on the ground, looking at me intently, which made me feel uncomfortable. It was almost like she was undressing me with her eyes. I quickly pushed that thought out since I knew that neither of these two saw me in that kind of way. We were just very good friends and that was fine by me.
I was pulled from repressing my thoughts as Fleetfoot spoke. "Do you not find any of the ponies here attractive?"
I could hear the hurt that was in her tone, making me give a sad smile as I leaned back in her chair. "I honestly haven't had much time to think about it. I've never really thought it would be possible to find a relationship, especially since I'm taller than most ponies, easily scaring them with my height alone. I don't think there's even a pony that would be interested in dating me."
I looked up at the ceiling as Blaze and Tundra jumped up on my lap, curling into little balls as they tried to get some sleep. I could hear Spitfire's wings beating in the air as Fleetfoot's hooves shuffled on the ground. Silence filled the room as I moved to pet the ferrets.
Spitfire's voice cut through the slowly building tension before it got any worse. "Would you date a pony now after seeing how relationships kind of work?"
I let out a deep sigh as I pondered those words. I'd never really thought that a pony could be sexy enough to arouse me, and this was true for a while as I never really felt anything. Now that I've been here for a while, especially those weird moments where Fleetfoot and Spitfire seemed to stand out a little more, I really didn't know what to think.
I leaned forward in the chair, being careful not to knock off or disturb the ferrets as I answered. "I probably would now since I understand relationships slightly better, but it probably would be awkward. The pony would have to at least be okay being seen with the freak, while I should at least know the pony a little. I'm not saying I need to know everything about them before dating them, but knowing what they're like would help to see if I would be interested."
Spitfire landed on the ground, moving towards her desk as she grabbed a folder. "Well, I hope that you can find somepony to have that connection with. Everypony deserves a little fun time and happiness when they can find it."
I couldn't quite place it, but it sounded like Spitfire wasn't really telling me what she wanted. It sounded slightly forced, like she was hiding something, but then again, she was a hard pony to gauge sometimes. The only thing that was odd was that she had her muzzle buried in the folder that she pulled out, but I decided not to question it. A yawn escaped me as I carefully picked up the ferrets, placing them on Fleetfoot's desk as I got out of her chair.
I headed for the door before turning around to the mares. "I'm going to put the ferrets' supplies in my office for the night. I'm also going to get some work done before heading back to the house."
Spitfire waved a hoof, keeping her muzzle buried in the folder in front of her. Fleetfoot gave a weak wave as I left their office. I looked to where I placed the supplies for the ferrets before seeing a note. I picked it up, easily picking up on Celestia's calligraphy. It was quick to its point, mentioning that she had one of the staff take it back to Spitfire and Fleetfoot's home. I pocketed the note as I entered my office. I took a seat in my chair, opening one of the drawers and pulling out some papers. As I closed the drawer, I saw Fleetfoot in front of my desk, hovering in the air with her forehooves behind her back. I raised a curious brow at her presence, taking note of the slight buildup of sweat on her forehead. I went to ask her what she wanted, when she quickly flew in front of me.
Fleetfoot held out her hoof, one of her feathers being presented to me. I looked at the feather with interest as it shimmered a little in the moonlight. I would have asked what this was about, if her next words didn't halt all functioning of my brain. "Mark, would you like to go out with me tomorrow night?" |
Fleeting Flames | Date Preparation | Fleeting Flames
By: Duelist96
Chapter 13: Date Preparation
I looked at Fleetfoot's outstretched hoof. The feather was clearly one of her primaries, something that Cadence taught me was important for pegasus flight. It seemed to not hinder Fleetfoot's hovering as her wings beat gently in the air. Looking up at Fleetfoot, her expression went from nervous to fearful. I was confused as to why she was getting like that, before realizing that I had been silent for a long time. I was too lost in her question and the sudden presence of her offering a feather that I hadn't even acknowledged what was happening.
Shaking my head, I looked at Fleetfoot. "Uhh... sure."
Fleetfoot's fear turned to joy as she gave a bright smile, her purple eyes glinting in her excitement. She put the feather down on my desk as she wrapped her forehooves around my neck, but thankfully not tight enough to cut off my air as she squealed happily. "Thank you so much, Mark."
Not really sure what to do in this situation and trying to get my hearing back, I did the first thing that came to mind. I lifted one of my arms and patted Fleetfoot's back as she sighed contently. "No problem, Fleetfoot. So what should I do to prepare for the date?"
Fleetfoot pulled away from me, her eyes wide as she looked at me. "I forgot that I need to make sure my dress fits," she said more to herself than to me. Fleetfoot flew towards the door, stopping as she looked at me again. "Just dress up nicely. It doesn't have to be a suit or tux, but something a little cleaner than what you regularly wear."
Fleetfoot flew through the door, leaving me to continue standing at my desk in confusion. The feather was still in my hand, glittering a little in the soft light, but still marvelous as though it was still attached to her. I turned the feather in my fingers, letting my brain process everything that had just transpired. Letting out a deep sigh, I plopped back into my chair and stared up at the ceiling. A small smile crept its way onto my face, a sense of joy in knowing that I was going on some kind of date. My smile slowly faltered as my eyes went wide, my brain finally catching onto what I just agreed to.
"What the hell have I done?" I asked no one in particular, hoping that I had just imagined everything.
I sat up quickly from my chair, and I honestly had no idea what I was going to do, especially what to expect. I wasn't entirely surprised to have Fleetfoot ask me out since in Equestria it was more common for the mares to initiate a date, but I really didn't know what would happen next. There were two different cultures clashing between us and I didn't know which one to follow. My heart rate increased, my breathing becoming heavy as I was started to feel sick to my stomach as I leaned over a trashcan.
Sweat was beading off of me and it felt hot in my office. I grabbed a bottle of water that I kept near the desk, chugging it down as I tried to get my nerves back under control. Thankfully, the feather in my hand was still undamaged after I moved for the trashcan. I closed my eyes, taking deep breaths as I tried to figure out the best course of action. Nothing really good came to mind before I remembered what I saw when Spitfire and I returned from out trip.
I tucked the feather away in my pocket, making sure that it wasn't going to get damaged before leaving my office. Closing the door behind me, I looked inside Spitfire's office to see no sign of Fleetfoot. Spitfire looked up from her paperwork, probably waiting to see if I had anything to say. I just gave a dismissive wave as I left and took the quickest path for the throne room. Spitfire told me about today being an open court, so there should be one princess that could help me.
Part of me really didn't want to go see Cadence because she could be a little intrusive about my relations with some ponies. She apparently had it in her head at one time that I was trying to court Celestia, but thankfully with Celestia's help, we were able to explain my situation about relationships to Cadence. This still didn't entirely stop her from trying to get me to connect to ponies on a more intimate level, but it wasn't anywhere near as bad as it once was. Even with this, I still owed her much since she took time out of her days to help me learn everything I needed to adjust to Equestria.
As I continued to walk through the halls, I saw many of the maids sitting around, probably on a break. Many of them looked tired and ready to blow their stacks if they were pushed even an inch further. Thankfully, they at least smiled at me as I passed, knowing very well that I wouldn't bother them with anything at the moment. Actually, the only time I ever had a maid do anything for me was either to know where either of the princesses were or they were sent personally by the princesses. I reached the throne room where two guards were standing at attention. I gave a nervous chuckle, as they were the same two guards from the last time.
As I approached, the two stallions gave me a hard glare. "Hey there," I greeted with a nervous smile.
"Can we help you, Mark?" the guard on the left asked.
I hadn't felt this nervous in a long time, unless counting my near panic attack in my office, but I tried to remain calm as I answered. "I was hoping to know if Princess Cadence is in right now."
The two guards looked at each other before the guard on the right spoke up. "She's currently seeing somepony at the moment, but I guess that doesn't matter since you're just going to barge in there."
"I deserve that," I said, dejected, as I rubbed the back of my head. "I can actually wait till she's done." I headed for one of the chairs to the side, taking some time to figure out how I would talk about my situation with Cadence. "Do you know how long she has until she's done?"
"She should be done in the next couple of minutes. She doesn't have anypony else waiting to see her, so you're up next when the pony comes out," the left guard answered.
Nodding my head, I looked up at the ceiling before closing my eyes. I was really hoping for an easy conversation with Cadence, but I highly doubted that since this was now entering her realm of expertise, and she could sometimes get a little out of hand. Letting out a heavy sigh and not able to find a way to avoid any of Cadence's overbearing eccentrics, I resigned myself to her fate. I was pulled out of my thoughts when I heard the doors to the throne room open. A well-dressed stallion trotted out, doing a quick turn to look back inside and give a formal bow.
The stallion started past me, but stopped to look at me with a raised brow. I watched his expression, waiting to see what he was going to say or do, then act accordingly. Several seconds passed before the stallion seemed to lose interest and continued on to wherever he was heading now. I looked over at the two and the one on the right waved me through. I gave a small nod as I entered the throne room, hearing the doors close behind me. Looking ahead, I spied Cadence on her own throne, the three next to her vacant of the other princesses.
Cadence had noticed my arrival, as she waved a hoof enthusiastically, getting off of her throne and trotting towards me as I walked to meet her halfway. The two of us met and she gave me a tight hug, partially crushing my spine as she gave a happy hum. Most ponies are very touchy to show their feelings, but with Cadence, she took it a little further so she could also get a better read on someone's feelings. I awkwardly returned the hug, knowing full well that Cadence's magic was checking to make sure I was still in good health. Surprisingly, she was actually a licensed psychiatrist along with being a princess.
Cadence pulled her head back, her legs still holding me in place as she beamed up at me. "Mark, it's lovely to see you." Cadence finally let me go, ushering me forward with a wing as we went to a side table. I took a seat in one of the chairs she pulled out, the mare pulling a chair next to me and sitting down. "So what do I owe the pleasure of seeing you here? I thought you didn't prefer my company," Cadence said with a mock hurt expression.
I couldn't help but chuckle at Cadence, her expression turning into a pout as she teased. "I never said I didn't prefer you company. You're just easier to handle in small interactions. As for why I'm here?" I looked at her, Cadence's face turning serious. "I believe you already know after that hug."
Cadence nodded her head as her horn ignited, a kettle and two teacups appearing on the table, her cornflower blue aura lifting the kettle and filling the two cups. She handed me one before taking a relaxed posture, lifting the cup to her lips and taking a dainty sip. I sipped at my own tea, relaxing a little as the warm liquid settled in my middle. The two of us sat in silence, which I felt was intentional on Cadence's part. She probably wanted the environment more relaxed as she helped me with my problem.
A few minutes went by before Cadence set her cup down, refilling it as she looked back at me. "Your emotions were quite sporadic from what I could tell. Fear, anxiety, happiness, uncertainty; it's like you don't know what to feel at the moment." Cadence gave me a worried look as she placed a hoof on my arm. "Is something going on between you, Spitfire, and Fleetfoot? Or is it something else?"
I sighed heavily, trying to figure out the best way to explain this. Not really finding a better way to explain it, I looked at Cadence with a neutral expression and decided to just be blunt. "Honestly, I don't see anything wrong between myself and the mares." I looked back into my empty teacup, Fleetfoot's face appearing with a smile in the brown liquid. "I think I might actually be experiencing some sort of shock."
Cadence raised a confused brow as she lifted my head to look at her. "I don't think I understand. How exactly are you experiencing shock? What happened?"
I set my elbows on the table, laying my head on my palms as I thought back to only a few minutes ago. "After Spitfire and I returned from our trip in Ponyville, we went back to her office to introduce our new pets to Fleetfoot. We talked a bit more about a few other things, but then I kind of just started talking about a few personal things."
Cadence started to rub my arm. It was comforting as I tried to shake myself out of my funk. "For some reason I decided to open my big mouth and mention that I've pretty much not pursued any kind of relationship. I go back to my office, then as I'm about to start my work, Fleetfoot shows up. I didn't think much of it at the moment, but she did something I didn't expect."
"What did she do?" Cadence asked, her other hoof being placed on my hand.
I reached with my other hand into my pocket and pulled out the feather. Thankfully, it was still in perfect condition from when Fleetfoot had given it to me. Cadence's eyes went wide as she looked at it before turning back to me. I was about to say something, but she cut me off. "Do you know what this is?" Cadence gestured to the feather, her horn igniting to probably take it. I wasn't sure what caused it, but I withdrew my hand to my chest, giving a slight glare.
Cadence's horn went out, the alicorn putting up her hooves to show that she wouldn't try it again. "I don't know what it means. The only thing I know is that she gave this to me and asked me out on a date tomorrow night."
Cadence seemed to freeze in place before turning her head away. "Looks like all your feelings are true for each other," Cadence said in a whisper.
Her body went tense after I placed a hand on her shoulder. She turned back to look at me, realizing what she said. It seemed like she was hoping that I didn't hear anything, but unfortunately, I did. "What do you mean that our feelings are true for another?"
Cadence's eyes scoured the room, possibly looking for a way out of the conversation. Her eyes landed back on me, her worry turning to defeat as she let out a deep sigh. "Mark, please understand that I remained within the realms of my powers as the Princess of Love."
I looked at Cadence, keeping any emotion out of my tone, but she could probably sense the slight anger I was emitting. "What did you do?"
Cadence became downtrodden as she placed a hoof on my hand. "After your 'confrontation' with Spitfire during your first visit, I placed an enhancement spell on all three of you." My brow raised, but I remained silent as I waited for her full explanation. "The spell was to help all of you use emotions that you've kept repressed for some time, and it was to help you see that love was possible for you in this world."
I released Cadence from my grasp, the alicorn turning towards her tea as she lifted the cup and started to swirl its contents. "The spell, though, was designed to go away after you had your first realization that there's beauty in the mares around you if you took a few seconds to look. It's obvious it worked, since the spell is no longer on you or either of them." Cadence looked back at me, a small, hopeful smile present on her face. "Do you mind sharing when you realized something about a mare's beauty?"
I gave a small frown before leaning back in my chair. "First off, what you did was a little out of line in my view." Cadence gave a hurt expression, her ears going flat until perking up again as I continued. "Although, if it wasn't for that, then maybe I wouldn't have reached this point. So I guess you kind of cancelled both the good and bad out."
I grabbed my teacup and finished off the rest of its contents before leaning back again and giving the short version. "I realized it when I was with Fleetfoot during our trip to Cloudsdale. It was actually a little jarring to see her stand out so much. It probably didn't help, though, when all those pictures were put up in my office by Luna and her accomplice. Also, not too long ago, I just had the same kind of realization with Spitfire." I looked back at Cadence as she smiled at me, but her wings twitched a little, showing that she was trying to hold back giggles. "I'm not sure if Spitfire will do the same as Fleetfoot, but I can't deny that she really does have a radiant beauty about her."
Cadence gave a gentle pat to my shoulder, her giggles still contained but threatening to spill out. "If it doesn't happen, Mark, it doesn't happen. Like I said before, the spell was removed from all three of you, though surprisingly at the same time. I do, however, want to congratulate you on having a date." Cadence then gave a sly smirk as she leaned close, her voice going sultry as she spoke. "So, you going to give it to her good after the date? Take her for a ride that probably not many mares will get to experience?"
I knew this was coming after mentioning the date, but I was hoping for a few more minutes before it got this far. I knew I should be mad at her, even yell at her for what she did, but I couldn't. After my first meeting with Cadence after my arrival, the other princesses assured me that even though I would find her methods a little unorthodox, her magic could never force anything. Her magic only gives a gentle push on a person's feelings so they can realize what they could possibly be missing out on.
I gave a few chuckles before looking at Cadence. "Really? You couldn't have waited at least a few more minutes before pushing that on me?"
Cadence offered a few giggles of her own as she sipped at her tea. "Mark, I think we both know the answer to that question." Cadence set her teacup on the table before turning towards me and giving me a hug. "Although, I'm very excited to hear this. I am a little surprised to see it turn out this way, though."
I looked at Cadence with a raised brow. "Why are you surprised?"
Cadence gave a nervous laugh as she rubbed the back of her head. "I just wasn't expecting Fleetfoot to push for a date." Cadence's eyes went wide at realizing what her implication could be taken as. "Not that I'm saying it's such a bad thing. I'm very happy for the two of you. The most I was expecting was just a closer friendship between the three of you, but this is a wonderful outcome as well."
I smiled as I scratched behind Cadence's ear, getting a happy hum from the mare. "Thank you, Cadence, but I still need help."
Cadence gave me a confused expression. "Help with what, exactly? It's now just a simple courting ritual by pegasus standards." I raised a brow at the mare, Cadence still looking at me with confusion for a few seconds before it finally dawned on her. "You don't know what to do, do you?"
I simply shook my head as I looked back at the feather. "No, I don't know what to do. So far, Fleetfoot has initiated the courting by asking me on a date, but I still don't know what's important about this feather. I feel a slight need to keep it safe, but I can't comprehend why," I exclaimed, my voice beginning to raise in pitch and volume. "I also don't know how to act on this date, since you're so culturally different from where I'm from. Let's also add in the fact that I'm in Canterlot and that dating me is probably going to do something to her image. I mean what could she..."
I was cut off as Cadence placed a hoof on my lips, her other hoof on my shoulder as she leaned her head close and placed the tip of her horn against my forehead. I could feel her magic spread throughout my body, relaxing it from the shocks the panic attack that I was having. Cadence held me caringly, much like Celestia had when I would enter an attack in the past. I rubbed at Cadence's leg, letting her soft fur relax me further. We stayed like that for several minutes before the alicorn pulled away from me, a motherly smile just like Celestia's on her face.
"Okay, let's start with the simple answers." I looked at Cadence with interest, gesturing for her to continue. "The feather is related to old pegasi traditions. A pegasus presents a primary feather, like the one you have, to somepony that has caught their interest. It's a way for them to give something personal to show how deeply they feel."
I looked at the feather, turning it over a few times before placing down on the table. "So Fleetfoot really is interested in doing this date?"
Cadence nodded her head as she smiled down at the feather. "It would seem so. Though, usually a pegasus waits to give a feather until they're certain about their special somepony. It seems like she wants to put everything on the line to see if she truly cares for you." I gave a small frown as my gaze returned to the feather, but Cadence caught onto my worry as she turned my head toward her again.
I looked into Cadence's shimmering, light purple eyes as she refused to break eye contact. "This leads to answering your other concerns." I tried to pull myself free from Cadence's hooves, but she held me firmly. "For how you should act on this date... just be yourself. That has been the biggest problem between ponies because they try to act like somepony they're not. Fleetfoot likes you for you, so there's no reason to try and change yourself. Finally, don't worry about what other ponies think about the two of you dating."
I gave Cadence a flat look as she finally allowed me freedom to move. "I'm in Canterlot, and she's the wingpony of the Captain of the Wonderbolts. I don't need a bunch of ponies ruining her life because she starts to date the giant freak." Cadence was about to say something, but I cut her off as my voice raised in volume again. "Also, don't tell me that it will be okay! I can live just fine with the snide remarks, hateful comments, and the evil glares, but neither of those two need that! Fleetfoot's interest is actually nice to see, but I really think this is a bad-"
I was cut off by a harsh smack to my cheek from Cadence. She gave me a serious glare, one on a different terrifying magnitude when compared to Celestia's. I placed a hand on my cheek, trying to process the fact that the Princess of Love had just struck me. Cadence's wings were slightly flared, twitching a little as she took calming breaths. As Cadence continued to calm herself, I pulled my hand back to see a drop of blood on my finger. Seeing as there wasn't much and it wasn't dripping anywhere, the cut wasn't that bad.
Cadence finally got herself under control as she looked at me. She winced slightly at seeing the tiny cut from her hoof and offered me a tissue. I nodded as I took it and cleaned up the little amount of blood. I balled the tissue up and put it into my empty teacup.
"I'm sorry about that, Mark, but you were getting hysterical again," Cadence said as she looked at my cheek closely.
I let Cadence look at my cheek as I gave a few weak chuckles. "That makes three," I said to no one in particular.
Cadence stopped looking at my cheek as she gave me a confused expression. "Three what?"
I just shrugged as I pulled away from Cadence, not needing her to baby the tiny cut. "This makes you the third princess to slap me out of hysteria." I looked up at the ceiling, thinking about those three times. "Actually, if I were to organize the slaps, only one of them was by accident."
Cadence raised a curious brow at this, ignoring my current problem to inquire more about my previous slaps. "What exactly led to those?"
I smiled a little as I chuckled. "Luna slapped me in a dream once because I was dreaming about her having fat flanks from eating a lot of junk food." Cadence gave me a deadpan expression to show that she wasn't amused. I ignored her as I continued on to the next incident. "Celestia's slap was by accident because I was standing behind her when she was having her morning tea. Philomena seemed to fly down from somewhere and as Celestia went to hug her phoenix, I ended up getting a hoof to the cheek."
Cadence placed a hoof on her head, shaking it slowly as she let out a soft sigh. "You must be one unlucky stallion, aren't you?"
I gave a shrug as I leaned back in the chair. "I blame Discord for that, but I'm not that unlucky. So far these past seven months, I've had a pretty fairly lucky life. It just seems like I'm unlucky since I don't talk much about the good things."
Cadence nodded her head in agreement as she got rid of the kettle and tea cups. "I guess that's true." Cadence hopped off her chair, ruffling her wings a little before gesturing with one for me to follow her. "Let's continue this conversation as we walk. I want to stop by somewhere and hopefully by the time that we get there, we should have your problems solved."
I nodded as I stood up from my chair, popping my back as I closely followed her. The two of us exited the throne room, the guards giving a sharp bow before being relieved of their stations. I could only assume that neither of the princesses would be returning since the guards were leaving. I looked forward again, seeing Cadence trot with a little more skip in her step, giddy about something. A feeling in my gut told me that I should be worried about her happiness, but I pushed it aside as my fears of the date with Fleetfoot clouded my judgement.
As we continued down the hall, I saw many of the maids returning to work or switching out for the night. I wasn't really sure where in the castle we were, since I didn't recognize any of the paintings or pottery. If anything, I probably went this way only a couple of times and didn't find any reason to keep it to memory.
The two of us continued to walk in silence before Cadence finally spoke up. "Going back to what we were talking about before you went hysterical, you shouldn't worry." Cadence cast me a quick glance before looking forward again. "Fleetfoot is free to make her own choices, and she is probably very well aware of the consequences of her upcoming actions. She's willing to live with any kind of ridicule to see if this will work between the two of you." Cadence then looked at me, still trotting like she knew the path from memory to where we were going. "Do you think my marriage to Shining Armor didn't have any consequences?"
I raised a brow at Cadence. "Probably not that many. I know this world doesn't have a problem with interspecies dating, Steel Wing and Surprise are a very prominent example, but he's at least from this world while I'm an alien. The only problem I see is that you're royalty and he's the Captain of the Guard."
Cadence shook her head softly as she let out a small sigh. "Mark, there was a lot more to it than just that. Twilight's family are very influential ponies, but compared to most of the nobles here, they aren't a big name. To all the other nobles, I was just marrying some commoner that didn't deserve to walk next to me. There was a lot of hate towards our wedding. So much, in fact, that a few ponies even attempted to disrupt, minus the changeling invasion that happened." Cadence's gaze returned to mine, her eyes showing a little bit of hope. "Mark, I'm not going to force you on this date, but I really believe this will do you some good."
I continued to stare at Cadence as I gave her a confused expression. "Then what should I do? I'm at an impasse here and could use some real guidance."
Cadence gave a curt nod as she stared forward again. "All you need to do is listen to your own feelings. Push aside any doubt that you have and give it a chance. Forget about what other ponies have to think about what Fleetfoot is doing since she's doing this to be closer to you." The two of us reached a large brown oaken door as Cadence gave one last glance towards me. "You're feelings for each other have grown since the beginning and I think if you actually give this a shot, something good will come out of it for both of you."
The two of us stood for a moment, my mind thinking over everything that was said. I looked at the door, something eerily familiar about it, but I couldn't remember what it was. Cadence seemed to watch me intently, not moving from place as she waited for me to say something. I let my mind wander over the days I spent with Fleetfoot. As I thought back over everything we'd done together, I couldn't help but smile. Cadence gave a small smile at my happiness as I looked at her.
I gave a stiff nod at Cadence as my smile widened. "I'll give it a shot. Fleetfoot and I have been through a lot together and I really do want to see where this goes."
Cadence jumped on the tips of her hooves in excitement as she smiled back at me. "I'm so glad to hear that, Mark. Now, let's get you something for that date."
I looked at Cadence in confusion as I tried to figure out how I was going to prepare for this. Cadence gestured toward the door and I looked back at it, trying to figure out what could be in there that would help. I looked around the hallway, many fabrics hanging from shelves along with some clothes that I'd seen the princesses wear a few times. My eyes widened when I finally realized where I was.
I looked at Cadence, shaking my head as I tried to back away. "Nope. No way. Not going to happen." I waved my hands in front of me in protest. "I have nothing against that mare, but she's way too touchy."
Cadence gave a slight smirk as her horn ignited and froze me in place. Her aura then encompassed the door before she opened it and trotted inside, carrying my still body along with her. She slammed the door closed to alert the other pony in the room that she had guests. "That's something you're going to have to learn to live with, Mark. Do you expect Fleetfoot not to get a little touchy during the date?" Cadence then pulled me closer, her voice going into a husky whisper. "Plus, who do you think made the clothes those mares were wearing? You know, the mares that Luna and I took pictures of to hang in your office?"
I looked at Cadence, shocked, but not entirely surprised that she had helped Luna. I had a sneaking suspicion that it was her, but I couldn't claim that until I had some proof. "I'm seriously going to get you and Luna back for that."
Cadence only giggled as she set me down, her magic cutting off and allowing me to move. "I wish you luck in that, Mark." Cadence trotted back to the door, cracking open before turning around, a sly grin on her lips. "Silk, make sure Mark has the appropriate clothing for his date tomorrow night."
I looked at Cadence with wide eyes as she exited the room, slamming the door again. My anger was reaching its breaking point as I was about ready to yell for her when the sound of clopping hooves drew my attention back to the room. I watched as a familiar pegasus trotted into view, her amber eyes glittering with giddiness and her joyful smile was wider than I would have preferred. The sunlight coming from the window hit her light strawberry coat, making it shine a little. Her mane - which was pulled back in a ponytail - and tail were a swirl of yellow and black, an odd combination of colors for a pony from what I'd seen. Her cutie mark was a pair of black, opaque, silk stockings, making me wonder how she'd gotten a job here.
"Mark, it's so great to see you again!" Silk quickly jumped at me, her wings giving her enough push to wrap her legs around me and give me a tight hug. I could feel her nuzzle my cheek as her tail playfully swatted against me. "I heard that you're having a date and need something presentable?"
I put my hands on Silk's barrel, pulling her away as I set her down on the ground. I took a few steps back, watching her closely to avoid any unnecessary touching. "You hear correctly. I need something a little nicer than what I have, and Cadence seemed to believe you're the pony for the job."
Silk took a few steps forward, grabbing my hand in her wing and starting to pull me to her fitting room. "I believe that I can get something made in this short amount of time." She moved me to stand on top of a stage, moving over to separate fabrics as she mused to herself on what colors to use. "To help narrow my choices, can you tell me who you got a date with?" I went to answer, but she cut me off. "If not a name, then a coat color will work as well. Also, do you know where you're going?"
Again, I went to answer before a loud pop sounded near her. I saw Fleetfoot's feather levitating in front of her, making me chastise myself for forgetting it back at the throne room.
I was pulled from my thoughts when Silk spoke. "You're a very impressive stallion if you were able to get a date with Fleetfoot. I have the perfect design just for you." Silk turned around, her expression a little calmer than what I'm used to seeing. She placed the feather on her work station, grabbing an arctic blue and gold fabric.
Silk's expression seemed a little uneasy as she grabbed a tape measure and flew up to me. "Hey, is everything alright?" I asked, seeing there was a hint of tears in her eyes.
Silk waved a dismissive hoof as she set to work, her hooves not touching me in certain areas like she used to. "I'm fine, just a few fond memories passing through." I saw her mumbling to herself, whispering out my measurements, but there was something else that I couldn't hear.
Even with the fact that she could be very touchy, I didn't like seeing her this way. "Do you want to talk about it? I know we don't talk much since I kind of avoid this place, but you seem really out of it. I mean, you're not even trying to feel me up like you usually do."
Silk wiped a leg across her eyes before landing on the ground. She grabbed my hand in her wings, letting the feathers tickle my skin as she relaxed. "I remember my old mates who I gave a feather to." I looked at her with a raised brow, confused about she meant by 'mates'. She seemed to notice my slight confusion and she clarified. "A unicorn mare and earth pony stallion were my mates. We were a small herd." Silk shook her head as she gripped my hand tighter. "Skipping all the details of everything, I'll get to the main point."
I could see that this was making her uncomfortable, so I crouched down and scratched behind her ear. "If you don't want to talk about it, then you don't have to."
Silk hummed pleasantly at my scratching as she gave a small, content smile. "I do want to talk about. I don't share this with many ponies and it feels good to talk about it." Silk pressed her head further into my fingers as she let the calming scratches ease her worries. "We were happily herded for several years, but bad things happened. My mates were out on their vacation while I was busy working. They were several days late on their arrival and Celestia came to see me personally. I didn't need to be told what happened because her sad look told me everything."
Silk ran a hoof along my arm as she looked up at me. "My two mates' carriage apparently got caught in a storm as they tried to find some shelter. They were on a mountain when this happened and a rockslide occurred, hitting the carriage and knocking it off the mountainside."
I ran a hand through Silk's mane, bringing her in for a hug as I tried to comfort her. Silk nuzzled my cheek as I held her close, her wings even embracing me as she found a little more peace. I pulled away from Silk, smiling at her as I placed her on the ground.
Silk smiled at me as she moved off the stage and headed for her drawing table. "I'm sorry to hear that."
She nodded as she grabbed a pencil and started sketching a few different designs. "I've moved on from it, Mark, but your sentiment is truly appreciated. I miss them dearly, but I know they would want me to move on and I have." Silk turned back to me, a genuine smile on her face as she spoke cheerily. "I've actually found a new herd that have found interest in me and I might be joining their family."
I petted Silk's mane as I continued to smile at her. "I'm glad to hear that. I hope that it works well for you in the future."
Silk nodded as she went back to sketching her designs. "Thank you, Mark, and I hope that it goes well for you, too." I nodded as I moved towards her work table. I was about to grab the feather, when Silk's voice called out to me. "Actually, can you leave that here? I think I might have something it could work with. If not, I'll return it back in its same pristine condition that you left it."
I gave a curt nod as I handed her the feather. "Sure thing. I don't think I'll have to worry about in your care."
Silk gave me a small wing salute as she picked up the feather and studied it intently. "You don't have to worry. It will be entirely safe here. Just make sure that you come back before your date so you can pick up your new attire."
I nodded before raising a brow in confusion. "But you haven't even asked me what I was looking to wear."
Silk shooed me away with a wing as she grabbed a pair of green-framed glasses similar to Rarity's and went back to work. "Don't worry about that, Mark. I have a decent idea what the date is going to be like, and it will be appropriate."
I gave Silk a skeptical look before heading for the door. "If you say so. Take care, Silk, and I'll see you tomorrow."
Silk absently waved a hoof as she went back to looking at the feather. I took notice of the smile that graced her lips as she looked at the feather with intense care. I swore I saw a small tear escape from her eyes, but I couldn't be sure. I lingered for a few seconds longer, waiting to see if she would say anything or to possibly comfort her if she broke down. I watched as the mare took a deep breath before setting the feather down and going back to work. Seeing that she was at least somewhat fine, I left her workplace. I let out a deep breath as I looked around the halls, not really sure how to get out.
Giving a blank look, I grabbed a bit from my pocket and flipped it. It came up tails, so I went left. I began walking down the hall, letting what Cadence had said run through my mind. Those thoughts were quickly interrupted by Silk's actions tonight and it caused me to frown slightly. I really did hope the best for her because even with her antics, she really deserved happiness again. Glancing over my shoulder, I could barely make out the door before giving a small smile.
Turning back around, I saw that I was lost and let out a deep groan. With nothing to really go by, I started walking, hoping to reach one of the castle staff or guards. It didn't take me long to find a maid, and she kindly showed me out. Once out of the castle, I headed back for the house, thinking about different scenarios regarding how the date would go. When I arrived, I went to the kitchen and saw a container of food on the table with my name on it. I wasn't feeling particularly hungry, so I put it in the fridge and headed straight upstairs. I moved over to Spitfire's bedroom and looked in to see Fleetfoot and Spitfire quietly asleep.
Smiling at the two mares, I moved to my room, the two ferrets sleeping at the foot of my bed. I removed my clothes and went under my covers, smiling a little and hoping that the date would go well tomorrow night as I drifted off to sleep. |
Fleeting Flames | The Date with a Surprise | Fleeting Flames
By: Duelist96
Chapter 14: The Date with a Surprise
I woke up to the sun glaring at me through the window. A low groan emanated from my throat as I rolled over, trying to get a few more precious minutes of sleep. Sadly, I wasn't given that chance as the mirror that was placed on the other side of my bed reflected the sun back into my eyes. I growled angrily and threw the sheets off of my body, rubbing the sand out of my eyes as I moved to sit on the edge of my bed. Massaging the back of my neck, I glanced over at my clock to see that it was only noon.
Sighing heavily, I moved off of my bed and headed for the shower. I closed the bathroom door, locking it as well so I wouldn't have any walk-ins. It wasn't that I was expecting Fleetfoot to walk in without knocking, but I did it as a precaution so I could think to myself. I turned on the hot water, stepping inside and not even testing how warm it was before letting it wash over my body. I suppressed a small yelp as I stepped back and turned down the temperature a little.
I leaned my head against the wall, closing my eyes as the warm water relaxed my muscles. Many thoughts and feelings ran through my mind, but one seemed to make its presence more well known than the others. Joy squashed down my emotions, getting a huge smile to spread across my face. I never realized it before, since I never really had an interest, but I was more alone than I led myself to believe. Sure, I enjoyed hanging with the friends that I made and talking with them about this and that, but in the end, it was just me once they left.
Thanks to Fleetfoot's interest, I actually found something that was missing from my life. I actually had a chance to enjoy my life a little more, albeit with a pony, but who gives a fuck. I liked Fleetfoot, and she liked me. I was going to cherish this date, enjoying every second I got to spend with such a kind mare that actually isn't afraid of what others might think of her. My eyes opened as I stared up at the showerhead, imagining how much my life would be different if it wasn't for Cadence's help. Granted, I was still going to get her and Luna back for the pictures, but that wouldn't be for a bit until I could get some help.
Shaking my head to focus on my day, I proceeded to wash my body. As I was gradually covered in suds, I remembered that I still had one more stop to make before being prepared for my date. Realizing what I had to do, I slowly banged my head against the wall as I let out a small groan. I had to head back to the castle and see Silk about my clothes. Deciding to just rip this off like a band-aid, I cleaned off my suds and turned off the water. I then wrapped a towel around my waist while unlocking the bathroom door. As I took one step out of the door, I froze. Standing on the other side was Fleetfoot, and she was frozen in the air.
Silence filled the space between us, my heart racing as I worried about what would happen. I barely caught it, but I saw Fleetfoot's eyes roam over my body, stopping somewhere at my waist before she looked me in the eyes.
"Spitfire isn't around, is she?" I asked as I tried to act as though I wasn't half naked and dripping slightly with water in front of my date.
"Um... she..." Fleetfoot stuttered, shaking her head before collecting her thoughts. "She's actually gone for the next two days. She needed to head to Manehattan to make sure the other Wonderbolts still have their show premiering scheduled."
"Awesome," I said, tapping the wall with my fingers for a few seconds before walking away. I wasn't really sure what else to say. "I'm just going to change into some clothes and go see Silk at the castle." I turned around to look at Fleetfoot. "So what time is the date?"
Fleetfoot landed on the ground, her gaze moving away from my eyes as she scraped at the floor with a hoof. "We'll head out at seven," Fleetfoot said, her wings seeming to tremble slightly as a blush formed on her cheeks.
"Then I'll see you at seven," I said as I turned back around and closed the door to my room.
My breathing was heavy as my heart hammered in my chest. I felt flustered because this was the most a pony had ever seen me naked, besides my regular check-ups with Nurse Redheart and a few with Twilight. Taking a few breaths to ease my tensions, I unwrapped the towel around my waist and finished drying off my body as I grabbed a change of clothes. Dressed like normal, I threw the towel into a corner as I debated going through the door or just jumping out my window. I quickly shook that thought out of my head because of how silly it was. Fleetfoot and I are two perfectly healthy adults, at least by pony standards I guess she would be, so it didn't matter.
I practically saw ponies naked every day, so why should I feel worked up about her seeing at least my body in partial nudity? My mind quickly went to what Fleetfoot could possibly do with the mental image I had given her, and it went further than I wished for it to. Slapping myself in the face, I quickly got rid of a very vivid image of Fleetfoot on a bed with her hoof between her legs. I started to laugh a little at how easily my mind went to something so lewd now that I was accepting how beautiful of a mare Fleetfoot really was.
As I was ready to step out of my room, I started to wonder exactly why I had such a thought about Fleetfoot. Sure, she was an outstanding mare that was beyond beautiful compared to other mares, but there wasn't any chance of us of going that far. Was there? I hesitated at my door, actually pondering if Fleetfoot would ever want to be intimate with me. Shaking my head, I pushed the thought to the back of my memory to figure out later. I swung my door open, looking around for any sight of her. Fleetfoot was nowhere to be seen, so I guessed she either went out to do something or went to her room.
Shrugging my shoulders, I exited my room and left the house via the front door rather than a window. Stepping outside, the sun seemed to be a bit brighter today. I could feel the warmth radiating off my clothes as it heated the fabric, giving me a pleasant feeling. I headed down the road, smiling to myself as a bit of excitement started to fill me. My walk to the castle was faster than usual, the guards at the front waving to me as I waved back. They stepped aside as I walked through the gates, entering the castle to see a few maids trotting about. Everything seemed a bit brighter now that I was finally going out with someone, albeit a talking pastel-colored pony.
I could just imagine how people would react if this was back on my planet, but I honestly couldn't find a reason why it would be so bad. The ponies were sapient like normal humans, but I could only guess that the problem would be that they were equine. Honestly, as I thought about it more, from everything I've learned and seen, I couldn't find a reason to find them unattractive. Hell, if I had to be honest with myself, the princesses weren't bad looking either, but I understood that our love was more platonic. My friendship with them was great enough and I wouldn't ask for anything different from them.
I was pulled out of my cultural thoughts when I ran into a door. Letting out a loud groan of pain, I rubbed at my face as I looked at my surroundings. Apparently, I was so deep enough in thought that I did not register the fact that I had reached Silk's room. Looking at the door, I felt a pang of worry about how Silk was doing. From all my time that I'd spent with her, yesterday was the first time I ever saw her actually be more open with her feelings. She seemed okay when I left, but from what she told me, there were a lot of memories that were running through her mind.
I also couldn't really be upset with her because even with her very teasing antics, she wasn't a bad mare to be around. She was someone that I could call a friend who would probably help me if I ever had a problem. Then again, she's actually helping me right now with making me a set of clothes for tonight. I smiled a little, happy that Silk, even with her very lewd behavior, could always be counted on. I opened the door, stepping inside to see Silk hard at work at her station. I knocked on the hardwood, getting her attention as her ears swiveled back.
Silk spoke in a calm tone, none of her playfulness layered on as I closed the door. "Good morning, Mark." Silk turned towards me, a content smile on her muzzle as she put down her pencils. "If you'll follow me, I have your clothes finished and just need you to try them on so I can make adjustments."
"Ladies first," I said as I gestured for her to lead, her body going a little tense. There was something obviously on her mind, but I couldn't quite figure it out. I also didn't want to pry because I didn't want to open anymore personal wounds.
Silk trotted ahead, her wings flapping a little in excitement as she spoke. "I hope you like what I designed," Silk said as she gave a quick look back at me, her smile still present. "I had to go through at least twenty different designs before finally deciding on one that I thought would be perfect."
"Silk, I know that I've never said this before, but you make amazing clothes. I'm pretty sure I would be permanently naked if it wasn't for both you and Rarity," I said as I ruffled her mane.
Silk playfully batted my hand away before fixing her mane slightly. "Please, I should be thanking you for giving me a chance to create something different for once." Silk looked up at me, beaming a grateful smile at me.
I raised a curious brow at her. "Don't you get to create whatever you want, though?"
"Sometimes I do, but that's when I'm making it for ponies that actually want a bit of different style," Silk said as she gave a small frown. "Most of the nobles here pretty much want the same type of clothes, but in different colors. If it wasn't for the princesses and a lot of the castle staff, I probably would have retired and moved away."
I was saddened to hear how underappreciated Silk was here in Canterlot. Rarity at least had a diverse community of ponies in Ponyville to create clothes for, but Silk was just limited to mainly those at the castle. I gave her a nudge, getting her attention and a small smile from her as I smiled in kind. "If you want, I could possibly get Rarity to have you come help her in Ponyville. I can't say much about what you'll be paid, but you'll at least get to meet more ponies that would probably enjoy your works."
Silk gave a slightly lecherous grin as she bumped me with her flank, swaying her hips in an enticing manner as her tone took on a slight seductive edge. "If I were to do that, then who would give you such a lovely view." Silk punctuated her statement by giving a sharp smack to her right flank. My face was burning slightly at seeing her do that, thinking about how Fleetfoot's flank would feel under my palm.
"You really love to be a tease, don't you?" I said as I smiled at her playfulness, slightly shaking my head.
"You know that you love it," Silk said, returning my smile. "Although, thank you for the offer. I'll talk to her about it when I get the chance."
"Good, because I don't need to lose a friend who does amazing things for someone she hardly knows," I said as I scratched behind her ear.
Silk let out a small coo as she pressed further into my fingers. "Believe me, Mark, I wasn't entirely sure about you at first, but I could see there was something different about you." I raised my brow at her, Silk waving a hoof lazily while I continued to scratch. "Besides the obvious. I also want to thank you for listening about my little past. It really means a lot to me, even though we don't see each other that much."
"Listen, Silk," I said, moving in front of her and crouching so she could look into my eyes. "It's true that we don't see each other much, and most of the time it's just you teasing me. If there's one thing that I can say for certain, you've been a very good friend." Silk gave me a smile as I rose to my feet, giving her a quick scratch behind her ear before gesturing for her to continue leading.
It was nice to see Silk in such a better mood. It seemed to take a lot from her to talk about her past, especially if what she said was true and that she never really told anyone about it. I was being honest with her, though. Despite her very provocative behavior, she was a kind mare that had been more than willing to help me if I needed it. I don't really expect that part of her to change, but with everything as it is, I don't think I would say she would need to change anything. The two of us reached the dressing room, and I easily spotted my clothes on a hanger in the far back.
I watched as Silk quickly sprang into the air and pulled my clothes off the rack. She then disappeared behind the curtain, leaving me to wait for her return. Thankfully, she wasn't gone long as she came back out and opened the curtain for me.
I looked at her with a raised brow as I refused to move. "Are you going to stay out here this time and not try and get a peek?" I asked, looking at her intently.
"I think we both know the answer to that," Silk said, a mischievous smile on her face.
I could only shake my head at her as I moved towards the changing room, looking down at her before grabbing the curtain and closing it. Even with that smile, I knew she wouldn't ever really look inside. She would always attempt to look inside, something that seemed to never stop, but I learned that she enjoyed the mystery. She seemed to enjoy trying to get a peek, but she would never succeed because I would either stop her or she would stop herself. This antic of hers took a bit of time to get used to, but seeing there was never any real harm, I learned to relax about it.
With the curtain closed, I took my time looking at the clothes that Silk had laid out for me. I was actually very impressed with how well they looked. The shirt was a button-up and white in color, but there was a bit of arctic blue along the seams and edges that matched Fleetfoot's coat color. My pants were cargo designed, but were made to be a little nicer looking so I could get into most restaurants with them. I honestly didn't mind not being able to go to the high end restaurants, since it was never about how expensive the place was. What really got me, though, was their color. The pants were a dark shade of artic blue, but what really pulled my attention was the golden seams and edges. I wasn't really an expert with fashion and I thought they looked great, but I did notice that one thing was missing.
"Hey, Silk?" I called out as I started disrobing.
"Yes?" Silk called back, probably watching my silhouetted form.
"I like what you did with the clothes, but I don't see the feather anywhere." I looked into the nearby mirror as I slipped on the shirt. "Were you able to find something to do with it?"
"Sadly, I was unable to work it into the designs the way I wanted to at first," Silk answered, her wings flapping, indicating that she was in the air. "So I redesigned it to be used in one of two ways. I'll let you decide on which you would like after you finish getting dressed."
I grabbed my pants and slipped them, taking a quick peek at the mirror to see if anything was wrong with them. With my full ensemble, I had to admit that I didn't look half bad. The colors were a good contrast with each other, and really made me stand out a bit more than what I would usually wear. One final look into the mirror to see if anything was out of place or still needing work, I walked out of the changing room. I had to stop before almost colliding with Silk as she hovered at eye level.
"So what do you think?" Silk asked as she flew around, giving my outfit a critical look.
"I love it, Silk," I said as I smiled at the outfit. "This is probably the best thing I've ever worn for any kind of date."
This got Silk to beam brighter as she did one final pass. "Thank you, Mark. I won't lie, I had to rethink it a few times because of who is courting you, but I think she'll like it just as much as you do," Silk said happily, flying towards a stand and grabbing something. She flew back towards me, her hooves behind her back as she spoke. "Like I said, I can make this in one of two ways, depending on what you prefer."
"Let's see what you have to offer," I said, excited to see what she might have planned for the feather.
Silk moved her hooves to her front, the feather glimmering slightly in the little amount of sun that was in the room. "The first option is to create a sort of clip that you can use to clip onto your shirts. The second option is I have it made into a necklace," Silk offered, but I felt there was something she wasn't telling me.
I put a hand to my chin, going deep into thought about which I wanted, but my curiosity for the necklace got the better of me. "There's something more about the necklace, isn't there?" I asked, looking at her with a curious expression.
"Very good, Mark. Looks like you're finally starting to catch on to a few things," Silk said, giving a knowing smirk. "While it's an old tradition and most ponies don't do it that often, a necklace is a little more intimate," Silk started to explain, already making my choice for me. "You could use a clip to state that your relationship is casual, but with a necklace, you're showing that you're wanting a very intimate one." Silk finished tying a couple of strings together before giving me the necklace. "It also helps to show that you're serious about being with her."
I looked at the necklace, seeing there were a few spots surrounded by various jewels that were open, making it look like something could be put in there. "What's with the open spots?" I asked as I tried on the necklace, liking the way the feather felt against me.
"Those are for if you end up turning your relationship into a herd," Silk said, flying next to me and looking at the necklace to make sure it looked nice. "If you don't end up having one, you can just close them off by moving these closer together." Silk demonstrated this by grabbing one of the gems and sliding it close to the feather before moving it back into place.
"Thanks, Silk," I said, a small smile on my face as I played with the feather between my fingers.
"Although," Silk spoke up, pulling my attention away from the feather. "If you don't want something like this, I'll change it to the clip. Though if you want my honest opinion, I think it looks better this way, Mark," Silk said, running a hoof over the feather before looking at me.
I stayed silent, looking down at the feather. Thoughts of doubt were starting to form, but before they could even manifest into something more, I shoved them down. Looking at Silk, I gave her a determined smile. "I promised myself that I would take this seriously, so I'll keep it as a necklace.
Silk started clopping her hooves together in excitement as her smile grew. "I'm so happy to hear that, Mark. I know she'll appreciate you doing this," Silk said as she grabbed a nearby bag from where she made my necklace. "Now, I bet you want to keep your clothes a surprise until the date?" I nodded my head. "Then get changed back into your regular clothes and put your date clothes in the bag."
I did as she said and disappeared behind the curtain. I took off my new outfit, carefully folding the items before putting them away in the bag. Changing into my regular clothes, I ran my fingers across the necklace. I was debating if I should leave it on or take if off to keep it a surprise for Fleetfoot. Looking at the necklace, it didn't seem right to take it off now. Grabbing the base of the feather, I tucked it underneath my shirt so I could feel that odd warmth coming from it, keeping it hidden from view.
Placing a hand over my chest where the necklace was hidden, I looked into the mirror before giving a sharp nod. I grabbed the bag that held my new clothes and exited the changing room, only to notice that Silk wasn't here this time. Confused, I walked towards her workroom to see her sitting at her worktable. She still had that bright smile as her tail swished in excitement. It was really nice to see her this happy, then again, most ponies looked nice when they were happy. I made to leave, but was stopped when she collided with my body and embraced me in a tight hug.
"Good luck on your date tonight, Mark. I'm hoping for the best for the two of you," Silk said in a soft voice, her head nuzzling my back.
"Thank you, Silk. For everything I mean," I said, grabbing a foreleg and giving it a gentle squeeze to show my appreciation. "Also, thank you for the kind words. I hope the date goes well too."
Silk held onto me for a while, her head nuzzling my back as I patted her foreleg. I was certain there was more to this closeness than just her happiness for my date, but I wasn't going to question it. We stayed together for a few minutes before she finally released me. I turned around and gave her a quick hug before giving her a reassuring smile. Silk gave me a nod as she gestured with a wing that I could leave. I rustled her mane a little before heading for the door again.
I reached for the door, but was stopped when Silk spoke up again. "Mark, I know we're friends, but you better treat Fleetfoot right, or else you'll have somepony else to worry about other than Spitfire," Silk said in a serious tone.
I was surprised to see how serious she was, but at the same time it was nice to see how caring she was for Fleetfoot. "Don't worry, I will," I called over my shoulder. Chuckling a little to myself, I decided to pay Celestia a visit. I knew that I should probably be worried about what Silk said, but honestly, it was actually nice to hear. Seeing Fleetfoot only interact with ponies that she mainly works with gave me the impression that she didn't really know anyone else. Thanks to Silk's concern, it was nice to know that Fleetfoot had friends beyond the workplace. Although, as I thought about it some more, I could be wrong about my assumption, but either way, I had nothing to fear. I was going to see this date through the end and see where Fleetfoot wanted this to go.
I waved at a few guards and maids that weren't busy doing anything. Most of them were just wandering around, talking amongst each other. Many of them were happy to see me like always, and I guess it was nice to see them as well. It didn't take long before I reached the dining room. Most days were usually like this for Celestia. Her day court was open once the sun has risen into the sky above, but it took a few hours before any ponies showed up to talk with her. There was a single guard that was sitting next to the dining room's doors. She had a plate in front of her and her helmet was off, showing off her electric red mane that parted around her horn, her coat an interesting shade of indigo.
The guard looked up at me, her piercing left orange and right blue eyes staring at me intently before she smiled and waved at me. My lips pursed as I tried to put a name to her, but I was drawing a blank. I knew most of the ponies that were always at the castle, and the fact that I didn't know who she was must have meant that she was new. Reaching the dining room doors, I stopped next her and looked at her curiously.
She looked up at me, her smile still present as she finished off her toast. "Hey there," she greeted as she extended a hoof. "You must be Mark?"
I reached out for the offered hoof and shook it. "That would be me," I answered, letting go of her hoof as I shook my head slightly. "I'm sorry, but I don't think I've seen you before. If I had, then I would definitely remember because of your interesting mane color."
This seemed to draw her attention as she ran a hoof through her mane, only making it look messy as she laughed nervously. "If you think that's something, then you should see my tail color," she said, but her eyes widened as she remembered something. "By the way, my name's Starburst."
I smiled as I greeted her properly.
"Pleasure to meet you, Starburst," I said, getting her to return the smile. "Anyways, how exactly is your tail any different?"
Starburst gave a quick nod as she got off of her chair, allowing me to finally see her tail. Her tail was a dark blue, a yellow streak going along the side like a shooting star. She turned around to allow me to see the other side had the same streak. Looking at her tail, I took notice that her cutie mark was a white star that was exploding like a firework with several small red-orange stars surrounding it.
She turned back around and took her seat again as she rubbed the back of her head in embarrassment. "Yeah, kind of overplaying my name a bit with that," Starburst said, giving a small laugh.
"I personally think it just makes you stand out more," I said, getting Starburst to raise a brow at me. "I mean, I know it's normal to have swirls in stripes in most manes and tails, but seeing an actual design that you are born with adds a little more personality."
Starburst giggled behind a hoof before lightly shaking her head. "Celestia said you were a fun person to talk with, but she didn't say anything about how bold you are in complimenting a mare."
I shrugged as I smiled at her. "I think I could thank a few ponies for that kind of confidence, but if you don't mind, I have a question," I said, and Starburst gestured for me to continue. "Shouldn't there be another guard here?"
"Yeah, she should be back in a few moments. She went to get her own meal," Starburst explained as she went back to her food.
True to her word, a pegasus mare showed up with a brown paper sack on her back. Her coat was beige with her eyes being a deep indigo. Her mane was a mint green and shaven completely on the right side with her left being long enough to hang over and cover her left eye. Her tail was a dark green and her cutie mark was an emerald shield. I was very certain that if many of the upper nobility of Canterlot saw some of these guards, they would try to have one of the princesses try and get them to look uniform.
She seemed to notice me quickly as she stopped her trot forward and stared at me with wide eyes. I looked at her, not moving out of fear that I might somehow scare her off. She seemed to get over her initial shock as she peered around me and glowered at Starburst.
"Starburst, why didn't you get me when Mark showed up?" she asked, her glower only becoming heavier as Starburst continued to eat.
Starburst finished off her toast before swallowing and answering her. "Because, Emerald, I was busy introducing myself to the nice human."
"Then would you care to explain why you're acting so unprofessional? I mean seriously, you took off your armor and we're not even on a true break," Emerald said as she trotted past me and took a seat at another table.
Before Starburst could say anything, I stepped in with a question of my own. "So you're both new to being guards for Celestia?"
Both of them nodded. "Just got positioned with Princess Celestia yesterday. We're the replacements for Shield and Strongheart after they moved, sir," Emerald answered as she opened her bag lunch and began to organize its contents.
"Listen, I know that you're taught to have all these rules and procedures, but can you do me a favor?" I asked, getting their attention. "Drop the sir part and just relax around me. Starburst at least has the right idea," I said as I pointed to Starburst.
"Obviously you don't know Starburst, sir," Emerald said, giving a flat look to Starburst.
"Emerald, if I told you once, then I've told you every time since boot camp. You really need to loosen up if you want to connect with anypony," Starburst said, finishing off her breakfast.
"Then why did you agree to be partnered with me for this post?" Emerald asked with a raised brow.
Starburst got off her chair, dressing in her armor and making sure it was on properly before turning towards Emerald. "That's because I enjoy your company. You may be a real rule stickler, but I know there's a fun side to you," Starburst said happily, giving her a big smile.
"I sometimes wonder how you made it this far with that laid back attitude of yours," Emerald retorted, taking her first bite into a rose sandwich.
"You've seen how well I did in basic. I've just learned to unwind a bit more than you have," Starburst said jokingly, setting her chair to the side and standing at attention.
I could see that Emerald was about to say something, but I cut her off so I could get on with what I wanted to do. "We'll work on the 'sir' thing later. I just want to see Celestia for a few minutes before I head out," I said, massaging the bridge of my nose.
Starburst gave me a curt nod as she pushed the door open and gestured for me to go through. I returned her nod with one of my own and gave a small salute to Emerald before entering the dining hall. The door closed behind me with a soft bang as I looked at the end of the dining table. I saw Celestia with the morning paper floating in front of her along with her cup of coffee. There was a slice of banana cake on the table, half of it already eaten. My attention was pulled to another guest at the table, and I was surprised to see her here.
"MARK!!!" Surprise yelled, waving her foreleg frantically and startling Celestia.
I waved to Surprise as Celestia placed down her newspaper and took a bite of her cake. I joined the two of them at the table, placing the bag on the ground as Surprise bounced excitedly in her seat and Celestia ate delicately. Surprise seemed eager to say something, if the way her smile was reaching her ears was any indication. Looking over at Celestia, it seemed that she wasn't going to say anything soon, so I gestured towards Surprise for her to speak.
"Congratulations, Mark!" Surprise said, jumping from her seat and zooming right in front of my face. "So how long until your date?!"
My eyes widened in surprise as I heard Celestia drop her fork. Ignoring Surprise's comment at the moment, I looked at Celestia with a neutral expression. "Really? After the many things I've done and that you've heard, this catches you by surprise?" I asked, getting Celestia to blush a little in embarrassment.
"I just... wasn't expecting this so... soon," Celestia explained, picking up her dropped fork and setting it on the plate.
"Is there something that you don't like about this?" I asked, feeling Surprise press against my face, but I ignored it for now.
Celestia's eyes went wide at what I was saying, and she quickly lifted her hooves as she shook them in a defensive gesture. "That's not what I meant. I was just hoping for a few more weeks for your feelings to develop before going out with somepony," Celestia explained, her eyes showing a bit of worry that she may have offended me.
"Sorry about that," I said, reaching for Celestia and rubbing along her neck to help ease her tension. "I guess I still have a few jitters for the upcoming date. You didn't do anything wrong."
Celestia smiled as she moved her head to my hand, nuzzling it warmly. It was actually nice to see her like this. It wasn't often she was able to let loose unless she was with her sister or Cadence, but after my arrival, I was glad that she trusted me enough to let her guard down. Now that I actually thought about it, it was getting close to our appointment. It wasn't anything big, but she would just stop by and talk about the day's past events. I would listen to her, but it was more of a one-sided conversation since it was a chance for her to vent as opposed to really having a conversation.
The appointment was more for her to vent away her troubles. It probably helped that I also allowed her to lay on my lap and I would pet along her neck and body to help soothe her. I was pulled from my musings when a sudden pressure around my chest started to tighten. It was starting to get hard to breathe and I looked down to see a pair of white legs wrapped around me. I looked over my shoulder to see Surprise hugging me from behind, her poofy mane hitting me in the face as she tried to get my attention.
"Can I help you?" I asked, spitting out a few hairs.
"I asked when your date was and you haven't answered me," Surprised whined, looking up at me with tear filled eyes.
Surprise was lifted off of me in a golden aura, being placed in front of me again. "Sorry about that," Celestia said, releasing her hold on Surprise after setting her down. "Her hormones are making her a little more emotional."
"That would explain this," I said, gesturing to Surprise, who was already nuzzling my chest.
Celestia could only offer a sheepish smile as she shrugged. "Anyway, is there anything you want to talk about?" Celestia asked, offering a way to ignore Surprise's antics.
"Let me settle this first, and I'll see if there's anything," I said, getting a nod from Celestia as she summoned another fork and began eating her cake again.
Grabbing Surprise's head, I pulled her away from my chest, earning a whimper from her. She flailed her hooves out, grabbing the neck of my shirt and trying to pull me closer to her. I had to give it to her, she was stronger than she looked. Thankfully, I was able to get her to let go, my curiosity about how their hooves could grab things being pushed deep down into the area where I should never question things about this world. Sadly, she was able to pull out the necklace I was hiding underneath my shirt.
Surprise's eyes went wide, her eyes darting between the necklace and me for a few seconds. I saw something twinkle in her eye, something I noticed only once in Fleur, but many times in Rarity, and knew what was coming. I quickly plugged my ears as Surprise took a deep breath.
"AHHHHHHH!" Surprise screamed, startling Celestia for the second time this day and getting the guards to barge through the doors. I couldn't hear anything, Surprise's scream somehow still audible and causing my ears to ring. Celestia moved away from the table, probably going to tell her guards that everything was fine, while I tried to get rid of the irritable ringing that persisted in my ears.
"Ow," I said, trying to fight off a possible headache that might come in the future.
"This is so exciting! Fleetfoot is so going to love that you did this!" Surprise cheered joyfully before realizing something. "I need to tell everypony the good news!" she yelled as she took to the air.
This easily got my attention as I reached out for her and grabbed her hind leg. She looked over her shoulder to see that I was pleading with my eyes that she not leave. She quickly settled onto the table, sitting on her haunches as she folded her wings back in. Taking a few seconds, I collected my thoughts, breath, and my hearing before looking back at the dining hall doors. Celestia had closed them, her horn giving a quick flash before she joined the two of us at the table again. She didn't say anything, but I could see that she still gave a few glances to the necklace that I was wearing. I ignored her for now and focused my attention on Surprise.
"Surprise, please keep this a secret until after my first date?" I asked, hoping that she would have enough sense to do that.
"How come? I thought you liked Fleetfoot?" Surprised asked, a confused expression on her face.
"That's just it, though. I'm not sure exactly what I'm feeling. This date is just to see if there's anything that could work between us," I explained, hoping this was enough to convince her.
Surprise crossed her forelegs, shutting her eyes as she hummed in thought. Silence settled between the three us before she spoke again. "Fiiiiiiine. I'll keep this a secret until you know what you're feeling." Surprise gave me a smile as she trotted forward. She pulled me into a hug, moving the necklace back into my shirt as she nuzzled my cheek. "Also, good luck with her and I wish the best for the both of you," Surprise said, patting my back a few times before letting go and flying out of the dining hall.
Looking over at Celestia, I could see that she was giving me a questioning look. What made it a little scary was that the look was one of those silent ones that required no words. I didn't want to give in so easily, so I matched her with a neutral expression, waiting to hear her question. Sadly, she had more experience than I did, and I was slowly beginning to crack. It didn't take long before I slumped over and let out a deep sigh. A wing was soon draped over my back and I looked up to see Celestia offering a small supportive smile.
"Do you know what it means to wear that necklace?" Celestia asked as she kept her wing draped over my back.
"Silk explained it to me," I answered, smiling a little as I felt the feather tickle my chest.
"Are you sure about this, though?" Celestia asked, giving a worried look.
"I want to try," I said, meeting Celestia's eyes. "She went this far to ask me out, and it probably took a lot of willpower to do this. I thought I should show the same amount of conviction."
"Then I hope for the best for the both of you," Celestia said, placing a hoof on my shoulder as she smiled at me encouragingly.
"The good thing is that I have several hours until the date to hopefully prepare myself for anything," I said jokingly.
This earned a laugh from Celestia as she shook her head slightly. I couldn't help but join in her laughter as well, as it helped to ease some of my tensions. As our laughter died down, the room became silent, Celestia still offering me some comfort with her wing.
"Is there still something troubling you?" Celestia asked, worry evident in her tone.
"Nothing too big that I can't handle myself," I answered, scratching behind Celestia's ear to show that everything was fine.
I received a small hum of contentment from Celestia before she pulled her head back. "Then take care, Mark. Let me know how your date goes the next time we meet."
"Sure thing, Celestia. You have a good morning," I said, grabbing my bag and heading for the door. I stopped short and looked back over my shoulder at Celestia. "Also, I think your two new guards are a nice addition to your ranks," I said, smiling at what my interactions with Emerald and Starburst will be like as time goes on.
"Thank you, Mark. I think they'll be a nice addition as well," Celestia said, smiling as she cleaned off her table and headed for the door.
Starburst and Emerald opened the doors, Celestia exiting first with me following close behind. Celestia and I shared a quick hug before we parted ways. I easily caught Emerald staring at me with a confused expression, but Starburst gained her attention back as they caught up with Celestia. Shrugging at Emerald's antics, I headed out to leave the castle. I wasn't really worried that Emerald would do anything since she'd probably learn that it was normal for Celestia to act affectionate around me whenever we spoke. I did have to give it to her, though. She was really committed to her job, and that wasn't something I hadn't seen in a while after getting acquainted with most of the guards.
Exiting the castle, I walked back to the house, wondering if Fleetfoot was home or not. I made a quick stop at the market district to see if Razor was around, but sadly, she wasn't. Her stand was closed for the next couple of days, so I continued home. I waved to a few ponies that I passed, a few foals running around my feet joyously as they played some game. A few feet from my house, the following foals ran back to wherever their parents were and left me to my own thoughts.
I entered the house to see the lights were off and no noise coming from anywhere. I walked up the stairs, placing the bag on the floor of my room and flopping out onto my bed. Staring at the ceiling, I let my mind relax as my eyes closed. The soft mattress helped to relax my body as I decided to get a few more hours of sleep before having to go anywhere. Opening my eyes, I grabbed the clock off the shelf and set it for at least an hour before the date started. Turning on the alarm, I set it back on the shelf and let myself drift off into sleep.
Several Hours Later
I awoke well before my alarm went off, but I was still alone in the house. I went about doing little tasks that consisted of cleaning the house and making at least a meal for Spitfire if she got back from Manehattan later tonight. Thankfully, time went by quickly as I did these few chores, and I was able to fill in the last bit of time with a shower. Oddly enough, Fleetfoot hadn't been by the entire time I was busy with the house. I ignored this for now as I continued to wash myself, only to be disturbed by a knock at the door.
"Mark, are you in there?" Fleetfoot asked, her voice higher so I could hear her over the water.
"Yeah, I'm just washing up so I'm presentable," I replied, going back to washing my body.
"Okay. I'll be downstairs in the living room when you finish," Fleetfoot said, a hint of worry just barely heard in her voice.
I couldn't help but chuckle at hearing her slight worry. Fleetfoot, from what I always saw, was caring, strong, and determined whenever she set her heart to something. There were those few times where I saw her at her most vulnerable, but she still saw things through. Actually hearing that she was worried was a good thing since it helped to let me know that I wasn't the only one worried about the date. Quickly finishing up my shower, but making sure that I was still clean, I turned off the water and grabbed my towel.
I dried off my body, throwing the towel into a corner, and started getting dressed. Once I was fully dressed, I looked into the mirror to make sure that everything was in order. I looked closely at my face to see some stubble starting to form. Sighing a bit, I grabbed my razor and started to groom myself. There wasn't much to shave off, but I went over everywhere my hair usually grew to make sure it was gone. There probably wasn't much need to actually shave, especially since it made a lot of these ponies think I had fur, but I never really much cared for it.
Finishing my shave, I washed off my face and did a quick dry. I spotted no cuts along my face and smiled at how nice I looked. Looking at the necklace on the sink counter, I debated whether I should wear it or not. I know I told Celestia that I was committed to meeting Fleetfoot's determination in this, but I felt like I would be bringing her hopes up too much. Then again, I wasn't very sure about her past relationships, but if any of those ponies weren't willing to be with her, then it's their loss. Picking up the necklace, I held it in front of my neck as I thought about what to do.
I pulled the necklace away from my neck, only to frown to see how empty it made my ensemble. Gripping the necklace tightly, I slipped it around my neck and made sure that the feather was still in place. The feather glinted softly in the light of the bathroom, getting me to smile as I ran my fingers across it. Happy with my choice, I moved towards the door, exiting the bathroom and heading for the living room. Reaching the bottom of the stairs, I turned towards the couch, only to freeze in place.
I still didn't know what it was about this world, but even with ponies walking around naked all the time, clothes really had an effect on them. Fleetfoot was already very beautiful, but the dress she wore made her truly stand out. The dress was a darker purple of her eyes, and covered her entire body, even her hind legs. I assumed there were holes in the dress as her tail and wings were sticking out. The dress had short sleeves for her forelegs, but the rest was covered in silk stockings that were shear. On her hooves were arctic blue slippers that sparkled a little.
I wasn't really sure what she could possibly be wearing underneath her dress, except for the same stockings and slippers, but I couldn't control one thing that popped into my mind. I only have Echo to thank for this coming to mind since she brought it up not long after my arrival to Equestria, but I started to wonder what kind of panties she was wearing, if any. Pushing those thoughts deep into the recesses of my mind, I took a look at Fleetfoot's face. Surprisingly enough, she wore a dark orange eyeliner, her lips a lovely shade of dark blue, and to tie it all off was her mane. Instead of its regular windswept look, she had it straightened out and tied back into a ponytail.
I found it very hard not to drool or even pass out from how beautiful Fleetfoot looked. I probably would have continued to stare if it wasn't for the nervous look she was giving. Quickly shaking my head clear, I cleared my throat as I offered her a smile.
"You look lovely tonight, Fleetfoot," I said, my smile never leaving.
"T-Thank..." Fleetfoot started, but stopped as her eyes went wide. "Are you wearing my... feather?" Fleetfoot asked, a hoof placed against her lips.
"Yes, I am," I answered, moving closer to her. "Do you want me to take it off?"
"No!" Fleetfoot exclaimed quickly, her eyes wide.
I was startled by her outburst, but I quickly regained my composure as I knelt in front of her. Fleetfoot shuffled nervously in place as I reached out with hand, gently cupping her cheek as I tried to make her meet my eyes. She did so a little reluctantly, but her slight shaking stopped as she looked at my smiling face. She wrapped a hoof around my wrist as she nuzzled into my palm, letting out a small sigh of comfort. Happy to see that she was starting to calm a little, I let her continue to nuzzle my hand until she was feeling better. Fleetfoot finally pulled away after a few minutes, but not before giving a small frown at having to do so.
"You feeling better?" I asked, getting a nod as my response. "Then are you ready to go?"
"Yes, let's head out and have some fun," Fleetfoot answered, her smile returning as she trotted for the door.
I smiled at her retreating form, following closely behind in case she wanted to start any conversation. She held the door open for me, something I still didn't like having done for me, but was able to push aside to see how things worked out. Once I was through, she exited the house, making sure that she had her purse with her before closing the door and locking it. My mind jumped to how Spitfire would get inside, but I just assumed that there was either a spare key that they kept hidden or she had one herself.
Fleetfoot stood next to me, smiling before beginning to trot off. I followed by her side, enjoying the cool night breeze and savoring the look of the night sky. Looking over at Fleetfoot, I took notice of the moonlight hitting her dress, causing her to shine a little. The light of the moon even made her makeup shimmer, giving her a very sexy look that I didn't think was truly possible. Fleetfoot turned her head in my direction, and I was pulled from my staring when she spoke.
"See something that you like?" Fleetfoot asked in a slightly teasing tone.
"Yes! I mean no!" I let out a deep sigh as I rubbed my temples. "I'm sorry," I apologized, trying to keep my eyes off of Fleetfoot.
Fleetfoot bumped me with her side, getting my attention as she smiled at me. "You don't need to apologize, Mark," Fleetfoot said, her smile never wavering. "It's actually kind of nice to know that I can still get that kind of reaction."
I looked around to see if there were any ponies out and about before turning towards Fleetfoot. "Are you not able to have nights like this?" I asked, hoping to not get too personal.
Fleetfoot slowed her trot a little, and I was about to apologize before she spoke up. "Not as much as before," Fleetfoot said, her smile still showing. "I just kind of stopped dating after a while."
"What made you stop?" I asked, wondering if there was something more to why she asked me out.
"A culmination of things, really," Fleetfoot answered, moving closer to me as she continued to smile. "It was either just a bad relationship or we just wanted different things. I mean Spitfire and I even gave each other a shot, but it just didn't work out."
I think I might have startled Fleetfoot when I nearly tripped over myself. "Sorry, that last bit just really took me by surprise," I apologized, regaining my footing so Fleetfoot could continue to lean against me. "After all of that, then why did you decide now to begin dating again?"
Fleetfoot went to answer, but silenced herself after we arrived at our destination. The restaurant was three stories and was obviously Cloudsdale-themed with all the clouds that were around it. There were marble columns on the first and second level of the restaurant, while the third level had more cloud-related themes. Looking over at the raised sign, I read the name of the restaurant. It was called Three Tribes and had a pony of each race on the sign. There were alicorns positioned at the top of the sign and had their horns touching with a wave of magic coming down on the other three races.
I was pulled from my musings when I felt something tug on my pants. Looking down, I noticed a white tail wrapped my leg, and following it, I saw Fleetfoot giving me a smile as she gave another tug. Laughing a little to myself, I followed her inside. My ears were hit with a soft melody as I stepped through the door. I looked passed the greeter to see a stage at the far back, and I was surprised to see who was there. Octavia and Lyra were up on stage, their signature instruments in their grasp. The song that they were playing was obviously romantic as my eyes moved to the table in front of the stage.
Sitting at the table was Bon Bon and Vinyl, both of whom were watching their marefriends playing. My eyes continued to scan the front of the room, where I saw a stallion watching Octavia. It seemed that he didn't have any ill intent towards her, but something about him said that I shouldn't get involved with him. If anything, it would be something that Maurice would get in trouble with if he was here. Ignoring the stallion, I moved along the front for another surprising sight.
I honestly couldn't believe what I was seeing. Sitting in a corner table were Rainbow Dash and Rarity. I was literally at a loss for words as Dash sat close to Rarity, the latter leaning against the former. Even more surprising was how Dash was dressed. Rainbow was in an actual dress, something from many past conversations that I learned she didn't like. Not really sure how she was in one, but assuming Rarity had something to do with it, I couldn't help but smile at them. I didn't try to draw any attention to myself so I wouldn't disturb any of them, since they all looked happy at the moment.
Returning my attention to Fleetfoot, she had spoken with a pegasus mare that I assumed was the hostess and was grabbing menus before directing us to follow her. Our hostess had a pink coat with a coiffured mane and tail that was dark pink. A quick glimpse at her eyes showed that they were a deep blue and her cutie mark was a bunch of rose petals. Fleetfoot continued to lean against me as we followed our hostess up to the second level. I gave a small frown, knowing that my inability to walk on clouds was the only reason we were not being seated on the third floor. Unfortunately, it was something that I just had to deal with in Equestria. Had I known that we were coming to someplace like this, I would have grabbed that other necklace that allowed me to walk on clouds.
As we reached the second floor, I took notice of the few ponies that were around. I could only assume that most of them were on the first floor so they could watch the performance, but I could still hear it. The hostess led us to the middle of the room and set our menus on the center table. I was about to pull out a chair for Fleetfoot before she pulled one out and gestured for me to take a seat. Accepting this as it is, I took the offer and waited for Fleetfoot to take her own seat. Fleetfoot grabbed her chair, but instead of instantly sitting down, she handed her menu to the hostess and pulled her chair next to mine.
She sat down, her tail resting against my leg as she leaned against my side. I had to keep from laughing at how affectionate she was being as she hummed a little to herself. She seemed so peaceful as she leaned against me, her eyes glinting in happiness as she gave a slow look at the menu.
The hostess cleared her throat as she set straws on the table before speaking. "My name is Evening Rose and if you have anything to ask, don't hesitate to let me know. Your waitress should be with you shortly to take your orders. Before I go, can I start you off with anything to drink?"
"May I have a Sea Breeze and a water?" Fleetfoot asked.
"Of course, and what about you, sir?" Evening Rose asked.
"I'll take an apple cider and a water as well, please," I said, smiling.
Evening Rose nodded her head before trotting off to the first floor. Once she was gone, Fleetfoot opened up the menu and held it up so we could look through it together. Feeling a little bold, I moved one of my arms around her side, eliciting a surprised gasp from her. I was about to pull my arm away, thinking that I may have done something wrong, but her hoof on my hand told me that everything was fine. Taking a few breaths, I returned my attention to the menu and scanned the available options. Surprisingly, a lot of the food items catered to many species, so I easily spotted a few things I thought I might enjoy. The only problem that I had was if Fleetfoot was okay being around me if I ate it.
"Hey, Fleetfoot..." I was about to continue before she cut me off.
"I'm fine with whatever you order. You forget sometimes that we have griffons on our team, so we just kind of got used to it," Fleetfoot said, giving me a playful jab to the side.
Rubbing at the spot she had hit, I gave a kiss to her head as I settled on my choice of a meal. Fleetfoot looked up to me, and with a single nod, she closed the menu and leaned closer into me. I gently ran my hand along her barrel, getting her to sigh some more as she gave tiny nuzzles. We were silent together for a couple of minutes before the sound of hoofsteps gained our attention. Turning to the side, we were greeted with an old friend.
"Hey there, Cinnamon Spice," I greeted with a smile.
"Mark, Fleetfoot, it's so great to see you two!" Cinnamon greeted joyfully.
"What are you doing here? Did Clover already run you out of her bar?" Fleetfoot teased with a small smirk.
Cinnamon giggled behind a hoof before shaking her head. "Please, it would take a lot for me to quit that place. Clover's a really nice boss to be around," Cinnamon said, smiling happily. "As for why I'm here, my herd sister needed some help tonight and asked for my assistance. You actually met her already."
"Herd sister? What is that?" I asked, not really familiar with the term.
"Oh! I forgot you probably didn't know," Cinnamon said, her ears drooping a little before she perked up. "We have the same father, but different mothers. Our mothers are in a herd with our father and they each had us," Cinnamon explained.
"Ah, so you're half-sisters," I said, hoping that was correct.
"Exactly," Cinnamon said, her smile never wavering. "Anyway, what exactly can I get the lovely couple tonight?" Cinnamon asked with a knowing grin.
"What makes you think we're a couple?" Fleetfoot continued to tease, looking away from Cinnamon as she crossed her hooves.
I think Cinnamon's laugh was infectious, because I couldn't help but laugh myself as she chortled at Fleetfoot's attitude. "I don't know, but maybe it's because you're dressed up nicely and practically nuzzling him like crazy. There's also the fact that he's wearing a necklace with your feather on it, and I don't think this is some kind of joke you're pulling on him since I understand how personal something like that is," Cinnamon said, smirking at her small victory.
Fleetfoot uncrossed her hooves as she shook her head slightly. "Looks like you got me there," Fleetfoot said with a little laugh, a smile spreading across her face.
"Both of you look really cute together, and it seems like you'll want some alone time. What can the kitchen get started for you?" Cinnamon asked, pulling out a notepad and pen.
"I'll take the fettucine alfredo and a side salad," Fleetfoot said, continuing to lean against me.
"Very good choice. I have that every time I stop by this place. So what about you, Mark?" Cinnamon asked, turning her attention towards me.
I rubbed the back of my head nervously, not really sure how often Cinnamon received an order like this. A hoof to my other hand helped to calm me as Fleetfoot smiled up to me. "I'll take the salisbury steak with some corn and a small salad," I said, smiling to Cinnamon.
"Very good choice for tonight. Our head griffon chef is here tonight, so it will turn out very well for you," Cinnamon said, tucking away her notepad and turning around. A tray with our drinks had been balanced on her back the entire time without me noticing. Fleetfoot and I grabbed our respective drinks, thanking Cinnamon for her service before she finally left.
I watched as Cinnamon went down the stairs, and once I couldn't see her, I turned back around to see Fleetfoot had already finished off half her drink. It seemed that she was still slightly nervous if her half-missing drink was anything to go by, but it probably could have been worse. The soft melody that Octavia and Lyra were still playing seemed to ease some of Fleetfoot's tensions.
We probably could have had a conversation as we waited for our food, but just being next to each other was enough for now. We had the entire night together to talk, and decided to enjoy the calming silence with the music playing in the background. I closed my eyes, letting the music seep into my body and relax me. I could feel Fleetfoot's breathing lighten as she probably did the same, her hoof still on my hand as she gave small nuzzles. My hand ran along her mane, enjoying the feel of her silken strands. She gave a contented hum as she rubbed my arm with a hoof.
Our musings were short-lived as the sound of approaching hoofsteps disturbed our moment. I cracked an eye open to see that it was Cinnamon and Evening with our food. Both of them smiled at us, doing their best to keep silent as they placed the food on the table. Both of them gave a small curtsy before turning to head out. Before the two of them left, I called out to them.
"Hey, Cinnamon, Evening, can I ask you to do me a favor?" I asked, keeping a close hold on Fleetfoot.
"Sure thing. What do you need, Mark?" Evening asked with a smile.
"Can you get Rainbow Dash and Rarity a nice bouquet of roses?" I asked, reaching for my money.
"Of course we can," Cinnamon answered, but held a hoof as she saw me reaching for my money. "You can wait to pay us for that after you finish your meal."
"Thanks," I said, smiling at the two of them as they left.
Once they were gone, Fleetfoot and I adjusted ourselves so we could eat. Fleetfoot grabbed her fork, stabbing into her pasta and taking a bite. I could hear her hum in satisfaction as I looked at my food. Grabbing my own fork and knife, I cut off a piece of my steak and ate it. I couldn't help the slight hum that escaped my lips as the juices filled my mouth.
"Looks like somepony is enjoying themselves, and here I thought I had your affection," Fleetfoot teased as her tail brushed against my legs.
"You did have my attention, but then another love came into my life," I teased back, scratching behind her ear.
"Then maybe I should up my game a little," Fleetfoot said, her voice going slightly sultry.
I almost choked on my food as it became stuck in my throat for a few seconds from what I heard. "W-What?" I asked, my face giving off a slight blush.
Fleetfoot didn't say anything as she moved off of her seat and sat down on my lap. Her tail wrapped around my arm, leaving me only one to work with, which was very difficult. Fleetfoot didn't seem to mind as she ground her crotch against my leg for a few seconds, giggling at the reaction she was getting. I was worried that she was going to go a little far, but she stopped her actions, leaving me panting as I tried to understand what just happened. While I was busy in my own world, I felt one of my silverware go missing.
Looking down, I saw that she had taken my knife. She placed the knife on my plate, moving my salad forward as she dug back into her own food. I really didn't mind since the steak would still be warm after I finished my salad, and went ahead eating. As I brought my first bite of salad to my mouth, Fleetfoot stopped my hand with a wing. I raised my brow in confusion as she giggled at me, leading my hand with her wing to her mouth. She opened her maw, taking in my salad bite and eating it. I gave a playful frown to which she laughed at. She took her own fork, stabbing it into her salad, and offering it to me.
I gave a small shrug as I opened my mouth and allowed her to put the salad inside. I closed my mouth around the myriad of vegetables and fruit, humming at the freshness of the food. We continued our actions, feeding each other and smiling all the same. It was a nice little affair, even with the awkward beginning to this. It was beautiful to see Fleetfoot smiling so brightly. As we ate, we drank large portions of our drinks as well. If it wasn't for the quick glimpses, I would have thought I was crazy with how often our drinks were being replaced. I actually had to hand it to Cinnamon and Evening, they were able to do their job and leave us to our own musings.
We finished off our salads, leaving our main meals for us. Fleetfoot seemed content with staying on my lap, but she happily gave me the freedom of my arm so I could eat. I did lift my leg, which she easily took advantage of and wrapped her tail around. I made sure that I could have my leg rest against the seat and avoid hurting Fleetfoot before turning back to my meal. We both ate happily, going easier on our drinks, but we already had a light buzz. Fleetfoot's cheeks were a noticeable red, and mine were probably the same, but it didn't matter since we were in good company.
"Hey, Mark?" Fleetfoot called, her attention still on her food.
"Yes, Fleety?" I asked, leaning down and giving her a nuzzle.
This brought a smile to her face as she nuzzled me back. "How much do you miss from your world?" Fleetfoot asked, setting her fork down as her ears drooped a little.
"That's a pretty tough question, Fleety," I said, scratching behind her ears to help brighten her up. "I miss my friends and family probably the most," I answered, a frown spreading across my lips.
I think Fleetfoot seemed to notice the slight change in my attitude and she turned around. She looked up at me with saddened eyes, her lower lip trembling. It hurt to see her like that, a date that was supposed to be fun for us being brought down because of this fact. I cupped her cheek with my hand, getting her to nuzzle it as I pushed down my sadness and brought a smile to my face.
"Although, just because I miss them doesn't mean I haven't enjoyed my time here. There may have been some rough patches between a lot of us, but it has been a fun ride," I said, getting a small smile from Fleetfoot.
"So you've been happy at least with all of this? Especially us?" Fleetfoot asked hopefully.
"Of course I have. I've made great friends, and now I'm actually having a date with a wonderful mare," I said, moving my other hand to her side and rubbing her gently.
Fleetfoot's face exploded in a large blush as she tried to cover her face with a wing. "Please, I'm not so different from any other mare," Fleetfoot said with a slight whine.
"True, but you're the mare that has my attention. You're strong, confident, and extremely beautiful," I said, laying my head on top of her.
"Stop, you're going to make my face entirely red if you keep that up," Fleetfoot whined playfully, trying to push me away.
"But you're just cute when you get like that. Granted, you're already cute just the way you are as well," I said, giving a kiss to her head.
"Do you really think so?" Fleetfoot asked, looking up at me with wide eyes.
"Yes, but what's wrong with that?" I asked with a raised brow.
Fleetfoot looked to the side as she bit her bottom lip. Cinnamon and Evening appeared next to the table and quickly grabbed our empty plates and trotted for the other set of stairs to leave. Fleetfoot seemed deep in thought as she refused to look at me. Giving a small frown, I pulled her head so she was looking me in the eyes. She tried to pull away from my grasp, but I refused to let her go. She sighed heavily as she gave in.
"Not a lot of ponies thought I was beautiful," Fleetfoot said, her voice low.
"Now why would they believe that?" I asked with determined eyes.
"I wasn't much of a frou-frou mare, and because of that, I intimidated most ponies," Fleetfoot explained.
"Is that why you've been so nervous during this date?" I asked, petting her head and scratching behind her ear.
"Well why have you been so nervous?!" Fleetfoot asked, her voice getting slightly loud. Her ears lowered after realizing her actions. "Sorry," Fleetfoot apologized, her eyes looking towards the ground.
"It's okay," I consoled, giving her a small smile before it turned into a frown. "As for why I've been nervous, it's because I don't think I'm good enough for you," I said, turning my own gaze to the ground.
"What do you mean that you're not good enough for me?" Fleetfoot asked, ducking her head so she could meet my eyes.
"I'm just an average person," I answered, looking into her purple eyes. "I don't have a lot going for me besides being acquainted with you, Spitfire, and the other Wonderbolts. I'm not even some famous person except being known as that weird hairless monkey bastard that's stuck here!" The last part came out stronger than I intended, and as I went to apologize for my outburst, Fleetfoot spoke up.
"I don't see you that way." Fleetfoot put her head under my chin, nuzzling it affectionately.
"Then what is that made you want to do this? Is this some sort of pity after our conversation last night?" I asked, causing Fleetfoot to jerk her head back.
"No!" Fleetfoot exclaimed, shaking her head vigorously. "I wanted this because I care for you. Sure it was disheartening to hear that nopony has ever approached you, but I wanted this for a different reason."
"What reason would that be?" I asked with my brow still raised.
"I actually want to be with you for just you. I think that you're a wonderful stallion with everything that you've done. You're kind, strong-willed, and understanding of others. I never saw it that way at first, but as we got to know each other, I actually started to like you. You've made me happy beyond belief by just being with me here today," Fleetfoot said, smiling widely.
I smiled at Fleetfoot as I pulled her in for a hug, getting her to giggle in joy. As we embraced each other, I thought about how I could answer Fleetfoot's question. Octavia and Lyra were still playing their music, and I'd lost track of how many songs they'd played, but it was still nice to listen to. Looking over the railing, I could see Rainbow Dash and Rarity still at their table, a half-missing bouquet of roses missing in the middle. Giving a few seconds of thought, I stood up from the chair, eliciting a surprised eep from Fleetfoot as I held her.
"Fleetfoot, look out at that table over there," I said, pointing at the table.
Fleetfoot followed to where I was pointing as I continued to speak. "Do you see that table with Rainbow Dash and Rarity sitting there?" I received a nod as my response. "You say that ponies are intimidated by you because you aren't frou-frou enough," I said, getting a small frown from Fleetfoot. "Well, Rainbow is the same way, but she's here on a date as well."
"What does that have to do with me, though?" Fleetfoot asked, keeping her eyes locked on Rainbow and Rarity.
"It has to do with you because Rarity is what you would call a frou-frou mare," I said, getting a raised brow from her. "Rarity is the most ladylike mare I've met, barring a few others, and she's here with someone that's her complete opposite. This might not mean much from me since I'm not even a pony, but those two are on completely different poles, and yet they seem happy together. Do you see the dress Rainbow is wearing?" I asked, getting Fleetfoot to look close at them.
"Yeah, and it's actually a very nice dress. Probably even better than mine," Fleetfoot said.
"It is a nice dress," I started, getting Fleetfoot to whip her head my way with her mouth agape. I held up a finger so I can continue to explain myself. "The thing with her, though, is that she hates wearing dresses. She does whatever she can to stay out of them, but she's willing to be out of that comfort zone to impress Rarity."
"So you think that even though I'm in a dress, I'm still just as beautiful without it?" Fleetfoot asked, keeping her eyes on my two friends.
"Absolutely. If someone doesn't think you look beautiful without doing yourself up like this, then they aren't worth your time. You can dress this way if you want to, or you can stay yourself, and I'll see you as the same beautiful mare like always," I said confidently.
Continuing to hold Fleetfoot in my arms, I grabbed her drink and handed it to her. She drank the entire glass, myself doing the same with my cider as I glance around the second floor. The second floor was completely barren of any ponies, and I could see Cinnamon and Evening at the far end. I waved to the two of them and they gave me a quick curtsy before disappearing back down at the stairs. Listening to Octavia and Lyra, I assumed that they were nearing the end of their song, and I decided to do something special with Fleetfoot.
Placing Fleetfoot on the ground, she looked up at me curiously as I held out my hand. "Would the gorgeous mare like a dance?" I asked as I kept my hand out.
Fleetfoot looked at my offered hand with a raised brow before directing her attention towards me. "How is this going to work?" Fleetfoot asked with slight confusion.
"Give me your hoof and I can show you," I said, smiling at her.
Fleetfoot gave my hand a quizzical look for a few more seconds before placing a hoof into my palm. I grasped her hoof carefully, giving it a quick kiss and earning a blush from her. Smiling, I moved to stand at my full height, pulling her up to her hind legs gently. She wobbled a little, not used to being on only two legs as much as Lyra was. I took her other hoof in my other hand and brought her close to me. She continued to struggle to stand on her back hooves, getting me to chuckle.
Fleetfoot pouted cutely at me as she tried to find her balance. "Hey, this is harder than it looks," Fleetfoot said, keeping up her pout as she looked at her hooves. "I don't understand how you can even stand on your two feet, and Lyra is able to do it herself without any problem."
I held Fleetfoot close, letting her use me as support as she tried to figure out her footing. "That's just because humans are born this way," I ran a hand through her mane, playing with the smooth strands as her stumbling calmed a little. "Lyra has it mastered because it's something she has always practiced. The only thing that still amazes me is how she sits on those benches like a human would."
Fleetfoot still continued to fight with her hooves, unable to find her footing. "Can you put me down? I don't think I can continue to do this without falling over," Fleetfoot said with a small frown.
"Then why don't you try using your wings?" I asked with a raised brow.
Fleetfoot's face bloomed a cherry red from embarrassment as her wings nervously twitched. "Right, I forgot about that," Fleetfoot said, muttering something to herself that I couldn't quite catch.
Fleetfoot spread her wings a few inches away from her barrel, finally finding stability for her hooves. She gave a little squee at her victory, which was quickly cut-off as she looked up at me with her red-tinted face. I grinned at her as I lifted my hand away from her back and booped her on the nose. Her muzzle scrunched up in a cute fashion as she tried to give me an irritated look. Her look calmed down as she smiled, allowing me to lead her away from the table so we would have some room to ourselves.
A quick glance back at the table showed that our drinks had been replaced, and given my slight history with dancing, I decided to have at least one more bottle. Fleetfoot frowned when I put her on the ground, but followed me to the table after she saw what I was going for. I wasn't really sure what she was getting a drink for, but I wasn't going to question her. I took careful gulps of my drink while Fleetfoot just slammed hers back. After finishing her drink, she placed the glass down, swaying slightly and causing me to worry a little. My fears were slightly alleviated when she grabbed her water and drank all of it.
Sure, she was probably still going to suffer some kind of hangover in the morning, but at least she wouldn't feel like shit when she woke up because of dehydration. With her water glass set aside, she looked up at me, tapping her hoof a little as she waited. Shrugging to her, I slammed back the last of my drink, feeling a little dizzy myself. I grabbed my water and downed the entire glass before setting it aside. Fleetfoot grabbed my pants leg with her teeth and pulled me away into an open space. She didn't hesitate to jump up on her hind hooves and lean against me with her wings spread slightly.
I wrapped my arms around her, waiting for a new song to start up as we just held each other. I could barely hear her gentle breaths, but she sounded content with tonight. A couple of minutes rolled by before a new song finally started up and we started dancing. It seemed like Fleetfoot had the same idea as me as we just danced in a square pattern. I wasn't one for dancing, never really having any coordination when I danced. Even if I did dance, I only ended up looking like a fool. I had expected Fleetfoot to probably know how to dance, but that didn't seem to be the case as she seemed confused on what to do.
Even so, the moment was nice because it was just the two of us, and no one could take that away from us. I could hear a low purr emanate from Fleetfoot as she dug her head deeper into my gut. I ran a hand along her back, getting a small coo of appreciation as I kept her close. Cinnamon quickly stopped by, using her wings to glide past us and not disturb the moment. She left a piece of paper on the table, along with two more glasses of water before taking our dirty ones and flying away. I let my eyes drift closed, letting the music guide me with Fleetfoot's movements, matching each step as we continued our square. I was pulled from my musings when Fleetfoot's voice reached my ears.
"I didn't get to say this earlier after you saw me, but you look very handsome," Fleetfoot said, giving a joyful sigh.
"Compared to you, I feel slightly underdressed," I said, giving a slightly nervous chuckle.
"Actually, by our cultural standards, you're dressed just enough," Fleetfoot said, pulling her head back a little so she could look up at me. "I'm the one courting you, so I need to make sure that I stand out enough that I have your attention. Granted, a lot of this is also pegasus culture rather than regular pony culture," Fleetfoot explained, a smile on her face.
I laughed a little as I ran my fingers through her mane. "Well, you have my full attention for the rest of the night. Possibly more if you want after this night is over?" I asked with a little hope.
"I think I would like that very much," Fleetfoot said, smiling brightly as she nuzzled my gut again.
We continue our dance, both of us lost in its melody again as we enjoyed each other's warmth. I'd only noticed it a few times during my interactions with the princesses, but if a pony is really happy, they give off a comforting warmth that spreads to another to make them feel comfortable. I looked off into the distance, seeing a few stars in the sky from a nearby window as a thought came to me.
"Hey, Fleety?" I asked, not breaking step.
"Yes, Mark?" Fleetfoot replied, keeping her head against my gut.
"You mentioned before that you had a relationship with Spitfire. How exactly did that come about?" I asked, stroking her mane to keep her at ease.
I heard Fleetfoot release a deep sigh as she gave me a small nuzzle. "Would you believe me if I said that she was the first pony that I actually dated?" Fleetfoot asked, looking up at me as I started to move us around the second floor.
"I'm not really sure," I answered, holding her head close.
Fleetfoot let out a soft giggle as she closed her eyes again. "We were both still young at the time when we dated each other," Fleetfoot started, and I kept quiet as I listened to her story. "Our relationship was actually pretty steady with the occasional date, but I guess we got ahead of ourselves. I still care for Spitfire, but I'm unsure of how far it goes. I actually entertained the idea of going on another date with her after our failed attempt, but I guess it just became a little weird with our jobs."
I felt Fleetfoot shudder a little in my grasp, making me hold her tighter against me. "You were at least still able to maintain your friendship with her, so that's at least a positive," I said, hoping to encourage her.
"I have been thankful for that. I do hope that she can find somepony that makes her happy," Fleetfoot said in a hopeful tone.
"I believe that she will. She's a smart, strong, and free-spirited mare that will find her special someone," I said, giving Fleetfoot a smile.
"Thank you, Mark," Fleetfoot said in a happy tone.
The song slowly came to an end, and as it did, I decided to do one final thing that I'd seen other dancers do. As we reached our table, I grabbed Fleetfoot's hoof and pulled her off of me. This caused her eyes to open wide as I let momentum take her away, my hand still holding onto her hoof. After my arm was fully stretched, I pulled her back, making her spin a little and having her back land against me. Her wings were spread wider than before, almost reaching their full length as I could feel her heart hammer in her chest. The final note played off, echoing in the restaurant as I held Fleetfoot close.
After the note died off, I gently set Fleetfoot to her hooves. She turned around to look at me with wide eyes, her face a very dark shade of red. Her eyes darted around the area, allowing me a chance to step away and look at the bill. Seeing the price, I shrugged as I pulled out my bits, making sure to grab extra as a tip for Cinnamon Spice's and Evening Rose's services. Grabbing the glasses of water, I walked back to Fleetfoot and offered her a glass that she gladly accepted. We drank from our refreshing, cool liquid before letting out a satisfied sigh. We placed our glasses on out table, Fleetfoot standing next to me as we left the restaurant.
As we reached the first floor, Cinnamon and Evening were at the door with huge smiles. "Thank you for stopping by. Please come again," Evening said as she opened the door.
"Yes, please stop by again, and also stop by Clover's Bar again whenever you get the chance," Cinnamon said happily.
"We'll make sure to stop by," Fleetfoot said, stumbling a little, but was able to catch herself against my leg.
The two of us walked out of the restaurant, leaning against each other for support. We took a slow walk back to the house, the moonlight and stars lighting up the entire area. Even after seeing it for seven months, it still amazed me to see Luna's night sky. Fleetfoot seemed entranced by the stars as she pawed at my leg. I chuckled to myself as I lifted her up and placed her on my back. Her forelegs gently wrapped around my neck as she placed her head on my shoulder. I could get a glance of her shimmering purple eyes as she stared at the night sky.
The cool breeze that Fleetfoot created by gently flapping her wings to keep us cool felt good against my skin. I wasn't sure what led me to my next action, but as I carried her under the moonlight, I gave her a nuzzle to the cheek, feeling her shudder slightly. We finally reached the house, and I let her get off before she pulled out a key. She unlocked the door and we walked inside. I closed the door behind us, and I looked around to see that Spitfire still hadn't returned home. I was worried a little about her still being gone, but I relaxed myself, knowing full well that Spitfire was able to take care of herself.
The two of us walked for the stairs, both of us dizzy from how much we drank. I hadn't kept track of how many drinks I had, and I just hoped my hangover wouldn't be bad in the morning. Fleetfoot was leaning against my leg again as we climbed the stairs. She was giggling to herself, making me smile at how happy she was. I couldn't help but laugh myself, her infectious, joyful attitude making me feel giddyy. Fleetfoot's tail was swishing happily, but as we reached the top, I couldn't help but smell something in the air. I wasn't really sure what the smell was, but I ignored it. Looking around the hallway, there was still no sign of Spitfire, fully confirming that she wasn't home.
"I'm glad I did this," I said, looking down at Fleetfoot and making sure I didn't stumble on my way to my room.
"I'm glad as well," Fleetfoot responded, leaning against me for support.
We reached the top of the stairs, both of us still kind of leaning against each other for some form of support. It was saddening to see that the date was over now, and it was clear that it bothered Fleetfoot slightly as well. I smiled as I put a hand on her head and started to stroke her mane a little, getting her to nuzzle my palm.
"I guess I'll see you in the morning?" I asked, stopping in front of my room and kneeling so I could look into her beautiful eyes.
Fleetfoot's eyes shifted back and forth, never looking at me as her wings twitched nervously and her body shuddered. I was starting to grow worried that something might be wrong as silence settled between us. I was about to ask if she was okay, but I was cut off by something warm, wet, and soft pressing against my lips. My brain was having a hard time registering what was going on. It took a few seconds before Fleetfoot pulled away from me, her cheeks a nice shade of red as she refused to look at me.
Processing what was going on, it took my brain a few tries before finally realizing what just happened. Fleetfoot had just kissed me! Oddly, though, I wasn't disgusted by it. She felt so soft against my lips, and I could only guess what I felt prodding my lips was her tongue before she pulled away. I was quick to notice that she tried to leave, probably from complete embarrassment over what she had done. I caught her foreleg, getting her to jump a little before I pressed my lips against hers again.
I wasn't really sure what was coming over me, but the small moans coming from Fleetfoot, and her tongue pressing against my closed lips only brought more desire. My lips parted for her tongue, her wet appendage quickly fighting mine for dominance. A small part of my mind said that I should stop, that I wasn't thinking right because we were both a little drunk after our date, but I didn't care. Along with that voice was one that said I should stop entirely because she wasn't human. Honestly, I couldn't care less that she wasn't human. Fleetfoot was an attractive mare, and I wanted to show her that she was.
I deepened the kiss, grabbing the back of her head as I continued to battle her tongue. She moaned openly in my mouth, her wings stretching out to the sides as she wrapped her forelegs around my neck. Wrapping an arm around her barrel, I continued to hold her head as I stood up. I removed my hand that was holding the back of her head so I could open the door to my room. When the door opened a crack, I grabbed the back of her head and kicked the door the rest of the way open. I carried Fleetfoot into my room, continuing to battle her tongue and nearly pinning it to the roof of her mouth.
Her hooves pawed at my shirt in a needy attempt to rid me of the article of clothing. I couldn't say I wasn't doing the same as my fingers worked at her dress, digging firmly into the fur that was covered beneath. Our kiss had to sadly end as we parted, breathing heavily on each other's faces as we tried to recover the oxygen we were depriving our bodies of. Reaching the foot of the bed, I was able to get Fleetfoot to release her hold on me, getting a whimper out of her as I laid her on her back. I made sure to be careful of her erect wings as she tried to reach me for another kiss.
I happily gave her another, her enticing eyes bringing me closer and falling into her trap. I felt her hooves wrap around me as her tongue invaded my mouth. Even though her tongue was broader than a human's, it was still a pleasure to feel. Her body shuddered as her wet appendage passed over my canines. I playfully bit her tongue, getting her to release a moan into my mouth. My hands moved to her barrel, rubbing along her sides as I tried to find a way to get rid of the accursed dress that she was wearing. As I continued to search for whatever was holding it together, Fleetfoot placed a hoof on my chest and I backed away.
"Mark, please, no more teasing," Fleetfoot said in a husky, demanding tone.
"If you show me how to get this dress off of you, then I'll stop," I teased, moving close to her ear and giving it a gentle nip.
I was rewarded with a moan for my action, Fleetfoot arching her back as her wings strained to their full length. As I continued to tease her, I wasn't prepared for what happened next. The only thing that I understood was that I was hovering above Fleetfoot, my size alone dwarfing hers, but the next thing I found was that I was on my back. Fleetfoot loomed over me, giving me a predatory smirk as she kept me pinned to the bed. This was the first time where I had experienced a woman, or I guess in this case a mare, take such control. Her tail brushed against my aching member that was trapped in my pants.
"Looks like somepony is getting very excited," Fleetfoot said sultrily, her warm breath hitting my face.
"I think there would be many others that would agree if they had such a beautiful mare on top of them," I said, moving my hands towards her flanks, giving a firm squeeze.
"Ahhhn!" Fleetfoot moaned, slumping over as she panted heavily. "Why don't you get that shirt off while I deal with this dress?" Fleetfoot said, running a hoof in a circle on my chest.
I nodded my head in a dumb fashion as I grabbed the hem of my shirt and started to pull it up. I had blocked my own vision, but I could hear the sound of a zipper unzipping. Fleetfoot's tail continued to tease my clothed member, making me groan at the slight pain. With my shirt removed, I threw it to the side, my eyes widening when they landed on Fleetfoot. She had removed her entire dress, but my eyes were drawn to what she was wearing underneath it all. My assumptions had been right about her wearing the same stockings that were on her forelegs, but her panties were what had my full attention.
They were as white as her mane, little frills adorning the hem. Her tail was pulled through a hole that raised it a little higher, almost like she was presenting herself. The thing that set these panties apart was that they didn't cover her moist slit. There was an opening that put her marehood on full view for anyone that was lucky to see it. Apparently I was the lucky person, as I couldn't have seen it through the dress that she was wearing during the date.
Fleetfoot giggled, gaining my attention as her tail wrapped around my leg. "See something you like, big guy?" Fleetfoot said huskily, grinding herself against my stomach.
"Maybe I do," I started, rubbing her flanks and getting another moan as I leaned up so my hot breath hit her ear. "Then again, I've been seeing something I've enjoyed even more," I said, finishing my statement with a nip to her ear.
"Would you like to show me your little friend?" Fleetfoot asked, continuing to grind against me. "He seems pent up, aching to come out of his little prison," Fleetfoot said, giving me a quick kiss on the lips.
Out of everything that had been happening up to this point, I was starting to become a little self-conscious. I wasn't hung like a pony, but I wasn't tiny either. I had a good size for myself, but at this point, I didn't think I could possibly stand up to anything that Fleetfoot had taken before. I quickly shook my head of these thoughts, knowing better than to think that my friend, possibly even marefriend, would insult me so badly. It seemed that my silence concerned Fleetfoot as she stopped her grinding against me and placed a hoof on my cheek.
"Mark, is everything okay? Should we stop?" Fleetfoot asked, concern in her voice even with the heavy mix of alcohol in her blood.
"Sorry," I said, my thumbs lightly brushing the fur on her flank as I looked to the side. "I guess I'm starting to feel a little self-conscious about myself." I started chuckling a little at how awkward I was making this.
"Does this have to do with you being human?" Fleetfoot asked, laying down on my chest as she rubbed my arms comfortingly.
"Pretty much," I admitted as I turned to face her. "I guess all those biology lessons kind of made their way into my thinking that I won't be good enough for this. I mean I'm not even anatomically the same as a stallion." I moved a hand off one of her flanks and caressed her cheek.
"Well I don't think you have anything to worry about," Fleetfoot said confidently, holding my hand with her hoof.
"What makes you say that?" I ask skeptically.
"From what I've felt, it seems like you have a very good size going for you," Fleetfoot leaned back up, looking down at me with a sultry smile. "Also, most of the stallions that I have slept with haven't been that big either. There was one, but it hurt more than it was pleasurable," Fleetfoot said, looking away at that last part.
"So why don't you let me be the judge?" Fleetfoot offered, her juices still dripping on my exposed stomach as her tail began brushing against my groin.
I smiled at her, letting some of my worries go as I reached for my pants button. As I moved to remove them, Fleetfoot stopped me with her hooves. She gave me a predatory grin as she slid down my body, spreading more of her juices along my body and pants before reaching the end of the bed. I moved along with her, reaching the end myself so she could do whatever she was going to do. Her teeth clamped on the hem of my jeans, pulling them down to my ankles.
"Are you bucking kidding me?! Why do you humans wear so many clothes?!" Fleetfoot exclaimed as she tried to burn off my boxers with her intense glare.
"That's because we prefer being fully clothed as opposed to walking around nude for everyone to see our junk," I answered as I chuckled a little.
Fleetfoot surprised me as she gripped at my boxers with her teeth, pulling them down harshly to join my pants. She pressed against my legs and I raised them so she could remove both of them. She threw them haphazardly as she jumped on her hind hooves, staring at her prize. Silence filled the room between us, my cock throbbing in front of her, but I wasn't sure of her expression as I refused to look down. I closed my eyes tightly, hoping that nothing had ruined this moment. I was so lost in my own world that I released a pleasure-filled groan as I felt one of her stocking-clad hooves rub along my shaft.
"So this is what a human's penis looks like," Fleetfoot said, some astonishment in her voice.
"Yeah, I said it was very different from a stallion's," I said, taking deep breaths as she continued to rub against my shaft with the frog of her hoof. "What do you think?" I asked, gaining the courage to look down at her.
Her eyes were locked onto my cock, inspecting every inch of it as she continued to rub it. "I think it's kind of cute. Especially with the head having this cute little pink helmet. You're also a bit bigger than those other stallions, with a decent girth as well," Fleetfoot said, giggling a little as she leaned closer.
I could feel the breaths she took from her nose, tickling me and causing my length to throb. Fleetfoot gave an interested hum as she leaned closer to me. I had to shut my eyes tight as I laid back on the bed, the combination of her hoof and her hot breath making it hard to concentrate.
"Ahhhh," I groaned out, feeling something press against my balls.
"Your musk, it's so different from a stallion's," Fleetfoot said in a slight moan as she continued to sniff the entirety of my cock. "Oh, Luna, I don't think I'll be able to control myself with how strong you smell," Fleetfoot said, her hoof now wrapping around my erect length.
I gripped the bed sheets tighter as I panted heavily. Her hoof began making slow stroking motions, causing me to groan again. I could feel Fleetfoot continue to sniff away at my musk as she drove me crazy with her slow strokes. I was pulled back from my pleasure cruise as I heard her moan. I leaned up with what strength that I could to see her wings twitching and her other hoof moving frantically. My eyes widened a little at seeing Fleetfoot touch herself to get off to my scent.
She pulled away from my cock, taking in a deep breath as her hoof continued to stroke. "I can't take this anymore," Fleetfoot said, removing her hoof from her pussy and jumping on top of the bed. "I need to taste you," Fleetfoot said hungrily.
I watched as she opened her maw, her tongue hanging out as she licked my entire length. I could hear her moan from just the first lick, and with all her teasing, she got a bit of my pre as well. "Hm, a little salty and bitter, but not at all undesirable," Fleetfoot said, smacking her lips a few times before staring back at my cock.
She looked up at me, her eyes asking if it was okay to continue. I wasn't really sure why she was asking, but I gestured for her to go ahead, and she did with gusto. Instead of taking another long, sensual lick of my cock, she opened her maw and took the head inside. Her drawn out moan caused me to fall back on the bed, clenching the sheets as the vibrations traveled through my length and up my spine. Her tongue swirled around the head of my cock, collecting more of my pre that she drew out with her stroking hoof.
Her mouth was warm, wet, and inviting as she slowly descended down my length. Her tongue continued to lick at every inch of flesh that she could as she went deeper. Her hoof stroked away at the length that she hasn't consumed yet as her other hoof moved towards my balls. My hands shot from the sheets and grabbed her flanks firmly, getting her to moan as my nails dug into her firm flanks. She massaged my balls with expert motion that I didn't think was possible with hooves, but then again, this world had many aspects that I should stop trying to figure out.
Her sucks became needy as she took my cock halfway, saliva dripping onto my groin as I heard her breathe heavily. One of my hands stayed firmly planted to one of her flanks while the other traveled to her exposed marehood. I could feel the heat radiating off of her, and that slight smell from before was coming back with even greater strength. Fleetfoot started to pull back from my cock, letting it slip out of her maw with a slight pop as she looked at me lustfully. She was about to go back again before I stopped her. She gave an irritated huff, but kept control as she looked at me.
"Can you turn around so I can give you the same pleasure that you're giving me?" I asked with a small smile.
This got an interesting reaction out of her as she looked back at her flank before looking back at me with widened eyes. "You actually want to lick me there?" Fleetfoot asked, dumbfounded.
"Of course. It just seems fair since you're doing this," I said as I gestured towards my throbbing cock.
"It's just that most stallions don't like to go down there. Plus, it's embarrassing to show you," Fleetfoot said, trying to play it off.
"Then those stallions don't know what they're missing out on. Come on, though. I only wish to return the same pleasure that you're giving me," I said, giving her a supporting smile.
"Well, if you insist," Fleetfoot said, giving one last glance to her flank before turning around.
When she turned around, I was greeted by a beautiful sight. Fleetfoot's outer lips were puffy, winking with a need to be satisfied. I licked my suddenly dry lips as I moved my hands to her pussy. My thumbs touched her labia, getting her to moan as she fell forward and her tail rose higher. I spread apart her lips and I could see her pink tunnel inside. It was interesting to see it go from her artic blue color to a bright pink, but the sight alone was heavenly. I leaned forward, inhaling her scent deeply and finally figuring out what I'd been smelling. Curious, I saw a helping of her juices getting ready to drip down. Not wanting to let it go to waste, I leaned forward and gave it a quick lick.
"Oh, Luna, yes!" Fleetfoot screamed, her back arching as she tried to press back further.
I licked my lips, finding it hard to place what I was tasting. If anything, I would have to say that it was a mystery flavor. Her juices were an abundance of different flavors where none remained dominant. An inclining would enter my mind, but before I could grasp it, the flavors would change into something entirely different. Raising a brow, I went back in, collecting more of her juices on my tongue and getting her to moan louder. True to what I was thinking before, the flavor kept on changing no matter how much I collected.
"You're disgusted, aren't you? That's why you won't say anything," Fleetfoot said, her voice carrying a bit of disappointment.
I wasn't aware of it, but I was lost in my own thoughts about her taste that I had remained silent for a long time. Grinning a little, I moved a hand towards her clit that was out, and brushed over it. Fleetfoot's back arched high in the air as her body gave a heavy shudder. Her mouth was wide open, her tongue hanging out as she tried to collect herself. Stopping my ministrations for now, I decided to put her worries at ease.
"Actually, Fleetfoot, I like your taste," I said, getting her to turn quickly in my direction with a raised brow.
"What?" Fleetfoot asked, her tone carrying her disbelief.
"You heard me," I said, running a finger along her dripping slit and getting her to moan. "I enjoy your taste, and I would like some more."
Fleetfoot continued to stare at me with widened eyes for several seconds before relaxing. She gave a soft smile as she leaned down, giving my stomach a kiss before her attention returned to my cock. She spread her legs apart on each side of my head, her tail flicking to the side as I was greeted once again by her pink slit. I traced along her, getting her to shudder as I felt her stocking-clad leg wrap around me. She began stroking, sighing happily as she listened to me groan in pleasure. I waited as I felt her hot breath hit my tip, teasing me as she tried to rile me up. It was working as I found it hard to keep myself in control.
It didn't take long before I planted my lips against her pussy, my tongue taking long licks from bottom to top. I heard Fleetfoot give a moan of approval before my length was enveloped in her warm, moist maw. She quickly took half my length, bobbing her head as she hungrily lapped at my shaft with her tongue. Her clit was winking out of its hood, and I started to tease it with my thumb. Fleetfoot seemed to take this as a sign of competition as she removed her hoof and started taking in more of my length. I groaned in a pleasured haze as I squeezed her toned flank. I could feel her continue to take my length slowly, her tongue taking time to enjoy my taste.
She stopped as I felt my tip press against the back of her throat, a quick gag coming from her as I continued to lick at her dripping pussy. I couldn't get enough of her juices, desiring more to come forth. I was expecting her to pull away, but her next action caused me to freeze up. I could hear her breathe deeply before she shoved herself all the way down. I felt my cock slip into her throat, her muscle massaging my length as it constricted around me. I was lost in a new world of pleasure as Fleetfoot kept her snout buried in my groin. She held herself there for several seconds before pulling back, letting go with a small pop as she panted heavily.
"Jesus, Fleetfoot. That felt amazing," I said, panting heavily from that euphoric sensation.
"Then you should put those fingers and tongue of yours to good use," Fleetfoot said, looking over her shoulder at me with sultry eyes.
I nodded as looked back at her begging marehood, pressing my lips against them and prodding it with my tongue. I could feel her body shudder before feeling her warm maw take in my length. She started off with slow bobs, slowly gaining speed. Not wanting to be outdone, I pressed my tongue between her lips, getting her to moan around my cock as I licked at her insides. Her pussy clenched around my tongue, trying to keep it inside of her as more of her juices came pouring forth. After she found her rhythm, she started taking me all the way again. She twirled her head along with her tongue, slathering me in her saliva as she tried to get at my seed.
Her insides were soft and warm as I licked away, my hands moving to her teats and grasping them. Fleetfoot's moan probably could have been heard if she wasn't busy taking my cock. Her moan though sent a powerful vibration through me as I felt myself nearing my climax. Her inner walls were grasping at my tongue with more force, signaling that she was nearing her end as well. I continued to fondle her teats, her erect nipple brushing against my hand. I grasped each nipple with my finger and thumb, pinching them as I moved away from her marehood and sucked at her clit. The flow of juices from Fleetfoot's passage increased as she sucked harder at my cock.
I felt one of her hooves move back to my balls, massaging them as she tried anything to get at my seed. I began thrusting into her mouth when she brought her head down, trying anything to bring about my climax. I continued to suck at her clit, alternating between little bites and twirls with my tongue to bring her to her end. I continued to thrust, feeling my balls contract as I was finally ready to release my pent up energy. I removed one of my hands from her teats, moving it to her hot pussy and pushed a finger inside. Fleetfoot arched her back a little as I rubbed at her insides with as much energy as I could.
I could feel myself about to cum, and as I tried to pull away to warn her, she would press against my face. Not able to hold back anymore, I released into her mouth, grunting as months of hold back finally released. Fleetfoot gave an appreciative hum as I heard her swallow my heavy spurts. The feeling of my hot, sticky cum was enough to finally set her off. Her juices sprayed against my hand, making me pull away from her clit and plant my lips against her marehood. I let my mouth be filled by her delicious arousal, swallowing what I could before it started to overflow and leak out of my mouth and down my chin to create a small puddle underneath.
I could feel my own cum slide down my length, probably overflowing in her own mouth. The two of us didn't move from out positions as we waited for our climaxes to subside. I released a few more heavy strands into her mouth before she finally started to pull away. I let my head fall back, her rear following my head and smothering me in her enticing scent. It was hard to breathe with her sitting on my face, but I honestly couldn't care at this moment. Thankfully, my lungs were filled with air when she removed herself from my face, turning around as she gaze down at me with her shimmering purple eyes.
She opened her mouth, showing a bit of cum that she had collected. I watched with rapt attention to see what she would do next. Making sure I saw how full her mouth was, she closed her maw and swallowed audibly. I saw a lump in her throat, showing my cum traveling down her esophagus and to her stomach. After giving a few more small swallows, she opened her mouth again to show no trace of my cum anywhere. It was probably one of the few hottest things that I'd seen, and I quickly pulled her in for a kiss. I didn't care that I could still taste a bit of myself on her tongue, since her own mystery flavor was still present all over me.
We broke apart a few seconds later, laying down on the bed as we basked in our afterglow. Fleetfoot's wings were still erect as she nuzzled into my chest. I held her close, rubbing my hand against her barrel as I panted. I gave gentle kisses to Fleetfoot's cheek as I waited for her to regain her senses.
A couple of minutes passed by before she lifted her head, a bright smile plastered on her face. "That... was wonderful, Mark," Fleetfoot said between pants.
"You... were wonderful, Fleety," I said, giving her a quick kiss to the lips.
"Tomorrow morning, I want to see what you feel like inside me," Fleetfoot said hungrily, grinning at me with a predatory look.
"Why wait till tomorrow? I'm good to go again if you're able to go," I asked with a raised brow.
"What? Most stallions can only last for at least one round before they need time to rest," Fleetfoot said with widened eyes.
"Then it's a good thing that I'm not a stallion," I said as I caressed her cheek.
Fleetfoot gave me a hungry grin as she kissed my cheek. She pulled away, sliding down my body before she pressed her hot, moist entrance against my half erect cock. She lifted her hips up, placing her slit on my shaft and started to grind on me. I closed my eyes tightly as she teased me, her giggles making me chuckle a little as she still kept control. I heard her coo as my length hardened beneath her, becoming fully erect in several seconds during her teasing. She looked down at my cock, her wings twitching in excitement as she pressed her entrance against my tip. She held herself there as she looked back up at me.
"Make sure to warn me when you're about to cum. I'm not ready to be a mother yet," Fleetfoot said in a slightly serious tone.
"Well that's something you don't have to worry about," I said, moving my hands to her wings.
"What do you mean? Ahhhhn," Fleetfoot asked, moaning as I started to massage the base of her wings.
"I'm not compatible with ponies, and without any magic, I'm not able to get a mare pregnant," I said, pinching the bases of her wings.
"I'm sorry to hear that," Fleetfoot said, her tone slightly disheartened.
I cupped her cheek as I smiled at her. "It is what it is. I came to terms with it when I was told, but then again, I wasn't really interested in dating at the time either," I said, continuing to smile at her. "Although, I'm still glad that I'm doing this with you," I said truthfully, leaning up and kissing her cheek.
Fleetfoot placed a hoof on her cheek as she gave a small smile. Her smile soon turned sultry as she stared at me with half-lidded eyes. "Then you better make sure to fill me up good," Fleetfoot said huskily.
I grinned at her as I grabbed her flanks firmly. She cooed lovingly as I massaged her flanks, teasing her entrance with the tip of my cock. As I continued to tease, I was greeted by a new sight as Fleetfoot loomed over me, her wings spread wide as she held me down with her hooves. She looked like a giant predator that found her prey and had it where she wanted it. My heart raced in my chest, threatening to break out as I was entranced by her look. Fleetfoot gave one final rub to my hard length before slowly pressing against the head. I grunted while she moaned as her lower lips were parted.
"Ahhhhhn," Fleetfoot moaned out, getting the tip inside of her.
I could feel the intense heat of her insides warming my cock. Her svelte walls were massaging the tiny bit that was inside of her, already trying to milk me for more of my seed. Her hooves were still firmly planted on my chest as she slowly lowered herself. I gripped her wings, getting her walls to contract harder against my length as she slowly slid down. Her juices were leaking out of her passage, collecting with my cum that had pooled beneath me. I decided to help her on her descent as I gave a thrust upwards.
"Damn, you're so tight," I said between gritted teeth, getting half of my cock inside of her.
Fleetfoot was panting heavily as she kept her hooves on my chest. She looked down before looking back up at me with widened eyes. "You're only halfway inside of me and I already feel so full," Fleetfoot said happily, her hooves circling my chest.
I was lost in the warmth of her insides, massaging her wings as I slowly thrusted in and out of her. I could make out her whimpers as I would retreat, only to be replaced by a moan of appreciation when I returned. Our pace was slow as I tried to get her adjusted to my length, helping her to loosen a little as I ran my hands across her wings. Her wings twitched as I touched her feathers, noticing that a few of them were out of place after everything we'd done so far. It was going to be an awkward morning when she woke up with messed up feathers, but I don't think she cared at the moment, if her moans were anything to go by.
"Come on, Mark! Shove your cock deep inside of me!" Fleetfoot demanded through clenched teeth.
I moved my hands from her wings for the time being, getting a whimper from her as I grabbed her flanks firmly. Gritting my teeth, I thrusted up, getting the last half of my cock deep inside of her. Fleetfoot screamed as I filled her hungry pussy, her walls acting like a vice to keep me inside of her. I didn't move, waiting for her to get used to the full feeling she was experiencing. She gyrated her hips, releasing little pleasured coos as my cock hit the right spots. I release her flanks from my hands, and I looked at them with interest. I was curious as to whether she had any fat back there or if it was all muscle. Seeing her still dazed look, I pulled back one of my hands and slapped it against her flank.
"Oh, Luna, that's amazing!" Fleetfoot exclaimed, her walls tightening around my cock even more.
Surprisingly enough, there was just a bit of fat that allowed for a little jiggle. Looking away from her perfect ass, I saw her looking down at me, nodding her head. I took the signal and started to pull out. Thankfully, with all of her juices coating my member and to the amount that was still dripping out of her, I was able to slide out with ease. I listened to her whimpers as I retreated, her walls trying their hardest to keep me inside. I pulled back until only the tip was left inside. I teased her by not moving, pulling down as she tried to lower herself. This was a mistake, as she let out a feral growl that only seemed to excite me.
"Enough teasing, Mark!" Fleetfoot said, staring at me with a serious gaze.
Listening to her, I slammed back in, getting her to moan out to the world as her back arched. I was sweating heavily as I thrusted into her. I could feel the sweat on her coat as I played with her wings. Heat emanated from our bodies, causing the room to be very warm as the scent of our combined climaxes and sweat filled our nostrils. Fleetfoot bounced on my erection, her walls massaging every part of my cock as I entered and left her tight passage. Her moans were music to my ears as I continued to please her.
Fleetfoot soon leaned down, her heated breath hitting my ear as she continued to bounce. Leaning close to her, I opened my mouth and bit down on her neck, getting her to gasp in pleasure. I bit hard enough that she could feel my canines, possibly leaving a slight mark if possible, but not hard enough to break the skin. She reacted the same way, biting against my flesh and sucking harshly. There was no way I wasn't walking away without something appearing on my neck from how rough she was being.
Her tail wrapped around my leg, refusing to let her fully pull away until she had what she wanted. Her warm insides were inviting, begging to have their thirst quenched with my seed. I was sensitive from the blowjob that she gave me, but I held out for as long as I could. I didn't plan on walking with two orgasms and leaving her with only one. Plus, knowing how she was, she probably wouldn't let that happen until she got another orgasm, and then some if I came more than her. We soon pulled away from each other's necks, staring into each other's eyes. We met for a deep, passionate kiss as the smacking of our sexes echoed around the room.
I could feel myself getting close, and judging by how fast Fleetfoot's breathing and bouncing increased, it seemed she was getting close as well. I was ready to release inside of her before her tail let of my leg and she jumped off my member. I groaned in frustration at being cut-off. I was about to voice myself, when I saw that she had her face planted into a pillow, her flank raised high in the air with her tail up and pushed to the side. I could glimpse her pleading eyes through the pillow and quickly moved to my knees. I was tempted to tease her by slowly pulling off the panties that she still wore, but that thought was quickly pushed to the side as I was reminded her by needy look.
Her tail swished in the air, pushing the scent of her sex into my nostrils and fogging up my mind. Plus, the panties kind of looked cute on her, and this probably wasn't going to be our only time having sex if this relationship continued. I was pulled from my own thoughts as I heard her give a low growl. Before she could say anything, I gripped her dock and gave a slight tug. She gave a low moan as I pressed my tip against her winking pussy. I easily slid inside, hilting myself all the way. Once our groins met, Fleetfoot's tail wrapped around my waist. This was to show that I wasn't going anywhere until we were both satisfied.
Chuckling internally, I leaned down and began nibbling at the base of her wings. This got the desired result as she shuddered beneath me. Her wings flapped, giving off a cool breeze as I resumed thrusting inside of her. I let go of her tail, placing my hands on either side of her as I rammed inside of her, continuing to nibble along the entirety of her wing. It seemed like her whole wing was an erogenous zone as every little nip and lick seemed to get her to moan. It made sense since they flew around and they would need to be sensitive to sense changes in the air currents. I slammed into her with everything I had, both of us reaching the end of our limit.
"Mark! Please, fill me with your cum! I want to feel that warmth inside of me like I did in my stomach!" Fleetfoot screamed, her hoof rubbing between her legs.
I lost it at hearing that, shoving myself all the way in as spurt after heavy spurt of cum shot forth. Fleetfoot followed my climax with her own after feeling my first hot strand hit her walls. Her juices gushed forth as she arched her back, her mouth hanging open in a silent scream. Her walls clamped on my cock, milking me for every drop that I had to offer. I continued to fill her with everything I had. My cum soon overflowed out of her marehood, running down her thigh and pooling beneath her. My groin felt warm from her spray of juices as she shuddered.
I held myself inside of her, letting the last few trickles of my cum dribble out before finally pulling out of her. A lewd pop was heard as I slipped out, our combined juices leaking out her. Fleetfoot quickly placed a hoof over her pussy, humming contently as she basked in her afterglow combined with the warmth of my cum inside of her. I fell down next to her, sweat pouring off my body as I pulled her close. Fleetfoot nuzzled my chest as we basked in our final afterglow. We were both panting heavily, exhausted to the point where we were ready to pass out. I didn't bother to grab the blanket, our combined warmth keeping us comfortable as it became hard to keep our eyes open. Several minutes went by, the only sound in the room our heavy breathing as we collected ourselves.
Fleetfoot was the first to recover as she pulled herself up and gave me a kiss on the lips. "Thank you, Mark. Thank you for this wonderful night," Fleetfoot said, her eyes shimmering with joy.
I gave her a kiss back, running a hand through her mane. "Thank you for giving me this chance, Fleetfoot," I said, smiling as I pulled her in for a hug.
"When we get up in the morning, you're hopping in the shower with me to preen my wings after what you did to them," Fleetfoot said lovingly, giggling a little to herself.
"I'll gladly help you with that," I said lovingly, chuckling along with her.
Our breathing slowly settled down as our eyes drifted close. Fleetfoot's tail wrapped itself around my leg as she wrapped her hooves around my chest. Her face was buried in my chest, her cheek resting on the necklace as I held her close. Our heartbeats soon combined into one, and we used that to lull ourselves into sleep's embrace. |
Fleeting Flames | Redheart's Check-Up | Fleeting Flames
By: Duelist96
Chapter 15: Redheart's Check-Up
My morning was pleasant as I felt something warm pressed against my chest. A contentful sigh escaped my lips as I wrapped my arms around whatever was emanating that delightful, soothing warmth. Who or whatever it was, snuggled against me and released a happy purr, the object nuzzling deeper into my chest. Much to my chagrin, I was awoken from my peaceful slumber as the sun's rays shone on my eyes. Groaning in frustration, I rolled onto my back as I rubbed the last bit of sleep from my eyes.
Not able to see myself going to sleep again, I glanced down to see exactly what was pressed against me. A smile spread across my lips as I gazed upon Fleetfoot's sleeping form. She looked so adorable, yet peaceful in her slumber, a leg twitching every so often along with a wing. Looking over her unconscious form, I could easily make out her displaced feathers, many of them protruding out at odd angles. She apparently, at some point during the night, had removed the last bit of clothing she had fallen asleep in.
Giving a quick peck behind her right ear, causing it to twitch and tickle my nose, I moved to the side of my bed. Unfortunately, I was halted yet again when I couldn't move my left arm. Looking over, I spotted my arm trapped beneath Fleetfoot's barrel. I honestly have no idea how ponies were able to pull this off whenever they fell asleep, it was getting a bit annoying. Tolerable, but still annoying. The only ponies that fell asleep and effectively trapped either of my arms were the four princesses when either of us stayed up late doing stuff. However, it was thanks to Twilight sometimes falling asleep was a chance to get some reprieve from our extensive study sessions, but I also can't lie and say that I didn't enjoy them.
Focusing on Fleetfoot, I gently slid my free hand under her barrel, easing her up a few inches. Feeling there was sufficient room, I slid out my arm. I paused as Fleetfoot stirred a little, but thankfully she never woke up. Sighing, I removed my arm before gently setting her down. Thank God, she only stirred a bit. I'd have hated to wake her up. After stretching my arm a few times, I slowly rolled myself off the bed and gave Fleetfoot another kiss on her cheek as I pulled the blanket over her. I noticed her body give a small shudder as she let out a small whimper but then buried herself in the blanket. Waiting a few seconds to see if she would follow up on that curious action, she never revealed herself.
Shrugging my shoulders, I grabbed a clean set of work clothes and made my way to the shower. The house was still quiet during my short walk to the bathroom, and Spitfire's door was still closed. If anything, I assumed that she was probably already outside doing whatever she needed to before heading off to the castle. Closing the bathroom door, I walked over to the shower and turned on the water. I waited several seconds for the water to warm up before stepping inside.
The hot water felt heavenly against my body, the remnants of last night's activities washing away. I let the water cascade over me as I thought about my past actions. Even with my slight, yet not so slight, inebriation, I still had adequate sense of mind that I could have stopped if I didn't want to go through with what I did with Fleetfoot. I harbored no regrets with my actions, and if the smile that I saw before was any indication, neither did she. Leaning my head against the wall, I continued to let the water wash away the morning drowsiness as I closed my eyes and smiled.
I was so preoccupied with my own thoughts that I didn't hear someone - or rather somepony, enter the bathroom. I felt something rubbing up against my leg, and I looked down to see a soaked, silver tail carefully swathe its way around my body. I ran my eyes from the end of the silvery tail and was met with two beautiful violet eyes that gazed at me with such warmth that I couldn't help but grin widely. Fleetfoot stood in front of me, leaning her forelegs against my chest, the water matted down her mane and coat as she let out a relaxed sigh. She hummed to herself for a few seconds, allowing the warm water to wash over her before finally speaking.
"So, mister, you thought you could skip out on your promise of preening my wings?" Fleetfoot said, smirking playfully.
I nudged her jokingly as I grabbed my soap and began to lather up my body. "Of course I didn't, but your sheer cuteness and common courtesy kept me from disturbing you." I chuckled, petting her mane.
"You mind lending me a hoof- er, hand since we're in the shower together?" Fleetfoot asked, already spreading her wings as if she answered for me.
"Not at all," I said, squatting down to sit on the floor of the shower.
Fleetfoot sat on her haunches, grabbing her own shampoo and lathering it into her mane as I checked out her wings. I was relieved that the shower was long enough for me and another person - or pony to be in, otherwise this would've been more difficult and uncomfortable than it had to be. Taking a closer look at her wings, I effortlessly spotted the protruding feathers and got to work. As I fixed up her wings, I moved one hand to the necklace that I hadn't removed, playing with the personal feather I was given. Pulling on the most apparent misplaced feathers, I received a sigh of contentedness from Fleetfoot.
Finishing my first lap, I moved on to checking for hidden feathers. Fleetfoot shuddered under my touch, but had enough self-control not to jump me as I touched her. This didn't stop her from pushing herself back into my lap, her tail coyly flicking against my abdomen as she continued to clean herself. Her lower backside was covered with suds that were dripping off me after I used my own soap, cleaning her a little as I found a hidden feather. Fleetfoot gasped as I pulled at the feather, making me worry that I might have hurt her. Hearing nothing from her, I continued searching as she rinsed off her mane and grabbed my soap.
As she began lathering up her coat, I found two more broken feathers and removed them easily. I gave one final pass over her wings to make sure I got them all, and when I found none, she handed me my soap and shampoo. Smiling softly at her, I moved to finish cleaning myself as she finished rinsing off. Covered in soap, I moved under the water and rinsed myself off, leaving me refreshed and clean. Turning off the water, I grabbed my towel and wrapped it around Fleetfoot. She yelped as I picked her up and carried her out of the shower, drying her with my towel in the process.
She showed no resistance, eliciting small coos as I grabbed another towel. I dried her a little more and, sadly, I had to set her down so I could tend to my own wet body. Fleetfoot finished drying herself off, flapping her wings a few times to rid herself of excess water. Some of it was flung in my direction and she giggled while grinning at me. I only chuckled as I finished drying off, making sure to get the extra water she sprinkled on me. Grabbing my clothes, I got dressed as Fleetfoot threw the towels into a hamper.
After checking myself in the mirror, Fleetfoot grabbed her toothbrush, and I moved towards the door. Upon opening it, I was greeted by Tundra, who looked up at me. She was squeaking and moving her front paws, but I couldn't understand a single thing that she was trying to tell me. Assuming that she was hungry, I picked her up and placed her on my shoulder. Tundra continued to squeak, the noise a little more grating with her being closer to my ear, and I glanced curiously at her. Her attention wasn't directed at me, but towards my room.
Confused, I glanced harmlessly at my room. I immediately froze in place, holding my breath and hoping that I wouldn't be spotted by the one standing in front of my door. Spitfire was sitting on her rear, mouth agape as she covered her nose. I observed her for a moment and it seemed that she didn't know I was lurking about. Stealth was my only option. I silently made my way towards the door, only to freeze when I saw Blaze pop out of Spitfire's mane. The little ferret saw me instantly and squawked loudly into Spitfire's ear, ruining my attempt at sneaking past her and evading the earful I was going to receive. That little traitor.
A split second passed as she zoomed in front of my face, a plethora of emotions on her face. Her expression ranged from raging fury, to confusion, to astonishment, and strangely: hurt. I couldn't quite interpret the last one since it only showed for a second before she composed herself. I could feel her warm breath on my face as she lowered herself to the ground, her wings folding to her sides as her hooves touched the wood floor. I felt a paw smack the side of my neck, and I scowled at Tundra, who only shook her little head. I had honestly given up understanding many of the animals in Equestria, since they never really held any consistency in their actions.
Tundra slid down my shirt, letting go after reaching my waist. Blaze quickly joined her and the two scurried down the stairs, leaving me helplessly alone with a volatile Spitfire. I kept my mouth shut, watching as Spitfire shuddered in place as she continued to breathe deeply. It wasn't long before Fleetfoot lazily floated out of the bathroom, her smile still present. It quickly fell when she noticed me and Spitfire having a classic Mexican standoff. Landing, she carefully trotted closer to us, keeping her eyes on Spitfire.
I slowly allowed myself to breathe, watching as Spitfire's nostrils flared every few seconds. I had high hopes that she wouldn't catch the scent of last night's activities, but if her expression was any indication, she already knew exactly what went down. Feeling something brush up against my leg, I peered down at Fleetfoot, who sat on her haunches, joining me on waiting for Spitfire to do something else other than stare at us. Almost as if she was ready to spit... fire. I was prepared to try and make a run for it if she tried to jump me, but part of me kept me planted in my spot.
"You... did, didn't you?" Spitfire asked, quickly rubbing her eye. It seemed like she was wiping something away, but I couldn't tell for certain.
"Did what, exactly?" I asked, smiling innocently. I immediately began chastising myself for asking such a stupid question.
Spitfire glared violently at me, raising a hoof in preparation to raise hell, but was stopped when Fleetfoot spoke up.
"Yes, we had sex last night," Fleetfoot said, her expression neutral.
Spitfire's mouth went agape again, her eyes looking between the two of us. I honestly couldn't tell what she was feeling at the moment, but it seemed like hitting me was nowhere on that list. A tense silence filled the air as Spitfire's expression calmed down a little, turning into one of neutrality, or rather indifference. She trotted past me, heading down the stairs while her wings twitched sharply.
"I'll see you both at the office," Spitfire said, her voice almost monotone, before walking out and shutting the door.
"Uh..." I couldn't find anything else to say. My brain was still trying to process what transpired.
"Come on. We should get going as well," Fleetfoot said, trotting down the stairs, but not before smacking me on my rear with her tail.
"What about Spitfire?" I asked, quickly following in step beside her as we exited the building. "She just left without really saying anything," I said, closing and locking the door behind us.
"It's probably best that way," Fleetfoot said, earning a raised brow from me. "She most likely would have given you an earful, but she seems to have gone off somewhere to relax a little before talking with you," She explained, her wings expanding and taking her off the ground.
"I honestly thought she was going to annihilate me," I said, watching as Fleetfoot flew behind me and wrapped her forelegs around my neck.
"She probably would have, but since you both agreed to a new slate, she's going to give you a chance to explain what happened," Fleetfoot said. Her head popped up next to mine, nuzzling me before resting on my shoulder.
Her hind legs wrapped around my stomach, her tail swishing and creating a pleasant air current on my arms. I scratched behind her ear and she cooed at me as we approached the castle. The two guards at the front gate waved at me, but seemed to have broken their expressionless code as they eyed me curiously. They seemed to have caught their mistake as they shook their heads and stood back at attention. I didn't know what caused the stumble in their line of duty, but if I had to take a guess, I'd say it was either Fleetfoot or the necklace with her feather. The playful mare couldn't help but give me several small nuzzles whenever she thought she could get away with it, and the feather was quite the fashion statement to say the least.
Either way, I just nodded slightly before walking past them and entering the castle. The castle seemed a little dead this morning, actually making me glad for once because I wanted time to think a little without being distracted by greeting the ponies. I felt Fleetfoot unwrap herself from my body, her hooves landing on the ground and creating a singular clop sound.
"I'm going to head off for the office. You going to be okay?" Fleetfoot asked, a little worry showing in her eyes.
"Still a little jarred from this morning, but I'll be fine in a few minutes," I said, smiling to assure her I would be fine.
"Then I'll see you later, big guy." Fleetfoot smiled as she floated up to my face and kissed me on the cheek before turning around and heading down the hallway.
Watching Fleetfoot leave, I waited until she was out of sight before turning to the opposite hallway and walking to my first stop. I hummed a little to myself, not really trying to recreate any particular tune or song, but just something to pass the time. I was so lost to my own little tune that I didn't hear a certain somepony come up behind me. Feeling something tap my shoulder, I stopped and turned around. I stopped my turn midway through, when I was staring into a pair of magenta eyes that were burning with irritation and slight embarrassment.
"How much did you see?" Rainbow Dash asked, keeping her face far closer than I would have liked.
"I've seen lots of things," I smirked, carefully taking a few steps away so I could see all of Rainbow Dash.
"You know what I mean," Rainbow continued, her hoof pointing at me accusingly.
"I honestly don't," I said, shrugging my shoulders. I knew what she was referring to, but I wanted to hear her admit it first.
"Rarity saw you at the restaurant. Evening Rose even told us that you bought us that bouquet of roses," Rainbow said, a small scowl on her face. "And that's not all. Rarity said that Fleetfoot was with you!" she exclaimed, her hooves raised in the air.
"Well, you're not wrong about either of those accusations." I chuckled, scratching at the back of my neck.
"What were you two doing?" Rainbow asked, lowering her hooves as she tilted her head to the side.
"Isn't it obvious, darling?" Rarity asked, who suddenly appeared out of thin air beside me, causing me to jump.
"No, it's not," Rainbow said, looking down at Rarity before looking back at me.
"Mark and Fleetfoot were there on a date!" Rarity said excitedly, smiling widely at me.
I really wished Rarity hadn't said that. Dash finding out that I was dating someone was one thing, but then her finding out that I was dating one of her idols was a shit storm waiting to happen. I was a tad bit worried about my sanity. Rainbow stared slack-jawed at me, her eyes unblinking as they shifted from Rarity to myself. It wasn't long before Dash's eyes finally landed on the necklace that I was wearing, a hoof pointing at it. Rarity looked in the direction Dash was pointing and gasped.
"Oh my! Darling, I had no idea that she was going to go that far," Rarity said, her eyes locked on the feather.
"What else is going on between you and..." Rainbow Dash started, but she trailed off as she sniffed a few times.
I could see Rarity give a few sniffs as well before she smirked knowingly at me. I wasn't worried about Rarity doing anything rash, her love for the romance and dramatics probably being my saving grace. Rainbow was another story, because she was a pegasus, she understood the symbolic gesture a little more than any of us here. Dash floated down to the ground, landing next to Rarity and whispering to her. Rarity seemed to intently listen to whatever Dash was telling her before both were looking at me.
"Do you understand what that means?" Rainbow asked, her expression neutral. I nodded in response. Rarity stood next to Dash, giving me a worried look. I could only assume she understood what the feather meant as her eyes glanced between me and the necklace.
"Are you going to put everything you have into trying to get your relationship to work?" Rarity asked, her brow raised. Again, I nodded. I was beginning to feel like I was being interrogated like last time.
"Then make sure you do right by her, Mark. I know you've probably heard it a million times already, but that feather holds more meaning than you could possibly understand," Rainbow said, giving me a confident smile.
"She's right, though. Just like pegasi, unicorns have their own special way of showing their love to another. It's easier to understand these traditions if you're raised by them, but seeing as neither of us have really lived under the same traditions, we have to try our best to at least understand what we're getting into," Rarity offered, her smile comforting as she patted my leg.
"Thanks, you guys," I said, smiling to each of them.
"I wish I could chat with you more, but I best be off. I have orders to fill, and I would like to get them finished early," Rarity said, giving a small curtsy to me before her attention turned towards Dash. "I expect you'll be by later tonight after you finish your business here, Dash?" Rarity asked, a small grin barely noticeable from where I was standing.
"You know it, Rares," Rainbow said confidently, placing a hoof on her chest as she straightened out.
I caught a glimpse of Rarity's sly smirk, her horn started glowing blue and then her aura suddenly appeared around Rainbow. Dash yelped in surprise as she was pulled from the air, a yelp that was silenced when her lips connected with Rarity's. Dash's body tensed up and her eyes went wide as Rarity kissed her, but after the momentary surprise she soon relaxed and lost herself in the kiss before they broke away. After a quick flutter of her eyes, Rarity ceased her magic hold and sauntered away from us. I looked at Rainbow and took in the small smile that touched her features as she watched Rarity leave, her eyes glued upon Rarity's Flank. Once she was gone Dash quickly recollected herself and turned back to me.
"You tell nopony about what you saw, understand?" Rainbow said with a small growl.
"Fine, but to throw in my two cents," I started, putting my hands up defensively. "You two make a cute couple," I said, smiling at Dash.
"Good. I don't need my awesomeness ruined because you blabbed about this to everypony," Dash said, folding her legs together as her attention went back to where Rarity left.
"Is it you that you're worried about, or are you more worried about Rarity?" I asked, getting Rainbow to turn towards me.
"Dash, I'm your friend. True that I hang around Canterlot more than anything else, but we're tight," I said, getting Rainbow to raise a brow at me. "So I'd like to think that I can see when you're acting strangely because you're worried for someone else," I said, giving a small shrug.
"Can I show you something?" Rainbow asked, moving closer to me.
"What is it?" I asked, looking around to see if there were any ponies around. It seemed like Dash wanted to keep this private if she moved this close to me, so I wanted to make sure it stayed that way.
"Rarity gave this to me on our anniversary," Rainbow said.
I watched as she reached behind her ear, pulling out a small glass jar that was filled with something. She presented the jar to me, a huge smile on her face as she took extra care to make sure she didn't lose her grip.
"What is it? Also, you said this was for your one year anniversary. How long have you been seeing each other?" I asked, keeping my eyes on the jar.
"Rarity and I have been seeing each other for three years now, and before you ask, I wasn't the one that asked her out," Rainbow said, causing me to stare at her with an arched brow. "A very long and embarrassing story made short, I could never work up the courage to ask her out. After probably my failed hundredth attempt, she seemed to understand what I was trying to do and beat me to it," Rainbow explained, her eyes closed as she remembered that day.
"So I guess you both went on a lot of secret dates because it didn't seem like you two were dating at all since I've been here," I stated, looking back at the jar and taking a quick note of the blue aura pulsing around it.
"We did go on a lot of secret dates. My family on my mom's side is very traditional. They believe in only dating and marrying other pegasi," Rainbow explained, a frown touching her lips. "I don't want Rarity to have to deal with any ridicule because of my family. She's a great marefriend and I don't want to lose her because of them," Rainbow said, her voice tense as she looked strongly at the jar.
"So was meeting you at the restaurant the first time you two actually did anything public?" I asked.
"I guess you could say that. Our friends think we're on a trip here for supplies, which we kinda are, but it would only take a few hours. We've been here for a few days enjoying our time together," Rainbow explained, her expression softening as she put the jar back behind her ear.
"So what's the jar, then?" I asked.
"Rarity just said that every race of pony has their own traditions with courting. Pegasi do the feathers while unicorns give a bit of their magic essence," Rainbow explained, moving away from me as she smiled.
"So I take it that it's just as personal as a feather?" I asked, pretty sure of the answer.
"Yep! Just as personal!" Rainbow confirmed with a sharp nod.
"Then I wish you the best in your relationship," I said, giving a small salute. Rainbow returned it with one of her own as we turned to head our separate ways. Before I was even two steps away from her, a plan came to mind on how I could get back at Luna and Cadence. "Hey, Dash. Do you think you can do me a favor?" I asked, a mischievous smile spreading across my face.
"Maybe. What do you need?" Rainbow asked with a raised brow.
"I need your help pranking someone," I said, chuckling to myself a little at what I had planned.
"Who are we pranking?" Rainbow asked, a grin spreading across her muzzle.
"Luna and Cadence," I said without hesitation.
Rainbow gave me a wide-eyed look before smirking deviously. "I think I can help you with that. What do you need me to get?" she asked, rubbing her hooves together.
"I need you to get me Vinyl's equipment," I said.
"I can do that. She's going to be here for a couple more days, so I'll see her before finishing up here and heading back to Ponyville," Rainbow said with a single nod.
I returned her nod as she turned around and flew down the corridors. As soon as I turned around, I heard a crash from far away, and Rainbow's apology echoing down the hallways. Shaking my head, I headed for my appointment. The walk to the medical wing was pretty quiet, running into only a few ponies that stopped by for a quick check-up. I would think some of the ponies that I've seen before would be here more often, Rainbow Dash being a prime example. Then again, a lot of these ponies could take a lot of punishment before suffering any real harm.
"Hey, human. Can I speak with you for a minute?" a strange, but feminine, voice called out.
Turning around to see who was addressing me, I quickly realized it was two thestrals I haven't seen before. The one on the left had a copper mane and her tail was a swirl of darker copper and cyan. She had gold eyes and her wings were a dark purple. Her coat was grey and her cutie mark was a syringe with a blue fluid inside of it. She had a very bright smile as she trotted with a slight spring in her step. The one to her right was a mare as well, her expression a little cheerful as she waved at me. The bat pony on the right had a pink mane and tail that each had a purple streak through it. Her wings were copper and her eyes were orange. Her coat was the same signature grey color and her cutie mark was three fluffy white clouds.
"Can I help you two?" I asked as the two bat ponies stopped in front of me.
"Hi there! My name is Amber Heart!" the thestral on the left said, a giddy grin on her muzzle
"I'm... Dreamer," the thestral on the right said in a quiet voice, but at least it was louder than Fluttershy's.
"Hello, Amber Heart, Dreamer. My name is Mark," I greeted, extending my hand.
"Oh, we already knew that," Amber Heart said, taking my hand and shaking it excitedly before Dreamer took it and gave it a gentle few shakes. After Dreamer released my hand, Amber Heart continued with what she was saying. "We actually wanted to introduce ourselves in a more familiar way," she said, sitting on her haunches as she continued to smile up at me.
"Well, it's nice to meet you two," I said, smiling at both of them. "I assume I'll be seeing you two around the castle more often?" I asked.
"Of course, but mainly during the night," Amber said, her smile never faltering.
"We're Luna's... replacement guards... for Echo and Moon," Dreamer explained, rubbing her left foreleg.
"Ah, I was wondering when I would possibly meet Luna's new guards. I've already met Celestia's, so it's wonderful to meet you two," I said, nodding at the both of them.
"It's also wonderful to finally meet you. Do you mind if we continue walking and talking? We don't wish to hold you up because it looked like you were heading somewhere," Amber said, gesturing for me to continue.
"Sure, let's go," I said, turning back around and heading down for Redheart's office.
"What did you think of Moon and Echo?" Amber asked as we walked down the hallway.
"They were very nice. Although they loved to tease me a lot, but overall they were very entertaining to be around. It's kind of lonely now since they aren't here," I said.
"They were... very nice," Dreamer agreed, surprisingly floating next to me.
"Did you two know them?" I asked.
"We did. They were our instructors for the last part of our training," Amber answered, bouncing a little.
"What did the last part entail, if you don't mind me asking?" I asked with a raised brow.
"The last part was on the best ways to deal with you," Amber replied.
"I hope it wasn't anything too far out there," I joked, imagining what Echo and Moon could have possibly taught these two.
"Nothing much. They... just said it would... be best to be... friendly. They also taught us how to best get you flustered," Dreamer said, and I glanced at her.
I could see the hidden smirk she was giving me. Obviously she intended for me to hear that last part of her sentence. She had that whole shy thing going for her, but it seemed to be just one face that is shown. I wasn't sure exactly what I had in store for myself with the way she was looking at me, but I could only assume it wasn't going to be good. Dreamer seemed to be friendly, so I don't think any real harm would come to me, however it would be best if I stayed on guard. I was pulled from looking at Dreamer as I heard Amber laugh heartily.
"I see that you heard that last part," Amber said, her laughter strong as she kept pace with me. "She may come off as shy, but believe me when I say that underneath that is a mare you want to be careful being around," she warned, patting my leg.
"I swear, Luna and Celestia do this on purpose," I said, grumbling a little to myself.
"They might," Amber said with a casual shrug. "But we're still good at our jobs and won't do anything to ruin these positions," she said confidently.
"Actually, Echo and Moon mentioned that you had a story about another human named 'Jimmy'?" Dreamer asked, continuing to float by me.
"Ah, I know who you're talking about. Would you like to hear that story?" I asked, seeing that we were nearing Redheart's office.
"If you wouldn't mind," Amber said, giving me big puppy eyes that pleaded for me to share the story.
"You ponies should not be allowed to do that. It makes all of you too cute to say no to," I said with a small chuckle.
"Echo did say that it was the best way to get something out of you," Dreamer said, giving a small giggle.
"Anyways, Jimmy was a soldier back in the military. He was transferred to the coldest outpost because there was suspicious activity going on there. He gets there, and everything seems fine on his end. Days go by before something strange happens," I say, getting both Dreamer's and Amber's attention.
"What happened?" Amber asked, her ears perked in interest.
"Well, it was just the same routine patrol, but this time it went wrong. Jimmy and his squad were attacked." This earned a gasp from Dreamer. "Jimmy finds many of his comrades on the ground, and the next thing he knows, his skull is ripped out of his head and he's beaten to death with it," I said, trying my hardest to keep myself from laughing out loud.
"Wait, that doesn't make any sense," Amber spoke up, her muzzle scrunched up in confusion. "How is that physically possible?" she asked.
"That's what Jimmy said. He kept asking how it was physically possible, but we never found out," I said, giving a small shrug.
"Well, that's just horrible. That poor human. I hope they found the pony responsible for that," Dreamer said with a slight glare.
"It took a few years and many side adventures, but we finally caught her," I assured her.
As Amber and Dreamer whispered amongst themselves, I smiled internally at having got away with that story again. It was true that I missed technology, but it has become my greatest strength when trying to do something entertaining with my friends. Probably the only pony that would be able to spoil the jokes would be Twilight, but that was after using them on her and explaining their origins. I guess I could also call it my little comfort area since I was pretty much allowed to get some good laughs and memories out of it.
"Well, I'm glad they were able to capture her," Dreamer said, giving me a small smile and gaining my attention.
"It has been fun, Mark, but Dreamer and I have to get going. We need to get in a quick nap if we want to be ready for our first night of duty," Amber said, giving me a hoof-bump before turning to leave.
Looking at Dreamer, she seemed to hesitate a little. It wasn't often I saw many shy ponies, my experience mainly lying with meeting Fluttershy, now also including Dreamer. Even with their shyness, they had some kind of outgoing attitude, and it shared the same interest that all the other ponies had. Chuckling a little to myself, I spread my arms open and gestured for her that it was okay. I already knew what she was asking for. She squeed excitedly, zooming into my open arms and wrapping her legs around my chest. I patted her mane a few times before she let go, her smile bright and shining as I got a good look at her fangs.
Waving a hoof, she flew after Amber, leaving me alone again. Taking a quick survey of my surroundings, I could tell I was only a couple of minutes away from Redheart's office. Cringing a little at how the appointment would go, I took a deep breath before heading to either a fine day or my possible doom.
True to my assumption, I arrived at Redheart's office, and her door was left ajar. Knocking on the door to let her know someone was at her door, I entered the spacious room. Same as all my visits before, the room still smelled of antiseptic. The medical bed was in the middle of the room, paper covering it so it could be ripped away after a patient was done with their visit. Sighing a little, I moved towards the bed, sitting on the edge as I kicked my feet back and forth, waiting for Redheart's arrival.
"It seems somepony forgot when their appointment was," Redheart teased, walking into the room from one of the side doors.
"I left my house early. There is no way I'm late this time," I said defensively.
"Hm, then I guess the timer that I have set here must have been set wrong," Redheart said casually, pulling out the timer from her nurse's coat.
She showed me the timer, five minutes and twenty-three seconds having already gone by when my appointment was scheduled. Grumbling to myself, I handed her the bits that I owed her for my tardiness. Redheart wasn't a horrible pony, but one that was actually fun to be around. Despite what some of the ponies would say about her, she's actually a very talkative and kind mare that likes to get to know her patients. Granted, her cutie mark has her destined to be a nurse, but compared to a few of the Canterlot nurses and doctors I've seen around here, she would actually have a normal conversation with me or her other patients.
"I think you know the procedure by now. So I'll just go ahead and get my things as you settle in," Redheart said, smiling at me as she placed my bits on the counter by the sink.
The bet I had with her wasn't anything too big. The bet itself happened more as an incentive to try and arrive on time so others wouldn't be held up by me. This I found weird because there's hardly any ponies that ever come here, so I think she just does it to just mess with me. Leaning back a bit as I let my feet sway freely, I waited for Redheart to come back with the supplies. It didn't take her long before she came back with a small tray on her back. She deposited the tray and grabbed the syringe and arm band.
Redheart was probably the only medical professional that liked being anywhere near me, and since she was an earth pony, I kind of gave her a hand. Not literally. Grabbing the armband, I fastened it around my arm and tightened it so she could find a vein. Pressing against my arm with her soft hoof, she found a viable target and pushed the syringe inside. The vial at the end quickly filled with blood, and she removed the needle from my arm after it was full. I loosened the armband as she returned with some alcohol and a cotton ball for the small wound.
Covering the small puncture, Redheart trotted back to her tray and grabbed the clipboard off of it. Her eyes scanned over the papers, probably making sure everything was in order from my last appointment before inputting new changes, if any. Sadly, there were some new changes, and I don't think she was going to be very happy about them.
"So, is there anything bothering you at the moment?" Redheart asked, flipping back and forth between pages as she glanced up every once in a while.
"Nope. My bones are still okay, and I haven't really felt the onset of any sickness," I answered, wondering the best way to tell her the news.
"That's good to hear. I'll take a look at your blood later and let you know if there's anything you should know about. You seem to be in slightly better shape than before. Have you recently started exercising?" Redheart commented, taking a few notes before looking up at me.
"Yeah, Fleetfoot and Spitfire have been my exercise partners for the past while and helped to put me in better shape," I answered.
"Excellent! Now I will need a sperm sample from you in the next two months, but I wouldn't worry about us finding anything since you haven't really been sexually active during your time here. It's just procedure still," Redheart said, setting a cup to the side for me. Sighing heavily, I prepared myself for her reaction.
"Actually... Redheart?" I started, giving a sheepish smile.
"Yes?" Redheart asked, looking at me with a raised brow.
"About me... not being sexually active," I said, pausing at the end, hoping she would figure it out.
"It's nothing to be worried about, Mark. You've stated before that you held no interest in dating. I would have thought after spending seven months here..." Redheart trailed off as she took notice of me scratching the back of my neck, a nervous smile on my face.
"Well, the thing is-" I started, but was interrupted by a gasp from Redheart. Her eyes were wide, and I could see them looking down at the feather, then up at me before going back down to the feather. This continued for several seconds before she added the pieces together and found her voice.
"No! You're not going to sit there and tell me that you just recently did the bad deed!" Redheart exclaimed, giving me a slight glare.
This was what I was worried about. The main problem was that there was a lot of paperwork that had to be shuffled around to get proper medical sessions, since of views that I held before the events of last night. It was a nightmare of a process to go through, arguing with many ponies from different areas of the medical wing and companies to get this approved. Now because of last night, Redheart was going to have to order those forms that we spent so long trying to rid of, just so she can have everything on file and can keep a record in case something came up.
"Heh, guilty as charged. I did. Last night to be exact. Fleetfoot was the one I had sex with as well," I said, getting straight to the point.
"Ugh, you have got to be joking!" Redheart exclaimed, throwing her clipboard against the wall. "We spent three weeks to get everything in order, and now you drop this on me. You couldn't have at least given me a courtesy call a few days beforehand so I could get the forms?" Redheart asked, rubbing at her temple with her hooves.
A silence settled between us before Redheart spoke up again. "So is that really Fleetfoot's feather on that necklace?" she asked, pointing a hoof at the aforementioned item.
"It is her feather. I know very well what I'm getting into, Redheart, or at least what I can comprehend," I said. "I'm actually surprised that you took so long to say anything about it," I commented with a raised brow.
"I had assumed that it was just something you were doing from your world. I remember you mentioning that your kind would collect feathers of various birds as a hobby," Redheart said, waving a hoof around.
"Sorry," I said, scratching my head a bit.
"It's fine," Redheart assured, laughing a little to herself. "You just cost me about five-hundred bits for that stunt, but I'm honestly happy for you," she said with a small smile.
"Why?" I asked with a raised brow.
"Well, sometimes ponies can get very lonely and it can affect them in the long run. Ponies require companionship in some form, and I would guess the same could be said about humans, but even you said that wasn't entirely true," Redheart explained.
"True. Some humans are able to handle living a solitary lifestyle," I said nodding my head. "So you were more worried that I would have some kind of mental breakdown if I didn't find some kind of actual companionship, at least beyond the few friends I have?" I asked, trying to make sure I understood what she was getting at.
"Pretty much. I never saw a reason to really say anything because you didn't show any symptoms, but I couldn't help worrying. I'm glad that you were able to find somepony special for you," Redheart said happily, moving closer to me and patting my leg. "Although, does Fleetfoot know about the princesses trying to find you a way home and what that could possibly do to your relationship with her?" Redheart asked, a small frown on her face.
"I would say we touched briefly on it. It was a wonderful night and I didn't want to ruin it by saying that I could up and leave her at any moment if a portal to my world is found," I said, patting her hoof as I looked at the door of the office.
"Well, you know what they say, don't make a girl a promise, if you know you can't keep it," Redheart said, offering me a supportive smile.
"I'll keep that in mind, and don't worry, I'll make sure to tell her later," I said, scratching behind her ear.
"Good. Now then, we have everything in order so we should-" Redheart started, only to be cut-off by a loud voice that had a strong resemblance to a Scottish accent to it and was apparently female.
"Oi, what the buck do you think you're doing?! Watch where you're putting your bloody hooves! I'm still sensitive from last night!" the voice yelled.
"Luna diabhal e! Just hold still for a few seconds!" another voice yelled, also feminine, but the beginning of her yelling piquing my interest.
"I would if you would just stop touching me there!" the first voice yelled back
"Then maybe you shouldn't masturbate with a swimsuit on! What?! Did your roommate seeing you in such scanty clothing get you so hot and bothered you had to release some tension?!" the second voice yelled in return.
"Hey! When you have a body this good-looking, especially with these flanks, then sometimes it's hard to stop yourself!" the first voice quipped.
"I swear tú thestrals bhfuil nós aisteach de touching fein iomarca! Now just hold still so I can remove the bikini bottoms from your vagina!" the second voice commanded, the sounds of items hitting the floor clearly audible.
"I think we're going to cut this session short today, Mark," Redheart said, shaking her head a little.
"Sure. It seems like you know those two?" I said, continuing to stare in the direction of the voices.
"Sadly, I do. One of them is a very trusted guard of Luna's. She is very foul-mouthed, but also dedicated to her duty. The other is a nurse that works here as well. Has the same temper, but none of us really understand what she says half the time," Redheart said, moving over and grabbing the clipboard.
"I think it's best that you don't know what she says," I said, hopping off the bed and heading over to the door.
"Wait, you can understand her?" Redheart asked with wide eyes.
"Yeah. Only took a few courses, but I can make out enough to know that you're better off never knowing what she says," I say.
"I'll take your word for it. I'm pretty sure she's going to be even more upset knowing that the sanguines and Imperials haven't come for their supplies of blood and meat," Redheart said offhandedly, causing me to raise my brow at her. "They're two different species of thestrals, but you probably won't meet any of them. They prefer the very late night shifts, and you're usually asleep or out of the castle when they're out and about," she said.
"Very well, then. I guess I'll see you at our next appointment?" I asked, hoping that she wasn't as mad as before.
"Same place, same time. Just make sure to fill this cup and get it back to me in at least two months," Redheart said, tossing me the cup.
"Sure thing. Take care, Redheart," I said, catching the cup and leaving her office.
Looking around the hallway, I gave a final glance back at Redheart's office. Overall, that situation could have gone a lot worse than it did. She wasn't so much mad at me, but more so at the inconvenience I placed on her. I honestly didn't think there would be any problems from any of those ponies that gave us trouble before, because Redheart can be pretty intimidating when she's upset. Chuckling a little to myself at the poor soul who would try her patience, I headed for Silk's workspace to thank her for her work on my clothes. |
Fleeting Flames | Early Meeting with Celestia | Fleeting Flames
By: Duelist96
Chapter 16: Early Meeting with Celestia
My walk towards Silk's workspace was peaceful and steady. I didn't pay attention ahead of me as I let my gaze wander towards my left. The sun shining through the prismatic stained glass windows depicted the major events of Equestrian history. These windows detailed the stories of the adventure Twilight shared with her friends after the return of Nightmare Moon. The windows began from after Twilight lost her treebary and got her crystal castle. Following that were the separate friendship adventures she and her friends went on around Equestria. I smiled a little at seeing these adventures.
Although, my smile was more for the fact that I didn't have to be a part of a single one. I enjoy visiting Ponyville very much; getting to see Twilight and her friends was a relaxing experience whenever I had the chance, but it's only enjoyable when there isn't any danger. There might be a chance I would have grown used to it had I lived there since my arrival, but since I live in Canterlot, it doesn't seem like I'll be able to handle it.
Reaching the end of the stained glass windows that gave way to regular ones waiting to be used to tell the next tale, I focused back on my walk. Many of the maids and guards that were walking around gave me a quick wave as I passed, and I gladly returned their kind gestures. My walk came to an end as I reached Silk's workshop. Lifting up my left hand, I knocked on her door before opening it.
I gently closed the door behind me until I heard it click in place. Walking through her showroom area, I headed towards her living space. Since it was still early enough, I hazard a guess that she would be just lounging around, doodling simple designs before she got to any of her commissions. Avoiding much of the mess that was scattered about her living space, I found her relaxing on the couch. Although, from what I could see, she seemed a bit haggard as her mane was a disheveled mess.
Getting closer I noticed the strands of hair that were sticking up along her coat and the heavy bags under her eyes. This hasn't been the first time I've seen her in such a state, but it still caused me to worry what might be troubling her. I didn't want to startle her by speaking up, so instead I moved towards a rack of clothing that held her practice attempts at making me clothes. Curling two fingers on my right hand, I raised my fist and hit the metal bars. The resonating clang that came forth was able to catch her attention as her left ear swiveled in my direction before turning her head towards me.
"Mark, it's so great to see you," Silk said, beaming at me. "You're here very early. Had I known, I would have cleaned myself up a bit," she said before gesturing for me to come closer.
"It's wonderful to see you as well, Silk," I said happily, smiling at her as I joined her on the couch.
"So, how was your date last night?" Silk asked, her attention on the table as she shuffled through a few papers that contained sketches of random clothing. I noticed how thoroughly she organized them before deciding to ignore it.
"It went well, actually," I replied, casually reclining myself on the couch so I could stare up at the ceiling.
"I would hope, since I can smell her all over you," Silk chided teasingly, her wings giving a few flaps to stretch her muscles.
"Is there anything I can do about the smell? I mean, I took a shower for Christ's sake." I let out a frustrated groan as I rubbed my eyes.
"A shower is probably the best option you've got, if you want to mask most of the scent, that is," Silk explained.
I felt her lean against me, her legs wrapping around my right arm as she nuzzled against me. I didn't dare try and remove my arm, letting her enjoy herself and maybe allow her to get some sort of rest. Continuing to stare at the ceiling, I reached over with my left hand and scratched behind her ear. A murmur of contentment escaped her lips as she tried to bury herself deeper into my arm.
"Are you sure there isn't anything I can do to get rid of it completely? I could do without hearing ponies gossip about what I do at night," I ask slightly hopeful for a practical solution.
"Sorry, dear, but there really isn't," she said, dashing my hopes. "She's marked you to let other mares know that you're taken and if they want to even get a chance at what you keep hidden under all this unnecessary fabric, they'll need to talk to her." Silk let out a cute little yawn as she slid down my arm, her body curling up as she made herself comfortable against my leg. "Then again, you probably haven't even thought about herding yet, have you?" she asked.
"Not really," I answered. I ran my hand along her back, relishing in the softness of her fur. "I don't even know how I would feel about sharing myself or Fleetfoot with another pony. You spend so much of your life around a society where polygamy was frowned upon. You really can't see making anything work with others coming into the mix," I explained.
"I wouldn't sell yourself too short there, Mark," Silk said, her body moving closer to me so she could rest her head on my lap. "You were able to look past your views of not even dating a pony, so I think if you keep an open mind and talk with Fleetfoot, then you might be able to come around," she explained calmly.
"You have a lot more confidence in me than I do for myself," I said jokingly, chuckling as I petted her mane.
"I'll always have confidence in you, Mark. I've read the stories about the other humans that have been here, and if they could make it work for themselves, then I know you can too," Silk said encouragingly.
"You're really some kind of mare, Silk, and I hope you never change," I said happily, smiling gratefully as I stared up at the ceiling once again.
The room fell into a peaceful quiet as Silk relaxed on my lap. I moved my hand back to her barrel, feeling each rise and fall from her calm breathing. I wasn't really expecting to visit her for long, but the image of what I saw earlier made me consider skipping my visit with Celestia so I could make sure she was okay. Looking down at her relaxed form, a small frown etched itself onto my features. Watching her lie there peacefully, a thought crossed my mind and I let out an irritated groan.
"What's the matter?" Silk asked.
"I bumped into Rarity before reaching Redheart, and I completely forgot to ask about maybe seeing if she could offer you a position with her at Ponyville," I said sullenly, rubbing my face in shame.
"You don't need to worry about that," Silk said, giggling softly
"Why's that?" I asked with a quirked brow.
"I actually bumped into her last night when I was out enjoying the night to see if anything caught my interest that I could sketch for possible designs. She actually stopped me and complimented the scarf that I was wearing," Silk explained, continuing to giggle to herself. "She actually did offer me a position to work for her, but I won't be moving to Ponyville," she said, her giggles coming to a stop.
"If you won't be working in Ponyville, then where else did she have you set up?" I asked.
"I'll actually still be working here in Canterlot. She apparently gets a lot of orders from the middle and lower districts that it was starting to overwhelm her. She actually saw me as a chance to continue her commissions and orders for ponies in Canterlot from a pony that currently understands the fashion trend up here," Silk explained happily, a gentle smile working its way across her features.
"You just like to be here only so you can tease me," I said jokingly.
"Maybe, but if I'm being honest, I can't really see myself leaving Canterlot." Silk let out a soft sigh as she started to pull herself more onto my lap.
"We would all miss you, Silk, but know that we always support whatever decision you make. You've been a great friend to me, and I know Celestia, Luna, and Cadence have really enjoyed your company as well," I said, a smile tugging at my lips.
Silk placed herself fully on my lap, and I couldn't help but start letting my hands run along her silken fur. I don't know how she could keep the soft feeling of her coat with how she looked, but it was at least a good sign that she at least bathed. Letting silence settle between us, I helped smooth out the tufts of fur, earning contented sighs from her. It didn't take long for me to smooth out her coat, and my only solution to her mane was just to at least brush it to the side, but at least she was more presentable than earlier. Happy with my handiwork, I took notice of her wings and started to fidget a little bit.
"Is everything alright, Mark?" Silk asked, lifting her head a little as she looked at me with tired eyes.
"I..." I stopped before my mind went blank.
I wasn't really sure what to say, and even thinking about it brought about conflicting feelings inside of me. I understood that preening wings was done between lovers and very close friends, but even asking it was taboo if taken wrong.
"Mark, whatever it is, you're free to ask or say anything. I'll never be upset at you for a simple faux pas because of our differences," Silk said soothingly, placing a hoof on my chest.
"I... was wondering... if maybe you would be fine... if I preened your wings?" I quickly averted my gaze, a small blush appearing on my face as I waited for either her outcry at such a question or the hit that would follow before the scolding.
"I would be grateful for the help," Silk said soothingly.
She nuzzled my chest before unfurling her wings. I sat frozen with my mouth agape as she spread her wings, her nuzzling never stopping as she breathed softly.
"I take it you know how to preen wings, correct?" Silk asked, her wings giving a small twitch.
"My only knowledge is from books I read and the one time I preened Fleetfoot's wings," I answered truthfully, my hands fidgeting in place.
"Seems like she had a lot of trust in you to allow something like that. Especially after one date and a night in bed together," Silk said teasingly, causing me to flush.
Shaking my head at her antics, she giggled to herself as she sat up and presented her wings again. Taking a deep breath, I scanned over her wings, noting the obvious out of place feathers. How she was even able to ignore the irritation of the misplaced feathers was beyond me. Looking her in her half-closed eyes, she gave a single, gentle nod that I could proceed. Popping my fingers to get some feeling and blood flowing, I started my task.
Once my hand made contact, a small gasp escaped her lips and I immediately retracted my hands. Looking at her to make sure everything was okay, she nodded at me to reassuringly. Staring at her for a moment, I returned my attention to her wings. I'm not really sure why I was startled by her sudden gasp. Maybe something about how Fleetfoot sounded when I did this for her was causing me to overreact. Nevertheless, it was going to be her natural reaction to this situation, so I better calm myself.
I made contact with her spread appendages, seeing her bite her lower lip to stifle any noise she might make. I nudged her to gain her attention, and when she looked at me, I shook my head. She stared at me with uncertain eyes before relenting. Her gasps and moans came out unbidden as I worked through her wings. Much of my willpower went into making sure I didn't become aroused from her sounds. Part of me wanted to work quickly through her wing to maybe avoid any problems, but I quickly chastised myself for thinking that.
Sure, embarrassment would be avoided if I went through her wings quickly, but it would only leave a sloppy job done. So putting aside my own discomforts, I worked diligently on Silk's wings. Her wings would twitch as I removed her loose feathers and let my fingers glide along to feel for any I might have missed. Several minutes went by as I looked over and went back through again on Silk's wings to make sure they were cleaned up. Finding nothing was out of order and no glaring problems were present, I removed my hands from her wings and scratched behind her ears.
"Thank you, Mark. That was really kind of you," Silk said happily, folding her wings against her side as she laid back down.
"It was no problem, Silk. I owe you for everything you've done and for putting up with me," I said, petting her mane.
Silk relaxed into my lap once again, sighing in contentment. I continued petting her mane, enjoying the warmth that she brought me and making sure she relax some. Looking over my shoulder, I noticed the time nearing my appointment with Celestia. Frowning at having to leave her behind, I hooked my arms around her as I lifted her into the air. She let out a small yelp as I lifted her into the air, her wings expanding to keep her balance out of fear for falling. Chuckling a little to myself, she looked up at me through half-open eyes, a small yawn escaping her lips.
"Where are we going?" Silk asked as he laid her head against my chest.
"My appointment with Celestia is coming up so I need to head out," I replied, carrying her to her bed.
"Then where are you taking me? I have things I need to finish," Silk said, squirming a little in my grasp.
"I bet you do, but you're going to bed," I stated simply, refusing to let her go.
"I don't need sleep, Mark. I can work with no sleep just fine," Silk protested, ramping up her struggles.
"Silk, it's clear that you can barely keep focus and I haven't seen you keep your eyes open longer than ten seconds," I retorted, holding her tighter as I finally reached her bed.
She continued to squirm in my grasp before I gently set her down on the bed. She moved to stand up, but a gentle prod to her side had her fall back down. Her wings flapped in irritation as she let out a small growl. Refusing to heed her warning, I pulled the blanket up and tucked her underneath it. Thankfully she folded her wings to her side to avoid any damage. Once I had her wrapped, I grabbed one of her pillows and placed the pillow under her head.
"You know, most mares usually get tucked in like this after a fun night," Silk said, curling into herself more to make herself comfortable. "Do you plan on having a little fun with me before you head out now that you know what it's like with a pony," she said, giggling as her ears flicked. I panicked a little when I saw the look she was giving me. Even so, I kept my composure.
"I would like to keep my kidneys, Silk. Also, I would rather take you out to dinner before getting that far," I said jokingly, hoping to give her some ease.
This seemed to help as she gave a contented smile, a soft hum escaping her lips. I was glad she took my joke well since I was never for going with her type of humor, but it seemed right to join her antics a little.
"Maybe some other time," Silk said, her voice going softer as I moved off of her bed. "I bet you and Fleetfoot have an exquisite taste when combined together," she continued, causing me to nearly stumble.
"Funny, Silk, very funny," I said, shaking my head as I moved towards her blinds.
I closed her blinds and made sure there was no light shining through to disturb her. Seeing no other places for light to bother her, I moved back towards her bed. I reached out with a hand and gave a few scratches behind her ear. A yawn escaped as she tried to bat away my hand with her ear, but it was to no avail. Finishing my scratches, I turned for her door, leaving to make my appointment. Before I could leave, Silk's voice carried over to me.
"Funny thing about last night before you go," Silk said, her voice barely audible.
"What would that be?" I asked.
"Rarity's marefriend is very receptive towards my advances. I probably could have had a spectacular night had Rarity not put a stop to my antics," Silk said, giggling to herself a little.
"That's because of how tight of a leash Rarity has on Rainbow, but I think those two would have been more accepting had you hung with them more often," I said jokingly.
"Maybe, but it... would have... been... ni..." Silk didn't get to finish as her light snores permeated the room.
I gave a gentle smile as I looked upon her sleeping form, shaking my head at where she was going to go with that sentence. Listening to make sure she was still asleep, I made way for the door. I had to be careful walking through her place, avoiding anything that could make a lot of noise and wake her up. Thankfully, I made it through her messy workspace and exited without any problem. Making sure the door was closed behind me, I turned in the direction for Celestia's chambers.
As soon as I took one step, a blinding flash of light appeared before my eyes. At least, that's what it was before I felt a jerking motion in my stomach. The next thing I knew was hearing a loud pop, making my ears ring as I landed on my hands and knees. A trashcan appeared below me and I happily emptied my stomach. I hacked and coughed several times before spitting out any leftover vomit.
"Not... cool," I said between deep breaths, my eyes looking up at Celestia.
She held an apologetic face as she brought over a toothbrush, toothpaste, and some mouthwash. Glaring at her for a few seconds, I took the offered items and carefully made my way to the bathroom. I thoroughly cleaned out my mouth, using up half the mouthwash to make sure it didn't reek of anything. I very much enjoyed kissing Fleetfoot and would like to do so more times without her trying to avoid me because of the smell.
Looking myself in the mirror, I gave a firm nod before returning back to Celestia. She was sitting on her plush sofa, a teacup wrapped in her magical aura as she glanced nervously over at me. I met her eyes and she quickly went back to staring forward. I walked towards her, heading for the plush chair in front of her before I felt something tug on my arm. I looked down to see a band of golden magic around my wrist.
Looking up, I see Celestia's horn glowing as she continued to give me gentle tugs. Sighing internally, I followed her incessant tugging. I sat down on the soft sofa as she lowered the teacup back to the coffee table. As I sat down, I scanned my surroundings to notice that I wasn't in Celestia's personal chambers, but one of her spare rooms. As I looked around, noticing a few furnishings that at least made the room comfortable, I felt a weight on my legs.
I return my attention to the front to see Celestia laying down across my lap, her regalia removed from her body. Knowing what she wanted next, I raised a hand and started to pet along her lengthy neck. I scratched with my nails, a gentle sigh escaping her as she relaxed into my touch.
"I must apologize for the sudden teleportation, Mark," Celestia said, peeking through her mane a little.
"Apology accepted," I said calmly. "Any reason for the rushed arrival?" I asked, lifting my other hand and running it along her barrel.
"I was hoping we could have your appointment early this month since I would like to talk about a few things about your relationship," Celestia said.
"What would that be, exactly?" I asked, ceasing my motions as I crossed my arms.
Celestia seemed to sense something as she bolted upright, waving her hooves in a placating fashion.
"I don't mean it as something bad," Celestia said reassuringly. "There's just a few things I would like to mention that you never went over, and I don't want you to be startled if you end up seeing any of what I'm about to mention," she said with a sheepish smile.
I gestured for her to continue, and this seemed to help her calm down a little as she took a deep breath. Her horn glowed as she filled her teacup. She was about to fill a second one for me, but I waved her off for now. She nodded as she placed the teapot down and lifted the cup to her lips. She took a delicate sip of her drink before placing it back down onto the coffee table. Her attention returned to me as she seemed to be focusing on something. I raised a curious brow as she looked in my direction, but did not say anything.
I was ready to speak up when I noticed something about her chest. From what I've seen on the ponies their coats can be fluffy in certain areas or after a shower, but there seemed to be a concentrated area of fluff near Celestia's chest. I watched with rapt attention as it slowly appeared, tempting me to rest my head on it so I could fall asleep. I was pulled from my musings when Celestia tapped my shoulder.
"What's with the chest fluff?" I asked, pointing at the object of my curiosity.
"To the different races of my little ponies, it means many things," Celestia explained.
I glanced up every few seconds to meet her eyes, but my attention remained solely focused on her chest. Unaware of my current actions, I reached out to touch the soft expanse of fur, only to have my hand pushed down by a golden clad hoof.
"Please, do not touch my fluff," Celestia stated with a stern expression.
I looked into her magenta eyes that seemed to dare me to try and defy her. Not really able to help myself, I attempted to touch her chest fluff again, only for the same results. Many attempts were made to touch the forbidden fruit before me. Thankfully, she never really hit me, memories of how much those slippers hurt passing through my mind as she pushed my hand away. She seemed to have enough of my antics as she grabbed hold of both my hands in her golden aura and held them to my side.
With a derisive snort, she laid herself on my lap again, her hooves rubbing along her chest fluff before it disappeared from sight. My hands were freed from her magical confines and I set them back along her neck and barrel. A soft hum escaped her lips as her eyes closed in blissful contentment. I moved my hands along her soft fur, scratching at her skin underneath and earning a few giggles from her.
"Now as I was saying before you thought you could best me in a challenge," Celestia stated with a small sigh. "Chest fluff between the different races of ponies has different meanings.
"First, pegasi actually have the most chest fluff, because of their ability to fly. They also require it in order to keep themselves warm and use as another sense for change in wind patterns. It doesn't need to be apparent on their body for it to work. You would most likely see pegasi mares puff out their chest fluff when challenging another mare. It's a show of power and who is the lead in the relationship.
"Unicorns have the second most chest fluff, mainly because of their connection with magic. Magic can be a fickle thing to control, so in times if they need it, it can be used to leak out excess magic. It can still be used as a show of power like the pegasi.
"Earth ponies have the least amount, mainly because their connection to magic is based around their hooves. If anything, their chest fluff is more of an insulator during the winter times and a way to cool off during summer. Once again, following the fact that it could be used as a show of power," Celestia explained thoroughly, adjusting her position on my lap.
"So what was with you keeping me from touching your fluff?" I asked, petting along her neck.
"It... can be... a sensitive area... for some ponies," Celestia admitted, her tail and wings twitching. "It's also not meant to be touched unless done by close lovers. Although it does help foals sleep," Celestia said, smiling as she breathed deeply.
"I take it you have some experience putting foals to sleep that way," I said jokingly.
"Twilight was an excitable filly, and sometimes it helped her sleep when she was staying here at the castle." Celestia gave a deep sigh as her mane fell limply over her face.
I stroked some of the ethereal mane away from one of her eyes as I continued to pet her. She felt entirely relaxed on my lap, her fur pleasant to the touch. I couldn't help the grin that crossed my features at seeing her act like such a normal mare. I feel bad for her sometimes that she can't let her mane down like many of her subjects that she watches over. Although, I could only assume that from her smile, she's happy to see all her subjects happy.
"I take it Twilight wasn't easy to handle in her earlier years?" I inquired.
"It was tough for her when she attended my school. I believe that I equated it to that of a private school from your world," Celestia said thoughtfully.
"You did, but did she not see her family much or get visits from them while she was attending? She was the youngest at your school, so I thought she would have more interactions with family until she was ready to handle herself?" I asked, adjusting myself so I could lower myself into the couch a bit.
"Her family visited as much as they could, but she had at that point locked herself into her studies. The times I or even her family were able to pull away from her studies were the most important. During the times when she was left alone, I would comfort her the best I could so she could continue to succeed.
"Some nights I would find her crying, either from loneliness or having a terrible nightmare. So to help her relax, I would let her relax against my chest until she fell asleep," Celestia explained, letting out a heavy breath.
"I still bet her mother and father were thankful that you watched over Twilight," I said, giving her an encouraging scratch behind her ear.
"Twilight was very thankful that I could look after her filly as though she was one of my own," Celestia said, laughing softly.
"So what else did you want to talk about?" I asked, getting her ear to flick in my direction.
"Yes, I wanted to give my congratulations on a successful date," Celestia said. "I honestly didn't think that Fleetfoot's scent would be this fragrant," she said as she gave a deep inhale.
"Arrhhgg." I groaned as I rubbed at my eyes. "I'm honestly considering going home now and never leaving if I'm going to continually hear this," I said exasperated.
"Maybe if you weren't so easy to tease, then maybe not everypony would do this," Celestia said, giggling as she stretched her legs out before curling them against herself.
"Thank you, though. I'm glad it went so well and I look forward to spending more time with her," I said, taking a deep breath as a gentle smile came to my lips.
"I think she'll find her experience with you quite enlightening. I for one found my time with the other humans that had appeared to be exhilarating," Celestia said with a slight shiver.
"I take it that you had the other humans tend to you like I am now?" I asked jokingly, running my hand along her long neck.
"Many actually enjoyed my company and the conversations that we held, but two had been lucky enough to see more," Celestia said, a sultry grin spread across her lips as she peered back to see my reaction.
"I... see," I said, stuttering as I found it hard to continue moving.
"Yes. A man and woman to be exact, but not at the same time obviously. Experiencing different ways of pleasure from each was truly breathtaking. A lot more fantasies to try out during my time with the human female, but both hold a very special place in my heart," Celestia said dreamily, leaning further back against me.
"They seemed... to have left... a lasting... impression," I said nervously, slowly petting along her barrel again.
"They both did, much like my past lovers had as well. One of the pains of being immortal, I guess. I get to watch as my lovers grow old and try and assure me that everything is going to be fine. I have seen through that ruse as time went on, but to see them all comfort me when they're lying on their deathbed, it hurts more than anything.
"Luna, Cadence, and even myself have felt this pain many times, but the memories and feelings that we've felt towards our past loves never leave us. Even though they are no longer here with us, we're still connected in some way," Celestia explained, her voice hitching a bit as a tear ran down her cheek.
I didn't say anything, running a thumb along her cheek as she seemed lost in her old memories. Some people could say they at least partially understood where Celestia was coming from, but nowhere near to the full extent of her pain. I didn't stop rubbing at her cheek as she nuzzled against my hand, a grateful smile gracing her features as I comforted her.
"So when I appeared here, what did you think of me?" I asked openly, smiling down at her.
"It was a surprise to actually see another human after such a long time. I had actually begun to think that nopony would ever see your kind again, and you would all just be names to a mythology book," Celestia stated with a small laugh.
"I take it that even back then that most humans weren't well liked?" I asked, tapping her on her side to get her to sit up.
She did as I silently asked, and once she was sitting up I reclined along the length of the couch. Celestia laid atop me, her mane covering half her face as I petted her along her neck. Given her size, she was a bit heavy, but not as much I had initially thought awhile back. She rested her head on my chest as a wing unfurled and covered us both. She was still awake despite her slow breathing and closed eyes, and I had my attention averted to the ceiling.
"They weren't but that didn't matter to me. I helped them through everything and made sure they were comfortable here. I regret never being able to succeed in getting them back home, but they were able to find a life that made them happy." Celestia then opened one eye as she stared at me, a glint of determination apparent. "I promise to do everything I can with Luna, Cadence, and Twilight to get you back home," she said with determination.
"Thanks, but neither of you should put that as your priority. Your people come first, and honestly, it will give me some time to enjoy my interactions with everyone," I said, smiling as I ran a hand through her mane.
She stared at me intently with one eye, most likely judging what I just said. I didn't let up my smile as I continued to pet her. Her stare lasted for a few moments longer before she let out a deep sigh. She pressed into my hand as I scratched behind her ear one final time. After the scratch, she moved closer to me and gave me a quick nuzzle before getting off of me. I lifted myself off the couch and stretched my tired bones as I got the blood flowing again.
"I do believe that I've used up enough of your time. We'll talk again later and I hope you have a wonderful rest of the day," Celestia said, smiling brightly as she made way for the door.
"No problem, Celestia. I enjoy our talks together and I like hearing the few things that humans have been able to do when they arrived here," I said, following behind her. "Although, I could do less knowing about your more intimate details," I grumbled under my breath.
Celestia opened the door with her magic, letting me exit first before closely following me out and closing the door behind her. I turned towards her and gave her a quick hug that she kindly returned before breaking apart. She turned in the opposite direction I was headed, more than likely to get herself cake before heading towards court. I wasn't even three steps down the hallway before her voice caught my attention.
"Another piece of advice, Mark," Celestia said over her shoulder.
"What's that?" I asked as I turned to face her.
"If your relationship with Fleetfoot deepens, herd or not, she will have this small nesting habit that all pegasi share," Celestia said.
"What do you mean 'nesting habit'?" I asked with a raised brow.
"It's a way for pegasi to make a comfortable home that they know they can always return to. It varies between each pegasus on how they will nest, but it's not too hard to tell most of the time," Celestia explained before trotting down the hallway, humming a tune to herself.
I stood in the hallway, staring in the general direction of where she went before shaking my head. I wasn't certain what I was going to use with that information, but it was interesting to know. Shrugging my shoulders, I headed back down the hallway for my office. As I walked, I could hear a few drill instructors directing the new recruits to their positions and training them. A few acknowledged my presence, and thankfully their instructors didn't hound them for waving to me.
It wasn't long before I was out of earshot of the drill instructors that I was left alone in silence. Taking this time to myself, I started humming an old song from my childhood. I let my thoughts wander as I hummed, thinking about who I was before coming to Equestria to my current situation. There were some things I wished I could have gone back and changed, but at the same time it just seemed weird to not have this happen to me. I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn't pay attention where I was going until I ran into my least favorite person here.
"Watch where you're going, you hairless ape!" Blueblood said angrily.
I straightened out my pants as I stared down at Blueblood. He had a white coat with a blonde mane and tail. His eyes were a sky blue and his cutie mark was a golden four pointed star laying over a four pointed purple star. To me it resembled something similar of how a compass would look. Like most of the ponies in Canterlot, he was a unicorn, but apparently he was also the nephew of Celestia and Luna.
"I could say the same thing to you," I shot back.
Blueblood glared up at me before taking a calming breath. He went about straightening his coat, mane, and tail before looking back at me. Most of my encounters with Blueblood, which have been very few, were never pleasant. More times than not he held a look of disgust whenever he saw me, but I was surprised to see what I could only assume was a wan smile on his face.
"Do you have a moment, Mark?" Blueblood asked, trying his hardest to seem caring.
"I... guess I can spare you some time," I answered with a raised brow.
"I promise this won't take long," Blueblood said, taking another breath before lifting a hoof at me. "I know you and I don't see eye to eye with each other, but I would like you to know that despite this, I'm glad that you're finding some happiness here," he stated, his hoof still held out.
"Thanks..." I took his hoof in my hand and gave it a firm shake before we quickly broke it off. "What brought this on? You usually prefer trying to get a rise out of me." I asked as I stared down at him.
"This is true, and as much as I still expect an apology from when you hit me," Blueblood started saying before I cut him off.
"I'm not apologizing for what I did," I stated firmly.
"Which is what I still expect from you," Blueblood said as he gave a deep sigh. "Even then, you are a citizen of Equestria and it's still at least somewhat of my duty to make sure that you're doing well. I sincerely with the best for you and your marefriend in the future," he said with a single nod.
"Well... thanks for that, Blueblood. That really means a lot coming from you," I sincerely said as I smiled at him.
"Trust me, Mark, I want the best for you despite our differences. So if you ever need anything, don't hesitate to ask for my assistance. I have a lot of pull around Canterlot," Blueblood said with a smug grin.
"I'll keep that in mind," I said, giving him and affirming nod. "Well, I better let you go and do your thing so I can get to my office," I said as I waved goodbye.
I got a limp wave in return, but that was expected as much from him. That he actually came to me with an actual congratulations and an offer of assistance was mind blowing. He was right, though. Despite our negative feelings towards each other, there was at least some respect. Chuckling to myself, I continued on towards my office, glad that some things could at least change for the better. |
Core | pre | The event went smoothly. Not having to shout or do RPT for the inspecting officers made it much easier to remember the answers to questions.
The inspector had very few negative things to say about Dash or her room. He checked the white shoes that went with her uniform, commenting, "Not bad for polish. At the Naval Academy we used to use gloss white spray paint, but that's contraband here."
He also commented that if she was going to wear her wings out, it might be a good idea to straighten her feathers. Flustered, Dash agreed. Rarity had also modified the white uniform for her, but she had spent so long wearing NWU's that her grooming habits had fallen off in favor of saving time in the head.
The last important event of week eight was the final PFA. It was designed to see how much the Candidates had improved since arriving. This time, Dash got max scores on situps. If any members of the class had not worked off their orange glow belts for low scores by this point, they would be rolled. Fortunately, that was no one in 19A.
The running was a little different, because NAPS had reserved the track and OCS was forced to use a triangular street course arranged around the chapel, Kay Hall, and on a hilly street. Dash was already so fast that it didn't matter much to her, although the more nerdy Candidates were calculating exactly how much time the uncertain distance and elevation cost them. Dash rolled her eyes. Nukes.
Candio phase was so close the class could practically taste it. They would not take over until Wednesday of week nine, however. It would only be Friday, when the previous class graduated, that they would truly be running the regiment.
There was also one final inspection to go. It would be uniforms only--their graduation dress whites. Also, the Candidates would be inspecting each other.
The dress whites were the same as summer whites from the waist down. Above, the short sleeve shirt was replaced by a jacket with a high collar--referred to as a choker. Each jacket had a hidden zipper in the left side seam, meant to accommodate a ceremonial sword belt.
The inspection was held early in the morning. Any later, and the heat of the day would make the candidates sweat right through their stifling jackets.
RDC's were present, but in an adversarial role. Each Candidate inspected the next in line. Dash, being at the end, had to go all the way to the front of the squad, to six-foot-five OC Oberta. Even standing up on her hind legs, her nose was only about halfway up his chest. Dash spread her wings and hovered up to his level. Oberta shifted a little in surprise.
"Minus one for bearing," Dash said, holding back a smile. She checked his ribbons and Air Warfare pin with a ruler an RDC handed to her. After checking his back for contraband, she went on with the rest of the uniform, aided by suggestions from the RDC.
After the inspection, Dash went back to her place at the end of the squad and waited for the series of inspections to reach her. Soon, OC Lambert was turning to her.
Lambert found an IP on Dash's cover, but nothing else. She returned to her place, and the squad waited for the rest of the company to finish. The self-inspection had turned out to be more than just a formality, but still not too difficult.
After the inspection, the class returned to Nimitz to change clothing and go to a brief in Callaghan Hall. It was mostly about paperwork that they would face in the fleet. All of them found it terribly boring, and during one of the breaks, Weisowitcz glanced out the window. "Hey, check it out, there's a cruiser out there."
Weisowitcz was the designated "kid with the awkward Polish name." There was usually at least one in every OCS class.
The class quickly gathered around the window to see what he was pointing at. Out near where Saratoga was moored, a sleek modern ship had tied up. Weisowitcz squinted at the window. "Hull number fifty-six. It's USS San Jacinto."
"'Jacinto' has a hard J sound," said Leest. "It's not Hacinto."
"It's not a Spanish word?" asked Weisowitcz.
"Well it is, but that ship is named after the Battle of San Jacinto in the Texas Revolution against Mexico. We won that battle, so we get to pronounce it our way."
It pays to be a winner, thought Dash. She and the rest reluctantly went back to their paperwork brief.
Wednesday of week nine finally came, when Class 19-12 finally "won" their Candio phase. The two companies lined up in front of Kay Hall to do their victory run. As one, they right-faced and began to double time.
Candidates with strong voices and good memories had been picked to lead cadences. There were a few familiar ones, but a few new tunes made their debut.
Rodriguez was first. Dash watched him step out of line and run beside the formation. There was a hard look in his eyes, and his shout was heard by all.
I want to be a pilot
Got to get those wings of gold
Flying for the Navy
Gets me dates with the young and old
I want to be a P-3 pilot
I want to take it nice and slow
I want to have fuel to spare
Gets me anywhere I want to go
I want to be a helo pilot
I want to hunt submarines
I don't need no ejection seat
Safety's just not for me
I want to be a fighter pilot
I want to fly an F-18
I want to fly with my cockpit open
I want to hear Al-Qaida scream
Dash again felt bad for him, but at least he had decided to finish OCS, get a new designation, and play the hand life had dealt. Rodriguez stepped back in and other Candidates began to cycle through, each calling their own cadence. Arriving at Kay a while later, they filed in and took their places.
The ceremony went off without a hitch, and each Candidate received their shirts. The design was emblazoned with Uncle John's Band, and depicted the DI "conducting" an RPT session. Bravo Company had their own shirts with a different design.
Despite the different shirts, the two classes were now effectively one company, and would work as a single unit of Candios. Any differences they might have had were now put aside. Between the DI's and Bravo, it was one more lesson; sometimes you have to work with people you don't like.
There was too much smiling and laughing after the ceremony, and Gunnery Sergeant Johns lived up to the caricature of him on the shirts by beating both classes. Dash didn't mind. It was only a piece of colored fabric, but a shirt with her name on the back was a surprisingly powerful symbol of belonging.
And the next uniform she wore would be khakis.
Source |
Core | 5: Khakis | Chapter 5: Khakis
Source
"Let me guess," said Rarity. "Candio phase was more fun, but also more work."
"Yeah, that was kind of a common theme at OCS," agreed Rainbow. "Overall, though, this was almost like we were real people. We could still get RPT'd, but we didn't have to go to the position of attention or shout when talking to the class team. In fact, it was kind of fun having Indocs do that to us."
"And dessert, did you get dessert?" demanded Pinkie.
Rainbow chuckled. "Yes Pinkie, one of the Candios started making pie for us all. We were also finally allowed to have dessert in the chow hall. And coffee."
"I never thought you were much of a coffee drinker," said Twilight.
"You get less sleep in Candio phase. You have to be up before the rest of the regiment and go to bed later. It's true that I'm not a caffeine addict like some, but occasionally a cup of coffee during a rough morning was nice."
"And what about checking out the city?" asked Applejack. "You had to find this bar somehow."
"We didn't screw anything up too badly, so they allowed us one evening of liberty every weekend." Rainbow nodded and smiled at the memory. "After so many weeks locked up, it was great."
"Speaking of great, did you get my second care package?" questioned Pinkie.
Rainbow nodded. "I did. It was more than enough to share with the rest of the class."
After the previous Candios had graduated on Friday morning and moved their things out of the hatches in the west wing of Nimitz, Class 19 moved in. The new rooms offered a great view of the bay and the bridge. There was a nice breeze that kept the wing cool, but the new Candios had to tie their curtains with boot blousing straps to keep them from blowing around.
Assignments for running the regiment were handed out. The two class teams had gotten together and decided where each Candidate would work best. Oberta was picked over Bravo's President to be Regiment Commander. Dash was made H Class staff, and Public Affairs Officer. Her duties consisted of supervising the underclassmen and taking pictures, respectively.
Each Candidate got new collar devices depending on their position. They were "railroad tracks" as most of the pins consisted of parallel gold bars. As PAO, Dash got two bars. As REGCOM, Oberta got six.
The devices were handed down directly from the outgoing class. The pins Dash received were well worn, having spent much more time at OCS than her. She dutifully affixed them to her collar, feeling the new weight.
Friday afternoon, they were allowed to go to the King Hall mail room and get unrestricted packages, called Candio Boxes. It was a widespread practice for friends and family to send them once their Candidate had entered the final phase. Some were larger than others, and Dash's was the biggest.
"What, is there a desktop computer and monitor in there?" asked Leest. Jokes about lack of internet had been circulating among the Candidates for weeks.
Dash checked the return address and grinned. "No, it's something better." She opened the package to reveal a giant frosted cake from Pinkie. Small icing figures of Marines beating Indocs decorated it.
While her package contained the most excellent confection, most other Candios received some sort of goodies from home, generally candy. A few enterprising mothers had baked cookies and stacked them in tubular Pringles cans to keep them from being crushed. Most of the class had descended into a sugar coma by that evening. Dash, however, had to restrain herself. She was first to stand Officer of the Deck watch.
It was similar to the BOOD position, except she was in khakis and there was no roving. Dash had to stand in one place for four hours. At least this time her shift was only 2000-0000.
She saw the King Hall rover making the rounds. The King watch was manned by ODS. The rover checked the pool, the utilities, the class buildings, and Riley Hall. He stopped by Nimitz to check with Dash. She had nothing to report.
His visit gave her something to think about for a while, at least. Would she rather be bored? Certainly not, but wishing for something to happen would probably not be advisable. Dash thought back to the flooding incident.
After turning over the watch, Dash went to bed. The gentle sound of waves from the nearby bay lulled her to sleep. At 0400 her alarm clock went off.
It was only after becoming Candios that the class was allowed to have alarms. Dash was pleased to see that hers worked. She and Leest put on their PT gear and went to set things up for the lower classes.
Being under instruction with the last Candios had taught the now-unified Class 19 their jobs. Dash helped check out equipment from the BOOD and set it up outside. Standing on the other side of the curb with her new PT shirt on, Dash was finally beginning to feel her change in status. The other classes formed up in the street, standing stiffly and trying to appear invisible to the drill instructors. It was interesting to see things from another perspective.
A full day of herding the other classes around was somewhat hectic, but Dash figured that it would become easier with practice. A few of the OC's were tasked with helping Candios get things set up for the arrival of the next class of Indocs.
Half the Candio class would get an evening of liberty on Saturday Evening, and the other half would be off Sunday. It had been decided that Dash's surprising appearance would be best used to keep the Indocs on their toes after they arrived. Instead of having her around on Sunday, she would get her night off then and get the opportunity to terrorize Indocs later.
The work party at Nimitz was busy laying blue tape. Dash was in charge of the small group of OC's, but was also doing her part to apply tape. She was in NWU's for the work, but stood apart from the others as the only one without a glow belt. That was something else pleasant about being a Candio.
The workers seemed to be enjoying themselves, probably remembering their own Indoc experience and glad it was about to happen to someone else. Dash knew how they felt. It was fascinating to get a behind-the-scenes look, to finally learn how and why things worked the way they did.
Before anyone was allowed liberty, Lieutenant Crossing and Chief Valdez gave the class a lecture. It pretty much boiled down to using their heads and not being stupid.
"Don't let any civilians borrow your cover, and it's not advisable to let them take pictures with you," said the Lieutenant.
"Do not get in any fights," added the Chief. "If it happens though, make sure you stick with your buddies for strength in numbers. End the fight as quickly as possible and then leave."
"Avoid a place called Slots. It's just outside the front gate and it's bad news."
"And don't go to The Rhino. DI's hang out there."
Lest had been given Saturday off and came back late smelling of alcohol. As she removed her summer white uniform, she recounted a few stories of the evening. The small group of Candios she was with had gone to the movie theater to catch up on what they had missed.
"Was there a lot?" asked Dash.
"There was tons of stuff--not just movies--that slipped by while we've been here," said Leest. "I picked up a newspaper, and after reading it I feel like a time traveler."
Leest pulled out her phone. The Candios had been allowed to have them for the trip into town. "I heard that the Guinness Book of World Records just recognized this song as the most liked video on YouTube. I downloaded it when I got to a place that had WiFi."
She played it. Dash frowned at the lyrics. "What the heck is Gangnam Style?"
"I know, right? This came out in July, just after we got here."
Dash decided that liberty was going to be a rather strange experience after being locked up on base for nine weeks.
Sunday morning was quiet. The show was about to begin. Dash picked up the PAO camera and took a few photos of candid Candios getting ready for the show they were about to put on. All of them seemed nervous, despite the fact that they were supposed to be the intimidating ones. It was hard to believe that their own Candios had only had the job for a couple of days before meeting Class 19. Still, trepidation was easy to hide behind a veil of shouting.
The Candio Lounge was located in a part of the building off limits to lower classes. It was good for having meetings and posting messages. There were refrigerators and coffee makers. Taylor had been sent ingredients in the mail to make pies, and graciously donated a few to the whole class. Dash took a few pictures of Candios taking a break before the Indocs arrived.
She was standing in one of the hatches near the top of the stairs when the first group came through the doors. She heard the drum beating and a Candio giving the welcome speech. Then came the clamor of confused, too-quiet voices. Hard to believe that was once me. I've changed so much.
The shouting carried all through the building as the day wore on. Dash stayed out of sight. When the evening finally came, She put on her white uniform. The polyester cloth seemed rather fragile compared to the burly NWUs she was used to, but she doubted there was RPT to be done in Newport.
Dash piled into a car with Oberta, Rodriguez, and Lambert. It was Oberta's, as the rest had shown up without vehicles of their own. After passing through the front gate, they entered the city. After carefully avoiding Slots, Oberta pointed the car downtown.
Newport was built along the southeastern edge of the bay, and the late summer weather had attracted plenty of tourists. After finally locating a place to park, the four Candios set off to take in the sights. The sidewalks were crowded, and they had to be careful not to get separated. The white uniforms helped.
The downtown strip ran for half a mile along the bay. It was dotted with restaurants and drinking establishments, with many expensive yachts anchored close to shore. It was there that they found a place called The Landing. It was mostly open-air, with a decorative trellis over the bar and a small stage where a casual band was playing.
Dash had never been a heavy drinker, but she had been thirsting for something other than canteen water for a while. The four of them settled in to relax with something pleasant to sip.
The bar was not very crowded, but there was a fairly large group over in one corner. A somewhat inebriated man stumbled away from them and towards the bar. He stopped, staring at Dash. "Huh, and I thought I was far from home."
He spoke in accented British English. Dash nodded to him. "I joined the Navy. What brings you to Newport?"
The man gestured over his shoulder. "My best mate is getting married to a girl from Texas. Logically, Rhode Island was halfway between there and England."
"What part of Texas?" asked Rodriguez.
"I don't remember. Why don't you go ask her?"
As it turned out, Rodriguez and the bride had grown up in neighboring cities, and before the night was over the four sailors had been invited to join the wedding festivities. Despite the huge differences in background, nationality, and lifestyles, they all had a great time. Dash was sorry to leave, but the midnight curfew was not negotiable.
Dash had never been the most outgoing of ponies, but perhaps being thrown into Class 19 and meeting so many new faces all at once had made her a little more open and interested in the variety of life choices there were. She was on track to be a pilot, but that didn't mean there weren't interesting things to learn about other careers.
On Monday morning, Dash found herself escorting a member of H Class to King Hall Medical for treatment of some kind of sinus infection. While the Candidate was being taken care of, she struck up a conversation with a few people in the waiting room. There was a nurse going through the ODS program, a junior enlisted Marine from the on-base detachment, and a NAPS student.
Between them all there was almost nothing in common, but that made the conversation all the more interesting. It seemed like each had questions about the other groups that they had seen around the base, but never got the chance to interact with.
ODS wore khakis and NWU's. Their training was only five weeks, and was generally reserved for doctors, nurses, and lawyers entering the Navy. Just from watching them around base, Dash could tell that they had it much easier than OCS.
The Marine detachment could be seen working out often, but no one really knew what they did. Dash got a little bit of explanation from the Marine she talked to.
NAPS were distinctive with their black uniforms. Their course was one school year long, to academically and physically prepare students for entry into the Naval Academy. In effect, it was like an extra year of high school, or perhaps pre-college. NAPS had their own sports teams and sometimes played local schools.
Realization hit Dash as she was talking with them. I really have gotten better at cooperating with others. It worried her slightly that she'd barely noticed her personality being molded and shaped during her time so far at OCS.
Luckily, she got to put those thoughts on hold that afternoon with a good shouting session. It was the first time the new class of Indocs had been introduced to Candidate Officer Dash, and she made sure to leave an impression.
"Speed, volume, and intensity!"
"Aye, aye, ma'am!"
"You can do better! I'm louder than you all put together!"
Dash was able to press her intimidation even further, able to get in the face of even the tallest Indocs. She knew that some people didn't take a rainbow-colored pegasus like her seriously, and it was amusing to watch them sweat and try to maintain their bearing.
On the PT field, a couple of them made the mistake of referring to her as "Candidate Officer Cupcakes," based on her nicknamed Candio shirt. Dash quickly straightened them out.
Speaking of amusement, the Candios were allowed to visit San Jacinto in small groups. Many of them would be assigned to surface ships after OCS, and a bit of familiarization went a long way.
They were driven out to the pier where the ship was docked. The cruiser was smaller than Saratoga, but lack of rust and a few crew members on deck made it look much more lively. The small group of Candios stepped to the bottom of the gangway, trying to remember the lessons they had received about going aboard ships.
As usual, Oberta's prior experience paid off. He strode up the gangway, stopping halfway and turning towards the ship's stern where the stars and stripes flew. After coming to attention and saluting the flag, he proceeded to the top of the gangway and presented his ID to the Officer of the Deck. As the two of them traded salutes, Oberta said, "I request permission to come aboard."
One by one, the rest of them repeated the process. A young Lieutenant Junior Grade from the ship greeted them and led the group on a tour.
"I was in OCS a little over two years ago," he said, laughing. "As we were pulling in, I got a little nervous when I saw the bridge. You spend twelve weeks staring it, waiting for the day you get to cross the bay and go home, and the yearning will just about drive you nuts."
The tour circled the decks, showing off the pair of five-inch guns and more than one hundred missile tubes that were aboard. It was interesting to actually see some of these things after studying them in class.
After visiting the helicopter hangar, the guide led the group down to the Combat Information Center, the central area where the ship was run. The air conditioning was turned up to protect the computer equipment crowded inside. There were glowing screens everywhere, including four sixty-inch flatscreens mounted to the bulkhead. The compartment was lit by a dim blue glow. It actually looked more high-tech and futuristic than the movie Battleship had portrayed. Dash had seen it before leaving for OCS, half hoping she might learn something.
"In your classes, you've probably heard about the Aegis Combat System," said the guide. "Cruisers and destroyers have it. Basically, it integrates all the sensors and weapons aboard into one package to track all targets within two hundred miles and kill every single one of them if necessary."
"I was meaning to ask," said Weisowitcz, excitedly. "How does the radar work? I know it's phased-array, but I'm not sure on the specifics."
"Stop nuking it. That's top secret compartmentalized information. I don't know all of it, and I couldn't talk about it if I did. But rest assured, it's PFM." The man grinned. "Pure freakin' magic."
Despite being designed in the 1970s before the dimensional doorways opened, Aegis ships were still among the best in the world. Dash wondered idly what might happen if they let a magic-wielding nerd like her friend Twilight take a look at it.
The tour continued up to the bridge. There was a great view of the bay from up there. Nothing was going to budge Dash from going to flight school, but she had to admit that sailing might not be too bad.
After disembarking, the group stood waiting for their transportation to return. The weather was pleasant, and Dash took a moment to stretch her wings, hovering a short distance above the concrete surface of the pier.
Weisowitcz appraised her for a moment. "Something I've been meaning to ask, how exactly do you stay in the air? Your wings are proportionally smaller than a bird's and don't seem to move very fast."
Leest broke in. "PFM - pegasus freakin' magic."
The next few days passed as uneventfully as OCS could. Dash mostly did her job supervising H Class. About once per day, a random DI would come in and start a session of RPT. Usually, the class was rescued by rapid intervention from Gunnery Sergeant Cothic. Rainbow began to suspect that it was a tactic to endear the class to him, perhaps similar to how her own DI had "saved" 19A from Gunnery Sergeant Raikes. Everything for a purpose... Even in Candio phase, she was still learning.
Dash's position of PAO kept her doing new things. The possibilities of aerial photography seemed to entertain the class teams, and she was called on often. At the drill completion, for example, one of the grading DIs asked her to fly over the assembled classes to see which candidates would keep their bearing. It was also a rare picture to see a formation from directly above.
Speaking of drill, Dash had thought she was done with it. As graduation drew nearer, the class teams began grabbing Candios whenever they weren't busy and making them practice the graduation ceremony. That required precise marching movements and timing. Each new Ensign would go up on stage to be formally recognized. The OCS Commanding Officer would be there, as well as some random Admiral brought in for the event.
"The Admiral will probably give a speech that will be long and boring, but if you fall asleep, I'll make sure your heart explodes," promised Gunnery Sergeant Johns.
There was also a Pass in Review the day before graduation for friends and family that attended. It was a drill demonstration and parade march. The practice was almost more urgent than for the drill competition. After all, they wouldn't want to look bad in front of their loved ones. A few Candidates with special offices learned how to drill with swords instead.
Dash reluctantly returned to practicing with her rifle. She had thought she was clear from drill, and found that her muscle memory had degraded somewhat from lack of use. It was yet another lesson.
Late in Candio phase, the class was taken to the firing range in the basement of Perry Hall. The class had used the building a few times for instruction, but nothing about the classrooms indicated that there were live weapons around.
They were given instruction on the M9 handgun by an older man with unusual insignia on his uniform. Dash tried to remember her gouge and realized he was a Chief Warrant Officer Five.
Oberta seemed amazed. "I've only seen a few Warrant Officers in the fleet, and never a Five. Savor this moment, Dash. You might never meet another one."
Dash had known for a while that pistol training was coming, and gotten her friends to send her a special set of claws. It seemed ridiculous, but she could theoretically hold and fire a handgun with them.
There were a crowd of other instructors, including class officers and RDC's. All of them seemed excited. Dash had noticed a particular passion among some people where firearms were concerned.
Safety was stressed again and again. While Dash could sometimes be a daredevil, guns were nothing to be trifled with. She was given a plastic holster and strapped it to her thigh. The instructors paid special attention to her, and she was grateful. This was not something she wanted to screw up.
Dash found that the pistol did indeed fit the claws' grip. She was able to reach the trigger, magazine release, and safety, and pull the slide back by hooking the rear sights. It wasn't very easy as the gun's internal parts were stiffer than she imagined, but Dash managed.
Each Candidate was given four magazines with five rounds each. With a paper target seven yards away, the shooter would draw and fire two rounds, do it again, draw and fire one shot, reload, and fire one more shot. After that, draw and fire two shots, change to the opposite hand and fire two more. By then, two magazines would be empty. The target would move to fifteen yards and the exercise would be repeated, except the last four rounds would be fired from a kneeling position.
If this were a real qualification rather than practice, the shooter would receive a ribbon for qualifying. A bronze S or silver E could be added to the ribbon for Sharpshooter or Expert qualifications, which required better accuracy.
Dash wasn't focused on uniform baubles as she stepped up to the firing line. Mostly, she just wanted to not kill anyone. Guns thundered on either side of her, still somewhat loud through the earmuffs she had been given. Her own weapon roared and jumped in her grip as she pulled the trigger.
She now realized the purpose behind the enthusiastic DI's like Gunnery Sergeant Raikes, and the reason why the Candidates were always screaming kill. The military's ultimate purpose was to defeat the country's enemies, and they wanted the Class to be comfortable with that. Unlike other lessons, this one was somewhat jarring.
Dash was not a particularly good shot, but managed to at least hit the large piece of paper every time. Her competitive streak wanted her to practice and get getter. Some other part of her consciousness wondered if that was a good idea.
Luckily, Taylor had made pie again and there was something else to think about when she got back to Nimitz.
The last week was hectic, with training the next class and getting prepared to graduate. They all kept practicing with the rifles and rehearsing their movements. Dash was present to take pictures of the last uniform inspection of the upcoming class. Shortly after, she was training the next class's PAO.
It all culminated on Thursday afternoon. The combined Class 19 assembled in Kay Hall for one last unofficial competition between Alpha and Bravo.
The gym was decorated for the graduation. An audience made of friends and family members had been invited. Some had elected to skip Pass in Review in favor of only attending Graduation the next day, but the chairs set out were still nearly full.
Each Candidate brought their rifle. That morning, they had been given time to make sure their boots were polished and NWU's were squared away.
The Regiment Commander, and both Battalion Commanders that served under him stood out front of the two companies. Instead of rifles, the three of them carried parade swords.
With commands from REGCOM, the classes alternated back and forth with drill commands. It was a standard Inspection Arms. Bravo, threatened with beatings on top of beatings, had improved to match Alpha. To untrained ears, they sounded exactly the same.
The classes were ordered to parade rest. One of the Class Officers invited the guests to take a few minutes to capture some up-close pictures of their Candidates.
It was somewhat difficult to stand perfectly still while ponies Dash hadn't seen in twelve weeks stood only a few feet away taking photos of her. She allowed herself a small sideways glance. Her parents had come, as had Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pike, Rarity, and Twilight Sparkle.
After pictures, the audience went back to their seats. Class 19 executed a right face and marched in a box formation to music, passing in front of the crowd for their review before exiting the gym behind the curtain.
There was a lot of talking and excitement on the way back to Nimitz. They were only a short while from actually getting to spend time with their guests. That would be in the evening, at the Hi Moms event.
The Candidates lined up at the armory to return their rifles. Dash discovered that she had actually grown somewhat fond of her weapon. Not that fond, though. She glanced at the serial number one last time before turning it in.
The class changed into their Summer Whites. As their last duty as Candios, they each handed over their collar devices to the upcoming class. After that, it was time to party.
Twilight had gotten her U.S. driving permit, and while nervous at being behind the wheel of a large rented van, managed to get Dash and all her guests to the hotel in downtown Newport where the event was being held.
"It's good to finally see you again, Rainbow," said Applejack as they drove.
It took a moment for the blue pegasus to realize she was being spoken to. Disuse of her first name for several months had left a strange impact.
"Think how happy I am to see all of you," Rainbow laughed.
"You'll have to tell us all about it," said Rarity.
"I sure will," Rainbow assured her.
Twilight gave Rainbow a small package with two silver dollars in it. It would be used for the ceremony the next day.
Hi Moms was a simple affair. Hors d'oeuvres and beverages accompanied by a slide show created from various PAO photos taken over twelve weeks. Rainbow was easy to spot when she appeared in pictures. After the presentation, the guests were introduced to the two Class Teams. Several other DI's, RDC's, and Class Officers were in attendance, hovering in the background. Many of the Marines only seemed to be there for the alcohol.
The food hadn't been very filling, and plans were quickly made for dinner afterwards.
"We'll leave you all alone to catch up," said Rainbow's mother. Her parents headed back to their hotel while the six mares went to look for a restaurant. Rainbow's bank account hadn't been touched in twelve weeks, and she found a pleasant surprise waiting for her. She offered to buy for all of them but was turned down. This was her party, after all.
They found a restaurant called The Red Parrot. It was three stories tall with a bar on each deck--civilians call it a floor, Rainbow reminded herself--and lots of wood and polished brass. She noted that right next door was The Rhino, but didn't see any DI's.
Dinner was pleasant, and Rainbow caught up on a lot of things she'd missed. Her friends explained the mysterious phenomenon behind Gangnam Style, and Pinkie demonstrated the associated dance. It was lucky that she did it near the end of the meal so things were only slightly awkward while the bill was being paid.
They wandered down by the water, and Rainbow spotted The Landing. Feeling up for a drink, she invited her friends along. Once they were all seated with beverages, the questions about her OCS experience came out.
"I'd love to hear about the kind of problems they had to overcome to integrate a pony into the human military," said Twilight.
"Day one was kind of tough," agreed Rainbow. She took a drink and started to tell the story.
Source |
Core | 6: Ensign Rainbow Dash, USN | Chapter 6: Ensign Rainbow Dash, USN
After being out late with her friends the night before, Dash found it slightly hard to get up for one last PT session. The alcohol was part of that, but she had also realized how much she'd missed them. Leaving them again for her future military job would not be easy.
There were things to take care of in the present, however. She put on her PT uniform and gathered with the rest of the class on the road beside Nimitz.
The Victory Run was a spectator event. Most of the guests had turned up, standing around in the cool morning air. While she had the opportunity, Dash glanced towards the bridge. The bright lights that illuminated it in the predawn darkness called to her like a beacon. Just a few more hours and she would be on her way across it.
At the scheduled time, the Victory Run began. It was only a short jog, more of a demonstration, really. The real spectacle was to come.
After running, the class gathered in the SUYA for a public RPT session. The whole class good-naturedly went along with it. As Dash screamed her responses and pounded sand, she saw her friends looking slightly terrified. It was hard to believe that her daily life had changed in only a few weeks to become something that actually scared other ponies.
After the workout, the class ran through proper chow hall entry procedures and demonstrated eating by the numbers, complete with screaming class team. After that, they were allowed to eat breakfast with their guests.
Dash's stories about OCS the night before had been entertaining, but this was the first time any of her friends had seen for themselves what it was like. She wasn't sure how they would react to how much she'd changed.
Fortunately, the conversation was kept light. After breakfast, Dash parted company with them. She and the rest of the class had to prepare for graduation.
The mood in Nimitz was jovial as they put on their uniforms. Everyone talked and joked. Dash took a short while to pack some of her things. The sooner she was ready to depart after graduation, the better.
At the appointed time, the class made final checks and walked out of the building to Kay Hall. They formed up behind the curtain.
Dash stood with the rest of the class. Her dress whites were perfectly groomed, her mane was actually under control for once, and she was ready to graduate.
She wasn't nervous. There had been too much practice for that. Instead, she was excited, and could tell from the quiet conversation among her fellow Candidates that they felt the same way.
The red and yellow National Defense Service Medal was the only thing that adorned the front of her uniform. The jacket had been expertly tailored by Rarity and given a quick once-over by the Leest that morning. Dash looked as perfect as she could.
Gunnery Sergeant Johns walked by in his green dress uniform. There was the barest hint of a smile on his lips. He checked to make sure the class was ready to go. While there was time, Dash spread her wings and lifted off the floor, giving her legs a moment to rest. She crossed and uncrossed them to stretch a bit. The DI saw her. "Left over right, Dash."
"Aye, aye, sir."
To her surprise, he went on. "We've been making you do that because left over right is how you rest a rifle on your legs for shooting from a sitting position. Remember, everything is for a purpose."
It's graduation day, and I'm still learning, thought Dash. OCS crammed as much into twelve weeks as possible. Every single thing was about changing Candidates to better suit the needs of the military.
Marching music began to play and the Class 19 filed out. The stage had the giant flag hanging behind it, and other decorations had been placed for the occasion. As practiced, each of the Candidates found their seats.
The two class officers gave short speeches and then it was time for the Admiral to speak. After the first five minutes, Dash's mind had wandered. She reviewed the last twelve weeks in her head.
A lot had happened. Dash had been trained. She now responded to commands instinctively. She'd developed new muscle memory and habits. Everything about her had changed.
She was organized and given skills to lead. She had a chain of command both above and below her. She was no longer on her own program, but was part of a team.
Dash swallowed nervously. She had the responsibility to think of more than just herself. Those in her chain depended on her to do exactly what she should, not what she wanted. This was not so simple as flying jets. It went deeper, and more personal. The welcome speech on day one had promised to push her hard, to improve her, to teach her to be an officer. That had happened, sure enough. How deep had the training gone? Had she been left an empty shell, only capable of robotic dedication?
Dash moved her eyes fractionally to the side, spotting her friends sitting in the attending audience. They were happy for her. They believed she was doing the right thing. Dash relaxed a little. It was always nice to have true friends. Ironic that she would likely be more cohesive with her Class, though. She wasn't friends with all of them, and didn't even like a few of them, but they had learned to work together like a machine. But I'm not a machine...
The Admiral finished up. The OCS Commanding Officer stepped up to the podium. "Now I'd like to recognize each Candidate individually."
He began reading. Each Candidate was introduced by name, hometown, and service selection. In no time at all he announced, "Rainbow Dash; Cloudsdale, Equestria; Pilot."
Dash mounted the stage. She was greeted by Lieutenant Crossing and the Admiral and given a diploma. They were both smiling and congratulated her. The audience clapped politely. Rainbow heard a faint cheer that sounded like Pinkie. She walked off stage and returned to her seat.
The rest of the class cycled through, and the Commanding Officer returned to the podium. "All rise. By the authority vested in me by the President of the United States, I hereby give the oath of office to these new commissions. Repeat after me."
The class got up. Dash raised her right hoof and followed prompting.
"I, Rainbow Dash, do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic;
That I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same;
That I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion;
And that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me Celestia."
"Class dismissed."
"Aye, aye, sir!" As they had practiced, the whole class about-faced and tossed their headgear into the air as the audience applauded.
The new Ensigns broke out of ranks and joined their guests. Rainbow met with her friends and family and spent a few minutes trading congratulatory hugs. She couldn't help but smile with so much congratulations being poured upon her.
There was one last piece of tradition to fulfill. The combined crowd exited the building and headed towards the bay. There, the class teams were assembled with the bridge in the background. Each Ensign formed up to receive their first salute.
When Dash's turn came, she stepped up in front of Gunnery Sergeant Johns and Chief Valdez. Together, they saluted her. As officership required her to, Dash returned their salute.
She shook with each of them, presenting the silver dollars.
"Welcome to the Navy, ma'am," said Chief Valdez.
"Let everything you do be for a purpose, ma'am," added Gunnery Sergeant Johns.
Dash nodded. Despite any underlying convictions she might have had, completing the hardest twelve weeks of her life was worth some emotional reflection. Fortunately, her mouth automatically responded, "Thank you, gentlemen."
And it was over. OCS was finished. Dash took a last look at the bridge and turned away. She would have to go change uniforms and get a military Common Access Card with her new rank on it. The CAC was used as identification and also clearance for government computers and electronic verification. She would also need to pick up her medical records and get a copy of orders for her assignment to flight school. It sounded like a lot, but she would be out of Newport soon.
Her friends wished her goodbye. Dash would have a little time before reporting to Pensacola and would see them again soon. Her parents waited with empty suitcases to transport all the gear she had been issued. It was too much to fit in the saddlebags she had brought twelve weeks before.
Dash went over to Callaghan Hall to the offices on the first floor. The civilian secretary processed her paperwork and then had her sit in front of a camera for a picture. The ID machine spit out her new CAC a few minutes later.
It looked completely unlike her driver's license. It wasn't even the same format, being flipped vertical. Her rank was clearly called out, but in larger letters was her name. Rainbow Dash.
Her expression, manecut, and uniform were completely different from her other identification photos. And yet, it was still her identification. Her face, her name. Those were things that hadn't changed, nor had OCS attempted to.
I'm still me. That was a comforting thought. She still had her own ideas, personality, and friends. She may have been trained and declared fit for service, but nothing had been taken from her. It hadn't replaced anything she used to be.
The training had strengthened her core as promised, giving her a stronger foundation, but it hadn't replaced it with something different. In her heart, she was still her own pony, and nothing could ever change that.
She had learned how to become an integral part of a group and do her duty, but that didn't mean she couldn't still be herself. While now a member of the military, she was still Rainbow Dash.
All the way to the core.
Source |
Dusk-Lit Waltz | pre | After a polite, consenting silence from the audience, the cleric started in on the part of the ceremony where Sombra and I had to actively participate. All my lessons from the past few months came in handy; I knew the dialogue word-for-word, so I didn't have to think about my answers or their implications.
In the end, I said yes, Sombra said yes, and that was the start of our life together.
As soon as it was done, I could've sworn that it felt like a weight was lifted out of my stomach. It didn't make any sense.
When I offered a hand for Sombra to put his wedding band around my wrist, I noted how soft and gentle he was when did it. For an added touch, his blood-red horn glowed black, and the bracelet shrunk to a size where I'd have to get a blacksmith or a jeweler to cut it off.
If there was any consolation to have that day, it was that we were doing a griffin wedding, not a pony wedding. I didn't want to have to do that tongue thing in front of everyone.
But at any rate, once we exchanged wedding bands, the ceremony was over and our marriage was official. Griffins applauded, and ponies gingerly stamped the ground--almost like they'd never been on a rock platform hanging several hundred feet above the molten earth before.
Right on cue, a swarm of servants bustled onto the platform, carrying trays, tables, and other assorted furniture to begin setting up the post-wedding celebration. That was a nice trick in griffin royal weddings; why waste everyone's time moving to a new place if you could just change the room's function? The switch-off was made official when the cleric made his way to the exit of the keep; he apparently had other, cleric-y things to take care of that evening.
It took less than a minute to turn the flat, plain platform into a functional, if hot, reception party. A traditional band of griffins--drummers, mixed with cut-taloned string players--set up stage in the back. There were two drink bars set up: one for fancy, fun drinks, and one exclusively for water. There were snacks to enjoy, tables to sit at, and all of this had been set up in a loose circle around where I stood with Sombra.
Both sides of the wedding started making their way towards the food and each other. If I were there alone, I would have hit up the water bar first, then grabbed some snacks. A whole day's worth of fretting had left me starving, and the feast wasn't going to be until after this smaller, social affair. However, I wasn't there alone, and that was the main point of having a little introductory little party after an arranged wedding:
It let everyone get to know each other, including the bride and groom.
I turned to him, and he turned to me. We stood in front of each other, but I waited for him to say something first. Because honestly, I had no idea where to begin.
"You... look... pretty," he grumbled in a low voice. Except it wasn't really grumbling, because he didn't sound annoyed with me; his voice was more like a low, rumbling earthquake that someone had added... not a whole lot of words to.
That was going to take some getting used to.
Still, he'd given me a compliment, which was a nice way to begin things. I nodded, gratefully, trying to make eye contact without staring at his eyes. "Thanks. And, uh, you look pretty cool too. I... like the armor."
His eyes glanced downward for a moment, absently; then they came back to me. "Heirloom."
"Oh," came my response. I didn't want to sound like I was mocking him, so I added, "Yeah, my, uh, dad got me a music box last year. Not, uh... not as good as the whole kingdom, but he's saving that one for my brother."
Sombra looked at me flatly for a moment, and my stomach twisted like I'd said something wrong. Before I could apologize, he asked, "Are... you... afraid?"
I blinked, and felt a tear fall. It would've been pointless to lie. "Y-yes."
He lifted a hoof and dabbed away the drop from my cheek. "Don't... be."
I nodded, but his words caused a warm relief to wash over me--which, given the room, was saying something.
We didn't really say much more to each other after that; either there was some language barrier going on, or he didn't like talking in the middle of a crowd. Whatever it was, he guided me over to the water bar, where I got a much-needed drink to take the edge off being in what felt like a furnace.
When it was time for new festivities to begin, the guy in the band who was in charge of the biggest drum let out three booming raps. It signaled everyone else to clear off the middle of the floor to make room for the newlywed couple. We walked out onto the dance floor, the band started playing the quiet intro of something, and Sombra whispered, "Ready?" It was still kind of loud, but I nodded.
He stood up and picked me up with him, which kind of helped the height difference. Part of my preparations for the wedding had been dancing lessons, which included practice at balancing on my back legs without using my wings. It was tricky to do, but part of the reasons we danced like that was because it made it into a cooperative effort--leaning on each other, without making your partner fall over backwards.
Sombra firmly pulled me in close to him. I braced myself, expecting him to start crushing me, but that never came. He put some weight on me, but as I pushed back to balance myself, it felt a lot more equal than I would've imagined, for dancing with someone who was wearing metal armor.
The band picked up, with strings cutting in to start a deep, resonating tune. We began dancing--he led, I followed, and my feet didn't get stepped on. He had a hoof on my back, near the top of my hips, but the more we moved, the more I felt it was a natural for us to be together like that.
For a quiet guy with freaky eyes, I had to give it to him: He could handle himself gracefully.
Our fire-lit dance in the depths of the earth took us in slow, steady turns. I felt myself floating away, and in a few moments, I had difficulty telling where my body stopped and his began. That was weird enough to snap me back into the moment, but I managed to do it without throwing our rhythm off.
The music built up to a peak, and at that point, it was the right time for me to dip backwards. Sombra leaned over me as I arched my spine backwards, and for a moment, we were horizontal, with him on top of me.
It didn't bother me like I thought it would have.
After the first dance ended, other couples filtered onto the stone dance floor. Sombra led me off to the side, which was fine by me--after our first dance together, I guessed dancing could be cool, but it still wasn't one of my favorite things in the world.
We stayed on the edge of the dance floor for most of the rest of the party, only heading back out at what felt like carefully measured paces to not be rude to our guests. The whole time, I was filled with a strange sense of inner calm. Everything ran around me in an almost-blur, but I kept coming back to the feeling that, given the situation, today definitely didn't turn out as bad as it could have.
The party ended around five o'clock, when it was time for dinner. The whole wedding started to form lines for a procession to head up through Griffalia. Sombra and I were in charge of leading it, so the two of us linked arm in foreleg. I was ready to go.
Once everyone was in their two lines--one on either side of us--we headed to the exit. I smiled at my family as I walked past them, but it was a quick, fleeting thing. Before I could even dwell on it, I had passed them, and I kept walking with my new husband up to our wedding feast.
After that... well, I'd just have to wait and see how it all turned out. |
Of Joys Found in Twilight Hours | pre | Spike frowned and muttered. "Not as cool as Radiance."
Twilight stood a little taller, a hint of pride in her voice. "One time when Spike found an enchanted comic book, I got to be the Masked Matter-Horn. It was pretty cool and a little scary at the time."
Pinkie and Spike's eye rolls were nearly audible over the gasp of enthusiasm from the filly. "REAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLY?"
Twilight nodded. "Yup, but I think your dad wants to go, so what do you want me to sign?"
The filly poked her father repeatedly until he turned to face his daughter, a manic grin filled with childlike wonder splayed across the filly's face. Her father sighed. "I don't have any paper on me dear."
The filly looked up at Twilight, a look of utter devastation replacing the childlike wonder. Twilight however could not stop a giggle and merely produced a small pad of paper with her magic. "Now, who do you want me to make this out to?"
"Make it out to Moon Shadow from Princess Twilight Sparkle." The filly emphasised 'princess' heavily. However, her confidence faded quickly. "But um you knew that part."
Twilight continued to giggle, as if she'd forget her own name. Meanwhile Spike and Pinkie approached the filly's father, curiosity burning in both of their minds. "So you said your wife was in a play not too long ago would it have been a Midsummer's Night Dream by chance?"
"Why yes, actually i'm surprised you knew it. It seems not too many ponies go to see the classics nowadays." Lightning Quill cocked an eye, a question clearly burning in his mind but unsure how to say it.
Pinkie jumped in happily. "Of course, my date is a bit old fashioned like that." Pinkie practically beamed at the opportunity to talk about Twilight and it had shone through in her enthusiastic voice.
"Our date," Spike interrupted, his voice flat and brooking no argument.
Pinkie was about to apologize and clarify but the pegasus butted in. "You can't be serious, a mare sure, but a dragon? Don't play tricks on an old stallion." From the tone of his voice he seemed to be joking but to Spike it came off as anything but jovial. To him the stallion had just insulted him on a personal level and had attempted to invalidate everything he felt.
"You better believe it jerk," Spike explained while he poked the stallion in the chest with a claw, rising to his full height. He would have been more intimidating had his dress not caught a bit of the wind, sending it fluttering and showing off his lithe feminine form. "Got a problem with that?" Something clicked in Spike's mind and all the jealousy and anger from the past few months came bubbling to the surface. Every moment he had felt like the fake one in their weird relationship. Every time he wished he was a mare so people wouldn't give him weird side long glances. The anger came roaring up within him.
The stallion stuttered and took a step back, an opening Pinkie was quick to exploit by stepping in and putting a hoof on Spike's chest. "Im sure he didn't mean it like that Spikey. He -"
"Didn't mean it what way, huh?" the dragon asked while he puffed out his chest and glared down at the pink pony who didn't flinch from the stare one bit.
"I was just wondering why she would have brought her assistant to her date is all." The stallion held up his hooves apologetically, a feeble smile on his face.
"Is that all I am? Somepony's assistant?" Spike took a step forward, his teeth bared.
Pinkie quickly stood on her hind hooves in order to properly hold back the snarling dragon. "He just didn't know, Spike, calm down."
"Calm down? Me? I am calm!" Smoke rose from the corners of the dragon's nostrils as he tried to push past the pink pony.
Pinkie held firm. "In his defence he probably thought it was weird for Twilight to be on a date with her assistant." Pinkie's eyes widened in horror as she realized what she had said by accident. "I didn't mean it like-"
Spike's nostrils flared with green fire but before he could breathe out he heard the authoritative tone of Twilight from behind him. "What is going on here? Are you two fighting again?"
Moon Shadow hid behind her legs, until her father quickly scooped her up and tossed her on his back. Gone was the talkative filly that had been eating up all of Twilight's attention, instead the filly clamped her mouth shut and shrinked against her father, making herself as small as possible.
Spike's indignation faltered but Pinkie pie taking a step away and removing her hoof from his chest made those negative feelings rise to the surface once more. He opened his mouth to give verbal form to his annoyance, only for he and Pinkie to both speak at the same time.
"He/she said-" They were both cut off by the intense frown of disapproval from their date.
Twilight let out a tired sigh, her shoulders drooping as her ears followed suit. "So you were... I should have known this never would have worked."
Both of her date's readied their arguments but they vanished the instant Twilight did. In a flash she was gone, and in that moment they both realized what they had done. She hadn't just been talking about this date or this evening when she said it wouldn't work. She meant something much deeper, something both of her now former dates were abundantly clear of.
The smoke and bluster blew from Spike leaving him staring vacantly at the spot Twilight had been just moments ago. Pinkie's hair fell flat and she looked left and right, frantically searching for something. "Come on. Spike. she couldn't have gone far. Maybe we can-"
"She's back at the hotel, Pinkie." The pink mare continued to look, a sense of panic and desperation creeping across her features.
"She can't be, we still had to finish our ice cream and then kiss and then we would go back to the hotel together and and and..." All at once the strength left Pinkie's legs and she plopped down onto the cold stone ground, tears welling at the edge of her vision.
Spike was moments away from telling Pinkie exactly what was on his mind but the image of the mare crying on the ground - and ruining her dress - robbed him of what little anger he still held within him. A sigh escaped his lips and despite his earlier argument he had to reluctantly admit to himself that it was at least partially his fault. "Come on, Pinkie, let's go." He leaned down and tried to pick the mare up from the ground only for her to slip out of his grasp like a wet noodle.
"But but what if she comes back and we aren't here. She will be so worried that." Pinkie's teary eyes looked up at Spike where she saw the same sadness she felt. Something stirred within the party pony at that moment but she couldn't put her hoof on what it was.
"She isn't coming back, Pinkie. We have a long walk back to the hotel, so we'd better get going." This time when Spike went to lift up the pink mare she didn't slip out of his grasp and instead allowed him to lift her to a standing position.
He turned toward the direction of their hotel only to stop when she noticed Pinkie wasn't coming with him. A flash of anger passed through him but it was gone in a moment. They were in this together after all he thought. "Pinkie?" Spike wiped a stray tear from his eye before turning around.
The moment he did he felt the powerful forelegs of Pinkie wrap around him and squeeze him tightly. Spike tensed, unsure of what he should do, as unused to physical contact with the pink mare as he was. However, the moment he felt Pinkie's head rest on his shoulder, her tears smearing her makeup against the side of his face, he felt his resistance slip away.
"I'm sorry Spikey," sobbed Pinkie.
Strength returned to the dragon and he found himself embracing the mare before he could change his mind. A strange feeling bloomed within the dragon's chest and butterflies filled his stomach.
Tears he didn't remember shedding trickled down his face. Pinkie lost whatever resolve she had and squeezed him while her own tears flowed freely. There they stood for nearly a minute, crying out all the jealousy and petty anger that had tainted their hearts. Feelings left repressed for the several months they had been dating Twilight unraveled and ran down their cheeks. Only after every last bit of petty jealousy had left their hearts did they separate. However, their arms would not release the other completely. Instead they merely looked into each other's eyes. Strange feelings were bubbling and roiling within them.
Unsure of what was happening or what he was feeling, Spike stood stock still, trying to will his arms to let go of the pink mare. Pinkie was only slightly less confused for she recognized the odd feeling welling within her as the small burgeoning love she had felt for Twilight when they had gone on their first date all those years ago. Their lips met, neither sure who had moved and neither cared. Than just like that they were separate once more, a thin strand of saliva connecting them for a second.
It wasn't love, or even lust or even something either would have admitted existed before today, but it was there and now that they had acted on that tiny fleeting emotion it began to take root inside them.
Pinkie's smile returned and she wiped her lips with a hoof. When Spike's face remained an impassive mask of confusion, her smile faltered. The second Spike saw the corners of her mouth begin to fall, guilt sprang up inside him, pushing him to action. "I'm sorry too, Pinkie, this is all my fault..." His gaze fell but he could not will himself to release the mare from his arms.
A pink hoof pulled his chin up and and those plush velvety lips of hers met his for a second time. Once again the kiss broke far before either party wanted it to. Leaving Spike oddly disappointed and even more confused than before. "No, Spikey, we are both at fault. I shouldn't have egged you on. My silly mouth moved faster than my noodle did."
This time it was Pinkie's turn to look away, making Spike roll his eyes. "Well, we have a long walk ahead of us so, we better put our noodles to work thinking of how to make it up to Twilight."
At the mention of her name Pinkie's ears perked back up. "Yeah! Let's go Spike, no time to waste!" Spike didn't even notice Pinkie slipping out of his grasp. One second she was there and the next she was halfway down the street, looking back at him with a nervous smile.
"Hey wait up!" Spike's feet carried him quickly as he sped along the street trying to catch up to the quick pink pony. |
Mi Amore | pre | The mare sighed and shook her head. "As long as you love me, I'm never going to abandon you, Fleet."
Their heart-to-heart had gone well so far. Fleethoof felt less and less anxious by the minute, and Cadance was getting everything she had hoped to from the young stallion.
"Anything else you want me to admit?"
Fleethoof cocked a half smile. "Well, I know you're an immortal Princess of Love, so it makes me wonder how many lovers you've had before."
The mare batted her eyelashes innocently, smirking at the pony. "Do you want to know that answer?"
The pony hesitated for a moment, and then shook his head. "No, I guess not... Not right now, at least."
"Alright. Now, it's your turn," Cadance said. "I opened up to you, now I want you to do the same."
Fleethoof was confused. "I thought I did already?"
"I want you to act on your emotions," she continued, noting the scared expression in his eyes. "You've always had a problem opening up, but you also don't act emotionally unless forced to. I want to see something genuine from you, Fleethoof. That's all. No bars, no holding back. Give me something earnest I can believe."
Another tense silence filled the air around the two ponies. Fleethoof didn't know what to do. He felt trapped between a rock and a hard place. Celestia knew there were so many things he could do--so many things he wanted to say and do. He wanted to whisk her off into the night and travel the world with her. He wanted to sweep her off her hooves and kiss her beneath the silvery moonlight. But he couldn't bring himself to move. He could face an entire army without blinking an eye, but facing Cadance felt like the most difficult thing he could ever do.
Cadance's purple eyes stared deeply, longingly into his, searching for something. She was pleading with him to do something--anything. Anything to prove her right, and that he could act on his own heart. It was his fatal flaw that always proved to be his undoing.
But after many long moments had passed, Cadance had begun to lose hope. Her eyes dropped, and she sighed softly. A strange sensation of disappointment settled over her.
"I don't think I'll ever understand you, Fleethoof," she murmured softly, giving him a small, sad smile and a quick glance up before turning and slowly walking away.
Fleethoof could feel his heart racing and aching at the same time. He tried to call after her, but couldn't bring himself to produce the words. This was his chance, his moment. And he was losing it. After all that work, he wasn't about to let it go without fighting for it.
Inside the ballroom, distant applause was heard. The band was preparing for the next song. A singer took to the stage. This was his last chance.
"Dance with me!"
Cadance stopped dead in her tracks a few feet away. She turned to look curiously at him, not sure she had heard him correctly.
"What?"
"I said, dance with me," Fleethoof repeated, smiling as he trotted up to her and offering his hoof. "Cadance, let me show you I can act impulsively."
Feeling her hopes rise from the ashes, Cadance took Fleethoof's hoof as the music began to start up in the hall. He bowed to her, smirking as she laughed at his ballroom etiquette. And then he pulled her close and took the lead as the music began.
"Did you really mean all those words you wrote?" asked Cadance, inclining her neck against his slightly to whisper into his ear.
Fleethoof smirked to himself. "Every single word. Especially the way you've made me a better stallion."
Fleethoof leaned back enough to lock gazes with Cadance again. The stallion and mare smiled at one another. Cadance was happy, content to be dancing with a pony she held so close to her heart. Fleethoof was still in awe that he had ever met such an incredible pony in his lifetime.
"You look beautiful tonight," he stated, winking jokingly to her.
Cadance laughed and shook her head. "So does that mean I don't look beautiful every night?"
"Your words, not mine," Fleethoof teased, spinning Cadance around in his hooves as the song picked up. "But not my opinion."
Cadance sighed happily as Fleethoof pulled her back in close. She knew he had been hiding away these intentions and fantasies for a long time. Often she had wondered what he would be like if he actually acted on what he wanted. She wasn't disappointed in the least anymore.
"Your dancing has improved," she noted as they spun in place.
"I've been taking lessons, just in case I need to pretend to know what I'm doing again," said Fleethoof, grinning a little as they dipped down. "I kinda wanted to try and secretly impress you too."
Cadance laughed. "Well, you succeeded. Except for the secretly part."
As the music reached a crescendo again, Fleethoof's motions became faster, more energetic and passionate. All the while though, he never once let go of Cadance, keeping her held tight at all times.
The instruments took over from the vocalist again, slowing the song down. The two ponies returned to the slow, subtle comfort of gentle movements. Their bodies pressed close, feeling each other's heartbeat against their own. It was intimate, and personal.
Cadance loved it.
Fleethoof still couldn't believe he was actually living this.
With each of the last lines, Fleethoof would take a sharp turn or spin Cadance in his hooves. Right before the end, they dipped again, and the music held. So did the ponies. Cadance had her hooves wound around the stallion's neck as he supported her weight. They stared into each other's eyes, deep sapphire meeting rich purple.
Their faces hovered mere inches apart, close enough to feel the other's heated breath on their cheek. The moment seemed to freeze in time. Nothing moved. Everything hung, suspended in this one moment of reality. Fleethoof could have lived this moment forever.
They'd been in this position before. Flashbacks to the ball in the Arabian palace blinked before his eyes. He'd had the perfect opportunity before, but he'd let it slip away. Was he going to lose that chance again?
Fleethoof pulled back up, returning Cadance back to a more stable stance. They danced close again, swaying back and forth to the music. But something had changed. The princess was gripping much more tightly around his neck, not wanting to let go. Fleethoof felt like his heart might explode if it beat any faster or harder. His chest tightened. He could barely breathe right as it was.
The song was speeding up, quickly approaching its climactic finish. So too, did their dance mirror the music. Fleethoof's moves and twirls became more flourished and elaborate. Cadance smiled widely, having the time of her life. Fleethoof had always had a wild, burning soul. Now she was beginning to see it firsthand.
"Thank you," Fleethoof whispered softly, so much so Cadance almost didn't hear him, even this close.
"For what?"
"Giving me the courage to do this..."
Fleethoof spun Cadance one final time in his hooves, then caught her by the waist again and dipped down with her once more.
The stallion and mare ended up in the same position as before. Close, so very, very close. Nothing left in between them. Cadance holding onto him. Fleethoof gripping tight to her.
Their eyes met. There was one last thing for him to do.
He wasn't missing this chance again.
Making sure he had a secure hold on her body, Fleethoof leaned in closer. His eyes never left hers, and likewise she never once looked away. Her hoof gently came up behind his head, running through his tousled golden mane. Inches became centimeters in distance, virtually no space left to cross.
Electricity ran through the air. Fleethoof's body felt like it was on fire, even in the cool weather. Years of maddening thoughts and desires all culminating to this one point in time.
He closed the distance.
Soft, warm lips met his in a gentle kiss. His eyes closed, and in the darkness of his mind, Fleethoof swam in the pleasure, the passion, and all the unknown sensations taking him over. Cadance grasped tighter to him. Fireworks went off behind his eyelids. He suddenly felt dizzy, drunk with victory and glee.
In that moment, Fleethoof never wanted the night to end. |
Mi Amore | Reflection | Two roses sat in a vase of water on the princess' nightstand: one deep red, a symbol of passion and desire, and one pure white, an effigy of true love and reverence. A pair of cards sat on either side of the vase. And in the hooves of Princess Cadence lay a slightly crumpled, well-handled letter.
Cadence had lost track of how many times she'd read the letter. She couldn't get it off her mind, nor could she ignore what was written on one of the two cards. Two very special ponies had shown her such care and devotion that day. It made her feel like the luckiest filly in Equestria.
She sighed softly and set the letter down on the nightstand. Hearts and Hooves Day always held a special meaning to her. Being the Princess of Love, seeing so much of it in abundance did her soul good. Even she received cards anonymously by the dozen. But seldom did anypony ever have the courage to prove themselves like two unique stallions did today.
It was a Hearts and Hooves Day for the ages.
But now it left Cadence feeling both giddy and troubled. She cared deeply for both stallions, and it was painstakingly clear that they both cared for her. Even still, their styles were starkly different.
With Shining Armor, everything felt friendly, warm, and magical. It felt like being with the Prince Charming from the fairytales. They had so much history together, Cadence could recall dozens of wonderful memories with him at the drop of a hat. He was sweet, and gentle, and loving, and protective. Cadence could easily see herself spending many peaceful hours at a time with him--probably because they had in the past. She always knew where he was when she needed him, and even though she worried about his wellbeing too, he wasn't being thrown into immediate danger every other day. Shining Armor was stable.
Fleethoof was less so. When it came to that pegasus, everything was powerful, wild, and intense. Nothing was ever subdued or settled. He was fiery, and passionate, and enigmatic. He was a thrill. But she didn't know half the things about him that she knew about Shining. Granted, they hadn't grown up together, but still, Fleethoof was always so pensive, so quiet, and kept to himself. His job had him coming and going all the time, sometimes for weeks on end to distant parts of the world. And each time, Cadence never knew what he was doing or if he was coming back at all. He lived his life like he was dying, and she knew he could be gone forever in a single moment...
It was impossible to pick one stallion over the other. Shining Armor and Fleethoof were like two sides of the same coin--like light and darkness. It was impossible. But such weighty decisions did not need to be made on the spot, nor at one in the morning. Lying down in bed, Cadence cast one last loving look to her gifts set down beside her before rolling over and drifting into slumber.
Across Canterlot, three ponies had very good dreams that night. |
Mi Amore | The Letter | To my most beautiful Princess Cadence,
Words cannot begin to describe everything that you mean to me. You matter more to me than the entire world. Without you near me, Equestria feels like the dead of winter: cold, harsh, unforgiving. You breathe life into my winter. You bring light into my dark world. Without you, I would have been lost to the fire and the shadow. You, my saving grace, make me feel like a true stallion--but more, you make me feel like a hero.
Before you came into my life, I was a lost soul, wandering through an impossible maze of despair I didn't even know I was in. You came to me, like an angel, and rescued me from the depths of Tartarus. I am all that I am because of your guidance and your devotion. I am the stallion I am today, for better or for worse, because of what you give to me.
You give me strength when I need it most.
You give me courage when I must be brave.
You give me hope when I have nothing to believe in.
You give me love when I thought I was alone.
I pray that someday I will be able to return all the blessings and all the love you have given to me. But take comfort in knowing that although you may not realize it, I will always be with you.
You are my princess. And whatever I am, I am yours.
Happy Hearts and Hooves Day.
With love,
-- Your Stallion xxx |
A Golden Wish | pre | "I'm nothing special either, for some reason others don't seem to believe some of the things we hold dear. Pinkie believes in other worlds and that there may be one or two that can watch us, whilst I believe that humans exist. Maybe they might be one of those worlds." Lyra spilled forth. Her speech, even faster than before.
Zecora's ears twitched. He regarded Pinkie, then returned to Lyra again.
"You missed out something important." He cocked his head. Lyra did the same. "You are a unicorn, Mrs Heartstrings."
Lyra just stared.
"Why is that important exactly?"
"You don't know?" A shocked Rainbow questioned. Lyra answered with a shake of the head.
"How sheltered were you two!?!" Rainbow rubbed her face.
"It is important Lyra because of what happened in the past. Before your time yes, but not before mine." Zecora started, only to be cut off by Rainbow Dash.
"Don't you think that is unwise? We have no right to tell her."
"But she has every right to know, Miss Dash."
"It may be too much."
"We shall find out!" Zecora turned back to Rainbow Dash. "All will come to light eventually, Miss Dash. It merely depends on when the Gods want to show it to you. And I want that time to be now!"
He faced a quiet Lyra once again.
• • •
"About forty years ag-"
"Before you begin Zac, it may be an idea to mention; those responsible for what you are about to hear, were not in their right mind." Rainbow Dash cut in. Eyes flicked between a worried Lyra and the stern look of the mask.
"About forty years ago, new laws came into place all over the world. The harmony and sanctity we had between races was breaking. The pegasi owned the sky and were in charge of transport, weather control and various other duties that earth ponies could not perform. Earth ponies were tasked with jobs such as growing crops, occupying shops, retail and most manual jobs provided. Being an earth pony was more common, yet was still in no way a bad thing. In fact, a lot of the more successful businesses were run by such ponies.
However, unicorns were special. Unlike any other race of pony, they had the ability to do something remarkable. They could use magic. Some could use more powerful forms than others, but still it was magic! Manual labour wasn't a problem unless vast masses of object needed moving, requiring a lot more concentration as you can imagine. More skilled unicorns could step on clouds just like pegasi without falling to their deaths. Others could cast these spells on others. Some, had the ability to FLY. As magic required concentration, a lot of unicorns excelled in academic studies and showed the ability to solve problems with ease."
"Of course, you still had idiots who couldn't figure which way a door opens if they had three guesses," Rainbow interjected. "You forget, unicorns had a subliminal advantage in academia, mainly due to the fact they required research in order to perform certain spells. They trained to be disciplined from a very early age. They were SO AWESOME! Unicorns were by no means rare. But they were the most useful out of us all."
"Four." Zac stated. The cyan mare raised an eyebrow at the zebra. "You forget our origins Miss Dash."
Zac returned his attention to Lyra.
"Where do you think we came from? Why do you think there is a divide in our races?"
Lyra shook her head. Rainbow Dash frowned slightly and gave her nose a rub in anticipation of Zac's answer.
"Alucorns. Once, our entire world was inhabited by one species of pony." Rainbow scoffed.
"Alucorns? No. Just no. Is myths and legends with you all isn't it." Rolling her eyes, she crossed her hooves.
"They were the most powerful and gradient creatures in all the lands. They harnessed all our abilities and made advances in all forms of knowledge. Yet they were few in numbers. Demons, corrupt animal mismatches, beings of air and earth and fire, centaurs and potentially..." Zac leaned in "...humans could have also been around at the time." Lyra perked up slightly. "All these lived together. Yet one day, the world changed. We existed. From no clear date, our existence just... Happened. And not only that, all traces of our makers just disappeared." Zecora turned to Rainbow Dash now. Pinkie was starting to feel a little ignored.
"It is my belief, that the most powerful of all the alucorns, made a wish. A wish that changed the course of our species throughout eternity. By splitting us into three parts, our numbers were free to grow and our power would be less dangerous. We could live happily."
"What are you getting at Zac?"
"Unicorns harness the most powerful of the alucorns power. Magic. An ability to change the world around them." The mask stared into Lyra's eyes. "Whilst society provide a select few with artificial power, when it comes down to it, they are still just as useful as their body allows them to be. Yet unicorns can do almost anything. You have... TRUE... power. And that, ultimately, was your downfall."
"You see, the power of the alucorns, when they were split into three, gave each breed of pony a power. Unicorns had intelligence and magic, pegasi had speed and aerial domination and earth ponies had numbers. The governing body for the lands, the Communion Of Lasting Trinity, became predominantly earth based. Those in power, wanted more power. And that power needed to be taken from others. The others being unicorns and pegasi. Their greed took root soon enough."
"Greed became loathing, loathing became hatred, hatred became fear. And that fear spread to more than just those in the high courts. The Communion tore at itself, becoming the one thing it was supposed to combat. Imbalance between each species."
"The days grew darker. Rumours of war billowed over lands like a great wave, and those caught up in it found themselves in the shadow of its imminent embrace. For those unaware at first, things seemed normal. Yet, as time passed, even those blind to the world around them could feel the tension in the air. Families locked themselves in their houses, children no longer played outside. Hunts for 'witches' began."
"Trees and fields burned in fire so high, the heavens were scorched black from it rage. Bodies piled high, smoke cloaked the skies in permanent clouds."
Like England during the summer! Rosie piped up. Pinkie nearly screamed. She had been so engrossed in the story, she completely forgotten that Rosie was there.
"The world, fell into the hands of the corrupt. The earth ponies placed in power to help protect the harmony between each species, destroyed the most valued of us all. Since then, the world has been dying. The imbalance has caused events completely unfathomable to any sane pony." Zac turned to Pinkie. "Events such as the one that happened to your grandfather with the microwave, Pinkie."
"God rest his soul."
"God rest his soul."
God rest his soul.
God rest his soul.
God rest his soul.
"What happened to Pinkie's Grandfather?" Lyra asked. Zac rose to his feet. Continuing to speak, he turned and headed towards the pedestal with his prized diary upon it.
"That was when I started to use codes to catalogue events. I developed runes and complex bodies of sentences in order to make deciphering my notes almost impossible. It came from four of my favourite codes when I was a foal. These of course were adopted, adapted and then changed as time went on. I never wrote a key, a clue or solution to my notes." Removing the book, he returned to the table. Setting it before him, he read its title out loud. "Zecora se Dagboek" he traced it with a hoof. He looked up. "Zecora's diary."
Pinkie watched, the pages were covered in shapes and swirls, runes within runes and all parts were scattered about the page in a seemingly haphazard manner. Zecora, however, glanced in set patterns across each symbol without hesitation whilst his hoof traced the previous symbol.
"The desolation of trust within those we should trust has broken the very nature of our world. Powerful bodies spread distrust and soon, a war broke out. Pegasi and Earth ponies against unicorns. The innocence we once had had been lost in one fell move." He read.
"I found myself taking refuge away from my townsfolk. I could no longer live with others I didn't trust. I made my home in a forest for seclusion and spent my days researching a way to undo what was done. During a particularly stormy night, a vision came to me. A horned stallion of pure light told me to head further into my forest. In the centre, he told me, I will find him and grant a wish." Zac looked up.
"Do you know what is so special about this book?" The eyes behind the mask burned into Lyra's. She shook her head.
"Its my handwriting, at least a similar copy. However, the small symbol at the top of each page..." He tapped a hoof on a rune that looked particularly like the the letter 'V' mixed with the letter 'h'. "...tells you the gender of the writer. The idea was, my code shows more than just what you write. Its supposed to let the reader know WHO you are."
"Why is that an issue then?" Rainbow questioned.
"My symbol looks like this." He grabbed a roll of parchment with a rune similar to the number '4' mixed with the letter 'A' in the upper left hand corner. "The symbology of the upward arrow means the writer is male."
He returned to the diary.
"The symbology of the downward arrow," he traced the 'V', "means the writer is female." When Zecora noticed the others were perplexed by this, he continued.
"As I said before, I created this code. I invented it. I never told anyone about it. It is a secret. There is no written solution or key to it. So why is there a girl who knows it too? More importantly, why does she have the same name as me?"
"So you didn't write this?" Pinkie asked.
"No. Stranger still, the night I finally read this diary, I made an interesting discovery. This 'other Zecora' has lived through the same things I have. Stranger still, the night I read the passage I recited a second ago, I had a dream. In my dream I talked a horned stallion of pure light."
"So I did what any sane pony would do in that situation. I did as the diary told me. Sure enough, in the deepest holds of the forest I found something amazing. A city of gold." Lyra's ears pricked. Pinkie noticed Rainbow's eyes glaze over, a hungry look in her eyes. Zac cocked his head. "I peaked your interest already? Shame. The next bit is even better."
Zac pushed the food bowl on the table. It dropped to the floor, a heavy clash rang out as an explosion of green, red and yellow leaves covered the area where it landed. Zac stood up.
"Mares, what I found in the centre is one of the most well kept secret in all the 16 nations. A city of gold is a worth prize for any, but what lies at its heart is a prize worthy only to heroes." Zecora traced his hooves over the table. The wooden rings lay in a perfect cylindrical pattern, each one parallel to it's neighbour. When Pinkie looked closer however, she noticed small notches connecting the rings together.
"Its heart. It is based on proving the measure of a creature brave enough to enter. By walking through the doors, the exit will close as soon as it leaves your sight, and the trials will begin." Zac's hoof pointed towards the first notch in the table.
"The book was right. And not only that, the only one who could have written it was me." Everyone in the room found their vision passing back to the diary. "My handwriting, my diary, my name, my runes, my codes. Similar past, same future. But not my gender. Not only that, mention of things that don't exist here." Zecora faced the three mares. "I wrote that book. But it wasn't me. Another me." He passed back and forth.
"Pinkie." Pinkie almost jumped at her name. She sat upright almost immediately.
"Why were you in a hospital?"
"I suffer from delusions of grandeur and schizophrenia."
"Schizophrenia? Sounds fun."
"Well, it keeps me company." Pinkie chuckled.
"Why else?"
"I believe in other universes."
"Where does this book come from?" Zac stopped. The room fell silent.
Say it. Go on.
"Another universe."
"Yes. How long were you in the prison for?"
"Prison?"
"HOW LONG?" His voice turned harsh. Rainbow Dash physically tensed, her eyes narrowed slightly.
"A-all my life pretty much." Pinkie stammered.
"Then I hope this adventure will be penance for their barbaric idiocy." He spat the words like poison.
Zecora's body language changed, relaxing almost immediately. He approached the table once more and pointed at the first notch again.
"Here you will need a golden tablet."
"Golden tablet?" Lyra questioned. "We were never given a golden tablet."
Zac approached her, slowly reaching into Bravery's bag, he removed a golden capsule. Its surface was highly polished yet covered in small inscriptions.
Look. It has letters on it.
Twelve rows in fact.
When Zac twisted it around in his hoof, a small plateau of gold circled a particular column of these carvings, making them seem more important.
"Twenty five symbols on each row. Twenty four for each letter and one blank. Watch." Grasping it, Zac span a column. "These will allow you to give your answer to each obstacle." He span another and another. "Each capsule is a golden key to unlock the next ring." He continued twisting.
"Obstacles? What are these obstacles?" Lyra inquired again. Zac placed the tablet on the far end of the table in full view of the three mares. Inside the golden rectangle, they could see why Zecora had been twisting each row.
RIDDLES_LYRA
"Interesting way of answering that question." Rainbow mumbled. Pinkie giggled quietly.
"Pray you answer them correctly. For a fault will mean your life, gruesomely or otherwise. When you pass the first gate, follow the sun. It will guide you to the next gate. As for what is in the temple, look to your uncle's letter."
Pinkie stared before producing the envelope. Pulling the letter out, the key came with it. Zac reached for it.
"The key is gold." He murmured. He drew back before taking the envelope and its contents and placing it to one side. "You should remember that when you arrive there. But be wary. Riddles are not the only deadly challenges within those walls."
"What are the challenges? What are the riddles?" Pinkie pryed.
"That would be telling." He said solemnly.
"It would. Come on, help us." Lyra joined in.
"I can't." Zecora shifted on his hooves. "For I am no longer at liberty to."
"Why?"
Zecora turned and approached a shelf of tall, thin vials. Returning to the table, he popped open the top and proceeded to pour it over the wooden furniture. The liquid oozed from its glass prison, dripping in thick crystal clear blobs. As it made contact with the table, however, the liquid lost its viscosity. It wormed and snaked its way around the grooves of the table as it covered the surface. Once it overflowed the rings, the liquid spilled out and glazed the wooden table.
The three mares watched. After a beat, Rainbow split the silence.
"Is something supposed to happen? Cos all I see is a very wet table,"
The room exploded in a rush of blue that engulfed each pony. The table caught amidst a bright flame that sucked the light from everywhere else leaving deep shadows to flit free of their daylight confines.
The flame towered higher and higher, licking the roof of the hut with long, deep cyan tongues.
The three ponies screamed at the sight.
JESUS CHRIST!
Who?
Nevermind.
"THE TABLE!" Pinkie pointed a hoof at the blazing wooden surface. The crystal clear liquid began to boil and bubble, froth and spit as it curdled into a thick black sludge under the heat of the fire. Zecora removed his mask in the light of the bright blue flames.
"This is the last of my help that I can give." He stood, hoof reaching into the bright flame to trace the words, the liquid was now forming. "For in finding what you want, you must lose something else."
As the liquid evaporated, the words staining the table became clearer and all three mares mouthed the message.
Ask when asked at divine land
Bask for glories close at hand
From lowly slaves to high born sires
We'll grant what most, their heart desires
Yet those who want must tread with care
As they must pay their wishes fare
For in your wish fulfillments birth
We'll take something of equal worth
"Something of equal worth." Zecora repeated. "Sometimes that can be a part of yourself."
As quickly as the fire started, Zac conjured a cloth into his hoof before slamming it down into the centre of the table, extinguishing it immediately with a single ring of smoke billowing from beneath.
The ring breezed out past each pony towards the walls. As it progressed, colour and light returned to the room. Pinkie's blood drained from her face.
There, in the light of day, Zecora's face had finally been revealed, much to Pinkie's horror.
Zecora's face was covered in blazing orange tattoos that emanated out from his piercing, heat-filled eyes. Pinkie screamed, flailing wildly. The same pattern, the same colour, the same eyes as the demon in the fire from her dream. Lyra jerked around in time to see Pinkie fall off the back of her chair.
"What's that all about!?!" Rainbow shouted. Lyra rushed to Pinkie's side to calm her down. Pinkie's eyes never left Zecora's.
"She's seen my marks before." He turned to face her. "The marks of the Gods."
He stepped towards Pinkie, kneeling to her height. Producing Bravery's envelope out of thin air, he placed it at her hooves.
"The key...is gold." Without a word, he stood up and disappeared into his kitchen once again.
• • •
"Well that was an ordeal." Rainbow scratched her head. She collapsed onto a chair around the table. Zac joined her, dropping the dairy on the table.
"You managed to get them going though. That was an achievement." He placed a drink in front of her. She eyed it cautiously before taking it anyway. "Who knew they spent most of their lives in confinement."
"They do suffer... complicated issues." She chose her words carefully. Zac took out an identical drink.
"They seem normal to me." Zac smiled. "I don't think they're suffering either. They're just naive." He took a swig.
"She can't believe she managed to destroy the door on the way out. Looks like she splintered the wall as well." Rainbow frowned. "Those tattoos must have really startled her. How did you get them anyway?" Taking a swig or two of her own drink.
"I wished for too much. As a result, I lost my life in the process." He opened the book and flipped through a few pages. "Still... I won't be needing it for much longer." Rainbow tensed slightly.
"How so?"
"I won't be alive for much longer."
"You look in perfect health though. Why what's gonna happen?"
Zac shook his head, ears folded back.
"I'm not at liberty to say," He stared at the diary, lost in thought, before finishing his drink. "Thank you for coming."
Rainbow stood and made her way to the door.
"Rainbow Dash." He called out, halting her leave.
"What do you enjoy most in this life?" He remained seated. The question caught her off guard, but after a moment she smiled.
"Flying. Without the use of a plane." She replied. "It makes me feel alive. I can't help but reminisce about old times."
Zecora stared at her. His face stayed solemn.
"Go for a fly tonight. And reminisce." He returned to his diary, flicking across another couple of pages. Rainbow Dash snorted.
"For crying out loud Zac, you act like its the end of the world."
"Don't be silly." He waves her off. She exited through the Pinkie shaped hole in the door away.
Turning to the last page, he traced over four hoof drawn pictures with a brief passage by each of them.
"That's a whole two days away." |
The Lost Hero | pre | "Correct. I'm a magician by trade and my wagon doubles as my stage."
"I always liked those. When this adventure is over, could I see your show?"
Trixie grinned.
"It would be an honor!"
Daring cleared her throat.
"I think we are getting a little sidetracked here."
"Oh right, I never answered the original question. I suppose I don't have a Cutie Mark because I'm not really a pony. I was transformed into one after Vartox shoved me through the portal that brought me here."
The other three did a double take, then Daring smacked herself in the head.
"Oh right, I forgot you told us this when we first met. So, what do you normally look like?"
He sighed.
"Do you know what a human is?"
All three of them shook their heads no.
"Okay, do you know what an ape is?"
All three of them nodded.
"I kind of look like that, but sleeker and a lot less hairy."
The three struggled to picture it and admitted they couldn't, as they had no concept of a human form.
Clark decided to move on.
"I think we're forgetting something. Daring Do, who or what are we facing on this quest?"
Daring lowered her head in sorrow. Bringing up the past was always painful.
"Dr. Caballeron was a colleague of mine from back when I started out as an archaeologist. When we first met, he seemed kind and passionate about our profession. We... even dated for a short time. But one day, he revealed his true colors. Unlike me, he doesn't care about learning of ancient cultures and teaching others about them. All he cares about is getting rich by selling artifacts to the highest bidder, and it doesn't matter to him who gets hurt in the process. Even if an artifact is sacred or cursed, it won't stop him. Heck, he even desecrates graves!"
Clark, Trixie, and even Maud shuddered in horror at hearing that.
"To make matters worse, he often forms partnerships with my other enemy, Ahuizotl. He's kind of hard to describe... like an ape crossed with a cat. I don't really know much about his origins. He commands an army of cats, and for some reason, he's obsessed with ruining the world and making others miserable. Through his partnerships with Dr. Caballeron and others, he tries to acquire magical artifacts that can help him do this."
Trixie spoke up.
"If these two are so vile, why haven't you contacted Princess Celestia or Princess Luna about them? These two sound like they need to be locked up, pronto."
Daring looked sad.
"I suppose it's because I was arrogant. I suppose it's because I was greedy. Ever since Dr. Caballeron betrayed me, I resolved to never work with anyone again so that I couldn't be hurt again. In the past few years, I've done a pretty good job of it. I've always been able to beat those two and their goons by myself before. Then I would write down my adventures and publish them as books to earn some bits. Thanks to my books, nearly everypony in Equestria thinks the three of us are mere fictional characters. I used to deceive myself into thinking this was to prevent the citizens from panicking, but now I realize I was being an idiot and taking this too lightly. Before, it was always: they start trouble, I stop them, I write a book about it, then it starts all over again. But then, a few months ago, I lost against Ahuizotl, and he would have succeeded in plunging the land into 800 years of unrelenting heat if Rainbow Dash and her friends hadn't helped me."
Upon hearing Rainbow Dash's name, Trixie and Maud perked up.
"I've realized the folly of my arrogance and I'm through with treating this conflict like a game. When I learned that Dr. Caballeron was on the move again this morning, I decided I'm ending this once and for all! We're gonna find his newest digsite, kick his flank, and arrest him!"
Upon hearing this speech, Clark made a decision.
"All of you, get on the wagon."
They did a double take and Daring answered for all three of them.
"What are you doing?"
"If what you say is true, we must stop these guys ASAP. I'm speeding this journey up."
"Are you sure?"
"You saw what I did with the wagon when you first met me, right?"
Trixie spoke up.
"All right, I'll trust you, but you'd better not damage the wagon. It's part of my livelihood."
"I'll do my best."
The three girls hopped into the wagon, then Clark prepared himself.
"Hang on!"
He sped off, following the hoofprints and estimating he could safely run at about 60 miles per hour without destroying the wagon. The three stared at their surroundings whizzing by in amazement and Trixie voiced her opinion.
"You thinking of becoming an athlete? I feel you're breaking a few records!"
He momentarily turned his head to face her.
"If I don't find a way home, I just might!"
A few minutes later, the trees began to clear and the group could see a massive structure that resembled an Aztec pyramid. Clark slowed down to a trot. He checked the sun and judged that it was about 3:30 in the afternoon, then turned to the others.
"Get ready."
They nodded and hopped off the wagon, then Trixie used her telekinesis to detach Clark from the wagon. He was mildly curious at this display of magic coming from her horn, but chose not to question it. In his long life, he had seen a few unicorns and they didn't have the ability to speak nor telekinesis, just an ability to purify the surroundings and dispel evil influences, but he chalked up the differences to being from a different world. After all, he and his friends and family were not even close to have finished exploring the universe.
The four slowly approached the pyramid to find 26 male Earth Ponies poking about the entrance to the pyramid and digging in the dirt around it. One with a suave haircut, stubble, a golden skull as a Cutie Mark, and a rich-looking shirt spotted them and spoke in a Spanish accent.
"Ah, Daring Do, so nice of you to join us. And you've brought friends."
"Caballeron! What are you trying to steal this time!?"
"That's Dr. Caballeron to you. And that's for me to know and you to find out, not that you will. Get them!"
His 25 goons charged at the group. Before anypony could react, Clark leaped forward and came down with a powerful stomp, creating a small shockwave that knocked the attackers down. As everypony stared in amazement at the feat of strength, he spoke to the goons.
"All of you! Answer this, why are you working for him?"
The goons looked at each other uncertainly, then one answered.
"Um, yesterday, he came to us and told us all we had to do was guard him and help him find some treasure and he would make us rich in return."
Clark snorted.
"What good are riches when you are in prison or the world is in ruins? Because those are the only futures you lot will have if you continue to follow him. You have one chance to prove you are better than this and walk away to a better life. Make your choice."
Incensed, Dr. Caballeron interrupted.
"What are you fools doing! If you don't attack right now, you won't get paid!"
Daring Do laughed and made a wisecrack.
"Wow, with that attitude, it's a wonder how you can get anyone to work for you."
"Hold your tongue, Daring Do!"
One of the other goons turned to Dr. Caballeron.
"What was this about ruining the world?"
Before Caballeron could answer, Daring cut him off and explained.
"He a greedy jerk who only cares about stealing artifacts and selling them to get rich. He'll even sell a magical artifact to a guy who will only use it to destroy the world!"
"Who cares, Ahuizotl promised I would be spared from anything he attempts! In the end, I will be a fat, rich, survivor!"
Trixie facehoofed.
"You have got to be kidding me."
The hired goons became angry.
"We kind of like the world. You know what, Caballeron!? Screw this, we're outta here!"
They ran off, taking most of their equipment with them.
"Come back, you fools!"
It was no use, and they soon disappeared down the trail.
Daring stepped forward.
"Well well, look who's all alone."
He frowned.
"All right, fine, I give up. I will not humiliate myself by resorting to violence and suffering a losing battle."
Trixie smirked.
"Well, that was easy."
She summoned some chains from her wagon (used for an escape artist act), and telekinetically tied him up with them.
Daring walked up and slapped him. Angered, he growled and struggled against the chains.
"Darn you!"
"Just testing to see if the chains would hold."
She turned to Clark.
"That was a pretty cool speech you did back there."
"I've been through more battles than I can count. If I have a chance to end it quickly, I will take it. Besides, I could tell those guys were not evil, just looking for money to support themselves. They deserved a chance at a better life."
"Oh, I never really talked to his hired help before. I usually just beat them up."
The whole time, Maud was examining the entrance to the pyramid.
"Umm, guys? Judging by the dust and the condition of the door, the pyramid was opened, and something went inside."
Dr. Caballeron chuckled and recited in sing-song.
"I know something you don't know!"
As Daring growled and slapped him again, Clark heard something big rushing at the door.
"Maud, get away from there!"
In an instant, he ran up to her, wrapped his arms around her barrel, and leaped back to the others, landing on his back.
An instant later, a loud roar echoed before the stone door shattered outward and a being resembling a cross between a cat and an ape with blue fur and a hand on his tail leaped out. He was wearing a large, gold-plated belt with arcane runes on it, and his body seemed to be sparkling.
"Ahuizotl!"
"Ah Daring Do, so glad you could arrive on time to meet your doom!"
"I'm glad your strategy for me to distract her long enough for you to acquire the artifact was successful."
The group turned around and saw Dr. Caballeron had pulled a nail file out of his shirt pocket with his teeth and was trying to work through the chains. Daring quickly punched him and knocked him out cold.
The group turned back to Ahuizotl, then Maud noticed that Clark was still holding her. She blushed.
"Umm..."
He let go of her and backpedaled.
"I-I'm sorry!"
Daring and Trixie laughed.
"You dare ignore me!?"
Ahuizotl growled in rage.
They turned back to him.
"Sorry about that, Ahuizotl. So what did you steal this time?"
"Hahaha! This belt is the Aegis of Gaia! With it, I am invincible! I shall trample the entire world unopposed, for nothing can harm me now!"
"We'll see about that!"
Clark charged up at super speed and punched him in the head, trying to knock him out, but he only slid back a few feet and was unfazed.
"Oh no, not good."
Darn it, this pony body must have reduced my power.
"You Fool!"
Ahuizotl tried to grab Clark with his tail, but he ducked, then quickly wrapped his arms around the tail and judo threw him. Ahuizotl flew across the clearing and made a small crater, but he got up, unharmed.
"Hahaha! The Aegis of Gaia makes my body as hard as diamond and grants me the required secondary powers so that I am unharmed by impacts! You are strong, stranger, but it is pointless!"
As the four regrouped, Daring started thinking.
Clark dismissing Caballeron's goons has given me an idea. All this time, I've never tried to learn Ahuizotl's motivations. No time like the present.
"Ahuizotl! Tell us, why do you want to ruin the world!?"
"Hahaha! You disappoint me, Daring Do! What kind of stupid question is that!? It's simple! There's nothing more satisfying than the rush I get from watching others suffer and die! The screams of the innocent help lull me to sleep! That's all there is to it!"
The four shuddered, then they all thought as one.
This guy is evil. He needs to be taken down.
Ahuizotl straightened up.
"Now, Daring Do and friends! You've interfered with me for long enough!"
He snapped his fingers, then Clark abruptly heard five new heartbeats as a tiger, a cheetah, a lynx, a panther, and a ferocious white house cat stepped out from behind him.
Clark double-taked.
"Okay, those were not standing behind him a few seconds ago!"
Daring shrugged.
"I just assume he summons them with magic."
"Attack!"
Daring drew her whip as she and Trixie took on the cats, while Clark and Maud took on Ahuizotl.
Ahuizotl proved incredibly strong and agile, and his diamond hard body increased the impact of his strikes. Clark was able to effortlessly dodge his attacks, but grew frustrated that no matter how fast he attacked, he couldn't generate enough force to inflict any damage other than knocking him back.
Darn it, I know diamond isn't unbreakable. If only I could fly. I'm sure I could generate enough force if I could do that.
He tried using his heat vision to destroy the belt, but it was unaffected and Ahuizotl didn't even notice it.
Maud demonstrated her impressive speed and punched and tackled Ahuizotl several times, but she didn't have any luck either. Even when she threw a boulder at him, it shattered against him. Suddenly, he got a lucky punch in with his tail that knocked her senseless. He gloated, then picked up a shovel left behind by one of Dr. Caballeron's workers and tried to smash her brains in. In an instant, Clark drew Dawnbreak from his saddlebags with his teeth and sliced it in half. He then tried a few slashes on Ahuizotl's non-vital areas, but they just bounced off.
As Maud woke up, Daring and Trixie had just finished knocking out the five cats, who vanished, and rushed over to help. Daring wrapped her whip around his head and flew straight up, managing to topple him. Trixie blasted him several times, but it might as well been a light show. Daring tried another attack, but Ahuizotl caught her, then broke her left wing.
"AAAHHHH!"
"Hahaha! That's right, Daring Do! Scream for-"
He was cut off as an enraged Clark punched him, sending him flying.
Ahuizotl grunted as he landed. His face was covered with cracks.
"This cannot be! I actually felt that!"
As Maud and Trixie tried to tend to Daring, Clark, having just realized his tail was prehensile, gripped Dawnbreak's sheath with it.
"You're about to feel a lot more."
He returned Dawnbreak to its sheath, then crouched with his teeth around its hilt.
"What do you think you are doing!?"
One instant, Clark was crouching in front of him. The next instant, Clark was walking behind him, casually sheathing his katana and returning it to his saddlebags.
"Huh? Where did you... ARGH!"
Ahuizotl collapsed, clutching his cracked and bleeding side.
"How!?"
Clark walked up to him.
"Nothing is indestructible if you apply enough force. Diamond is no exception."
He unbuckled and removed the Aegis of Gaia from Ahuizotl's waist, who screamed in pain again once he no longer had the artifact's magic protecting his body.
"Go to sleep."
He punched him in the head and knocked him out cold, then tucked the artifact into his saddlebags, thankful for the enchantment that made them bigger on the inside.
Maud and Trixie finished wrapping up Daring's wing. The adventurer grunted in pain, but stared at him in awe.
"That was amazing! But how was your sword able to take him out when it didn't work earlier?"
"I used a technique called Battoujutsu or Iaido. By drawing the sword with precise timing, you drastically increase the striking power. Like I said, even diamond will break if you apply enough force, especially if that force is focused on such a small area like a sword's edge. Now, let's see to that injury."
He put a hoof on Daring's wing and concentrated.
Hmmm, that's interesting. I have mana in this body. That should make this easier.
Chanting some arcane words, he channeled energy into her injury.
Daring sighed in relief.
"My wing! It doesn't hurt anymore!"
The bandages came off, revealing her wing wasn't broken anymore.
"It's numb though."
Maud and Trixie gawked at seeing an Earth Pony perform a spell.
"I'm a total novice at magic, but my brother Billy taught me a basic healing spell. Since my normal body lacks mana, every other time I've had to use it, I had to fuel it with my own life energy. Heh, if Billy had done it, your wing would be 100% right away. You should be able to move it again after a few hours."
"Thanks. That's good to know. A Pegasus' wings are her life."
Maud suddenly got really close to him.
"You are amazing."
He nervously backed away.
"T-Thanks."
Trixie chuckled and tied Ahuizotl up with more chains.
"Do we want this guy to bleed out?"
Daring shrugged.
"After learning his motivation, I'd say it's too good for him, but ponies are not murderers. I still want him in jail."
"Very well."
Clark healed Ahuizotl just enough for his wound to close, then hefted the cat-ape on his back.
"Let's get back to the wagon."
Maud hefted Dr. Caballeron on her back, then the four started walking to the wagon. Suddenly, when Clark stepped on a crack, his hoof sank into it.
Maud's eyes widened.
"You stepped on a fault line."
The ground collapsed, and the group of four plus the two unconscious villains went plummeting into the abyss. Since Daring Do's wing was still numb, she couldn't fly. Clark concentrated as hard as he could, but just like before, he was unable to put his energy under him and defy gravity. As he desperately flapped his arms and legs, he only had one thought.
Oh crap! |
The Lost Hero | New Girl and the Beast | As they fell, Clark, Trixie, and Daring screamed, but Maud just grimaced and braced herself. Dr. Caballeron and Ahuizotl started to regain consciousness, but were too out of it to react. Trixie managed to pull herself together and focus her telekinesis to slow down their fall. She groaned in pain, but it worked and their impact with the ground just felt like a hard tumble.
Dr. Caballeron and Ahuizotl laid there in their bindings and groaned before slipping back into unconsciousness. The others looked around the cavern they found themselves in. There were holes leading to tunnels in several directions. The hole they fell through was so far away it looked like a dot. Though the sunlight didn't reach them, they could still see because what seemed like moss on certain parts of the floor and walls was glowing a dull green. Trixie helped by lighting up her horn.
Daring Do checked her wing.
"Darn it, I still can't move it!"
Clark turned to Trixie.
"Can you lift us out?"
"Sorry, I'm not strong enough to do something like that. Even slowing our fall was tiring."
"That's okay."
He crouched down and gathered his strength.
"I'm going to see if I can leap to the top. If I can, I'll come back for you all."
All three mares stared at him. Daring raised an eyebrow.
"You can't be serious."
"I have to try."
He grunted and leaped up with all his strength. The mares gaped in awe at seeing him soar into the air at an incredible speed. He saw the hole get closer and closer, but he started to fall.
Come on, come on, fly!
His efforts to concentrate his energy underneath him were in vain, and he landed back where he started with a thud. He immediately got up and tried again, twice, but it had the same results. He frowned.
"It seems my limit is about 200 meters. Judging by how large the hole looked when my jump was at its apex, we're about 270 meters below the surface. Looks like my plan to carry you all out one at a time was a bust."
Hmm, if I go at super speed, I might be able to run up the wall, but it might cause a cave in, plus it would be too risky to do that while carrying one of them and the hole is nowhere near the walls. Darn it.
Maud took charge.
"We'll just find another way out. Caves are formed from water erosion, so they'll eventually lead to the surface. If we systematically search these tunnels, we'll find one with a flow of air, which will lead to the outside."
She picked a tunnel at random, carved a circle mark on the wall with her strong hoof, then entered.
Stunned, Clark picked up Ahuizotl and Trixie helped Daring with Caballeron, then they followed Maud down the tunnel. Clark caught up to Maud.
"Good to see you know your way around caves."
She gave a tiny smirk.
"I told you, rocks are my life. I've studied as much about them as I can. Plus, I grew up on a rock farm and learned how to navigate its mines. It's a similar principle."
"A rock farm? How does that work?"
She perked up.
"Simple. You excavate the-"
Clark abruptly put a hoof over her mouth.
"Shhh. A lot of big insects are coming from up ahead."
Trixie looked around.
"What are you talking about?"
"I can hear a lot of wing flaps approaching. They sound like flies buzzing, and they are big."
Daring Do's eyes widened. She inspected the source of the dull green light and gave a look of shock.
"How could I have missed this!? This is Changeling slime!"
Trixie gasped and Maud's eyes widened. Clark grunted.
"Care to enlighten me?"
"Changelings are shape-shifting creatures that resemble ponies crossed with insects. They feed on other beings' love energy. A few years ago, they tried to conquer Equestria before they were driven off into hiding."
"Drat, they must have made this cave their nest."
He could see in the dark if he concentrated, and his telescopic vision made his mind boggle at the hundreds of Changelings funneling through the tunnel towards them. By now, the mares could hear their wings buzzing.
"I can hear them talking to each other. They know we are here and were ordered to apprehend us. Is there any chance we can negotiate with them?"
Daring shook her head.
"I doubt it. Their queen, Chrysalis, made it clear she wanted all ponies as slaves for her kind to drain."
"I see."
Using any of my powers in this tunnel could be disastrous.
"We've got to fall back to where we started. Use the tunnel entrance as a bottleneck."
"Sounds like a plan. Come on!"
They retreated to the chamber that they fell into. The hole was even harder to see than before, indicating the sun was setting. Clark concentrated his powers.
There's no sunlight here. You've been in situations like this plenty of times. Ration your power. Use it as efficiently as possible.
Looking into the hole, he waited until the maximum number of Changelings were lined up, then fired his heat vision. Their ranks were thinned out as many fell to the tunnel floor in pain with their wings singed.
The mares were startled and Trixie stammered.
"W-What was that?"
"Explanations later, fight now!"
He fired more volleys of heat vision, but there were too many enemies and a swarm burst from the tunnel.
Daring Do flew up and punched several out.
"Good news, everypony! My wing is 100% again!"
"Good to hear!"
Trixie saluted as she began blasting Changelings left and right.
Clark and Maud start punching and bucking Changelings, sending them flying into the walls, though they were careful to not do it hard enough to cause a cave in.
Now that she could fly again, Daring looked up at the hole, but before she could move, she saw the Changelings had already reached it and sealed it shut with rock and slime, similar to the way ants and termites seal breaches in their mounds.
"Darn it!"
Some of the Changelings started firing blasts with their horns. A preoccupied Clark got hit in the back with one. Since his invulnerability didn't apply to magical attacks, he screamed in pain as he was blasted across the chamber. While he was lying dazed, he got dogpiled. Since he was still recovering and found it a bit hard to move, he grunted and used a low level Solar Pulse. The Changelings trying to hold him down were blasted away, twitching in pain from their burns.
Having recovered from his grogginess, he looked up and saw Maud had been stunned by a blast and then dogpiled. He prepared to help her, but the Changelings apparently anticipated this. He saw five other Mauds similarly being dogpiled. He applied his X-Ray vision, only to discover that that the fake Mauds could copy a pony's physiology when transformed.
"Wait a second..."
With super speed, he punched or knocked away all the Changelings and fake Mauds, leaving only the real one. She shook off her grogginess.
"How did you know?"
"None of them had Boulder."
With that, she hugged him and he immediately hugged her back. For a moment, they were the only two in the world. Her lips started to approach his, and he prepared to kiss her, before suddenly backing away, gasping and blushing.
What was I thinking!? Am I out of my mind!? Maxima hasn't even been dead for a day! And she's a pony!
At his reaction, she looked sad, which made him feel even worse.
"Could you do that later and help us!?"
Trixie and Daring were still fighting off the seemingly endless horde.
Embarrassed, Maud nodded and leaped away to tackle more Changelings.
Clark noticed some Changelings trying to drag Caballeron and Ahuizotl's unconscious bodies away. He drew his sword with his teeth and tackled them away, parrying their attempted horn attacks and blasts with the blade. While guarding them, he looked around and found that the Changelings' numbers haven't thinned.
"Trixie! Help me wake these two bozos up!"
She fought her way over to him.
"Are you sure?"
"We need all the help we can get."
"Fine."
She undid their bindings with telekinesis and conjured smelling salts to revive them. They groaned in pain and slowly got up. Caballeron struggled to regain his bearings.
"What is going on?"
Clark answered for him.
"We're under attack from Changelings. Fight or be a slave. Make your choice."
Ahuizotl sneered.
"What I choose is the path of destruction!"
He lunged at the horde and started smacking away all in his path.
Caballeron looked around and sighed in annoyance.
"I suppose it is no choice at all. Have at thee!"
He charged into the fray. While he didn't have much experience in actual combat, he seemed to have studied some form of martial arts that allowed him to knock out Changelings with precise blows. Clark kept his senses locked on the two in case they tried to escape.
And so they fought. Clark used his super speed sparingly, worried he would burn up his remaining reserves of energy or that he might cause a cave in. Eventually, Caballeron was knocked out again and Ahuizotl passed out from the pain of his wound, as it was only partially healed by Clark's spell, but the two made their contribution to the battle. Some of the Changelings tried to fool them with transformations, but the group kept track of where their companions were at all times and it didn't work.
At last, all the Changelings in the cavern were knocked out and the team was exhausted. The battle had gone on for so long that they had lost track of time.
Clark approached Daring Do.
"Now that your wings are working again, if you carry me to the ceiling, I'm sure I can break through it."
"Heh, sounds like a plan. Let's secure these two again."
As the four approached the two unconscious villains, they all screamed in pain as they were blasted from behind several times. Clark was the last to fall.
Darn it, I didn't even hear any reinforcements from the tunnel!
The last thing he experienced before he lost consciousness was a sinister female laugh and an unconscious Maud's face.
Maud, I'm sorry...
Queen Chrysalis stepped out of the tunnel after she had ambushed the group with her magical blasts. With so many years of experience, she had completely mastered the art of flying without making any noise and of concealing her breath and heartbeat. She surveyed all the knocked out Changelings and gave an exasperated sigh.
"I suppose the old saying is true. You want something done right, you've got to do it yourself."
Clark woke up to find they were in another chamber, one that was furnished, decorated, and lit with many torches. He could see a throne on one end and a bed on another. Him, Maud, Trixie, Daring, Caballeron, and Ahuizotl were all bound upright in cocoons of hardened slime that covered them from the neck down, guarded by six Changelings. Trixie also had some slime covering her horn. On one end of the room was all of their clothing and equipment. He attempted to break free, only to confirm he was practically running on empty. The guards converged on him, only to be stopped by a voice.
"Ah, you're awake already. Impressive."
Chrysalis walked into the room, looking a little tired.
"Queen Chrysalis, I presume?"
"Correct, intruder."
She cast a spell and Maud, Daring Do, and Trixie woke up, but Caballeron and Ahuizotl's injuries prevented them from rousing. Despite their best efforts, Trixie and Daring shuddered in fear when they looked upon Chrysalis, but Maud just frowned.
"If it is any consolation, be satisfied that your group has set back my plans. Believe it or not, I care about my subjects. I've spent all night using my stored love energy to heal each of the ones you maimed. Oh yes, you shall all pay for every wing, leg, horn, or exoskeleton you have damaged. Can you believe it!? Ever since our previous defeat, we've been in hiding, building up our stores of love energy by having scouts seduce random passersby until we could launch a counterattack and I had to give it all up just like that!?"
All present, even the guards, flinched at her expression of anger and hint of madness.
"Ah, but that's in the past. It's time to replenish our stocks."
She approached a cabinet and opened it with her telekinesis, then floated out a decorated bottle.
"Say hello to my love poison."
Trixie panicked, having learned of love poison from a textbook back in her days at Celestia's School For Gifted Unicorns.
"Oh no! I've heard of that stuff! She's going to make us her mindless love slaves!"
Chrysalis rolled her eyes.
"Relax. We've tried the original formula of love poison on our victims before, but we learned it causes ponies to feel a false love that we cannot feed off of. No, I've modified and improved the formula. This version causes the drinker to think about and be consumed by whomever they truly love. In addition, I have learned from my mistakes from the previous infiltration and invasion. I have learned to read thoughts involving love. Allow me to demonstrate."
She looked at each of them until she picked Clark.
"Some of the soldiers I revived described you as the biggest threat, so you shall feed me first."
The bottle floated over to him. He struggled and tried to turn his head away, but her telekinesis held his head still and pinched his nostrils shut. He could do nothing as the bottle poured some of its contents down his throat. It tasted like fruit punch.
"Ahh!"
Clark struggled. His head was swimming and memories floated to the surface unbidden.
"Interesting. Your memories are a bit hard to interpret, but I can see you were not originally a pony. No matter. The mind is a plaything of the body, after all."
She concentrated, and green flames enveloped her as she changed. Standing before them now was an Earth Pony with pale white fur and a light red mane, wearing a business suit jacket and glasses. Her Cutie Mark was a pen and notebook.
Clark gasped.
"Those eyes..."
Chrysalis' new form smiled at him.
"Hey there, Smallville."
In his addled state, Clark choked back sobs at the voice he had not heard in person in over 1019 years, excluding his dreams. The potion made it hard to remember that the being in front of him was Chrysalis.
"Lois."
The Lois Lane facsimile walked up and kissed him, and he returned it. Realizing what was going to happen, Daring Do and Trixie sadly turned away, but Maud surprisingly growled at the display. As the kiss broke, green energy flowed from Clark's mouth into the false Lois' mouth. This invigorated her while he slumped forward in pain and exhaustion.
Chrysalis stepped back and returned to her true form, looking fresh as a daisy. All her fatigue from healing her subjects was gone.
"That hit the spot! But wait, I sense love for others."
She transformed again. This time, she was a Unicorn with peach colored fur and a long black mane, wearing a red uniform with yellow lightning bolt emblems and a white cape. Her Cutie Mark was a lightning bolt next to a sitting owl. She turned chipper.
"It's almost Ariella's birthday. What's your present, Clark?"
Clark's heart was in even more anguish at the voice he had not heard in person in over 1007 years.
"Mary!"
The process repeated. First a kiss, then a love drain. Trixie, Daring Do, and Maud shouted protests, trying to distract her, but it didn't work.
Chrysalis again stepped back and returned to her true form, giddy. She felt like back when she was powerful enough to defeat Celestia. She eyed Clark with a combination of greed and lust.
"I must have more!"
Her guards looked uncomfortable and one of them spoke up in a timid male voice.
"My Queen?"
"Quiet! I'll distribute it among the hive later!"
She transformed once again. This time, she was a Pegasus with pale white fur and a vibrant red mane, wearing green and black armor that showed off her curves, and she was about as large as Princess Cadence. Her Cutie Mark was the katana Inevitable surrounded by five floating rocks in a circle.
"Now, let's see how strong you truly are."
Clark was openly sobbing now. Even without the potion, he could never forget the mother of his son.
"MAXIMA!"
"I am here, my King."
She kissed and drained him again. Maud, Trixie, and Daring Do squinted in confusion at that statement.
Chrysalis drew back and returned to her true form.
"Hahahahaha!"
She stomped her right hoof down and the whole chamber shook. She punched a boulder and reduced it to dust.
"Such power! I shall have it all! There is one more I sense!"
By now, all in the chamber who were conscious were terrified of Chrysalis, except for Clark, who was extremely haggard and barely aware of his surroundings. Chrysalis needed a few seconds to sort through this next set of memories, giving a brief look of confusion. She levitated Boulder from the pile of belongings to her hoof, then transformed one more time, into Maud Pie, complete with a replica of her dress.
"Let's have a picnic together, just the three of us."
It was a seemingly perfect recreation of Maud's voice and mannerisms.
Clark looked up and stared at her, the look on his face unreadable.
"Clark! Snap out of it! She's not Maud!"
The three mares desperately called out to Clark, but he didn't react to them.
The false Maud approached him and brought her lips forward, but Clark headbutted her, knocking her into the wall. Boulder fell to the floor in front of him. She reverted to her true form in a daze.
Clark growled. His energy was rising even though there was no sunlight; a result of both his rage and something else. He activated a Solar Pulse that disintegrated his cocoon and turned his tears to steam. He looked back to full health. The guards lunged at him, but he knocked them out with one blow each.
Clark punched a wall and broke through it. As he suspected, it led to the outside. The Queen's chamber was inside a cliff face. It faced east and the sun was rising, bathing Clark in its light. He instantly felt better, but was still angry. Strengthened, Clark noticed reinforcements approaching from the tunnel, so he collapsed the entrance with a shot of heat vision. Able to guess the purpose of the hardened slime on Trixie's horn, he burned it off with a low level heat vision blast.
"Free the others!"
He turned towards Chrysalis.
"On it!"
While thoroughly shocked by what just happened, Trixie started blasting away at the slime covering her and the others.
Chrysalis got up, and was horrified to find her nose was bleeding from the headbutt.
"How dare you!?"
"You're not the first corrupt queen to try to usurp my heart. I give you props though, at least it worked better than the Queen of Fables' attempt."
"Queen of-? Whatever! Die!"
She tried to blast him with her horn, but in an instant, he was standing to her left. He uppercutted her in the gut, launching her into the ceiling. She came down, coughing.
"You. You desecrated my memories. YOU. WILL. PAY!"
All present looked on in shock as Clark's fur gradually turned gray and his mane gradually turned white. He grew slightly larger and he sprouted fangs. In desperation, Chrysalis landed a punch to his face that was so strong it created a mini sonic boom, but all it did was nudge his head back a little. She pulled Dawnbreak to her and drew it, leaving the blade floating in the air. Before she could swing it, he threw a punch that again launched her through the air. The sword fell to the ground with a clatter. The three mares were shocked to see she was unconscious, her jaw was dislocated, and her exoskeleton was cracked in several places.
Clark marched toward the fallen ruler, but the three mares stood in his way. Daring spoke for them.
"She's been beaten. You can stop now."
Clark shook his head in confusion and rubbed it.
"What happened? What was I- AHHHHHHHHH!!!"
They helplessly looked on in fear and confusion as Clark fell to his knees, wracked with pain. Heat was rolling of his body in waves, preventing them from coming near him. He realized what was happening but couldn't fight the change. As his mind started to be subsumed, he had just enough clarity to deliver one message.
"Lois. Mary. Maxima. Maud. I love you all, until the end of time."
He grew even larger until he was about as tall as Princess Celestia. Spikes sprouted from several parts of his body and all of his teeth grew sharp and long. He developed a Cutie Mark, a body's cell as seen under a microscope, under a mushroom cloud explosion. Finally, his eyes turned pure, glowing red.
Maud stepped forward uncertainly.
"Clark?"
The being before them answered in a voice completely unlike Clark's.
"NO CLARK. I AM DOOMSDAY!!!"
Doomsday roared, a roar that shook the chamber. Daring Do and Trixie fell over, but Maud stood her ground.
Doomsday marched towards them, but stopped when he looked into Maud's eyes.
"MAUD..."
Suddenly, a cold wind blew into the hole Clark had made and the chamber started filling with snow. Doomsday roared in annoyance.
Trixie squinted, then widened her eyes in horror.
"No, it cannot be. The Windigos!"
It was true. Dozens of the transparent, horse-like winter spirits were converging on the hole. They looked down on Doomsday and ice started forming on him, but he melted it away with a Solar Pulse. Undaunted, the spirits concentrated their efforts and in an instant, Doomsday was flash frozen. The spirits gleefully entered the chamber, intending to feed on this being that radiated hate and anger like a bonfire.
Before they could, Doomsday burst free from the ice, giving another mighty roar of rage. Sharing one last look with Maud, he leaped out of the hole, landing on the ground below with a thunderous crash. Looking around, he started running and leaping away at great speed. The Windigos ignored the others in the chamber and flew out in pursuit of their prey.
The three mares were snapped out of their stupor by the sound of shifting rocks. They turned to the collapsed entrance and realized the rest of the Changelings were trying to move the rocks aside to assist their Queen.
Daring assessed the situation.
"Not good. We have to get out of here."
She checked the two fallen criminals.
"These two need medical attention. Ahuizotl's wound has reopened and I think Caballeron has a concussion."
"On it."
Trixie cast a spell and the two started looking better.
"Clark's healing spell may have been different from anything I've ever seen, but I was able to get the gist of it."
"We have to find Clark."
The other two stared at Maud. Trixie voiced her doubts.
"Are you crazy!? That thing wasn't him!"
"He remembered me. He's there somewhere. We have to save him."
Daring shrugged.
"Well, we can't let Doomsday or the Windigos run wild in Equestria."
The mares went to the pile of belongings and got dressed. Maud recovered Boulder and looked over Clark's jacket. Slightly self-conscious, she put it on. Due to the differences in their sizes, it came down to her knees, like her dress, and she had to roll up the sleeves.
Trixie smirked.
"It's a good look, it suits you. Okay, we'll help you save your coltfriend."
Maud gave a small smile at hearing that.
Trixie examined Clark's saddlebags and removed but didn't unwrap Clark's cape, assuming it to just be a blanket, as well as the Aegis of Gaia.
"Hmm. These are enchanted to be bigger on the inside. I use a similar spell on my pockets and hat to help my magic show, but this one seems to be an improved version. I wonder..."
She conjured up chains to again tie the two criminals up, then telekinetically stuffed them into the saddlebags.
"Bravo! It worked! And the enchantment also negates most of their weight, so we can carry them easily."
She fixed the saddlebags around her waist. She stuffed the cape, the Aegis of Gaia, and Caballeron's clothes into her own enchanted pockets, not wanting to risk either of the two reviving and using Caballeron's various hidden tools to escape.
Daring Do refilled her canteen from a tiny, natural spring she found in the chamber, and shared it with the other two.
"Come on, that pile of rocks isn't going to last forever."
Trixie sheathed Clark's sword and tucked it into the saddlebags' belt.
"Any idea where we are going?"
Maud took a deep breath.
"I don't care if you think this is crazy, just know this is true. My Maud Sense allows me to know where ponies I am looking for are. Clark was heading north."
Trixie smiled.
"You're related to Pinkie Pie. I'll believe anything at this point."
"North it is. Trixie, get on my back and Maud, I'll carry you in my arms."
Trixie scoffed.
"Can you really carry the both of us?"
Daring smirked.
"I'm a lot stronger than I look, though I admit it will help if you use your telekinesis to lighten the load."
Trixie got on Daring's back and wrapped her arms around her barrel. Daring rose into the air and wrapped her arms around Maud's barrel from behind.
"Let's go save our friend."
With Trixie helping her, she flew out of the hole and soared northward as fast as she could.
A few seconds later, the pile of rocks blocking the tunnel collapsed and the Changelings attended to their fallen Queen and her fallen guards. |
The Lost Hero | Step Up | As Doomsday continued to run northward, the Windigos continued to pursue him. After noticing the creatures were intangible and he could not attack them (even his heat vision just went through them and mildly annoyed them), he decided to retreat. Similarly, the Windigos noticed that they were no longer capable of freezing Doomsday in place, as his body had already adapted to their ice. Every time they tried, his body would either heat up with a Solar Pulse or he would simply shatter the ice with his unmatched strength. It did not really matter to them; as long as they stayed near him, they were able to feed from his everlasting hatred and rage to sustain them and fuel their ice abilities. Although Doomsday could move even faster than Superman could, the Windigos started freezing everything around him, forcing him to stop every few seconds to knock aside massive walls of ice and get through deep snow banks. As he continued northward, they remained a minute or two away. Fortunately, they did not pass by any inhabited areas.
Princess Cadence and some of her guards anxiously waited at the Crystal Empire's northern gate. It was around noon when she spotted three things in the distance. They were a palanquin loaded with gifts, Prince Blueblood, and her husband Prince Shining Armor.
"Shiny!"
Squealing with joy, she flew out to meet them halfway, her guards close behind her.
Shining, Blueblood, and the servants carrying the palanquin stopped to catch their breaths for a few seconds, then Shining Armor hugged and addressed his wife.
"Take it easy honey, mind our baby."
"Oh Shiny! Just because I'm pregnant doesn't mean I'm fragile!"
"All right, I won't underestimate you again."
"So boys, how did the diplomatic meeting with Yakyakistan go?"
Shining was about to answer, but Blueblood cut him off and presented a contract.
"I have secured a trade deal with Prince Rutherford. I have to admit, it was a fun experience."
Cadence stared at him in disbelief, but Shining backed him up.
"It's true. I was there. So did you take care of that emergency that needed all four princesses? What was that, anyway?"
"Well, some aspiring wizard named Morning Glory living alone in the wilderness botched a spell and inadvertently summoned three out of control Tatzlwurms! They were tough, but we managed to defeat them and send them back where they came from after a few hours. We lectured him about his mistake and he promised to be more careful next time."
Blueblood whistled.
"That's very impressive."
He turned to Shining.
"My fellow prince, you sure know how to pick em. Err, I'm still pissed you two held the wedding while I was on that diplomatic meeting with Aquastria and didn't send me a message. I didn't find out until I came home."
Shining squirmed uncomfortably.
"At least you didn't have to suffer the Changeling Invasion. Can we just go home? I'd like to have lunch and rest now."
"Heh, sounds like a plan."
Blueblood turned to his servants.
"Once you drop my gifts off at the palace and have lunch, feel free to do whatever you like for the day. We will return to Canterlot on the train tomorrow."
They were all very happy.
"Thank you, Prince Blueblood!"
They all started walking back to the northern gate.
Doomsday continued to run. As he passed over the train tracks, his super strong hoofsteps mangled them into uselessness and then the Windigos froze them over. Eventually, he reached an area where the grass ended and natural snow began. Seeing an opportunity, the Windigos used the clouds around them to bolster their abilities and try to freeze him in place again.
His acquired immunity prevented it from working, but he could still feel uncomfortable and annoyed. He picked up the pace, again trying to escape these annoying creatures he could not fight and trying to find others he could unleash his wrath on. He passed over a severed red horn buried in the snow, and his slipstream uncovered it. After a few seconds, it began to shake and emit wisps of dark energy...
In the Crystal Empire, the train had just arrived and Miss Cheerilee led her class on their field trip.
"All right, my little ponies, stick together and do not wander off."
"Yes, Miss Cheerilee!"
"All right, let's go!"
Before they could take another step, cold wind started howling and a mighty roar echoed. They heard earth and metal being broken and then frozen over and looked behind them to see a snowstorm was entering the boundary separating the Empire from the eternal blizzard. They could barely see a large pony-like shape inside. It was covered with spikes, roaring, and charging through the blizzard towards them.
Diamond Tiara quickly grabbed Pipsqueak's tail with her mouth and flipped him onto her back (he's very tiny compared to her), then took charge with her special talent of leadership.
"Don't just stand there, everypony! Run!"
The class, the other tourists, and the Crystal Ponies took the hint and ran for their lives. Doomsday knocked the train on its side, then smashed the surrounding buildings to rubble. The rubble and train were quickly frozen over.
The three royals had just finished their lunch the castle's courtyard when they heard a distant roar, a snowstorm, and stone and crystal breaking.
"What was that!?"
A Royal Guard with a Cutie Mark of a bird in flight with wind lines blowing across from it flew in and reported.
"Your Majesties, Windigos have breached the Crystal Empire's protective wards. They've frozen the train station and are moving inward. There's also a madpony who arrived with them, a very large grey Earth Pony stallion with a white mane and covered with spikes. He's very strong and is smashing and setting everything on fire. He's already destroyed the train station. The guards have mobilized and are helping the citizens evacuate to the palace."
The three royals gasped in shock, then Cadence regained her wits first.
"Thank you, Cross Wind. Go and help the others. We will join you shortly."
Cross Wind saluted and flew off. Shining Armor turned to the other two.
"Should we contact the other princesses?"
Cadence shook her head.
"We cannot bother them over every little thing. My love magic on its own should be enough to drive away the Windigos. Help the guards evacuate the citizens and try to incapacitate this stallion Cross Wind mentioned. Based on his description, he may be the one who attracted the Windigos here."
Blueblood looked ahead, using his special talent of almost always finding what he was looking for. He used a telescopic vision and X-Ray vision spell to locate Doomsday.
"That stallion is currently tearing up 1st Street. That guard was right, he's huge! And he seems to be setting things on fire just by looking at them. Heh, it's ironic, the Windigos are putting out his fires almost as soon as he starts them. He seems to be yelling at them and trying, unsuccessfully, to hit them. I guess he didn't attract them on purpose. Okay, the good news: there seem to be no citizens in the area. The bad news: the guards are trying to talk to him and he's not listening, lashing out at anypony who comes near. How odd, he's acting like a berserk bear or gorilla rather than a pony. Well, come along, my fellow prince, the guards need help."
Cadence was stunned.
"Y-You actually want to help fight?"
Blueblood grunted in annoyance.
"Just because I don't normally like to get my hooves dirty doesn't mean I can't fight. What kind of prince would I be if I just stood here and let the subjects get hurt? Besides, the train has been taken out, so my servants and I are stuck here for the time being."
Shining Armor had an epiphany.
"Blueblood, where exactly is the madpony standing? Are there any buildings or structures between him and the Crystal Empire's border?"
"Huh? No. Why?"
"Cadence, remember how we beat the Changeling Invasion?"
Cadence thought about it for a second, then smirked.
"Ready when you are, my darling."
Blueblood watched in fascination as the pair touched horns and combined their energies. They unleashed a powerful force field spell augmented with love magic. As it quickly expanded outward, Blueblood got scared and shielded himself with his arm, only for the force field to harmlessly pass through him. Throughout the Crystal Empire, various citizens and tourists, including Miss Cheerilee's class, were filled with hope and happiness as the force field passed through them.
On 1st Street, the guards cheered as the force field passed through them. The Windigoes, sensing that the force field's love energy would be as hazardous to them as the Fires of Friendship from a millennium ago, retreated. Doomsday stared in confusion as the expanding force field hit him head-on. However, he did not get sent flying to the horizon like Queen Chrysalis and the Changelings did at the Royal Wedding. He instead dug his hooves through the concrete and held his ground. He roared in defiance as the force field shoved him along the ground, his hooves creating trenches in the concrete.
The force field stopped expanding when it reached the border of the Crystal Empire. When Doomsday stopped sliding back, he got up and angrily marched up to it. The guards barely had a chance to catch their breath before Doomsday punched the force field. A BOOM resonated through the land. Then another and another as the force field cracked. On the fourth punch, the force field shattered into a million pieces and dissipated. Shining Armor and Cadence cried out in pain and were both knocked unconscious by the feedback to their horns.
As the Windigos returned and resumed their attack on the Crystal Empire, the guards groaned and prepared to take on Doomsday again. However, he was more angry about the force field and with his telescopic vision, traced its source. He bypassed the guards by leaping over their heads and across the Empire. Miss Cheerilee's class, which was slowly being escorted along with several citizens to the castle, looked up in fear and shock as Doomsday passed over their heads. Button Mash hugged Sweetie Belle and covered her with his body as Doomsday clipped a roof, sending a little debris down.
Prince Blueblood, who had been watching all of this with his own telescopic vision, panicked when he saw Doomsday traveling through the air towards them.
"Oh crap!"
He turned to his servants.
"Run! Get to shelter!"
As his servants and the castle's staff followed his advice, he quickly hoisted Cadence onto his back and picked up Shining Armor with his telekinesis, grunting a little from the effort, then ran as fast as he could, trying to get inside the castle. Unfortunately, he didn't get far when Doomsday landed in the courtyard with a thunderous crash, knocking him off his feet. With all of his effort, Blueblood stopped Cadence from hitting the ground with his telekinesis, mindful of her unborn foal, but this made Shining Armor hit the ground hard and groan in pain.
Doomsday roared, which echoed through the land. Blueblood growled and held his ground, standing over his unconscious fellow royals.
"You want a piece of me, monster!? Just try it!"
Just as he charged up his horn and prepared a blast, the Pegasus members of the Royal Guard showed up, tugging along with great difficulty, a large storm cloud that had ironically been created by the Windigos. Lieutenant Flash Sentry gave a battle cry.
"Light em up!"
As one, they kicked the cloud, unleashing a gigantic lightning bolt that scored a direct hit on Doomsday. However, Doomsday had previously been hit with Captain and Lady Marvel's lightning, so it barely phased him. He glared at the assembled Pegasi.
"WEAK!!!"
He unleashed a three meter wide blast of heat vision. The guards scattered, but the beam destroyed the storm cloud. Several guards tried to tackle Doomsday, except for Flash, who remembered how physically strong he was.
"Guys, don't! Come back!"
Before they could reach him, he unleashed a Solar Pulse. It sent the guards flying, singed their fur, and left them unconscious. Flash drew his spear between his fetlock and pastern and stood between the monster and the royals. Blueblood looked around and levitated a guard's sword to himself. Doomsday growled and marched towards them. Blueblood nervously addressed Flash.
"Any ideas?"
"Just one. Revive our Prince and Princess, and get them to the Crystal Heart. It may be our only chance."
"What in the world is the Crystal... oh never mind, I'll just ask them."
As Blueblood tried to wake Cadence and Shining Armor up, Flash Sentry moved to the side, keeping Doomsday' attention on him.
"Come and get me!"
Doomsday fired his heat vision, but Flash evaded it and the beam demolished a wall. Flash threw his spear, but it broke against Doomsday's chest. Doomsday then concentrated a Solar Pulse into one hoof and stomped the ground. The impact had the force of a miniature nuke, and Flash was sent hurtling into a wall.
Doomsday turned his attention to Blueblood. Blueblood hurled his acquired sword, but it also broke on contact. Blueblood desperately fired a continuous blast from his horn, but to Doomsday, it was like a stream from a garden hose. Doomsday ignored it and charged up his heat vision.
Flash Sentry groaned and tried to shake the cobwebs from his impact with the wall, then saw what was happening. Horrified, he drew his short sword between his fetlock and pastern and charged it with as much mana as he could. It was a similar principle to the Wing Blade spell, and he was sure using it on his wings wouldn't be enough. Just as Doomsday was about to fire, Flash covered about 50 meters in an instant and slashed him across the throat. The fires in Doomsday's eyes went out, and he fell over, not moving. Just a little blood came out of the wound before it stopped flowing, and it ate a small hole through the ground like acid.
Blueblood looked at Doomsday's body and then Flash and shuddered.
"Sweet Celestia. You killed him."
Flash looked down sadly, trying to catch his breath.
"I wish there could have been another way, but I had to do something or else he would have incinerated all three of you."
"It's all right, the law says killing is justified for self-defense or to save another. By the way that was really impressive how you reached him in an instant. I haven't seen many Pegasi who can fly so fast."
Flash sighed.
"It's my special talent, to almost always arrive in time to protect others. It's why my name is Flash Sentry."
"Heh, catchy and meaningful. One thing for sure, after the Windigos are stopped, you're getting a raise."
The two started laughing, but it was short lived when they heard a growl. They turned around in horror to find Doomsday getting up, and the slash across his throat was gone.
"YOU WILL PAY FOR THAT!!!"
Flash drew his sword again, but in an instant, Doomsday was standing behind him, having punched his right wing clean off. Flash was silent for a second before it registered for him, then he gave a bloodcurdling scream and collapsed, dropping his sword. A horrified Blueblood fought his urge to vomit.
"Oh no, Flash!"
Doomsday stood over the ailing Flash and prepared to stomp his brains out, only to find himself inside a force field bubble and lifted into the air. Prince Shining Armor and Princess Cadence had finally awoken. As Cadence applied a minor healing spell to Flash to stop his bleeding, Shining Armor tried to lift Doomsday out of the Empire, but Doomsday punched the bubble and shattered it, dropping to the ground. This time, Shining Armor was ready for the feedback and it only gave him a headache.
As Cadence started carrying the unconscious Flash inside, Shining Armor and Blueblood stood against Doomsday. The Windigos were spreading through the city and partially blocking the sun with their storm clouds. The other Royal Guards stopped Cheerilee's class and the other citizens and started backing them away when they saw what was happening in the courtyard.
Just as Doomsday was about to lunge, a feminine battle cry sounded as something flew down and landed near the two princes. The dust cleared to reveal an exhausted Daring Do, along with Trixie Lulamoon and Maud Pie. They were all a little chilled from having to fly through the snowy mountains and then the Windigos' storm. The latter two let Daring collapse and try to catch her breath as they joined the two princes. The two princes nodded to them, glad for some backup and deciding to ask questions later, but Blueblood couldn't help but look back at Daring Do, fascinated.
Scootaloo jumped on a guard's head and could barely contain her excitement. She jumped off and tried to get closer.
"I can't believe it, it's Daring Do!"
"Scootaloo, come back!"
Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, and Button Mash pulled her back to the others, in spite of her protests.
Doomsday growled as he looked at all present, but did a double take when he beheld Maud.
"MAUD, THAT'S MY JACKET... NO, WAIT. DAMN IT!!! DAMN IT!!!"
Everypony was bewildered as he punched himself in the face before facing them again, but Maud stepped forward.
"Clark!"
"I AM NOT CLARK!!! I AM DOOMSDAY!!!"
Maud held her ground as everypony else was blown back by his breath and volume.
"If you're not Clark, why did you recognize me? Why did you recognize this jacket?"
Doomsday gritted his teeth.
"WE SHARE A BODY, AND HIS MEMORIES ARE BLEEDING THROUGH. I HATE IT!!! I HATE IT!!! I AM FEELING... DESIRES... COMPASSION... LOVE..."
His face grew wistful for a moment, before it became angry again.
"AND IT DISGUSTS ME!!!"
"How did this happen? How are you two sharing a body?"
"THAT IS NOT IMPORTANT!!! WHAT IS IMPORTANT IS THAT THE GRIEF AND ANGER HE FELT FROM MAXIMA'S DEATH WEAKENED CLARK ENOUGH FOR ME TO AWAKEN FOR THE FIRST TIME IN OVER A CENTURY, THEN THAT STUPID BITCH CHRYSALIS STEALING HIS LOVE FOR HER ALLOWED ME TO TAKE CONTROL!!! AND NOW IT IS CLEAR TO ME!!! MAUD!!! ONCE YOU DIE, I WILL BE FREE FOREVER!!!"
He leaped at her, but Trixie, Shining Armor, Cadence, and Blueblood blasted him simultaneously, knocking him back. He prepared to try again, but Trixie quickly cast a spell and seemingly everypony vanished from sight.
"WHERE DID THEY GO!!!"
Little did he know, they were still in their original spots. Trixie whispered to the others.
"I've turned us all invisible. What's the plan?"
"I HEARD THAT!!!"
Doomsday melted down a crystal building with his heat vision... missing everypony by a mile.
"Heh. I can make my illusions redirect sound as well."
"YOU WILL BURN!!!"
Doomsday fired his heat vision and missed again, then started firing in random directions. He was so frustrated that he didn't think to sweep his heat vision or otherwise use his abilities tactically to flush his invisible prey out. As the guards escorted the citizens away and kept them from panicking, Trixie sagged with fatigue.
"Drat. I can't keep this up forever. Somepony do something."
Cadence stepped up, having retrieved the Crystal Heart with her telekinesis. The others stared in awe of its beauty.
"From what I could gather, this being was spawned from hate. This is the Crystal Heart. It amplifies the love in our hearts and expels it outwards. I have a feeling this can take down Doomsday and the Windigos in one stroke."
Upon hearing this, Doomsday became terrified and desperately channeled a Solar Pulse into a stomp. The shockwave knocked everypony off their feet, except Maud who caught the Crystal Heart with her front hooves before it fell to the ground. She turned to Trixie.
"Turn off the illusion."
"Are you sure?"
"Do it!"
Trixie reluctantly dispelled her illusion and everypony became visible to Doomsday again. Before he could react, Maud stepped forward with the Crystal Heart.
"Clark, come back to us!"
The Crystal Heart fired a continuous beam of white energy at Doomsday, who roared in pain and struggled not to get bowled over. He struggled and started walking forward, against the beam.
"I WILL NOT DISAPPEAR!!!"
Cadence put a hoof on Maud's back, helping keep her from being blown back by the recoil. She spoke in the Royal Canterlot Voice.
"She needs help! Everypony, think of love, hope, and happiness!"
Everypony in the Crystal Empire did this. The Crystal Heart reacted and released a blast of white energy in every direction, filling the entire land with light. Doomsday attempted to block it with a Solar Pulse, but it didn't work and he screamed in pain and rage as it washed over him. The Windigos were forced to retreat from the Crystal Empire as the blast burned away at the stragglers. A majority of the ice covering the Crystal Empire shattered.
Everypony looked on in amazement at the fact that their bodies all looked crystalline. Cadence chuckled.
"Don't worry everypony, it's a temporary effect."
Cheerilee's class started talking amongst themselves.
"Wow, I guess you really can call me Diamond Tiara now."
"You look so beautiful!"
"Thank you, Pipsqueak."
"Sweetie Belle, you look like a princess."
"Oh, Button!"
They nuzzled. The rest of the class and Cheerilee celebrated.
Daring Do got up with a start.
"Woah, it's like I chugged a dozen cups of coffee!"
Trixie grinned at her friend.
"It's like that for me too. I think my magic reserves have been restored. Thanks be to the Crystal Heart."
Flash Sentry got up and groaned. He was in no pain, but he was having a little trouble keeping his balance, and everypony saw that he was still missing his right wing. Trixie sprang into action.
"Sir, let me help you with that."
She touched her horn to his stump and applied the healing spell Clark had shown her. At first, nothing happened, but she gritted her teeth and poured more energy into it. To everypony's amazement, his wing regenerated until it was good as new. Flash suddenly lifted Trixie into the air with a hug.
"Thank you, miss! Thank you!"
He suddenly realized what he was doing and gently lowered her to the ground, embarrassed.
"It's not a problem."
Trixie was blushing too, and slowly walked away. Cadence chuckled, already able to see the signs.
Maud had been inspecting her body due to her fascination with all things rock related when the realization hit her like a ton of bricks.
"Clark!"
She ran up to the unconscious, Blank Flanked Earth Pony who lay where Doomsday had been standing just moments ago and checked his pulse.
"Thank Celestia, he's alive."
She put her arms around him and sighed in relief.
"Ahem. I believe an explanation is in order."
She looked up to see Shining Armor looking at them sternly. Daring Do walked up and stood by her side.
"I'll handle this. This is Clark. He's a friend of ours who claims he's from another world. We're inclined to believe him as he's displayed amazing abilities. We all got captured by the Changelings yesterday. When Queen Chrysalis drained Clark's love, it caused him to transform into this Doomsday creature. Like Princess Cadence said, it might have been spawned from his hate or something like that."
Cadence and Shining Armor gasped at this news, while Blueblood stared at her with open admiration. Trixie suddenly remembered something and reached into Clark's saddlebags with her telekinesis.
"By the way, we've caught these two criminals."
She pulled the still unconscious Caballeron and Ahuizotl out and laid them on the ground.
"They need medical attention and water, then to be locked up."
Cadence held up a hoof.
"This is getting a little too complicated. I'm sending a message to the other three princesses."
Blueblood lifted Caballeron with his telekinesis while some of the guards carried Ahuizotl.
"Go ahead. I'll escort these two to the infirmary and then the dungeon. Let's face it, I want to feel like I've accomplished something today."
Daring Do joined him.
"They're my archenemies. I'm not letting them out of my sight."
"Suit yourself."
As they walked away, Blueblood tried some small talk.
"I can't help but notice we have similar Cutie Marks."
"Well, mine's a compass because I like exploring."
"Mine's a compass because I am good at finding things."
Cadence shook her head.
"Unbelievable."
Sometimes she regretted being the Princess of Love.
As Flash and some other guards lifted Clark out of a reluctant Maud's arms and carried him into the palace, Shining and her surveyed the situation. Shining addressed the crowd.
"My apologies, but since the train station has been destroyed, rooms will be provided for all of you until further notice."
Several tourists groaned, but Cheerilee's class celebrated at getting to stay in the Crystal Empire longer. |
The Lost Hero | Assembly and a Few Explanations | Just as Princess Cadence promised, the Crystalling effect wore off after a few minutes, to some of the ponies' relief and some of the ponies' disappointment. As the sun started to set, Cheerilee's class and several other tourists were escorted into hotel rooms and other temporary accommodations. Trixie, Maud, Daring Do, and the others were served diner, which they gladly ate, as the first three haven't had anything to eat since lunch yesterday.
Clark was carried into a guest room in the palace and put to bed. The guards, especially Flash Sentry, were amazed that he didn't seem to have a scratch on him, not even a scar on his throat where Doomsday had been slashed. A few briefly held grudges due to what Doomsday had done to them, but were reprimanded by the others. Cadence, Shining Armor, Trixie, and Maud entered the room and Maud quickly moved to Clark's side and nuzzled him. Cadence cleared her throat.
"I've sent messages to the other three princesses requesting their presence as well as the bearers of the Elements of Harmony. They should be arriving shortly via teleportation. Let us wait until everypony is here so that we don't have to tell the story multiple times."
Trixie smiled at her.
"Sounds like a plan. Hmm, while we are waiting, we should take care of a few things first. Flash?"
He stood to attention.
"Yes, ma'am?"
"I can't help but notice you are not carrying a weapon."
"Oh, about that. My spear shattered against Doomsday and I dropped my sword when I lost my wing. Eh, it's probably in the rubble somewhere. Don't worry, I'll find it eventually."
"Well, until then..."
Trixie pulled Dawnbreak off her waist with her telekinesis.
"This sword belongs to Clark, but I'm sure he won't mind if you carry it for a while. I would keep it, but I'm... not used to wielding one."
She started blushing as she floated it over to him. He briefly blushed as well as he flew up and took it in his front hooves. He examined it, pulling the blade slightly out of its sheath.
"Hmm. There seems to be some writing engraved on the sheath and blade in Neighponese. 'Dawnbreak'. Huh, that must be its name."
Trixie and several others in the room double taked.
"You can read that?"
"Yeah. I've lived in Neighpon as a colt for a few years. Learned the language and a bit about fighting. This weapon is called a katana."
He landed, held the sheath with his wing, and drew the blade with his fetlock and pastern. He took a few practice swings before sheathing it.
"Thank you, Miss Trixie. Until Clark recovers, I will wield it with honor."
"You're welcome."
The two grinned at each other. Some of the other guards grumbled to each other that Flash was a lucky bastard while Cadence and Shining smirked.
With a boom and a flash of light, six ponies and a baby dragon teleported into the room.
"Cadence, Shining Armor, we got your message! It was vague but we came here as fast as we could! Is everypony alright!?"
Shining Armor chuckled.
"Calm down, Twiley. Everything is under control for the moment."
"Hi, you guys."
The group turned to see who said that.
"Trixie!"
She grinned.
"The One and Only!"
They grabbed her in a group hug.
"How're yah doing, Sugarcube? Ah ain't seen yah since that Rough Diamond incident."
"I've been well, Applejack. I've just had a really crazy adventure."
"We had a bit of a slow week. So what's yer story?"
Trixie was about to talk about her adventure when Pinkie Pie turned towards the bed and gave a big GASP. She hugged her older sister.
"MAUD! I'm so glad to see you! How have you been? What are you doing here? Whoa, that's an awesome jacket!"
Rarity looked Maud over.
"My word, is that leather?"
The others, especially Fluttershy, gasped. Rarity examined the sleeve with Maud's permission.
"My mistake, it is a synthetic material. While it seems to have a bit of wear and tear, that's nothing a needle and thread cannot repair. I must say the pitch black with that silver symbol is a nice effect. Wherever did you acquire it, Darling?"
Maud gave a small smile.
"It is good to see you too, Pinkie and friends. To answer your question, it belongs to Clark. I'm just borrowing it."
The group looked at whom she was pointing at and beheld the sleeping Clark. Rarity's eyes lit up.
"Oh my, what a magnificent specimen!"
Fluttershy had a similar look on her face.
"Wow."
Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Pinkie Pie briefly looked Clark over appreciatively while Spike glared unnoticed and muttered under his breath.
"You have got to be kidding me! Not again!"
Maud glared.
"Back off."
Rarity's face fell and she backed away.
"Oh, he is your coltfriend? My apologies, how rude of me!"
Maud's face softened.
"We've just met yesterday, but I know he likes me, and I like him."
Pinkie beamed and hugged her again.
"I'm so happy for you, Maud!"
Twilight looked around the room and did a double take when she saw a certain pony.
"F-Flash?"
Oblivious to her distress, Flash smiled and bowed his head.
"It is an honor to meet you again, Princess Twilight. I haven't seen you since sometime before that incident with Tirek."
"O-Oh yes, it's lovely to meet you again as well."
Twilight's friends snickered, remembering the time she bumped into him shortly after her first trip through the mirror. Trixie scowled and whispered into Twilight's ear.
"Twilight, is Flash your coltfriend?"
Twilight nervously whispered back.
"No."
"Good. As a friend, I'd like to ask you to please not blow this for me. I like him and would like it to become something more."
Twilight attempted to protest, but stopped when she remembered this was not the same Flash Sentry she knew.
"I understand. Good luck, Trixie."
They moved apart. Before anypony could ask what they were talking about, they heard laughter and two ponies talking down the hall. Rarity scowled when she recognized Prince Blueblood's voice.
"... And when we arrived, he tried to introduce himself to the Yaks with, 'I am Shining Armor of the Tribe of Night Light.'! Can you believe it!?"
Shining Armor facehoofed.
"Oh no. Why did he have to talk about that? That was so embarrassing."
Twilight was slightly upset that the advice she gave her brother before his diplomatic mission was being mocked.
Rainbow Dash grew ecstatic when she recognized the voice of Blueblood's companion.
"Hahaha! That must have felt really silly!"
Prince Blueblood and Daring Do entered the room, both looking very happy. In an instant, Rainbow Dash hugged Daring.
"Daring Do! It's so great to see you again!"
"Rainbow... too strong... can't breathe..."
Rainbow let go, grinning sheepishly.
Rarity glared at Blueblood.
"What are you doing here?"
Blueblood was only slightly surprised to see her again before acting nonchalant.
"Oh, hello again Miss Rarity. Long story short, I accompanied my fellow prince to his diplomatic meeting in Yakyakistan. After we got back, there was an incident and these three ladies..."
He pointed at Maud, Trixie, and Daring Do.
"Saved us. Since the train station was destroyed, I'm stuck here for the time being as I lack the ability to teleport."
Daring Do took over.
"So he decided to help me out. We've locked up Ahuizotl and Caballeron in the dungeon and now we've been talking. He has some amazing stories."
Blueblood smiled.
"So do you."
Rainbow beamed as she realized the two liked each other. She had often enjoyed shipping her hero with various characters in her spare time, even with Ahuizotl.
Rarity took Daring Do aside and whispered into her ear.
"Do be careful with this one. I've dealt with him before and he can be most uncharming."
Blueblood cleared his throat.
"I heard that. I am truly sorry I mistreated you in our last encounter, but I've matured since then. Traveling around the world and sometimes risking my life on diplomatic missions can do that for a pony."
Shining Armor stepped in.
"It's true. If it wasn't for him, my meeting with the Yaks would have ended in failure."
Rarity was surprised, but kept her face calm.
"How lovely. Well, then, Prince Blueblood, you would best treat Miss Do right."
"Don't worry, I intend to enjoy the rest of our time together, as long as it lasts. After a few dates, who knows?"
Before anypony else could say anything, two more ponies teleported into the room in a flash of light, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. Before anypony could react, the pair looked around and did a double take and gasp upon seeing Maud, Trixie, and Daring. Concerned, Blueblood spoke up.
"What's wrong, Aunties?"
Luna pointed at Maud, Trixie, and Daring.
"You three... have stopped aging!"
Everypony gasped. Worried, they asked how they knew and how it happened. Celestia answered.
"Luna and myself have learned to detect ageless and immortal beings such as ourselves. I suppose, Twilight and Cadence, that we should one day teach you two how to do so as well. Anyway, you three have slight magical auras around you that have halted your aging. The source is... him."
She pointed at Clark. Trixie stared for a few seconds before laughing in excitement.
"This is amazing! Meeting you guys has been the best thing that has ever happened to me! I've always wanted to live forever!"
"Miss!"
Luna was looking at her sternly.
"This is no laughing matter. Besides, you are not immortal, only ageless. There is a difference."
"Oh, I am sorry Princess. I got carried away there."
Celestia raised a hoof.
"I suppose explanations are in order. Who is this stallion, and why have you called us all here? Cadence, Shining Armor, your letter was vague."
Everypony took turns telling their stories. First, Daring Do, Trixie, and Maud told about meeting each other, going on their quest to stop Dr. Caballeron, meeting Clark, stopping Caballeron and Ahuizotl and acquiring the Aegis of Gaia, getting captured by the Changelings, Clark transforming into Doomsday, and finally turning him back to normal with the Crystal Heart. Next, Cadence, Shining Armor, Blueblood, Flash Sentry, and a few other guards told about Doomsday's attack on the Crystal Empire until the three mares' arrival. Twilight Sparkle and the rest of the Mane Six didn't have much to add as yesterday, Twilight had helped the other princesses deal with the Talzwurms and then today, she and her friends didn't have much to do before being called by Cadence's message. The most recent exciting thing they did was help Countess Coloratura deal with her corrupt manager last week.
As their stories were finished, Twilight Sparkle was beside herself with excitement.
"This is so fascinating! So he said his true form was a human? Are there perhaps spellcasters in the human world that Sunset Shimmer and their friends were not aware of? And what unique spells! Healing spells, heat blasts, agelessness inducement? What other secrets does he-"
Spike put a claw on her shoulder.
"Calm down!"
Maud stood over Clark.
"You are not dissecting him."
Twilight immediately looked sheepish, while the others either chuckled or looked disturbed.
"Sorry!"
Luna glanced at a nearby clock.
"Goodness, the hour is late."
Fluttershy put a hoof to her mouth.
"Oh my, we must have all lost track of time."
"Indeed, we must all get some rest. On the other hoof, I shall use this opportunity to investigate Clark's dreams."
"Sister, are you sure that is wise?"
"Do not be concerned. I shall be careful. I will simply observe and hopefully gain an understanding of Clark and this Doomsday transformation."
Full of concern, the Mane Six and the others urged her be careful. Everypony was then escorted to sleeping quarters (with Maud reluctantly leaving Clark's side), where they went to sleep. Luna remained in Clark's room with some guards.
In the dream world, Luna glided through a void with several standing doorways, arranged to resemble a hallway. She sensed one that matched Clark's energy signature and entered it.
She was mildly surprised to find herself in a sandy desert at night time. The moon was full and the sky cloudless, illuminating the desert and its sand dunes quite well. As she flew up, trying to get her bearings, she sensed that the dream was just about to begin.
It's cold, just like a true desert at night. The surroundings do not change when you look away. What an incredibly detailed dream!
She looked down and saw a bipedal, apelike being. Celestia and Twilight Sparkle had told her about humans in the past and Twilight had shown them pictures from her two adventures beyond the mirror, so she was not caught completely off guard. Still, it was surprising to see one herself.
On the ground, Clark shook the cobwebs out and tried to get his bearings. Disoriented, he slowly realized he was back in his original form, wearing the outfit he had when Vartox had banished him, minus his cape. He checked himself to find he had nothing in his pockets and no sword.
"All right, what the Hell happened? Where am I?"
He looked around. Luna remained out of his line of sight, and the wind prevented him from hearing her heartbeat. He saw sections of the sand that had turned to glass.
"Wait a second. The Sahara Desert?"
He attempted to fly up, but could not. Grunting, he sped across the land. Surprised, Luna flew after him and barely managed to keep him in sight.
He could never forget this area of sand and glass. The place where he fought Maxima for the first time, as well as the place where Vartox lectured him before banishing him to Equestria. In the distance, he saw a pale redhead with her back to him, wearing a green dress and black boots. He gasped.
"Maxima!"
He ran to her, but his super speed cut out and he was reduced to normal speed. He persevered, calling out her name several times. When he was about 30 feet away, she turned around and gave him a sad smile. Just as he was about to reach her, her body crumbled into sand and blew away in the wind.
Shocked, Clark knelt in the spot where Maxima was standing and shed bitter tears.
"Oh right, she's dead. I should have picked it up earlier. This is a dream. Are you there, Morpheus?"
Luna watched with shock as his shadow, which extended behind him, started growing and changing shape. Clark was too distraught to notice the hulking behemoth that crawled out of his shadow, an eight foot tall, grey skinned man with white hair and glowing red eyes and covered with spikes.
"HOW PATHETIC!!!"
Startled, Clark turned around and came face to face with one of his worst nightmares.
"Ah crap, not again."
Without warning, Doomsday socked him in the gut, launching him into the air, and he came down hard. Clark screamed in agony, clutching his gut and coughing up blood. In an instant, Doomsday was upon him and savagely pounded away at him.
"BACK, FOUL BEAST!"
Unable to stand spectating anymore, Luna flew down and blasted Doomsday, sending him flying. As soon as he landed, Doomsday angrily sped back, intending to rip her in half, but her distraction gave Clark enough time to recover. He quickly grabbed Doomsday and threw him into orbit. Clark caught his breath and did his best to wipe off his tears and blood.
"Heh, that should keep him busy. Thanks for the help."
Surprised, Luna composed herself.
"You do not seem surprised by my presence."
"When you've lived as long as I have, you get used to others entering your dreams. You are obviously not here to hurt me, or you wouldn't have saved me. Hello, my name is Clark. What is yours?"
Before she could answer, everything faded to white. The dream was ending.
A few minutes ago in the waking world, Celestia had raised the sun and everypony had awakened and returned to Clark's room. After a few minutes of the rising sun's rays falling upon Clark, he jolted awake from the rays energizing him, also causing Luna to jolt awake.
Clark looked around, with the others in the room out of his line of sight, and saw walls and a ceiling made of crystal. He heard several heartbeats.
"The Fortress of Solitude? Am I home?"
He then noticed his body was that of a pony. He sat up and saw all the ponies in the room. Several of the guards were wary of him, while the others tried to maintain their cool.
"I guess not."
Princess Cadence addressed him.
"Greetings, Clark. You are in the Crystal Empire. I am Princess Mi Amore Cadenza and this is my husband Prince Shining Armor. You have been asleep for a whole day after your transformation was reversed. Your friends vouched for you despite your rampage, which is why you are not in the dungeon."
"I see. You have my gratitude, princess. Wait, my friends?"
He looked around, then his eyes lit up.
"Maud! Trixie! Daring! You're all okay!"
He then double-took when he saw what Maud was wearing.
"Maud, you look really nice in that jacket."
"Thank you. Now, Clark. Before we all get started, I would like you to answer my questions."
"Oh. Alright."
Pinkie Pie, as Maud's sister who knows her well, could tell that although Maud seemed to be emotionless, she was jealous.
"Who is Lois?"
He sighed.
"I suppose you'd want to know that after Chrysalis turned into a version of her. Lois was my first wife. She's dead."
"Condolences. Who is Mary?"
"My second wife. She's also dead."
"Ariella?"
"My daughter with Mary. She lives."
"And Maxima?"
"My third and most recent wife. She died shortly before I arrived in this world."
"I am truly sorry. It must have really hurt seeing Chrysalis imitate them."
"You don't have to be sorry, it wasn't your fault."
Luna nodded in understanding, remembering what she witnessed in the dream, then interjected.
"Excuse me. Who is Morpheus? You mentioned this name in your dream."
"He is the Lord of the Dreaming in my world. He often visits those who dream. Miss, the dream ended before you could tell me your name."
"You may address me as Princess Luna. This is my sister Princess Celestia."
The others in the room introduced themselves as well. Afterwards, Celestia took charge.
"Sir, we know you are ageless and you have rendered these three mares ageless as well. Please explain yourself."
Clark did a double-take and then composed himself.
"All right. You see, my big brother Billy is a genius..."
Daring Do interrupted.
"First Vartox, now Billy. How many siblings do you have?"
"I actually only have one blood sibling, my sister Mae. Billy is Mae's husband, was Mary's brother, and is one of my best friends, so we are brothers in every way that matters. Vartox and his wife Diana have been our friends for so long that we all started calling each other brother and sister. Does that make sense?"
"Yes it does. Please continue."
"Billy is a very talented spellcaster. When he noticed that the members of our family do not age past our prime, he eventually devised a spell and cast it on us all. The terms are that any being we feel true and mutual love or friendship for stops aging past their prime. If they ever become tired of it, they are free to reject it at any time."
Twilight could barely contain her excitement and muttered under her breath that she wanted to meet Billy to exchange knowledge, while the other three princesses secretly expressed a desire to learn this spell.
Trixie grinned.
"I'm not rejecting this anytime soon! But wait, how were we affected?"
"Simple. Trixie, Daring Do, after that big adventure we shared, I consider you my true friends, and you two must have felt the same way. And Maud Pie... I like you, and you like me."
Maud actually let surprise show on her face.
"First question: How old are you exactly? Second question: You like me?"
Slightly nervous, Clark gave his answers.
"By my best estimate, I am about 1,045 years old."
Several in the room gasped before letting him continue. He crawled out of the bed and approached Maud.
"It's true. What's also true is that you are smart, strong, brave, you can fight and were an excellent partner against Ahuizotl and the Changelings, I enjoy talking to you, and you are beautiful. I know it's illogical with age differences and the fact we are actually different species, but matters of the heart always are. No matter what happens, I will always love Lois, Mary, and Maxima, but that doesn't change how I feel. You're not a replacement, you're your own person. If circumstances allow, I would like get to know you better. I have a feeling I'll be staying in this world for a while."
While many of the ponies in the room squeed, especially Rarity, Maud struggled to express herself.
"I appreciated how you respected Boulder and my passion for rocks. I enjoyed talking and fighting with you too. You are very strong and handsome, and your eyes are bluer than pure sapphires. Yes, Clark, I would like to know you better as well."
She gave him a real smile. He smiled back and moved toward her. Suddenly, Pinkie Pie was a few inches away from him.
"This is awesome! You've got to let me plan the wedding, you two!"
Freaked out at her surprise proximity, Clark screamed, then in an instant, he was gone. Bewildered, everypony looked around.
"What in tarnation!? Did he teleport!?"
Trying to keep her wits about her, Twilight corrected Applejack.
"There was no magical surge! That wasn't teleportation!"
Rainbow Dash, trying to maintain her pride, revealed her observation.
"For a split second, I saw him turn into a blur and run out the room. That was pure speed!"
As the other ponies were amazed, Pinkie grinned.
"I'll find him!"
She zoomed out of the room as a pink blur. The guards and Rainbow Dash attempted to follow, but Maud stopped them.
"Don't waste your energy. I've experienced this before; they'll be back. Just observe and wait. Besides, you wouldn't be able to catch up to them anyway."
Rainbow reluctantly swallowed her pride as she realized Maud was right, remembering when Pinkie chased her during that time Pinkie forgot it was her birthday and thought her friends didn't want to be her friends anymore. The guards stood down, while Flash mused that since his special talent wasn't activating, neither Clark nor Pinkie were in danger. Everypony looked out the window overlooking the city.
Clark finally stopped somewhere in the snowy mountains, trying to calm down.
"Damn, that scared the-"
"Aww, why did you leave?"
He looked up to see Pinkie looking down from a ledge.
"Oh no."
He ran back into the Crystal Empire and stopped in a random street. Before he had a chance to think, he found Pinkie was already there. He leaped onto the top of a building, but Pinkie was there again. This continued for several minutes, confusing the citizens who could only see blurs and Clark and Pinkie appearing and disappearing. No matter how fast Clark ran or how far he leaped, Pinkie would beat him to where he was going, occasionally asking him if he wanted her to be the party planner for his and Maud's wedding. Finally, he gave up and returned to the room he started in, only slightly winded. This time, Pinkie entered after him, pronking and cheerful as if she hadn't been running throughout the empire. Clark stared at her in amazement, then turned back to the others.
"I am really sorry I did that. She startled me and I panicked."
Celestia waved a hoof and indicated the window.
"It was a good show."
Rainbow pouted and crossed her arms.
"Yeah, you two were awesome, I guess."
Clark addressed Pinkie.
"Your speed is exceptional. Now that I'm not panicking, it brings back memories of whenever I tried to race either Vartox or my late friend Barry. I always lost, but it was fun."
"Aw shucks, it was nothing."
Rainbow jaw dropped.
"You're saying there are guys even faster than you are!?"
"Yes, Rainbow Dash. There's always someone better at something. It's a universal fact."
Applejack chuckled.
"Ain't that the truth?"
Pinkie walked up to Clark once more.
"You didn't answer my question."
Maud cuffed her on the head and then hugged her.
"Pinkie Pie, you know I love you little sister, but please tone it down a notch. Clark hasn't even had a chance to mourn his wife. We haven't even had a date yet. It's too early to be talking about marriage."
"Okie dokie lokie!"
Clark sighed in relief.
"Thank you Maud."
Now that things started to calm down, Shining Armor brought up the elephant in the room.
"Excuse me, may we please get back on topic? You haven't explained Doomsday yet!"
Clark groaned.
"It had to be brought up sooner or later. Where to begin? Doomsday was a creature born eons ago. One with the ability to revive himself stronger than before and immune to whatever method that defeated him. He hated all life and would not rest until everything was exterminated. Me and my friends have battled him three times, each at great personal cost. The third time was about 1,002 years ago. Maxima finally ended him for good by tossing him into a black hole-"
Pinkie interrupted.
"A black what?"
Luna answered.
"A vortex created from a collapsed star. Nothing, not even light can escape its pull."
She paused at several ponies' amazed reactions, then explained.
"I rule over the night, including the stars. It is part of my duty to know these things."
Clark raised an eyebrow and continued.
"Although Maxima defeated him, a few minutes before that, he was injured and some of his blood splashed into my mouth. It wasn't until later that we learned that this allowed a copy of Doomsday to live on as a part of me. We've determined that it's pretty much impossible to separate us, as he's been bonded to my very DNA. Times when he's been able to take over are very rare, only whenever I truly succumb to hatred, rage, and despair, and my friends are able to hold him off until I change back. Unfortunately, it happened when Chrysalis was draining my love. I am truly sorry for all the damage Doomsday had done."
He bowed his head. Fluttershy put a wing around him.
"There there. We forgive you. Right, everypony?"
Even the guards who had reservations about this found they couldn't resist Fluttershy. Cadence smiled grimly.
"Let's just say we are grateful there were no casualties."
Shocked, Clark turned to Flash.
"Wait, didn't you lose your wing!?"
"Whoa, you remember that?"
"Just as some of my memories bleed into his, some of his memories bleed into mine. It just takes a while."
"Well, don't worry. Trixie fixed me right up."
"It's true, but I wouldn't have been able to if you hadn't shown us that healing spell. Thank you, Clark."
"Really? That healing spell was pretty much the only spell I've been able to master. I'm glad it was able to do some good."
Now Twilight was really confused.
"The only spell? But Clark, the others talked about how you can release waves of heat."
"That's not magic. It's a natural ability of my species, Kryptonian."
Daring interrupted.
"Didn't you say you were a human?"
"I said that because I wanted to keep things simple, and Kryptonians look like humans anyway. We absorb sunlight to fuel ourselves, enhancing our strength, speed, senses, and giving us other abilities. Billy is technically human and is the expert on magic. He's tried to teach some to us, but I've never really gotten the hang of it."
Celestia double-took.
"You absorb sunlight!?"
"Indeed. A sunny day means I don't have to eat very often, and my injuries heal faster."
"I see."
Luna voiced her concerns.
"Are you sure you have your transformations under control? I saw Doomsday attacking you in your dream."
"Rest assured, your highness, that only happens when I hit a low point in my life. I was remembering Maxima's death and wallowing in misery. I will do my best not to do that. Besides, no matter how terrible it gets, he's never beaten me there."
Luna nodded.
"I suppose that answers all of our questions except one. How did you come to be here?"
"I've already explained it to those three but I suppose I could add a little more detail. Shortly after Maxima died, I was unable to handle it and I retreated to a desert. I suppose I would have transformed if Vartox hadn't found me. He beat me up and lectured me on my behavior before opening a portal and throwing me through it. In hindsight, I realize now that he was showing me tough love. As I lack the ability to open a portal, I have no way back unless Vartox or the others decide to retrieve me."
Twilight, under the mistaken impression that Clark's homeworld was the same as the one that Sunset Shimmer and her friends called home, hopped in excitement.
"Don't worry! I know a way to the human world!"
Shocked, Clark turned to her.
"You do?"
"Yes. All we have to do is-"
Clark heard something and interrupted her. He opened the door and the Cutie Mark Crusaders, who had been eavesdropping outside, tumbled in.
Applebloom nervously chuckled.
"Hi ya'll." |
The Lost Hero | The Return of the King | Everypony stared at the Cutie Mark Crusaders until Applejack broke the ice.
"Applebloom, haven't ah told yah and yer friends that it's rude to spy on ponies?"
"We're awful sorry sis, but we just wanted to see who caused all that hubbub, so we headed on over here as soon as we woke up. We heard everything, and now that we know Clark is a friend, we're glad we came."
Sweetie Belle chimed in.
"Clark hasn't earned his Cutie Mark yet."
Scootaloo continued.
"Which means..."
The three shouted at once.
"IT'S CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS TIME!"
The ones who knew them just smiled indulgently, but Clark and the ones who didn't know them were just confused.
"What?"
Apple Bloom addressed him.
"We're the Cutie Mark Crusaders. It's our duty to help other ponies learn what their purpose and special talent is and earn their Cutie Marks!"
The ponies who didn't know them nodded in understanding while Clark widened his eyes and looked at his bare flank.
"Oh right, how does that work again?"
Sweetie Belle walked up and answered.
"When you discover your special talent and calling in life, the Cutie Mark just appears on your flanks."
Scootaloo took over.
"Yeah, but you can't rush it. We learned that the hard way."
"Oh? How did you three get yours? What do they mean?"
Apple Bloom presented her flank proudly.
"We got ours at the same time, when we all agreed to try to help everypony else earn or understand their Cutie Marks!"
"So you chose to help others move forward with their lives and careers? How noble. It would be an honor to learn from you."
He bowed his head to them. The CMC beamed while the others looked on with pride until Celestia cleared her throat.
"Let us continue this discussion with breakfast."
Everypony agreed that was a good idea.
Their rather large group moved to the dining room. Clark was glad they had foods he was familiar with such as bread and fruit. He raised an eyebrow at seeing Spike being served gemstones, but shrugged and continued eating. As they ate, everypony traded Cutie Mark stories. They also told Clark about how they stopped Doomsday with the Crystal Heart and about the Windigos. Cadence sent a messenger over to Miss Cheerilee's class to inform them where the CMC were and that they were all right.
As they finished, Daring Do suddenly remembered something.
"Didn't Doomsday have a Cutie Mark?"
Trixie gasped.
"You're right, he did!"
As the others digested this, Clark turned to the pair.
"Really? Can you describe it?"
Trixie searched her memory and answered.
"There was a body cell straight out of a biology book, and a cloud shaped like a mushroom."
Clark sighed.
"Yeah, that makes sense. Doomsday was created in a lab to be the ultimate survivor. Some even call him the Ultimate Life-Form. As long as at least one cell in his body lives, he lives. He's now in me, so he'll live as long as I live."
Maud and Fluttershy both put a comforting hoof on his shoulders, but he held his head up high.
"I'm fine. It's something I've literally had to live with for a very long time. Now, the mushroom cloud represents the aftermath of a very powerful explosion. Fitting for a guy who hates everything that lives and wants to destroy it all."
Luna approached with a reassuring smile.
"Perhaps with time, we may discover a spell that can free you of him."
Twilight got excited.
"I'll do research once we get back to the Castle of the Two Sisters."
Clark chuckled.
"I'll wish you luck. Maybe you can indeed find a way even when Billy couldn't after over a thousand years. It is a whole new world after all."
Rainbow Dash scoffed.
"Oh please. If anypony could figure out how to solve a problem with magic, it's Princess Egghead over here."
Twilight gently smacked Rainbow in embarrassment.
Scootaloo addressed Clark.
"So, do you have any idea what your special talent could be? Here's a hint, most of the time, it's unique and something you do that just feels right."
"Unique? Hmm, that will be tricky. If I were younger, I would probably say it's either my powers or my dedication to protect others. The thing is, almost all of my friends and family do the same thing. My family members have my abilities and more. Heh, I suppose this was what Vartox meant when he said I had forgotten what makes me me because I am stumped."
Now that everypony finished eating, the table was cleared and Celestia faced Clark.
"Do not worry. Searching for a Cutie Mark is a journey of self-discovery, and it will always be worthwhile. As you have chosen to live in this world, you have all the time to find it."
"Wow, thank you."
"Now, I get the notion that there are many citizens here who are fearful and confused about all that has happened. You will have to face them."
Shining Armor looked worried.
"Are you sure that is wise?"
"Concealing him will accomplish nothing except to increase everypony's paranoia. We need to let them know that he is not the same as Doomsday, and that he is a friend."
Clark sighed and steeled himself.
"I am ready."
Trixie floated over his saddlebags. She had taken the liberty of returning his wrapped up cape to it earlier.
"You might want this back."
"Oh, thank you."
She placed them on his waist.
Maud indicated the jacket she was wearing over her dress.
"I should return this."
"It looks so good on you, but very well."
With the help of Rarity's telekinesis, Maud removed the jacket and Clark donned it. Rarity examined it again. She regretted not having any of her equipment with her, for she desired very much to mend the minor tears the jacket had accumulated over the past few days.
"Pray tell, what does the 'S' stand for, darling?"
"It's not an 'S'. This is the personal symbol of my family. It symbolizes our House Words: 'Hope To Be Better Than Before'."
"How intriguing."
Flash Sentry flew over and held up the katana Trixie had given him.
"I suppose I should return Dawnbreak now."
"Wait, how did you know it's name? I never mentioned it out loud."
"I can read kanji."
"Impressive. Keep it for now. I'll look less scary to the citizens without a weapon on me."
"Very well."
Flash attached it back to his waist.
The rather large group stepped outside the palace, where they were met by Miss Cheerilee and her class. Cheerilee marched up to the CMC with an upset look on her face.
"How could you leave the hotel without even telling us where you had gone!?"
The three instantly looked crestfallen and bowed their heads. They spoke as one.
"We're sorry, Miss Cheerilee."
Rarity threw an aside to the others.
"They've grown so much, yet they still have a lot to learn."
They all nodded in understanding.
As a majority of the population gathered in the courtyard outside the palace, Cadence stepped forward and addressed them.
"Everypony, please listen. We know what had happened yesterday was very frightening, but be assured that you are safe now. This stallion before me is Clark. He was the monster who attacked us yesterday."
Several drew back in fear, but she merely gestured at them to stop and they did. That was how much they loved their Princess.
"Do not be alarmed. He was under a curse that transformed him, but the Crystal Heart reversed it. He wishes to be our friend. Please give him a chance."
Slowly but surely, the Crystal Ponies and the tourists approached him. He took a deep breath and spoke.
"I am truly sorry for everything that happened here yesterday. I swear I will do my best to make reparations."
Pinkie Pie suddenly jumped on his back. This time, despite being surprised, he didn't freak out.
"Now turn those frowns upside down! We're all friends now, and the best thing to do is mingle!"
Twilight laughed.
"That's Pinkie for you."
Everypony indeed mingled and started having fun. Daring Do discussed her archeology career with Blueblood, Rainbow Dash, Scootaloo and anypony else who cared to listen. Trixie talked about magic with Twilight and she quickly taught Twilight Clark's healing spell. The rest of the group went with Clark into the crowd and they all started to get to know each other. Celestia and Luna noted that starting with Pinkie Pie, more and more ponies were becoming ageless as a result of becoming friends with Clark.
Clark looked around at this land of crystal and sighed wistfully. It was so beautiful, and reminded him of his home, the Fortress of Solitude. However, he walked to the side, hanging his head. Maud followed him.
"What's wrong?"
"This land and its inhabitants are wonderful, but I have to admit I miss my old home. My old friends. Maud, I truly care for you, but I can't help but miss Maxima."
He looked to the side and saw a hole in the crystal ground. His eyes widened in horror and he dashed over to it.
"Oh no, oh no!"
Maud followed him.
"What is it?"
"I can remember the battle you all had against Doomsday. He bled here."
"So?"
"All of these crystals are supercharged with magical energy. By feeding on it and and the crystal itself for raw materials, the blood could eventually regenerate into a new Doomsday!"
He frantically scanned the hole and surroundings with his X-Ray and microscopic vision, but was surprised to find no trace of the blood.
"Where's the blood? Where's the blood!?"
He searched his memory.
"Oh, I see, the Crystal Heart's power destroyed it. Damn, I'm going crazy with worry."
He struggled to calm down and get his breathing under control, then she hugged him.
"Everything will be okay. I promise."
Their faces moved toward each other, but before their lips could make contact, they looked up when they heard Pinkie give a startled cry.
Everypony looked in concern as Pinkie hung in midair and shook uncontrollably before dropping down. Maud frowned.
"Oh great."
"What was that?"
"Pinkie has the ability to sense danger. Based on that, this is going to be a doozy."
Pinkie pulled a megaphone out of nowhere and shouted into it.
"Everypony, be careful! Something is coming!"
Everypony looked around, then they saw a snowstorm entering the city, with horse-like shapes inside it.
Cadence facehoofed and spoke in a jaded and annoyed voice.
"The Windigos are back? Don't worry everypony, I'll prep the Crystal Heart again."
She charged her magic and prepared to fire it at the pedestal where the artifact was displayed, floating in midair. Suddenly, Clark heard an incoming projectile.
"Princess, look out!"
He darted forth and pushed her out of the way of a dark magical blast that came from the sky. When it hit the ground, the explosion was surprisingly tiny, but then a platform the size of a small cottage emerged from the ground, made of black crystal. Before any of them could react, another blast fired at the Crystal Heart and it was completely covered in a black crystal box.
As the snowstorm spread throughout the city, blocking out the sun and spreading snow and ice everywhere, a huge mass of shadow descended from the sky and landed on the platform, then formed into a huge, dark grey Unicorn with a pitch black mane and a red horn. He wore armor, a crown, and a regal, red cape that seemed to be lined with white fur.
"A pity my first strike missed, but it is great to be back!"
All present who knew who he was gasped in horror and the Crystal Ponies were panicking. Celestia stepped forth.
"King Sombra! How can you be back!?"
He looked down on them all and sneered.
"Ah sweet Celestia, it is nostalgic to see you again after over a thousand years. I'll be glad to explain, after THIS!!!"
He unleashed a wave of dark magic that spread out in every direction. It was so fast that even Clark couldn't do anything about it. Once it had passed, everypony and one dragon in the Crystal Empire was wearing a collar and shackles made of black crystal. The ones with horns had black crystal capping them, and the ones with wings had them bound as well, causing a few like Rainbow Dash to drop to the ground with a thud. Several Crystal Ponies started screaming in despair.
As they all struggled, Luna cried out.
"I don't understand. Why couldn't my magic counter this?"
Sombra laughed.
"Because little pretender, you may rule the night, but I rule everything!"
"Oh yeah? You don't rule me!"
With a grunt, Clark shattered all his bonds. He was pleased to see Maud and Applejack breaking free as well. He broke a few ponies free, like Cheerilee and a few Crystal Ponies, then instructed them to free the others. Inspired, the Alicorns present used their natural strength to break free as well. Soon, everypony in the general area was free, and the Crystal Ponies were all freeing each other, keeping them busy, calm, and out of harm's way for the moment.
"I don't know who you are, but I already don't like you. You're going down."
Sombra gave a mild look of surprise before straightening up.
"Heh. Impressive, but don't get ahead of yourself. You may be powerful, but do you really think a Blank Flank such as yourself can actually do anything significant against me, King Sombra?"
"Your flank's looking a bit blank as well, buddy."
"Ha ha ha! Fool! My special talent is DARKNESS!!! By the way, why don't you do us all a favor and turn back into that hideous monster. Maybe that way this will actually be interesting."
Shocked, Clark, who had been about to attack, nearly lost his balance. The others were stunned into silence as well.
"H-How?"
"Oh yes, I know all about your little curse. How do you think I got here!?"
Shining Armor growled.
"What are you talking about!?"
"All those moons ago when your wife and that little dragon brat stopped my first return with the Crystal Heart, I was blown to bits. All that was left of me was my horn, which was buried in the snow. During my original reign I made myself immortal, but I was so weak, only able to remain conscious for moments at a time. With nopony nearby to gather negative emotions from so that I could regenerate, I could have remained buried indefinitely. That all changed yesterday when a monster passed by. One with a bottomless level of hatred and rage. One that could entice our little friends the Windigos to come out of hiding. Just him passing by me for a few moments supercharged me beyond anything I had even experienced, making me even more powerful than the Princesses! What did you call him? Oh yes, Doomsday. Quite a fitting name, because this is the end of your old world order and the beginning of mine. I really should thank you, because your sins were the bedrock of my return!"
Clark could hear several Crystal Ponies muttering in fear and even blaming him for what was happening, but he tuned them out.
"If it's true that my presence in this world helped you return, then you're just another mistake I have to correct."
"Your biggest mistake is thinking you can actually stop me. Your best chance at survival would be to turn back into Doomsday, but that would only work in my favor as well."
"You are a fool if you think you can defeat Doomsday."
"Oh please. He'll never be able to kill me. His mere presence will power me and the Windigos up even further, until I am able to dominate him and make him my instrument."
Twilight interrupted.
"Wait a minute. Why aren't the Windigos targeting you? I may not be skilled in emotion based magic, but I can tell you are the greatest source of negative emotions right now."
"Ha ha ha! Simple. These creatures are sentient. I was able to work a deal with them. They work for me, and they have all the hatred and anger they want. Plain and simple. They'll be very happy if Doomsday comes back."
Clark looked around at the creatures creating the snowstorm, then back to Sombra.
"Too bad, because I'm not turning back anytime soon."
"Don't be too sure. Remember what he said?"
He formed a javelin of black crystal, which floated in midair, then looked past Clark.
"Once you die, I will be free forever!"
Clark watched in horror as Sombra fired the javelin straight at Maud at incredible speeds. He attempted to rush over and push her out of the way, but the ice and snow that was accumulating caused him to slip. He tried to shoot it out of the air with his heat vision, but missed. Just as it was about to impale Maud, Flash Sentry swooped in at super speed and sliced the projectile in half with Dawnbreak.
"Don't count us out yet, Sombra."
Relieved, everypony thanked him, while Sombra grunted in annoyance.
"Just doing my job. I should be thanking you, Clark, for letting me hold on to this. It's really sharp. Now let's all take care of this guy."
Seething at Flash's remark, Sombra retorted.
"Take care of this!"
The crystal platform he was standing on flashed with dark energy, and everypony and dragon screamed as they started seeing their greatest fears.
Clark saw Doomsday, in humanoid form, smashing everyone he knew, human and pony alike. But then he saw Doomsday killing Lois, Mary, and Maxima, and saw something was wrong with this picture.
"That never happened!"
Clark unleashed his heat vision on Sombra, who blocked it with a black crystal barrier. It disrupted his concentration enough to break his fear spell, freeing the others, who caught their breath.
Several shuddered, while Applejack spoke for all of them.
"Ah never want to go through all that again."
Clark grunted.
"Agreed."
Sombra started taking potshots at all of them with both blasts and black crystal projectiles, though mostly aiming at Maud. The snow and ice was hampering Clark's speed, and the Windigos restored it if he tried to melt it. Without his ability to fly, Clark could not do much except dodge and destroy the projectiles with his heat vision, as several black crystal walls that grew out of the ground prevented him from simply charging at Sombra. He learned this painfully when he tried to punch through one, only to get cut when it sprouted spikes. Trying to destroy the walls with heat vision resulted in them repairing themselves. He knew trying to leap over them would only result in Sombra blasting him out of the air.
Flash slashed through several more projectiles and Shining Armor shielded the others with his barriers. Trixie tried casting illusory copies of themselves and making themselves invisible, but Sombra boasted he wrote the book on such spells and easily dispelled them. Spike tried eating through the black crystals, but they quickly made him sick to his stomach and he fainted. Rarity quickly carried him over to the class and they tended to him. Fluttershy couldn't do much except dodge and tend to the wounded.
The Princesses all flew into action, but found Sombra's boast that feeding on Doomsday's rage had made him more powerful was not an empty one. They were quickly beaten back and encased in black crystal again, though were quickly freed. Shining Armor tried to get to Cadence so that they could unleash their love attack like they did against the Changelings and Windigos, but they could not reach each other because of all the attacks. Rainbow Dash, Flash Sentry, Daring Do, and a few members of the Royal Guard tried to get around Sombra to reach and free the Crystal Heart, but there were too many black crystal defenses. Twilight couldn't teleport to it because the presence of the black crystals prevented it.
Maud decided she had had enough.
"Trixie! Give me the Aegis of Gaia!"
Realizing her plan, Trixie pulled it out of her enchanted pockets and threw it to her. She immediately equipped it to her waist, and watched in fascination as her body was coated in a thin layer of diamond. As she expected, the black crystals were not on the same scale of hardness as diamond, so the projectiles bounced off.
"Clark! You don't have to worry about me anymore!"
Seeing what she had done, Clark smiled in admiration. Together, they charged Sombra, smashing through his barriers. Before they could reach him, a black crystal spike pierced Clark's right leg. He collapsed, screaming in pain and cursing his weakness to magic.
"Clark!"
Before Maud could tend to him, Sombra lifted her into the air with his telekinesis. Without the ability to fly, her strength was useless.
"Sis, no!"
Pinkie pulled out her party cannon and blasted Sombra with it, but he blocked the blast, then trapped everypony in shackles and collars again.
"My dear, your end will herald a new beginning."
He tried to pull the Aegis of Gaia off her with his telekinesis, but she quickly put her front hooves over it and fought with all her strength, knowing that without it, he would be able to kill her instantly.
"I won't let you!"
Pinkie fought her bonds with all her strength, and managed to break them a little. Applejack broke free and broke some of the others free, before trying to charge, only to be stopped by the black crystal defenses. The Princesses started to break free, but everypony was startled when a white beam hit Sombra, briefly stunning him, though he didn't drop Maud.
"Who dares!?"
"I dare. Now let her go!"
It was Prince Blueblood. He had managed to dodge the shackling spell the second time it was used by jumping into a ditch. Sombra laughed.
"What? Do you think you can do anything? You're not an Alicorn, or even a wizard! I've seen all of your darkest fears and I know everything about you. You're just some spoiled brat!"
"I'm better than I was before! Looks like you don't know everything about me! And you know what? Screw Alicorns! Screw wizards! And SCREW YOU!"
He fired a massive beam at Sombra, who coolly sidestepped it.
"Useless."
"Wait for it."
"What?"
The beam bounced off the reflective crystal wall of the palace and nailed Sombra in the back, knocking him off his platform and to the ground. With his concentration disrupted, Maud dropped harmlessly to the ground. Now that he was open, Rainbow Dash, who was freed from the shackles, flew up and unleashed the Sonic Rainboom, using all that speed to tackle him. He was sent flying, but he quickly returned to his shadow form and used it to reform on the platform.
The citizens were all cheering from that display, but were silenced when Sombra roared.
"ENOUGH!!!"
He pumped out more magic, and the platform grew into a tower, higher than even the palace. The citizens were terrified again, especially when he started raining down blasts and black crystal projectiles. The heroes worked overtime to protect them. Diamond Tiara attempted to lead her class and several citizens to safety with her talent of leadership.
Clark had managed to pull the spike out of his leg, and Trixie augmented his natural healing with her healing spell, which he was thankful for as there was no sunlight.
Blueblood's words had resonated with him, as they resembled his House Words. Suddenly, memories surged through him, of all the times in his life he had made things better than before, even before he had even learned of his origins and House Words. How he had saved his childhood friend Pete Ross from bullies and then taught him how to fight. How he had helped Jimmy Olsen to be brave. How he had trained his son in both the sword and how to farm and take care of others. How he had helped Vartox be a worthy husband to Diana. How he had taught Mae and their children how to master the Solar Pulse after he had discovered it. How he had become a teacher to the new recruits of the Legion of Superheroes. How he had convinced Dr. Caballeron's hired thugs to quit a life of crime. How he had convinced the ponies around him to free themselves and each other from the shackles. He remembered the Cutie Mark Crusaders' words, and knew he had found what made him unique.
Despite his depleted power from the blocked out sun, he destroyed all the projectiles at once with his heat vision. Everypony was shocked, especially Sombra.
"I remember what my purpose is. It's not just about helping and protecting others. All my life, I wanted to be awesome... and to inspire others to be as awesome as me."
In an instant, he involuntarily unleashed a more powerful than normal Solar Pulse, surrounding his entire body in heat and light and concealing him from view for a few seconds. When everypony could see him again, they were amazed at the little addition. He looked at his flank and saw the symbol of the House of El, except it was made of flames. He chuckled.
"How appropriate."
He felt an advanced awareness about himself and realized his true powers had been restored. With a sense of nostalgia, he closed his eyes, crouched, and braced his right hoof against the ground. He could feel energy flowing through him, then moving under him. Everypony, even Sombra, looked on in awe as pebbles and rubble around him started to levitate. Then Clark opened his eyes and everything around him abruptly dropped to the ground. He smiled, then slowly rose into the air.
As the ponies around him stared in amazement and started talking amongst themselves, Sombra was beyond shocked.
"How can this be!? You don't have wings, or even a horn!"
Instead of answering, Clark simply flew up to him at super speed. In an instant, Clark was in front of him, then delivered an uppercut, launching Sombra off the tower and into the sky. Clark flew after him, then punched him again, sending Sombra flying horizontally. Clark flew forward, punching him again and again, trying to knock him out of the city. Suddenly, just as Clark was about to punch him again, Sombra converted to his shadow form and flew away. Sombra returned to the top of his crystal tower and returned to his pony form. He didn't even have a scratch on him.
Clark landed back near the others, then picked up a rock and threw it at mach speed. Sombra merely ducked and the rock punched a hole in his cape when his motion made his cape fly up. The cape instantly repaired itself and Sombra laughed, shouting down at them.
"Is this all you can do? Just crude brute force? Pathetic."
Some of the Crystal Ponies started screaming that it was hopeless. Sombra smiled as his powers grew. Clark noticed and realized what was happening.
He's like the polar opposite of Chrysalis, and his ability to feed on all of our negative emotions is giving him too much of an advantage.
Clark looked up at the snowy clouds and realized what he had to do. He figured if he timed it right, he had just enough stored power to do it.
"I'm just getting started."
Clark unleashed a Solar Pulse. Then he did it again and again, continuously. Soon, his body became so hot that the snow around him melted and the air around him was filling with steam. Several ponies came as close to him as they dared, eager for some relief against the cold. Irritated, Sombra fired a blast at him, but the heat created a mirage and made him miss. The ponies drew back when Clark became surrounded by a massive aura of fire, and the crystal ground beneath him started melting. He levitated a few inches off the ground to keep from sinking into it.
"What!? What the Tartarus are you doing!?"
"Proving just why I could inspire all in my domain to point and say, 'Look! Up in the sky!' "
Clark slowly inhaled all of that fire, with everypony looking on in awe. He then launched his super breath upwards, unleashing a huge stream of fire, which reached and passed through the clouds. At first, it seemed to do nothing, but then the clouds abruptly parted, letting the noon sun shine down. Sombra hissed and briefly shielded his eyes, while the Windigos retreated. Clark basked in the sun's strengthening rays, and was amused when several ponies cheered and indeed pointed up and called out.
"Look! Up in the sky!"
Sombra growled, both at this display of power and the fact that everypony was feeling hope again, reducing the negative emotions he could absorb and driving the Windigos away. He flared up his magic, attracting the Windigos back and causing some of the storm clouds to return, though the sun still shone.
"Damn you. I am King Sombra, Rightful Ruler of the Crystal Empire, Shadow King, King of the Monsters! Who the Tartarus do you think you are!?"
"Before I answer that, I want to take you down in style. Trixie?"
She stepped forward.
"Umm. Yes?"
"Inside my saddlebags is a red cape. Please attach it to my jacket's collar. It's a bit awkward to do it without hands or telekinesis."
Wait, that's what that was? I thought it was a blanket.
Nonetheless, she set her surprise aside and probed his saddlebags with her telekinesis until she found his cape. Taking note at the fact it had a symbol very similar to his Cutie Mark and the symbol on his jacket, except it was red and yellow, she gingerly attached the two clasps to his jacket's collar. Although the sun was shining, the windigos' magic snowstorm was still active, so there was still wind for his cape to blow behind him majestically.
"Ah, much better."
He turned to the evil king. In a way, they were similar yet opposites. They were both large and had red capes and black manes, but Sombra's regalia and horn were contrasted by Clark's bare head and simple jacket and saddlebags.
"To answer your question, I have many names, but for now, I am Clark Kent, King of Almerac. This land and its inhabitants are now under my protection." |
The Lost Hero | Natural Law | While the others gasped and gossiped about Clark's declaration, King Sombra laughed, long and hard, then shouted down from his tower.
"A meaningless title. Look around you. This is not your kingdom. You trespass in MINE!!!"
"To tell the truth, I have no idea if I still hold that title. My queen is dead and I have been exiled, so I may have been replaced, but that is irrelevant. No matter where I am, my responsibilities remain the same."
Sombra chuckled.
"Oh really? Tell me, my little ponies. Are any of you truly willing to place your trust in this one to protect you, a murderer and adulterer with a bastard son?"
The crowd gasped and murmured among one another again. Luna broke out the Royal Canterlot voice.
"ENOUGH! CALM YOURSELVES! THIS IS MERELY A PLOY TO DIVIDE US! IT WILL NOT WORK!"
Clark sighed and spoke up. He had an understanding of Sombra's powers and knew he had to quell the crowd's doubt if they were to stand a chance against him.
"I'd rather not lie to any of you, so I admit what he said is true."
The crowd was shocked again, but he wasn't finished.
"Sombra, can you see the past, or can you read my memories?"
"Any of your memories tainted with negative emotions are open to me!"
"Then you either deliberately or accidentally leave out context. Yes, I have killed many many times, but either in the heat of battle to save lives, or to rid the universe of villains who will never repent and are too dangerous to keep alive. There is one exception. When I killed the one who killed my second wife Mary, that was pure revenge, especially because I made the mistake of sparing his life the first time I defeated him. So with that I qualify as a murderer."
He turned to Maud, as this next part was mostly for her, but kept Sombra in sight in case he tried anything.
"While I was married to Lois, I slept with Maxima and that gave me a son, Conner. That was the only time I ever cheated on my significant other. I didn't love his mother at the time, but I married her later after I got to know her. Sure, I've been tempted many times by others, but I never acted on those."
He turned back to Sombra.
"And you know what? Who cares if Conner was born illegitimate!? My son is a hero, whom I am most proud!"
He turned back to the others.
"Do any of you condemn me for what I had done?"
After considering it, everypony shook their heads no and smiled at him. Fluttershy only hesitated for a few moments before accepting it, remembering how killing is necessary in nature.
"Good."
They turned back to Sombra. This lull in the battle allowed them to rest and Clark to absorb more sunlight.
Sombra was annoyed. Thanks to Clark quickly regaining their trust, he was only able to power up a little bit. He decided to try another tactic.
"Bah! How dare you call yourself a king with your incompetence!? Your first wife, Lois, was snuffed out while you were away on some grand quest!"
While the others looked upon Clark with sympathy, Clark just frowned and did not rise to the bait. He knew what Sombra's game was, and he wasn't playing.
"Mary was killed in a battle you could not participate in! Then Maxima was killed while you were daydreaming! You could not protect them, and you cannot protect Maud Pie!"
Sombra strangely sounded sad for a moment as he said that, then he fired an enormous blast at Maud. It was clear that if it connected, it would destroy her in spite of the Aegis of Gaia's protection. Clark, knowing with his weakness to magic he could not simply block it, prepared to fly them all out of the way, but Shining Armor had other ideas.
"He's not alone in this!"
Without missing a beat, Shining Armor, Twilight Sparkle, and the other magic capable ponies combined their power to form a force field and block it. Shining Armor and Cadence then touched their horns and expanded the force field outward like they did against Doomsday and the Windigos. However, Sombra fired an even bigger blast that shattered it. The pair were able to withstand the backlash and prevent the explosion from hitting any of them.
"Ha ha ha! I told you, my encounter with Doomsday has made me more powerful than you could possibly imagine!"
Daring Do had noticed Sombra's tone of voice when he had denounced Clark's inability to protect his loved ones. She suspected there was more to this than meets the eye. She just hoped Sombra wasn't like Ahuizotl.
"Sombra! A few moments ago, what you said sounded a little personal! You've never met Clark before, and you said yourself that you owe him your freedom, so what gives!? Are you jealous of his relationships!?"
Sombra was taken aback, then became even angrier.
"No, fool! I am disgusted because he reminds me of myself as I once was! Wait a second. Ah, I see what you are trying to do. Your anxiety allows me to read you. You're trying to understand me, to try to form a peaceful solution. Well just like with Ahuizotl, it won't work! But I might as well tell you all my tale, just so that you all will know, why I am the superior King to this pretender!"
Pinkie Pie calmly sat down.
"Ooo, time for an Info Dump."
While he was talking, Rainbow Dash tried to reach the box where the Crystal Heart was contained, but it sprouted spikes, stopping her advance. Although Dawnbreak was sharp enough to slice through the crystals, Flash noticed the spikes were turning in the direction of whoever was closest to them and decided not to risk coming near them. Sombra chuckled upon seeing that, then began his tale. He had a practical reason for doing this besides his ego. He knew that reminiscing about his past was very painful and would fill him with anger, powering himself up. He was also sure that by the time he was finished, everypony here would be feeling pretty negative as well and power him up even more.
"I was a foundling, and lived in the Crystal Empire's orphanage. Back when I was a colt, I was a complete weakling. I was tiny, had mediocre magic, and was sick all the time. Nopony wanted to have anything to do with me except her, Radiant Hope, my only friend. She cared for me, and studied healing magic to cure my ailments. As we were growing up, we fell in love. That all came crashing down when under the inept rule of our leader, Princess Amore, Radiant Hope and several others were killed by Rough Saw, a vile serial killer! Amore made no move to find and apprehend him!"
Several of the ponies gasped, while the Crystal Ponies felt miserable. His words were bringing back their memories, and they remembered how much they had loved Radiant Hope, how guilty they were that they couldn't save her, and how guilty they were that they didn't do anything about Rough Saw as they didn't see though his guise as a mild mannered citizen. Clark nodded grimly, as he could see where this was going.
"My eyes were opened that day. Strength rules everything. Without it, you cannot protect anypony, let alone yourself. I had been too weak to protect Radiant Hope, and Princess Amore had proven herself too weak and unworthy to lead us. So I toiled and studied, to become stronger. I discovered how to channel the power of darkness, and fuel myself with the negative emotions of myself and others. It worked! I became as strong as an Alicorn! I cannot be killed! Even if I lose, I will always come back! I soon tracked down and took my revenge on the murderer, then I killed that inattentive Amore and took over!"
Many ponies, especially the children, were crying now, just the way Sombra wanted it. After, talking so casually about murder and revenge was anathema to regular ponies. The Mane Six and their allies were keeping it together, but they were still upset. Clark didn't like what he was hearing, but he had heard similar stories his whole life and could handle it. Despite the fact Sombra was getting stronger, some kind of instinct told him he had to let Sombra finish his story.
"That was how I became King! As the strongest being in the Crystal Empire, nopony could ever do anything without MY approval! Nothing like Rough Saw can ever show itself again! Sure, I may have lost to Celestia and Luna 1000 years ago, and lost again those many moons ago, but my genius allowed me the means to return with new levels of power! All who are weaker are my subjects, and that is all they will be! I am the strongest, the ultimate survivor, the superior being, and I RULE ALL!!!"
Sombra was now so worked up that his horn was sparking and the Windigos were working overtime. Everypony was intimidated and upset by that story, but at this moment, Clark figured out why he let Sombra finish instead of attacking him. This was a battle of opposing yet similar philosophies, and now it was time for his rebuttal. Through this, he could destroy Sombra's hold on these ponies and destroy his power forever.
"While I am sorry you lost the one you loved, that is no excuse for your actions. Though I can see why I would remind you of yourself. Our stories have similar beginnings."
Shocked, Twilight spoke for them all.
"You are like him?"
Everypony was curious to hear his answer, even Sombra.
"In a way. Me and my sister Mae were also foundlings. For the first 14 years of our lives, we were completely ordinary. We had a few friends, but also had to deal with bullies, criminals, and natural disasters. We did our best, but we lost many friends and neighbors. When we developed our abilities, we dedicated our lives to helping and protecting others.
I actually became a king twice. The first time was when I was captured and enslaved by a cruel tyrant. I managed to turn the tables and defeat him, then took over as ruler. After doing my best to reform that world, I passed my position to a worthy native and went home."
Celestia smiled.
"How admirable."
"Thanks. Now the second time I became a king was when I married Maxima, Queen of Almerac. I have held that position for over 1000 years, and I'll admit one thing Sombra said is true: strength rules everything. Without it, you can't accomplish anything and no one listens to you. I have had to defend my title many times, but you know the main difference between us? Based on everything you said, you started out with noble intentions, but after you had your revenge, you used your tragedy as an excuse to hoard power for its own sake, and all you care about now is keeping your position at the top. It can get quite lonely up there, and that's why I do my best to make the others around me stronger than before they met me, and I'll happily step down if one more worthy than me shows up.
You say the weak only deserve to be ruled? We all started out weak, and we all deserve a chance to rise above where we started, even if some need help to get there. We all have a place in the world, and if we all reach our full potential, the race as a whole becomes stronger. A ruler takes care of their people until there comes a time when the people can continue even after they are gone."
Everypony was cheering, while Sombra grumbled and growled.
"Bah! Who are you to lecture me on how to do my job!? Radiant Hope was the only being I ever cared for, and all others can just go ahead and stew in their mediocrity for all I care! I'm tired of this debate! Let history decide which of us is correct! IT WILL BE ME!!!"
He charged up a blast from his horn, but before he could fire, he was forced to back away and duck as Clark fired his heat vision, which destroyed part of the tower. However, the black crystal repaired itself in moments. Clark sighed while everypony prepared to fight again. He scanned the area with his X-Ray Vision and formed a plan.
"It's too bad. If you weren't such a dick, we probably could have been friends, but you must be stopped. There is little I cannot lift, little I cannot break, and little I cannot burn. I'll prove it right now, because this tower is a real eyesore."
He turned to the others.
"I advise you all to get as far away from the tower as possible, and mind your heads. There's going to be a lot of collateral damage, but I'll trust you all to handle it."
Cadence questioned him.
"What are you planning?"
"Like I said, getting rid of this eyesore."
He lifted a manhole cover and dove in. Before anypony could question it, they were all shocked when a beam of heat vision burst out of the street. It traveled around the black crystal tower, cutting a large circle around it. Once the cut was complete, it started to sink for a few moments, before it began to rise. Sombra struggled to keep his balance as the tower rose into the air, revealing Clark under it, pressing it over his head with his arms. There was a thick layer of regular crystal and rock under the tower, protecting him from having to directly touch the black crystals. Everypony either gawked or cheered as with a mighty shout, Clark sped up and began to carry the tower straight up into the sky.
After a few seconds, they were forced to dodge as fragments from the tower or the uprooted street under it started raining down. Flash Sentry immediately flew into action, slicing the debris to tiny pieces with Dawnbreak, his special talent allowing him to target any piece that would have fallen on somepony. Rainbow Dash, Daring Do, and the Pegasus members of the Royal Guard joined him, either shattering the pieces with well placed punches or kicks or grabbing them and setting them down gently. The Unicorns and Alicorns started blasting the pieces away or catching them with force fields. The able bodied Earth Ponies leaped up and punched or kicked any that went past them.
With his special talent of navigation, Prince Blueblood pointed out areas where the rocks were not falling and instructed the civilians to stand there. Fluttershy helped keep them calm. As one final big rock approached, Spike finally woke up after his faint. His stomach no longer hurt, and when he saw what was happening, he instinctively fired a massive blast of dragon breath that vaporized it.
"Whoa. What did I miss? And what's with this hole!?"
"Oh Spikey-Wikey, that was amazing!"
Rarity hugged him and he immediately lost his train of thought. She let go and Luna filled him in.
"King Clark has carried Sombra and his tower of crystal away."
"Wait, King Clark!?"
"Indeed. It was a surprise to us as well, but based on everything he has said and done, he has proven himself worthy."
Now that Sombra was out of the area and everypony was happy, the Windigos flew up to follow Sombra, taking their weather with them. The flying ponies all landed. Everypony was exhausted, so Trixie and the Alicorns started healing them. Celestia found the spiked box sealing the Crystal Heart and quickly melted through it with a stream of solar flames, then retrieved the artifact.
Rainbow Dash looked up.
"Whoa. I can barely even see them. I'm gonna help him."
Before she could take off, Celestia stopped her.
"I can see them. They've already reached heights a regular pony could never survive due to a thin atmosphere. We must stay here, wait, and be ready."
"Ah, no fair!"
Maud put a hoof on her shoulder.
"He believed in us to take care of things here. I believe in him."
They all looked up, waiting for the outcome.
High in the sky, Clark pushed himself harder. Since Sombra was immortal, his plan was to carry him and his tower into space. He was glad that the uprooted street section stopped breaking, as he knew directly touching the black crystal was a bad idea, as it was able to cut him.
Sombra finally regained his balance and was able to stand up and look over the side. With the Windigos surrounding them, he could barely see anything due to their blizzard, but he understood what was happening.
"So, you mean to humiliate me with your brute strength!? You have sealed your fate!"
He fired a beam of magic directly into the tower, and laughed as it began to grow.
Clark grunted as he felt his load multiply by the second. The tower was expanding like cancer. Soon, it no longer resembled a tower and looked more like an ever growing, chaotic ball of black crystals. To make matters worse, between the Windigos' blizzard and the large mass blocking out the sun, he was no longer being recharged.
The mass grew to the size of Mount Everest and its growth wasn't slowing down. Clark started slowing down, straining. Sombra shouted down at him, and Clark could hear him perfectly.
"What will you do now!? This is the literal weight of your folly!"
Clark tried not to show fear as he heard the black crystal burrow through the street section separating them. He prepared to shift his position in case Sombra was trying to impale him, but a slab of the black crystal emerged in front of him. He was unable to look away before it flashed in his face.
He abruptly found himself back in that desert at night in his human form. He looked around and saw Doomsday, also in humanoid form, punch Maud Pie and reduce her to a fine red mist. Although it deeply hurt to see that, he steeled himself and faced the monster.
Sombra's little trick as given me an unexpected opportunity. By sending me into my mindscape, it's allowed me to meet Doomsday face to face. Let's see if I can turn this to my advantage. Desperate times call for desperate measures.
"Nice try, but we're in the sky and she's on the ground, so what just happened is impossible. Doomsday, it's time we had a talk."
Doomsday turned to face him.
"YOU ARE RIGHT ABOUT THAT!!! RIGHT NOW, YOU ARE LOSING!!! YOU HAVE NO CHOICE!!! LET ME HAVE OUR BODY, AND I WILL LIFT THIS MOUNTAIN OF CRYSTAL AND CRUSH THIS FOOL, SOMBRA!!!"
"You're the fool. In all the centuries you've been a part of me, whenever you've taken control, you've never been able to access my ability to fly. If you take over right now, we'll be squashed like a bug!"
"SO!? WE'LL JUST COME BACK TO LIFE!!!"
"Yeah, after several years! I have a better idea, something we should have done years ago."
"NAME IT!!!"
"Become one with me."
Doomsday was momentarily taken aback.
"WHAT!?"
"You may be a copy of the original Doomsday, but you are also a part of me. We have been crippling each other for so long, always fighting each other for dominance or keeping each other buried down here. It doesn't accomplish anything besides grief and exhaustion. It is time bury the hatchet and unlock our true power!"
Doomsday suddenly threw a punch at him, but he effortlessly caught it and shoved him back.
"Surprised? This is a mental world. Emotions and willpower run this place, and you are limited by your fear and doubt. One thing I've learned over the years is that you are ironically afraid to die. After all the times you have been killed, you fear nonexistence, which is what you believe will happen if we merge. Well, I don't fear that because that's not going to happen! We won't disappear, we will finally be whole! Think of it this way, if you agree to do this, you'll finally be free. You'll be able to experience the outside world. You won't be hated and feared anymore. You've been consumed by negative emotions for so long. What have they brought you besides pain? The least you could do is try something new. "
Doomsday thought it over, then sighed and extended his right hand.
"I AM TIRED OF BEING TRAPPED IN HERE... VERY WELL!!! LET US TRY THIS!!!"
Clark smiled and shook his hand.
"JUST IN CASE I DO DISAPPEAR, MY ONLY REGRETS ARE THAT REIGN, GENOCIDE, AND DEVASTATION DIED. THEY WERE SO BEAUTIFUL."
Clark was surprised, but understood and chuckled.
"Yes they were."
The two spoke as one.
"I am you, AND YOU ARE ME!!!"
Their bodies dissolved into mist and flowed together. Clark was overwhelmed by all of Doomsday's memories, and screamed as he saw his horrible life and all of his deaths over the eons. But his will was strong, and he held on to his own memories while objectively looking over Doomsday's. Before, Doomsday had only disdainfully looked over Clark's memories, but now he embraced them. His temper and anguish was balanced by Clark's happy memories with his friends and family. Even if Clark had only lived a fraction of his own life, about 1045 years of mostly happy memories was worth eons of bad ones.
"THANK YOU."
Only a few seconds had passed in the real world. Clark shed several tears after processing everything he had experienced, but smiled and composed himself.
"I am complete."
His strength now enhanced by Doomsday's, he was finally able to stop straining, and lifted the mass all the way into space. Surprised, the Windigos stopped following them. Sombra's immortality stopped him from being affected by the vacuum, but he floated away from the mass, utterly shocked. Clark unleashed a Solar Pulse and channeled it into his right hoof, then gave the no longer expanding mass a mighty punch. At first, nothing seemed to happen, then the entire thing shattered. Clark quickly spun in place, destroying all the fragments with his heat vision before they could fall to Equestria, but Sombra simply returned to his shadow form and flew back down. After recharging in the sun for a few moments, Clark flew down as well.
Clark landed back in the Crystal Empire first. As everypony was amazed, he looked around and saw something in the rubble, Flash Sentry's original sword.
"Flash! Trade ya."
"Whoa, thanks!"
Flash tossed the sheathed Dawnbreak to Clark, while at the same time, Clark tossed his sword hilt first. They both expertly caught them.
"Thank you so much for letting me borrow Dawnbreak. It is an amazing blade."
"Don't celebrate just yet, you guys. Sombra is coming back soon."
They all looked up and got ready. Sombra's shadow form eventually landed on the ground and returned to his pony form. He was absolutely furious. With his return came the Windigos again.
"Damn you! It doesn't matter how physically strong you are, you can never defeat me!"
"Actually, you are defeated. Look around, none of these guys are scared of you anymore. Also, watch this. Guys, please don't freak out."
He grunted as his mane turned white and his fur turned grey. His body grew fangs and spikes, though relatively short so they wouldn't damage his jacket. He grew taller and wider, though not enough to rip his jacket. Everypony momentarily felt fear as Doomsday stood before them, but calmed down when they realized he was calm and not attacking them.
"Hah, you fool! Now, you will feed... WHAT!? I don't sense any negative emotions from you!"
The being spoke. He was still very loud and deep, but much calmer than Doomsday usually was.
"Correct. Clark and I decided to make peace and join forces. From now on, let this form be known not as Doomsday, but Doomslayer. It will no longer signal the end of the world, but the end of evil."
With a grunt, he reverted to Clark's pony form.
"Please Sombra, stand down peacefully. If I could help someone like Doomsday find peace, I could do the same for you. A power like yours can still do a lot of good in the world. For example, a good friend of mine, Lydda Jath, is just as powerful as I am, but she's the polar opposite of me. She's only powerful in the dark. Normally, such an ability would designate her as a bad guy, but she chooses to fight for good. Look at me."
He stomped the crystal ground and made a small crater, with cracks spreading out.
"Almost all my talents have to do with destroying things, but I chose to be a hero. You can do so, and prove yourself a true king, respected by all."
"NEVER!!! I already told you, I don't care about anypony! And I still have what I already took from Doomsday and you all, plus I have my own hate! I hate you all, and with that, my power is self sustaining! It will never run out! Victory will be mine!"
Clark sighed.
"Figured you'd say that. At least I tried."
Celestia and Luna suddenly blasted Sombra and knocked him down. Cadence called to the others.
"He's vulnerable! Everypony, ready the Crystal Heart!"
Clark interrupted her.
"Hold on. If we blow him to bits, he'll just come back the moment someone else negative passes by his remains. I've thought of a more permanent solution."
Reluctantly, they stood down. Clark readied Dawnbreak, holding the sheathed blade at his hip with his tail. Having observed how Flash had wielded it, he now knew how to hold it with his hooves instead of his mouth. Sombra got up and laughed.
"Throwing away your only chance to stop me just so you can play the hero again? That sword is useless. I CANNOT DIE!!!"
"True, but that doesn't mean you're unstoppable. I've defeated many immortals over the years, and one thing it has taught me is to be adaptable."
One second he was facing Sombra, the next he was walking past him, sheathing his blade. Sombra screamed as there was a large gash along his left side, but he grunted and remained standing. The injury healed before their eyes.
"No matter what you try, all you will do is increase my anger, and with it, my power!"
"That's what I was counting on!"
At super speed, Clark flew up until he was behind one of the Windigos. Before it could react, he deeply inhaled, then unleashed his super breath.
The stream of air passed through the spirit, turning into icy wind. It scored a direct hit on Sombra, and he started getting covered with ice. He struggled and tried to blast his way free, but it was pointless.
"NO!!! HOW DARE YOU TURN MY OWN WEAPON AGAINST ME!!! I WILL HAVE MY REVENGE!!! NO MATTER HOW LONG IT TAKES, I WILL BE-"
He was cut off as he was completely covered in ice, his face in a permanent expression of pure rage.
As everypony stared in amazement, Clark faced the Windigos, who looked confused.
"I heard you creatures can understand what we say. You may have made a deal with Sombra, but he's clearly in no condition to follow through with it. Even if I take on my other form now, you won't get anything out of it. So I propose a new deal. In exchange for never bothering us again, you take this guy as your sole fuel source. Like he said, his anger and hate is self sustaining. Do you agree?"
The Windigos seemed to debate among themselves, though none present could hear any speech. Finally, they all nodded as one.
Luna stepped forward.
"I am aware of the distant region you normally inhabit. I shall transport Sombra and you all back there."
They all nodded again. Luna powered up and she, the frozen Sombra, and all the Windigos all disappeared. Everypony sighed in relief. Luna returned a few seconds later and addressed them all.
"It is over. King Sombra is gone!"
Everypony cheered, but Clark addressed the royals.
"We must remain vigilant just in case he somehow finds a way to escape, or if some other evil comes."
Shining Armor smiled.
"We will be careful, King Clark."
"Just Clark will do."
"Is there something wrong. You look sad."
"All I really did was fix my own mistake. If I had made peace with Doomsday long ago instead of just suppressing him, none of this would have happened. Sombra would have never returned and Doomsday would have never attacked this place. Heck, we never would have been captured by Queen Chrysalis."
Celestia quickly put a stop to his train of thought.
"It does not do to dwell on what could have been. The best we can all do is learn and move forward."
He perked up.
"Thank you, Princess."
Several of their friends approached and Maud hugged him. As the fighting was over, she had reluctantly removed the Aegis of Gaia even though she enjoyed being covered with diamond.
"I am glad you are okay, Clark."
"So am I."
He looked around and saw the huge hole in the street, all the rubble, and all the ice and snow.
"I suppose all there is to do is to clean up and repair this place. Afterwards, do you want to go on a date with me?"
The bystanders all squeed.
"I would like that. So, are you going to try to find a way home?"
"That can wait. For now, I am home."
He put his hoof behind her head.
"Maud, I love you. This is my world. You are my world."
He pulled her face closer, and they kissed.
Everypony present cheered and stomped their hooves, but after several seconds, a hearty laugh and a loud voice rang out.
"Congratulations! Glad to see you are finally enjoying life again!"
Shocked, the couple broke the kiss and looked around. Clark recognized that voice.
A Unicorn stepped out of the crowd. He was roughly the same size as Clark, with peach colored fur, a pepper mane, black with a touch of grey, and a huge mustache of the same color. He wore a red open vest, and his Cutie Mark was a human right hand giving a thumbs up sign.
Clark's eyes widened. The newcomer may have been in the form of a pony, but there was no mistaking his features and vest.
"Vartox?"
"Yes, it is me. Everypony, please remain calm, but it is time for a change."
Everypony gasped as his body glowed and changed shape. He now looked like a Caucasian human, about 6'2'', wearing brown boots, black trousers, and nothing on his upper body but his red open vest, a Legion Ring on his right middle finger, and his wedding ring. He wore his broadsword, Magnum Opus, on his waist. He was well muscled, and his face and pepper hair and mustache made him the spitting image of Sean Connery in his late 40's, but with a full head of hair. Clark knew that with Vartox's perfect control over his body, he could take on any appearance and appear as young or as old as he wanted, but this was his natural and preferred look.
Twilight's eyes widened in recognition, as well as her friends and fellow princesses whom she had shown pictures of her adventures through the mirror, making them all familiar with the human form. Daring Do, Trixie, Maud, Blueblood, Flash, and others were surprised, but kept their cool. Several citizens reacted with fear, but he gave a genuinely friendly smile and it worked.
Vartox cracked his knuckles and his neck. Then he pointed at Clark, and Clark was abruptly returned to his original form, a tanned man, about 6'3'', with black hair and a bit of stubble. He was again wearing black boots, black jeans, and a black t shirt with a silver House of El symbol. His jacket and cape completed the look, along with his saddlebags, which turned into a backpack, and his wedding ring. As the others looked at him in awe, he took a few seconds to readjust to this body.
Vartox tossed him his Legion Ring.
"Here, you dropped this during the transition to this world."
Clark put it back on his right middle finger. He tried to think of what to say, but just walked up and gave Vartox a quick hug.
"I missed you, big brother."
Pinkie was suddenly standing right next to them and stretching her neck like rubber to look over their heads.
"Big brother? You're taller than him."
Vartox chuckled and patted Pinkie on the head.
"I'm older. I've been fighting the forces of evil since before Clark was even born. Now Clark, after observing everything you have accomplished here, I just have to say I am so proud of you."
"Wait a second."
Irate, Clark caught Vartox off guard and punched him in the face, knocking him down. As all those around him gasped, he jumped on Vartox and put him in a headlock.
"You dick! You were here the whole time!? You could have helped!"
Vartox grabbed Clark's wrist and easily pulled his arm away, then shoved him back and stood up.
"I did! I was watching everything, and I subtly intervened with my telekinesis whenever any one of you were in life threatening danger. Why do you think there were no casualties when Doomsday attacked, or when you did that crazy stunt with the tower?"
"Why did you do things this way?"
"My special talent is that I am the Ace. I excel at everything. But I never would have learned how to properly apply it if it weren't for you. Your special talent is that you are the Paragon. Everywhere you go, you improve the lives of others. I owe you everything I have and am, including my wife and daughter, but you wouldn't have rediscovered yourself if I had done all the work for you. To prevent complacency, I only intervene when it's something others can't handle or if lives are truly in danger."
Pinkie nodded.
"Oh, because you are a walking Deus Ex Machina?"
Some were confused by Pinkie's fourth wall breaking, but Vartox smiled.
"Precisely. Now, I must apologize to all of you, but this whole situation is kinda my fault. Back when Maxima died and Clark was on the verge of losing himself to Doomsday, I chose this world to dump him in. I have seen many worlds and calculated that this would have the highest chance to help him heal and rediscover his calling. I then observed, hidden from even Clark's senses, and it has exceeded my expectations. I never saw you joining forces with Doomsday, or should I say Doomslayer, coming. Still, I've caused you all a lot of grief, and for that I am sorry."
He kneeled and bowed his head.
Twilight shuddered. Applejack turned to her in concern.
"What's wrong, Twi?"
"Reminds me of those times Discord would mess with us to give us his versions of friendship lessons."
"Oh, right. At least this fella is sorry bout it."
Daring Do addressed Vartox.
"Thank you."
"For what, miss?"
"If you hadn't sent Clark to us, we wouldn't have made it in time to stop Ahuizotl, and we wouldn't have stumbled onto the Changelings and given them a major setback. And I wouldn't have met this guy."
She nuzzled Prince Blueblood.
"The point is, what you did had a lot of positive results, and for that I am grateful."
Trixie was next.
"By sending him to us, you have made us ageless."
Next was Maud.
"And I finally met one I like."
Vartox smiled again.
"I see."
Celestia gave her two bits.
"This is a land of new beginnings, and we are willing to forgive those who mean it when they are sorry."
Rainbow Dash nervously approached and changed the subject.
"So, Clark said you and another guy named Barry are even faster than him."
"Yes. Since Barry is dead, rest his soul, and his current heirs have not yet mastered speed, I am The Fastest Man Alive."
Clark chuckled.
"Aren't you forgetting?"
"What do you mean?"
"Besides Barry, there were a lot of guys faster than you. Jay, Wally, Bart, Jesse, Eliza, Eobard, Hunter, Clariss, Inertia, Savitar..."
Vartox charged up and put Clark in a headlock, then gave him a noogie.
"Alright, that's enough! Besides, they're all dead, so that title belongs to me!"
"Ariella and Karen are also faster than you."
"Yeah, but they're women! There's some leeway!"
The two paused before bursting into laughter. Everypony smiled as they realized the true brotherly bond between them. Rainbow got back to her topic.
"Could you please give me some tips on how to be faster?"
"I don't know. Our methods of speed are different. The best I could tell you is always be able to exceed your own limits. I imagine Clark could help train you, as he doesn't seem keen on leaving anytime soon."
"You're right. I don't want to leave yet, but what about Almerac?"
"Don't worry. We told the people that you went into voluntary exile to mourn Maxima. Conner, Ariella, and many of your students are taking care of things in your absence."
"Ah, okay. That works."
Clark was trying to figure out how to ask Maud if she would like to come with him when he finally decided to go home, but his train of thought was stopped when the Cutie Mark Crusaders approached.
"Pardon ya'll, but we just remembered."
Sweetie Belle continued Apple Bloom's line.
"Clark just earned his Cutie Mark."
Scootaloo continued.
"Which means..."
They spoke as one.
"It's time for a Cuteceanera!"
That set Pinkie Pie off, and she started bouncing all over the place.
"Oh goodie! It might take a few hours, but I'll make this a party for the ages!"
Clark had gotten used to Pinkie by now, and smiled.
"Cuteceanera? Oh, I get it. A party sounds good, after we've fixed this place up."
Vartox extended his hand.
"Allow me."
He merely grunted, and everypony was shocked as the hole slowly filled itself in until there was no trace of it left, leaving seamless crystal in its place. The buildings repaired themselves, and the ice and snow evaporated.
"Now what am I missing? Oh, I know!"
He opened a portal, and out floated Trixie's wagon. Trixie was beside herself as she ran to it.
"Oh thank you, so much! I thought it would be lost in the jungle forever!"
"No problem. Just be sure to give us all a good show at this celebration later today. Clark, I'll turn you back into a pony now. I'll come back later with our friends and family so we can join the party."
He pointed at Clark, and he became a pony again. The Legion Ring, which always adjusted itself to fit its wearer, was now around his right wrist. He was able to take the transformation with grace, unlike when he first woke up in this world. Vartox opened a portal and waved goodbye before stepping through and it closed.
Twilight walked up to Clark.
"How was he able to do all that?"
"He can do pretty much anything he sets his mind to, but he specializes in telekinesis and transmuting matter."
"Oh, I see."
She was mystified, as she didn't even sense any magic from Vartox's feats.
Pinkie suddenly stretched her arms and grabbed Clark and Maud, pulling them close.
"Why don't you two go on your date? I have a party to plan!" |
The Lost Hero | Passing The Torch | Clark and Maud awkwardly untangled themselves from Pinkie's arms. He spoke.
"We will. Just don't rush us."
Pinkie beamed.
"Good! I'll set up the party!"
She zoomed off, easily disappearing from even Clark's sight. Clark and Maud prepared to move, but Rarity interrupted.
"My, oh my, this will never do. Two ponies cannot go on a date without looking their absolute best!"
The two looked at themselves. In the course of their adventures, their clothes were dirty and torn up in places. Their fur was dirty and matted as well.
"You must simply allow me to clean and mend your wardrobes. It will be free of charge!"
Clark was grateful.
"Thank you. Oh darn it, I don't have any money."
Smiling, Princess Cadence stepped in.
"After everything you have done for us, we can let that slide for the day. Feel free to enjoy yourselves."
"Heh. That will be appreciated."
Rarity was extremely excited. If there was anything she loved more than fashion, it was helping romance along.
"This will only take half an hour, an hour at most."
She gently pulled Maud's dress and Clark's jacket and cape off with her telekinesis, then rushed into the palace to begin her work, as she just remembered the time she helped Cadence get ready for the Equestria Games inspector and knew she was free to use their equipment. Spike immediately followed her offering his assistance. Clark only felt self-conscious for a moment before remembering the many unclothed ponies around him and that he hadn't been wearing pants anyway. Cadence addressed the pair again.
"After all this fighting, you could use a bath."
"That would be appreciated."
The others decided to get ready for the party. After Maud returned the Aegis of Gaia to Trixie, who then gave it to Daring Do after enchanting her pockets to be able to hold them, the pair were ushered into the spa and separated, then were bathed and massaged by the workers. For the first time in a long time, Clark truly let his guard down and took a nap as this was happening. He vaguely heard others entering and using the spa's services.
As he woke up and thanked them, they trimmed the stubble that had been building up for the past few days with magic scissors. How facial hair worked with fur, and how these Crystal Ponies operated scissors with hooves and mouths, he had no idea. He was also fascinated with how these ponies' bodies seemed to be genuinely made of crystal. He secretly examined them with his X-Ray and Microscopic Vision, and was amazed to find they were crystalline on a cellular level. He could only conclude it was a result of magic. After the workers finished combing his fur and mane, Rarity walked in and helped him put on his jacket and cape, which were now clean and tear-free.
"This material is simply divine. If I had more, I could make a fortune with how durable it is. It was a stimulating challenge to restore it. I don't normally cheat using magic, but I had to do that at points."
"Well, they were built to last through many battles. They had to be tough. Besides extreme force, usually the only thing that can damage them is magic."
"I see."
She looked him over with a critical eye.
"Oh don't you look handsome. Come with me, I already gave Maud back her dress."
Rarity led him into another room. After a few seconds, he was absolutely stunned when Maud Pie entered. Her dress and fur were now pristine and her mane had been treated so that it looked like it was perpetually wet. The result was breathtaking.
"You look amazing."
"Thanks."
Before they could leave, two more couples entered the room. Daring Do and Prince Blueblood, and Trixie and Flash Sentry, all freshly bathed. Daring's outfit had been restored as well, but she wore a red ribbon in her greyscale rainbow mane instead of her hat. Trixie's robes were restored but she wore her mane in a bun and had put her hat away. Blueblood had on a fresh suit. Flash still had his armor with his sword hanging from his waist, but he had removed his helmet and his mane was combed. Rarity was beaming as she explained.
"You probably didn't notice because you fell asleep, but my work took a little bit longer than half an hour. That was because these four also asked me to restore their outfits."
Daring Do added.
"It's a nice day, and we're all friends. We figured while we're waiting for the party, we might as well have a triple date!"
Trixie added in.
"Don't worry. I already know what I'm doing for the magic show tonight."
Clark considered it.
"Sounds like a plan. What do you think, Maud?"
"I don't mind, but we should all skip lunch."
"Why?"
"Because I know my sister. We'll need the room for the party."
"Very well. Let's have some fun."
Teary eyed, Rarity smiled and bid them farewell for now before leaving to rejoin her friends.
Flash led the way.
"I've worked here for about two years, so I know my way around."
As they took in the sights, Blueblood addressed Clark.
"How are you liking the Crystal Empire so far?"
"It's nostalgic."
"How so?"
"My main home, my castle if you wish to call it that, the Fortress of Solitude, is also made of crystal and hidden in the snow. The main difference is that it is technology based rather than magic based."
They all stopped amazed, as they realized the reason why he was muttering about the Fortress of Solitude when he first woke up. He continued.
"Though I admit these crystals are much more aesthetically pleasing. I never imagined crystals could form all these shapes so seamlessly. The Fortress was designed for function, not form."
"Interesting. So your kingdom is in the snow like this one."
"Wrong, my kingdom is Planet Almerac itself. My fortress is on Planet Earth and is simply where I sleep most of the time."
Clark could tell by the look on Blueblood's face that he was filing this information into his head, likely in order to report to the princesses later. Clark decided to let him.
The group moved on and checked out the shops, occasionally greeting passing citizens, who were grateful for stopping Sombra. True to her word, Cadence arranged things so that everything was free today. While the others took crystal trinkets as souvenirs, and Maud took a magnetic geode, Clark acquired a sketchbook and pencil set, and noted all the writing was in English. After a few minutes of practice, he was sure he could handle the pencil well with his hooves and mouth.
"Check this out. This is my castle."
He quickly drew a replica of the Fortress of Solitude's exterior, and part of its interior. They admired it, especially Maud. Impressed, Blueblood spoke for them all.
"I see you have many talents."
"It helps that I have a photographic memory and years of practice with art. Wait, I just had an idea. Maud, please hold up Boulder for a second."
She did so, then after Clark scanned the rock with X-Ray and Microscopic Vision, he set to work. It took about a minute and a half, given he didn't want to risk damaging the paper, but when he was done, they were amazed to see a magnified, incredibly detailed cross section of Boulder. Maud's eyes were wide.
"Is this really what Boulder looks like inside?"
"I can see through most objects and can see very tiny things."
"If I had your eyes, I could write my thesis on rocks and graduate right now."
Upon hearing that, Clark nervously backed up.
"You're in school?"
"I'm studying for my rocktorate degree. Look, I know you are much older than me, but I am not a child, so don't worry."
He sighed and calmed down. Maud put a hoof to her chin and spoke again.
"We saw what you really look like and we saw Chrysalis imitate your past wives in pony form. Could you please show us what they really looked like?"
Clark wondered if she was jealous again, but took three sheets, labeled them, and drew the three women as he remembered them best. Lois in her business suit and glasses (resembling Amy Adams), Mary in her magical uniform (resembling Zooey Deschanel), and Maxima in her armor and wielding Inevitable (resembling Charlotte Sullivan). Maud and the others curiously looked them over. Despite them being different species, they could tell they were beautiful.
"I know you said you don't see me as a replacement, but what do I have in common with them? Please, tell us about them."
Clark's eyes turned wistful.
"I suppose I always liked strong women. Of course, strength is a relative term. Like I said, I'm a Kryptonian and under the right conditions we are exceptionally powerful. Lois Lane was a human and a journalist in life. She didn't have any special powers, but she was brave and her will unbreakable. She was the daughter of a general, so she knew how to fight and take care of herself. She was my partner; she'd find the bad guys and figure out what they were up to, then I'd stop them. She would even distract the bad guys and carry me to safety when I was knocked out or injured. Sometimes, she'd take down a criminal on her own. I never had any children with her, but I will always remember our time together."
Flash whistled.
"Even if she didn't have special abilities, she was special."
"Thank you. Now Mary Batson and her brother Billy were both humans gifted by a wise wizard named Shazam."
Trixie's eyes lit up at hearing about a wizard, but she pouted at the next thing he said.
"Before he died, he bequeathed the two his powers and knowledge, making them among the most powerful humans of all time, with physical strength rivaling mine and powerful magic, most of it lightning-based. They became heroes with great wisdom and kindness, and eventually, Billy wed my sister Mae, and Mary wed me. She would fight by my side, covering my weaknesses as I would hers. Mary may be gone, but Billy and Mae are still married today. By the way, my sister can do everything I can do, except she was never afflicted with anything like Doomsday."
Trixie was beaming.
"They sound wonderful! I can do lightning magic too. It would be interesting to see what Billy can do and I'd like to thank him for making us ageless. Are they coming to the party?"
"Heh, I'm pretty sure Vartox will bring them. Last but not least, Maxima was Queen of Almerac. Her race has great strength and is psychic, specializing in telekinesis and telepathy, and she was one of the most powerful. At their core, Almeracians are warlike and only respect the strong, but they are also honorable. They don't judge others based on race. Anyone who is strong and useful is welcome to join them. Like I said before, I didn't love Maxima at first, until when I had lost my powers for a time, she was willing to stay by my side despite that, meaning she loved me for me. That's how I became a king."
Daring Do cut in.
"Sorry, but this has been bugging me. What is that ring Vartox gave you?"
"Oh, this. In addition to being King of Almerac, I am also a member of a group called the Legion of Superheroes, a group dedicated to helping and protecting others. Each member gets one of these rings. They adjust to fit the wearer, protect the wearer with a force field, and allow the wearer to fly even if their own abilities are negated."
He scratched his chin.
"Now that I think about it, if I hadn't dropped this thing, we would have easily escaped the Changelings. Oh well."
Trixie and Blueblood could barely contain their excitement while Daring and Flash were simply amazed at hearing of the ring's capabilities. Maud merely raised an eyebrow.
"Wait a second, why didn't I think of this before? Maud, would you like to try it?"
While the others went squee, Maud just shrugged and nodded.
"All right."
Clark removed the ring with his mouth and tenderly placed it around her left hoof. He turned and glared at his snickering friends. He was well aware his action resembled putting on a wedding ring.
"Now, it takes a little practice, but all you have to do is imagine yourself flying and you will."
He rose into the air, startling some onlookers.
"Can you join me?"
Maud closed her eyes, then opened them to find herself rising into the air to the cheers of their friends. She flew towards Clark and he hugged her. The two started dancing through the air together. As several onlookers stared in amazement, the other two couples decided to join them. Trixie and Blueblood used telekinesis to make themselves lighter, and then Flash and Daring carried them and rose to meet Clark and Maud. They wordlessly nodded to each other, then spent some time having fun in the air. Afterwards, they all landed and the couples all kissed briefly. Maud returned the ring to Clark.
"It was amazing, Clark, but I prefer to have all four hooves on the ground."
"Understandable."
He looked up at the sun and saw it was a little past three o'clock. To his amazement, he saw the sun move a little and then stop completely. With all that had been happening before, he had missed this detail until now. Back in his own universe, he could see the sun and stars move, but they moved continuously, simply too slow for human eyes to perceive.
"Does the sun normally do that?"
Trixie answered.
"What do you mean? It's how the sun has always been."
Clark thought it over and shrugged.
"Oh right, different world. Let's talk about something else. Would it be appropriate to talk about our families?"
They all gave the go ahead. Trixie went first.
"My mother is a Unicorn named Igraine Lulamoon and my father is an Earth Pony named Gorlois."
Clark raised an eyebrow. Those names sound familiar.
Daring Do interrupted.
"An Earth Pony? That explains why you're so strong."
"Indeed. Pulling my wagon got me into shape, but my mixed heritage helped me pull it in the first place. Anyway, my mother has a special talent for destruction spells, so she works in demolition. Ironically, my father is a construction worker."
The group, except Maud, chuckled.
"My oldest sibling is a sister named Morgan, a Unicorn. She is a pharmacist who sells magical and medical potions, having studied abroad with the Zebras. Next, I have an older sister named Elaine, an Earth Pony. She's an artist and a model. Finally, I have two younger brothers named Kay and Arthur, both Earth Ponies. They both aspire to join the Royal Guard when they come of age. And you know me, I'm the middle child who became a stage magician to stand out."
Almost as soon as she was finished, Pinkie Pie was suddenly standing next to them, startling them all except for Maud. She zoomed up to Trixie and got in her face.
"Wow! Your family's names are so weird! What's a Trixie? What's a Morgan? What's an Igraine?"
Annoyed, Trixie gave her retort.
"What's a Diane, Miss Pinkamena Diane Pie?"
Maud dragged Pinkie back a little.
"Pinkie, that was rude."
"Sorry!"
Clark interrupted.
"What are you doing here?"
"Oh, I'm done setting up the party! It starts around 4:00 at the castle courtyard!"
"Good. If we walk, we'll arrive right on time. By the way, Trixie. On my world, we have an ancient legend about a chosen King. The names of your family members match certain characters in the legend."
She was beyond excited, while the others were amazed.
"This is awesome! Do I have a namesake in the legend as well?"
"Unfortunately, no. The third sister was named Morgause. Don't worry, you're a legend in your own way."
Flattered, she batted a hoof at him.
"You're just saying that."
"I remember everything we've been through, including when I was Doomsday. Your bravery and the tricks you pulled, like fooling Doomsday with an illusion, are to be commended."
Flash gave her a hug.
"Don't sell yourself short."
As they slowly walked to the castle, they decided it was Flash's turn.
"My father is Stalwart Sentry, who was a Pegasus member of the Royal Guard until he retired due to age a few years ago. My mother is Audria Goodwing, a Pegasus musician. She's tried to teach me her craft, but music was never my thing. I was too much of a warrior like my father before me. I don't have any other relatives I know of, though I'm told my father's ancestors were all warriors."
Blueblood smiled.
"I remember Stalwart. When I was a colt, he once saved me and my family from bandits.
I suppose it is my turn. Despite what many ponies think, I'm not actually related to the Princesses. I'm a descendant of Princess Platinum, the last ruler of the Unicorns before the three tribes were united under Celestia and Luna's rule.
As can be expected, my family is old money. And as much as I hate to admit it, being Platinum's descendants made my family very arrogant over the generations. My father Pureblood and mother Gold Standard are both her descendants, and before you ask, they are distantly related enough that it's not incest. Anyway, even though they are not very powerful or talented in magic, they believe just being her descendant makes them better than everypony except the Princesses, and they raised me to think the same. I was a total jerk for a long time, and I blew my chance with Rarity because of it.
That changed when Princess Celestia made me go on several diplomatic missions to other lands. I had to learn how to actually interact with others, take care of myself when living in less than ideal conditions, and occasionally fight for my life. It helped me finally grow up. Sure, I still enjoy the finer things in life, but I like to share them now. I don't know if I would be able to change my parents' views, but I'll try, because as they are now, they wouldn't tolerate me seeing a Pegasus. Oh what the heck, I'm an adult; I don't need their approval."
Daring hugged him.
"You certainly have my approval. It's my turn. I grew up in an orphanage, so I don't know any of my relatives. AK Yearling is my birth name, chosen by the caretakers just because I was a year old at the time they decided to give me a name. I read an old fairy tale book about a treasure hunter named Daring Do and decided I wanted to be just like her. Nopony adopted me, so the caretakers raised me until I became old enough to leave. I read and trained enough to be an archeologist and the rest is history."
Pinkie started bawling.
"Nopony adopted you? That's so sad!"
"It's okay. I got over it a long time ago."
Pinkie immediately became cheerful again.
"Maud! It's our turn!"
"Fine."
Pinkie stood tall, while Maud rolled her eyes.
"The Pie family is a proud lineage of rock farmers! It is our tradition to excavate and shape rocks!"
"Our father is Igneous Rock Pie and our mother is Cloudy Quartz. They run our rock farm. They like tradition."
"Our oldest sister is the ever awesome Limestone Pie! Sure, she's a bit of a grumpy wumpy pants, but she looks out for us and she'll inherit the rock farm one day! I also have a younger twin named Marble Pie! She doesn't like to talk, but she's our sister and we all love her so much! On top of all that, the records are smudged to we're not really sure, but there is a big chance that Applejack and her family are our cousins! Isn't that cool!?"
Clark gave Pinkie and Maud a hug at the same time.
"It's very cool. Lastly, it's my turn. Like I said before, my twin sister Mae and I were foundlings. Our adoptive parents were the humans Jonathan Kent and Martha Kent. They were wheat, vegetable, and dairy farmers who taught us their trade. Sadly, they died before Billy discovered his agelessness spell, but we've come to terms with that. Sometime when we were teenagers, we discovered a message our birth parents had left us before their deaths, which explained that we were Kryptonians. Their names were Jor-El and Lara-El, and our original names were Kal-El and Kara-El.
Like I said before, while I was married to Lois, I had an affair with Maxima, which gave me a son. I'll admit I'm not perfect, as I didn't even know I had a son until he was fourteen, and Conner started out hating my guts and trying to kill me, but he eventually came around. He's a master swordsman, and he inherited both Maxima's and my own abilities, giving him incredible potential. As Prince of Almerac, he gets very busy either running things or fighting battles."
Blueblood whistled.
"I wonder if we could get along."
"He likes brave people, and you proved that against Sombra. Conner is married to Cassandra Sandsmark. She is technically a princess as well, since she is a daughter of Zeus, the King of Olympian Gods."
They were all shocked, and even Maud widened her eyes.
"She is very strong and inherited weather controlling magic from him, but she is very humble. When she is not ruling or fighting, she prefers to work in a museum with her mother Helena. Conner and Cassandra produced many descendants, so many that I'm not going to bother listing them because I would be talking all day.
Ariella, my daughter with Mary, is another story. She's inherited both my powers and Mary's, making her unbelievably powerful. I'm not ashamed to admit that her maximum strength far surpasses mine. So far, only Billy and Mae's daughter Karen and Vartox can exceed her at her best.
When she was little, she was the sweetest kid I knew, but now, her only problem is that she is mind bogglingly lazy, and I've failed to correct this. She has no interest in helping us rule, and she won't even get a real job. Even as a King and warrior, I do odd jobs from time to time, and I'm a teacher. She claims that she has no need for money because she doesn't have to eat or drink at all, and the few times she chooses to, she always finds a way to get it for free. She doesn't like being called a princess, so instead she is one of my unofficial knights, because the only thing she really enjoys is fighting. She is perfectly willing to help people and fight the forces of evil, which is the reason why we still accept her.
Roughly 400 years ago, she finally married a completely ordinary human named Hiroki, who even today, works at a grocery store. When we asked why she chose him, she said it was because even after she demonstrated her full power, he was the only one who never feared her."
At their confused looks, he decided to elaborate.
"There was a time when we were at war with a race of invaders who called themselves the Dominators. They crossed a line by abducting several civilians, including Hiroki, and taking them back to their world as slaves. Ariella was enraged, and joined us in traveling to their world to rescue the prisoners. Ariella called out the Dominators' leaders, and ordered them to release the prisoners and cease hostilities, or else she would do worse than this. She then flew into outer space, dived down, and struck the ground so hard that THE. PLANET. SPLIT. IN. HALF."
Everypony's jaws dropped, even Maud's. Pinkie's went all the way to the floor before she closed it.
"I'm not lying. Vartox quickly used his powers to repair it, but the Dominators got the message, released them, and the war immediately came to an end. Everyone of us was terrified by what happened, except Hiroki, who was enamored and said she was amazing. Naturally, she fell in love with him. Also, from that day on, many called her R'E'L, the Destroyer of Worlds. Those two don't have any children and never adopted any, as Ariella thought raising children was too much work. How ironic that she doesn't think of fighting as work."
Flash spoke up.
"All of your family are amazing."
The others nodded.
"Thank you. Like I said, Billy and Mae had a daughter named Karen, who is roughly as powerful as Ariella, maybe slightly stronger because she is older. Unlike her, Karen is a total workaholic. When she is not fighting, she is the boss of a multinational company that handles everything from communications, construction, and food distribution. She adopts children from time to time, because she ended up marrying Atlee, a girl with the power to control rock and dirt."
Maud looked up at hearing that.
"Billy was a reporter for a while, and eventually agreed to be my court mage. Mae was also a reporter and became my general."
Pinkie looked like she was about to literally explode with excitement.
"Your family is so cool! I can't wait to meet them!"
Clark looked around and saw they were almost at the castle, so he decided to wrap it up.
"Just have patience, Pinkie. Next up, like I said, I consider Vartox my brother as well. He is from a world called Valeron. His people can do pretty much anything they set their mind to, though he is as far as I know the most powerful and talented at it. Like he said, he's an Ace. Of course, there certain things he can't do like bringing the dead back to life, time travel, or making people change their minds and not be evil anymore. Heh, it's ironic. My father once told me and my sister that we would be an ideal for others to strive for. Vartox is the ideal I strive for. No matter how powerful I get, he can always show me a new level to reach. Maybe someday I'll catch up to him, but he's helped stop me from getting complacent.
When he's not fighting the forces of evil, he does whatever he feels like doing. Right now, he makes and sells art, both paintings and sculptures. He's married to Diana, Princess of the Amazons."
Pinkie suddenly shouted at the top of her lungs.
"Another princess, yay!"
Some bystanders looked at them in confusion, but Maud made a "go away" gesture at them and the group focused back on Clark.
"The Amazons are a tribe of ageless female warriors, who mostly shun males unless they want children. But Diana is different. Her mother, Queen Hippolyta, never wanted to have anything do do with males. Well, there was this one time when she had a relationship with my friend Ted, but I'm getting off topic. She made a statue of a child and asked the Olympian Gods to bring it to life. That's how Diana came to be."
Naturally, that got Maud's attention.
"She is a statue? Fascinating."
"She was a statue, but now she is flesh and blood. Granted, certain magic can force her to revert to clay, but we don't encounter that often. She is incredibly strong and fast, and is a master of all forms of combat. Her best weapon is a magical lasso that is unbreakable and forces any being it touches to tell the truth, and nullifies illusions and mind control."
Pinkie interrupted again.
"I bet Applejack would like that! She's all about truth."
"I'll let Diana know if she comes. She rejected the Amazons' isolationist policy and joined us in the fight against evil. She became Cassandra's teacher and eventually married Vartox. It still amazes me because Vartox used to be a total pervert and womanizer, everything the Amazons stand against, before he turned his life around. They have one daughter, Donna. Donna inherited both her parents abilities, but admittedly, she's not as powerful as Vartox because his race's abilities come from the mind, one's willpower and imagination. Sadly, Donna isn't very creative, so it limits her potential. She's still effective, and is a teacher when not fighting or helping Diana or Hippolyta rule. She married an ordinary guy named Terry, and they have many descendants. Oops, it looks like storytime is over, because we are here."
The others looked up to find they were at the castle's courtyard, with a large crowd and decorations. They could see the other Princesses, Shining Armor, and Pinkie's friends waiting for them. Pinkie jumped into the air and stayed hanging.
"It's time to get started!"
She zoomed off.
Trixie chuckled.
"I suppose it's my cue as well."
She briefly kissed Flash.
"See you in a few minutes."
She walked away and out of sight. Prince Blueblood walked up to Princess Celestia and nodded to her. She wordlessly used a telepathy spell to glean his memories of the afternoon, part of her plan to learn more about Clark. When she was finished, she telepathically shared the information with the other Princesses and Pinkie's friends, who gave looks of surprise before calming down. Having lived with so many telepaths, especially Maxima and Conner, Clark understood what was happening, and decided to allow it. Almost immediately, a portal opened, startling some of those present. Clark sighed and shook his head.
"That Vartox, always waiting til the last minute."
Sure enough, Vartox stepped out of the portal in his familiar pony form. His broadsword Magnum Opus was strapped to his back. Some mares swooned over his handsome features.
"Hey, did you miss me!?"
Clark walked up and they bumped hooves.
"I didn't, you doofus."
"Haha, yeah right."
Vartox turned to the portal.
"Come on, one at a time!"
Out stepped a Pegasus in armor, with olive fur and a long black mane. Her Cutie Mark was a lasso, a sword, and a peace sign. She wore a round shield and her sword Godkiller on her back, and she wore metal vambraces over her forearms. Finally, there was a golden lasso coiled and hooked on her side. Several in the crowd were struck by her beauty. Smiling, Clark gave her a hug.
"Hi, Diana."
"Hi, Clark."
She stood next to her husband. Next, out stepped an Earth Pony, tan with a long black mane. She wore a blue shirt with the House of El symbol, a red cape with the same symbol, and a red skirt. Her Cutie Mark, though mostly hidden by the skirt, was similar to Clark's, the House of El symbol, looking like it was made of pure light. She wore her katana, Synthesis, on her left waist and her wakizashi, Antithesis, on her right waist. Again, several were struck by her beauty. Clark hugged her.
"Good to see you, Mae."
"You too, Bro."
Next came a Unicorn with peach fur and a black mane in a crew cut, wearing a red uniform with lightning symbols and a short white cape. His Cutie Mark was a lightning bolt next to a spellbook. A quick X-Ray Vision burst showed his sword Firebolt in a saddlebag enchanted like his own. Some mares started swooning at the sight of him. Clark bumped hooves with him.
"Billy."
"Hey, Clark."
Billy stood next to his wife. Next came a Pegasus with tan fur and a short black mane with red streaks, wearing a black T-shirt with the House of El symbol on it, with slits to let his wings through. His Cutie Mark was the katana Inexorable surrounded by six floating rocks in a circle. He wore Inexorable on his left waist and his mother's katana Inevitable on his right waist. Again, he attracted some female attention. He and Clark hugged.
"How are you, Conner?"
"I'm managing, Dad."
Next came an Alicorn with tan fur and a long blonde mane, wearing a red dress. Her Cutie Mark was a storm cloud. She wore a golden lasso on her waist and vambraces like her mentor Diana and her sword Tempest in an enchanted saddlebag. Several ponies were gawking over her beauty and muttering about a "new princess", some even bowing to her. Clark hugged her.
"Cassandra."
"Hi, Dad."
She stood next to her husband. Next came a Unicorn with tan fur and a long black mane. Like her brother, she wore a black T-shirt with the House of El symbol on it. Her Cutie Mark was a human fist made of lightning. She wore her katana, Raikiri (Lightning Cutter), on her left waist and her wakizashi, Benkei, on her right waist. Again, she attracted attention due to her beauty. She and Clark hugged.
"Ariella."
"Dad."
The portal closed. Clark looked at where it was with disappointment.
"That's everyone?"
Vartox slapped him on the back.
"Sorry, bro. Everyone else is really busy. You know how much of workaholics Karen, Donna, Hiroki, and all the others are. But we let everybody know what happened, and they are all happy for you. Irma, Rokk, and Garth are in charge of the Legion while we are away, and your finest students Bardock and Gine are Almerac's Regents for the time being."
Clark smiled at hearing that. Bardock and Gine were one of many Almeracian couples he had taken under his wing. He and Maxima had taught them everything they knew so that the planet would be in good hands in case something had happened to the entire royal family. They had never let him down, and he had faith in them.
"Wait a second, why are all you guys walking and balanced perfectly? It took me a while to get used to this body."
"Simple, I turned us all into ponies earlier so we could practice. But enough about that. Come on, this party is for you! Everybody mingle!"
With Vartox's words, the bubble broke and the crowd approached the visitors. Some were disappointed to learn the visitors were already married. Pinkie started the celebrations with multiple party cannons as Clark was honored for earning his Cutie Mark. Trixie unleashed a spectacular magic show, with a combination of sleight of hand and real magic. Clark enjoyed it immensely, glad to feel like a child again.
Thanks to learning about her from the telepathy, Applejack hung out with Diana, in awe of her magic lasso's properties. Diana graciously allowed her to try it out. Of course, Applejack was a natural with the lasso, and even playfully lassoed some ponies to make them blurt out embarrassing secrets, which Rainbow Dash found hilarious, until she was ensnared as well. Cassandra also let her try her own lasso, but warned her not to lasso anypony because her lasso electrocutes those it ensnares.
Billy met with Twilight Sparkle, Trixie, and everypony else who was interested in magic.
"To tell the truth, I started out only knowing one spell. SHAZAM!"
They were startled when lightning struck on the clear sky and hit him. In a puff of smoke, his uniform was gone, and all he was wearing was his saddlebag holding his sword. He was now in his mortal form.
"This magic lightning is the source of my powers. It enables me to transform myself, but that is not all it can do. SHAZAM!"
The lightning struck again, but to everypony's amazement, the lightning stopped in midair and collected into a ball that floated in front of him.
"When you have a talent, it is important that you master every aspect of it. You're only limited by your imagination. Take this ball of lightning. I could use it like a grenade, or..."
He touched it and was transformed back into his empowered form. He then demonstrated that he had long ago learned how to call upon the lightning without saying the magic words; the words just made it easier. Everypony, especially Twilight, was eager to learn more. He later taught them the ageless transference spell.
Ariella had fun sparring with Daring Do, Flash Sentry, Rainbow Dash, and anypony else who was up for it. By limiting her speed, it was a contest of pure skill.
Mae decided to boost the self esteem of the Crystal Ponies by giving them practical self defense tips.
To Prince Blueblood's delight, Conner indeed respected him, having learned of everything that had happened with King Sombra from Vartox. The two had a discussion about what it meant to be a prince.
Clark decided to play with the Crystal Empire's children and the children of Miss Cheerilee's class, with Maud and Pinkie joining him. He made a special bond with Lily Longsocks, a filly with a hedgehog Cutie Mark. She was exceptionally strong, but shy and fearful of her strength hurting others. Seeing Clark in action against King Sombra stirred hope in her, and he started to give her tips on how to control her strength.
Surprisingly, Vartox had a talk with Fluttershy and Spike, as he encouraged them to speak up more and get noticed. He also told them all individuals are important. Fluttershy thanked him for his kind words but said fame didn't interest her. Spike got a huge boost to his self esteem when several Crystal Ponies once again praised him as Great and Honorable Spike the Brave and Glorious for saving everypony from the final falling rock.
Cassandra had a talk with the other Princesses and Shining Armor, as they were intrigued by her story. She did her best to teach them about the Olympian Gods.
Through it all, Rarity went from person to person, taking notes on their outfits and taking inspiration on new fashions to come.
Time flew, and when it was roughly 7:00 PM, Celestia and Luna amazed Clark and his family, plus everypony else because seeing it never gets old, by moving the sun down and moving the moon up. Day had turned to night.
After about half an hour, Vartox gathered his family and addressed the crowd.
"I'm sorry, but we have things to do, so we must leave soon. Clark, you've had your fun, so do you want to go home now?"
Taken aback, Clark gathered himself.
"Whoa, answer this first. What would happen to Maud if she comes with us?"
"She would turn into a human. That's the nature of these worlds."
"Then my answer depends on her answer. Maud, would you like to come with us? I'll teach you everything about how our world works."
As several ponies, especially Rarity and Pinkie squealed, Maud weighed her options. Though she was curious about what exotic rocks she could see, she made up her mind.
"I'm sorry, but my place is here. I'm still in college and I'm not ready to go to another world. Maybe you can come back for me after I graduate."
"I figured you would say that. Then there is something I have to do. Vartox, please change us back to our original forms."
"Okay?"
He waved his arm, and he and the family were returned to their original forms. Conner and Ariella were wearing blue jeans and boots to go with their T-shirts. Cassandra wore boots with her red dress.
"Diana, please give me the lasso. I need you all to know that I am 100% serious."
"Very well."
She handed him the lasso, and he held it in his hands, feeling its effects.
"I choose to stay in this world. On this day, I abdicate the Throne of Almerac. I also resign from active duty in The Legion of Superheroes. If there is ever a crisis that would require my help, you can call on me and I will come."
He attempted to remove his Legion Ring, but Vartox held up his hand in the "Stop" motion.
"Keep that. In the event you lose your powers, it could save your life."
"Oh. You're right."
Conner perked up.
"Wait. This means-"
Clark cut him off.
"I know what you are thinking. Have you forgotten the laws of our people? Everything of Almerac is earned by the worthy. If you want to rule Almerac, you'll have to beat me in combat. Meet me outside this city. I challenge you to a One Point Match."
Shocked, Conner stepped back.
"But, I've never been able to beat you at that."
"If you are giving up already, you have already lost. Relax, I won't use any of Doomslayer's power. If you lose, then just hold a tournament for the position. You'll be sure to win since none of these guys are interested in the position, so they're not going to compete."
Confused, Twilight spoke for the ponies.
"What is a One Point Match?"
Ariella smirked.
"The first guy who hits the other guy wins."
Personally, many of the ponies thought that was barbaric, barring a few exceptions like Rainbow Dash. Shining Armor spoke his mind.
"Is this really necessary?"
Ariella waved her hand.
"Sorry, but it is our way. Do not worry. They're experts and we've all literally done this hundreds of times before. We also can't die from being impaled. They'll be safe."
Clark returned the lasso, then rose into the air.
"Follow me!"
He flew off. He went past the border barrier and into the snowing surroundings. After a while, he touched down in a flat area and waited. His family soon followed, then Vartox teleported the entire population of the Crystal Empire there to watch, using a barrier to shield them from the cold.
Clark addressed Cassandra.
"Could you please do the honor of clearing up the sky?"
"Sure thing."
She raised a hand and concentrated. The ponies were amazed when the storm clouds moved away, creating a clear night with the moon and stars visible.
"It will stay that way until we leave."
Vartox stepped forward and drew a circle in the ground with telekinesis, 100 meters in diameter.
"I'll be the referee. The first guy to hit the other guy in the head or torso wins. Stay inside the circle, and no heat vision, super breath, or telekinesis allowed."
Diana questioned him.
"You're allowing them to use the Solar Pulse?"
"Have to keep it interesting."
Clark stepped into the circle and drew Dawnbreak.
"Are you ready?"
Conner handed Inevitable to Cassandra, then stepped into the circle and drew Inexorable.
"Ready."
All the spectators trembled with anticipation. Vartox raised his arm, then brought it down.
"Begin!"
Father and son vanished and there was a shockwave as they reappeared, their swords colliding. Vartox protected them all from the shockwaves, as the two clashed swords, fists, and feet, using the Solar Pulse at times to enhance their speed and strength.
Rainbow Dash complained.
"This is nuts! I can't even see what they are doing!"
Vartox walked up.
"Don't worry, I'll give you an instant replay."
She was confused as he focused on the fight.
After a while, the two reappeared, not even winded. Clark spoke to his son.
"This is taking way too long. How about we end it with one final blow?"
He sheathed Dawnbreak and went into Iaido stance. Conner nodded and did the same with Inexorable. They powered up with Solar Pulses, ready to give it their all. One instant, they disappeared, the next, they were past each other. Clark was holding Dawnbreak out like he had just swung it, and Conner did the same with Inexorable, but he was holding his sheath in reverse grip with his other hand. Clark groaned and held his chest in pain.
"Ha. I didn't see that coming. Looks like you win, Conner."
As the ponies were confused, Vartox materialized a screen that replayed the duel at normal speed. In the final part, both combatants drew their swords and swung them, but as they clashed, Conner suddenly swung his sheath with his left hand and struck Clark in the chest with it. Some started cheering.
Suddenly aware of the implications of what just happened, Conner fell to his knees with shock. Clark recovered and approached him.
"Rise. A champion does not belong on his knees."
Conner stood up, then he and the others were shocked when Clark detached his cape, then draped it around Conner's shoulders and attached the clasps to his shirt's collar.
"This cape was part of the last present my birth parents could provide. Wear it well. I knew one day you would surpass me, as you have the abilities of both your mother and me, and the day we first met, you were far more powerful than I was at that age. Always use your gifts wisely. You are Superman now, my King."
Clark abruptly dropped to his knees, soon followed by everyone else, even the Princesses.
Conner steeled himself, letting it sink in that he had finally achieved his dream.
"Rise, all of you."
They did. Conner took Inevitable from Cassandra and offered it to Clark.
"Here, keep Mom's sword. You can use it, or..."
He glanced over to Maud. Clark got the idea and took Inevitable, putting it inside his backpack. He took off his wedding ring.
"Here, put it in your mother's memorial."
Touched, Conner took the ring and put it in his pocket.
"I suppose I will have to take over as the teacher of your students, both on Almerac and in the Legion."
"You practically know everything I know and you can do even more. You'll do fine."
Conner briefly shook hands with him, then turned to the others.
"Now, do any of you challenge my reign!?"
Ariella stepped forward and drew Raikiri, then stabbed it into the ground.
"Bro, I'm not challenging you. We all know that right now, we are roughly equal, but if I do this... SHAZAM!"
Lightning struck her, and her outfit was replaced by a red uniform with lightning symbols and a white cape. Like always, Clark was affected, as it made her the spitting image of her mother, Mary.
"You wouldn't stand a chance. But the reason why I never challenged Dad or your Mom was because we all know leadership isn't my thing, and ruling a planet is just too much work."
She kneeled, holding Raikiri's hilt in her hands.
"Instead, I will be your knight, just like I was Dad's."
Conner hugged her.
"I accept."
He turned to his wife.
"Cassandra, you have been my wife for over 900 years. Will you be my Queen as well?"
She smiled and walked up to him.
"You're so silly. Of course I will."
The audience cheered as they kissed. As everyone congratulated them, he slowly frowned and looked down.
"What's the matter, Honey?"
"This moment would have been perfect, if Mom were here to see it."
To everyone's surprise, Applejack was the one to comfort him.
"Ah know a thing er two about missing folks. Here's somethin' to remind us they're always here in our hearts."
First, Applejack began to sing. Then Apple Bloom joined her, gradually followed by everyone else there.
When family cannot be here
Havin' journeyed far and wide
We sing a song to honor them
To remember days gone by
So take your cup and raise it high
Just as surely I'll do mine
And laugh we will at stories told
As we smile at days gone by
As we smile at days gone by
For family not here, my dears
Havin' journeyed far and wide
For loyalty and kindness both
We smile at days gone by
Our paths will cross again one day
In time to reunite
For family is always near
Even when the seas are wide
So take your cup and raise it high
Just as surely I'll do mine
And make a toast for family
And the tales of days gone by
For family not here, my dears
Havin' journeyed far and wide
For loyalty and kindness both
Take joy at days gone by
For loyalty and kindness both
We smile at days gone by
Conner smiled and hugged her.
"Thank you. That did cheer me up."
Vartox abruptly teleported everyone back to the Crystal Empire. Mae held out her fist, the one with the Legion Ring.
"Brother, we probably won't see each other again for a while, so how about we do this, for old times sake?"
Smiling, the seven heroes stood in a circle and bumped their fists with the Legion Rings together. They cried out at once.
"Long live the Legion!"
Vartox then opened a portal.
"Like I said, we have to go. Clark, if you really want to stay here..."
He waved a hand and Clark became a pony again. His family said their goodbyes and exited through the portal. When Vartox was left, he paused.
"Listen, I have some free time next week. I'll come back and I will teach you how to change forms at will, and how to open portals between our worlds."
"Looking forward to it."
Before he could leave, Pinkie stopped him.
"When you come back, will you show me your world?"
"Sure."
"Pinkie Promise?"
"Fine. Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye."
He even made the motions.
"Yay! But how did you know?"
"I read your mind, which I don't think I want to do again. See you in a week!"
He stepped through the portal and it disappeared. Clark sighed and looked around.
"A new life, with new possibilities."
Princess Celestia walked up to him.
"Indeed. Clark, would you like to become a Royal Guard? It will solve your money problems."
He thought about it, then nodded his head.
"It would be an honor."
"Splendid. Right now, Princess Twilight Sparkle does not have any guards, so will you protect her?"
As Twilight sputtered and her friends teased her about her lack of security, Clark nodded.
"All right."
Luna stepped forward.
"An excellent idea, Sister! Allow me to do the honors!"
She zapped him, and he was suddenly wearing Royal Guard armor over his jacket, colored purple like Twilight's fur. Rarity swooned as he examined his new duds.
"This looks nice. I suppose if I am staying here, I should change my name to fit your naming style."
He looked at his Cutie Mark and remembered something Vartox had said to him.
"How about, Paragon Flame?"
Celestia smiled.
"It suits you."
She turned to the others.
"We have been away from Canterlot for far too long. It is time to return."
Celestia and Luna said their goodbyes and teleported away.
Daring Do suddenly slapped the ground in frustration.
"Darn it, I forgot to ask them if they could take Ahuizotl and Caballeron to Canterlot for trial."
Blueblood rubbed her back.
"It's okay. We have a train, and with Paragon Flame on our side, there is no way they can escape."
Ahuizotl and Caballeron were taken out of the dungeon, still tied up, and loaded onto the train, which had been repaired by Vartox's powers earlier. As tourists and Cheerilee's class boarded the train, eager to return home, Trixie and Flash had a moment.
"Flash, I suppose I'll see you later."
Fortunately, Princess Cadence stepped in.
"Flash Sentry, you have served us well. I'm granting you a two month vacation."
Taken aback, he smiled.
"Thank you, Princess."
He quickly gathered his belongings and joined Trixie on the train. They put her wagon in an empty compartment. Daring Do, Prince Blueblood, and his servants entered, putting his palanquin full of gifts in an empty compartment. His servants boarded the compartment holding the two criminals to guard them, while Paragon Flame assured them that if they somehow escaped, he would know and catch them.
Twilight Sparkle, her friends, her new guard, and Maud entered the compartment where Trixie, Flash, Daring, and Blueblood were. The train took off, starting its night long journey to Canterlot and then Ponyville. Maud addressed her coltfriend.
"You know, I liked calling you Clark. I will have to get used to calling you Paragon Flame."
"Don't worry, life is about change."
Suddenly, Cheerilee's class entered their compartment. Scootaloo spoke for them.
"You are so cool! Could you please tell us your story?"
He smiled.
"Very well, but when it becomes 10:00, you are all going to sleep."
"Aww!"
As everypony gathered around, he began his tale.
"It began long ago, on a distant world called Krypton. There were two scientists, Jor-El and his wife Lara-El..." |
The Lost Hero | A Quick Lesson | Paragon Flame, the former Clark Kent, was able to get most of his origin story out before it became 10:00 and he made the children go to sleep. Miss Cheerilee thoughtfully loaned him some children's books that had basic knowledge on how Equestria worked, as well as an encyclopedia, saying she tended to carry them in her bag when she traveled so she could have a chance to educate children she meets. To everypony's amazement, especially Twilight Sparkle, he only needed a single glance to memorize a page, allowing him to read them all in a matter of seconds. Some were skeptical, but he proved it by reciting passages from the books. He was fascinated to learn of this world where ponies controlled everything, including animals, the weather, and the sun and moon. He decided that when he had some free time, he would fly into space to investigate the orbit patterns of this planet, the sun, and moon. He also learned that Equestria seemed to use the Metric system and the same measurements of time as Earth, as well as days, weeks, months, and years.
Pinkie Pie suddenly remembered and pointed out Twilight had teleported their group to the Crystal Empire, but she said she wanted to relax and take the scenic route home to have time to get to know her new guard. Besides, teleportation was difficult the larger the group was, and it wouldn't be fair to those they left behind. Eventually, they all went to sleep, but Paragon Flame kept his senses trained on the two criminals, ready to wake up if they tried to escape.
As the sun rose the next morning, everypony had breakfast. By this time, Maud, Trixie, and Daring Do's manes had returned to normal, and Trixie and Daring Do put their hats back on. Flash Sentry, saying old habits die hard and he wanted to stay prepared even though he was on vacation, kept his armor on, but put his helmet into saddlebags. Some of Prince Blueblood's servants fed Ahuizotl and Caballeron and let them go to the bathroom. At around 8 AM, the train arrived in Canterlot. Miss Cheerilee told her students to have fun until 11 AM before coming back so the train could resume its journey to Ponyville. As everypony got off the train, Rarity looked Paragon up and down and sighed.
"What's the matter, Rarity?"
"I mean no disrespect, Your Highness. I know you are already with Maud so I have no claim on you. It is just you looked so dashing in your cape and I already miss being able to admire it."
He and a few others chuckled.
"No need to be so formal, Rarity. Have you already forgotten I am no longer a king? It is my son's turn to rule. I never really bothered with regalia, so my cape was the best way I could honor his transition. Now I am Princess Twilight's bodyguard, and I am content for now."
Rarity smiled.
"At the very least I can admire your jacket and armor. They're already giving me ideas for new fashions, and I promise they will be magnifique."
Ahuizotl and Caballeron were dragged out of the train by Blueblood's servants and then handed over to the Royal Guard after Blueblood and Daring Do explained the situation. While Ahuizotl merely growled, mindful of their spears, Caballeron tried to talk his way out of trouble.
"Release me at once! You can't prove I did anything wrong!"
Daring Do wasn't having it.
"Nice try, but I will send messages to everypony your actions have ever hurt, and we will all testify against you. See you in court."
As the pair were led into the dungeons, they swore revenge on the group of four that defeated them, but the four were not worried much. Faster than the eye could see, Paragon Flame darted out to inspect the dungeons and found them structurally sound before returning to his original spot. Some of the guards were confused by his unique armor, so he quickly explained he was Princess Twilight's new guard, which they accepted after Twilight, Flash, and Blueblood vouched for him and then he showed them his sword. Some of the guards chatted with their comrade Flash Sentry, and congratulated him when he explained he was on vacation and dating Trixie. The other guards started to mingle with Cheerilee's class and all of their friends.
Paragon Flame noticed that many of the guards did not seem to mind their surroundings much. As a test, he scooped a pebble into his hoof and threw it into their midst. Flash quickly caught it with his wing, but none of the others reacted or even noticed. Flash walked up to him and whispered.
"What was that for?"
"No offense, but I believe these other guards may be in need of training. Back in my old world, I knew many who did not have special powers but would have at least noticed that pebble. I didn't even throw it that fast."
Flash sighed.
"I suppose you are right. Your group talked about facing Queen Chrysalis a few days ago, right? About a year ago, she and her army invaded and occupied Canterlot. I wasn't there; I had been visiting my parents. Anyway, I heard the guard was taken out without much of a fight, before they even realized there were invaders. Princess Luna was asleep, Princess Celestia was defeated after Chrysalis overpowered her beam, and Princess Cadence and Prince Shining had been captured long before the invasion. Out of the entire city, only Twilight Sparkle and her five friends put up any resistance. If Cadence and Shining Armor hadn't been freed, we would have lost. Now that you mention it, I do notice that security seems to be lax. I suppose new training drills are in order, and you'll help?"
"Yeah. I've pretty much mastered movement and fighting in this pony body, and I believe I can get these guards back into shape. It would take a while to set up though. We'll just have to hope those two criminals don't escape until then."
The two rejoined their girlfriends and they mingled with the crowd.
After separating from the guards, the group decided to help Cheerilee chaperone her class. This served to kill two birds with one stone. They could look after the children and show Paragon Flame around Canterlot. After Blueblood asked his servants to take his palanquin full of gifts to the castle, the rather large group began their tour, Maud by Paragon and Twilight's side.
Their group raised quite a few stares, especially from the snobbish elitists like Jet Set and Upper Crust. Rarity and Spike eagerly showed the group her fashion shop, Canterlot Boutique. They got a pleasant surprise when they saw not only was Sassy Saddles there, but Coco Pommel, Fancy Pants, and Fleur De Lis as well. Seeing the large crowd, Coco shrank back (her past meetings with Rarity and Applejack may have given her some confidence, but she has limits), but Sassy stepped forward.
"Well carnations and crystals, Rarity! Good to have you back! And in such varied and good looking company."
Sassy and Rarity hugged and kissed each other on the cheeks. As Rarity did the same for Coco, Sassy then started blatantly ogling Paragon Flame. He quickly wrapped an arm around Maud and nuzzled her, making Sassy pout.
Fleur De Lis smirked and whispered into Fancy Pants' ear, but Paragon Flame was able to hear it.
"You know I would never cheat on you, dear husband, but the one in the purple armor is rather attractive. There is no harm in looking, especially since it seems he is already attached."
Fancy Pants whispered back.
"I am not blind. Go ahead and look to your heart's content."
The couple then turned to the group, and Fancy Pants addressed them.
"Ah, Rarity! Princess Twilight! Prince Blueblood! It is so good to see all of you, and your companions!"
Blueblood smiled.
"Good to see you too, old friend."
Fancy Pants shook Blueblood's hoof and gave Rarity and Twilight a hug. Fleur De Lis gave them hugs as well. Twilight pointed at Paragon.
"This is my brand new guard, Paragon Flame. He's new to Equestria, so I am giving him a tour of Canterlot as well as chaperoning Miss Cheerilee's class."
Fancy Pants approached Paragon and gave him a friendly slap on the back.
"Greetings! I am Fancy Pants and this is my wife Fleur De Lis. If this is your first time in Canterlot, you currently stand in one of Rarity's clothing stores, Canterlot Boutique. We regularly shop here. This is Sassy Saddles, Rarity's representative, and a friend, Coco Pommel."
"It is nice to meet you."
Paragon returned Fancy Pants' friendly slap, kissed Fleur's hoof when she offered it, and nodded to Sassy, but then he locked eyes with Coco, who was blushing and trying not to look at him. He was instantly stunned, and a feeling he only had for one other took hold. He gave a big smile, and in an instant, he was suddenly across the room and hugging her. Everypony was shocked and Coco was mortified, but he didn't notice.
"You are one of the most adorable creatures I have ever seen! You remind me of my niece, Atlee."
He turned to Maud.
"Can we keep her?"
Maud shook her head no.
Coco struggled to get out of his arms, but couldn't.
"Wait! I am not a pet!"
Embarrassed, Paragon let go of her and frantically bowed.
"I am so sorry! It's just that you remind me so much of my niece Atlee. She is just so cute and sometimes I wish she was my daughter. I have two children, but they are adults now. I mean, Atlee is an adult, but she still looks like a child. I looked at you and I saw a second chance to have a new daughter. Oh darn, I just implied you look like a child. Oh darn, I am babbling. Please forgive me, Miss Pommel, I don't normally act like this!"
By now, everypony was chuckling except Maud and Coco. Maud had been about to confront Paragon for hugging Coco, but when he said he saw her as a daughter, she stopped and stared at them with her usual neutral expression. Coco composed herself and gave a small smile.
"It's okay, sir. My parents act like that around me as well."
Rarity approached her.
"Coco darling, what are you doing here?"
"Well, my clothing business in Manehattan was going well, so I decided to take a break and visit Canterlot."
Sassy cut in.
"Then she found this place and decided to help me out. Isn't she wonderful?"
Rarity gave Coco another hug and a kiss on the cheek.
"You are indeed wonderful, but we are forgetting why we are here. We are here to show our guests a good time and our latest fashions! Everypony, feel free to look around the store. There are outfits for mares and stallions."
At her words, the large group spread out and checked out the store's items. Embarrassed that he did not do so earlier, Blueblood quickly introduced his girlfriend Daring Do to Fancy Pants and Fleur De Lis. To her chagrin, they had never read her books, but promised to eventually find them. Flash and Trixie looked around and eventually, Trixie decided to buy a new hat, though one that looked similar to her original one. Cheerilee's students had fun trying on different clothes, especially Diamond Tiara, Silver Spoon, and Sweetie Belle. Pinkie Pie zipped around trying on everything, even the stallion clothing. Paragon and Maud helped keep her from knocking any of the stands over. Paragon noted a distinctive lack of trousers. The only trousers were for wedding outfits and work uniforms. He figured with a lack of fingers it made sense why trousers would be rare. Maud clinically looked the clothes over but had no interest in them.
Eventually, the group fondly bid the four farewell and continued their tour.
Much to Twilight's delight, they ran into Princess Celestia, who had decided to catch up with her old students and Twilight's old friends Moon Dancer, Lemon Hearts, Twinkleshine, and Minuette. While it was true she only taught Twilight personally, they were all graduates of Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns and Celestia had met and talked to them on occasion during their time there. Celestia was delighted to see the group again and quickly introduced everypony. Twilight excitedly explained Paragon's status as essentially an alien, but they were skeptical until Celestia and Blueblood vouched for her claims and Paragon demonstrated he could fly without wings.
While Trixie was also a graduate, it turns out the reason why she had never met Twilight or her school friends before the Ursa Minor incident was simply because she was a year younger than them, so she was in completely different classes.
As they mingled, while Lemon Hearts, Lemon Hearts, and Twinkleshine were delighted that Twilight finally had her own (good looking) guard, and ogled Flash Sentry as well, Moon Dancer scowled at Paragon. When she noticed Maud was Paragon's girlfriend, she relaxed and cheered up when talking to Twilight. She was also cordial to Daring Do, being a secret fan of her books, but thinking she was a cosplayer. Having known many women who liked women over the years, especially his nieces Karen and Atlee, Paragon realized what was happening, but kept silent. Then he looked at a clock.
"Guys, it is 10:30. We should be getting back to the train."
The class groaned, then Rainbow Dash flew up to Paragon.
"Before I forget, can you please teach me how to be faster later? Vartox promised you would help."
"Pinkie Pie is even faster than I am. Why haven't you asked her?"
"I don't know if you've noticed, but everything Pinkie does is impossible. There's no way to copy it. Besides, she can't fly, but you can. I still don't know how you can do it without wings."
"Hmm, I suppose we have time for a quick lesson. Pay attention, all of you. Especially you, Lily Longsocks, this could possibly benefit you as well."
Everypony gathered around. He rose into the air.
"First, I'm going to test your skills at observation."
In an instant, he disappeared. Shocked, they looked around.
"I'm over here."
He was speaking to them from the top of a building. In another instant, he was back in his original position. Several of the children cheered.
"Now, Rainbow Dash or any of you. Did you notice anything about what I just did?"
They were all stumped, until Twilight Sparkle suddenly figured it out.
"He moved so fast... and there was no sonic boom! No gust of wind!"
"Very good, Princess. Rainbow Dash, part of the reason why I can move so fast is because I can emit a field that nullifies the effects of drag and inertia on me, allowing me to push myself more. I can turn it off if I feel like it, but it would cause my flights to be very destructive. It's also how I can stop and turn instantly and how I can catch or lift objects or beings without breaking them."
As Rainbow, Daring Do and other fliers pondered this, he continued.
"At first I didn't think it was possible for you to achieve this. After all, winged flight requires drag to work. But I can see most forms of energy. Admittedly, it took me over a hundred years to learn how to see magical energy, but I can see it now, and when Pegasi fly, you have a protective field around you."
Rainbow was ecstatic.
"Really!?"
"Yes. During the battle against Sombra, you flew at Mach 5 and then you accelerated to Mach 10 when you did that Sonic Rainboom technique the others have told me about. Most living things would be turned to paste at those speeds. Your personal field allows you to survive. Perhaps when we get to Ponyville and have some free time, we can do some experiments to see if you can adjust your field to match mine. After all, when I first learned how to fly, I was very destructive, always making craters when I landed and dragging things into my slipstream, until I learned how to control it."
While Rainbow eagerly thanked him and an excited Twilight took notes at learning of this previously unknown aspect of flight, Paragon approached Lily Longsocks.
"I didn't learn how to fly until I was an adult. My protective field works on the ground too. It helps me when I run and when I carry things. Later, how about we see if you can develop one as well, so you can really control your strength, and even increase it."
The little filly was excited.
"Yes! Thank you, sir!"
He patted her on the head and she rejoined the class. He turned to Maud.
"Maybe I gained a new daughter after all."
She rolled her eyes.
As the group bid farewell to Celestia and Twilight's classmates and prepared to return to the train, Daring Do and Blueblood stepped forward and Daring spoke.
"We're not going with you."
Rainbow Dash was startled.
"What do you mean?"
"I've acquired a powerful artifact, defeated my two greatest enemies, and got a boyfriend. I think it is time I had a vacation. I'd like to stay here and relax with Blueblood a while."
Trixie ran up and hugged her.
"Thank you for everything. Because I went with you, I had an awesome adventure and got a boyfriend of my own."
Maud just patted her on the back.
"Ditto."
After Paragon Flame and the others hugged her, Daring Do pondered and addressed him.
"I'm debating whether or not I should write a book about our adventure."
"Heh, I wouldn't mind. If you can figure it out, I would buy it."
Blueblood walked up.
"The two of us talked about this on the train. When you guys joined her, she promised a reward. She'll be keeping the Aegis of Gaia until she can decide what to do with it, while you should have this."
He gave Paragon, Maud, and Trixie 50 Bits each. They found this acceptable, and bid the two farewell and good luck. Blueblood reminded them that Caballeron and Ahuizotl's trial would begin in two weeks, so they should return to testify.
The group made it back to the train with time to spare. Once it was 11 AM, the train departed Canterlot and headed for its next destination, Ponyville. |
Worm: Nightfall | pre | Zoey, sweet, optimistic, and naïve girl with a Friendless Background, due to her hipster interests. She does her best to get along with everybody or gain their approval - although this habit tends to get the better of her. She has the ability to transmute the bodies of her teammates, she could make them tougher to take down in fights. She has a slender and busty body. Her power also lets her heal her teammates. She's armed with a energy gun that she can switch to a energy sword.
Floating Bears whose team colors is blue.
Jasmine, a tall dark skin girl from the Australian outback whose expertise in wilderness survival comes naturally to her. While her imposing height tends to intimidate others, Jasmine is nothing but a kind and caring soul with strong leadership skills and a sisterly attitude. She stands nearly 9 feet tall, powerfully built due to her living in the outback, and has the largest breasts of the entire cast of Total Drama. She has the ability to absorb and mimic the physical properties of any object she touches. She's armed with a energy gun that she can switch to a energy sword.
Amy, is a vain and bratty cheerleader who lives to torment her sister. She sees Samey as nothing more than an inferior spare of herself and relentlessly abuses Samey both physically and verbally to ensure she never forgets that. She has a busty hourglass figure. Her power lets her absorbs and amplifies sound and release them as powerful blast of energy. She's armed with a energy gun that she can switch to a energy sword.
Sammy (or Samey, as her sister calls her) is also a cheerleader, but has lived her entire life under the thumb of her bullying sibling. As a result, she is quite timid and has low self-esteem, believing Amy's boasts of being the better sister to be true. She has a busty hourglass figure. Her power is to induce sensations of intense dizziness and nausea in others, by sonic waves. Combine with her sister's power they can by themselves destroy a city. She's armed with a energy gun that she can switch to a energy sword.
Scarlett, a highly intelligent young woman with a tendency towards speaking in a scientifically verbose manner. Scarlett appears to be a shy, polite, and soft-spoken young woman, but this personality is merely a façade for her true character - one far more sinister and psychotic than anyone could have guessed. She has a slender and busty body. Her power is super vision that see anything coming at her from miles away, see through anything, read people like a book to where she can read their minds and know what they're planning. She could also see things that are too small for ordinary vision and able to see anything that's hidden or any weakness to any structure or object even on living beings. Combine with her intelligence, she's able to build anything that as very few weaknesses thanks to her power letting her see any flaws in the design. She's armed with a ghostbuster like proton gun that's connected to a large power pack on her back, that also has 4 spider like legs coming out of it, that she's using to walk with. She's armed with an energy gun that she can switch to an energy sword.
Ella, is like the stereotypical Disney-style princesses she imitates, Ella is an incredibly sweet girl with a perpetually sunny disposition, absolutely no ill will towards anybody, and an angelic singing voice that entrances all the creatures of the forest but annoys most people to no end. She has a graceful busty hourglass figure. Her power is opening wormholes to anyplace she wants but can only open one at a time. She's armed with a energy gun that she can switch to a energy sword.
Sky is a skilled gymnast who believes in the importance of teamwork and good sportsmanship. Although competitive, she despises cheaters and rarely shows any serious disrespect towards her teammates. Her body is more slender than busty but is very toned. Her power is superhuman strength and durability along with the ability to project shockwaves. She's armed with a energy gun that she can switch to a energy sword.
Sugar, a former child pageant champion of rustic background. Sugar is fearless, extremely competitive, and will do anything to gain an advantage over her fellow contestants. Although she is crude and unintelligent, her pageant experiences give her the ruthlessness to be a much more formidable player than she seems. Don't let her dumb country girl appearance fool you. She's actually a competent and ruthless manipulator. She is very voluptuous with large breasts and butt that is very powerful because of living on a farm giving her stout strength. Her power is the ability to inhale enemies and attacks into her mouth before spitting them out with the force of a cannon or swallowing them to take on their abilities. She's able to copy just about anything she inhales, a fireball she's able to breath fire, same for ice, lightning she can toss lightning around, and so on. But she can only use one ability at a time. She's armed with an energy gun that she can switch to an energy sword.
"Wait, you all are armed with those energy guns that can be switch to energy swords?" Prism said as she remembers that only the ones who don't have offensive powers are armed with those guns.
"What you think we wouldn't have weapons or secondary weapons?" Heather asked.
"This isn't the show where we never learn from our mistakes," Eva said.
"And don't try getting us to fight each other. Thanks to Nightfall we gotten over and made up," Amy said as she holds her sister Sammy's hand.
"It's called character development," Sugar said.
"Me and my team are a whole lot more competent and learned to work together so that our powers compliment with each other," Blaineley said.
"And don't think the big 3 can help," Ellody said opening up a book showing the Triumvirate trap inside. (2)
"Oh boy," Prism said as the Total Drama team rush her and the others. !
Elsewhere -
Nightfall layback using her mother Nightmare Moon larger body as her bed. Both of them lay on a recliner couch, Nightmare Moon watch as her daughter worked using the hard light computer screens in front of her. While the other villainesses are out about on heists stealing stuff, Nightfall is helping in collocating and organizing the teams, making sure all the items taken are place in the right places, laundering the money, setting up buyers for stolen items that they can fence off, and so on.
Nightmare Moon has been teaching Nightfall what she knows about running a criminal empire. Which all the villainesses had to learn as they're not in a tv show anymore where the money, equipment, their food, their shelter, and what else they need to survive are no longer just appear out of nowhere. Which is why they been steal the contents of warehouses for box stores and depots. They needed the food, clothes, medicine, and the hygiene supplies they needed.
They along with the mastermind villains have been handling the logistics for the group. Using the money they stole to buy some legitimate businesses so that they could more easily laundry the money they stole by hiding it in the margins. As well as being able to get supplies they needed without having to steal them. They also spent time in a timeless dimension where they didn't age, for some planning, team building and bonding with each other. So that they wouldn't be defeated like they were in the show or fight each other.
On one of the screens the Miser Sisters, Cold and Heat, had came back from their mission.
Cold Miser has pale skin portrayed as either snow white or light blue. Her ice blue hair is short and spiky. She wears a blue shirt and silver leggings, a blue striped scarf, blue gloves and long, blue pointed shoes. Cold Miser is abnormally tall as she towers over most in stature, but out of the sisters, is the taller one and she is very slim and lanky. Her powers may look like she has ice powers but the ice is just a side effect of her real power, she can slows molecules to absolute zero.
Heat Miser has darker skin than her icy sister, but she is still fairly pale, although her skin does have a slight orange tint to it. Her long hair is red and sticks up, making it look like flames. She wears a red shirt and yellow leggings, and long, red pointed shoes. Like her sister, she is abnormally tall and towers over most people at 8 feet tall, but out of the two sisters, she is the shorter one in stature but has a much more voluptuous figure.
They use to fight all the time on the show, which is how they were killed by the Power Ponies. The heroes got them to fight each other and once they had worn each other down, the heroes killed them. Now they're much more friendly with each other, even if they still compete and argue with each other all the time.
"Total Drama are back," Nightfall said glancing at the screen that popped up.
"Any trouble?" Nightmare Moon asked.
"They had to deal with the heroes but they took care of them. Trap them and released them after they were done. They got everything and than some," Nightfall said to her mother.
"What else do we need?" Nightmare Moon asked.
"Tron and her Servbots have all they need, and the robot workforce are up and running," Nightfall said displaying the screen of Tron in her robot factory. She usually wears a pink shirt with the Bonne family mark, a small blue jacket, black pantyhose, pink gloves, pink heeled shoes, two Bonne earrings and a headband. Additionally, a grey steel plate is in the crotch region of her pantyhose. All of which hugs her very busty body, which almost all the villainesses have, seeing how it was just easier to draw almost all the females in the show with the same body shape and face.
"In the show we would had already told the heroes what we're planning," Nightmare Moon said.
"Which has always bothered me. Telling the heroes about the plan before the plan is even ready, just dumb. Of course the Power Ponies aren't that great as heroes, they only save the day because of plot armor. You villains are the ones who made the show great," Nightfall said.
"Speaking of the heroes, what's the plan for them?" Nightmare Moon asked.
"Depends on what happens. But we need to get rid of the other villains, just too much competition," Nightfall said.
"Well we already taken care of the world wide threats," Nightmare Moon said.
"So many lives lost and all it took to take care of them, was a bunch of villains from an old cartoon show who have story breaking powers," Nightfall said looking at the photos of the Endbringers on the wall.
The Simurgh, Leviathan, and Behemoth all frozen in their prisons. The Simurgh is trap in a photo, Leviathan is trap in a glass jar, and Behemoth is trap in a book. And they're not alone as Scion photo is also on the wall, showing him trap inside a videotape of a movie after he was trap in it. Which happen thanks to him being trapped inside a trashcan by Madam Trash who has the power to trap anything inside a trashcan, by commanding it to get inside and nothing can get out without outside help. Followed by Ellody sealing the trashcan inside one of her books, and so on by others with the power to trap things and people into objects. Which was repeated at least a hundred times each to make it a very layered prison. Each one impossible to escape from the inside. (3)
So many villainesses who have the power to trap others in something, no matter how strong or teleport or enter something like a film being played. All it took was combining those story breaking powers and trap the Endbringers and Scion who would had destroy this Earth and so many others in the multiverse. Which they learned about thanks to Backstory, who has the power to create a book that has the backstory of anyone or anything she wants. Which she used her power in the show as a way to get blackmail on the Power Ponies.
"And they all been thrown into a black hole so there is no way for them ever coming back. As this isn't a cartoon show where plot holes happen to let things happen for no good reason," Nightmare Moon said. (4)
"With them gone, my world has nothing to worry about. Expect for us that is," Nightfall said. ! |
Worm: Nightfall | Chapter 5 | !
Bright sunlight poured into a grand room through pink tinted glass, casting a bright glow over crimson curtains and ruby colored sheets. A crisp, gentle morning breeze blew in from the spacious balcony, stirring the aromatic presence of roses and lavender, and bringing with it the fresh smell of oak and pine but along with the vigorous scent of nature there was also the arousing stench of pleasure, sex, and wanton bacchanalia. Slowly life stirred within the comfortable, fragrant sanctuary, as the firm and nubile bodies of several healthy young maidens roused from sleep, all of them either naked or clad in the skimpiest of lingerie. Their skin still coated in sweat and sex juices, and the flawlessness of their bodies was marked only by the aftermath of lust, their smooth breasts and long legs still sticky.
Nightmare Moon enter her daughter's chambers along with Blaineley and Kelly, the oldest of the women that make up the Total Drama gang. Both of whom had shared her bed, while the younger women of gang had an orgy with other members of LOVE. To celebrate their victories over the heroes of this world.
"So why didn't we join the kids?" Kelly asked.
"Nightfall just finds it awkward to have sex while I'm in the room. Remember how she's so shy while we were together?" Nightmare Moon said.
"Didn't stop her from curling up on your lap and nursing on your milk jugs," Blaineley said eyeing Nightmare Moon's massive breasts.
"I know but she just finds it awkward of laying on top of me while both of us are being eaten out," Nightmare Moon said as she looks around for Taylor now known as Nightfall in the piles of bodies.
Nightmare Moon floated in the air using her wings and looked for her daughter. With the piles of tangled naked bodies, melon size breasts and jiggling juicy butts, slender and thicc bodies, made it hard for her to spot her daughter and not be distracted by the sight of the flesh around her. She's very tempted to grab one of the young women and have her way with her. She found her daughter with 3 other young women, one sleeping with her face resting on her groin, and the two others using her ample chest as their pillows.
The three young women with her daughter are a trio of villainesses.
Wraith, Molly McGee an optimistic 23 year-old woman who lives to make the world a better place for her and her friends. Molly is a Thai-American of short height, medium-length brown hair, and dark brown almond-shaped eyes. She wears her hair up in a short ponytail with a pink hairband. She is the shortest of the three and the most athletic, and has a busty body that doesn't show her down. Her power allows her to transform into a wraith, a ghost like form. In her ghost form she can go through solid objects, and if she passes through someone they become completely depresses husk, as she sucks all the joy out of others.
Barbwire, Libby Stein-Torres, Molly's shy and nerdy Jewish best friend. Shes very tall standing at 7 feet with dark brown eyes and long straight dark brown hair that reaches her knees. She has giant breasts that are completely out of place on her tall and slender frame, as it seems that all of her body fat went to her breasts. Which she claims that no matter how much she eats, the only weight she gains is to her breasts. Her power is turning using her hair like tentacles with sharp barbs at the end that can inject different poisons into her victims. From making them, sleep, paralyze, numb, blinding, to making them puke out their liquidated insides.
Gemstorm, Andrea Davenport, is a young, fair-skinned young woman of medium height with waist-length, light blue hair which fades to purple and has one blue streak on the right side of her hair, freckles under her eyes, brown eyebrows, and light brown eyes. She's the most voluptuous of the trio, with massive breasts, thin waist, wide hips and large butt giving her an impossible hourglass figure. Her power lets her create green crystals from anything she touches, making them as fragile as glass or hard as diamond. She can fling razor sharp crystal shards around and make crystal melee weapons. She can turn her entire body into crystal and adding more to her crystal shell lets her grow into a giant. By focusing the sun's rays through her hand to create a solar laser beam. Being made of solid crystal means nothing can penetrate her. However, she can be cracked or shattered by loud enough sounds, which is how she was killed in the show.
Both Andrea and Libby are using Nightfall's breasts as pillows as Molly is using her lap as her pillow. Nightmare Moon tried to gently pull Nightfall out of the embrace the trio has her in, only for them to grip onto their lovers body and press themselves closer to her. Both Andrea and Libby rub their faces onto Nightfall's large breasts and causing Nightfall to moan in her sleep.
Nightfall's power besides what she gain when she was resurrected as Nightmare Moon's daughter after she used part of her soul to bring her back, is the power of souls. She has the ability to take souls and lifespans from people and can store them inside herself. She has a piece of every villainesses she has summon inside of her, which makes them all immortal and ageless. If their body is completely destroyed their souls will be flung to Nightfall, who then can bring them back to life by placing their soul into a new clone body. Created thanks to a bunch of other supervillainesses combining their powers and abilities together.
As long as Nightfall is alive, all of them no matter what can be brought back to life, with the benefit of being immortal and ageless. And thanks to Camera O'Neil with her power to zap people into tv shows, Clock Queen who can alter how fast or slow time flows, they were all able to spend years on a vacation in an old cartoon show, The Jetsons. There they got to relax and live it up in the future world of the Jetsons, where one thing lead to another and they all ended up having orgies.
With them being ageless and immortal thanks to Nightfall, they all got to enjoy a vacation of debauchery. They even went to Ancient Rome shown in some shows, just so they could throw old style orgies, and thanks to it being all fake they didn't have to worry about any STDs or getting impregnated. As Camera O'Neil's power while traps someone in a show, it's more like the holodeck on Star Trek, with anything that they do doesn't carry over when hey leave, unless she makes it that way like she did with the Power Ponies where if they die they die for real. But with the safety's on all the villainesses got to enjoy a long vacation that lasted for years, thanks to Clock Queen.
They made strong bonds, became lovers, and learn to work together, as well as learning to become skilled lovers. Which Nightfall told them to do so that they could take their time in coming up with a game plan of what to do and work out all of their issues. Thanks to that idea, they worked out their issues, watching their show to learn from their past mistakes that allowed the Power Ponies to kill them in the first place. They spent years coming up with a game plan and making sure that how they were beaten wouldn't work a second time.
Now they're all working together and unlike other villains, they trust and work together. For the biggest weakness is that whenever they were close in winning in the show, they would start fighting with each other and is the reason why the Power Ponies killed all of them. Now that they're all close lovers in a polygamous relationship, with a base to house all of them with a robotic workforce to handle all the work needed to keep the infrastructure of the base running.
"Come now, I need Nightfall," Nightmare Moon said as she pulls her daughter out of the arms of the trio.
"Hey!" Molly said as she and her friends upon losing their body pillow woke up.
"Just go back to sleep, Nightfall and me have things to do," Nightmare Moon said to the trio as she held Nightfall in her arms and flew off.
"Mom?" Nightfall asked her eyes fluttering as she wakes up.
"We have duties to attend to, the others can sleep," Nightmare Moon said.
"Yes, mom," Nightfall said as she nestles her face onto the side of her mother's massive breast.
Nightmare Moon left with Blaineley and Kelly stayed behind to deal with her group and the others who are still sleeping. They're heading for the main boardroom where the leaders of the different groups all meet together. They all still have much to do for the comprehensive plan they all came up with to work. With them handling the endbringers and the alien, they only have to deal with the heroes and villains of this world. And to handle the logistics in keeping the operation running, is up to Nightfall and her family.
Adjusting to her newfound status had been difficult for Nightfall. The introduction of new duties and routines had been a far cry from the lackadaisical days she had spent as a normal teenager girl. The one good thing is thanks to the long vacation that lasted for years, she doesn't have to worry about being betrayed.
They pass 2 synths fixing one of the ventilation fans and a malfunctioning window display that is frozen. Showing the night scene instead of the daytime scene, so that living in an underground lair isn't so stale and people in it have a sense of time. All the air-vents are small unless they're needed to be large like with the rooms with equipment that generate lots of heat or extremely deep locations. After playing the Dead Space game where because of the air vents big enough to allow bear size enemies to bypass lock doors and able to get anywhere, Nightfall made sure that all the air vents are either small where only things like rats can move around, there are grates, bars, and razor sharp spinning fans to keep people from sneaking around in the vents.
The synths are part of the robotic workforce that keeps the base running. They're modeled after the human silhouette, their basic chassis consists of a human-like skeleton constructed from alloys, with the power cell and additional mechanisms stored where the chest cavity would be, while visual receptors and the primary processing unit are contained within the artificial skull. Limbs are minimalist, articulated by a network of tensile fibers, simulating muscle action, like in early human prostheses. They have an internal mesh that shields the mechanisms of the synth from damage and provides support for the artificial skin layer that makes the synth similar to a human. Though more humanoid in appearance, synths still possess limited A.I. and superficially resemble a mannequin more than a human. Which all the robot workforce are built as to stop any robot upraising, and so that they can send waves of them at enemies. They are employed around the base for menial labor, maintaining the hundreds of systems keeping the underground habitat in operation, and performing tasks that can be easily automated.
Walking into the boardroom where the villainesses who are the masterminds of their groups meet. The only ones inside waiting for them is Becky Rockler, Nightmare Moon's secretary who keeps the finances of LOVE in order, allowing the other villains to budget for and afford making all those giant robots and other devices for whatever evil plan they're doing. Keeping. The HR department running smoothly and all payments for the minions healthcare and paychecks are paid in a timely matter. And Raven Inkwell, Daybreaker's secretary who provides communication and technical skills that gives Daybreaker's strategies a precise edge. While capable of talking, she prefers to stay quiet and observant, talking when she has to. Her extreme competence and significant skill give any villain with delusions of grandeur second thoughts.
Becky Rockler, is a tall dark skin woman with ankle length white hair that's held in check by an orange headband. Her business suit of a brown jacket and pants did little to hide her hourglass busty figure, massive breasts and hips as wide as her shoulders, the red tie she wears disappears between her massive melons. Her power is super human reflexes and perception, her eyes allow her to see things in slow motion and able to react. She is also able to see through objects, zoom her vision like a telescope, see every single little detail on something as small as the end of a needle, can tell if someone is lying just by looking at them and reading them of anything else they might be trying to hide. Her hands have been cybernetic upgraded with self repairing grind cutters, blade-tipped chain-fingers that she can use to stick someone from a distance and reel them back in. If they're not already in pieces. Combine with her eyes that can see anything, and super reflexes where she doesn't even need to move in battle.
Raven Inkwell, a tall woman pale skin woman, who keeps her brown hair in a bun and wears glasses. She wears a button white shirt with a red bow tie, and a long brown skirt, that does little to hide her busty hourglass figure. Her button shirt strains to cover her huge breasts that are threatening to pop off her button with each breath she takes. Her power is that she can fire Zero-Point Energy beams from her hands, any target she hits is completely immobilized in its tracks. She can also use it to create a field around her that stops anything she wants in the range of her power. She can also use the beams to grab the object or person her power is affecting and toss it or them around. She also been bio-augmented to be superhuman, denser muscles, bones, skin, organs, and a supercomputer like brain, thanks to being a designer baby as her rich business parents who wanted her to be prefect. Going so far to having her be psychologically engineered to be essentially emotionless sociopaths so she'll become ruthless in the business world. Which caused Raven to snap from all the pressure and stress and becoming a supervillainess and right hand woman of the biggest villainess in the world, ruining her parents lives.
Both of them are Hypercompetent Sidekicks to the big bads of the Power Ponies, both are expert technical skills and very formidable combat prowess. Both of them are completely loyal to their mistresses and are always watchful of any threats to them. Both of them aren't in command simply because they doesn't want to, but they're second in command in all but name and even the people officially picked for the role have to gain their approval. That has carried over to the real world, where both secretaries have stayed loyal to their mistresses and to their daughters.
Both secretaries are talking with someone sitting in one of the chairs of the table. The chair spun around revealing Maximilian Von Klein, the industrialist supervillain in charge of the legitimate businesses under the control of LOVE. A short and slender woman with short black hair, who stands only at 4 feet, she is often mistaken for being younger than she is because of how small and young looking she is. Her power is controlling anyone who hears her voice, she can tell anyone to do anything she tells them to do. Her power does have limits, people have to be able to hear her. They have to be able to understand her, making the word powerless against those who don't speak English, animals who aren't trained to respond to verbal commands, or those who are either deaf or can drown out her voice.
"So what is it you 3 want?" Blaineley asks.
"People have noticed that Scion isn't flying around anymore. It's causing lots of commotion, the online chat rooms are all buzzing about how Scion hasn't been seen for weeks now. And some have pointed out how Scion has disappeared around the same time we showed up," Maximilian said.
"So what?" Blaineley asked.
"We use it to our advantage. All we need to do is show the world that we captured Scion and the endbringers," Maximilian said.
"No," Nightfall said lifting her head up. "We're saving that for later."
"She's right, showing our hand now will just cause much panic and the heroes and villains will be stepping up their game with us. We stick to raids and only once we are nice and ready do we show our hand. This isn't our show where we tell the heroes what our plan is or gloat instead of just launching the plan," Nightmare Moon said.
"We should show how powerful we really are, after its way too late for anyone to stop the plan," Becky said.
"I know my world and I tried of it, but it doesn't mean we shouldn't at least give them a chance. If they fail, well there are other Earths that we can go to. No need to stay in a place where people are idiots when you can go someplace else," Nightfall said. (1)
"That's still being worked on," Raven points out.
"We have time, the heroes have no idea what we're up to," Nightmare Moon said.
"We can build my gold ray," Maximilian said.
"I keep telling you that gold will become completely worthless if there is too much gold. Not to mention in the show you wanted to turn the world into gold, which would kill all life on the planet, including you," Nightfall said as she and everyone else in the room stared at Maximilian. (2)
"Well... if things turn out the worst we can use it to make money for the next world," Maximilian said.
"How are the others doing?" Nightfall ask.
"All the genius are working on their projects. If the heroes figure out one plan, they won't expect the backup plans," Raven said.
"Good, we need to make sure what happen in the show doesn't happen in real life," Nightmare Moon said. !
PRT HQ -
Piggot frown as she stared at the stone head of Shadow Stalker on the work table of Armsmaster. He's been trying to see if he can't figure out a way to turn her and the others back to normal. The main problem is that the only intact pieces are the heads of the people that Nightfall had turn to stone and rip their heads off. The rest of the stone bodies have been broken and piled up on top of each other, with no way of telling which piece belongs to which statue.
"She is aware?" Piggot asked.
"Yes from what my scanner pick up, she and all the other heads are completely aware of the world around them. Like the Grey Boy victims, but are stone," Armsmaster said.
"Good," Piggot said as she glares at Shadow Stalker. "Because of you we have to deal with a villain who has an army of villains working for her. You and the people who enable this to happen, even if we can figure out a way to turn you back, aren't going to just get a slap on the waist for this mess. But at least this way, I can talk to you as I want and you can't do anything about it. And I can just lock you away in the dark."
Piggot picks up and place Shadow Stalker into a container that is padded inside that were made to hold the stone heads in, without risk of them breaking. Leaving Shadow Stalker in a box in the dark, she is still aware, being able to see, and hear the world around her but unable to do anything. And now she's in a box that has no light or anything, and because she doesn't have to breath anymore is completely sealed off. If either Piggot or Armsmaster could hear Shadow Stalker, they would hear sobbing as she like all the other stone heads just want their suffering to end and it be better for them to be killed off, then let them suffer. Just as Nightfall wanted, to have them suffer a fate worst than death and neither Piggot or Armsmaster care or feel for Shadow Stalker's suffering. As they're not going to be treating her as the victim that did nothing to deserve what she's suffering at the hands of the one she killed. (3)
"Now do you have any idea what Nightfall and the other villainesses are up to?" Piggot ask.
"Some of the thefts are items that were stolen for the villain of the week plan of taking over the world. A giant freeze ray, a ray that turns anything into gold, mind control ray, poison gas that will either cause people to die or go completely mad, a railgun to knock the moon out of orbit, and a whole lot of other doomsday devices. Which while it worked in their show, most will not work in the real world. Whatever they're planning is big and they must be using all the thefts to hide what they're really doing," Armsmaster said.
"Committing other crimes to hide the real crime," Piggot said.
"And with so many of them, I have no idea how to deal with them. Total Drama capturing Legend, Alexandria and Eidolon in New York, shows that the ones with powers to capture anything in the show, works in real life. Eidolon tried to use his powers and he couldn't once he was trap in the book," Armsmaster said.
"So what do we do?" Piggot asked.
"I have no idea?" Armsmaster said. ! |
Worm: Nightfall | Chapter 6 | !
The town of Cradle Bay, in the state of Washington has been dying for years. Thanks to the adults of the town allowing Dr. Caldicott to brainwash their kids into being prefect members of society. Ending with the doctor and the kids all dead, after some kids who weren't brainwashed fraught back. Afterwards the young members of the town all left when they were able to leaving behind only the adults who have to face the fact that without young people, their town is doom. (1)
The doors of the school has closed down thanks to lack of students and many of the businesses have been forced to closed down. The town has tried to change its image and get people to move to the town. But the reputation of the town hating young people, has labeled the town as a horrible place to move to for anyone young. The town is now just a rest stop and a place to fuel.
In the abandon strip mall of the town, the members of Slaughterhouse 9 have been hiding out, laying low from their last rampage. Inside a makeshift lab Bonesaw is preparing to create the newest member of Slaughterhouse 9, she's preparing to fuse the heroine Mouse Protector with the villainess Ravager. The villainess had hired them to take care of the heroine for them, which they did, then they capture Ravager as they don't take orders.
"Hello child," a soft voice called out to Bonesaw causing her to turn around and see a woman with long pink hair standing behind her. She wore a skin tight yellow outfit that has green rings on it that is hypnotic just to look at, not help how the rings on her chest makes her already giant breasts which are bigger than Bonesaw's torso seem bigger, which draws Bonesaw's eyes to her breasts. Her large bat like wings on her back also have hypnotic circles dyed on them, all to help her powers work better as people have to look at her for her power to work.
"Flutterbat," Bonesaw managed to say as she falls prey to the villainess's power of induce sensations of intense dizziness and nausea in others, but more importantly she has the power to hypnotize people to do anything she wants.
"Yes, that's me and you are now in my power," Flutterbat said. !
Outside -
The leader of Slaughterhouse, Jack Slash was walking to the restroom that still work, when something slammed into him at a speed of faster than light that left a rainbow trail behind it. The bloody pieces of Jack Slash flew through the air, his head still alive as it spun in the air. His mind wondering what happen as the life left his intact head.
Rainbow Dash stop herself in midair, her metal wings expanding and the turbines built in the wings slowing down. Her skintight blue bodysuit hug her slender body. A metal harness covers her torso that connects to her metal wings. She wears a head covering helmet that protects her face from the sure speed she's going. Power gauntlets covers her forearms as do the jet boots, both the gauntlets let her fire plasma bolts. And a forcefield generator which is powered by her movement creates shield around her body that allows her to slam into things at top speed without harming her.
Her power is momentum, she gets faster the longer she moves. Should it be running, riding a bike, driving a vehicle, or having metal wings that lets her fly, as long as she's moving she only gets faster. Her suit is design to allow her to accelerate at super speed without harming herself in the process. And her powers leaves behind a rainbow behind her whenever she uses her power. The forcefield was added so that unlike where in the show, where she died when she was trick into slamming herself into the side of a cliff, creating a blood covered impact on the cliff. (2)
"Jack Slash is dead," Rainbow Dash said on the com link to the others who were sent to kill the Slaughterhouse 9. !
Shatterbird found her power of glass useless against the Pie sisters. Pinkie Pie who has the power to turn herself into dirt. Maud Pie has the power to transform herself into any kind of stone. Limestone Pie has the power to transform herself into sand. Marble Pie has the power to transform herself into clay. Their earth forms could be damaged by her glass, but they just healed from the cuts.
Shatterbird tried to use her power on Limestone as her power does work on sand in a much cruder way. But Limestone wouldn't allow herself to be controlled and her sisters wouldn't let that happen either. The Pie sisters dog piled on Shatterbird in their earthen forms. Maud whose stone form is the only one that is completely solid held down, Shatterbird while her sisters in their more semi-blob forms engulfed her in their mass. Pouring themselves into her body, till she stop moving and the four sisters each grab a limb and tore Shatterbird apart to make sure she's dead. !
The Pretender has extremely pale skin, shoulder-length silver hair that curls at the end, thick bangs that cover her eyes and a short ponytail held by a grey band. She wears a dull green Victorian era dress with darker green sleeves and a large, white apron with dark green shoes. Her clothes do little to hide her voluptuous body, huge breasts and large hips. Her pale skin is contrasted by the red lipstick smeared over her mouth and pink blush on her cheeks.
She bends her knees as she leans down and pick up the Slaughterhouse member Crawler, who is now nothing more than a doll. Her power lets her turn anyone any anything into a doll with a simple touch.
Standing behind her is The Lady, who is an unnaturally tall, voluptuous woman with the appearance of a Japanese geisha. She has raven-black hair that she keeps partially wrapped in a bun. She is adorned in a long dark brown kimono, which seems to trail moderately behind her when she walks. Her face is perpetually covered by a white porcelain mask similar to a Japanese Noh mask, through which two lifeless black eyes stare out.
Her power is shadows, she can teleport from one shadow to another and controls shadows. She can make shadows become solid, grabbing people and objects or making the shadow razor sharp and slice them to pieces. She also can control people by their shadows, puppeteering their bodies or simply making them unable to move as long as they cast a shadow.
Like she did to Crawler, making him unable to move as The Pretender walks up to him and pokes him. Turning him into a lifeless doll, completely aware of the world around him, but unable to move or do anything. And his power that lets him adapt his body is completely useless. !
Mono is a tall pale-skinned woman whose face is hidden by a light brown paper bag with two round eye holes that allow her to see. She wears a one buttoned khaki trench coat that reaches below her knees above a brownish-gray shirt tucked into her long brownish-gray pants rolled up at the end and wears brown shoes. Her outfit strains to contain her voluptuous figure.
She has the power to slow down time in her surrounding environment while remaining unaffected by this change herself, causing any people or objects which were previously moving at a normal pace to slow down to less than half of their actual time in her presence. She can also use this power to fast-forward herself in a limited extent of time, giving her the illusion of teleporting despite actually just walking to her intended spot.
Mono is using her power to keep Mannequin frozen in place as Six drains the life force out of him.
Six wears a bright yellow raincoat that ends just above her knees with three buttons, two pockets, and a rhombus-shaped hood, with matching yellow rain boots. The coat strains to cover her busty body. Up close, she has black bob-cut hair with bangs that completely obscure the top half of her face, only revealing her tiny nose and mouth.
Six's power is energy absorption, either it be energy from a generator or from living beings. She is able to use her power by physical contact or by sucking the energy in by her mouth. Like she's doing to Mannequin, as she suck the life energy from the few remaining organs in the robotic shell he place his body in, leaving just a shell with organs inside of it. !
William Manton inside his van suddenly lost control of The Siberian his projection. He was controlling her to scout around the area and see if he can't find someone to have fun with. He spotted a woman wearing a purple jumpsuit that did little to hide her busty body and wearing a visor over her eyes. She also carried a large shoulder bag. She spotted Siberian and just wave hello, which made him get close to her. He was thinking it might be another villain who is out looking for them or a hero who thinks they can take on Siberian. As he got close, the woman open the bag she's carrying and the last thing he saw was like Siberian was being sucked into the bag.
William tried to resummon Siberian but found nothing, he couldn't summon his projection. The unknown cape had somehow trap his projection and left him powerless. He froze as he heard giggling and animal sounds outside of the van, the back door of the van was rip off showing a trio of scary clown women standing outside. They all dressed in the same skin tight black outfits that cover their whole bodies but expose their white faces with different colored lips of red, yellow, and blue.
Cheerilee from her spot watch as the Giggles enter the van with it rocking as the man inside screamed in terror. Her power is a shoulder bag that lets her hold anything she wants in it. She just opens it and tells whatever she sees to get into the bag and they do.
The Giggles can only be told apart by the lipstick color they wear. Red is Xanthia who has a powerful sense of smell, yellow is Yelena who can extend her arms. and blue is Zaida who can float. They're very creepy and they will tear you apart while you're alive, when they get ahold of you. !
Inside what use to be a sporting gear store, Burnscar tried burning the Miser sisters in front of her but Heat Miser simply absorb all the heat from the surrounding. Followed by Cold Miser freezing her body solid as she takes all warmth out of the area. The sisters grab some metal shelves off of a display and used them to smash Burnscar's frozen body to pieces.
Burnscar was frozen but was still aware, she couldn't move or use her powers, unable to do anything as the Miser sisters smash her frozen body to pieces. She wonders why she couldn't feel any pain as the sisters smash her body. She wonders if her head remain intact, Bonesaw could just put her back together. That was her last thought as the sisters smash her head to pieces. !
Cherish hearing fighting going on around her turn to run but stop as she spots Barbwire and Gemstorm standing behind her. She watched the Power Ponies and know that both women are Barbwire and Gemstorm. She remembers that in their episode Barbwire was killed when her tentacle hair was tangled up in gears that pulled her in and crush her to death, and Gemstorm had a sonic boom used on her to shatter her gem form. Cherish eyes widen as Wraith is missing...
Cherish eyes widen as something stuck her from behind and she felt something pulled out of her. It's like everything that she enjoys and color of the world around her just disappeared. She fell to her knees as she couldn't think of anything but sadness, there is no joy or color just sadness and hopelessness. There is no reason to live and no reason to go on.
Cherish didn't care anymore as she sat on her knees with the trio surrounding her. She didn't care that Gemstorm created 3 crystal spears and handed two to her friends. And she didn't care as the plunge the crystal spears into her body. !
Later -
The local and state police have the strip mall surrounded, other law enforcement agencies of the West coast are also coming to the dying town as well as news crews. Word of the Slaughterhouse 9 being killed quickly spread and people are coming in to make sure that they're dead. The west coast PRT agents are talking with Mouse Protector who is the only one left alive.
"The Power Pony villains killed all the Slaughterhouse members. They told me where to find their bodies before they left. The only one I saw still alive was Bonesaw and maybe Crawler as he's been turn into a doll," Mouse Protector said.
"You have any idea why Bonesaw was kept alive?" the agent ask.
"No, all I know is that Flutterbat used her hypnotic powers on her or something. They didn't tell me anything," Mouse Protector said.
"And the villain that was with you. Why did they kill her?" the agent ask.
"She mouthed off at Flutterbat and she used the drill on her head," Mouse Protector said.
"Oh yeah in the show Fluttershy is very polite but as cruel to people who crosses her," the agent said.
"Yeah, the villains are just like how I remember them," Mouse Protector said being a fan of the show. ! |
Barley's Bar Hop | pre | "Uh, no, go ahead, Sonata."
Sonata didn't beat around the bush, she shoved her tongue straight inside and Fluttershy squirmed at how long her tongue felt. She blushed at the soft slurping sound Sonata made as she drank up the blend of her arousal and the anonymous cumshot inside of her. If Sonata kept up this pace, Fluttershy was going to add to that cocktail as well, pretty soon.
"Mmm," Sonata barely parted from Fluttershy slit. "This cum tastes familiar..."
Fluttershy just bit her lip and used a foot on the girl's back to push her back into her pussy. Sonata's nose was poking into Fluttershy's sensitive clit as she dug deep into her. Fluttershy twitched and reached down to grab Sonata's hair as she got close.
"There you are, Sonata." came a sudden voice.
"Eep!"
Fluttershy clamped her legs tightly around Sonata's head as someone else walked in. She looked up blushing at Adagio and Aria, just standing at the end of the bed, Adagio with her hand on her hip.
"Come on, Sonata. You knew we were leaving."
"Uh, Fluttershy." Adagio walked up and pulled her knees apart. "If you wouldn't mind?"
"Aww," Sonata whined, looking up at Adagio with a wet face. "But I found a really yummy pussy."
Sonata clung to Fluttershy's thighs but Adagio yanked her up to her feet.
"Just bring it with you then, we have to go. Aria!"
Adagio pointed back at Fluttershy and Aria shrugged, waltzing up to the side of the bed. She leaned down and effortlessly picked Fluttershy up with a squeak, draping her over her shoulder.
"Uh, where are we going?" Fluttershy asked, blushing as she felt Aria firmly grab her ass for stability.
"Sonata, I told you to stop wandering off." Adagio scolded.
"Yeah, we would've brought you home some pussy anyway. Heh, or you could just settle for Adagio's."
"Fuck off, Aria."
"But this one has cum in it!" Sonata added pointing to the booty on Aria's shoulder.
"Oh, like I don't bust a nut for you literally every time you ask."
"Which I appreciate..." Sonata put on a cutesy smile. "But I can never have too much."
"Well, I guess when we get home I could add a little more to your snack here," Aria said, patting Fluttershy's ass. "My balls feel really full anyway."
"Now Aria," Adagio looked at her sister and crossed her arms. "You're not letting yourself get backed up again, are you?"
"No, I swear. I just busted a nut in some girl at school, like less than an hour ago. Not sure who it was though."
"Hmm... my pussy has been feeling a little hotter than usual too. Sonata?"
"I feel fine!"
Sonata shrugged and Adagio shook her head ruffling her sister's hair.
"Whatever, let's just get home. This plot point isn't going anywhere anyway." - |
Barley's Bar Hop | Trixie x Starlight:: #Lesbian #Urine #Cunnilingus #Dub-Con | -
Trixie glanced sideways and smiled as she spotted Starlight, though Starlight didn't seem to notice her back as she walked briskly into the restrooms. Trixie, however, was a girl of whims and at that moment she suddenly and inexplicably needed to play with Starlight. So she followed her. She briefly glanced around herself, not seeing anyone nearby and just went straight in.
"Gotta work fast," she whispered, quickly crouching to her hands and knees and looking beneath all of the stalls: she only saw Starlight's feet.
Trixie did a little fist pump and turned to lock the door, moving swiftly into the stall next to Starlight's and standing up on top of the toilet. She peeked over the top just as Starlight slipped her panties down around her ankles and sat down, watching her for only a second before interrupting.
"Peek-a-boo!"
"Gahh!" Starlight screamed, her hands reflexively covering her crotch as her eyes snapped up to see her intruder.
She immediately frowned upon seeing Trixie, relaxing her shoulders a little but keeping her hands in place.
"Goddamnit, Trixie. You almost scared the piss out of me. Not that that would have been an issue here..."
"I hope that wasn't meant to be a joke," Trixie said flatly, casually climbing over the top of the stall in front of Starlight.
"Wha- Trixie!" Starlight watched wide-eyed as her friend suddenly joined her. "What the fuck are you doing?!"
"I wanted to come and play."
"Then wait for me to finish in here, goddamnit. Get out!"
"No way. It's gotta be now."
"What do you mean, it's gotta be now?"
"I'm horny."
"And I have to piss. But we don't always get what we want, apparently."
"Pfft, I do!"
Trixie crouched down in front of Starlight and pried her legs apart, making Starlight blush.
"Trixie, I said stop."
"Come on, I'm just gonna play with your pussy. Don't act like you don't like it."
"I love it, Trixie. But not in the fucking restroom. Ever heard of time and place?"
"Time and place are my bitches. So are you for that matter. So spread em."
"Trixie, I'm serious. I really have to g-agh..." Starlight stammered as she felt Trixie's hand push on her stomach. "Trixie, don't."
Trixie grinned at the girl's reaction and placed both hands on Starlight's stomach who was still trying to cover herself. Trixie stroked Starlight's navel, running her fingers over her slightly swollen stomach and feeling her turgid bladder within. Trixie lightly pushed with her fingers and Starlight winced, squeezing her legs together as Trixie rubbed her stomach.
"Oh my god, Trixie. I'm about to burst if you don't stop."
"Do you want me to stop rubbing your tummy?"
Trixie asked kiddishly, leaning in and placing her tongue just below the girl's belly button. She messily kissed her skin there and prodded her with her tongue.
"Holy shit, that feels weird right now. Please stop."
"Okay."
Trixie stopped touching Starlight's stomach and wrapped her hands underneath her thighs, surprising her by quickly pushing her legs up, making her slide down on the seat of the toilet. Starlight squeaked and hastily grabbed the edges of the toilet for balance, fully exposing her pussy to her intruder. Trixie took her opportunity and dove in between Starlight's legs, playfully prodding her entrance.
"Ahh, whoa. I almost peed just then. Trixie, come on, I mean it."
"Oh, then what if I do this?"
Trixie's tongue trailed up through Starlight's slit, lingering on that soft patch of skin just above her entrance, her tongue tapping the tiny little bud of her urethra. Trixie watched the way Starlight's thighs twitched as she teased that spot and she knew she wouldn't be able to stop now.
"H-haah, jeez... why does that tingle so much?"
"You like that, huh?"
"That does feel, like, weirdly good... but still, just do it when I'm not in the restroom, okay?"
"This obviously feels better because you have to pee."
"I don't care. Then there're other things you can lick."
"Like this?"
Trixie licked Starlight's clit, grabbing it between her tongue and lip and tugging on it before letting it slip out.
"Uhn... stop, you're gonna make it come out."
"Oh, just pee already!"
"What? No!"
"Come on, I wanna see."
"That's really weird Trixie."
"No, it's not. I'm just curious."
"Well stop i-ahh!" Starlight nearly shrieked as Trixie reached back up to her stomach but this time she started tickling her. "Ahh, No!"
Starlight's hips jerked as she was tickled and she quickly grabbed her friend's wrists but it was too late. She couldn't stop herself as her stomach quivered and released the pressure in her bladder.
"Ngh, n-no..."
Trixie heard the splash as Starlight's pee hit the water and she grinned, watching her pussy quiver as it poured out. Trixie quickly leaned in and grabbed Starlight's clit again.
"Ah! What are you doing?"
Trixie didn't respond but just latched her lips around the girl's clit, shoving her tongue up under it and sucking firmly. Starlight felt a shiver shoot up her spine at the strange pair of sensations, the pleasure from her clit being sucked and the relief of peeing, but there was something more. Trixie's play had gotten her aroused and she was feeling extra sensitive right now. Suddenly she could much more vividly feel the sensation of her pee flowing out of her and it was tickling her in a weird way.
"Wha- ngh, why does it tingle so much?"
Trixie could feel Starlight's thighs quiver in her hands and it encouraged her not to let up kneading her tongue into her clit, not minding that a little pee trickled onto her chin as she licked.
While aroused, Starlight's urethra became incredibly sensitive which she just normally wouldn't notice but as she peed it was constantly stimulating the area. She couldn't understand why her peeing was causing her to feel this good and she started breathing more heavily as her pussy trembled. As the pressure in her bladder continued to relax, it felt like her entire pussy was getting stimulated at once and she just stared down at Trixie as her pleasure shot up sharply. Something about the feeling of peeing made her tingle to her very core and the pleasure came sharp and fast, pushing her uncontrollably to the edge of climax.
Starlight grabbed Trixie's head, her thighs shaking as her pussy suddenly spasmed. Trixie kept going, feeling Starlight's clit throbbing between her lips and hearing her pee coming out in splashes as her pussy contracted. After a few seconds, Starlight finally finished peeing and her orgasm faded quickly, leaving her to just stare down at Trixie in her embarrassed afterglow.
"That was... weird. But nice."
"I knew you'd like it."
"No. You just knew it'd be weird."
"Have I ever steered you wrong before?"
"Please leave so I don't have to answer that."
"I can't leave just yet."
"Uh, why no-ahhn..."
Trixie dove back in between her legs and dragged her tongue through Starlight's still sensitive slit.
"I have to help you clean up."
"Trixie..." Starlight grimaced down at Trixie. "Stop, that's gross."
"Oh come on, I think we're past that."
"Don't you dare think I'm gonna kiss you after this."
"Hm, I'd rather kiss you down here."
Trixie returned to licking Starlight's pussy, not minding the lingering flavour of her pee paired with the more prominent flavour of her orgasm that clung to her entrance. Trixie lapped eagerly, tongue-bathing Starlight's slit and pausing to tease her even more sensitive urethra. Trixie grabbed a small wad of toilet paper and gave Starlight's slit one more lick before wiping it, brushing her arm across her chin as she stood up.
"All done."
"Trixie, we need to start seeing other people."
"No, we don't"
"We need to take a break... Uh, it's not you, it's me."
"Shut up and kiss me."
"Trixie why can't you try out normal weird fetishes. Like panty sniffing or toe sucking."
"Starlight, you're exaggerating. You lick up anything else that comes out of my pussy. Why would pee be so different?"
"I don't know. It just is."
"It doesn't taste that bad."
"I'll take your word for it."
"Hey, stop being a pussy and just fucking kiss me, okay?"
Starlight winced but Trixie refused to back down and she let her shoulders droop.
"Eh, whatever, hurry up. If it tastes bad, I'm gonna punch you."
Trixie lit up and immediately grabbed Starlight, latching onto her lips and pushing her tongue in. Starlight winced at the unusual taste on Trixie's tongue but quickly eased into it, finding she didn't actually mind it that much. Trixie noticed her reaction and parted just enough to give Starlight a sly grin, crouching down to grab Starlight's panties from around her ankles and pull them back up for her.
"So, Starlight... how about we meet here, same time tomorr-OW!" Trixie flinched as Starlight punched her. - |
Barley's Bar Hop | Rarity x Diamond Dogs:: #Dark #Gang Rape #Cum Dump | -
Spike and Rarity wandered through the dark caves neighbouring ponyville, as they did on occasion. It was to find gems, which Spike was always happy to help the mare do. They had gone especially deep into the caves this day in search of something special, and while Spike had lost track of where they were, he relied on Rarity's guidance. He had perfect trust in Rarity and listened to her every word, he cared deeply for her.
While he followed closely behind her, her tail would at times swish away from her backside, but for Rarity alone, Spike insisted on averting his eyes and never once looked underneath. It was a natural occurrence, of course, and Spike had sneaked peeks at other fillies private parts before, he was a teenager after all: he'd seen Twilight's lots of times since he lived with her. But Rarity was different and as much as he dreamed of one day seeing that part of her, he was steadfast with himself.
It didn't mean he didn't think about it though, he actually thought about it a lot. He felt true love for her after all, and part of love was physical, but Spike was infinitely patient. He knew that one day, Rarity might return his love, and if she wanted to take things a step further, then that would be the day that he'd give his virginity to her and he would see every part of her body. He hoped it would come sooner than later, he wanted nothing more than to lose his virginity and just the thought of feeling Rarity's marehood made his heart flutter, but that was just a dream for now. It still felt far away to Spike and he refused to make a single move that could get between him and it.
Rarity came to a stop and Spike stepped beside her, looking around.
"Did you find the gem?"
"Shh shh..." Rarity just stood there silently for a moment. "I'm sorry. I thought I heard someth- ahh!"
Rarity shrieked as a trio of diamond dogs pounced out of nowhere, and the two stumbled back in surprise. Diamond dogs were dangerous cave-dwellers, but Rarity hadn't expected to see any of them so close to ponyville. Spike was startled but seeing Rarity scared made his pride swell up and he jumped ahead of her to defend them.
"You guys better not try an-whoa! Gugh..."
One of the dogs knocked Spike away and the dragon was quickly pinned against the wall, keeping him from moving.
"Hmn, don't worry Spikey..."
Seeing Spike handled like that lit Rarity's own fire and she became very angry. She reared back and kicked one of the dogs, sending him flying back. She stared another dog down, feeling confident and charged at him.
She didn't expect to be stopped in her tracks as he grabbed her and she was hoisted into the air with ease. Rarity's face was red with surprise and anger at her powerful attacker but she kicked and flailed at him, striking him over and over. Spike could only watch helplessly but felt incredibly impressed by Rarity's tenacity.
Rarity tried to buck out of his grasp, catching an unwanted glance of the wild animal's stiff member as he flipped her over. The dog easily gripped her narrow waist in one hand and Rarity's heart sank as she felt his claw on her rear. Her anger immediately dissipated as she realised what was about to happen and her attention snapped to Spike.
"Spikey! Don't look!" Rarity screamed in a shrill desperate voice.
Spike wasn't sure exactly what was happening but Rarity's eyes pierced his own and he didn't hesitate to obey, clenching his eyes tightly shut.
Rarity nervously sighed as she saw Spike close his eye, grimacing as she felt the beast's red cock split her delicate lips open. It was thick and stretched her but he showed no patience as he spread her open and brought her all the way down on his cock. He began thrusting her down onto his cock quickly and frantically, clearly with only one goal in mind.
"Please stop..." Rarity said in a weak voice.
She knew what he'd soon do inside of her but she was unable to do anything to stop it.
Within seconds, Rarity felt his cock throb and she bit her tongue as his uncomfortably hot cum started pouring into her. She covered her face with her hooves at the sensation, knowing exactly what was filling her up and feeling ashamed.
The dog unceremoniously dropped her, letting her fall off of his cock, but the moment she touched the ground a second Dog pounced at her. He grabbed at her legs like she were a doll and Rarity winced at his rough claws tugging at them. Rarity was terrified something might break the way he pulled on them but he stopped as soon as he shoved his cock into her and Rarity just fell forward. Her hooves landed on the ground but Rarity had lost her will to fight back and just bared through it.
"No... no... no..." Rarity repeated softly, feeling the dog drool all over her back as he humped vigorously.
Spike's eyes remained closed and it made him more scared than before. He had no clue what was happening but he could hear Rarity whimpering while one of the diamond dogs grunted. He wished he could do something about it, but he was small compared to these dogs and so he was held down easily. The dog stopped grunting and Spike heard a sudden thud right in front of him and he was too worried not to look, so he opened his eyes.
Lying directly in front of him was Rarity with her hind legs spread wide open and he immediately saw her marehood. The marehood of the elegant and perfect Rarity that he'd longed to see, used by animals and dripping with the dog's cum. Spike had dreamed that years-away he would earn the trust to make love to this mare and yet within a matter of seconds these dogs had just taken her. He'd devoted his life to Rarity as though she were a princess, but these animals have already felt her precious marehood on their cocks like it were a toy for masturbating.
Spike felt dizzy to think that these wild animals would've taken any mare, they didn't care who it was. By complete incidence, they grabbed somepony as perfect and elegant as Rarity just to mindlessly pump their dirty cocks into. To them, she was nothing but a hole to empty their balls into and they'd move on without remembering her.
The dog that had been holding Spike dropped him and lifted Rarity's rear up by her tail in front of him. Spike stood to his feet to defend her, but as the dog thrust his cock into her he blacked out. - |
Barley's Bar Hop | Twilight x Spike:: #Beastiality #Non-Con #Knotting #Mental Regression | -
Spike ran down the hallway toward the library where he and Twilight were planning to sleep for one more night. They had started keeping their return visits to this world shorter as of late but Twilight said she had some important stuff she needed to stay for and that sounded boring enough to Spike to not question further. He trusted Twilight enough if she wanted to stay, even though he distinctly didn't like staying too long in this world.
It wasn't just from being a dog, he had gotten used to that part, but there was something unusual that had arisen. Spike had tried bringing it up to Twilight once but he'd noticed that after so many days in this world, that his mind would start to slip in weird ways, he would get a little hazier, and he suspected that he was becoming more dog-like. So far none of it had stuck once he went back through the portal, so he wasn't too worried about it, but it always felt weird when he was aware of it. It had been about that long for this visit but just another day or two shouldn't be a serious problem.
Spike rounded the corner, sliding a bit on the tile and more slowly pranced into the library. He perked up a bit at seeing Twilight lying down, a little surprised that she'd already gone to sleep. By no means was it early but he was used to her staying up far too late for her own good.
"Whew. I'm a little glad that she... that she'd- um." Spike mumbled as he walked a little closer, noticing that Twilight's blanket had slid off of her and it revealed the girl's naked lower half.
Twilight had never gotten fully used to this world's strange clothes and liked to at least get rid of them while she slept. Spike couldn't help but stare as the girl's legs hung limply to the sides, leaving him a clear view between them.
Spike felt a little drool fall and shook his head, noticing he'd been staring too hard.
"Calm down, Spike. Twi probably wouldn't want you to stare. Although..."
Spike's mind felt a little foggy, probably because it was so late and he was tired too. Without realising it, he'd drawn even closer, able to clearly smell Twilight's scent. Specifically, the scent that emanated from between her legs and it was tickling his nose. Spike felt his cock start to protrude and he blinked, shaking his head again.
"Huh, wow, I'm glad Twilight's not awake to see this... I wonder what it would feel like- wait no. Get yourself under control!" Spike sat up and tried to smack himself with his soft little puppy-paws. It was ineffective. "If Twi knew what you were thinking. I mean, I'm a dog here! Even the thought of- of mounting her... Uh, no way, she'd be furious- a girl-dog wouldn't mind it. Wait, how do I know that? Ugh."
Spike suddenly realised that his hips were moving and he stopped them, glancing down at his red protruding penis, wincing at what he'd let happen.
"Jeez, I need to get this body under control. I mean, how am I even gonna take care of this? I definitely feel like I'll need to... I need to-"
Spike looked back between Twilight's legs, absentmindedly wagging his tail and walking up to her.
"I'm- I just want to smell it is all. That's normal for a dog."
Spike leaned in with his nose and poked Twilight's entrance, sniffing her and feeling a shiver at how strong it was to his hyper-sensitive dog-nose. His tongue flicked out to lap at it, letting her musk wash over his mind in a way that made it feel numb.
"Gah! I didn't mean to..." Spike suddenly parted from her in a brief moment of clarity. But it didn't last long as her scent surrounded him. "She wouldn't... I can't, um... A dog wouldn't mind. Yeah, Twilight uh... she doesn't mind. I can smell it. She..."
Spike realised his paws were already on Twilight's hips and he started panting as he looked down at her. The tip of his cock brushed between her lips and his last bit of clarity was lost in the fog of arousal.
Spike's hips started moving on their own and started humping, at first just rubbing his cock against her labia but after a few seconds it slipped inside of her and Spike's tongue fell out. He started humping more vigorously, pawing at her hips for a better grasp and panting as he felt her pussy around his cock. Spike's knot came out and Spike tried to push himself closer, pawing at her hips, eagerly humping until, pop, his knot slipped inside of her.
Spike started to whine as he felt his sensitive knot submerged inside of Twilight's passage, feeling it swell larger. Twilight's pussy naturally gripped him and was squeezing his knot and Spike was drooling all over her navel as he humped more erratically, the feeling in his knot triggering his pleasure to hit him all at once.
Spike panted happily as his cock started throbbing and he felt his cum shooting inside of Twilight. He had never cum with this body before and was loving the feeling, his balls trembling as his cum poured out of his cock in long streams and flowed into Twilight. The way her pussy caressed his swollen knot was incredible and all that Spike could think was how happy he was to be cumming inside of Twilight.
Spike continued to hump for a bit before realising he'd stopped cumming, just dwelling on the feeling of Twilight's pussy. He eventually came to rest in that position, lying limply on top of her hips, still buried inside of her.
Twilight began to shift, bending one of her legs up and causing Spike to perk up again as she lazily lifted a hand to rub her eye.
Spike was instantly awake again and his actions flooded into his mind, almost as though he'd just awoken from a dream. Unfortunately, it was painfully obvious that it wasn't a dream from his position.
What was he thinking, he just... what did he just do? Spike tried to dismount from Twilight, wincing at the realisation that his knot was still quite swollen in the small girl's passage and wasn't coming out anytime soon. There was nothing he could do.
"Spike, what are-? Spike!" Twilight's eye's snapped open, looking at her puppy between her legs as she felt the presence of something inside of her. "Spike, what did you do?!"
Twilight reached down and placed two fingers on either side of her slit, trying to slightly spread herself in vain to confirm what was there. It unintentionally squeezed Spike's knot causing one more small spurt of cum to shoot out and Twilight could suddenly feel the mass of his hot load resting inside of her.
"Spike, I don't- I can't believe... what the fuck did you do?"
"Twilight, I'm so sorry. It's this- yap!"
Twilight grabbed Spike by the waist and tried to pull him out by force, causing him to yip. Twilight also winced at feeling just how much his knot was stretching her. Once she put him back down Spike staggered to quickly turn himself around, avoiding looking straight at Twilight.
"Twilight, I swear, I didn't mean to. I-I'm starting to revert to being a dog."
Twilight was still barely able to comprehend what was right between her legs but she listened carefully and felt a deep sinking feeling in her gut. Spike had mentioned such a phenomenon to her once and... and she wanted to trust Spike. She loved Spike. But any thought was hard to parse as she confronted the fact that Spike's penis was stuck inside of her vagina and that she was filled with his cum.
"Shit... It's- it's okay Spike. I believe you. Ugh..."
"I'm sorry Twilight. As soon as I get unstuck I'll help you clean up... um, how long do you think I'll be stuck."
Twilight sighed and placed a hand to her forehead.
"Dogs tend to stay stuck for up to fourty minutes... how long were you stuck before I woke up."
"It was at the same time that you woke up, actually."
"Jeez... that's just great. I mean, I guess I could just try and pull you out early."
"But it kind of hurt before."
"Yeah... doesn't exactly help that this happened while I slept, so I'm not exactly wet down there."
"Would it make a difference if you were wet?"
"Well, sure, probably. The slipperiness has got to make it easier."
Spike glanced backward at her and after a moment leaned his head between his legs and started licking Twilight.
"Heh, uh spike." Twilight blushed and grinned down at her puppy. "I don't mean wet like that. I mean like aroused."
"Oh..." Spike ceased his licking and turned to face away again, not saying anything.
"But thanks for trying. This will probably be... well, I was gonna say it'll be weird but you've already cum inside of me, so no need to hold back. I'm going to need to masturbate a little to get things flowing down there. Hopefully, this will work."
Twilight reached down and touched her clit, her cheeks feeling hot as she started rubbing it. She just had to remind herself that this was for a purpose. For just a moment, she felt kind of bad touching herself in front of Spike but she couldn't avoid the fact that Spike's cock was currently inside of her pussy.
Twilight kind of hated to admit it but once she started stroking herself more earnestly and felt her blood flow increase, she was finding the sensation of Spike's knot lightly stretching her inner lips, to be aiding in her arousal quite pleasantly. That was an uncomfortable thought to have but she couldn't deny it to herself when she realised her walls were naturally starting to undulate around Spike cock and hug his knot.
"Sorry Spike if that uh, if that feels weird. But things seem to be waking up down there so this should start working soon."
Spike didn't respond but just stood there, lightly wagging his tail.
"Spike?"
Twilight tapped him on his butt and he glanced back over his shoulder with a smile. He staggered to shift himself back around and placed his paws back on her hips to look up at her. Twilight frowned at the way spike just looked up with his tongue hanging out like a... well like a dog. It was pretty clear that he was losing control again, which worried her, but her best bet was to keep working on her wetness.
Twilight stroked her clit a little more quickly, though it felt kind of awkward now with Spike watching her. That is, if it could get any more awkward than it already was. She felt herself twitch again and involuntarily squeezed Spike's knot. Spike seemed to noticed and whined a little, leaning down to nose Twilight's finger, letting his long tongue come out to lick at her mound. Twilight blushed and moved her hand aside, watching as spike began licking her clit and she had to admit that it felt amazing, so she didn't stop him. As spike got into it, Twilight noticed her pussy was twitching more often, which was a good sign, but Spike seemed to struggle to focus as she involuntarily massaged his knot. He stopped licking her and just looked up, happily panting and Twilight just waited a moment to see what he'd do. Her mouth fell open as he just started humping her again.
"Oh, come on, Spike! Your knot hasn't even gone down and you're already humping again?"
Spike, of course, didn't respond, pawing at her hips for a better grip as he humped frantically. Twilight sighed at the display, thinking through the situation. She wasn't really an expert on dogs but she hoped that if he really emptied his balls that it would cause his knot to go down sooner. And even if that wasn't the case, based on what Spike said, once he cums then her spike would return to her.
"Damnit, Spike. You better feel lucky that I love you this much."
Twilight reached down between her puppy's legs and felt his balls, gently holding them in her fingers and rubbing them, making him whine while he humped into her.
"Do you like that, boy?"
She moved a little further and felt the very base of his cock and where his knot began, lightly rubbing it and carefully pushing on it. It slid further inside of her and Twilight gasped, surprised by the sensation of Spike knot suddenly pushing against her g-spot. Twilight just stared wide-eyed down at her mound, overwhelmed by the wholly new sensation as Spike's knot even seemed to swell a little bit bigger, stretching her passage and pushing constantly into that most sensitive spot.
Twilight's pleasure was coming on so fast that she didn't know how to handle it, leaning back on one of her hands and just watching Spike hump her with her mouth agape. Spike just smiled and panted, seeming like the happiest puppy in the world to just keep humping her, totally unaware of how intensely it made Twilight tingle between her legs. Twilight felt no control over her orgasm as it crashed into her.
Twilight threw her head back and moaned as she came, her hips quivering and her pussy contracting, crushing Spike's knot inside of her. Spike reacted immediately and started whining, not even slowing his humping as his cum begun to pour inside of her. Twilight was amazed by the heat of Spike's cum as it poured out into her and added to the growing pool within her depths. Twilight was being overwhelmed by all of these new sensations that wracked her brain, and her orgasm seemed to have no end in sight as her contractions continued to press her g-spot into Spike's knot even more tightly, thereby drawing even more cum out of him.
Twilight lost all sense of time for a moment, lost in her own world of animal pleasure. Twilight gawked down at Spike, having calmed down between her legs. And while her orgasm had faded enough that she could think, his knot remained ever-present pressing against her g-spot, providing a constant sensation to her and just waiting for her sensitivity to return to overwhelm her again. She met Spike's eyes and he was clearly back to his usual self as he looked worried.
"Hey, Twi, are you alright? Maybe I should just try and pull out again."
"No no!" Twilight leaned forward and placed a hand on his back. "Don't worry, Spike, I've decided to just wait it out. Let's just relax."
"Okay... sorry about all this. I can't wait until we can get back home and everything is back to normal."
Twilight eye twinkled at the mention and she smiled at Spike.
"Say, Spike. Just out of intellectual curiosity. Do dragons have knots?" - |
Barley's Bar Hop | Twilight x Sunset:: #Futa #Public Use #First Time #Creampie | -
"Sunset, are you really sure about this?"
"Come on, Twi." Sunset slapped her friend on the back and kept her moving forward. "It's a little late to back out when we're already here."
"I'm just getting nervous now that it's real."
"Heh, yeah well, once you get a good look at it, you won't want to back out."
"I mean, this is weird right? I'm not just crazy."
"It's totally not weird, Twi. It's these girl's jobs. They're totally into it."
"I guess so."
"I know so. And besides, I'm not gonna drag you here like every week... well, unless you want to. This is just for the experience of it. It's like a rite of passage for you."
The two walked into the foyer and Sunset went right up to the desk.
"Can we get a stall for two intersex, please?"
"Yes, right this way," the woman answered coolly, taking the pair into a room and handing Sunset a card.
Twilight was surprised by how easily Sunset had said that and as soon as the woman left them alone, Twilight leaned in.
"Sunset, how could you just casually tell her that we're futas like that?"
"So that she sends us to the right room, Twi. Don't worry, they're professional about it."
"I guess so..."
"Okay then, let's go. We're in stall 2-5."
Sunset lead Twilight along, clearly knowing right where to go. Twilight gave the stall a weird look, appearing like little more than a large restroom stall, but Sunset lead her inside. Twilight looked wide-eyed at what was in front of her. The wall had two holes and occupying each one was a girl's ass, sticking out unceremoniously with their pussies exposed, and at precisely the height of her waist. Twilight looked over at Sunset who was already shedding her skirt.
"Sunset... don't you think this looks kind of, I don't know, dehumanising."
"Well yeah, but that's kind of this places M-O. These aren't supposed to be women, they're just pussies for us to use." Sunset kicked aside her skirt and panties, her cock already growing stiff. "Look Twi, it doesn't say anything about you as a person. It's just for the fantasy."
Twilight sighed at Sunset's total earnesty and just shrugged it off, beginning to strip herself. Even if the situation seemed to be weird at first, Twilight had no trouble getting hard as she stared at Sunset's ass. While she stripped, Sunset had already walked up to one of the waiting pussies and plunged her cock inside without hesitation. Twilight's cock became fully erect as she watched her friend's open display.
"Holy shit, Twilight this place has such nice pussies. Get over here already and try it out."
Twilight walked up to the pussy, looking between it and Sunset. She kept being drawn to the sight of Sunset's cock as she eagerly humped the anonymous pussy. Sunset grinned at how Twilight stared, glancing down at her twitching cock as some precum dripped out.
"You like what you see?" Sunset teased, grabbing Twilight's ass. It seemed to perk her back up and she brushed Sunset's hand away.
"Sorry, it's just kind of amazing."
"Hey, don't call it amazing until you've felt it. I thought you'd be more eager to get rid of that virginity already."
"I am... I'm just kind of nervous."
"Well sure, but your desire for pussy should outweigh your nervousness."
"I mean. I'm here, aren't I?"
"Yeah, I guess you are. I just remember when I first hooked up with a girl, I didn't bother with romancing or anything. I was humping her pussy before she hit the bed. Of course, I came in less than a minute too."
"Did she get mad at you?"
"Not really. I ate her out a bunch. But hey, you don't have to worry about that. This is just a pussy, it doesn't care if you cum in ten seconds or in an hour."
"Okay, I get it. So, is there anything I should know?"
"Know? It's pussy... you put your dick in it. It's not rocket science."
"Rocket science isn't complicated."
"Twilight stop talking." Sunset gave Twilight a little shove toward the free pussy. "Just touch it a bit, spread her lips open, grab your cock and shove it right in. I'm sure you don't need any anatomy lessons, here."
Twilight nodded and felt her cock twitch, genuinely eager to start. She looked down at the pussy and reached out to touch it, a little surprised by how soft the lips felt. She slipped her finger in and felt the hot wet silk of her passage, her mouth falling open at this erotic texture.
"I didn't think it would be so delicate." Twilight glanced back over at Sunset's eager humping. "Shouldn't you be more gentle with this?"
"Nope." Sunset made a show of really slamming her hips into it. "It's a pussy, Twi, it's literally made to take cock. It can take anything you can give it."
Twilight nodded again and looked back to the pussy, still holding it in one hand and spreading one of its lips with her thumb. The smell of sex was in the air now and just the sight of the open pussy was begging for her: She had to feel that on her cock.
Twilight grabbed her cock in her other hand, pressing down lightly on the hard shaft until it pointed at the pink entrance. Her heart was racing, but she didn't hesitate any longer and pressed her tip between the lips and pushed her hips forward, feeling that hot silk stretch around her cock and envelop her entire shaft. Twilight's mouth fell open as she hilted herself, a shiver rolling up her back at the new sensation that was rocking her mind.
Sunset just watched her, biting her lip at the look Twilight had on her face as she felt her first ever pussy.
"What did I tell you?"
"Oh my god."
"That good, huh?"
"H-ahh... oh my god."
Sunset reached out and stroked Twilight's ass, but Twilight was far too distracted to brush her away.
"Start moving already." Sunset goaded, squeezing Twilight's ass in her palm as she continued to hump on her own. "It gets better."
Twilight's breath shuddered as she pulled back almost to the tip and she thrust back in to the hilt all at once. The smack of her hips against the ass seemed to ring through her mind and her desire just took over, her hips moving vigorously on their own. Sunset released the girl's ass with a wide grin as she watched her friend lose control for her first time, but not wanting to fall behind.
Sunset grabbed the hips in front of her and started humping a little harder, able to hear the smack of her hips with each thrust.
"Uhn, Twilight... watching you is really fucking hot."
"I can't believe how ngh... how good this feels."
"I bet you're glad I brought you, now."
"Thank you, Sunset."
"I swear, if I hadn't done something, you'd have never lost your virginity."
"Ahn I... Oh god, I never thought It'd be like this."
"There's nothing else like it Twilight."
"How do you not come here every single day?"
"Well, I mean, normally I just hook up with a girl. But sometimes I just get in the mood for the anonymity of it, you know? It's kind of hot. Plus it'd get kind of pricey going every day."
"I'd pay for this everyday."
"Well hey, in that case invite me along every once in a while, cause watching you go wild on that pussy is driving me crazy. I usually last longer but you're gonna make me nut pretty fast tonight."
"How does pussy not just make you cum instantly every time? I don't understand how sex could ever last that long."
"Well, good on you for keeping up then. I've seen guys cum quicker. Mnf... I'm about to cum, Twilight. Uhn, watching you is gonna make me ngh fill this pussy with cum ahh!"
Twilight glanced to her side as Sunset rammed her hips into the anonymous ass. She squeezed its cheeks as her dam burst, her pleasure clear on her face.
Twilight had never felt this kind of pleasure on her cock before and the mere thought of escalating it to an orgasm made her mind swim. She'd been honest that she didn't know how sex could last very long but she desperately wanted it to so she tightened her stomach and bit her lip, trying to hang on to that pleasure for as long as possible.
Sunset sighed and pulled her cock free, jerking herself off and spilling the last couple drops of her cum. Her cock was still pretty hard and she fully intended to go for a second round. She glanced over at Twilight whose face was tight, and her humping had slowed down a little.
"I'm impressed, you're really hanging in there for your first time."
"I'm... trying..."
Sunset crept over behind her, glancing over Twilight's shoulder and wrapping her hands around the girl's waist.
"Ahn, S-sunset!" Twilight yelped in surprise as the girl grabbed her, feeling herself twitch dangerously close to climax.
"No need to hold back, Twi. This is you first time. Just let yourself cum and fill that pussy up."
"I ngh... Okay... I can't last any longer!"
Sunset pressed herself against Twilight's back and held her tightly, suddenly keeping Twilight from humping.
"Ugh S-sunset, I can't... let go, I can't hump."
"Oh..." Sunset realised what she'd done and grinned as she looked down over Twilight's body. "Mm, let me help you."
Sunset's hips had been pressed comfortably against Twilight's ass and Sunset pulled them back, thrusting both of their hips forward in unison. Twilight's body shuddered as she resumed humping with Sunset's assistance. She could feel Sunset's erection between her legs and poking her balls as her friend did her humping for her. Despite her strange position, the pleasure immediately returned to her cock and she was pushed right to the edge, her balls twitching and ready to release. Sunset could feel her friend quiver and started thrusting her hips a little more quickly, looking down at Twilight's cock as it pumped into the pussy.
"Are you ready, Twi?"
"I- ahhn I'm- I'm cumming! Oh my god I'm cumming!"
Twilight's voice was excited as her pleasure peaked higher than it ever had before. Her whole body trembled as her cock started throbbing and shooting ropes of cum into the anonymous depths of a pussy. Twilight's balls spasmed, unloading an impressive load of cum. Sunset's cock was resting snuggly between Twilight's legs and she could feel the girl's swollen perineum pulsating with her cumshot and it sent a tingle up her own spine.
"Fuck Twi, this is so hot."
Twilight leaned forward, holding tightly onto the ass in front of her as her orgasm calmed down, no more cum left in her balls to unload.
"That was... incredible."
"Glad you enjoyed it, now scooch over."
Sunset reached around and grabbed Twilight's cock, pulling her free of the pussy and helping her squeeze out that last drop before pushing her aside.
"What are you doing Sunset?"
"Hey, no one said it was over. I'm going for round two."
"And you waited for me to finish first?"
"I just got really excited by the idea of getting your sloppy seconds after your very first creampie."
Twilight blushed, watching closely as Sunset held her cock up against the entrance of the pussy she had just finished with.
"You're going to use the same pussy?"
"Fuck yeah, I'm gonna use the same pussy. Ahhn..." Sunset sunk her cock inside and Twilight could see her visibly shudder. "Uhn, whoa Twi... you left her pussy so hot."
Twilight blushed as she watched Sunset. Her first time was still sinking in for her and watching Sunset using the same pussy was making her brain tingle. As Twilight watched the penetration she could hear squelching sounds coming from the pussy and even noticed strands of her own cum dripping out or sticking to Sunset's cock.
"I came so much in there."
"Mm, I can feel it on my cock. How do you like watching me shove my cock into your cum?"
Twilight was mesmerised by the messy cum-filled display, watching Sunset's cock closely as it spread the pussy open with every stroke, noisily squishing against its wet inner lips. Twilight was once again fully erect and glanced back at the other pussy, but another thought filled her mind. As she stared at the pussy, the feeling of it still new to her and fresh in her mind, it left her curious about something else she'd never tried. She walked over and knelt in front of the pussy, leaning in close to sniff it. She could clearly see some of Sunset's cum dripping out, which added to its scent as well, but it wasn't a deterrent for her.
Twilight curiously licked the pussy's inner lips, being filled by a very warm musky scent and flavour. Even with the addition of Sunset's creampie, the pussy's own flavour profile was distinct and bold. Twilight parted slightly from it with a look of pleasant surprise at how immediately she loved this new taste she'd missed out on for so long. She focused inside of the pussy's entrance and licked out a dollop of Sunset's cum, liking the way the two flavours compliment one another. The cum was more familiar to her since she'd tasted her own before, though it wasn't lost on her that what she tasted had come from Sunset's cock and she blushed. With Sunset plunging into her own creampie right next to her Twilight didn't feel like holding back and kept eagerly licking the pussy, taking in the mixed flavours of sex.
Sunset noticed Twilight and her attention was rapt, eyes glued to how she excitedly ate pussy for the first time. She'd thought Twilight might become interested in having a taste, but more strikingly to her was that her friend was very clearly getting a taste of her cumshot and it made Sunset's spine shiver.
"Ngh fuck, Twi, that's so hot. You're on a roll." Sunset gripped the ass tightly, rocking her hips into it a little harder. As her balls smacked into its mound they pulsated and she could no longer stop her rapidly approaching climax. "Oh goddamnit. You're gonna make me nut again. Ngah, these girls are gonna think I'm a quick-shot."
Sunset thrust her hips hard against the anonymous ass, her cock jerking inside of the pussy's tight depths as her heavy cumshot erupted. Sunset's hips shudder as she added to the growing pool of cum that was keeping the pussy excessively hot and sticky. The pussy seemed to love it as much as, to Sunset's pleasant surprise, it started spasming. She exhaled a long pleasured sigh as it squeezed her cumming cock, knowing how uncommon it was to make one of these pussies cum.
Sunset glanced over at Twilight enthusiastically eating pussy and idly wondering if she might achieve the same result with it.
"So are you glad I dragged you out here?"
"Thanks, Sunset. I love you so much for this!"
"Heh, yeah, I love me for this too."
"You want to come back tomorrow?"
"I already said I want to come back every day." Twilight would only part from the pussy long enough to speak and immediately return to it each time.
"Ah right." Sunset leaned her hand against the wall, both her and the pussy seeming to have calmed down though she didn't remove herself. "You know, Twi. I know some girls that are good to go. You wanna try a real hookup next time."
"But I like doing this with you."
"I can work something out." - |
Barley's Bar Hop | Midnight Sparkle x Diamond Tiara:: #Futa #Rape #Sleep #Cum Inflation | -
Midnight Sparkle hovered above the sleeping girls, looking over their prone forms in their cute nightclothes. Their school had organised a lock-in party and this was the room where the female-students slept. Spread all throughout the room were Twilight's classmates and friends but to Midnight it just looked like easy-prey, all spread out for her use.
Her attention landed on Diamond Tiara who was lying on her stomach on a cushy pad of blankets. She wore a breezy little yellow nightgown and her feet were still in a sparkling pair of pink sandals even as she slept. Midnight had been surveying her options for just a minute but Diamond stood out as a girl Twilight had always secretly found cute.
Midnight hovered low and lifted the girl's nightgown up over her hips, eyeing her long scrawny legs and narrow hips. She paused on her purple panties which rode up between her soft pink little ass cheeks and stuck into the cleft of her pussy. It left very little to Midnight's imagination which made her lick her lips.
Midnight glanced around at some of the other sleeping girls before lighting up her horn. She could be gentle too at times and very carefully lifted the girl into the air, flipping her onto her back without waking her. She bent Diamond's knees up comfortably and alighted on the floor, squatting between Diamond's legs. She reached out and hooked a finger into the sliver of cloth that was her panties and tugged it free of her wedgie. She pulled the panties aside and casually admired her bare slit, bringing her other hand up to tickle her tiny inner lips, a brighter shade of pink than her skin. Surprisingly, they were already a little wet and flushed. Maybe the girl was having a wet dream.
Midnight glanced back and forth before leaning in close and spitting on the girl's pussy, rubbing it in and nonchalantly shoving two fingers inside. Her fingers were met with little resistance and she pumped them in and out, enjoying how silk-soft her depths were.
"Mmn, yes. This will do nicely."
Midnight slipped the sleeping girl's panties off of her legs but left them stuck on one of her sandals. She pushed her legs into the air, holding both of her skinny knees in just one hand as she grabbed her cock. Midnight was squatting down, her feet on each side of the girl's ass and her cock hovering just over her slit. She didn't hesitate to sink her cock into the sleeping pussy, the girl's consent far away from feeling relevant to her.
She didn't take her time, she thrust quickly and animalistically, only caring about getting her nut. She hunched over the girl humping like an animal in heat that had merely mounted the nearest available female. The pussy felt amazing on her cock but to her, it was just a hole to empty her balls into.
Diamond Tiara's eyes fluttered open, coming out of an unexpectedly erotic dream about one of her classmates. As she came to, however, she could still feel something between her legs that woke her further. As she drifted into consciousness the feeling only became stronger and her eyes grew wide as she looked up at what was there. The demonic-looking Midnight was hunched over her, not even looking at her as she panted and pumped her cock into Diamond's inexperienced sex.
"Wha-mf!"
Midnight's hand reflexively lashed out to grab the girl's face, covering her mouth and keeping her from speaking.
"Keep it quiet," she hissed intimidatingly, glaring at the girl. "I'm almost done."
Diamond Tiara felt herself sweat and she trembled, but between her legs she was even more flushed and trembling. She could vividly feel how much Midnight's fat cock was stretching her and she squeaked as she felt it jerk.
Midnight sighed and squatted deep into her stance, her legs spread wide as she buried her cock. She dug the head of her cock into Diamond's fragile inner walls, her balls spasming as it began pumping a heavy load of cum into her. Midnight's tongue fell from her mouth with satisfaction, her asshole clenching and hips tingling with the strength of her cumshot. Her cock throbbed hard and took a full second for each rope of cum to pour out in pressurised streams. If she'd known her balls were this full she wouldn't have grabbed such a scrawny girl, but her canal felt stretchy so she hoped she could accommodate it all.
Diamond tiara had never actually been creampied before and she shivered as Midnight's cum gushed into her. It was so hot and there was so much, she could feel her inner walls being completely drenched and coated.
Midnight's cock had already stretched her more than she'd ever been stretched before and now her cum was making her feel full to her brim. She had to be done soon, she was running out of room. Diamond squeaked as she felt something tingling in her stomach, her cervix twitching and suddenly dilating to let Midnight's fresh load start flowing inside.
Midnight felt impressed with herself as the girl's tight passage was very quickly filled up, feeling her own cum surrounding her cock as she ran out of room. Her balls still had some to go, however, and she dug her fingers into the soft skin of Diamond's scrawny thighs. She bounced on her heels, humping again every few seconds and letting Diamond's tight pussy squeeze bigger bursts of cum out of her cock.
Midnight glanced down at the girl, smirking as she noticed a bulge in her navel. She reached out and lightly rubbed the spot, making Diamond squirm as she was filled and stretched. The bulge grew slightly as midnight's cum continued pouring into her womb but the cum slowed to a halt. Midnight shuddered as her balls were finally spent, reaching below to fondle them and causing one more spurt to come out.
Midnight loved how thoroughly drained her balls felt and she started to pull out, pausing as she felt her wad of cum pushing back against her. She realised that her cock stretched this girl so much that it was like a plug and once she pulled out the cum would come gushing out. She looked a little perturbed and glanced around herself, quickly grabbing the girl's discarded panties and snatching them off her sandal.
Midnight balled up the panties and pressed them over her cock, pulling out carefully. Once her cock was free she immediately shoved the panties into her little gape, making sure it stayed full and pushing the panties in deep.
"Ah, there." Midnight jerked herself off, pinching out a few final drops onto the girl's mound and leaned down to whisper. "I wouldn't take those out if I were you. You'll make a very big mess that everyone will see."
Diamond Tiara just nodded, feeling too stuffed and warm inside to think straight. Midnight stood up and left but Diamond just laid there, her lower half buzzing and her pussy fully exposed. It took several minutes before she had enough lucidity to manage to conceal herself. - |
Barley's Bar Hop | Aria x Twilight:: #Futa #Masturbation #Public #Cum Sharking | -
Aria Blaze was draped limply on her bed, staring off into space as she jerked off. She hung her head off of the edge of the bed and focused on her vanity mirror, getting an upside-down view of her body. She was completely naked and had a full view of her body as she watched herself stroke her cock.
"Ngh..." Aria felt her cock twitch and moved her hand down to squeeze her balls. They felt hot as her cock jerked to life and pumped dollops cum onto her tummy. "Ahn, fuck."
She squeezed them a little harder before letting her hand fall to the side. The last of her cum landed on her navel, some of it spilling down her side onto her bed as she stared up at the ceiling.
"I'm bored."
Aria rolled over, her cock still hard and digging into the mattress. She just stared down at the floor, not minding that her cum was getting all over her bedsheets.
"I feel like fucking someone up... or just fucking someone, I guess. Hmm." Aria pushed herself forward until she slumped onto the floor with a loud smack. "Ow, fuck!"
She stood up with a slight wobble and walked over to her door, walking naked out into the hallway.
"Hey, Sonata!" She was met with no response. Their home was completely silent for once. "Yeah, still gone. Welp. Guess I'm going out."
Aria walked back into her room and grabbed a pair of leggings and T shirt off the floor. The T shirt she used to lazily wipe her cum off of herself before tossing it back onto the floor. She then quickly tugged the leggings on, not minding that her cock was straining obviously at the fabric, a wet spot forming at its tip.
Aria turned to look at herself in the mirror for a minute before walking back to her bed. Draped over the foot of her bed was a large black hoodie and she grinned, pulling the loose garment over her head. It looked like it was at least two sizes too big and hung down over her hips, which is how she liked it. She stepped in front of the mirror again, and under the cover of the large hoodie, her erection was barely visible.
She turned toward a bundle of shoes, loosely orgasnised along the wall. As much as she loved her high-heel boots, she was looking to blend into a crowd today and grabbed a simple pair of slip-ons that would get her out the door that much quicker.
In the end, she looked kind of sloppy. But she felt kind of sloppy, so she deemed the outfit a success and left her house in a hurry to go nowhere.
Aria looked at her phone and smirked as she noticed the time. School was starting soon and that meant lots of students were still commuting. She liked the sound of that. With teenagers crawling all over the place, she could have fun one way or another. And she wasn't in the mood to play nice today.
Aria made her way down to the subway and hopped over the necessary obstacles. With practised ease, she slipped into the first train she saw ticket-free. She sighed as she eased into the crowded train-car and did her best to scope the place out.
"Hmm, who do we got here?" Aria eyed every individual more closely than any of them that noticed was comfortable with. Her attention landed on a tall blue-skinned girl in a skirt. She pored over the girl's thin waist leading down to her hips and what she could tell was a shapely ass beneath her skirt. "Ooh, score."
Aria walked up without hesitation and shoved her hand under the girl's skirt for a handful of her ass. The stranger gasped and turned to Aria who stared straight at her. Aria held up two fingers, flicking her tongue between them with a hungry look. The girl recoiled, looking appalled at Aria's gesture and smacked her hand away from her ass.
"Eww, back off, dyke."
"Hey, I'm not a dyke. I'm butch. Bitch." Aria snapped back, smacking the girls ass again before turning and quickly walking away. Most nearby passengers were staring at her now, so she gave up on the tall girl. She weaved between passengers and slipped through to the opposite end of the car.
Aria came to rest in a new crowd of people and began to look around again. Luckily, she never had much trouble finding fun-looking targets. Within seconds she spotted another girl, shorter and less curvy with purple skin. She was chatting with someone else, but Aria had a type and had already latched onto the purple one. She was in a school-uniform too, which peaked Aria's interest and she stepped closer. The girl wore glasses and looked overall scrawny except for her round ass.
She seemed like a timid girl and Aria resolved to be less direct with her. Just then, the train came to a stop and Aria perked up as she watched the two.
"See you later, Twilight," the girl's friend said as she got off the train.
"O-okay." Twilight stuttered, staying where she stood and pulling out her phone to stare at.
"Fucking perfect..." Aria whispered, watching as the crowd shifted.
Aria crept closer to Twilight just as a man came to stand close behind her. The two were facing away from each other and Aria got a glint in her eye. Aria quickly slipped right between them and turned to face the girl. Without warning, she grabbed the guy's belt and yanked on it, knocking him into her.
"Hey! Watch where you're going?" The guy suddenly spat, giving Aria a glare as he brushed himself off.
Twilight squeaked as Aria bumped up against her.
"Oh sorry," Aria said softly, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Some jerks ride these trains, huh?"
"Uh, d-don't worry about it," Twilight stuttered and adjusted her glasses. She just returned to staring down at her phone, paying no mind to how close Aria was.
Once her head was turned Aria grinned wide, having pulled it off flawlessly. The crowd was hardly shoulder-to-shoulder but no one was really paying attention anyway. Now it was time to cause a little mischief.
Aria nonchalantly slipped her arms into of her hoodie, which was barely noticeable due to its size, and she shimmied her leggings down just under her crotch. She put one arm back into her sleeve to look less conspicuous but the other one she left inside.
Aria began stroking her cock again and it quickly sprung back up to full mast as she checked the girl out. She began slowly jerking off, eyeing the girl's dark purple tights, leading up under her mini-skirt. She let her cock pop out under her hoodie, confident that no one was paying attention. As the train-car rocked, she smoothly leaned forward until her tip brushed against Twilight's soft skirt.
Her cock tingled and her eyes flicked up to check but the girl didn't even react. A few seconds later the car rocked again and this time she let her cock poke the girl more directly. The girl still didn't react and it was all the encouragement Aria needed. It was normal on trains for people to bump into you, even touch your butt, there was no reason for Twilight to assume it was someone's cock. But Aria felt ready to test those boundaries.
The car continued to rock every few seconds and Aria kept leaning in to tease her cock. Feeling the soft fabric of Twilight's skirt and the plush of her ass through her clothes. It was enough to get Aria worked up and she started jerking herself a little more quickly. She was getting sensitive and each time her tip pressed against Twilight it would send little arcs of pleasure down her shaft. She was already on the edge and feeling ready to bust.
The train came sliding to a stop causing Aria to tumble forward into Twilight.
"Ngh, sorry." Aria said, grabbing Twilight's shoulder to catch herself just as she hit her peak.
"I-it's okay." Twilight reassured her, obliviously.
Aria sighed and let her cock slip underneath Twilight's skirt. Hand still on Twilight's shoulder, Aria's back tensed as she came. Her cock throbbed and painted Twilight's ass with a few spurts of cum, but she didn't take the time to savour it. Once she felt her cum on the leggings she didn't even stop to take a look and began to weave back through the passengers toward an opening door.
On her way out she spotted the blue-skinned bitch again and couldn't help but make one last detour. Snaking her way behind the girl and grabbed hold of her skirt and yanked it down to her ankles. The blue girl reflexively bent down to quickly pull them back up but Aria was a step ahead of her. Without missing a beat Aria leaned casually in, squeezed the last of her cum out and wiped on the girl's panties. By the time the girl stood back up Aria had already slipped out of the train.
As Aria walked away from the platform she tugged her leggings back up over her hips, no longer caring that a few people could see her. She glowed with pride that she'd gotten her cum under two different girls skirts in one go, this time. She'd be able to feed on the energy from this one all day long.
----
"Hi Cadance!" Twilight called out, smiling as she noticed her friend.
Cadance stood waiting on the platform, already dressed in her work attire. She always liked to wait for Twilight and personally escort her to school.
"Hey, Twily." Cadance smiled and placed a hand on Twilight's shoulder to guide her along. "Anything interesting happen this morning?"
"No. Just a crowded train. As usual." Twilight said innocently, prancing a few steps ahead.
Cadance absentmindedly glanced down at Twilight's butt, noticing a strand of white leaking down one thigh. Her heart sank at the mess and looked around herself, walking up behind Twilight to block the view.
"Uh, Twilight, hold on. I think you spilled something."
"Huh? I didn't have anything to spill?"
Cadance quickly fished tissues out of her purse and lifted the back of Twilight's skirt. Cadance already had an idea based on how it looked but she hoped it wasn't the case. She wiped some of it off into a tissue and brought it to her nose to sniff it, jerking away at the potent smell.
"Hey! What's on my butt?" Twilight blushed, tensing up as Cadance cleaned such a private area.
"Uh, y-you must've bumped into a kid with ice cream or something. Don't worry." Cadance's voice wavered, blushing even more brightly than Twilight.
"But there weren't any kids on the train."
"Well, someone must've had it. That's the only explanation." Cadance said steadfastly.
Once she'd wiped up what she could of the cum, Cadance rushed over to a waste bin, holding the tissues away from her until she could drop them in. Twilight just looked bashfully up at her as she walked back, brushing down her skirt.
"Can you still see any ice cream?" Twilight asked nervously, turning away from Cadance.
"No, Twilight. It's okay." Cadance's chest felt hot but she just looked ahead and held Twilight close as she walked. "Let's just go to school." - |
Barley's Bar Hop | Pinkie x Main 6:: #Futa #Masturbation #Bukkake #Cum Dump | -
Pinkie's friends all stood around her bed, jerking off. None of them had any reservations about it, openly checking one another out to aid their masturbation. Although most of their eyes were on the only one of them that didn't have a dick.
"I-I'm about to cum." Twilight said quickly, stepping up close to Pinkie.
"Ngh, me too." Rainbow quickly joined the two, jerking her cock as she stared down at Pinkie's pussy.
Pinkie simply grinned, watching them from her odd position. She was propped up on her shoulders, resting nearly upside down with her ass straight in the air with her knees dangling on either side of her. Her back rested against a pillow on the footboard of the bed, giving her a clear view between her legs.
Pinkie reached up with some urgency and grabbed the toy that was deep inside of her pussy. She grabbed ahold of it's girthy base and squeaked as she suddenly yanked the large dildo free, taking a moment to look at the enormous toy that she'd managed to fit inside of her, before tossing it behind her on the bed.
Twilight blushed but Rainbow just smirked as they stared down at the impressive gape of Pinkie's pussy, stretched wide open and waiting for their loads. Rainbow was the first to blow but Twilight was close behind her, pressing down on her dick to point her tip toward Pinkie's gape as her cum erupted.
Pinkie cooed as she felt the heat of two different cumshots painting her pussy, and pouring down into her depths. This was such a unique sensation the way it filled her up and it enraptured Pinkie. She'd been playing with herself leading up to this and her inner walls tingled intensely as hot cum washed over them and made them quiver.
Twilight tended to gush a lot of cum all at once and she was soon backing away as her orgasm faded. Rainbow's cumshot seemed smaller at first as she shot just small spurts of cum in quick succession but her orgasm lasted much longer and she came just as much by the end of it.
"Ahh fuck that was good." Rainbow cooed, stroking her cock for its last few drops of cum. "I love just dumping my cum in- hey!"
"Nguh!" Applejack shoved Rainbow out of the way, her other hand gripping her cock. "Move, I'm cumming!"
Applejack's hips jerked as she suddenly came, her cock throbbing and firing a heavy rope of cum over Pinkie's mound, dripping down her navel. She quickly corrected her cock, shuddering as the rest of her cum pumped into Pinkie's pussy.
"Aww, Come on, Jackie!" Pinkie squeaked, swiping up some of the spilled cum and licking it off her finger. "We can't waste any more cum today. I need as much as you got."
"Well, whose fault is that, dear?" Rarity walked up, casually stroking her cock. With her free hand, she grabbed Applejack's cock and squeezed out the last of her cumshot. "Only teasing Pinkie. I mean really, AJ. You could stand to be a little more careful with something so precious." Rarity leaned her thighs against Pinkie and pressed her cock down until her tip slipped just barely inside of her gape. "Mustn't spill a drop."
Rarity shivered as the soft touch of Pinkie's insides caressed her swollen tip and pushed her over the edge. Pinkie squealed as she felt the head of Rarity's cock throb inside of her and her hot cum pumped against the most sensitive part of her inner wall.
"Nah, Rarity!"
"Ngh, Pinkie... I told you not to play with yourself so much beforehand." Rarity blushed at how much Pinkie wriggled and moaned but she kept her cock within Pinkie's soft caress until her balls felt totally empty. "If you cum again, I don't think I have another one in me today."
"Yeah, me neither." Applejack chimed in while Twilight nodded along.
"Pfft, please." Rainbow scoffed. "I could easily go a third time. A fourth even."
This was, in fact, the second time today they'd done this whole routine. During the first set of cumshots, Pinkie unexpectedly climaxed and her pussy squeezed all of their combined loads right back out into her bedsheets.
"Wait has fluttershy even cum yet?"
"No, she's been slowly rubbing herself since earlier, she must be ready to burst."
They all looked over to Fluttershy stroking her cock and making her blush.
"Uh, s-sorry girls. I just take a little more build up is all."
"That's a hell of a build up though." Rainbow said incredulously, already back to rubbing her cock again. "Hope you're bout to bust one fat ass nut."
"Ooh, I hope so! You guys barely filled me up this time. Come on, Flutters! It's time for you to save the day."
"O-okay... I guess I am pretty close."
"C'mon." Rainbow called her over. "I'll help you out"
Fluttershy stood up from her seat, hand never leaving her cock as she walked over to Pinkie's cute pink ass. She smiled bashfully at Rainbow and stared down at Pinkie's gaping pussy, which was now visibly painted with cum. She'd been having fun jerking off to the sight of her friends cumming but this view was even better. Looking down into Pinkie's depths, able to clearly see the pool of white she was about to add to: it was enough to finally push her to the edge.
"Okay, I think I'm- ahn!" Fluttershy squeaked loudly as she felt Rainbow grab her balls. She looked down at Rainbow crouching next to her and gently massaging her swollen balls. "Gah, h-here it comes!"
Fluttershy easily arced her cock downward, her tip hovering closely over Pinkie's hole. She could feel the heat wafting up against her tip.
Unrelated to this little event with her friends, Fluttershy had been edging herself for just over a week. She had planned to go even longer but Pinkie's earnest plea to take her cumshot would melt any heart and Fluttershy couldn't deny her friend.
Her back tensed and her balls spasmed in Rainbow's palm as she finally fell over her peak of pleasure. Thick ropes of cum came gushing from her tip, pouring straight into Pinkie's depths. Rainbow continued fondling her balls, draining them of a week's worth of cum in one go. Rainbow and Pinkie watched impressed and quickly garnered the attention of their other friends, all watching Fluttershy cum.
After her first few shots it became immediately apparent that her balls were very full. Her friends watched agape as she already filled Pinkie's gape with more cum than the rest of them combined. Her orgasm was not only lasting longer than any of theirs, but each rope of cum was just as voluminous as the first.
Pinkie could feel her canal being filled more than it had ever been filled before and she bit her tongue, hanging desperately onto her pleasure. Her pussy trembled as hot cum gushed into her and she did whatever she could to keep from cumming and losing it all.
"God damn, Flutts!" Rainbow cooed, grabbing Fluttershy's cock as her orgasm finally wound down. She squeezed and stroked it, still managing to goad a few more spurts out. "What the hell was that? And how do I get in on it?"
Fluttershy said nothing, just trembling from her overwhelming orgasm. She looked down and softly gasped to see that Pinkie's pussy was nearly full to the brim with cum. It looked like one more cumshot would make it spill over and Pinkie looked totally dazed.
"Who knew you had it in you, Fluttershy?" Twilight spoke up, stepping forward to have a closer look. "I guess it's a good thing Sunset isn't here. I don't think her cumshot would even fit anymore."
Pinkie suddenly broke from her daze and grinned, pulling out her phone and dialing a number quickly.
"Hey, Sunset. Mhmm. Yeah, that cream pie you ordered? Yeah, I know it's a little late but it's ready. Yeah, you should definitely hurry over. It's always best to eat pie while it's still fresh. - |
Barley's Bar Hop | Sunset x Adagio:: #Futa #Blowjob #Cock Milking #Post-Orgasm Torture | -
"Hold her tight, girls, would you?"
Sunset wasn't entirely sure what to make of the situation but she had been trapped by the Dazzlings and subsequently stripped of her clothes. She'd been worried about the reveal of her having a cock but the girls hadn't even said a word about it yet. In fact, despite being insistent on getting her out of her clothes, they had yet to show any signs of trying to humiliate her. That did not, however, put Sunset at ease.
Behind her stood Aria, trapping her arms with a surprising death-grip that kept her from being able to struggle much. Just below her ass sat Sonata on the floor, holding her legs in place and just as strong as her sister. But Sunset was potentially the most worried about Adagio, who seemed the most dangerous and cunning and... standing in front of her without a thread of clothing on.
Adagio was quite a bit shorter than Sunset but she was well-developed in other areas. She brushed her long curly hair behind her shoulder, giving Sunset an unobstructed view of her chest. Her tits looked like a little more than Sunset could fit in her hands and had the perkiest nipples she'd ever seen. Adagio placed a hand on her hip, drawing Sunset's attention downward. Just below her thin waist, Adagio had the perfect combination of wide hips and short rise, and Sunset narrowed in on the tuft of hair at the peak of her mound.
Considering her predicament, Sunset had little more to do than carefully observe every detail of Adagio's body as she bared it all for her. There was no chance of denying that she had a truly phenomenal body and those thoughts weren't hidden either as Sunset's cock slowly stood up to point at her.
"Are you ready Sunset? It looks like your body is."
"That depends... on whether or not this is going where I think it's going."
Adagio just eyed her target and strutted up until their faces were inches apart. Sunset tried to keep a poker face but she could smell a sweet cinnamony perfume wafting off of Adagio and it made her blush. Adagio smirked and slowly kneeled down in front of her, hands gliding down Sunset's figure as she went. Her eyes glowed with magic and she drew her finger along Sunset's partially-hard cock, causing it to instantly become stiff and twitching.
"Ungh," Sunset lurched forward what little she could."Whoa... you've got magic for that?"
"I'm a succubus, honey. I've got all kinds of fun magic."
"So are you gonna tell me why exactly you're doing this?"
"Do you want the short answer or the long answer?"
"Uh... short preferably."
"You're a girl with a cock, and the mere thought of you makes my pussy twitch."
"Oh..."
"Yeah. Oh."
Adagio grabbed the girl's cock and placed the tip in her mouth, making Sunset's hips twitch. She wrapped her fingers around the base of her cock and started bobbing her head, pinning the shaft between her tongue and the roof of her mouth as she sucked. Adagio slowly slid Sunset's cock as deeply as it could go, happy when she felt her lips press against Sunset's groin. She held it there for a moment as she felt it in her throat, hungrily swallowing around the head of her cock.
"Unh, shiiit." Sunset groaned
Her cock throbbed, causing Adagio to gag and she felt Adagio's saliva gush out around her cock as she pulled it out. Sunset blushed hard as Adagio wetly slurped the excess spit off of her cock. Her member was dripping with it but Adagio happily resumed sucking her dick with a level of thoroughness Sunset had never felt.
Now that Adagio seemed a little more warmed up she was steadily bobbing her head clear to the base of her cock and Sunset shuddered as the head of her cock consistently dipped into the girl's throat, which gripped and massaged it. Adagio repeated the process of shoving her face down into Sunset's groin, this time sticking her tongue out and tickling Sunset's balls as she eagerly swallowed the head of her cock.
Adagio gagged again and pulled back out, soaking Sunset's cock in her spit. Sunset looked down at how thoroughly drenched her cock was, watching as Adagio took just the head of her cock and kneaded her tongue underneath of it as she sucked it.
"Holy shit, I hope you're not planning for me to last long like this."
"As a matter of fact, I'm not." Adagio just barely parted from the cock to speak. "Sonata, baby, you wanna help mama with some cock?"
"Okay!"
Sonata leaned up from where she sat and started licking Sunset's balls, making her quiver as Adagio wrapped her lips back around her cock. She was sucking the head of her cock like it was hard-candy and Sonata's addition was proving to be too much.
"Oh fuck. A-alright, I'm cumming."
Adagio started stroking Sunset's cock with her fingers and opened her lips, licking the underside of Sunset's tip as she went over the edge. Sunset's cock throbbed hard and her first rope of cum reached the very back of Adagio's throat.
Sunset's mouth hung open as she came and she glanced down, noticing Adagio was looking up at her as she took her cumshot. Sunset shuddered as she watched her cock cumming inside of Adagio's open mouth. She sighed once her balls felt drained, blushing at how Adagio showed off the pool of white in her mouth. Sunset reflexively swallowed as she watched Adagio drink her load and open her mouth again to show that the cum was gone.
"Wow... I don't think I needed to be held down for that, after all."
"Don't let up on her, girls."
Adagio grabbed the base of Sunset's cock again and licked the head of it, causing Sunset's hips to jerk at the touch. After cumming, the head of her cock had become so sensitive that just the feeling of Adagio's tongue was too intense to handle.
"Wait, Adagio, give me a sec-gahh!"
Adagio latched her lips around the head of Sunset's cock and began vigorously sucking on the tip.
"Shit agh, aghh! Stop, I- ngh fuck. Adagio!"
Sunset's hips shook and her abs reflexively tightened and flexed as Adagio sucked the over-sensitive head of her cock. Sunset's mouth hung open and she couldn't help drool into Adagio's hair, whimpering desperately as the feeling overwhelmed her. She tried tugging away from Aria but her arms didn't budge from the siren's grip.
"Unh, oh god, suh-stop, it's too mUCH! Guhh..."
She felt her balls slip into Sonata's mouth as the girl started sucking on them and Sunset grit her teeth at the pleasure far too intense to even enjoy at the moment. Her mind was blanked as it felt like the burning in the head of her cock was all that she could feel.
"Agh... nggh, oh god..."
Sunset groaned as the sensitivity in her tip grew along her shaft and she suddenly tensed up, clenching her eyes shut. It felt like a headrush as she was stricken with a sharp powerful orgasm all at once. There was almost no build-up at all but now her entire body vibrated as she came. Her balls frantically twitched and pumped cum all over Adagio's tongue. Sunset breathed a deep sigh of relief as Adagio finally released the head of her cock, letting the cum just pour out into her mouth with a smile.
Adagio closed her mouth, swishing the cum around before letting it slide down her throat and she cooed at the warm taste.
"Mgaah..." Adagio licked her lips and glanced between Sunset's legs where Sonata was still licking her balls. She grabbed Sonata's chin and leaned in, simultaneously giving the girl a kiss and getting a taste of Sunset's balls. "Okay sweetie, give these big balls a break."
"Mnah," Sonata let the balls fall out of her mouth with a bit of drool and stuck her face between Sunset's thighs to look at Adagio. "But that was only two loads."
"Well. those were extra yummy loads. Besides..." Adagio glanced up at Sunset who hung kind of limp in Aria's grasp, looking spent. "I think Sunset needs a little break. Then," Adagio stood up, wrapping her fingers around Sunset's wet cock. "Onto the main course." - |
Barley's Bar Hop | Sunset x Adagio x Aria:: #Futa #Overstimulation #Ball Sucking #Creampie | -
"I hope that was enough of a break for you, Cumset. My pussy is already itching for it."
"Stop calling me that, Adagio. And don't think that I'm just gonna-"
"I can cast a spell that'll make you cum for three minutes straight."
"Uh...!" The thought of that alone sent a shiver up Sunset's spine and she immediately felt herself becoming hard again. "Hey, where can I sign up to join the Dazzlings?"
"That's what I thought," Adagio smirked at the way Sunset blushed, unable to hide how hard she was becoming. "Mm, you've already cum twice and you're still eager to go again. That's what I like to see. Get your cock over here."
Sunset walked over to the bed and watched Adagio's eyes glow green as she cast her spell. Adagio grabbed her balls in her hand and gave them a squeeze.
"Mnaahh whoa..." Sunset's whole body shivered at the sensation and her balls felt hot and tingling, able to feel them swelling with cum. "H-oohh, shit. That feels crazy," her voice shuddered.
"Pfft, it's just the spell. At least wait until you get some pussy before you say it feels good." Adagio stood up from her seat, turned around and climbed onto the bed, giving Sunset a nice view of her wiggling rear and dripping wet pussy. "And get into bed for it. You're gonna have trouble standing in a minute."
Sunset crawled after her, eager to begin. Adagio rested her elbows on the bed with her ass sticking up and Sunset positioned herself behind her, grabbing onto her ass with both hands. Sunset stared down the glistening pink pussy, its inner lips blushing and open. It steadily dripped with arousal and its clit was swollen with excitement. Sunset had never seen a more perfect pussy and it was begging for her cock. Her cock seemed to beg back, already hard and twitching with precum beading at its tip.
"Adagio, I'm not going to last long like this."
"Good. As quickly as possible would be preferable."
"Don't you want to cum?"
"Trust me, Cumset. You don't want to get me started. I'd grind your cock into paste."
"Oh... I don't know if that's hot or scary."
"It's scary. That's why I only let my sisters handle my orgasms."
"After we came to this world," Aria chimed in. "I figured out we could use these on a pussy." she wiggled her fingers at Sunset.
"Oh yeah, they're pretty great, huh?"
"Her pussy broke my fingers."
"Oh fuck!"
"Yeah yeah, let dick girl focus." Adagio tapped Sunset's hip with her foot, her pussy winking for attention. "Trust me. I wouldn't let anything happen to that delicious cock of yours."
"Thanks. I guess I'm glad you've got my back in that case."
"Don't get me wrong, girl. I only care about what's in those balls. The rest of you is just along for the ride."
"Oof. That's kind of harsh."
"Oh please, you should feel blessed to get to touch me. Now hurry up, you walking cum-faucet."
Despite what she said, Sunset honestly couldn't wait a moment longer and grabbed her cock, pressing its head in between Adagio's inner lips. She instantly felt a shiver from the way it gripped onto her tip, hissing as she sunk herself inside to the hilt.
"Oh fuck... that's- that's incredible." Her mouth fell open just from the feeling of holding herself inside.
It was unlike any pussy Sunset had ever felt. The heat, the grip, the way it undulated around her cock was other-worldly. Her pleasure was already rising uncomfortably fast and her hips just took over for her, since her mind was struggling.
Sunset started humping quickly, hilting each time and smacking her hips into Adagio's ass with enough strength that her balls rhythmically hit Adagio's mound. The feeling of Adagio's pussy rubbing against her cock with every stroke was mind-blowing, each thrust making Sunset's whole body tingle and she realised that she was drooling onto Adagio's back: not that she could stop herself. She had already been pushed right to the edge of orgasm and just sat there, seeming unable to push herself over the edge. She continued to feel the intense pleasure between her legs but she needed to feel it release.
"A-ahnn, A-adagio, what's happening. It's- h-haa, I can't cum."
"Be patient, Cumset. My magic is just making sure you have enough cum for me before you start filling me up. Your balls just need a little more time is all. So don't stop."
"Uhn, oh shit... ngh, I-I've never... felt this. Ahhn!"
Sunset just kept humping, unable to stop if she wanted to. Normally this kind of pleasure would only linger for a few seconds but every thrust into Adagio consistently caused her pleasure to peak from the tip of her shaft to her core, even tingling throughout her thighs and stomach. Sunset's mind felt fuzzy and blank and all she could think was that she wanted more, she needed to feel more of this. Sunset's humping became more frantic and uncontrollable as though her pleasure might just slip away from her at any moment. She grabbed onto Adagio's ribs and lean into her for balance as her legs trembled.
"Mnaah, Adagio! This- this is... ngh, oh, it's- I- I don't..."
"Save your breath. You're gonna need it when those balls burst in a second."
"Mmnnh... so good!"
"You have no idea."
Sunset stopped trying to talk for a moment, partially from just how difficult it was becoming. The feeling in her cock had already peaked out at the best she'd ever felt and it stayed there but something else was happening. Her balls still burned with incredible heat and she'd begun sweating between her legs. They felt like they were vibrating from the magic in them.
Maybe it was in her head but Sunset swore she could actually feel the cum filling them up as they became swollen. Each time they slapped into Adagio's mound it sent another shiver up her spine and they pulsated. She'd never in her life had such heightened sensitivity in her balls and as much as she wanted this pleasure to last forever, she needed to feel this tension break and she needed it to be inside of Adagio.
"Ah-aaghhh..." Sunset moaned open-mouthed, barely even able to see straight as the feeling of Adagio's pussy was the only thing in her mind.
"I'm glad you're enjoying your very first siren pussy. Say Aria, I think she's struggling a little. You wanna help bust that knot for her?"
"What?" Sonata cut in. "Why her? I want to suck her balls!"
"Fuck you Sonata, you just licked her balls like five minutes ago."
"Yeah, but Adagio didn't fill them up yet! You know this is when they're the best."
"Exactly, which is why I'm getting them. So fuck off."
"Sonata sweetie, let Aria have a turn with Sunset's balls."
Sonata huffed and Aria climbed onto the bed, lying out on her stomach behind Sunset's ass and looking up at her now much heavier balls swinging as she humped and dripping with sweat. She reached up and grabbed them roughly in her hand, giving them a squeeze while Sunset kept humping. Aria smiled at how swollen they felt in her fingers, squeezing them firmly and sticking out her tongue to messily lick them. Sunset's balls blushed slightly red and glistened with sweat and now Aria's spit. Aria just grinned and rubbed them all over her lips, spreading more spit around them and loving how much heat they gave off. She opened her lips wide and had to apply some pressure to squeeze them past her lips, humming as they both popped inside of her mouth.
Aria absolutely loved that feeling of balls inside her mouth, the heat of arousal, the soft skin of her scrotum against her tongue and roof of her mouth, the texture of the testicles within. Aria could feel them quiver as she squeezed them in her mouth and she made a swallowing motion, feeling them fall further back on her tongue, softly squishing in the grip of her mouth.
Sunset was definitely feeling the difference, her moaning becoming throaty and ragged as her balls trembled in Aria's mouth. Aria pulled back on them until they were taut, reaching their limit but refusing to let them pop free until the tension broke.
"Nguh g-ahh!!" Sunset suddenly cried out and collapsed forward onto Adagio, her hips jerking as her pleasure skyrocketed past what she could handle. Her cock started spasming frantically inside of Adagio, gushing pressurised cum out into her pussy. Sunset's entire body quivered as she came, her mind consumed by the most powerful orgasm she'd ever had.
Aria reveled in the way that the balls in her mouth were spasming and she shoved her face into Sunset's ass. Her nose was pressed into Sunset's throbbing perineum and her lips against the root of her cock as she continued to suck Sunset's balls. Nothing made Aria happier than pressing her face below Sunset's cock like this, feeling them pulsating from deep within as it throbbed and surged with cum and she happily rubbed her face in it. The aid of Aria's mouth so thoroughly massaging her balls was causing Sunset's cum to flow out in an almost constant stream, and Adagio was loving it too.
Adagio sighed with relief as she was flooded with cum, feeling more than ready to be filled and sinking into her position. More than just the cum, she loved this feeling in her pussy. As a siren, she had much more acute sensitivity in her pussy even deep within her passage and the way some human cocks would jerk and spasm so excitedly was a one of a kind feeling that tickled Adagio. Back when she could regularly hook up with stallions, she appreciated how much more volume of cum they had but it just sort of poured out inside of her and their impressive size seemed almost wasted on her. The ideal situation, by far, seemed to be human cocks with a volume spell and Adagio was particularly liking what this girl had to offer.
Sunset's cock felt especially excited within her and Adagio had to be careful with how much it tickled her pussy. A siren's arousal was uncontrollable and she didn't feel like ruining her new favourite cum source. And based on Sunset's reaction, Adagio knew that this girl's cum would be remaining on tap for her.
Adagio decided to give Sunset a little glimpse of what she could do and tightened her pussy, straightening the girl's cock out inside of her and keeping it from being able to jerk. She held it perfectly still in the vice-grip of her pussy and Sunset groaned, an extra-large burst of cum shooting out that splashed against Adagio's cervix. Sunset's face draped limply against Adagio's shoulder, loosely holding onto the girl as both her cock and balls were being wrung out for all she was worth and with no end in sight. She had no clue how much time had passed, it could've been seconds or minutes, but she didn't want it to ever stop.
Aria remained vigorous for the full three minutes as she became lost in between Sunset's shaking thighs, constantly swallowing the girl's twitching balls and filling her lungs with their musky scent. Although deep down she wanted to be the one being filled with cum right now, she couldn't deny that there was nothing in the world she loved more than balls. The taste, the texture, the smell: oh my god the smell. She'd figured out over the years that in the middle of pumping cum into her sister's pussy was when it was strongest, and the volume-spell intensified their musk even more. There was nothing more satisfying to her. Sonata had insisted to her before that if not for needing cum, pussy would always be preferable: she's such a normie.
"Ahn, hey Aria!"
Aria perked up at hearing Adagio moan and glanced down at where Sunset's cock impaled her. She could see cum starting to drip out around where Adagio's inner lips stretched around Sunset's cock and she was impressed that her volume was reaching Adagio's limits.
"Aria, ngh, this is getting me really hot. You should probably take over so I don't hurt such a nice cock."
Aria quickly released Sunset's balls from her mouth and nuzzled up between Adagio's legs, lips hovering under her mound. With one hand she grabbed the base of sunset's cock and with the other she held her hip, pushing her up and out of Adagio's pussy. The moment her tip cleared Adagio's inner lips, Aria latched onto it so as to not spill even a drop of her cum. She casually pulled up on Sunset's cock until it strained to point stiffly behind her, bunching her balls up under her ass. Aria could feel the magically enhanced orgasm beginning to slow down but her cock still spasmed uncontrollably and her cum flowed out.
Aria had to immediately start swallowing to catch it all, taking her full length until the head of Sunset's cock was just pouring cum straight down her throat. She pressed her nose firmly into Sunset's balls as she deep-throated her cock, greedily drinking all of her remaining cum. She could still taste her sister's pussy on it and eagerly sniffed Sunset's pulsating balls until it was all that filled her lungs. She could do this all day but the magic quickly faded as three minutes had passed and Aria tried to prolong it. She continued to suck Sunset's softening cock for a little while longer but the girl's balls were completely empty.
It was still a few more minutes before Sunset tried to sit back up, swaying back and forth. Her mind was fuzzy like she'd just woken up and her entire body buzzed with an afterglow like she'd never felt. She tried to get up on wobbly knees and fell back onto her ass with a giggle.
"Holy fuck. So, that uh... that was the most intense thing I've ever felt." She glanced over at Adagio, who was still resting. Some cum was peeking out of her slit and Sunset casually stroked the girl's ass. "We've definitely got to do that again sometime. I mean, you know... once I've rested for like a week or s-wuh ngh."
Sunset shuddered as she felt a hand on her cock followed by a familiar heat. Sunset turned to see Aria's eyes glow green, quickly becoming dizzy as she felt her balls swell with more cum.
"Alright, that's enough of a rest for you. My turn."
Aria gave Sunset a soft shove back onto the bed as she climbed on top of her.
"Wha...?" Sunset started to ask, trembling as her cock squeezed into the grip of Aria's pussy.
"You didn't think I was gonna leave my girls hanging, did you?" Adagio's voice floated into Sunset's ear but her focus was already slipping as Aria started humping.
The room felt dream-like as Sunset descended back into the other-worldly pleasure and her eyes began to wander around the room. She noticed Sonata was now sitting in bed, hovering closely around her.
"About time, Aria. I was gonna jump on her cock if you didn't hurry."
"Back off. I let her rest for like five minutes."
"I'm not gonna let her rest at all," Sonata said with a giggle, giving Sunset a predatory grin.
"Nguh..." was all Sunset could manage. - |
Barley's Bar Hop | Chrysalis x Velvet:: #Futa #Non-Con #Hypnosis #Exhibitionism | -
"You asked for me, my Queen?" Velvet announced herself as she entered the room, her eyes pointing down.
"Yes, Miss Velvet. You're exactly who I wanted."
Velvet looked up with a hesitant smile but it fell away once her eyes met Chrysalis. Across the room from her sat the new monarch on Celestia's former throne, undressed as usual but more shockingly was what sat at her feet. Velvet's daughter, Twilight, rested equally nude between Chrysalis' knees and openly sucking on the queen's cock.
"Twilight!" Velvet gasped at the realisation and stepped forward but was quickly detained by guards.
"Is there a problem, Miss Velvet?"
"That's my daughter!"
"Oh, I'm aware. But your queen has powerful needs. Twilight is doing a great service."
Velvet felt like a deer-in-headlights, eyes locked onto her Daughter. Despite having become a princess in her own right, she was still just an innocent young girl. Velvet could very clearly see her lips wrapped around her queen's cock.
"Please, can't you use someone else?"
"Who would you suggest? After all, your daughter's mouth feels just wonderful on my cock."
"...You want me, don't you?"
"Say again?"
"That's why you called me? You want me."
"Perhaps I did, but your daughter just feels so good. I doubt you could match this youthful vigor of hers."
Velvet couldn't take her eyes off of her daughter as she spoke. It made her uncomfortable just how eager Twilight was acting.
"Wouldn't you rather have my pussy?"
"Oh? Are you so eager for my cock?"
"Yes, my queen. Please, take my pussy."
"Approach me, then."
The guards released her and velvet walked forward, suppressing the hesitation she felt. She could feel the guards' eyes on her but she began stripping off her clothes before needing to be told. This made Chrysalis grin but her hand remained on Twilight's head, relaxing into her seat while being pleasured to her new view. Velvet was soon nude as well and she quickly continuing up to the throne, biting her lip and looking at Chrysalis who didn't move.
"Are you ready?"
"Yes, my queen."
Chrysalis nodded and shoved Twilight off with her foot, causing the girl to tumble back on her ass.
"Hey don't hu-!"
Chrysalis just grabbed Velvet's arm and yanked her into her lap, grabbing her chin with her other hand.
"Clean your daughter's spit off my cock first."
Velvet's heart pounded in her chest now that she was in the grasp of her queen and didn't even want to test hesitating. She quickly kneeled between her legs, breath shuddering at just how messy her daughter had been.
Velvet started with her balls, licking up the dripping saliva, her face glowing with heat knowing that it was fresh from her own daughter's mouth. She just wanted to get this over with and once she'd cleaned her balls, wrapped her lips around the head of her queen's cock and took as much of it as she could. Having gotten uncomfortably familiar with the flavour of her daughter's spit, she popped her lips free of the cock and swallowed, meeting Chrysalis' eyes.
"You're ready, my queen."
"Good. Now turn around."
Velvet stood back to her feet and turned around, pooching her butt out and gasping as Chrysalis suddenly grabbed her waist and lifted her into the air with ease. She bent her knees as she was brought down over Chrysalis's lap, straddling her thighs and resting her weight down. As soon as she was free to move she grabbed her queen's cock, closing her eyes and plunging herself down onto it, sucking in a deep breath as she felt it stretch her inner lips nearly to their limit.
Velvet's ass met her queen's lap and she could feel the tip of her cock tickling her cervix and it sent a shiver up her spine. She quickly began humping, her eyes snapping open at a sudden feeling between her legs.
"Ah T-twilight!" Velvet stared down in shock at her daughter who had suddenly started licking her between her legs as she rode her queen. "Twilight, stop!"
"Oh, I forgot to mention. I placed a little spell on your daughter."
"Please. I already gave you myself. Won't you break the spell?"
"The spell breaks on it's own once I've cum. But for your sake."
Chrysalis snapped her fingers and pointed at Twilight and her guards quickly grabbed her, prying her lips from her mother's clit and holding her back.
"No, please!" Twilight suddenly cried, pulling at the guards hold, drooling as she stared down her own mother. " I want to make you cum."
Velvet swallowed a lump in her throat and closed her eyes, unable to look at the look of pain in her daughter's face. Even knowing that it was due to the spell, Twilight's cries sounded so desperate and Velvet couldn't bear to hear them. She knew that the spell would break the sooner Chrysalis came so she redoubled her efforts, holding her queen's knees as she bounced on her cock.
"Use my pussy as you wish, my queen. It's only for masturbating your cock."
"Just listen to you. Getting just as eager as Twilight without even needing a spell."
"Pour your cum into my womb like it's a used sock."
"I think I'll do just that."
Velvet bit her lip as she quickly pounded her queen's cock, her impressive size, unfortunately, grinding against all of her most sensitive spots. Velvet derided herself for the pleasure she was feeling and so for her own dignity only hoped that she could make Chrysalis cum before she did.
"Hurry, my queen. Fill me up with your seed!"
Velvet reached between Chrysalis' legs and grabbed her balls, squeezing them in her hand and massaging them to quickly release their load. She moved her hips faster to bring the queen's orgasm about, but it still pushed her own pleasure higher as well, unable to deny the way her cock stretched her inner passage and made her burn for release. She was losing grip on her thoughts and she stopped raising her hips so high, thrusting her ass against the queen's laps and mashing her trembling inner lips into her groin. Just as she sat on the edge of climax she felt the queen throb and she slammed her hips down, surprised as the queen grabbed her chest and yanked her back, holding her body against hers and causing the head of her cock to pierce her cervix.
"Nhahh nah no...!" Velvet squealed, her whole body quivering as she fell over the edge of a powerful orgasm.
Twilight blinked as she snapped free of her spell and glanced up at her queen, surprised to see her mother's nude form in her lap. Her mouth fell open as she looked between her legs to see her mother's pussy impaled on her queen's cock which throbbed inside of her, obviously pouring out a fresh load of cum. Twilight swallowed a lump in her throat as she noticed her mom's pussy spasm in return, pleasured to the point of orgasm from Chrysalis' cock.
"Mom?"
"Twilight!"
Velvet snapped back to attention to see her daughter back to her normal self. She moved to cover herself but Chrysalis held her arms tight, her body still weakly trembling through her orgasm. Her whole face and chest glowed with heat as she realised that Twilight was staring between her legs, able to clearly see her mom's pussy cumming but Velvet was helpless to stop it. She could still feel her queen's cock spewing cum into her womb and filling her up and Chrysalis released her arms only to squeeze her waist, digging her fingers into her waist.
"Mom, did she put you under a spell as well?"
"No dear," Velvet knew what she needed to do and smiled at her daughter. "I've taken Chrysalis as a lover."
"No, you're under a spell. You have to-" Twilight cut herself off as she saw her mom's eyes. She looked closely but she saw none of the familiar haze caused by hypnosis spells. "But why?"
"Your mom is just a horny girl, after all. I couldn't resist." Velvet's voice shuddered as she finally felt Chrysalis' cock stop cumming but she stayed seated on it. "Sorry you had to see me like this, baby." - |
Barley's Bar Hop | Apple Bloom x Apple Family:: #Masturbation #Dub-Con #Cum Dump #Random | -
Apple Bloom sat in her bed wearing only a skirt, her legs spread out to either side as she touched her slit. She rubbed it briskly but she was in no hurry, she had time to relax.
Normally she'd be expecting to have some chores sprung on her at any moment but not at this moment. It was the coveted one-hour block of time in the afternoon, after morning-chores were done but before Afternoon chores had begun. Every Apple-Family sibling had keenly observed that Granny remained reliably silent about work during this time. And every one of them took advantage of it for their most private activities. It was the same every single day. Or at least, almost every single day.
"Ngh, uhn." Apple Bloom started rubbing more quickly as she got close to climax. Her finger paused on her clit as she heard her phone vibrate and she glanced over to her nightstand. "...I'm sure it can wait."
Apple Bloom focused back between her legs and slipped her fingers inside. She teased her g-spot and quivered, beginning to softly moan. However, it turned into a groan as she heard her phone vibrate once more.
"Hmm dangit. I'll just glance at it real quick." Apple Bloom sighed, keeping her fingers lodged inside of her as her free hand reached for her phone.
As she opened her phone, she was met with two texts from Applejack.
Go help Granny with something in the barn. I'm a little busy.
Don't leave her waiting. She said she was breeding the stallions today.
"Aw man. I'm a little busy too, ya know."
Apple Bloom pouted but she was the youngest sibling, so she got the short end of the stick on chores. She reluctantly pulled her fingers free and sat on the edge of her bed. A t-shirt laid on the bed next to her and she quickly tugged it over her perky chest. Her nipples poked visibly through, but as long as it was just her family she didn't care much.
As she stood to her feet, she felt a light breeze under her skirt, cooling her moist lips. Her plan was to help Granny as quickly as possible, so she decided to forego putting on a pair of panties just for her to tear them off as soon as she got back to her room. As long as there were no obstacles, she figured she still had time to cum at least twice when she got back.
Apple Bloom brushed down her skirt and rushed out her door but hesitated at the end of the hall.
"Wait. AJ didn't say if Granny needed me to take her anything. Hmm, it'll be quicker if I just ask her."
Apple Bloom turned around and headed to Applejack's bedroom door. There was no time for knocking so she burst through the door in a hurry.
"Apple Bloom!" Applejack shouted, startled by Apple Bloom's entry and attempting to hide herself.
It would seem that her futa sister had the same idea as her and was sitting in bed jerking off. She had been edging for the past twenty minutes and her cock twitched angrily at her little sister's intrusion. Apple Bloom had yet to even notice as she bum-rushed her sister's bedroom.
"Hey Applejack, what do I need to- whoa!"
Apple Bloom tripped and fell face-first onto Applejack's dick. Applejack tensed up as gravity brought her little sister's lips down over her cock. In an instant, the head of her cock slipped into Apple Bloom's throat and she couldn't hold back.
"Ngah! I'm cummin'!"
Applejack's cock throbbed and fired spurts of cum down Apple Bloom's throat in quick succession. Her sudden orgasm overcame her and she just fell back, half-conscious as she emptied her balls into Apple Bloom's mouth.
Apple Bloom placed a hand on Applejack's thigh and managed to dislodge the cock from her throat. She crawled back to her feet and stared dizzily at her sprawled out sister, swallowing what was left in her throat.
"I'll uh, just ask Big Mac."
Apple Bloom turned and stumbled out the door, crossing over to Big Mac's bedroom. She entered immediately, eyes downcast as she rubbed a dribble of cum from her lips.
"I'm cumming!" came a soft voice that perked up Apple Bloom's ears.
"Sugar bel- ?"
As she looked up she found her big brother and his girlfriend in bed together. Big Mac was balls deep inside of Sugar Bell and according to her announcement, she was cumming.
"Apple Bloom, what're you doing!"
"S-sorry I didn't mean to, I-bwahh!" Apple Bloom yelped just as she turned to leave and stepped on a bottle of lube.
To everyone's surprise, the lube sent her flying toward the bed. Big Mac had reflexively pulled out, at the surprise of his sister walking in on him. Just then, Apple Bloom fell ass-first right into Big Mac's lap and her pucker landed right on his tip. His cock, having been thoroughly slicked from Sugar's pussy, slipped right inside until her little yellow asscheeks met his groin.
Before Apple Bloom had time to register what happened, she had somehow ended up sandwiched between the two. She opened her eyes to a literal face full of Sugar's pussy just as it spasmed, squirting the girl's juices directly into her mouth. Apple Bloom tried to wiggle free but froze as she felt the cock in her ass throb. All she heard was a grunt before Big Mac started unloading heavy ropes of cum into her ass.
It was a few moments before a dazed Sugar Bell rolled off of Apple Bloom onto the bed. Apple Bloom slowly sat up, opening her mouth and letting most of Sugar's girl-cum pour all over her t-shirt and skirt. Big Mac just laid back stunned, his balls totally empty as his sister sat on his cock.
With some effort, Apple Bloom was able to pull her big brother's cock free from her asshole. She glanced back at the two laid out in bed and just staggered out of the room. Apple Bloom looked confused as she walked through her house, unable to keep up with the day's bizarre events.
Apple Bloom made it to the kitchen and walked over to the counter. She noticed a few scattered utensils like Granny had been mulling cider in here earlier. Just then, she stepped in some spilled cider and slipped, grabbing the counter before falling and sending the utensils flying. Her feet flew straight up in the air and she landed upside, ass in the air and toes dangling on either side of her face. Among the kitchen utensils was a funnel, which twirled through the air and landed snuggly into Apple Bloom's exposed pussy.
"I'm comin'. Don't need no help after all." Granny announced as she walked into the kitchen carrying something. "Turns out it's easier to carry gallons of horse semen if I put it in them cider jugs instead of a b-wahh!"
Granny slipped in the same cider as Apple Bloom, sending the cider-jug of horse-cum tumbling through the air. The jug landed upside-down, perfectly cradled by Apple Bloom's thighs. The mouth of the jug stuck into the top of the funnel and began emptying its contents with a loud glugging sound.
Apple Bloom just laid there, resigned to her fate as her pussy was stuffed full of more cum than she'd ever felt in her life. She could still taste both Applejack's and Sugar's cum in her mouth and feel her brother's warm load in her ass. Even the horses' cum was still hot as the jug finally spilled the last of it into her.
Apple Bloom stared off, deep in thought as she casually got rid of the jug and funnel. She didn't shift position though, remaining upside-down as she contemplated what had transpired.
"Is the universe telling me that I should be a cum dumpster?" She mused, curiously dipping her finger into her pussy and getting a taste of the horse-cum. "Eh, why not. Might as well not stop here."
Apple Bloom tilted her pelvis forward until the cum started pouring directly into her mouth from her pussy. She decided to accept her fate as a cum dumpster and happily swallowed it by the mouthful. - |
Barley's Bar Hop | Flurry Heart Solo:: #Pony #Hyper Futa #Transformation #Cum Drinking | -
Flurry pranced into her bedroom, smiling and humming a Hearth's-Warming tune. She tossed a small gift-box onto her bed before diving after it, bouncing once as she hit the mattress. Flurry wriggled around in the sheets gathering them up around her like a nest as she got comfortable. She finally came to rest on her back, her hind-legs splaying out to the sides as she relaxed with an excited giggle.
"Ooh, this is gonna be so fun!" Flurry grabbed the gift box and opened it, already aware of the bottle waiting inside. "I can't believe Mama got me a hyper-futa potion. I've always wanted one!"
It was actually still a few days away from Hearth's Warming but Flurry had masterfully snooped and discovered her gifts earlier. After peeking through them, this was by far the most fun-looking and she couldn't possibly wait any longer to play with it.
"Hmm...?" Flurry looked closely at the tag that hung from its neck. Good for one(1) nut. "Only one? Darn. I guess I better really think about this... use it wisely..."
Flurry pondered the potion for ten long seconds before tearing the cork out with her teeth and downing it. She was far too curious to go back now, she was too eager to try it out. She tossed the empty bottle aside and stared expectantly between her legs. She could already feel herself tingling from the magic and quickly reached down poke her clit.
"Brb Clitty. Gonna try being a futa real quick." Flurry reassured her closest little friend as it began to change.
At first, it just felt like her arousal building up, like usual, except it didn't stop once her clit was stiff. It continued to get hotter and hotter as tension built between her legs. She reached further down to touch her slit but gasped to find that there was no longer a hole there. Only her labia remained which began to expand and form a sack, and Flurry loudly squeaked as she felt her new balls form, already swollen and full. She was overcome by the new sensation of needing to release what was inside of them before she'd even grown a dick.
"Mnnn... what is this?" Flurry stroked them with her hoof, wriggling from how sensitive they were. "H-how do I- gahh!"
Flurry yelped as her clit throbbed and doubled in size. That still wasn't very big but it sure felt like a huge difference. She touched her pulsating clit, wishing it would transform faster, and gasped as it grew larger again. Flurry broke a sweat and planted the soft of her hoof down on her clit, making her hips jerk from how tender it was to the touch. She whimpered and moaned as it became bigger and bigger with every throb.
The deluge of sensations were dizzying but after a few minutes, the pulsating had finally eased between her legs. A shiver rolled up her spine and she blinked, fluttering the daze out of her eyes. Flurry reached up and wiped the drool from her mouth, needing a moment to remember what she was doing, but the feeling between her legs was starkly different.
"Ngh... Let's see what I've g-uh. Whoa..."
Flurry glanced down at the finished transformation and her eyes sparkled. She was suddenly reminded that the potion had said HYPER Futa, and she could plainly see why. Her clit had become a full horse-cock that laid stiffly against her tummy, reaching clear up to her fluffy chest. Not to mention the heavy-looking pair of balls that stuck out between her thighs. Suddenly, she suspected that one nut would be a bigger event than she'd previously thought.
Regardless, Flurry was ready to get started on that nut immediately. There was no sense holding out or savouring anything. She needed to feel it.
Flurry wrapped her hooves around her shaft, shivering at its newly-formed sensitivity. She caressed its bulging underside with her soft fur, making her tongue loll out of her mouth. She didn't know if there were any nuance or technique to this but she didn't care. She was ready to cum hard and fast.
Flurry started moving more quickly, rocking her hips in order to stroke its full length. She was already dripping with precum, matting her chest floof and filling her nose with its musky scent. Her musky scent. She inhaled it deeply and her eye twitched, tickling her brain with its potency.
Flurry tried to press her thighs together but her balls were too large for them to meet. She didn't mind though. She just continued to press them together, squeezing her balls between her soft thighs. They felt so tightly wound-up with her load, she couldn't wait to feel that knot break and release everything they held. She could hardly imagine what her very own cum would be like when her precum was already so heady.
She glanced down at her swollen flare, noticing how the tip of her urethra slightly protruded like a little bud, leaking with dew. Flurry's heart suddenly pounded as a thought occurred to her and stuck her tongue out urgently. She leaned down slightly and gasped as she met her flare, licking her little bud and tasting her precum. A shiver rolled up her spine at how easily she could reach herself and she continued licking.
Flurry's hot breath shuddered against her sensitive tip. She knew she was getting close even though the sensations were new to her. It felt like there was so much inside ready to come out, she wondered what shooting cum will feel like. She flicked her tongue against the bud where her precum spilled out, looking at the place that would shoot out her cum. She couldn't wait much longer. She wanted to feel it, to smell it, to taste it.
Flurry traced the bulging underside of her cock, feeling more and more sensitive the further down she went. The soft of her hooves landed on the root of her cock, pressing down into her tightening coil until-
"Ngah! I'm uhn- cum!"
Flurry knew she'd gone over the edge and her body tingled as she spiraled toward orgasm. Her balls clenched, her flare became even more swollen and her bud dilated for the imminent deluge of cum. She was ready to taste it but there was no way she could fit her flare into her mouth. She leaned her neck forward again and smooched her sensitive little bud, leaving her lips just on top of it as her cock throbbed.
Flurry's brain blanked as her orgasm hit, steam-rolling over her mind. She could feel the wad of her cum burst free like a dam and stream down her entire length before shooting out between her lips in a thick rope. She kneaded her hooves into the root of her cock as it jerked and throbbed, overcoming her with visceral pleasure. The hot musky flavour of her fresh cum washed over her tongue and she hungrily swallowed it, tingling with warmth as it slid down her throat. She had no time to slow down as her cock pumped rope after rope of cum onto her tongue in quick succession.
Flurry would've gotten lost in such a powerful orgasm anyway, but her thick potent musk was making her mind swim. Her lips remained pursed, feeling the bud of her flare expand every time it spat more cum onto the back of her tongue. Behind her sweet moaning, you could hear the soft sound of gulping as she thirstily drank it all.
"Hey, Flurry. I-" Sunburst walked in through the door and immediately froze. Staring down at his ward, sucking her own dick which he was fairly certain was a new addition. He blushed from neck to forehead at what he could only assume was a gift from her mother and quickly turned to leave. "Wh-what's wrong with this family? Just- nobody locks their door!"
Flurry was barely even aware of the disturbance as her cumshot finally slowed to a dribble. She was amazed by the feeling of her balls being empty and laid unmoving as she soaked it in. Once she was sure there was nothing left she released her lips from her tip with a lick, puffing out a hot cum-drenched breath that looked like steam. Her cock glowed with post-orgasm sensitivity and twitched with every ragged breath that touched it. Her face buzzed with the intensity of her afterglow and her head suddenly fell back to the bed and she passed out.
--------------------------------
The next day, Flurry pranced through the halls of the castle looking for her mom. Her tail bobbed back and forth over her damp pussy, having transformed completely back to normal. But the feeling of her cock and her cumshot were still so fresh in her mind. She wished she could do it again. And yet, she felt a little guilty about taking the gift early and resolved to tell her mom. If she were lucky, her mom would forgive her and hopefully give her something as nice for her birthday. She could only hope anyway. Flurry stopped at her mom's door, noticing it was open and peeked inside.
"Mom? Are you there?"
"Oh, Flurry," Cadance answered, leaving her room just then. "I was just looking for you."
"Good. Cause I wanted to- uh, you were?"
"Yes. I wanted to have a little talk with you."
"Oh... um, okay." Flurry tensed up, worried that she was in trouble now. "What is it?"
Instead of a stern look, however, Cadance's face fell, like she were the worried one.
"Well, dear, it's just that I seem to have lost your Christmas gift... I don't know what I could've done with it."
"Oh, well I-"
"You know what, never mind I said anything, Flurry. I'm just going to go get you another one."
"Yeah, but-"
"I'll get it by tomorrow, baby. I promise." Cadance wrapped a hoof around Flurry and kissed her on the cheek. "Oh. Were you trying to say something?"
Flurry stared blankly up at her mom. Knowing that she'd get another potion for Hearth's Warming was just too good to pass up. She swallowed a lump in her throat and swallowed her confession along with it, smiling and going in for a hug.
"Uh... just wanted to tell you I love you, Mama."
"Aww, you're a sweety." Cadance smooched her daughter again and patted her on the butt as she left. "Happy Hearth's Warming Even, Flurry."
"Happy Hearth's Warming Eve, Mama." Flurry said cheerily, waiting for her mom to leave before turning to run back to her room.
Her tail clung to her wet pussy as she ran. She could hardly wait to experience having her own cock and cumming with it again. But until then, she was going to go to wear her pussy out just thinking about it. - |
Barley's Bar Hop | Rainbow x Fluttershy:: #Lesbian #Squirting #Dub-Con #Sleep | -
"Wait, Dash. Are you serious?"
"Fuck yeah, I'm serious. This is such a good opportunity for a prank."
Twilight blushed as her athletic friend slipped out of her tights, baring her perky ass. She'd already felt awkward standing around Fluttershy's bed when she was still asleep. That was apparently lost on Rainbow, who immediately started fingering herself, completely unbothered by Twilight's.
"This just seems like it's going a little too far, Rainbow."
"What? Nah, it's just hilarious. A little pussy never hurt anyone."
"You really don't think this is maybe crossing some personal boundaries?"
"Come on, Shy and I go way back. We don't even have boundaries."
"I suppose not. But Fluttershy isn't exactly um... sexually open."
"It's not like she doesn't like pussy or something. She totally does. I'm just gonna bust a nut in her mouth. She's gonna wake up tasting pussy and be all surprised. And we'll get a laugh out of her reaction."
"I mean, I guess I'm gonna trust you Dash. I will. It just feels wrong."
"Well, that's why you're not the one rubbing one out for the joke."
"Yeah... I don't think that would go over as well."
Twilight's hand hung in front of her lap, hiding her growing erection. As much as she disagreed with what was going on, she couldn't deny that there was something exciting about it.
"Ngh, Okay. I'm almost mnf ready."
Twilight bit her lip, feeling unsure as she watched Rainbow rub her way to orgasm. She glanced over at a peacefully sleeping Fluttershy, her mouth open as she snoozed. The fact was, Rainbow knew her better so Twilight didn't want to question her, but Twilight also knew that Rainbow wasn't always the most thoughtful.
Twilight's breath caught in her throat as Rainbow walked up to Fluttershy and turned around, clearly ready to cum. Despite her resistance, Twilight moved to get a better look and pressed her wrist into her crotch.
Rainbow's finger continued quickly stroking as her ass lightly brushed against Fluttershy's face. She could feel Fluttershy's rhythmic breath on her inner lips as she hit her peak. Rainbow bent over a little more as she came, her pussy spasming and sending little squirts of her girl-cum into Fluttershy's open mouth.
By her fourth squirt there was much less volume and she pulled away, casually rubbing herself as the rest dripped down her legs. The two watched Fluttershy closely, some of Rainbow's squirt quickly spilling out and leaking down her cheek onto her pillow. Twilight placed a hand over her mouth as Fluttershy reflexively swallowed, taking care of some of it. The two became totally silent as Fluttershy's eyes fluttered open but Rainbow was tense for her reaction.
Fluttershy immediately noticed the two and leaned up on an elbow, still half asleep as she slowly smacked her lips, tasting something strange. She had a quizzical look on her face and swallowed again, trying to figure out why her mouth tasted different. Her eyes suddenly fell on Rainbow's bare hips, fluids clearly dripping down her legs as she tried to hold back her laughter. As the pieces clicked together Fluttershy's eyes grew wide and she placed her hand over her moist lips, causing Rainbow to immediately bust out laughing.
"Rainbow, did you...?"
"You should see your face, Fluttershy! So how's it taste?" Rainbow asked raucously.
"Is this...? What did you-" Fluttershy turned to look at Twilight who looked a little more ashamed.
"Yup. That's my cum." Rainbow answered sounding proud. She turned around and spread her pussy for Fluttershy. "You thirsty for more?"
"While I was sleeping?" Fluttershy asked through a fierce blush, not sure what to actually say.
"Oh yeah, you should've seen it, Shy. There was pussy to face action. You swallowed most of it when you woke up though."
"Oh my god..." Fluttershy reflexively swallowed, placing a hand over her throat.
"Listen, Fluttershy." Twilight cut in. "I'm sorry that I let her do this."
"So that's what Dashie's pussy tastes like..." Fluttershy mumbled.
"Hm?"
"Well, You might as well go ahead and do the rest of the prank." Fluttershy sat fully up and let her blanket fall.
Twilight was a little surprised that she was nude underneath, getting a sudden view of her large tits.
"What do you mean, the rest of the prank?" Twilight asked, glancing over at Rainbow who just softly giggled before looking back at Fluttershy.
"Well, you were going to do the same thing Rainbow did right?" Fluttershy laid the other way on the bed, leaning on her elbow in front of Twilight. "You can go ahead and prank me while I'm still in bed," Fluttershy said casually, opening her mouth wide and sticking out her tongue with an ahh.
Twilight just looked wide-eyed at Fluttershy, no longer able to hide how hard she was.
"I fucking knew it," Rainbow cut in. "Fluttershy's a total animal."
"Well..." Twilight was now blushing the hardest but if Fluttershy was into it she was more than okay with the idea. "I uh, I guess we got you good."
Fluttershy watched Twilight's cock spring out of her pants and giggled.
"Yeah. good one girls. I didn't see it coming at all." - |
Barley's Bar Hop | Rarity x Sweetie:: #Panties #Scent #Masturbation | -
Rarity set her pencil down and pushed her things up on the desk, raising her arms in the air to stretch.
"Hmng... ooh, it's late."
She glanced over at the glass sitting on her desk with just a spot of red resting at the bottom. Rarity licked her lips and picked it up, taking a moment to sniff the thick earthy scent before tipping it back for the last drop.
"Bleh... warm." Rarity smacked her lips and set the glass back down with a shrug. "I wonder if Sweetie is in bed yet? Hmm..." Rarity rubbed her hands over her face, running her fingers up into her hair. "Oh, I should really do her laundry before bed or it's going to bother me tomorrow."
Rarity stood up slowly and walked down the hall, approaching Sweetie's bedroom. She prepared to knock but paused, hearing the girl moving around inside so she just let herself in.
"Coming in."
Rarity smiled to see her sister walking up to her hamper and drop in a wadded up pair of panties. She idly glanced at the shape of her tiny hips in her short nightgown and her scrawny little thighs that stuck out beneath. Rarity was almost jealous of how unbelievably adorable her sister was, truly a perfect little specimen of femininity.
"Hey, Rarity." Sweetie chirped back with her girlish little smile, smoothing out her gown. "What are you doing?"
"Just picking up your laundry, dear." Rarity walked across the room, noticing an oddly familiar scent in the air but didn't think about it. She picked up the hamper and glanced over to the girl's bed and seeing how ruffled up her bedsheets were. "Now don't play around too much, Sweetie. It's about time for bed. Okay?"
"Okay."
"Good night, Sweetie." Rarity sing-songed, moving the hamper under one arm and leaning down, puckering her lips like a duck.
"Night!" Sweetie ran up to her and barely brushed her lips for a smooch before plodding back to her bed.
Rarity smiled and quickly left the room without another word, walking tiredly through the house until she entered the laundry room. Rarity set down the laundry and began picking through it, tossing each piece gently into the washing machine. That same scent from Sweetie's room seemed to have lingered with her and Rarity's nose twitched as she picked up a pair of Sweetie's panties. She held them up in her hand, her eyes growing wide as the scent became much more apparent.
"No..."
Rarity hesitantly lifted the panties under her nose and sniffed, recognising the scent immediately. She'd left her sheets smelling this way plenty of time after a lively masturbation session and the implication made her shudder. Sweetie might technically be an adult but she had about the emotional-maturity of a ten-year-old and her sexuality was non-existent. She'd thought, anyway. Rarity certainly wouldn't have expected the girl was getting herself off and yet there was no mistaking what she smelled.
Rarity looked the panties over, checking inside the crotch of them, surprised to realise how wet they still were. They were still warm to the touch, so it must have been the pair Sweetie had just changed out of, meaning she'd just finished cumming when Rarity had entered her room.
Rarity imagined Sweetie rubbing herself over her panties, the face of her virginal little sister being overcome with pleasure as she came in her panties. Rarity had of course seen Sweetie in the nude plenty of times, she'd seen the little girl's crotch in passing, she'd never thought about it. But she looked down at the slicked crotch of the panties and couldn't help but think of it. Sweetie's unused, pink little slit that Rarity had seen as perfectly innocent had actually experienced the pleasure of orgasm and leaked this cum into her panties.
Rarity was overcome with some new feelings she didn't quite understand and a strange sort of curiosity about her little sister. She, of course, was more than familiar with masturbation and loved to do it, and the thought that her kiddish younger sister had experienced that same raw pleasure that she had tickled something in Rarity. Rarity was also experienced with other women and had tasted a girl's cum many times before and she couldn't deny that she wanted to know the taste of such an innocent and pristine looking slit's juices.
Rarity held the panties back up to her nose and inhaled the scent deeply, keeping an image of her sweet little Sweetie Belle in her mind as she sniffed it. The unique scent of her pussy tickled something in her brain and her tongue lolled out as she sighed a hot breath. Absentmindedly, she licked the crotch of the panties and a shiver ran up her spine. Just yesterday, the notion of her sister masturbating would've made her grimace, and yet she'd just tasted her sister's own cum from her panties. And Rarity loved it. It was so different from her own muskier flavour but it was still undoubtedly pussy with a unique character of its own.
Just picturing the pussy that it came out of made Rarity tingle. So sleek and delicate and purely feminine. It was a specific shade of soft youthful pink unique to a narrow window of a young maiden's life, and her Sweetie had remained a perfect little maiden.
Rarity lifted the front of her skirt, pinning it against her navel with her wrist so she could rub herself over her own panties. She shoved Sweetie's panties against her face, tonguing their wet crotch as she stroked herself. The taste and smell of Sweetie's fresh orgasm filled Rarity's senses and she got a little lost in it.
The fabric of Rarity's panties tickled her clit as she dug her finger into it. She was getting close to cumming and fast. Her hips wriggled, making her skirt swish back and forth. She was having trouble staying still and she shakily pressed her thighs together as she sat on the edge of orgasm.
Rarity's squeal was muffled by Sweetie's panties as she hit her peak. She stopped stroking her clit, simply holding down on it. She pressed her hips forward, stretching her legs as pleasure arced up them. Her eyelashes fluttered dazedly as she was overcome by the sweet contractions between her legs. She could feel the growing wet spot in her panties as she dribbled girl-cum.
After a minute, she pulled the panties from her mouth, realising that she'd licked away any remnants of Sweetie's orgasm. All she was left with was a pair of panties soaked in her own saliva. She stared at the spent panties, softly panting and still pressing her clit as it was reduced from a throb to a light twitch. Her spine continued to tingle for several seconds after her other sensations had faded. She giggled from how light her body felt in the afterglow.
She was so curious if it was like this for Sweetie. How did an innocent girl like her sister handle this raw pleasure? Were her contractions this strong or did it last as long? She wasn't sure if the face Sweetie would make would be cute or arousing.
Rarity sighed and she reluctantly tossed the panties into the washer, resuming loading the washer. She could easily go a second time but the panties were useless now. She'd have to get a new source of her sister's scent. - |
Barley's Bar Hop | Shining x Twilight:: #F x M #Incest #Dub-Con #Sleep | -
Shining's eyes eased open and he leaned up in bed. He squinted as he looked around the room and shifted in bed. Glancing down, he could see the obvious tent in his sheets from his cock.
"Ngh, morning wood..." He reached down to adjust himself, but he'd had a particularly lusty dream that left him uncomfortably hard. "Well, I'd better deal with this quickly."
He pushed his blanket down, revealing his bed partner. Lying next to him was his little sister Twilight, still snoozing away. He eyed her sleeping form, following her thin waist down to her narrow hips, covered only by simple white panties at the moment.
Shining drowsily leaned up in bed and rolled over on top of her, wrapping his hand around one of her scrawny thighs and pulling her legs open. He wasn't the only one having wet dreams based on the wet spot in his little sister's panties. He might as well make her dream feel a little more real while he was at it.
Shining hooked his finger into the crotch of her panties, tugging it free of her cleft and pulling it aside. She had a cute little pair of pink lips that felt like silk against his hard cock. He didn't waste time, however, and lined up his tip with her entrance to push inside. He took it slow as he slid inside of her unbelievably tight grip, thankful that she was already wet.
Shining buried his cock to the hilt in his little sister's wet snatch. Her body squeezed his cock with the tightest grip he'd ever felt but he wasn't looking to savour this. He was looking to bust a quick nut and lose his morning wood.
Shining rested his elbows on either side Twilight, his broad chest eclipsing her petite frame as he gently thrust down into her. He didn't need to go too fast. The way her velvety depths squeezed and stroked his hard cock was going to make him cum very soon. He could already feel the pressure building in his balls, eager to unload his cum into his little sister.
"Shiny!"
Shining grinned to hear his sister enjoying it, somehow feeling her squeeze his cock even tighter. He looked down at her face but paused when she still looked fast asleep.
"Huh?"
"Shinyyy..."
Shining's eyes opened again and he was no longer on top of his sister. Twilight looked down at him with a smile as her big brother finally woke up from his dream.
"Twily?"
"Come on, get up Shiny."
Shining glanced down Twilight's body who looked like she'd only gotten out of bed a few moments earlier. She was in her panties and a camisole. She had climbed into his bed to get his attention and had unwittingly placed her hand on his cock, pinning his morning wood against his waist as she leaned over him. He couldn't help but notice the way it made her camisole hang loosely around her chest and he felt his cock twitch under her hand.
"Hey, sleepy-head. Are you gonna get out of bed, or what?"
"Before I do that, Twily. Do you wanna help me with something?"
"Hm? What are we going to do on the bed, Shiny?" - |
Barley's Bar Hop | Twilight x Sunset:: #Overstimulation #Dub-Con #Magic-Induced Orgasm #Urine | -
Twilight bit her lip, quivering as she looked up at Sunset's front door and knocked. Twilight came over to Sunset's place for all kinds of things but it wasn't usually for a problem. But with this particular problem, Sunset was the only one that could help, no matter how embarrassed she was.
"Oh... hey, Twi!" Sunset answered the door a little surprised, casually checking her phone. "You didn't tell me you were coming over."
"Mm-hm..." Twilight nodded nervously. "C-can I come in?"
"Of course you can. Is something wrong, Twilight?"
"Uh, I uh... l-let's go in your bedroom before I say anything." Twilight stammered out of breath, visibly sweating.
Sunset nodded seriously and quickly shut and locked the door, wondering what was going on with her friend.
"Okay, let's hurry then."
Twilight knew where to go so Sunset let her lead the way, noticing that Twilight was walking kind of funny and would occasionally stop. They entered Sunset's room and Twilight leaned against one of her bedposts, waiting for Sunset to close the door and come further in.
"Here, have a seat."
"N-no. I'd rather stand.
"Ok... well, what's-"
"Sunset, I tried messing with magic again." Twilight was suddenly quick to answer.
"Oh no, Twilight. Are you hurt? Are you in pain from something?"
"Uh, n-no. no pain. Just uh, k-kind of hard to d-deal with. Agh, not easy to s-say either..."
Sunset noticed the girl's legs were pressed together and she was quivering.
"Well, you know you can trust me. So tell me."
"Um, it's uh... it's affecting my v-vagina."
"Oh! Um... does it hurt? Did you- did you get like an infection or something? Um, what happened?"
"Just thought I'd uh, t-try out a spell for fun and-" Twilight swallowed hard and reached down to grab her waistband. "It's hard to think straight.... It might be easier if I show you."
"O-okay... okay. Go ahead. We can be mature about this."
"Heh, funny you should say that. Just uh, prepare yourself."
Twilight turned around and bent forward, lifting her skirt with one hand and yanking her panties down with the other. A mess of sticky fluids stretched from Twilight's inner lips down to her panties.
"Whoa! Twilight..." Sunset gasped at the sudden view of Twilight's pussy which was spasming and winking uncontrollably. "You're cumming...?"
"I'm cumming!"
Sunset blushed as Twilight's labia flexed and her clit throbbed, her juices dribbling down her thighs. Without her skirt and panties to obscure it, Sunset could even hear the soft squelching sounds every time her pussy contracted. For some reason Sunset didn't know, her friend was in fact cumming, and right in front of her in her bedroom.
"Why? What are you doing?"
"Nothing. It's the magic."
Magic. That word perked up Sunset's mind and she had a good idea what had happened.
"Twilight... did you try to use a spell on your pussy? And now you can't stop cumming?"
"Yes!"
"How long has it been?"
"Fourteen and a half hours."
"Oh fuck." Sunset was shocked for sure, but the explanation gave her a better grip on the situation. "Does it feel good?"
"Of course, it's amazing. But it's too much, I can't keep up like this."
Without the mystery of what was wrong with her friend, Sunset was less worried. And kind of aroused. She smirked at the thought of her nerdy friend trying to use magic while masturbating. She could barely use it in normal circumstances. The only course of action that made sense was to take her through the portal and let the Princess simply dispel it. However... Twilight didn't know that. So Sunset figured she could have a little fun first.
"Is it making you overly sensitive, or what?"
"Yeah, it's making it h-ahh!" Twilight practically screamed as she suddenly felt Sunset's fingers inside of her. Her hips jerked and her skirt fell over Sunset's wrist. "Sunset!"
Sunset just smirked at the way the girl's legs trembled, hanging onto her bedpost for dear life. Sunset slid her fingers over the throbbing anterior wall of her pussy, raising an eyebrow as she felt a verve of magic. Her fingertips felt a small bump, discovering the focal point of the spell pulsating out from Twilight's g-spot.
"I see. An intensified orgasm spell on your g-spot, huh?"
Rookie mistake, Sunset thought to herself. Magic was very literal in the way it interacted with the world. If you cast a certain effect to happen to your body, you also have to cast when it stops. You need both parts. But once again, Twilight didn't know that.
"Sunset stop, it's too much!"
"Now Twi, I'm gonna need to do a few tests if you want my help."
"W-what kind of tests?"
"Just a few physical examinations is all."
Sunset rubbed her fingers around inside of Twilight, observing her reactions. Just being inside of her was earning a strong reaction although less so when directly touching her g-spot. It must be that the spell was already stimulating it as much as was possible. That just meant Sunset would have to check out her other sweet spots.
She removed her fingers and lingered down her slit, pressing her wet fingertip onto Twilight tiny bud of a urethra. She tickled the spot, circling it with slick strokes.
"Sunset wait, don't- ngah! I'm- I'm uh, g-gon..." Twilight was unable to get her full thought again, her hips shuddering.
Sunset wasn't sure what her friend was trying to get at. She was already cumming, what else could she-
"Whoa, Twilight!"
Sunset jerked to the side as a clear fluid sprayed out. The squirting seemed to stimulate her very sensitive urethra and Twilight squealed loudly, flexing her stomach and squeezing her small bladder. Sunset just watched with her mouth open as Twilight went from squirting to emptying her bladder onto her floor. Cumming made her urethra so sensitive that the sensation of pissing was overwhelming Twilight's mind and she couldn't stop squealing, her legs shaking intensely as she wet herself.
"Well...." Sunset felt like she might have had a little too much fun with her friend's problem and she was paying the price. "I guess I deserved this." she mumbled to herself. - |
Barley's Bar Hop | Twilight Solo:: #Temperature Play #Humping #Random #Dark | -
Twilight checked to make sure no one else was on the roof of the school and went back to lock the door behind her. It was chillier than she expected up here but she didn't mind it, letting the wind whip her skirt up and chill her black tights. She walked casually up to the edge of the roof, pushing some hair behind her ear as she leaned over the guardrail to peek down. The wind blew the hair right back out of place and she backed up with a shiver, zipping her jacket the rest of the way up.
"Ooh... that's a long fall." she grimaced. "I'd better be careful."
Twilight glanced around the roof once more nervously and ran her hand along the guardrail. She'd started sneaking up here on school days for a private reason and she wanted it to stay private. She'd recently developed a sort of fetish and this had become the best place for her to enjoy it. It wasn't that she couldn't talk sex with the girls, but this was just such a weird one that she'd rather none of them found out.
During the school day, Twilight had a problem of getting too easily aroused, and often to the point of being hard to deal with. Her pussy would just get so hot, she felt the need to cool it down somehow. She'd tried many different methods of doing so, but this little trick she'd discovered was by far her favourite.
Twilight kicked her leg up, getting her knee onto the guardrail. It always took her a moment to get up there and she blushed out how wide she had to spread her legs to do it, which is why she'd started wearing tights. The wind felt so nice buffeting her inner thighs but she quickly pushed her leg over and straddled the guardrail. Due to the height of the guardrail, Twilight had to stand on her toes, but it was just enough to steady herself. She breathed a shaky sigh as she settled onto the metal bar between her legs. Even through her panties and tights, the metal still felt ice cold on her hot inner lips and it made Twilight shiver.
Once Twilight felt balanced on her toes, she began to rock her hips. She softly moaned as she simultaneously cooled herself down but built up her hot arousal toward climax. It was such a unique sensation. Her soft delicate mound squishing up against the hard unyielding steel. Feeling the friction against her tights.
Twilight leaned forward, pressing her clit into the bar as she humped it. Sometimes she liked to fantasize that this was a steel cock she was riding. She started humping it more vigorously, goading the steel cock to cum when she did. She was thankful that no one was up here to see how much of a hair-trigger she could have sometimes. Her legs quivered and it made her feel a little unsteady but she was so close to cumming.
"Ahn... yes!" Twilight threw her head back. "I'm almost- I'm-!"
"Twilight, stop!"
"Wahh!" Twilight screamed and clenched onto the bar, jerking back and forth for where the voice came from. Her blood ran cold as she noticed a crowd of people gathering below. Among them was a police car and the officer was speaking through a megaphone at her. Twilight quickly kicked her other leg over the edge to dismount, hanging onto the guardrail behind her. "This isn't- I'm just-!"
"Twilight! Don't jump!"
"I'm- wait... what?"
"Please Twilight... you have so much to live for!"
Twilight only became more flustered and confused until she looked around her and realised that she was standing on the ledge of the building. They must have thought she was trying to commit suicide or something.
Twilight gained an even bigger blush at the confusion and waved down the crowd.
"Uh, don't worry guys! I was just up here, uh-!"
"Twilight!"
"...Mom?"
To Twilight's surprise, the officer handed the megaphone to her mom. How did her mom even get here so quickly?
"Twilight, I'm sorry! I didn't want you to find out like this that you're adopted! I tried to tell you when you were younger, but your father-"
"What?" Twilight completely tuned her voice out for a moment, her heart pounding. "...I'm adopted?!"
"-But that's no reason to kill yourself, baby!"
Twilight wasn't sure how to react at the moment, she felt blindsided. But before she could come up with a response, the megaphone had been handed to Timber.
"Twilight, don't do this!"
"What? Timber, when did you even-?"
"If this is because I've been cheating on you, I'm sorry!"
"You... You've been what?!"
"I know this must be hard. Especially since I've been cheating on you with my own sister!" Timber pointed at Gloriosa, who was also there. "But we can fix this together! I promise!"
Twilight was visibly shivering, it was probably just from the cold. Her mind was snapping back and forth between each unwelcome revelation. What the fuck was going on? She was just trying to get a quick nut, and all of this came out of nowhere. She'd better just go downstairs before any more horrible shit could come to light.
"Twilight, wait!"
Twilight began to climb back over when she heard Spike's voice. She turned back around to see him speaking into the megaphone. She wasn't really sure how he was holding it with his little paw but it was cute.
"Twilight, I don't know why you're doing this but I'm sorry!"
"Spike, no. It's not your-"
"Is this cause I've been sniffing your panties while you're sleeping? Or because I've been sharing your nudes with other dogs? Or cause I've been having sex with Starlight? I told her we shouldn't be doing it in your bed, but she insisted!"
"Hey!" Starlight kicked Spike on the butt. "You didn't have to tell her that part.
"Whoa." the officer walked over to them, staring at Spike. "You can talk?"
"Yeah. it's kinda my thing." Spike smirked, brushing his paw coolly on his chest.
The officer just nodded in understanding and turned toward Starlight.
"And you can fuck dogs?"
"I think all girls can do that... but yeah."
"But isn't he kind of small?"
"You'd be surprised how big a dog's dick-"
Everyone froze as Twilight hit the asphalt with a deafening smack. They all turned to face the school, seeing the tragedy that had occurred.
"Whoops." Starlight cringed, rubbing the back of her neck. "Fuck."
"Don't blame yourself, missy."
The officer patted her shoulder and removed his hat, holding it over his chest.
"There was no saving her." He said solemnly as he hung his head. "She'd made up her mind from the very start." - |
Barley's Bar Hop | Rainbow x Sunset:: #Morning After #Casual Nudity #Cum Drinking | -
Rainbow groaned in her sleep and her eyes fluttered open. She wriggled around for a moment before rolling over to one side and pushing herself up to sitting. She shoved her blankets away from herself, revealing her bare body, wearing nothing but a pair of panties.
"Mooorning, Sunset..." Rainbow mumbled just loud enough to get her roommate's attention. She was too lazy to put on any clothes, she barely even wanted to be upright at the moment.
"Oh, I wondered when you'd get your ass up." Sunset walked over with a grin and a glass in her hand. "Did you drink enough last night?"
"I'm not hungover... I'm just tired." Rainbow slowly glared up at Sunset who smiled back, offering her a hand.
"Well, you certainly had enough fun. Now come on, you know what to do." Sunset gripped Rainbow's arm, watching her small tits jiggle as she pulled her to her feet and handed her the glass. "There's still a drop of whiskey in there."
Rainbow took the glass and drank the remaining drop before setting it aside on her nightstand.
"Alright. Here, help me." Rainbow grabbed Sunset's shoulder and used her free hand to grab her panties and tug them down over her hips. Once they were far enough down, Rainbow let them fall on their own, leaning into Sunset as she kicked them off of her feet. "Let's see how much fun I had."
Rainbow grabbed her glass again and with Sunset's aid, squatted down on the floor. Her legs were spread wide and she lowered her glass between her legs. Sunset continued to hold her up as Rainbow let go to touch her pussy, spreading her inner lips open over her glass. She pushed lightly with her muscles and a stream of white began to drool from her pussy. This had become a regular morning ritual for Rainbow Dash and there was always something satisfying about finding a lot of it inside of her.
"Eyy, nice one Dash. Either his balls were really hangin, or this is two loads."
Rainbow squirmed a bit from having to stay still long enough to get it all out. After a minute, almost nothing was coming out of her anymore and she stood back up. She quickly fell back onto the bed for a seat, letting her sheets soak up whatever was left between her legs.
"I dunno. Wonder whose cum it is." Dash held her glass up to eye level, swishing it in the glass a bit to admire it. "Welp. Bottoms up."
Rainbow tipped the glass up and downed the cumshot all at once. Her pussy had kept it nice and hot and she let the flavour sink in before swallowing it all. Rainbow gave her first smile of the morning as the warm load slid down her throat, finishing it with a satisfied aaahh!
"Still feeling tired?"
"Feeling like I could go for another drink." - |
Barley's Bar Hop | Sunset x Redheart:: #School Nurse #Toy #Stuckage #Masturbation | -
"Hello, Miss Redheart?" Sunset asked cautiously as she entered the infirmary.
Sunset smiled as she spotted the nurse sitting at her desk.
"Hm? Yes, Sunset?"
"Oh, good. I was hoping you were still here." She sighed, closing the door behind her. "Can I speak with you privately?"
"Of course, dear. Is something wrong?"
"Uh, yes actually. I'm having a bit of an issue and you're the only person I can come to without going to a hospital. And I really don't want to do that."
"Oh my, is it serious? Are you injured?"
"No no, it's not that bad. It's just kind of... cruel and unusual." Sunset laughed nervously.
Redheart wasn't really sure how to take her comment but her face drew serious and she turned to face Sunset in her chair.
"Well, please, dear. Tell me. I want to help you."
"I will. I'm just a little nervous." Sunset said with a faint blush. "You don't mind me talking about some very uh... personal activities of mine, do you?"
"You go right ahead, dear. I may not be a doctor, but I adhere to a strict rule of confidence between my students and me."
"Okay, good. Um, I guess I'll just go right in then."
"Yes?"
"I masturbate a lot."
"Oh! Well, that's natural for a girl your age."
"Yeah, I'm not worried about that part. But I recently bought one of those vibrator eggs to try out. Have you ever used one?"
"Yes, I have." Redheart smiled coyly. "They're nice."
"Heh, yeah. I got a little too excited with it though and..." Sunset sighed. "I shoved it in too deep. It got stuck inside of me last week."
"...."
"...The battery finally died this morning."
"Oh my god..." Redheart's face fell. She glanced down at the girl's lap, then back up to her eyes. "I-it's still up there? It was vibrating inside of you for that long? How did you deal with it?"
"Well, I just haven't been coming to class. The first couple nights I just laid in bed because I couldn't stop cumming. For the last few nights, it had gotten weak enough to just keep me on the edge and I was dripping all over my room. The place totally reeks of pussy now."
"You poor dear. Well, let's get that thing out of you." Redheart guided Sunset over to a bed, wrapping the curtain closed around them. "Go ahead and slip out of your panties, if you don't mind. And rest on your knees for me."
"Uh, okay."
Sunset slipped her skirt and panties off, climbing onto the bed on her hands and knees. Redheart blushed as her student presented herself to her, her pussy twitching and leaking.
"Goodness. It really did a number on you, didn't it?"
"Tell me about it. I'm still pretty sensitive, so try and be careful with me."
"Well, dear, I'm of course going to need to go inside. So just bear with me."
"Ngh, a-alright."
Redheart slipped on her latex gloves and held Sunset's ass, placing her thumbs on her labia and parting them to assess her entrance. Sunset gasped as she felt two cold fingers enter inside of her, sliding between her sensitive walls. Redheart didn't pause before slipping a third finger in and pushing past her knuckle. Redheart stopped, already figuring she'd have needed to go more than finger deep but she was more surprised by how tightly Sunset was squeezing her.
"Sunset, dear. I know you're nervous but I'm going to need you to relax more than this if you want me to reach it."
"Mn, that vibrator made me tense up down there. I can't help it."
"Hmm..."
Redheart thought it out for a moment but she blushed as an answer occurred to her. The toy had involuntarily tensed Sunset's muscles in her groin, which stopped Redheart from going deeper without hurting the girl. There were, of course, simple and well-known methods to release tension in a muscle... such as a massage.
Redheart swallowed a lump in her throat and slightly retracted her fingers until feeling a small bump she'd caught on her way in. It was an unorthodox method for her, especially considering that she worked at a school, but she cared about their health first and foremost so she was willing to do what she needed. She paused to consider how this must look from the outside, but for Sunset's sake, she steeled her resolve.
Sunset gasped as Redheart started massaging her g-spot, three fingers kneading into it slowly but firmly.
"Ngh, whoa..." Sunset's breath shuddered. "Nurse Redheart..."
"Sorry, dear. But I need to for this to work. I'll be quick."
"Heh ngh, u-uh no, you can take your time with it." She said nervously, idly checking out the nurse's body over her shoulder.
"Now don't get any ideas. I'm only doing enough to get the job done. It isn't safe for an object to remain inside of you for such a long period of time."
"Right. But-" Sunset rested her forehead on the cool sheets of the bed and sighed a shaky breath. "You sure know what you're doing."
Sunset's inner walls felt so tense and shaky, Redheart's massage made her entire lower body relax and send shivers up her spine. Redheart's fingers were surprisingly strong but still gentle on her g-spot. She managed to find her most sensitive place with ease and focus on it, causing her to tingle all throughout her hips.
Sunset's mouth hung open, drooling onto the sheets as Redheart fingered her. She'd been involuntarily edging for the last few days and it had been torture. She was so pent up that she could already feel the pleasure curling her toes.
Redheart tried to keep a straight face as she openly fingered the girl but her inner lips were reacting excitedly by twitching and convulsing around her fingers. She gave in to blushing as the scent of Sunset's pussy filled her nostrils. Regardless of intention, her treatment was causing Sunset to quiver and dribble with arousal. She needed to hurry this along.
Redheart could feel that Sunset's canal had relaxed and she managed to get a fourth finger inside.
"Okay. I'm going to start going deeper, dear. Just relax."
"Ahn!"
Redheart pushed a little deeper, earning a moan from Sunset. It made her face feel hot but at least she was managing to get deeper. She rubbed around inside for a few more seconds and took in a deep breath of the musky air.
"Ahn!"
Redheart pushed in a little deeper and she suddenly perked up, feeling something on the tips of her fingers. Internally she breathed a sigh of relief. Any longer, and this would feel like nothing more than a hookup.
"Ok, Sunset, I can feel it. Just hold still. I'm almost there."
"U-uh huh... a-almost there..." Sunset slurred into the bedsheets.
Redheart was completely focused on her task and resumed caressing Sunset's depths. All things considered, this encounter could've been much more awkward. She was probably already stretching Sunset a little more than she was used to so she figured she should get the toy and take it out quickly.
Redheart took in one more deep breath of Sunset's heavy scent and quickly pushed her hand deeper, grasping the toy between her fingertips and prepared to pull out.
"Ahn! Ngah!"
Redheart gasped as Sunset suddenly tensed up and came. Her pussy lips contracted and held her hand inside. Redheart just sat there and watched the display, unsure of what to do.
Sunset grasped at the sheets, stretched by Redheart's hand as her pussy tried to squeeze back shut with each contraction. Her body trembled from the best orgasm she'd had all week.
After several seconds, Redheart managed to yank the toy out and Sunset collapsed in bed, her whole body tingling. Redheart stared down the toy which, along with her own hand, was dripping with her student's juices.
Redheart hadn't been expecting to make a student cum today. She really wanted this to remain professional but she couldn't deny the intimacy of what had just happened. She'd just felt Sunset's orgasm from inside of her. She'd seen Sunset's pussy contracting around her own hand and even smelled it.
"Hey... Nurse Redheart." Sunset softly panted.
Redheart glanced back up at the bottomless girl, lying on her stomach with her legs casually spread. Enjoying her afterglow.
"Yes, Miss Shimmer?"
"What say we meet up again some time... for a checkup?" Sunset glanced back at her with a smirk. "And you can show me h-"
"Please leave, Miss Shimmer."
"...What?"
"And put your clothes back on. You're at school."
"Oh... okay."
Sunset's face fell and she quickly sat back up, grabbing some nearby tissues. Despite what had just happened, she was now blushing that Redheart was watching her wipe her pussy. Nurse Redheart wasn't saying anything so she just pulled her panties back up and put on her skirt in a hurry to leave.
"Uh... th-thanks, Miss Redheart." Sunset briefly waved and left.
Redheart had just been sitting there thinking but the click of the door brought her out of it. She glanced down at the toy, realising she'd forgotten to give it back to Sunset. Not that she probably cared about the dead toy anymore. She just kept staring at the vibrator, still soaked and smelling of Sunset's pussy. She couldn't seem to stop feeling so flustered and swallowed a lump in her throat.
"I... I think I might have some spare batteries around here." - |
Barley's Bar Hop | Twilight/Twilight 1:: #Futa #Magic-Induced Orgasm #Public #Cumshot | -
"You know, it doesn't really seem fair that Sunset gets to stay home from school to keep the other Twilight company." Rarity whined, walking alongside Twilight.
"Well, it would be rude to invite other me over and just leave her alone. So, someone has to."
"I would've gladly done so."
"Hey." Twilight pouted at her girlfriend. "What about me?"
"Don't you think it'd be strange to be alone with yourself?"
"That's not what I m--" Twilight suddenly paused, feeling something strange that made her breath catch in her throat.
"Still. I wonder what they're getting up to, right now."
"I-I think I know." Twilight's blushed and stopped walking. "Uh, e-excuse me. I have to go to the bathroom."
"You know where I'll be dear." Rarity turned to smooch her on the cheek but Twilight had already taken off in the other direction. "Hmf."
Twilight felt a shiver up her spine as she hurried down the hallway. Ever since the other Twilight had come to this world, she'd been suffering from a strange magical... phenomenon. It would seem that the two shared certain sensory stimuli and her counterpart seemed very fond of one sort of stimuli in particular.
Twilight felt another shiver and twitched between her legs, making her walk faster. As she burst into the restrooms she entered the first stall and latched the door behind her. She quickly moved in front of the toilet, lifting the seat with one hand as she unbuttoned her pants with the other. She winced and hurried to tug her cock out of her waistband as she felt her twin's orgasm hit them both. The moment it was free, a rope of cum sprayed out and landed on the back of the toilet. Twilight had to bend over and quickly angled her cock downward, letting the rest of her cum pump out into the toilet water with muted splashes.
After about thirty seconds, her cock twitched with nothing left to release and the toilet water looked cloudy with cum. She didn't even bother tidying up. She flushed her load and shoved her penis back down into her panties. Her balls buzzed with satisfaction being empty, but mentally, Twilight couldn't enjoy any of that satisfaction. She knew her next one could come at any moment, regardless of where she was. She hesitantly went back to class, hoping that her twin was spent for the next few hours. Sunset too for that matter. She was going to need to have a talk with them. - |
Barley's Bar Hop | Twilight/Twilight 2:: #Futa #Magic-Induced Orgasm #Public #Cumshot | -
Twilight walked down the school's empty hallway, grimacing at how hard her cock was. Sunset and the other Twilight were acting up earlier than usual and she'd already gotten way too sensitive for comfort. She could feel the pressure on her shaft as though it were being squeezed into something and she blushed hard, knowing exactly what was doing the squeezing. This was always the most punishing part as the pleasure first began to escalate, unable to do anything to stop the inevitable. She knew she would have to cum soon.
With every step, she could feel the swollen head of her cock brushing against the inside of her panties, adding additional stimuli. All she could do was walk toward the bathroom, hand in her lap to conceal the obvious erection in her pants. She pressed her wrist into her crotch to stop it from shifting so much but her back tensed as she felt that familiar feeling.
"Oh no... not yet."
This had happened enough at this point that Twilight knew exactly when she passed the point of no return, and her pleasure climbed quickly toward her peak. She looked frantically around but only saw an empty hallway. There was no way she could cum in her pants, people would see the wet spot and know. And she obviously couldn't just pull out and cum right here either. She did all she could to think of something but with no options left, she ran up to a random locker, grabbing the first one she saw that didn't have a lock on it.
Twilight thanked God that the hall was still empty and, under the slight veil of the locker door, unfastened her pants and tore her cock free. Her cock throbbed hard and the moment her tip cleared her waistband a rope of cum shot high up the back of the locker. She bit her lip, standing tensely as her balls unloaded into the locker. Twilight could tell by the sensations on her cock that her twin was cumming deep inside of Sunset, while she had to settle for an open locker.
Twilight glanced down into the locker and could clearly see that it was in use. Her cumshot was landing into a small bedazzled purse sitting atop some books. She felt so bad for whoever it belonged to and, despite the pure pleasure that coursed through her cock, she only wished it'd hurry up and prayed that no student would show up until she was finished. - |
Barley's Bar Hop | Twilight/Twilight 3:: #Futa #Magic-Induced Orgasm #Masturbation #Cumshot | -
Twilight buttoned her blouse, ready for dinner. Cadance and Shining were joining them today and she was excited to catch up with everyone. So she felt especially miffed when she suddenly felt her twin's activities ignite in her crotch.
"Ugh... not now."
Twilight glanced down at the obvious tent in the cute skirt Cadance had helped her pick out. She sighed and sat on her bed, uncomfortably aware of the sensation of a mouth. She never knew how long this would take but this time she needed to do something about it.
"I don't have time..." Twilight groaned, quickly slipping back out of her skirt. "I'll just hurry this up."
Twilight grabbed her cock and began jerking off, gently squeezing her shaft and stroking it briskly. In addition to the magical sensations, she found that actual physical sensations made it more satisfying. She sighed with satisfaction and pumped her cock, happy that she'd finish quickly this time. She grabbed a tissue from her nightstand and wadded it around her tip. Her legs tensed as she came, pumping cum into her tissue.
Twilight took a moment to enjoy the afterglow, liking to keep stroking as she went soft. She walked across her room, idly sniffing her load before tossing it into the garbage.
Twilight smiled and got dressed again to go to dinner.
Meanwhile, Princess Twilight laced her fingers into Sunset's hair as she sucked her cock.
"Mngh... Sunset's. That's so good,"
Sunset pulled away, stroking Twilight's cock with her hand.
"Yea? You ready for my pussy?"
Twilight glanced down at her cock with a blush. Sunset's handjob was feeling unusually good and she realised why as she tingled with magic. Was this world's Twilight masturbating?
"Yea, let's hurry up."
"Ooh, need it bad? Okay, I won't keep you waiting."
Twilight bit her lip, hoping her twin could hold off from cumming for a few minutes.
Sunset turned around and bent over in bed. She wiggled her ass, giggling when Twilight eagerly grabbed it. She felt Twilight's tip rub against her inner lips then stop but not in a teasing way.
"Don't hold back, Twi. Give me everything you've got."
"Ngh! Oh no..."
Sunset looked surprised as she suddenly felt Twilight's cumshot strike her ass.
"What?" Sunset felt the second shot on her back, confirming it. "Well, uh- just put it inside. Quick."
Sunset felt Twilight's tip slip inside, wriggling her hips as the last of her cumshot released inside.
"I guess you really needed it."
"I'm sorry, Sunset." - |
Barley's Bar Hop | Twilight/Twilight 4:: #Futa #Magic-Induced Orgasm #School Nurse #Cumshot | -
Twilight sat in Nurse Redheart's office for her quarterly checkup, although this was her third attempt just this week. Whether due to good planning or her own bad luck, Twilight's counterpart and Sunset always seemed to start messing around right when Twilight's checkup started and would cause it to... end abruptly. Redheart had ended up diagnosing her with an oversensitivity condition.
Twilight blushed as Redheart tapped on her back but didn't try to hide the erection under her skirt as she felt her twin's pleasure. Either the other two were taking it slow or she'd managed to keep from cumming by her own willpower. And she desperately hoped it stayed that way for the next part.
"Okay, Twilight," Redheart sighed, slipping on a pair of latex gloves. "Now... Stand up and lift your skirt."
"Okay."
Twilight did so and Redheart lowered her panties for her, eyeing her erection suspiciously.
"You said that you finished just an hour ago, right?"
"Yes, Miss Redheart."
"Okay, good. Then let's try this again." Redheart sat down in front of Twilight who stood bottomless. "Now... you know the procedure. When you feel my hand, I need you to cough for me. Okay?"
"Okay."
Redheart slipped her hand gently between Twilight's legs, wrapping her cold gloved fingers around her balls.
"Ngh. Nurse..." Twilight softly gasped as Redheart gently squeezed them, suddenly breaking the building tension.
"And please, Twilight. Tell me if you feel like you're going to-wahh!"
Twilight clenched her eyes shut and her body tensed up as she hit her peak, embarrassed that Redheart could see her cumming. After several seconds she sighed and relaxed, satisfied that her balls felt empty. She shivered at how Redheart's, now warm, fingers still gripped her balls.
"I'm really sorry Miss Redheart. I-" Twilight opened her eyes and looked down, cutting herself off. Redheart glared straight up at her, her face streaked with cum that slowly dripped off and landed on her lab coat. "O-oh my god. I'm so-"
"Twilight! Please! Just... just cough, would you?" Redheart said, voice dripping with disappointment.
Twilight blushed and made herself cough for her.
"There you go." Redheart released Twilight's balls and stood up. "I didn't feel anything... weird. Looks like you're healthy. As always."
Redheart grabbed a tissue and Twilight twitched as she roughly wiped off her tip and tugged her panties back up for her.
"Can I help you clean y- ?"
"Goodbye, Twilight." Redheart sighed and waved for the girl to leave. "I'll see you at your next check-up." - |
Barley's Bar Hop | Twilight/Twilight 5:: #Futa #Magic-Induced Orgasm #Public #Cumshot | -
Twilight and Rarity walked through the mall, smiling and chatting. Rarity had no plans that day except hanging out with her girlfriend and relaxing. She giggled through a story as they went to turn down another hall.
"-And you should've seen her dress, Twilight. She co-wahh!" Rarity yelped as Twilight suddenly yanked her back and shoved her against the wall. "T-twi?!"
"Shh shh!" Twilight hushed her with a finger, peeking around the corner. "They're here."
"Who? What are-"
"It's other-me." Twilight glared at her doppelganger, with Sunset, just a few shops away. "This is perfect, Rarity. They're out in public and unsuspecting."
"Suspecting what exactly?"
"Come on." Twilight started hurrying Rarity along in the other direction. "Let's go to the restrooms so I can fuck you."
"E-excuse me?!"
"It's my chance to get payback."
Rarity shook her head, used to not knowing what was going through Twilight's head. But public sex did sound exciting so she went along with it.
They entered the restrooms and hurried into the last stall. Rarity blushed as Twilight bent her over the toilet, feeling her cock against her panties within seconds.
"Won't you play with me a bit, first?"
"No. I have to cum fast for this to work."
"Of course," Rarity sighed.
Meanwhile, Sunset and Twilight entered a Build-A-Bear to look around.
"Did you want to make one of these together, Sunset?"
"What? No." Sunset said matter-of-factly. "We're too old for one of these. I just thought it'd be funny to check out."
"Oh. Sure."
Twilight suddenly got hard but she'd been checking out Sunset and so didn't think about it, casually covering her lap. Her twin's pleasure hit her and she tensed up, grabbing Sunset's sleeve.
"S-sunset, it's happening." Twilight dragged Sunset to a corner of the store that was less visible. "Other me is gonna cum."
"Oh! Let's find a bathroom. Come-"
"No time. It's happening too fast."
"What do we do?" Sunset stepped in front of Twilight to hide her.
"I don't know."
Sunset's mind raced for ideas but they were in public and Twilight couldn't just cum in her clothes. With no other option, she snatched an unstuffed bear.
"Panties down, Twi."
Twilight tugged them down and lifted her skirt and Sunset thrust the bear onto her cock. Her swollen tip touched the soft fur and exploded with her cumshot. Sunset held the bear around Twilight's cock, feeling it throb in her hand and blushing as cum seeped through.
"Well. I guess we're buying one after all." - |
Barley's Bar Hop | Trixie x Twilight:: #Hyper Futa #Cervix Play #Ignored #Creampie | -
Twilight held onto Trixie's waist with both hands, thrusting vigorously into her. Trixie laid on her back with her head hanging off the edge of the bed and chewing some bubblegum while she got fucked.
"Nguh, I think I went a little too hard Trixie, I'm gonna cum soon. My bad."
"Eh, we can go again," Trixie said in a patient voice, glancing up at Twilight with a smile. She stroked Twilight's chin teasingly with a finger. "Just don't stop till you cum, slut."
Twilight just blushed, no intention of slowing down regardless. She looked hungrily over Trixie's nude figure, watching how her tits bounced in rhythm with her humping. She perked up when her phone started buzzing on her nightstand.
"Ooh, I got it!" Trixie announced, quickly reaching out before Twilight could react and grabbing her phone in the tips of her fingers. "Hey, it's your mom."
"Trixie, what are you-"
"Hey Vel, what's up! It's ya girl, Trixie."
"Trixie stop! Hang up!" Twilight whispered loudly but Trixie completely ignored her.
"Yeah, she's busy at the moment." Trixie carried on over the phone with Twilight's mother. "Oh, your daughter is destroying my pussy right now."
Twilight blushed brightly, helpless to stop Trixie while balls deep inside of her.
"Mm-hm. It's a real blessing, isn't it? Yeah. You wanna talk to her?" Trixie looked up innocently, handing the phone to Twilight. "It's for you."
"No." Twilight mouthed, shaking her head.
Trixie just shrugged and brought the phone back to her ear.
"She doesn't wanna talk. Mm-hmm. Yeah, she's about to nut."
"Fuck you..." Twilight added silently but Trixie flipped her off without looking.
"No, she didn't even make me cum yet," Trixie whined over the phone. She casually hooked her feet behind Twilight's ass, giggling at something Velvet had said. "Heh. I mean, I wouldn't say that to her face... but yeah."
Twilight tried to give Trixie a sour look but she was on the edge and Trixie knew. She started humping a little harder as she reached her peak, her heavy balls audibly smacking against Trixie's ass.
"Yeah, she totally did!" Trixie continued to ignore Twilight although she could feel her twitching inside of her. "No, Vel, stay on the phone. Listen in while she fills me up-" Trixie placed her palm over the phone and squeezed Twilight between her legs. "Come on, Twi. Cum already."
"Uhn, I am. I'm- nguh!" Twilight Clenched Trixie's waist as she stopped humping. Twilight gave one more powerful thrust, wincing as the head of her cock slipped into Trixie's familiar cervix. "Fuck!"
Twilight's dam immediately burst inside of Trixie, pumping heavy ropes of cum directly into her womb. Her cock excitedly throbbed and smothered Trixie's thirsty eggs with her infertile seed. Trixie squeaked, arching her back and clawing at the bed with her free hand as she felt the heat of Twilight's cum spilling as deeply inside of her as it could go.
"Ngh, fuck, Vel. She did that super deep thing.... Mm-hm, she's doing it right now. So fucking hot...."
By this point Twilight had given up on Trixie, she could say whatever she wanted on the phone. Twilight just sunk into her orgasm, the last of her cum pouring into Trixie. Trixie's hand traced along her stomach, resting her hand just above her mound where there was an obvious bulge. She rubbed it, feeling the heat emanating from within.
"I'm telling you, she cums so fucking much! Does she not take that after you?... heh, we'll see about that.... Uh-huh. Well then, next time she's not around I'll take a crack at your cooch and see how it goes."
"Okay, Trixie. I think that's enough." Twilight said flatly once she'd come down from her orgasm. "Come on."
"Okay, Vel. I'm gonna let you go so I can fuck your daughter for real."
"For real...?" Twilight asked incredulously.
"Yeah?" Trixie continued to ignore Twilight as she finished up her conversation with Velvet, still idly rubbing her navel bulge. "Heh, of course you are, Vel. Okay, well have fun schlicking. Cum hard enough for both of us 'kay? Talk later, Bae." Trixie smooched the phone before hanging up and just let it drop to the floor with a loud thud.
"Trixie, you're not allowed anywhere near my mom."
Trixie rolled straight up onto the bed, managing to keep Twilight inside of her while she pinned down into the mattress. Trixie lifted her hips nearly to Twilight's tip, staring her in the eye as she brought her ass down hard into her lap.
"I'm gonna eat your mom's pussy like it's my last meal."
"Ehh..." Twilight faintly blushed and looked away grumbling. "...If you actually do, just don't tell me about it."
"What? Why not...? You have, like, the milfest mom I know."
"Hey, I thought you said you were going to fuck me for real?"
"Okay, okay. Fine." Trixie sat straight up on Twilight's cock, wrapping her hands behind her neck and posing with her chest pushed out. She gave Twilight a mischievous grin, rolling her body enticingly as she gyrated on her cock. "Bet I can make you cum again before I do."
Twilight bit her lip as she looked over Trixie's incredible body, placing her hand on the girl's hip.
"Uh, I think I'll take that bet." - |
Barley's Bar Hop | Sunset x Twilight:: #Futa #Ignored #Cum | -
Sunset walked into Twilight's bedroom, leaning against the doorway and smiling at her. Twilight looked as relaxed as she could be in her bed, lying on her back with her shoulders propped up by multiple pillows. She was wearing nothing but her underwear and her knees were bent comfortably up, giving Sunset a cute view of her small butt. She didn't notice Sunset come in, her face lit up by the screen of her DS which she held up close as she tapped away with her thumbs.
Sunset sat on the end of her bed, causing Twi to perk up. She glanced past her handheld long enough to acknowledge Sunset's presence.
"Hey baby," Sunset purred, her voice quiet. "What are you doing?"
"I'm playing Pokemon."
"You look pretty enveloped."
"I'm trying to evolve Sassafras."
"...Is that a pokemon?"
"That's what I named my Drilbur."
Sunset nodded quietly, glancing between her girlfriend's legs. She reached out and touched her soft purple thigh, tracing it down to her panties. She gently rubbed the soft mound that she felt beneath the plain white cotton. Just looking at Twilight's body was enough to excite Sunset and she could feel her member becoming hard in her lap.
"Mmm..." Twilight softly hummed as Sunset rubbed her through her panties.
"Twi... do you mind if I fuck you right now?"
"Mm-mn." Twilight shook her head without looking up from her game.
Sunset grinned and pulled her blouse over her head. She needed to get more comfortable too and stood up from the bed to undo her pants, pushing then down over her hips. She paused and grabbed the waistband of her panties, pushing them down into her pants and removing them together.
Sunset sat back down, her cock sticking up excitedly. She crawled into bed, sliding into place between Twilight's legs and rubbing her thumb over her mound. She slipped her finger beneath the panty line and tugged them aside, revealing Twilight's cute little purple pussy. Sunset smiled and glanced back up at Twilight's face but it was hidden behind her DS.
Sunset spit in her hand and rubbed the tip of her cock, placing it between Twilight's inner lips. She rubbed it up and down Twilight's slit, getting it wet before letting it sink inside. Sunset closed her eyes, humming as she felt her girlfriend's pussy envelope her. She stopped about halfway in and started moving in and out, Twilight's hot silk caressing the head of her cock.
After a moment, Twilight's pussy felt more moist and Sunset scooted forward, sliding herself further inside to the hilt. Her hands glided over Twilight's smooth tummy and wrapped around her waist, taking a moment to just be inside of her. She flexed her cock in between Twilight's slick walls.
This was Sunset's favorite feeling. It was so intimate just being inside Twilight with their hips up against one another. She reflexively wanted to lean in to get on top of her but she caught herself, not wanting to disturb her girlfriend's game.
Sunset started humping again, going at an easy pace. She didn't need to go fast, the soft friction on her hard cock was enough. With each gentle thrust, Twilight's tight tunnel would caress her sensitive cock and give Sunset the pleasure she needed.
A few minutes passed in silence, only the sounds of breathing and the tapping of buttons filling the air. Sunset rocked steadily back and forth, in no hurry as she pumped her cock inside of Twilight. She glanced back up and Twilight had paused playing, peering over her DS at their sex.
"Is something wrong?" Sunset asked cautiously.
Twilight's face scrunched up in a bashful smirk, as though she'd been caught peeping.
"Your dick feels good." she snickered, hiding her smirk behind her DS.
Sunset smiled and gently squeezed Twilight's waist.
"You're pussy feels better."
The two giggled at each other but Sunset's giggle turned into a moan. Twilight returned attention to her game and they fell back into their rhythm. Sunset was getting closer by the minute, the caress of Twilight's tight walls lit her cock up with sensitivity. Her back tingled for some release but she wanted to milk this pleasure for a little while longer.
Even at Sunset's slow pace her breathing was becoming heavier. Each thrust was full of pleasure and every few seconds her cock would throb and twitch, making Twilight's pussy slick with precum. She'd had enough fun with her girlfriend's pussy for now, her balls were ready to burst.
"Ngh, Twi. I'm gonna cum." Sunset grunted.
"Okay." She answered without looking up from her game.
Sunset smiled and focused back on Twilight's body. She gave a few quick humps and her back straightened as she quickly hit her peak. She pulled out of Twilight's pussy and grabbed her cock, stroking it as she came. Her cock throbbed and shot ropes of cum across Twilight's stomach, leaning in close to avoid getting it on her panties.
Sunset leaned over Twilight softly panting, her cock twitching as it began to soften. She sat back on her heels, admiring Twilight's flat stomach streaked with her cum. She perked up as Twilight reached for her nightstand, playing her game one-handed as she handed Sunset a box of tissues.
Sunset smiled and yanked a couple of tissues from the box. She wiped up Twilight's pussy, rubbing the tissues into her wet slit with a finger, before fixing her panties. Then she wiped off her cock, moving quickly before it became sticky. Sunset grabbed another handful of tissues and cleaned up all of the cum from Twilight's tummy.
She curiously sniffed it before tossing the wad into the waste bin and turned back toward bed, stretching her arms into the air. She glanced down at her discarded clothes but shook her head and climbed back onto Twilight's bed. The bedsheets felt cool on her bare skin and she reflexively scooted in between Twilight's legs. She brushed a hand over her navel to make sure it felt dry and leaned down for a smooch, just above her waist.
Sunset moved over next to Twilight, curling up naked right beside her. She got right into the nook of Twilight's shoulder, where she could see the screen of the DS. Twilight glanced out of the side of her eye, noticing her watching. After a few seconds, she paused her game and glanced back with a smile, the two leaning in for a quick smooch.
"Aren't you at least gonna put on some panties?"
"Nah, she's pretty spent," Sunset said, gesturing to her cock. "I need to let my girl breathe."
"What now?"
"Can I watch you play?" Sunset cooed, scooting in closer and causing some of Twilight's hair to fall over her forehead.
"Sure. but I'm just grinding."
Sunset's hand found its way around Twilight's waist, softly stroking it with her thumb.
"That's okay." - |
Barley's Bar Hop | Sunset x Trixie:: #Futa #Roleplay #Rough | -
"Come on, hurry up."
"Okay, I'm coming. Jeez."
Trixie walked briskly through the party's crowd, dragging Sunset giggling along. They quickly ducked into a random bedroom and as soon as the door closed behind them Sunset pinned her up against the wall.
"Ngh, fuck. I need you."
"Of course you do. No girl at this party is as fine as Trixie."
"Yeah, well, you wouldn't have found a boy with a dick like mine. So I guess we're both lucky."
"But mostly you," Trixie smirked as Sunset tore her panties down.
Sunset hiked her own skirt up with urgency and pulled her erection free of her panties. It was already fully hard and eagerly pointing at Trixie. These parties always drove Sunset crazy surrounded by her sexy classmates and she couldn't end the night without some release. Sunset grabbed Trixie from under her thighs, spreading them open as she lifted her off her feet.
"Mnf, whoa. You're a strong girl, aren't you?" Trixie squeaked as her back was pressed into the wall, feeling the Sunset's cock poking between her legs. "L-let's see if you know how to use it."
"Mn, I'm gonna make you cum so hard, you're gonna piss yourself." Sunset grunted and shoved her cock deep into Trixie's wet pussy.
"H-ohh, fuck!" Trixie gasped as she felt her tight inner lips stretch around the base of Sunset's shaft. "I didn't think you were this thick."
"Being literally part horse helps out sometimes." Sunset pulled out and trusted back into Trixie, hearing her hips thud against the wall. "You feel pretty fucking good too, Trixie."
"Agh... I hope you're not planning to take this slo-ahhn!"
Trixie squealed as Sunset started pounding into her pussy hard and fast. Her legs were tense as she clung to Sunset for dear life, pressed firmly against the wall. Her hips were already a little sore from how hard Sunset was ramming into them but she was too distracted from the more intense sensation of being filled with Sunset's cock.
Trixie liked feeling in control but at the moment she knew she was at Sunset's mercy. With every thrust, her hips knocked loudly against the wall and let anyone nearby know exactly what they were doing, so Trixie didn't bother holding back her voice. She gasped and moaned loudly, encouraging Sunset to not let up.
"Yes! Fuck Trixie! Pleasure your queen!"
"Queen, my ass." Sunset grunted into her ear. "You're just a fuck-toy for me to pump full of cum. Nguh, and throw away."
"Excuse, Trixie! You'll make your queen cum cause I daned you worthy! And then-guh!" Trixie shuddered as Sunset squeezed her ass until it was sore. "A-and then I'll cast you into the dunGEON! Uhn, peasant."
"I'm just gonna use you like a tissue- ahn, to bust my load in." Sunset gasped, almost ready to blow. "And leave you in the trash."
Sunset didn't slow down, thrusting so hard that her balls swung and smacked Trixie's ass with every thrust. Her swollen tip was dripping with precum as it rubbed up against Trixie's hot depths.
"The Great and Po-ah- ahn! P-powerful Trixie will have you seized and chained, to be used-" Trixie stammered out, clutching tightly onto Sunset as her hips began trembling. "-used as the Queen's personal cooock! Ngah!"
Trixie squealed as she came, quivering as Sunset just kept pounding her sensitive pussy through her orgasm. Her legs shook and she started squirting, squeezing them tighter around Sunset's waist. She couldn't control it as it poured down around Sunset's cock. Sunset heard the pats of hot liquid hitting the floor and grinned.
"Told ya so."
"That- that's not... pee, you... idiot." Trixie panted.
Satisfied with Trixie cumming first, Sunset let go and pushed herself over the edge. Her cock throbbed and sprayed a rope of cum into Trixie's sensitive depths, sending a shiver down her spine. Sunset gave another hard thrust, groaning as she emptied her balls into Trixie's pussy.
By the time the two had come down from their orgasms, they were soaked in sweat and standing in a puddle of sex. After a moment, Sunset took a step back from the wall but didn't put Trixie down. She walked over to the bed and Trixie squeaked as she felt Sunset pull out.
"How much did you stretch Trixie, you anim-ahh!" Trixie yelped as Sunset threw her onto the bed.
Trixie sprawled as she hit the mattress with a bounce, looking up in surprise. However, once she saw how hungry Sunset still looked she understood and collected herself, regaining control of the situation.
"Ahem. Give your Queen a moment to rest and I'll allow you a second turn with her."
Trixie grinned up at Sunset but she didn't respond. Sunset stepped forward and placed her knee on the bed, grabbing one of Trixie legs.
"T-Trixie needs a moment... knave! Obey your quee-mph!"
Sunset pulled Trixie closer by her leg and clasped a hand over her mouth.
"Sorry, Trixie." Sunset grinned. "But I play with my toys till they break." - |
Happy Times Circus | pre | We marched forward into the topless tent, as the yellow tinted sky swirled around us.....to finally meet face to face with the evil that contained Pinkie Pie........ |
Happy Times Circus | The Pit of Bottomless Evil | My heart pounded in my chest, as we drew closer and closer to the IT Pit. A large clown soul located in front of the entrance was absorbed into Rarity's gas rocket launcher. We stumbled onward to a shoe box size entrance that led into the IT pit, which made it impossible for any of us to enter. However, as we got closer, the tiny entrance suddenly expanded to our height, which revealed a wooden door to the IT pit. A series of translucent floating clowns charged out of the main entrance of the IT pit, and darted toward us. They were mowed down by Twilight's popcorn gun, as we paced to the main entrance of the pit.
A strait path made of wooden planks stood before us, as the walls that surrounded the wooden planks were completely pitch black. The girls trembled in nervousness, as we all felt an overwhelming evil presense swipe over us stronger than ever before. The narrow wooden plank path decsended downward, as we cautiously steeped onward. The path was completely cut off that led into a lower floor, which from above, we could see a small burning candle on a dirt floor. We dropped down in unison to the dirt floor of the pit, only to reveal a room that was god awfully disturbing to all of us.....
The walls....were made of clay with decaying clown heads that were embedded into the walls. It looks as if, the poor clown souls faced a horrible death before being casted into the walls of clay. Some of the facial expressions of the clowns were contorted and distraught. More candles lit up the horrid walls before us, as we followed a row of candles descending downward into the pit. We made our way halfway down the descending staircase, to the left which lead us into a small room with a Pennywise statue. I picked up the Pennywise statue with my right hand, and forcefully threw it into a wall, which made the clown statue splatter violently in gore and blood. We heard a painful scream bellow throughout the walls, from Pennywise himself....
We knew that we were getting closer. A series of bars moved downward at the base of the staircase.
We jogged into a curved pathway of the flustering clown walls, to reveal a small clay tribute room of stationary bloodied skulls, pillars of burning red candles, and fresh piles of human entrails skattered all over the floors. Some of the red candles floated in mid air, swaying upwards and downwards around the bloodied skulls. The human entrails lead us into a narrow corridor of decaying clown heads, where we persued onward into. We paced downward into a spirling pathway, deeper and deeper into the clay pit.
After 5 minutes of nauseously strolling downwards, all six of us stumbled into a dim clay pathway, with a right room and a left room down a small hall. The right room inside this hall, contained another uneasy sight for all of us. A hanging dark pink encrusted human silhouette, hung from a wall. A perimeter of red candles were neatly placed around the poor soul trapped inside the pink webbing. Another pink hanging human figure was located to a left room from us, where it looked like the human trapped inside effortlessly tried to escape from the pink encrusted cocoon. At the end of the hall, contained two red candles, to behold the largest clown monster we have ever seen on our journey together......
A humongous, 20 foot tall bowling pin clown bounced around withn a room with more human pink encrusted cucoons. This gave us a better look in detail, of what the smaller bowling pin clowns looked like. The thing attempted to hop toward us effortlessly, but with no luck since...we gazed in horror at the monster from inside a narrow clay hallway that it thankfully couldn't fit through. We would be swallowed hole if we even made an attempt to go inside the room with the monster, as its giant bloodied pirhana like teeth chattered to us, while blood flung outward from the bottom heart protrusion of the base of this abomination.
We backed away from the room of this giant monster, while I thought up a plan to take this thing down. Applejack and I had two crazy balls ready for use, that appeared in my mind as a idea to take down this thing. I told the group about how we can defeat this large monstrosity, that blocked our path to finding Pinkie Pie....
"Girls, I have an idea. Applejack, take out that crazy ball from your backpack....." I told Applejack while the girls intentionally listened.
"Sure thing sugarcube..." She responded, while she placed her gore grenade launcher on the ground as she reached in her backpack.
I remembered envisioning back in the first maze we stumbled opon, of that poster of the odd looking man with a crazy ball that floated in mid air around him. She gently placed the crazy ball onto my hands, while the ball vibrated and shook violently as I held it. The girls marched behind me, as I shuffled closer to the room with the giant clown monster waiting for us chattered more violently. I rolled the crazy ball like a bowling ball toward the giant monster with two hands, as we saw the true power of what the crazy ball could do.....
A series of clicking sound mechanisms activated inside the crazy ball, as it slowly rolled near the giant monster. A series of bright flashing lights, with molten party confetti sharpnel sprung out of the crazy ball in all directions. The monster retreated into a heart like shell, like you would see a turtle do if it was scared of a predator. The monster screamed in pain, as this was the chance to make our move into the room. We located a small pathway inside the pink cucoon room. After a good minute, the crazy ball detonated. The giant monster retreated out of its calloused heart shell and bounced toward us. Rarity was almost devoured as she launched herself foward into the next room with us. A clay wall with dusty clown heads collasped behind us, trapping the large bowling pin monster inside the room behind us indefinitely.
A translucent floating clown grumbled to our presense inside the new clay room from where we all stood. Twilight peppered the monster with her popcorn critters, as it imploded over near a small burning candle. The room contained a stream of the steaming multi colored fluid, which flowed into unknown territory. We followed the stream into a room containing a rotting clown head switch, surrounded by more human pink encrusted cocoons with more floating red candles. This activated a series of burning clown heads along with more floating translucent floating clowns. Rarity took the group out with a volley of gas rockets.
After the gas dissipated in the stagnant air around us, we ventured into the room where the clowns emerged from. More clown souls and ammunition for our weapons awaited for us, as there was nothing else of much use for us in there. We were forced to retrace our steps backwards into the crumbled clay pathway of the large, bowling pin clown.
The clay blockaid cleared itself due to the abomination chomping a small opening to try to reach us. Smaller bowling pin clowns charged from the room containing the giant bowling pin clown. Fluttershy took out the advancing little monsters with her 10/22, as Dash unloaded a full magazine into the giant bowling pin clown. As the giant clown retreated again into the calloused heart shell, we ducked underneathe the small opening and dashed to the right of the cucoon room. It contained a perimeter of floating candles around a wooden well. The giant monster pursued behind us, as we were forced to jump inward inside the mysterious well....
We floated down into the main area of the IT pit, which was located inside the heart of the clown realm. A million screaming imprisoned clown souls filled the air around us, while we lifted our feet in low gravity, to land on a series of platforms. The largest demonic floating balloon we ever seen, slowly shifted to us while we froze in horror.
This ballon was unique looking compared to all of the other demonic balloons we encounters. Its right eye located on the red surface, was fuzed together as if someone crudely melted it's eyelids shut together. Its left eye shifted sideways on the surface of it's grotesque looking appearance. The mouth lifelessly gaped opened, with a row of decaying teeth and molded tounge lodged in the back of it's throat. The projectiles and rounds we shot at it.....did nothing as it slowly shifted onward to us. I panicked as I shouted a plan to the girls, who painstakingly fired more useless projectiles, as the humongous monster's rubber skin deflected the projectiles.
"Girls! Float right behind me! We're going to have to make a run from this thing!" I hollered to the group, while I shifted my body up, landing onto platform after platform in the dim abyss. A giant Pennywise wall with a gaping mouth, spewed hundreds of red smiley balloons toward us. I tossed grenade after grenade, trailing behind us as the colorful sharpnel stuck dozens of smiley balloons. We landed onto a final platform to the left, which lead into a colorful curved hallway of stripes with a yellow background. The hallway ended in a red tinted room with two crazy balls, blocked by the unpassable steaming multicolored fluid. In the base of the fluid inside the room, stood a circular perimeter of pillars with candles, with a pitch black hole dead center. A series of tortured clown souls floated upward into the hardened intestine ceiling. The souls grimanced hollow facial features. Fluttershy and Dash flew over the steaming liquid, to shoulder their weapons and grabbed the crazy balls with their hooves.
They regrouped as we continued out of the room. The humogous demonic balloon slowly shifted toward us yet again. We darted to the right of the Pennwise wall, into a small ascending pathway of rotted clown clay platforms. The unique demonic balloon vanished back into the black abyss, as it conceded from it's search to find us. A new series of interconnection clay rotting clown platforms curved onward into the black abyss. We can sense that we were getting closer to Pinkie Pie. Our giant humogous foe appeared from the right of the platform once more, as the girls trailed in low gravity following my path. A familiar soulsphere floated towards us. Applejack lifted the flap from her backpack to place it in.
At the end of the path, contained a series of gigantic ascending steps illuminated with red candles. We trailed from step to step pursuing upwards. A large rotted clown textured platform was in location of the top of the giant steps, while a large balcony of a crudely made flat floating pentagram with hovering candles.......contained Pinkie Pie weeping in the center mass of the structure. Her body was deteriorating from the lack of sleep and deprived nutrients. You could clearly see her skeletal stucture though her thin layer of skin. She looked extremely.....gaunt and starved. The girls shouted in anguish as they rushed over to help her.
"Pinkie! Oh sweet Celestia, Ryan! She's dying!" Twilight shouted in distress over to me, as all of the girls panicked in unison. A million thoughts raced through my head, until an idea emerged to save Pinkie Pie......
I thought about the soulsphere in Applejack's backback. I hastily opened the flap on the backpack, and charged over to Pinkie Pie's deprived twitching body. The soulsphere collided into her body, filling the crevases of her skin as it morphed back into a healthy plump pink. Her body mass started to regenerate once again back to her healthy normal figure, as she became conscience to our presense there. She sprung up from the floating pentagram island, and pursued to hug her friends. Her friends group hugged her as she returned to normal once again.
"Hey guys! Whew! Thanks for saving me! Oh Celestia.....
Pennywise was horrible to me.....He kept feasting on my energy in order for him to survive. I was trapped inside this gooey, sticky pink stuff where I couldn't move a single muscle. Thank Celestia that you guys are here......
Oh No....."
Pinkie Pie looked in distress, as the life from her energetic face drained from color as she looked from behind us.
A balloon texture wall opened up as we drew nearer to Pinkie, that we chose to ignore, revealed a pink fleshy encased room.
Inside one of the walls, emerged Pennywise the Dancing Clown, that evolved into a 20 foot tall giant suddenly before our eyes. He bellowed in anger toward us with pure hatred.
"You little shitheads! You've ruined everything! Now...I shall feast on your souls!" He bellowed aloud, that rattled the island platform like an earthquake. He stomped forward to consume us all.....
"Fluttershy! Dash! The crazy balls!" I shouted to the horrified gazed girls, while their survival switches activated inside their heads to snap out of their trance.
Fluttershy and Dash lifted the crazy balls over their heads and hurled them over to the feet of Pennywise. Waves of colorful sharpnel sparked in all directions. Pennywise launched a stary projectile directly towards me. The projectile hit me dead center of my chest, flying me backwards in low gravity as I almost trampled into the black abyss below....
Fluttershy caught me in mid air, while Pennywise shrieked in agonizing pain from the crazy ball's spewing molten hot confetti. The balls deflated, as less confetti slowly shot into the air around Pennywise. The balls transformed into a steaming black mass. Pennywise uncovered his arm from over his eyes and pursued toward us in bloodied rags of a clown suit. We unleased hell from our weapons, as Pennywise was severly weakened from the two crazy balls. My M16s bolt locked open, as the other girl's weapons became depleted as well. After the gas from Rarity's launcher cleared, we could see our antagonist trembling in weakness.
Pennywise stumbled onto the ground, as I shot his legs out with my M16A1. The rounds severed the width of his legs. He fell inwards face planting into the rotted clown clay ground floor. He puked out large chunks of rotten flesh with a waterfall of blood. He drifted his head upward to us, as he supported his weak body with his two arms....
"Ugh, how could this be?
You fools....
I am eternal....
I am Immortal.....
You cannot kill true evil......I will continue to terrorize you all in your dreams. Im your worst nightmare...come true! I will feast on your souls, as you all perish into dust....." His body began to dematerialize. I reached in my backpack to unreveal the Colt 1911, and handed it over to Pinkie Pie.
Pinkie Pie pressed the end of the barrel onto Pennywise's temple, where he was too weak to resist or to fight back. I glanced over to Pinkie, and asked for any final words.
"Any last words, Pinkie?" I asked Pinkie Pie, where the hammer of the 1911 cocked slowly backwards to strike the firing pin, as Pinkie slowly squeezed on the trigger.
"Yeah...Party's Over!" She jerked the trigger which struck the firing pin inside the 1911.
A large fireball blast from the 1911's muzzle singed Pennywises deteriorating red wirey hair. A single .45 ACP round tumbled inside the encased clown skull of Pennywise, leaving a grapefruit sized hole on the other side of his skull. Dark brainmatter with the addition of multicolored fleshy gore flung out from out of his head onto the rotting clown clay floor. A thousand escaping clown souls rushed and floated outward from Pennywises body, while they whispered and floating upwards into the sky.The souls whispered thankfully for their release from the wretched monster. They vanished into thin air, as our enviorment remained unchanged inside the clown realm. The clown realm abyss still contained the hollow breeze of the void, as we floated downward from the platforms with Pinkie.
We retraced our steps, from the long narrow clay pathway all the way back onto the triagular platforms, which lead us into a swirling green vortex on a circular island, surrounded by a circular formation of candles. Piles of gore and gibblets rematerialized and exploded from thin air, which made us jump slightly. All in unison, we connected our arms together, to step into the green portal....for the last and final time during this long journey together..... |
Happy Times Circus | A Royal Greeting To Our Escort Back Home | We rematerialized....back onto the street from the beginning of our journey, into this god forsaken ghost town. The invisible wall barrier was now gone due to the death of Pennywise. We walked together in unison, on the long narrow pathway only to be greeted by Celestia and an escort of royal guards along our way. She strolled on the road toward us, as a group of armed humans and royal guards marched forward into the ghost town, just to make sure the area was safe and clear for the princess. Celestia stepped off from her carriage and sprinted toward us, as we all stood together from this long, exausting trip.
"My friends! All of Ponyville and Equestria were in deep worry about your departure to find Pinkie Pie. We learned about your location from a local taxi driver......Are you all safe and sound?" She asked, while she eyed us over in concern. Twilight was the first to speak up from the group.
"Yes Princess, were all safe now....." Twilight said exhaustingly. The princess remarked another statement in response.
"All seven of you, please allow me to escort you to my carriage....I can tell that you are all worn from your excruciating journey to find Pinkie Pie. I can see she is now safe." Celestia trotted in front of us and used her magic to open the carriage door. We placed all of our belongings into the storage compartments of the carriage. We huddled together on the soft, red plush elongated seats located inside over to one side of the carriage. Celestia climbed into the other side, and then pursued to speak to us.
"My friends, tell me about your journey to find Pinkie pie..." Celestia questioned, while the girls were too fatigued to respond to her. They leaned and rested their heads to the inner walls of the carriage. I spoke to the princess, recounting every little detail about our journey together. The carriage bumped on the dirt road as the ghost down vanished from our sights, as Celestia unconditionally listened to every word spoken by my mouth.
"So...these popcorn critters and clown artifacts are still with you, Ryan?" She asked curiously, while I almost completely forgot about the objects that we've placed inside the storage compartment of the carriage. I rested my body backwards onto the confortable plush, as Rarity and Fluttershy both leaned their heads on both of my shoulders. Their eyelids drifted downwards.
"Yeah, but I was thinking about donating the materials we collected from our journey to a local museum in Ponyville...To prove that our journey really existed for older and younger generations." I told her in response, as the carriage drew closer to Celestia's castle. Most of Ponyville's citizens waited for our return. Celestia thought about my proposal, and decided to make arrangements accordingly.
"I shall arrange the materials to be transported to the local museum as soon as possible. They will be displayed under a glass case with descriptions encrypted on a golden plaque. You may all rest in my castle for tonight, so that you shall not be disturbed by the journalist of Ponyville. Thank you for all that you've done for us, Ryan....For your bravery and true courage shines a blinding light in the path of darkness. Your journey will also be echted, detail by detail, into the halls of Equestrian history." She blushed over to me with a kiss on the cheek. I returned a warm hug to her.
It was a high honor, apparently, to recieve such a kiss from member of higher power in Ponyville. At this point, I could care less about social statuses. I was looking forward to a long peroid of undisturbed rest and peace of mind.
Celestia stepped out of the carriage, as a wall of royal guards blocked and controlled the citizens of ponyville from lunging towards us. Bright flashes from cameras, while crowds of humans and ponies cheered in unison as we all withdrew from the carriage to follow the princess. The wooden gates opened, as we followed the princess to a shared bedroom of supreme quality beds and plush pillows. The girls dragged their hooves into bed, while Fluttershy and I shared a bed together. She curled up to me, as I wrapped my right arm around her. She began to speak softly into my ear.
"Thank you....for saving Pinkie Pie for us.....I knew we couldn't do it without your help...." She pecked me on the cheek and kissed my lips, while I returned some affection back to her. My eyes drifted into a heavy sleep, as the whispers were no longer present to haunt me in my dreams. This was the first peaceful night of sleep that I've savored for a long time.
The next day dawned on us, as the humans and royal guards set up demolition teams around the abandoned ghost town.
Reports from the Ponyville Express and news reports told us about the outcome of the ghost town. It was demolished into smithereens, to assure no other evil influences could escape from the clown realm. The Ponyville Museum finally opened months up with our recollection of belongings. Trixie worked as the spokesperson and tour guide for the traveling visitors that ventured into the museum. We looked around inside the museum, to see an terrarium of small popcorn critters inside a heat controlled enviorment. They crawled around, squeaked and grunted from inside the terrarium. The crazy ball from my backpack stood under a square display case, as I looked inward with Fluttershy on my side.
A group of ponies rushed over to me for my autograph. Inside the group was Lyra, who bounced up and down from my hero status. She smiled and hugged me, while I talked to her and traced my hand on a sheet of paper for her; She requested akwardly instead of my autograph. She took off, giggling like a little school girl.
Life continued on peacfully in Ponyville until one day...Fluttershy asked me a question reguarding our relationship together. We sat together insider her cottage at the dinner table one evening, when her question threw me off guard.
"Um....Ryan? Will....you.....um.....Marry me?" She asked shyly while she looked away blushing.
A female, proposing to a male? What? I was dumbstuck and bewildered by the question. I returned to her with a heart warming response, not really knowing what to say.
"Fluttershy......Of coarse I will Marry you." I returned to her. She bursted with tears of joy as she kissed me. I was still bewildered by the fact....a female proposed to me, which was unheard of back on Earth. She told all of her friends about the proposal later in the month. Rarity made one of the most beautiful wedding gowns ever to be seen in Ponyville for her. We were later married inside Celestia's castle. Other than that, I'll go into more details maybe some other time in another writing.
This is my conclusion....for this has been our cumbersome journey together. Perhaps one day, evil will return to stalemate us....However, be sure that all of us will be prepared ahead of time for whatever challenges are thrown in our way.....Our journey together has renewed us all in spirit and in hope....Even if evil might attempt to dismantle us all in the very end.
But, I will leave you with this one message. If you choose to stay strong within your willpower and to choose whatever's right in the end...To live life with honorable morals to be pure and true.....you will always triumph over the influences of darkness and pure evil.....
.....Vergiss Uns Nicht |
Happy Times Circus | Author's Note | This fanfic is dedicated to Shitbag's Circus 2 doom mod. Unlike Unloved 2, where I suggest you play along while you read....I do not recommend you play along as you read this. Circus 2 is an extremely long playthough, and it would take you several days if you chose to play along and read. Also, the gameplay will also spoil some of the chapters from within the fic. There might be a few grammatical and spelling errors from time to time within the fic, but be assured that I will fix anything through my read through.
I focused on the main theme in this sequal, on what is our deep rooted fears are in living beings and in society. When compared to Unloved, where the main theme within that story was about bonds and rediscovering what's true within ourselves. This fanfic had alot less character dialog and more action sequences on purpose. I wanted the reader to paint the images of the surroundings and the enviroment within their minds, so it felt like they're actually experiencing the horror with us as the story progressed. It is true, I really do have a wasp phobia, from an incident from when I was younger. Now, I am not deathly afraid of bees, I dont mind honey bees and bumble bee's, but I can't stand wasps and hornets.
The story went, when I was younger, I climbed over a broken rail fence from within a park to look for some frogs and turtles. I loved capturing frogs and turtles when I was younger, since I raised two turtles and released them back into the wild years ago. My hand grasped onto a broken guard rail, where a hive of hornets swarmed out and stung me simutaniously all over my body. I couldn't let go of the guard rail, since my muscles inside my body became locked and paralyzed from shock. One of my friend's sisters came over to witness this when I was screaming, as she ran over to my mother. After I was stung up in the process (thankfully it was just a small nest located inside the guard rail), She pulled me over the fence and carried me over to our blue van. I couldn't see out of my right eye, since it was bloated from venom. I still have scars from the hornets from my arms and body....
Now, the question is....Will I do a third story to make it a trilogy? Maybe, but not for a while. I'm still looking for a job near from where I currently live, since I can't find any damn work out there. In the meantime, this is how I found the time to write and publish these fanfics. I just might do a third story to this, as I am helping a brazilian doomer with a horror wad like I've never seen before. If you google "Mindfuck doom wad", you'll come across a very sinister doom mod being developed in progress as of now. I'm currently working on the project with a guy named 'Ravick', where I would throw in ideas and volenteered to playtest the wad in the beta stages. He's pushing for a full release around in October, hopefully around halloween. But, in the meantime, you can watch gameplay footage on youtube of the wad here:
Be sure to check my page once in awhile, or send me any messages for comments or requests. I might do another story based on that wad to make it a three part sequel, or I might do something of a fanfic of the Exmortis series in the near future.... |
The Last Hope of a Fallen Nation | pre | Day 68:
Tonight's the night. I spent the last three days pouring over maps of the castle, and I'm as ready as I think I'll ever be. I waited until Spike was safe and asleep, making sure to case enchantments on him so he wouldn't wake up while I was gone, and snuck out the door, into the dark hallway beyond.
"Where do you think you're going, Sparkle?" Zil asked from his position next to the door. He was standing against the wall, leaning against it far enough back from the door that I didn't see him until I was already outside, and exposed.
"Um, nowhere...?" I replied. I didn't even make it out of the room before getting caught...
"Doesn't look like nowhere. The way you are dressed up, I would assume you're going somewhere you know you shouldn't be." The smirk on his face was visible even in the dim light of the moon.
I hung my head, determined to charge horn first into the trouble I caused myself. "Fine, you caught me. Take me to Chrysalis so she can murder me, or whatever. I don't really care anymore."
His smirk widened. "No, I'm not going to do anything like that."
I looked up at him. "What?"
"I'm coming with you." He plopped down on all fours and walked over to stand next to me.
"What?" I repeated, not quite getting what was going on.
"Look, you are trying to sneak around without Her Majesty find out, yes?"
I nodded.
"Then I'm coming with you. I know all the patrol routes, and the places most likely to get us caught. You couldn't make it without me, and if anyone else caught you, you would be taken to Chrysalis to be murdered," he grinned, "or whatever."
Ok, so he wants to help me. I'm cool with that. "Why?"
He looked to the ground, smile falling off his face. "Because, I too want to get back at Chrysalis, and helping you is the best way to do that." I could tell it was a somewhat sensitive subject, so I let it slide. For now.
"Let's go then, accomplice." I started walking down the corridor, Zil close behind. Looks like I was right about this changeling being different. Hope it doesn't come back to bite me.
*****
We snuck through the castle, sneakily avoiding every changeling patrol we would have run into. After twenty or so tense minutes, two close calls, one bathroom break, and a couple banged hooves, we finally arrived at the enormous gilded gates that yielded access to the Royal Canterlot Archives.
I reached out with my telekinesis, only to be stopped by Zil's... hoof... in front of me. I looked up at him. "That won't work," he said, reaching into his saddlebag to grab a key. "It'll just set off alarms."
He put the key into a small slot on the door, one I'm almost one hundred percent positive wasn't there before the takeover, turning the key until it audibly clicked. Seeming satisfied, he took the door handle in his own dark aura, opening it silently. We quickly stepped inside, closing the door with a muffled thud behind us.
I looked around, taking in the familiar scent of old, musty books from the childhood. I looked over at Zil, pleased that he hadn't led me into a trap, which I honestly had expected him to. "Ok, we're looking for information on the Taint. Help me look." I ordered, heading over to the History section of the library. He hesitantly followed.
My eyes skimmed over the titles, frustration growing as each and every one was looked at, considered, and thrown out. "Grr, this is hopeless!" I exclaimed after the fourth shelf of worthless titles.
"Is there some section not open to the public that we could check?" Zil asked, returning to my side from the next set over, obviously not having found anything worthwhile either.
"It's the Royal Canterlot Archives. Not just anypony can walk in here." I replied, annoyance in the failure of my favorite resource making me snap at my ally. "Oh well, I should have known there wasn't going to be much here. I spent my foalhood locked inside these wa--"
I was interrupted by Zil's hoof over my mouth. "Shhh," he whispered. "I don't think we are alone in here."
His suspicions were confirmed when another voice pierced the darkness, with the air of stolen authority. "Oh, Twilight! Where are you?"
Buck. "Come on," I whispered to Zil, "we have to hide." I took off, quietly, to a nook I had discovered as a foal, a hole behind one of the larger bookshelves. I quickly enveloped the guardian shelf in a lavender aura, pulling it side, praying that it wasn't visible to the other intruders into the book's sanctuary.
I pushed him inside quickly and followed him, silently sealing us into the niche. I peeked one eye out of a small gap between two books, just in time to see Chrysalis herself followed by her honor guard of drugged-up changelings.
"Come on out, Twilight. I know you are in here somewhere, and you can't get out before I find you!" She said in a sing-song voice. We held our breath as she slowly stalked down the alley, hooves clicking loudly against the stones inlaid in the floor.
As she continued down the row, eventually turning into the next one, Zil turned to me, mouth pressed against my ear. "Is...Is she gone?" He whispered, very very softly.
"I...I think so." I replied, trying to calm my heart down before it beat its' way out of my chest.
"I think not," came the voice from the other side of the wall. The bookcase shimmered, before being ripped--books and all--from the wall and thrown across the room with a massive crash! Somepony screamed. I think it was me, but I'm going to say it was Zil.
Zil screamed, a very high-pitched girly sound for a male changeling, as we were forcibly pulled out of our hiding place. We were held suspended in the air before a very angry Chrysalis. Her horn glowed brightly with a dark light, matching the light emitted by her crown.
"And just WHAT do you think you are all doing?" she asked, glaring daggers at us both.
"Well," Zil started, "we were just out for a leisurely stroll through the gardens when we got turned around and--"
"SHUT IT ZIL!" Chrysalis shouted, almost rivaling the Royal Canterlot Voice for volume, "I know you have been helping the resistance since day one. Trying to find something to help them are you?"
The news about Zil being one of the resistance surprised me. I had thought he was just a changeling that Chrysalis had wronged--and maybe he was--but I didn't think his hatred ran that deep.
He hung his head, for he knew he was beat. Sensing she was going to get no more out of him, she turned on me. "And what are you doing, Miss Sparkle? Isn't it past your bedtime?"
I glared at her, trying subtly to break her magic hold with mind, but every time my magic touched hers, a burning sensation ripped through my horn. Because of this mental war, I was unable to respond.
She tisked. "Too tired to talk? Maybe I should lock you up where you'll be able to get your beauty sleep." She chained me to the back of one of her honor guard, and had him escort me out of the room. As I left, I heard her speaking to Zil. "And as for you, traitor..."
Day 69:
I was out for a long time. When I came to, I was locked in another cell, but not the one situated above the pit to the Crystal Mines. I finally came to with two large changeling guards standing at the door to my cell.
"Morning boys, come for some advice? Maybe some coffee or tea?" I looked around the spartan cell. "Might have some biscuits lying around leftover from my massive breakfast."
Any further sarcastic comments I may have had were silenced when one of the guards hit me upside the head, hard enough to make my ears ring. The other one picked me up, and proceeded to carry me through the maze of passages in the dungeon, and lower castle above.
They took me to the throne room. As we walked in I noticed Zil lying in the corner, either unconscious or dead, before the Changeling Queen demanded my full attention.
"Twilight Sparkle, where did I go wrong? You were being such a good little pony, and then you go and pull a stunt like that. What were you thinking?" she asked, adopting a very fack maternal air about her.
"Well, you know how much of a voracious reader I am, Your Majesty, I just got so bored with those icky books about strategy and killing. I just wanted to read a Daring Doo book before I got back to work is all," I replied in a fake high-pitched voice, giving her my sweetest smile.
"Well then, why didn't you just ask one of your guards to bring it for you? And to bring poor, innocent Zil into all of this," she grinned maliciously, "I think it is high time you learned your lesson." Her voice took on a hard edge, losing the playfulness of the earlier banter. "Bring him in."
Once again, the gilded doors to the throne room opened, and Spike was wheeled in inside of a cage. The changelings pushing the cage bowed, and left the hall. Chrysalis took Spike, and lifted him from the cage. She sat him down in front of her, pulling a sword from the scabbard slung across her back.
Realizing what was about to happen, I reached deep into myself, to the endless magic that resided there. My eyes glowed as the power suffused through me, prompting changeling guards to charge, and try to subdue me. As they had the day of the takeover, each and every one of them dropped, dead as stone, the second my magic touched them. All the little bugs dispatched of, I turned the full force of my power against Chrysalis, but as soon as it touched her and that accursed crown, all the power within me just dried up, leaving me a semi-conscious husk of a pony.
Chrysalis laughed, her crown still feeding off the newfound power. I was stuck, helpless as she brought the blade down on my dragon companion, silencing his final scream forever. It echoed through my head, dancing and intertwining with her evil laugh as I was dragged out of the hall, and back down into the dungeon.
*****
In the base, currently home to the Free Equestria Society, various alarms shouted over the sound of pitched battle. Spells flied alongside pegasi armed with the finest wingblades the resistance could craft, both cutting through changelings and ponies with little to no resistance. Over the sounds of the klaxon, an alarm blared with the familiar voice of a white unicorn
"Attention all resistance fighters, the base has been compromised, I repeat, the base has been compromised. Fall back into splinter cells, and wait for the call to return to duty. And pray that this gets better fast."
The pitched battle continued outside of the base, but the endless changeling reinforcements eventually overwhelmed the under-supplied and smaller force of the resistance. As the first elite changeling commandoes breached the outer portion of the Free Equestria base, the place was abandoned. One changeling with a red cape threw down his sword, and ordered a radio be brought.
"Your Highness, this is Commander Bane. The base has been taken, but the resistance has scattered. Pump the traitor for more information, specifically the 'splinter cells.' We will get them eventually. Bane out."
He gave the radio back. "Ok boys, burn the fucker down!"
The changeling army gave a loud cheer, quickly followed by the fwoosh of fires being lit. That night, Dodge Junction burned, lighting up the wilderness for miles around. |
The Last Hope of a Fallen Nation | Tribulations of the Tower - Broken | Tribulations of the Tower - Broken
I awoke sitting in a chair, a large, ornamental affair with gilded sides, and a plush velvet cushion. On the other side of the long mahogany table sat the personification of the sun. Her mane waved and snapped within its' magical breeze, and her horn glowed with a soft golden light as she lifted a cup of tea to her lips.
"If you sit there and stare Twilight, I may begin to wonder about you," she said with a touch of a smile upon her lips.
I blushed and looked away. "Sorry Princess, I'm just confused. I don't remember how I got here."
She sat down her cup, and looked at me across the table with her beautiful light purple eyes. "Well, I do not know for sure, but I would imagine you got up, got out of bed, and walked down here, yes?"
I laughed, but still it bothered me. I really didn't remember how I got down here. For that matter, I didn't even know where I was. I had grown up in this castle, and while I hadn't seen every single room, I had seen enough to know this one shouldn't be there.
Celestia must have noticed my reservation, for she once again spoke. "Is something wrong, my student?"
I sighed, resigned to my fate. "I just don't know what's going on. I could have sworn that Chrysalis took over Equestria, and banished you, and killed Shining Armor and Spike, and I was her prisoner. I just don't understand how you are here now, and have even less of an idea of where I am. This room isn't like any other in the castle."
Celestia sighed. "Very good, you caught on quickly," she said with Chrysalis' hissing tongue.
"W-What?" I jumped back out of my chair, reaching for the magic inside, only to find a void of nothingness instead.
The world twisted and warped, shattering like so many broken panes of glass. Chunks began to fall away, stretching away into the infinity held within the mouth of a creature so foul it's name hasn't been spoken for centuries. The shards of reality melted, coalescing into fantastic rainbows of liquid color, flowing freely across the planes of space and time. Thoughts flew, becoming entities of their own before being crushed by the Beast below. Through it all I fell, down into the maw of the waiting destruction, screaming all the way down.
Year Two of the Takeover
Day ???:
I woke with a start, quickly giving myself a once over to ensure I was still alive. Obviously, I was, though I wonder if it was truly a good thing or not. I groaned, slowly rolling off the small cot, and onto my hooves. I paced over to the door, looking out into the long, dark hallway beyond. Nothing was out there, as usual, and not a sound could be heard save the little intricacies of life underground.
I sighed, and took the five steps it took to reach the wall opposite the door. The whole cell was small, obviously meant solely to annoy me.
The sad part was, it was working.
I have been locked down here since Chrysalis... since my stunt with the Archives. At first, I held out hope that it was going to be another brief punishment, and I was going to go back like last time. Then a week passed, then two, and three. A month, two months, three months, I have no idea anymore.
The cell doesn't bother me anymore. I got used to the size and the damp relatively quickly. It is the lack of other ponies that gets to me, but judging by my dream, it isn't that bad. If I can't find anypony to keep me company, I'll just create my own.
I sat in the middle of the floor, in a familiar position. I opened my mind, searching for the magic that had left me after my fight with Chrysalis. Just as I had done every day since I started waking up consistently. As always, I felt the spark that was there, the spark that allowed me the simplest spells, but did not feel the torrent that I used to house. That, it seemed, was still out of my reach.
There I sat, all day, not even noticing they forgot to bring me food again. I had some stored from the days it hurt too much to eat, and the pile will probably tide me over until they see fit to feed me again, unless they have decided to just let me die. I'm okay with that too.
Day ???:
Today it happened, it finally happened. I was sitting in my customary spot when I felt something click. Suddenly, the world was thrown into light as magic once again filled my mind. For the first time in too long, I was no longer held in my prison. I shall hide this, until I can use it to enact my escape.
To where, I do not know...
Day ???:
Once again, I find it difficult to sleep. And since I can't sleep, and have no reason to meditate for my magic, I must think. I think... that thinking is painful...
Of course, it is hard to think whenever you focus and you see the image of your brother being melted from the inside out, skin clear as the noonday sky; or one of your closest friends, a dragon, almost like a child to you, getting his head sliced off by the...the thing that also banished your l-- your favorite teacher and sovereign.
It is hard to do sometimes, and I'm beginning to wonder if it would just be better to ignore the food that arrives sporadically and just let it all...fade. But I know I can't do that. Eventually, I will escape. I will find the Element bearers, and we will take back Equestria!
Even if I have to die trying.
Day ???:
"Let GO of me, you bug-eyed bastard!"
"Tough talk from a traitor. Come on, spill. What are the resistance's splinter cells, and where are they based at?"
I heard what sounded like somepony spitting. "Like I'll ever tell you, or that bitch of a-- AAAAAGH"
"Well, there is always tomorrow,"a sick thud, like somepony getting hit in the side of the head. Hard. "Take him back to his cell..."
A door nearby clanged open, and I hastily shut my eyes, praying they weren't coming for me next. The sound of hoofsteps echoed down the hallway to my cell before a door, presumably the one next to mine, was pulled open with a mighty creak, and slammed shut with a deep, reverberating boom!
I waited for the steps to fade away before making my move. Trotting silently over to the door, I stuck my muzzle up next to the grill. "Psst. Psst! Is anypony there?" I asked, in my best carrying whisper.
"T-Twilight? Twilight Sparkle? Is that...is that you?" I heard moments later. The voice sounded familiar, though it was slurred and grated, as though the owner had made a habit of not speaking for a while.
I was instantly cautious. "Maybe. Who is there?"
"It...It's Zil," the voice replied. "Is that really you Twilight?"
I was stunned. I had seen Zil lying still on the floor of the great hall when Chrysalis killed-- had me locked up down here. How could he be alive? "Yes! It's me Zil! What is going on? Are you ok?" I couldn't help myself. I had been stuck down here for Celestia knows how long without a friendly face, and now Zil was down here with me. While I may not be quite happy with him, mostly because I'm pretty sure he set up the ambush at the library, at least I had someone to talk to now.
"Wait... How do I know it is really you? I wouldn't put it past Commander Bane or Chrysalis to have another changeling take your form to try and trick me. YOU HEAR THAT, YOU CRAZY BITCH?! I'M ONTO YOUR TRICKS! YOU WON'T GET ANYTHING OUT OF ME, GOT IT?! NOT A SINGLE! FUCKING! WORD!" He continued shouting to the heavens for some time, but I wasn't paying attention.
The only friend I have here is crazy, and he doesn't even believe that I am me.
Day ???:
Darkness. A pit deeper than anything I have ever seen before, and I'm falling in it. She reached out a hoof to help me, to catch me and stop my fall, but I was too afraid to reach up and take it; too afraid that she wouldn't care.
Day ???:
"Hiya Twilight! How are ya doin?" The perky voice roused me from my uneasy slumber. I opened my eyes and noticed that during the night Chrysalis had decided to redo my cell in pink, how kind of her. No, wait a minute, that was Pinkie Pie!
"P-Pinkie Pie?! What are you doing here?" I asked, quickly sitting up and staring at the pink party pony. The last time I had seen her, she was locked into a cell, then supposedly dumped into the Crystal Mines below the castle. How had she gotten up here?
"Duh, I came to get you out, silly," she said, gesturing to the door. "Rarity, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash are waiting for us outside, so let's go!" She grabbed my hoof, and started dragging me out the door.
I went along willing enough, but sobs coming from the cell next to me quickly drew my attention. "Wait a minute Pinkie, I have to get someone."
"Twiiiliight, we need to gooo," still, she let me go, and I rushed over to Zil's cell.
"Zil? Zil are you in there?" I asked, looking into his dark cell. I spotted a dark spot lying on the bed, and kept saying his name until he stirred, raising his head to look at me.
"Twilight? Is that you?" He asked with the same raspy voice he had when he first arrived. He looked at me, horn flashing briefly. Whatever his spell did, it placated him, for he jumped up and rushed over to the door to look at me through the bars. "Twilight! Thank the heavens you're ok! Chrysalis told me she killed you after she caught us in the library. They... They pumped me for information about the resistance. I've held out for the most part, but it's just getting worse.."
"Well," I said, unlocking the door, "it's a good thing we're breaking out then! One of my friends is here to get us out, then we are meeting with the others."
"Really? To my knowledge, all of your friends are gone."
What? "No, Pinkie Pie is right here, come out and see." I swung the door open, inviting him to leave
Pinkie gasped. "It's a changeling! Look out Twilight, I'll protect you!" She ran in front of me, planting herself firmly between us. "Stay back you nasty changeling. Leave us alone!"
"Pinkie," I tried to interrupt.
"I won't let you hurt her, or take me back to that horrible, horrible cave!"
"...Pinkie-"
"Take this!" She shouted, spinning onto her forehooves to attempt some kind of kick at Zil.
"PINKIE!!" I shouted, stopping her mid-kick and making her fall to the floor.
"Ow..." she rubbed her head where it had hit the floor. "What's the matter Twilight?"
"That's Zil. Yes, he is a changeling, but he is my friend. If we are leaving, so is he." I said, giving Pinkie my most don't-you-dare-argue stare.
Zil bowed. "Pleasure to meet you, ma'am. I am Zil, undercover agent for the resistance."
Pinkie jumped up onto all four hooves, shaking off her spill like it was nothing. "Hi! I'm Pinkie Pie! If Twilight says you are ok, then you are ok with-OOMF!" Right as she was about to finish her statement, Zil tackled her, sending the pink pony back to the ground, though this time with the added weight of a changeling on top.
"Zil!" I cried, astonished. "What are you doing?!"
"Shush Twilight, this isn't Pinkie Pie," he said, casting a spell on her.
"What are you talking...about...?" My voice slowed to a halt when Zil's magic glow encompassed my pinkest friend, making her shimmer, then turn into a changeling. "What...?"
ZIl grabbed the former Pinkie Pie's head, and slammed it into the ground below with a sickening crunch. "It was a changeling, obviously, probably sent by Chrysalis to do something to you.
I heard a slow clapping sound from the stairs. "Very observant of you, Zil." That voice, I knew that voice, but I couldn't remember from where, until Chrysalis herself walked down the stairs, adorned with her twisted accoutrements of office, stopping right before us. "Sadly, for you and little Twilight Sparkle, it is already too late." With no warning, she grabbed Zil in her magic, and threw him through a wall, killing him instantly. She turned to me, picking me up in the same draining magic aura, before launching me towards the ground.
Day ???:
I woke with a start, screaming at the top of my lungs. I took a quick inventory: I was still in my bed, no Pinkie Pies were in sight, I had all of my limbs, my tail, and my horn. Everything seemed perfectly fine.
It must have been just another dream... They were getting worse, and longer.
I don't know how much more of this I can take.
Day ???:
As thou wishes Dearest Sister. We shall try, for as long as we can.
I stretched, nuzzling down into the fluffy pillow under my head, trying to convince myself I just wanted to go back to sleep. I had just about managed it when a voice called me from downstairs
"Twilight! Twi-light!" the voice called, getting closer and closer as it approached. "Come on, Twilight, you have to get up so we can go help Fluttershy with those plants she needs!" A purple dragon poked his head into the room. "Come on, lazy bones, let's go."
I groaned, peeling my eyes open. I raised my head, looking over at the doorway. For some reason part of me wanted to cry when Spike walked in the room. I'm so happy he's ok! Wait... Why wouldn't he be? He hasn't done anything dangerous in a long time. "I'm up, I'm up. I'll be down in a minute, Spike!"
"You better, or I'll get Rainbow Dash to come in here with a stormcloud again." A snicker proceeded the clink of scales on hard wood. Yeah, definitely going to get up before he does that again. I don't want to spend my day airing and drying out my room, and possibly...volunteering...a certain cyan pegasus to help Rarity with her dresses.
Wow, I'm getting mean.
Anyway, I pulled myself out of bed, shaking my frazzled mane and tail to try and bring them under some form of control before slowly making my way downstairs, hooves falling heavily on the ground with each step.
A clear night of sleep, and this is what she dreams of? A normal day in Ponyville?
Hush, if you had been through the same thing, you would dream of normalcy too.
I did, sister, I did.
An hour and a half later, Spike and I left the library, beginning the trek to Fluttershy's rustic cottage on the edge of the Everfree Forest. Along the way, we dropped off a book on the latest planting and harvest techniques to Applejack. We stayed to chat for awhile, but our quest took us onwards, and hers led back to the fields.
Sometimes before noon, we arrived at our destination. Raising my hoof, I knocked on the door of the shy pegasus mare, drawing back to ensure I didn't scare her when she opened the door. Fluttershy cautiously opened her door, and poked her head out. Noticing who was paying her a visit, she drew back, opening her door wider. Her eyes sparkled as she gave us a small, warm smile.
"Hi Twilight, hi Spike."
"Hi Fluttershy," we said at the same time, before I took the reigns of the conversation. "Ready to start?" I asked.
She nodded, gesturing us inside. "Hello Twilight, hello Spikey," came a voice from the kitchen.
"H-Hi Rarity," Spike said, practically melting onto the floor.
I stifled a giggle. "Hey Rarity, I didn't know that you were coming to help too."
"Oh. darling I would love to, but I'm just so busy with the spring fashion season going on, on top of another order from Hoity Toity's shop in Canterlot, I just don't have the time. I just stopped by for a quick word with Fluttershy. She was just so devastated that I was going to miss our weekly spa date I had to pay her a surprise visit," the whole time, Fluttershy was nodding beside me.
"Anyway," Rarity continued after Fluttershy finished her bobblehead impersonation, "I must be off. Orders to fill. Talk to you later Twilight!" She stood up, and headed towards the door
"Rarity, wait!" Spike called, causing the alabaster unicorn to stop and look over her shoulder. "Um, would you... I mean... Do you need help? With your orders, I mean?" Spike asked, looking over at Rarity with hope-filled eyes.
"Well, an extra pair of hooves, or hands, would be a lot of help. Twilight...?" she looked over at me, and to a lesser extent, Fluttershy.
"It'll be fine, if it's ok with Twilight," the pegasus said, deferring all judgement to me.
I nodded.
Rarity nodded back. "Ok Spike, let's go then."
"Ok! Cya later Twilight!" he said, bounding after my friend, spirits lifted to untold levels. I just shook my head.
"Don't stay out too late!" I shouted after them as they trotted down the path. I looked back at Fluttershy with a smile played across my lips. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a shadow sprint from the front door, to the kitchen, but paid it no mind. "Ok Fluttershy, what's first on the list?"
"Um," she looked around, eyes eventually settling on a scroll sitting on her table. "Ah!" she exclaimed--quietly--before unrolling it with her muzzle and looking it over. "Well, we need some Moon's Majesty, some Sneezeroot, a teensy bit of Hayseed, and a Winking Dragoneye," she said, bobbing her head with each item on the list.
"Alrighty then, you know where to go, so lead the way," I said, levitating the list with my lavender aura of magic and stashing it safely in my saddlebag. We set off into the Everfree Forest, after gathering some basic provisions, in the direction of Zecora's Hut, as Fluttershy had spotted some Hayseed growing along the path.
Almost as soon as we set off the path, Fluttershy crouched down, and picked a plant from the ground. She placed it in the other pocket of my saddlebag, she looked up at me. "Ok, got it."
Crossing our loot off of the list, I checked it over once again. Looking at the pegasus' neat mouthwriting, I divined our next target. "Ok, next is Sneezeroot. What do you need that for?"
Silence answered.
"Fluttershy?" I asked, becoming worried as the darkness closed in. The sounds of the Everfree intensified, adding to my anxiety. I frantically looked around, ears drooping as I searched for any sign of my lost friend.
Your power is waning, Luna.
We know. Her magic is powerful. We do not know how much longer we can keep a safe dream for young Twilight Sparkle.
Well... Can you wake her up then, and let your energy return?
Yes... Yes we can do that.
*****
I awoke in my cell from a restful sleep for once. Looking around, I could almost sense a presence of peace, one of familiarity. The feeling didn't last nearly long enough for me to discern what it was, too quickly being replaced by the cold and damp I had become accustomed to in my stay here.
Either way, my rest has cast some clarity on my world, and I have an idea...
Day ???:
Ok, this has to work this time. I am a pony on a mission, and I will not be denied! I poked my muzzle to the window of the door, looking anxiously out of it. "Noting no guards in my immediate line of sight, I put my brilliant plan into action. "Psst," I whispered out the lattice of bars. "Zil, are you there?"
I heard nothing but the dripping of water somewhere nearby. Always the persistent pony, I tried again.
"Zil, please Zil if you're there, talk to me." I added a little bit of whine to my voice, hoping to draw out his gentle(colt?) side. Apparently, it worked.
"Hello, Maybe-Twilight. How are you today?" came from the cell next to me. The same voice I knew as Zil's, mixed with the echoes of my dream...
"I'm not Maybe-Twilight, I am Twilight," I replied, without thinking.
"Well, I don't know that. A changeling could sound like Twilight, and it could be that crazy bitch trying to get more information out of me by using a friendly guise. It's one of the many tactics in the book, I've even done it a couple of times."
Ok, really didn't want to know that my closest friend here had tortured ponies. "How can I prove it then."
There was a pause before his reply came. "Well, a changeling can't mimic the magic aura of a unicorn. Magic something I can see, and I shall believe you are who you say."
Well, great. The fact I had rediscovered my magic is the only thing I knew that Chrysalis didn't. If Zil wasn't really Zil, I would be willingly giving away the one advantage I held. It was just a risk I would have to take. I noticed a bucket down the hall, and called his attention to it.
"That bucket there, Zil, do you see it?" I asked, sweating worse than I had working the Applebucking Season with Applejack.
"Yes," came the skeptical reply.
Slowly, I concentrated, quickly falling back into the role I held for years. Reaching out with my will, I enveloped the bucket in a light sheen of lavender aura, lifting it off the ground until I heard the gasp from the next cell over.
"Twilight! It really is you! Oh, gods I'm glad you're ok. Chrysalis told me... told me she had killed you. I couldn't stop blaming myself. I should have stopped you from going to the library, Twilight. I'm so sorry. It's my fault you're down here, not yours. If I had stopped you, you wouldn't be rotting away in this dungeon. I just hope they feed you somewhat better than they feed me. Come to think of it, I don't think I've been fed in two or three days and I--"
He seemed to be losing steam, so I knew I had to cut in here. "Zil, you couldn't have stopped me. I'm somewhat glad I'm here, it means Chrysalis can't use me and my ideas to hurt any more ponies. She has already done enough..." Subconsciously, I repressed a shudder, until I remembered I was alone. I let out a tiny sob, cutting it off before it could turn into a full waterfall of tears.
The pause was almost heavy, holding substance in the air. "...are you crying?" Zil asked.
"No," I tried to answer between my heavy, but silent sobs. He continued talking for awhile, probably trying to calm me down, but I didn't hear. I was too busy lying on my hard, uncomfortable, damp bed crying. Crying for all the damage I had caused. Crying for all the ponies who had died. Crying for Celestia, and Luna, and Spike, and Shining Armor.
I cried for the death of Equestria itself.
Day ???:
I'm screaming. Screaming as I tumble and fall through differing patches of dark and light. Sometimes, I see faces in the dark, faces of friends, of family, of ponies I didn't really know and faces of ponies I'd never seen before. None of them noticed me, and each seemed to be busy with something.
As time wore on, the faces became more and more scarred, showing signs of battles taking place across the nation as ponies rebel against their bug-ish oppressors. The last thing I saw before all became pitch black was Celestia, falling from a pedestal down into the depths of nothingness.
Day ???:
I awoke in the Everfree forest, saddlebag with the list of required flowers still strapped firmly to my back. Clenched between my teeth were the Hayseeds, which I quickly spit out into a pocket of my saddlebag, hurrying to get the acrid taste out of my mouth. Just as I was about to renew my search for Fluttershy, she stepped out of the bush to my left
"Oh, sorry Twilight. I just saw this in the bush over there, and got it as kind of a surprise..." she said around the bright rose between her teeth. She stuck it in my mane, fixing it so it wouldn't fall out before giving me a small smile.
...Really Luna?
Hush, sister, we are concentrating.
"There," the yellow pegasus said, "now we can keep going. What's next on the list?"
"It, uh, it's... it's sneezeroot. Yeah..." I stuttered and mumbled my way through the sentence, stunned like a lovestruck filly. Smooth, really smooth.
"Ok," Fluttershy replied simply before starting to walk away from me, humming a directionless tune as she meandered around, searching for our prize.
What... What just happened? I shook my head, clearing my mind before following the oddly perky pegasus through the forest. We stopped at the edge of a clearing... well, I stopped, Fluttershy kind of hopped backwards and quickly darted behind me. "Fluttershy... are you ok?" I asked, keeping my voice down in case there was some ferocious beast in there that was scaring her, though if it was an animal Fluttershy was afraid of, I don't think I want to tangle with it either.
"I, um, I don't think we should go in there..." she replied in a very small voice, one that barely made it to my ears.
"Ok," I shrugged, "then we'll go around."
"No, we can't do that," she replied in a stern voice. "Sorry, but that is the only place sneezeroot grows outside of Las Pegasus. We have to go in... there..."
"Well, do you want to stay here?" She nodded vigorously. "Fine, wait here, I'll take care of it." I strolled forward without further preamble, bursting confidently from the cover of the foliage into the bright, sunny clearing. I don't know what Fluttershy is talking about. This clearing isn't....so.....bad....? My train of thought was forcibly derailed as shadows swarmed around me, filling the clearing with some odd bug creatures. They had horns like unicorns, but wings like flies. Their tails were torn and broken to match their holed legs, and they walked with unmistakable menace.
I sprinted back towards Fluttershy, intent on getting both of us out of here alive--to Tartarus with the stupid sneezeroot-- to be stopped by a bigger one. Aside from the size difference, he carried an aura of command, and was wearing silver armor with a broadsword strapped across his back.
"Hello. Twilight Sparkle," he said in a deep voice.
"W-Who are you and how do you know my name?" I asked backing up until I ran into another of the bug-creatures. I jumped back and looked around; I was surrounded on all sides, the center of a circle of malice and hate.
He just laughed. "All in good time, Sparkle. Well, maybe not..." He grinned at his soldiers as they formed a tighter circle around us. "Sorry to say, Queen Chrysalis sent me here to kill you."
Luna, do something!
All the blood drained from my face. "W-Who? And why? I haven't done anything to anypony..."
We are trying. Chrysalis' magic is strong.
"Well, I suppose it won't really matter if you are dead. I am Commander Bane, in charge of the changeling takeover of Equestria." As if on cue, all of the bugs--changelings--saluted him before returning their attention to me.
I gave him another once over. Now that I know he is a commander of something, it makes sense he has that aura of command about him. It would also explain the armor, and the massive scar across his left eye. "Why does she want me dead...?" I asked, unable to keep the trembling from my voice. I hope Fluttershy was safe, at least.
LUNA!
"Like you don't know. Wait, you don't! This is a dream, isn't it? Too bad if you die in a dream," he drew his sword with a sick hissing sound, "you die in real life."
I couldn't help it, I screamed as he released another blood-curdling laugh. He advanced towards me, sword raised high over his head to bring it down on top of me. I was surrounded, trapped by Bane's soldiers. I resigned myself to my fate as a single tear fell down my cheek.
I could almost feel the biting cold of the blade on my neck, when something disturbed the line of the changelings. "SCATTER!" Bane shouted, jumping back to assess the threat. I spun my head around, fearing that whatever scared these soldiers would do worse to me. Much to my surprise, Princess Luna stood beyond, armored in her own glistening plates of dark platemail. She deftly stepped in front of me, squaring off with Commander Bane without a single weapon drawn.
Magic and the nighttime are her weapons.
"So, Commander Bane, so nice to see that Chrysalis does not value you for more than dream assassinations anymore," Luna said, voice as cold as Nightmare Moon's.
"Silence, False Princess, you know not of my Queen, nor her thoughts," he replied, beginning to circle Luna. She stepped up, and kept pace. The remaining changelings formed a circle around them, appearing to have lost interest in me for the time being.
"Well, she must think badly of you to send you to kill my sister's favorite student, and one of my closest friends." The two continued their slow circling, neither one breaking eye contact.
"I said silence! We both know that your powers are weakened by your distance from Twilight Sparkle, and that you cannot hurt me." He sounded smug, completely confident in his victory.
Luna elected not to respond, simply firing a bolt of something from her horn, striking and killing a changeling where he stood. Bane was shocked into silence.
The dark alicorn charged, using her opponent's lack of concentration to her advantage. She formed a sword of living night from her horn, swinging it up to be met--almost too late--by the gleaming silver of the changeling commander's blade. Sparks flew as the clang of metal-on-metal echoed throughout the forest.
The battle raged on, both sides attacking and parrying, neither able to gain the upper hoof. Both combatants ducked and weaved, swords and magic bolts hissing through the air like angry snakes. Finally, after what felt like hours, Luna saw her chance.
Bane swung wide, falling to a cunning ploy and causing him to leave his guard wide open. Luna threw aside her sword, using it to disarm her opponent. She shot a bolt of lightning, charging Bane's armor and causing it to jump over to his body where it was touching.
Namely, everywhere.
He shouted and fell to the ground in agony. The changelings surrounding the fight disappeared in a flash of smoke, followed shortly by their leader after a cliche, "you haven't seen the last of me, Sparkle!"
Luna walked over to me, armor turning into bats and flying off into the forest. She held out a friendly hoof, pulling me off of the ground. As she was checking me over, making sure that I had not been hurt, Fluttershy re-emerged, galloping towards us as fast as her hooves could carry her.
"Oh my goodness, Twilight are you ok? I was so worried, but I was too afraid to come help, then Luna showed up and she fought them off and I... I just...." the waterworks she had apparently been withholding then broke forth, wrapping me in a hug and crying into my mane. I found myself comforting the butter pegasus as her frustrations poured out in liquid form into my hair.
"Fluttershy and Twilight Sparkle, it is not safe for you here. Return home at once, and stay out of the forest," Luna said, all traces of friendliness gone. I just nodded, unable to speak. "We must go, our powers are waning and we are unable to keep our form here much longer." As if to prove her point, she shimmered, turning into a shimmer of multicolored light for a moment before solidifying. "Before we go, Sister wished us to tell you something."
"Yes?" I asked, partially afraid for the answer.
"She wanted to tell you she--" but before Luna could finished, she winked out of existence, leaving Fluttershy and I alone in the quickly-darkening clearing of the Everfree Forest.
*****
I awoke in my cell. Taking a quick look around revealed nothing majorly different, but a faint bloodstain in the corner said otherwise. Raising my hoof to my head, I also noticed a faint dampness on my mane, right where Fluttershy had been crying.
Day ???:
I raised my hoof and knocked on the heavy oaken door before me. I had walked this route many times in my foalhood, and almost as many times since, but this time was going to be different. This time, I was finally going to tell her.
Right, like I hadn't told myself that countless times before.
Before I could lose my nerve once again, she opened the door, bestowing me with a smile that carried all the warmth of the springtime sun. "Ah, Twilight Sparkle, my favorite student, come in," she said in that voice that could melt a frozen-solid pond--and a certain purple unicorn.
I walked in on shaky legs, trying my hardest not to stare at the divine form in front of me, with limited success. She sat down at her desk, inviting me to sit across from it, on my favorite pillow. I remained standing
"P-Princess, I wanted to talk to you about," I took a deep breath to steady my nerves, "about something."
She gave me that amazing smile again. "Of course, Twilight Sparkle, what do you need?"
What I need is for you to come around that desk, wrap your hooves around me, and kiss me. "I, uh, I've been doing some, um, some thinking, and I-I think I might..." My voice trailed off, stuttering to a halt too soon. So close, come on Sparkle, you can do this...
She leaned forward. "You might...?"
I took another deep breath, and squeezed my eyes shut. "IthinkImightsortakindahaveacrushonyou." Still keeping my eyes closed, I gave her a big, cheesy grin.
Darkness is a scary thing. I did not see, but heard her walk around the desk, golden hoofshoes clacking loudly on the tile. She gently rested one of her forehooves on my cheek, and moved my face to look at her. I slowly opened my eyes, but did not expect what I saw.
She was looking down on me with a smile, yes, but one of sympathy, not reciprocation; happiness. It was the smile of one who was about to deliver very bad news, and knew it. "No..." I found myself saying. "Princess.....?"
"Twilight," she began in a soft, soothing tone. But I was not listning.
"No, Princess, please..." My voice was faint, almost unhearable.
"Listen to me Twilight. It isn't anything about you--"
"No!" I shouted, pulling away from her. "Princess Celestia, please don't.... don't do this to me..." I continued, with a much quieter tone.
If the shouting bothered her, Celestia didn't say anything about it. "I understand Twilight, and I know it hurts, but you have to hear me out." I opened my mouth to speak, but she shushed me. "Listen. You have to realize that it really isn't anything against you. You are a great mare, and a great pony, but I am a Princess, and Alicorn. I can't bear to be in a relationship that has a definite time limit on it like that.
"And even if I wanted to, running Equestria is a lot of work. I don't have a lot of free time, and most of what I do have I use to sleep. And let's not even start on what the press would say about us. You are a mare whose age doesn't even come anywhere near close to mine, and I watched you grow up, Twilight. They would think something salacious was going on and would have a field day with it.
"For those reasons, I have to say no. Go back to your rooms, and calm down. I shall see you tomorrow for your lesson." With that, she returned to her desk where she began reading files, leaving me to see myself out.
Oh, my faithful student, if only I could talk to you...
Calm yourself, sister, I'm sure you will be able to soon enough.
Day ???:
CRASH!
"Catch him! He's escaping!"
The sounds of hooves scuffling on flagstone, and a sickening crunch of a buck finding it's target.
"Man down! Man down! We need help down-"
Suddenly, all was silent. I was cowering in my cell, curled up under the bed with just enough of my muzzle poking out to see the door. The bolt clanged open, and a dark figure stepped in. I readied my magic, bracing myself to incinerate whoever walked through the door first.
"Twilight? Twilight are you in here? Please tell me I'm not too late..." That voice, that's Zil!
I scrambled up from under my bed, probably scaring Zil in the process. "Yes! Yes I'm right here. What's going on?"
He gave me a lopsided grin, showing a missing tooth still bleeding a little. "Come on, we're getting out of here." Without waiting for my reply, he turned around and walked out into the hallway, looking everywhere to make sure no changelings were coming.
I was torn. I'm pretty sure I had a dream like this once, and it didn't end too well for me. How did I know that this wasn't a dream? For that matter, if it wasn't, how was I supposed to know that was really Zil, and not a changeling coming to lead me to a trap. "How do I know you are really ZIl?" I asked, walking out of the cell to face him.
He looked at me. "Because I am...?"
I shook my head. "You could be any changeling, it really wouldn't be that hard to disguise yourself as one of your own kind."
"Changelings can't disguise themselves as other changelings, it just doesn't work like that."
"Well, that's real convenient for you then, isn't it?" I asked, unable to keep the sarcasm out of my voice.
He flinched, and took my hoof. "Please, Twilight, trust me? All changeling magic auras are the same so I can't prove it that way, but if it helps, when I was first brought down here, I thought you were a changeling sent to get information out of me in your guise. To prove you were you, you lifted a bucket, and we talked, and you cried." I think he said something else, but his voice was down so low I didn't hear him.
"Ok..." I said taking my hoof back. I couldn't put my hoof on it, but I trusted that it was him. No changeling sent to kill me would show emotion like that, even if they knew. "Let's go." He nodded, and took of running. I followed close behind, hoping that I wasn't walking into another trap.
We made it down the hallway, and up the tight spiral stairs, and into another dungeon corridor. The usually loud hallway was dead silent, the first sign that something was wrong. "Chrysalis has started killing off the prisoners. She is sending them to the front, to fight the resistance," Zil said, noting my unease.
I nodded, before taking the lead to walk down the hallway. We walked side by side, tense as a couple of coiled springs and ready to fight whoever would try to stop us. Unfortunately, we had the chance all too soon for my liking.
As we approached the stairs to the next floor up, Zil stopped me, holding up his hoof. "I hear armored changelings," he whispered in my ear. "They know we got out. No second chances this time, it's escape or die."
I took a deep breath, and plunged myself into the geyser of magic within. It still was not as powerful as it once was, but not using it for Celestia-knows how long did allow it to regain much more strength than I had when I first rediscovered it. I made a conscious effort to mask the glow of my horn, only partly successful, and cast about with my magic, looking for another way out.
Finding what I was looking for, I quickly got Zil's attention. "Quick, this way!" I whispered excitedly. Much to my dismay, Zil just shook his head.
"You go on, I'll catch up," he said, avoiding my eyes.
"No, come on. You got me out, and I'm not leaving unless you're next to me." I stood my ground, trying to remember all those texts on combat magic I had read eons ago. Just in time too as the first changeling reinforcements tore around the staircase. Zil was caught off guard, whereas I was ready.
I fired a bolt of energy, hitting the first changeling. He dropped like a bag of rocks, sword falling down to the ground. Zil darted forward, picking up the dropped blade just in time to parry a thrust from the next changeling in line. He jumped back, and I shot a burst of air to throw the next changeling off balance. Zil ran him through, spilling the first drop of blood of many.
The battle lasted for what felt like hours. Between my magic and Zil's prowess with a sword, we managed to turn the base of the staircase into a blood soaked mess. Two or three of them would come down the stairs, I would disorient them with some form of spell, and Zil would cut them down. Somewhere along the line, he picked up another weapon--a fearsome looking battleaxe-- and he duel wielded them with deadly efficiency.
However, as time often does, it began to wear us out. It started with small cuts and nicks on Zil, a cut on his hoof, a slash across his side, until his sword snapped from its constant battering. With him disarmed it fell to me to defend us. I tried my best, but I was beginning to wear out. Figuring it was all or nothing, I prepared a spell I had only briefly read about during research for one of my projects.
Focusing all that I possibly could into my horn, I released all of my leftover magic in one huge burst. Lightning cascaded around the hallway, arcing from changeling to changeling in bright bursts. Nudging Zil with my head, I attempted to shout over the sound of the carnage, but to no avail.
Thankfully he figured it out for himself, and we both sprinted down a hallway to the left. Neither of us knew where we were going, but we knew we were going to get out, or die trying. Left, right, up, right, right, another left, we galloped through the dungeon, dodging groups of changelings as we darted back and forth, always working our way up.
Finally, we came to a large spiral staircase that I knew. "Up here!" I shouted, drawing Zil's attention. "This will lead up into the main hallway, from there we can escape into the castle and...changeling.....controlled.........Canterlot."
Zil shook his head. "No good. Where will we end up if we go down?"
"Um," I bit my lip, trying to remember back to my initial tour with Princess Celestia all those years ago. "I don't really remember, but isn't the goal to break out. As in, out of the castle, as in through the front door?"
"Not if it leads to use getting captured again," Zil said, jumping to prop the door closed with his body as our pursuers caught up and attempted to bust the door down. "Think fAst Twilight, I don't KNow how lOng I'll be able to keep this cloSed!" His voice jumped with each impact, lending his speech an odd rhythm.
So I did what any sensible mare would do in my position. I called upon my reserves of magical energy, and sent forth a "feeler" to report on what lurked below. Mere fractions of a second later, I knew the layout intimately, as though I had lived there most of my life--which, technically, I sort of had.
"Well, up just leads to the main hall, like I said, and the front doors. Down, down leads somewhere I've never seen before. I think it might be the entrance to the Crystal Mines," I said after taking a moment to fix our location and heading on my new mental map.
Zil looked over at me, shaking every so often in time with the impacts on the door. "Can we get out through the mines?"
"Ah, maybe...? The only time I was down there was when Chrysalis sent me there, and I found the real Cadence. I wasn't paying all that much attention..."
"Well, let's go spelunking then," Zil said, almost getting thrown to the ground by another massive hit. "Quickly, if you please."
I moved next to him, sifting through the list of spells that I could do drained as I was. Well, when all else fails... My horn began to glow, proceeding a loud crack that echoed up and down the stairs. Part of the railing, ripped from the outside wall of the staircase, floated into position, blocking the door. Three more bars followed, effectively sealing the door for the time being.
Zil nodded, satisfied, before taking off down the stairs. Careful of the blood-stained battle axe still on his back, I followed as fast as I could. We tore down the stairs, taking its soft loop quickly, to the point where it wasn't uncommon for one of us to fall just for the other to pick up and keep going. We must have gone around at least fifteen times before a loud CRACK was heard from above, signaling that the changeling hordes were once again on our tails.
Thankfully, a few more circuits saw us at the end, and even though I knew what it was, I was not prepared for what lie beyond the last twist. A massive cavern, hewn from the rock bordered a hole down into the mines. No way up, no way to tell how far of a drop into the darkness it was, not way to know of anything. I looked over at Zil.
"Are you sure?" A simple question, but one holding so much weight.
He simply nodded.
"Stop right there," a familiar voice called from the base of the stairs. I slowly turned around, and saw my nightmare come to life.
There stood Commander Bane. Still wearing his silver armor and broadsword, though this time he was only barely reminiscent of the cocky changeling who had attacked me in my dreams.
"Zil, what a pleasure to see you again, old friend." Something about the way he said that gave me the impression they were not actually friends.
"Bane," Zil replied simply, readying his axe. He stepped in front of me, nudging me towards the hole to the mines. "Go Twilight, I have an old score to settle with the Commander here."
Bane laughed. "Fool. You couldn't beat me before, what makes you think you can do it this time."
"Quite simple. Last time, I had nothing to fight for. This time, I do." With that, he charged, swinging his axe high to bring down on Bane's head. The commander jumped back, drawing his own sword with a mighty wrench before lunging at Zil, sword aimed at his throat.
Zil caught the edge of the sword in the cusp of his axe. Pushing the sword aside--which in turn threw Bane off balance--he spun, bucking the commander in the face.
Bane howled in pain and rage, bloodlust coloring his eyes as he lept into the air, sword spinning around him in a maelstrom of flashing steel. Realizing his intentions, Zil dove backwards, knocking me out of the way and receiving a long, deep cut on his left wing for his trouble.
Wing clamped tightly to his side, Zil charged bodily at Bane, bellowing a savage war cry as the two collided. They rolled on the ground, weapons forgotten, each one vying for dominance. Bane ended up on top, reaching down to rip out Zil's throat with his pointed teeth. Zil bunched up under him, thrusting up with all four hooves and sending the other combatant flying into the jagged wall.
They both took their time getting back up, sore from injuries and bleeding; Bane from a broken muzzle, Zil from the gash on his wing. Bane grinned, an evil, sadistic grin. He launched forward, though not at his enemy. He grabbed me, swinging me around into a headlock, both of us up on our hind legs. Bane levitated over his sword, placing the ice cold edge against my throat.
"Let her go Bane, she isn't the one you have quarrel with," Zil said, slowly advancing until Bane pushed the sword tighter against my throat, the razor sharp edge cutting into the skin.
"Oh, but there you are wrong. Queen Chrysalis has ordered Miss Sparkle killed." He pushed in a little further until a thin line of blood ran down his blade. My blood.
"Then put her down and fight me. I swear, Bane, if you kill her I will not rest until you are utterly destroyed!" The vehemence in his voice shocked me. Analyze later, kind of a hostage at the moment.
"But it won't matter then, traitor, she will be dead. Soon followed by you." I couldn't see, but I could practically picture the evil smirk on his face. "Either way, you lose."
As fascinating as this conversation about my life was, I had better things to do than sit here and play damsel in distress. As stealthily as I could, I bunched my hind legs up until they were as tense as they could be without my captor noticing.
I caught Zil's attention, and looked pointedly at the entrance to the mines. Hopefully, my message got across.
It did.
"What are you looking at, traitor?" Bane asked, noticing Zil's eyes drifting to the hole to the mines. "Planning on abandoning your friend?"
Zil's answer never came. As fast as I could, I pushed up, using the tension in my hind legs to ram my horn into Bane's chin. It didn't penetrate further than his lower jaw, but it hurt enough. He dropped his sword, howling in pain and clutching a hoof to the hole in his jaw which was already bleeding quite badly.
I dropped to my belly on the floor, and jumped up onto my forelegs. Channeling years of working with Applejack during apple bucking season, I pushed forward with all my might, sending my hooves crashing into Bane's unprotected belly with a sickening crunch. He flew backwards, slamming his head into the wall, moving no more.
Without a backwards glance, I grabbed Zil by the hoof and dove into the dark depths of the mine below. |
The Last Hope of a Fallen Nation | Intermission: The Report | Intermission: The Report
The small pegasus burst through the door, note clutched in his mouth. Standing before the imposing figure in a black cloak, he saluted before spitting the letter out onto the ground.
"First scout Fleetwing's report, Commander," he said, hoof still glued to his face.
The commander chuckled, levitating over the scroll. "Put your hoof down. This isn't boot camp, you don't have to be so formal all the time."
The messenger put his hoof down. "Yes ma'am, sorry ma'am. I mean..." He took a deep breath, trying to ignore the chuckling of the pony in black. "That is the report from Fleetwing in Canterlot. He has one thing to add, The Spark is gone."
The commander looked up, white ears perking forward. "Explain."
"Uh, well, it seems that nothing has been heard of The Spark for two days. She isn't hanging from the castle ramparts like the other dead prisoners, so Fleetwing seems to think she has escaped."
"Anything else?" the commander seemed anxious now, most likely to fill in the second in command.
"Just that our informant also either died or escaped. No word has been heard from him in almost a year and a half."
The commander looked over the message for a moment, before glancing to the corner where a dark shape loomed. "Take your leave."
The messenger saluted. "Commander."
As he walked out of the room, an orange earth pony walked over from the corner. "Are we alone?"
"I hope so," the commander said before throwing back her hood and planting a kiss on the tip of her second in command's muzzle. "I would hate to have any of the soldiers see that."
"Ah'm not," Applejack said, years of fighting doing nothing to her country twang. She reached over and trapped the unicorn's lips between her own. The commander remained trapped in Applejack's passionate kiss until she pulled back and said, "and Ah'd march right up ta The Big Bad Bug and do the same. Honestly Rares, Ah just don't see why ya are so keen on keepin' us a secret."
Rarity tossed her mane. It wasn't up to her usual standards, but one must make sacrifices when waging war. "I just don't want it to ruin our reputation, darling." She held up her hoof, halting the earth pony's indignant reply. "I just don't want ponies not trusting you in your position just because we have something on the side. It would be even worse if they would start to question my orders. It is terrible evil, yes, but a necessary one love."
Fearing her explanation wasn't enough, Rarity leaned forward and nuzzled into the orange coat before her. It was an underhooved move, but the fashionista knew that Applejack simple couldn't stay mad at her if Rarity was touching her.
Much to Rarity's surprise, Applejack gently but firmly pushed her away. "Sugarcube, when this is all over..."
Rarity smiled. "Darling, I shall proclaim it from the highest tower in Canterlot." She giggled at her marefriend's blush. "Alas, we must go back to work..." She glanced over the report, experience leading her sapphire eyes in a dance across the page. "Ok, there is good news and bad news. Which would you prefer first?"
Applejack grinned, a dangerous grin. "Ah'm in a gamblin' mood. Bad news."
"Well, the changeling bastion in Fillydelphia seems to be working diligently on something. My bits say that they are converting to the latest edition of that dreadful defense strategy. Obviously, what hold we still had on the city is going to be lost sometime soon."
Applejack nodded. "Ah figured as much. Didn't think we really had a chance there."
"I adore your attitude darling." She rolled her eyes before continuing. "Ok, the team sent into Ponyville managed to retrieve the rest of Twilight's metamagic books." Applejack caught Rarity's attention mid-sentence. Unspoken words flew between the two. "I know, it is a long shot, but if she does..."
"Sugarcube, Ah hope as much as the rest of 'em that she does, but if she did die..."
"Hush. If Queen Chrysalis had in fact killed her, don't you think she would have bragged about it? If you think about it, Twilight is the last symbol of the old regime. She was the Princess' prize pupil, after all." Rarity started to continue, then stopped again and looked up. "She will probably want to know the news."
Applejack nodded. "That's where Ah was headed. Anythin' else Ah need to know about?"
Rarity beamed. "Just that the changeling forces in Manehatten seem to have routed, and are scattered across the countryside."
"Uh, what...?" Applejack was stunned speechless.
The white unicorn bounded forward and wrapped her marefriend in a hug, causing Applejack to bounce along with her. "I know, it is such wonderful news. Things are finally looking up."
As much as she didn't want to, Applejack extracted herself from the iron grip of her commander. "Well, Ah'm off to talk to the Princesses. Keep me updated, alright?"
Rarity put her cloak back on. "Of course, darling. And hurry back, we might be packing. Wait, one more thing!" The farmer-turned-warrior turned back to the black-clad unicorn in the room.
"Yeah?"
"Cadence and her army have made it to the border of Equestria. She says they march on Vanhoover within the end of the month. If Twilight is alive, pray that she makes it back before then."
Rarity looked over at the mare in the door. Everypony who knew her knew that she tended to over exaggerate things, but she had never looked more serious than she did now. "She may be the only one who has a chance, because we both know that things look better now, but if we don't get some good help soon, everything we worked so hard to achieve will be ruined."
Applejack solemnly nodded her head. "Ah know, and Ah pray every night. Fer the safety of Equestria, and fer Twi'." |
The Last Hope of a Fallen Nation | Revisiting the Mines | Revisiting the Mines
It wasn't as much of a fall down a pit of death as it was a tube slide from Tartarus. Rocks tore at my skin, ripping out little chunks of hair and just adding to my already somewhat impressive war wounds. I heard Zil shout, "Look out Twilight!" and just barely managed to twist myself around as a rock whizzed past me, bouncing against the walls as it fell down.
I don't know how long we slid down, the rock never changed appearance, and I seemed to have left my watch back in my cell. When the tunnel finally spit me out my head spun around looking everywhere, adrenaline still coursing through me. It was a cave hewed out of solid rock with magic. It must have been a rather skilled magician, the corners were straight, and the ceiling was well reinforced. It was light enough to see, but not well. There was some kind of weird fungi emitting as much light as a strong candle.
I think I would start with the Beginner's Guide to Equestrian Fungi, and then move on to Strange and Rare Fungi Across Equestria. Oh! I could probably ask Roseluck too, she might know. And if none of that worked, I could...
"Come on," Zil said from my left, "we need to get moving before the Changelings reorganize."
I opened my mouth to argue, but closed it when a rock skittered down the hole behind us and clattered to a stop next to my right forehoof. It was hard to tell, but I was pretty sure that we hadn't knocked that one down during our mad slide.
"Yeah, that pretty much settles it," Zil said, taking off at a brisk canter. I followed soon after. "Normally, a changeling separated from its commander is sort of lost. We generally aren't very good without orders from the top. So, I figured knocking out Bane would buy us time while a messenger was sent to Chrysalis for new orders, bonus if she killed him in a blind rage, but it sounds like our head start is up."
"Wait," I asked without breaking stride, "if changelings aren't good without a leader, how did you come to join the resistance. I don't want to think that you are actually a double-double agent." I leveled my best glare, which considering I had just helped him slaughter more than a score of changelings and knock out their commander, could probably have scared even Rainbow Dash.
He hung his head. "I--" A loud crash from the tunnel behind us caused him to whip his head around. "--Will tell you later. We have to go!"
"Fine," I growled, "but you aren't off the hook."
Without a second glance, we both tore off down the tunnel at top speed, turning erratically through the maze of passages in an attempt to lose out pursuers. Right, left, left, right, straight, left, right, right, straight. On and on and on we sprinted, panting heavily, but quietly, so the changelings couldn't hear us.
It felt like hours passed before we both collapsed in a small chamber. It was circular, with more of that strange plant growing in recesses across the top, making it almost seem like torches in the Princess' castle. Of course, thinking of the castle made me think of Princess Celestia, which made me think of her current residence: the sun.
Not good thoughts. Not good at all. Too painful
"Do... do you think we lost 'em?" Zil asked through deep, shaking breaths.
"I sure hope so. I don't think I could run much more..." I replied, equally as breathless. "Besides, you have a story to tell."
Zil sighed. "Yeah, I guess I do. And I promise I'll tell the whole thing when we are safe. So let's just say--"
"Hold on a second!" I shouted, interrupting him. "You promised me the story, and that's what I want to hear!"
"Well tough! I'm not about to go and spout my life's story while we're bein' chased and are stuck in a little cavern! You'll hear the story when, and only when, I'm ready to tell you!" Zil shouted, jumping to his hooves.
"Well, I don't know if I can travel with what could very well be an enemy! I've had enough of being locked up by Queen Cheeselegs, and considering you were with me the first time I got captured, I don't exactly fancy my chances a second time!" My temper got the best of me, and I turned my back on him, facing down one of the three passages branching off from the room, not counting the way we came in.
Noticing I was starting to leave, Zil reached out, though he stopped before actually touching me. "Twilight, wait, don't leave m--" But I didn't hear the rest; the sound of the rocks filling the passage behind me as I walked forward drowned him out.
To be honest, I didn't want to hear it anyway. I'd had enough trouble with changelings, and while I liked Zil and enjoyed his company, the risk was just too great.
*****
Honestly, that was probably a mistake. Note to self: look into books about anger management...
And paranoia, that would probably be good too.
Anyway, I was still stuck in the dark maze of uniform tunnels, lit by a very very strange variety of fungi, and I was alone. To top it all off, I was starving from my magic usage earlier, and from my fasting for the last Celestia only knows how many months. To top it all off, I was ravenously thirsty. I probably would have drank blood at that point.
Nevermind, blood is somewhat salty, it would have been counterproductive.
Also: Ewwwww!
Morbid vampiric thirst aside, it really wasn't terrible. By sealing the passage behind me, (something I had not really intended to do, but whatever,) I had ensured two things. One, the changelings knew exactly which way I went. And two, I was also safe for as long as it took for them to dig away all the rubble, and find out which of the nearly infinite paths I had taken since then.
Even though they knew where I was, I doubt they could reach me. And even if they could? I was rested now. I wouldn't go down without a fight.
Because turning my thoughts to my studies brought my mind down the bastardization of all I had strived my whole life to achieve, and thinking of my friends brought me to how ultimately this was all my fault, and thinking of the Princesses would just make everything much much worse, I locked onto one thing.
Left, right, left, right, left, right, left, right, left, right, left, rig-- wait. What was that?
I had just come to an intersection, another chamber like the one I had parted from Zil in, when a noise from the leftmost corridor drew my attention. I whipped my head around at the sound of hooves striking rock, preparing a deadly beam of light in my horn.
"Who is out there!" I shouted my challenge down the hallway. "Show yourself, or I'll have to identify your body!"
"T... Twilight? Is... Is that really you....?" That voice... she wasn't supposed to sound like that...
"Pinkie Pie?" I asked, changing my death beam to a simple ray of light. The pale lavender bolt shot it's way into the chamber beyond, illuminating the sad, sad shadow of the pink pony I had called friend.
It was a humbling sight. The usually fluffy pink cotton candy mane and tail had been reduced to straight streaks of pink and gray. Dust choked the shine out of her once gleaming coat, leaving it more ashy than pink. Even her cutie mark had not survived the years in the darkness. The three multicolored balloons who had once attested to the fact that this pony loved to party were now coated in dirt and dust. If one hadn't known her before, they never would be able to guess now that this sad pony had once been the life of every party thrown in an entire town.
But the worst was her eyes. The orbs that once held the sparkling light of adventure and discovery at every turn now were dull and lifeless. The color was still there, that light blue like the noonday summer sky, but all the happiness and
spontaneity were gone. For all intent and purposes, Pinkie Pie was dead.
Yet there stood the twisted facsimile of my friend, cowering from the light of my horn. She took one tentative step forward, then another, and another until we stood muzzle to muzzle. She cocked her head to the left, then, not finding what she was looking for, to the right.
"I... I thought you were gone..." Her voice was barely more than a hoarse whisper. If she hadn't been right in front of me, I wouldn't have heard. "They pulled you away and dumped me. It.... It hurt."
"Pinkie," I said, reaching my head forward to give her a reassuring nuzzle.
She shot backwards. "No. NO!" She galloped off down into the corridor.
"Pinkie, wait!" I shouted back, running after her as fast as I could.
"No!" the reply wafted back to me. "You'll just get hurt again! I'll just get hurt again! Just leave me alone!"
Once again I found myself in a chase, although on the opposite end from before. My horn glowed with dangerous energy, not for Pinkie mind you, but just in case we ran into anything not quite as friendly as her.
Not to say she was being particularly friendly at the moment. She was constantly yelling at me to leave her alone as we raced through the endless maze of identical passages. However, she was steadily pulling ahead. All the running previous, combined with the fact I still had not eaten or drank anything in what could have been days was starting to catch up.
In a last ditch effort, I focused what was left of my energy into a spell. I launched it forth, lacking the energy to aim it properly, and prayed to Celestia that it hit the right target.
It did. Pinkie skidded to a halt as the energy enveloped her. I collapsed on the ground, drained. Seconds passed, then minutes. I ground my teeth together, praying that it had worked. It was a simple spell, reminiscent of the one I used during Discord's escape. All it really did was remind Pinkie who she was, and who I was, and what life had been like before.
The formerly-pink pony turned to me with tears in her once-sparkling eyes. "It really is you..." I opened my eyes just in time to see Pinkie rush over to me and sweep me up in a huge hug.
"Yeah Pinkie, but I won't be if you, ack, squeeze me to death," I said through my crushed lungs.
"Right, sorry..." she said, letting me down onto my hooves. Damn, I thought to myself, that worked last time she was all depressed and crazy like this... My stomach growled, interrupting my thoughts.
"Uh, Pinkie? You don't happen to have some sort of home or something carved out down here do you? Maybe with some food?" I asked, letting my hopes balloon for the briefest of moments.
"Sort of, but Betsy gets cranky when I bring strange ponies over," she answered in her peculiar new mellow fashion.
I arched an eyebrow. "Betsy? Other ponies? Just how many others do we need to be looking out for down here?"
Pinkie Pie looked around, counting on her hooves (which, come to think of it, really isn't the most efficient method of counting.) "I don't really know Twilight. I thought it was just me, Betsy, and Miss Fluffles, but now you are down here, and a bunch of scary changelings too."
My ears perked up. Changelings, either our pursuers or Zil. One I wanted to avoid, the other I wanted to apologize to. "What do you mean?"
"Well I heard some noises, and I wondered who was in my caves, so I went to see, and on the way I saw a bunch of changelings attack another changeling and drag him off. Then I found you," Pinkie said. It would take awhile to get used to that subdued voice.
Great. I left Zil, and he got recaptured. Though, if I had been with him, would I have been captured as well? Celestia knows that nothing good would have happened if we had both been caught. At least now I could try to escape, and find some way to hook up with the resistance, or if there isn't one anymore, start one.
Though, I found Pinkie Pie, maybe I could find the other girls and reunite the Elements of Harmony. Then, we could take on Chrysalis and the Taint. Then we could rescue the Princesses and everything could return to normal.
Ha, normal. Funny joke, me.
"Ok, ok, just have to keep a calm head. Pinkie, let's go back to your... home, and we can start working on getting out, ok?"
Pinkie gave me a funny look. "Out? We can't get out."
"What?" I shrieked. "Why not?"
"There's no way." Pinkie hung her head. "I looked for ages and didn't see a single way... We're stuck down here...
"Forever."
*****
After her dramatic declaration, Pinkie Pie led me through the twisting maze of the caverns to the little cave she now called home. It was cozy, I guess, for a giant hole. I imagine that before Pinkie had been beaten down totally, she had tried to redecorate a little bit. Random of splashes of color decorated the walls--mostly dashes of white, gray, and red on top of the gray slate. The white is obviously ash from fires, or maybe powder from ground rocks. The lighter gray was probably parts of the stone itself.
I don't even want to think about where the red came from.
In an effort to make it at least a little bit more comfortable, Pinkie had somehow managed to drag multiple rocks around to make crude furniture. A mostly flat big stone sat in the middle of the room, making a sort of table. Smaller stones sat around it, which I assume were meant to be chairs, though sitting on the floor would probably be more comfortable. Still though, their occupants didn't look like they minded.
Now I understood what Pinkie had meant by other ponies. It seemed that, in the absence of her real friends, she had decided to create her own. Crude--almost foallike in design--effigies of clay ponies sat upon the stones.
One was gray, the other white. They both looked to be earth ponies, though one had a lump on its forehead that could have been a horn if you looked at it right. The gray one was taller, and slimmer. It (she?) sat straight up, the very picture of prim and proper. Rarity would have been pleased.
The white one however, was a tad... off. The whole thing was kind of squatted down, hunched over the table in a direct opposite to its companion. The lump extended from this one, just a tad under where the horn on a unicorn would be. It was really more of a... blob than a lump, though it could probably be a horn if you looked at it straight on.
"So, Pinkie..." I started, "are these two 'ponies' Betsy and Miss Fluffles?" I waved my hoof in the general direction of the clay figures.
Pinkie Pie nodded, walking slowly around the "table" until she was right behind the gray effigy. "Betsy," she said, "and Miss Fluffles," she added, motioning towards the white figure, "this is my friend, Twilight Sparkle. Don't worry she is really smart. She was the student of Princess Celestia even!"
"Oh, pleasure to meet you, Miss Sparkle," Pinkie said in a higher-pitched voice with a posh overtone. "I am Lady Betsy, and that pony over there is my good friend Miss Fluffles. You'll have to excuse her, she is in a bit of a state lately."
"Ah shaddup," Pinkie said in a deep, gravely voice, jumping around to stand near the white clay pony. "I ain't in no state, and you wouldn't know either way, so can it!"
"My word," 'Betsy' said, "I thought we were beyond such crass and harsh language Madame Fluffles."
"It's MISS Fluffles, ya bimbo. Now shaddup and leave me t' my drink." Pinkie made slurping noises, which I suppose was to be 'Miss Fluffles' drinking.
Enough was enough. I couldn't really tell Pinkie that her 'friends' weren't real, but I could at least hope to distract her. "So Pinkie, got any food lying around? Or at least some water?"
"Huh?" Pinkie turned and stared as if seeing me for the first time. "Ohmygosh Twilight!" She tackled me to the floor in a fierce hug. "I... I thought I would never see you again!" Pinkie pulled back, suspicion in her eyes. "How did you get here?"
"Uh, you brought me here...? In fact, we literally just had this conversation like, half an hour ago." I looked at her closely, mentally running through the checklist of first-aid spells I knew. It was possible, of course, that she had honestly forgotten. It was Pinkie Pie after all, she didn't have the best memory most of the time, but I don't think she would forget somepony, especially a good friend.
No, what was much more likely was that, in her time of isolation, something had snapped within the head of the pony. Such a social creature, thrust down into the depths of the ground, alone. Surely nothing good could come of it.
Hopefully it wouldn't be irreversible. If Pinkie Pie didn't go back to being, well, Pinkie Pie, Chrysalis would have hell to pay.
Assuming I survived this whole mess. That was a definite condition to my revenge. It is hard to make somepony pay if you're dead.
"Did we? I... I don't remember. I just know that the last time I saw you, they took you away and stuck me in this dark, awful place Twilight. It was so scary until I met Betsy and Miss Fluffles. Hey! Have you met them yet?"
Oh Celestia, it was worse than I thought. Ok. let's see here. Could be a concussion, affecting her short term memory. A likely option, as her long term memory seems to be unaffected. She does remember my visit when she was locked away, after all.
It could also be a psychological breakdown due to stress or isolation. Even if she made friends of her own to counteract the loneliness of this cave system, something inside her knows that the ponies she talks to aren't real. Possibly they go through the same reinvention every so often as well?
Could it simply be the fact that she doesn't remember? I did fire that spell at her, and while it didn't do anything of the sort last time, I was somewhat rushed and stressed. It is possible a bit of my combat magic may have mixed into the psychological feeler that the spell used to search for memories, eradicating them instead of pulling them to the surface.
No, that can't be it. She remembered me right after, ergo the memories were perfectly fine. Besides, she remembered my earlier visit while she was locked up. Ugh, this is so confusing! Maybe I could just get her to let me run a battery of tests or something. That would probably be the easiest solution, after all, and the most practical. Of course, Pinkie Pie and scientific tests don't have the best working relationship.
Too late, I realized I hadn't answered Pinkie's question, so she had gone ahead with her whole introduction spiel.
"A pleasure to meet, you Miss Twilight. I am Lady Betsy, and that pony over there is my good friend Miss Fluffles. You'll have to excuse her, she is in a bit of a state today."
"Not such that I would ever dream of being impolite to a guest. Welcome, Miss Twilight, to our cozy little home. Alas, it is not much, but consider what is ours, yours." I did a double take. Instead of the crass and rude Miss Fluffles of earlier, this one spoke with an accent much more akin to her compatriot. This learnt much more credibility to Situation Two, the worst possible one.
"Well said, well said indeed," Betsy said from her side of the table. "Say Pinkie Pie, be a dear and fetch our friend some nourishment, could you? She looks absolutely starved!"
"Oh my gosh you're right!" Pinkie shouted in her new quiet tone. She trotted over to a pile of something in the corner, pulling out some inedible-looking flowers and a clay pot of fresh, clear water. She set them out on the place at the table nearest to me.
The flowers were pretty unappetizing, but I was starving. I moved over, making sure to discretely roll the rock-chair out of the way before planting my flank on the ground. Trying my best to ignore the dying, crisping leaves I picked one flower up with my magic and hesitantly took a bite.
And it was awful. It was sour, and bitter, and tasted like ash. Still, I knew I would need the energy to cast diagnostic spells on Pinkie Pie, and ultimately would need my magic to escape. So, with invincible resolve, I scrunched my eyes shut and ate the rest of the flower, and its two companions as fast as equinely possible, chugging the water afterwards in a vain attempt to banish the taste from my mouth.
"T-Thanks Pinkie," I managed to choke out through gasps of air. "That was... delicious...?"
"No it wasn't," Pinkie said in a very matter-of-fact way. "The flowers down here are never good. Not like the Good Stuff from the Candy Place..."
"Good Stuff? Candy Place? What are you going on about Pinkie?" I asked. This was either one of two things. 1, Pinkie was reminiscing about home, albeit with very roundabout methods, or 2, that there was a place down in the mines called the Candy Place.
My bits are on 1.
"Back before... Before it all... I used to work in a shop in Ponyville. I threw parties, I made sweets, and everything was great and happy." She looked over at me with some form of clarity. "You moved to town. I knew everypony before I met you, and then I threw you that party, and we all went out to vanquish Nightmare Moon. You became my best friend, you and the other girls. We did so much."
Pinkie looked over at me. Lifeless blue eyes coating themselves with a sheen of moisture. "Where did we go wrong Twilight? What happened to make us lose this one?" Her voice softened even more, quieter than a whisper of a nighttime breeze across reeds in a stream. "What happened to us?"
As much as it killed me to admit it, I didn't know.
*****
Can you tell where she is, sister?
We are trying our best. She is still in the castle, yes, but deeper. It would appear she is in the mines below Canterlot, but we thought you shut them down years before our... departure.
We did. Oh, little Twilight, go to sleep so we can figure out how to help you...
Do you honestly expect to be able to aid Applejack and Rarity? Even if we find her, she is still stuck underneath the castle, assuming she is still alive.
Don't talk like that!
Oh, did We strike a nerve, sister?
You should care about her well being as much as I. After all, she saved you too.
We know, Celestia. We are just messing with you.
Yeah, sure. How is that spell I asked you to create coming?
We have both good news and bad news sister. The good news is it is finished, and ready to be cast at any time.
Then do it!
There lies the bad news. Her personal resistance to magic prevents us from casting a spell like that on her at most times. We must wait until she is weaker than normal, or her guards are down.
Well, what can you do?
Let us show you...
*****
I tossed and turned, mumbling through my uneasy sleep. Flickering lights. Fleeting colors and twisting landscapes. Uncertain, disfigured faces flying across the void of space. It all resolved into one white alicorn, looking down upon a small lavender unicorn from the precipice of a cliff miles and miles high, while at the same time small enough to climb with little effort.
The alicorn looked down, the unicorn looked up. Their gazes met, and locked in place. The alicorn opened her mouth, about to speak her edict of all time upon her small audience, but just before the words could escape their perfect prison, a bright ball of flame shot up between the two, blocking the lavender unicorn's sight.
She ran for days and days, trying to find her way around the ever-expanding cliff face. She ran until she could no longer, then she began to crawl. She crawled until her hooves refused to move, and she collapsed where she lay, no closer to anything at all.
I woke with a start, sweating all over. A groan escaped my lips, life cut short as I clamped my muzzle closed to avoid waking the other occupant of the room. Above me and slightly to my left sat the two clay mimics, in the exact same place they had been in when I arrived. No, it was I who had moved, though not far.
No, I was simply lying on the ground, rock under my head in a makeshift pillow, blanket of moss pulled over me to try and combat the dank chill of the cavern. Stupid dreams, I thought to myself, plopping my head back down onto my rock-pillow before remembering it was a rock, and that rocks hurt.
"Ouch!" I cried, shooting into a sitting position. Before I could do anything, a pink blur rocketed over to me, clutching a rock in her hooves.
"Twilight! Is everything ok?" Pinkie Pie asked, eyes lighting up with concern.
"No, just hit my head is all. Go back to sleep," I answered, rubbing the rapidly-forming goose egg on the back of my head with a forehoof.
Pinkie dropped her rock, eyes returning to their dull state. "Ok," she said simply before returning to her own patch of floor. I sighed, before lying back down--mindful of the unforgiving object I called a pillow--and thought back over the events of the day.
I had learned many things about Pinkie's condition in the few hours we had been together. I closed my eyes, envisioning a checklist like one of the uncounted millions I had created back in Ponyville, and even before, during my tutelage under Celestia.
1. Pinkie Pie was originally unstable in her cell. It appears that the long amount of time with no real interpersonal interaction has damaged something inside her mind.
2. Betsy and Miss Fluffles are creations of clay, hardened in their positions as the rock Pinkie refers to as the table. Their personalities are supplied by Pinkie herself, and are subject to change whenever Pinkie loses clarity.
3. Pinkie often suffers from bouts of depression, though they are not very frequent, and last only a few minutes, and can sometimes forewarn of an impending loss of reality.
4. Pinkie sometimes loses all hold on reality for a few moments. Short term memory may or may not be erased during these episodes, but long term memory seems mostly unaffected
**Note: After episode involving memories of Sugarcube Corner, no other episodes have been observed in the last 4-5 hours.**
5. Pinkie sometimes experiences moments of perfect clarity, often after being made aware of her surroundings. I need to find a way to bring these out more often, make them last longer, and overall, make this her only method of thinking. This is the first logical step to "fixing" her, and to plotting out eventual escape.
I allowed myself a triumphant smile. After all, I had deduced all of that within the course of a few hours, and with minimal harmful experimentation on Pinkie's psyche. I had also gotten her to agree to an examination tomorrow, which could be instrumental to curing her problem, long term.
Though I dreaded what may happen, I knew sleep was necessary. Doing my absolute best to clear my mind, I closed my eyes and fell into an uneasy slumber.
*****
"Pinkie? Pinkie, I need you to focus!"
"Sorry, sorry Twilight. I'm trying, I really am."
"No she isn't, the girl is paying less attention than a beggar in Royal court!"
"Oh, hush. Such rude things. I am absolutely petrified to being seen in public with you."
My eye twitched. Thus was the state we had been in for almost an hour now. I was trying to run complicated spells on Pinkie--searching for damage, but brain damage in particular, and patching up what I could--with only about a fourth of the magical power I was accustomed to.
Needless to say, it was not going perfectly, especially since Pinkie's 'friends' had to keep throwing their two bits in.
"Please everypony," I had quickly learned to treat the two clay figures as they were actually ponies to avoid upsetting Pinkie awhile ago, "be quiet. I need to get this right to make sure nothing is wrong with Pinkie." I paused, waiting for the interruption I knew was probably coming.
In all honesty, I was enjoying myself, at least a little bit. Reimagining spells to use less power while not compromising its effect was a very interesting challenge, the likes of which I had not had the pleasure of butting heads with for a long time.
I closed my eyes, focusing my being into nothing but my horn and my mind once again. This was the last spell on the list that could possibly do any good. It was also the only one on the list I had much trouble reinventing to work with my limited power supply. I had made sure to weave failsafes into the spell, so that nothing I did would inadvertently hurt Pinkie, but it might not work at all either.
My horn glowed, spreading it's warm light over Pinkie's form. She giggled a little, nothing like what she used to do, but it made me feel like maybe some of what I had done actually had some effect. As the spell continued, a perfect representation of her appeared in my mind's eye. With a thought, the fur disappeared, leaving the skin below. I had already checked that much, but it didn't hurt to be thorough.
Her skin was fine, I had already healed the several lacerations, burns, holes, and other assorted injuries. Satisfied that she was in as good of a condition she could be, I vanished the skin, revealing the musculature. Again, nothing there that I hadn't already fixed. There had been several tears, a few muscles ripped earlier that hadn't healed right that I broke apart and stitched back together.
So I went deeper. Gone went the muscles, and up came the skeleton, and the organs held beneath. For the moment, I faded out the bones and cartilage, focusing instead on the things responsible for my pink friend's life. Most of them were ok, the only real damage were to her heart and lungs, both could be explained by panic and the musty air of the caverns.
Satisfied with that, I let the skeleton fade back in, fading the organs out instead. Microfractures were healed. Stress on the ligaments and cartilage vanished with an errant thought. I couldn't avoid it any longer, time to use this spell for what I actually meant to.
I took a deep breath, and banished all but the brain nestled within her skull. It expanded, filling my mind's eye, giving me unbridled view and access. To be honest, there really wasn't much I could do. If there was some scar tissue, I could remove it. A deformed section could be shaped back, but there was no guarantee that whatever had been there would come back.
That's why I was immensely relieved when I found a patch of scar tissue, stretching from one side to the other. Focusing, I repeated the damage to her brain, and used my magic to aid the healing process. I doubt it would fix anything, but it couldn't hurt.
I heaved a massive sigh, the kind that could clear your entire system. I let the spell drop, feeling the slow ebb of energy returning after a long, tiring spell. Before I could even open my eyes, Pinkie rushed over to my side, supporting me so I wouldn't fall over.
"Thanks Pinkie," I said, accepting the pot of water she offered me. Apparently there was a freshwater spring inside the cave itself, supplying her, and me, with as much water as we wanted.
"Am I ok doc?" she asked with a quirky grin on her face.
"Physically yes. I healed a scar on your brain tissue, but I don't know if it'll help at all. Physically you're ok, but you're not... you."
Pinkie ran a hoof through her straight mane, spreading another coat of dirt and ash over it's once vibrant pink. "I don't know Twilight," she mumbled. "Sorry."
I reached over and hugged Pinkie, only partly to keep from falling over. Constant spellcasting for a couple hours had really drained me. I still wasn't back up to one hundred percent, and I was starting to fear I never would be. Then what would Princess Celestia think?
"It's not your fault," I whispered back, still using my pink friend for support.
"I miss it Twilight," she said in a voice so quiet I almost couldn't hear. "I remember back in Ponyville. I remember Nightmare Moon, Discord, the Gala. I remember the Iron Pony competition, and the Running of the Leaves. I remember throwing parties, and making everypony so happy.
"Everything sparkled. Everything was bright and shiny and new and exciting. But that cell..." she took a deep breath, scrambling back until she knocked over one of her clay ponies, Miss Fluffles I think. "And Dashie screaming... and it was dark all the time, and cold. The food was awful, and the water was almost worse."
"Pinkie," I said in a reassuring voice, "we can get all that back."
Her eyes shot up to meet mine, sparkling for a second with the boundless energy I knew she had. "How? The Queen killed everypony, she locked us up and split us up. She dumped me down here and there is no way out!" She rushed over to me and put her hooves on either side of my face, forcing me to look into her eyes. "No way out Twilight! No way out!"
"Pinkie, there has to be a way out," I said, voice hard with determination. "There has to be a way out, because I have to get out. I have to get out, and I have to get everything back the way it was."
She cocked her head, still muzzle to muzzle with me.
"I have to. I have to get it all back." I broke away from Pinkie's grip. I felt it coming, the tears, the sadness. I saw the plans flash across my mind. Saw bodies piled up in the streets. All of it, my fault. I pulled my way back to the room. It was too much. I had damned myself to try and stop Chrysalis, and then got caught like a fool when I tried to spin my treachery as something good.
Because of me Spike was killed, and Zil. Because of me Rainbow Dash was either seriously hurt, possibly unable to fly again, or dead.
I felt hooves wrap around me. I felt a gentle nuzzle on my neck.
"Twilight?" I couldn't face her. Couldn't do it. My fault, all of it. "Twilight Sparkle?" Pain. Injury. Chrysalis throwing me against the wall when my plans didn't work right. "Come on, look at me." Shining, being dissolved before Celestia blocked my sight. Spike's body falling to the floor, blood chasing his head as it rolled towards his killer. Zil, screaming as a horde of angry changelings dragged his broken body back to Chrysalis.
The hooves on me slipped off my back. Gently clopping noises drifted over to me until a pink blob blocked my vision. A hoof gently raised my head up until they looked at big, blue eyes. She smiled, a gentle smile. "I believe in you."
*****
I didn't even bother trying to sleep that night. Too busy, too focused. "Pinkie, what all have you figured out about this place. Are there any ways back to the surface other than the way through the castle?"
"No. Well, there was a door thingy, it was locked or something though. I couldn't open it," she said before taking a little bite of the terrible flowers we had to eat.
"Hmm, well Cadence and I pretty much demolished the minecart we used to break out last time. I got down by sliding down a big hole in the bottom of the castle. I don't think that is a very feasible option for getting back, so it sounds like this door is the only real way out." I rubbed my chin with a hoof.
Going up through the castle meant we would probably encounter a lot of changeling resistance. I'm not totally sure how good of a fighter Pinkie would be, but she seemed able to hold her own when we rushed to get the Elements of Harmony, so, while she may not be as good of a fighter as Zil, at least it wouldn't be just me against everything.
Which was doubly good, because my magic was still not nearly as strong as I would have liked. While I wasn't struggling with small spells, I didn't know how well my combat magic would work. Though, I could always just levitate like, a brick or something to use as a bludgeon. And if it came down to that, I could always poke a changeling with my horn.
"Do you remember where it is?" I asked.
"Ummm... yup, I think so." She pondered for a second more. "Yeah, definitely."
"Good, then as soon as we are rested up, we are getting out of here."
I turned around to grab myself another drink of water, when I heard Pinkie gasp behind me. "Twilight! What about Miss Fluffles and Betsy!?"
Buck. She hadn't mentioned them at all since I had messed with her head--wow, that sounds a lot worse than it did in my head--and I had hoped that maybe that part of it was done. "Well, can they move?"
Pinkie shook her head.
"I don't see a way to bring them with us Pinkie, I'm sorry." And I really was. Pinkie had been alone for so long, she had made friends that couldn't leave her, and now I was making her leave.
Pinkie looked at the two clay figures. She blinked a couple of times before turning back to me. "That's ok. They aren't real. They never really were. They are up here," she poked her head with a hoof, "so I'm not leaving them anywhere."
Ok, I was feeling pretty hopeful for a moment there. It sounded like her odd schizophrenic thing she had going on was done for, but it turned out that it was really only just a little better. Still though, had to start somewhere.
"Alright, guess we should get some sleep," I said. "When we get up, we get out."
Pinkie nodded, before plopping down near her moss-blanket and rolling away from me.
I promise I'll make this all better... I thought to myself as I slipped into sleep. |
The Last Hope of a Fallen Nation | What Dwells in the Darkness | What Dwells in the Darkness
"Here we are," Pinkie Pie said to me, stopping before a random section of the wall. The odd luminescent moss that was prevalent everywhere was here as well, but it was different. Instead of coating odd recesses in the ceiling, the vast majority of this hallway's fungi was grouped along one wall, leaving one just the dull gray stone that the passages were carved from.
I took a closer look. Pinkie Pie may have been crazy, (in more ways than one,) but it didn't seem likely that she would make up something as important as our escape route. Sure enough, closer inspection revealed a small groove running along a slab of rock barely big enough for a stallion to fit through. The only thing I didn't understand was the scratches the blemished the right side of the "door." I only knew of a few creatures strong enough to gouge out solid stone, and I didn't want to meet any of them.
"Is... is it going to work," Pinkie asked me as I pulled back from my inspection.
"I really don't know. It looks like it could be a door, or it could be the lair of some terrible monster that would eat us whole," I replied with another nervous look to the indent.
"Would that really be so bad...?" the quiet response came.
I spun around quickly, staring my pink friend dead in her eyes. "Don't talk like that Pinkie, don't even think like that! We... we can't give up!" I was shouting now, desperation lending my voice a shrill edge. "Pinkie, please, we have to fix this. We have to make this right, because we are the only ones who can! We have to find the girls, have to get rid of Chrysalis, have to save Equestria..." my voice trailed off. Have to free Celestia, I thought for a moment before quickly banishing it. Focus. Have to focus.
Pinkie blinked. "Yeah, ok. What do we do then, Miss Boss Pony?"
"Well, it's pretty simple Pinkie. All we have to do is--" I blanked. Nothing came to mind. What do we do?
"Isssss...?" Pinkie responded, drawing the word out, leaning forward until her muzzle poked mine. I playfully pushed her back, causing her to fall on her haunches and smile.
I smiled back. "Well, the plan was to use a spell I learned to burst the door open, then just run through and try to get out in one piece."
"Huh. Seems kind of unplanned for you," Pinkie said, poking a hoof at the door, trying to get it to move.
"Well, there really isn't much for me to go off of, Pinkie. It's better than nothing though, isn't it?" I asked, a little bite to my tone.
"Well, yeah, but your plans are usually so... so... Twilight-y!"
She seems to be swinging back towards normal. I couldn't suppress a giggle. "Twilight-y? That isn't a word."
"But it works! I mean, sure, so does 'organized,' but Rarity is organized too."
"We can both be organized," I said, fighting hard to suppress my grin.
"Well duh," Pinkie rolled her eyes. "But she is all... clean-organized. You are more... everything-exactly-where-it-belongs-and-aligned-perfectly-organized. It's totally different, but the same thing."
I opened my mouth to respond, then closed it a second or two later. It really wasn't worth the argument that would probably just end when she slipped back to the other end of her personality pendulum. Instead, I turned my attention towards the door.
A feeler of magic pulsed out from my horn, worming against the stone seal that locked the slab of rock firmly shut. No matter how much I pushed against it, however, the seal remained, firm and defiant. Not so much as a small hole allowed me to see to the other side either, so even if we could get it open, we would be going in blind.
"Twilight," called a tiny voice from far, far away. "Twilight? Are you ok?"
"Huh?" I opened my eyes to see two bright blue orbs staring down at me. "Waugh!" I screamed, jumping back to the sound of giggles.
"Jeez, Twilight, you don't have to be so jumpy," Pinkie Pie said between gasps of laughter.
"That's not funny, Pinkie!" I said, though my smile betrayed me.
"hehe If you say so... What were you doing anyway?" she asked, much more calmly.
"I was using magic to see if we could see through the door somehow," I replied, getting back into position to take up the broken spell.
"Well, that's easy! All we have to do is open it!" Pinkie said, moving towards the door.
"No, don't!" I shouted, but it was too late. With a massive heave, Pinkie bucked the door, causing the rock around it to shake, and dust to rain from the ceiling. For a moment, I thought it wasn't going to be enough, but then, to my horror, the rock creaked and slid back on hidden joints, revealing a dark passage beyond.
The first thing I noticed was that the passage was pitch black. The strange luminous moss apparently didn't grow in the dark tunnel. What little light flowed in revealed rough walls, of some strange dark stone, possibly granite or marble. I moved closer, gently but firmly moving Pinkie Pie as I focused magic into my horn.
"Whatcha doin, Twilight?" Pinkie asked from behind me. Rather than ruin my concentration with an answer, I fired a bolt of energy deep into the crevasse. The soft purple light didn't really stay in one spot long enough to illuminate much, just a few branches off the main path, but it went on for a small eternity before it hit a wall and fizzled out. "Ooh, what was that supposed to do? Make a portal back to the surface?"
"I wish it was that easy, Pinkie," I replied, taking a tentative couple of steps into the dark passageway. "It was just to put some light in, maybe show if anything else was here. After all, if we have to walk through, do you want to share it with, say, changelings?"
"Well, no..." she replied. "Should I come too?"
"Unless you want to stay here, yeah." As soon as the pink pony took her first step into the tunnel, I started walking forward, focusing my magic like a lantern. As Pinkie finished clearing the threshold, tail and all inside, the door shot back around and slammed shut, sealing us in.
"No, no, no, no!" I galloped back, pushing Pinkie out of the way in my haste to get to the door. Right before I hit, I spun and bucked the stone, just as Pinkie had done earlier, but the door did not budge. We were trapped, in the dark, with no idea where to go.
I took a deep breath, steadied my nerves, and started off in a random direction.
*****
"Twilight, are we lost?" The voice came from behind me, as quiet as always.
"No.......... maybe," I replied, hoping Pinkie wouldn't freak out. Thankfully, only silence answered my admission. When we next came to an intersection, I plopped down on my haunches, resting my hooves, and letting my dim light fade. I felt more than saw Pinkie sit next to me.
"Are we ever going to get out?" I didn't reply, so Pinkie put a hoof on my shoulder, and shook me before repeating herself. "Twiliiiight, are we ever going to get out of this place? At least back in the mines there was light."
I was about to respond when something hot blew past my right ear, making it twitch. "Pinkie, this really isn't the time to be blowing on my ears, of all things."
"What do you mean? I'm not doing anything to your ears. I'm over here, silly," Pinkie replied, prodding my left side with a hoof.
I gulped, adrenaline flooding my system. I didn't want to probe the air, afraid the light from my horn would aggravate whatever ferocious beast occupied the tunnel with us. "Pinkie," I whispered urgently, "listen very closely to me. On the count of three, I'm going to flood the chamber with light. When I do, run forward, and don't look back, okay?"
"Uh, if you say so, Twilight," Pinkie replied in a soft whisper matching my own. "When do I stop?"
"When we stop being chased. Get ready, on three."
I took a deep breath. "One,"
I started condensing power inside of myself, without channeling it into my horn, lest the glow give us away. "two,"
I exhaled slowly, cleansing my system, and taking another deep breath. "three!"
I pushed all the power I held in my being, and shoved it through my horn, closing my eyes as I did so. Through my eyelids, the room glowed a bright, bright purple. Something next to me roared in agony, and I took off, galloping down the passage as fast as I could. Every so often, I felt something whip across my muzzle, letting me know Pinkie was right in front of me.
It wasn't too long before the thing took off after us, claws scratching at the floor. A massive bellow shook the cave around us, echoing off the walls, making it seem like we were surrounded on all sides. Somepony screamed, probably not me, and we poured on the speed, galloping for our lives.
It briefly occurred to me that we were running blind, no idea what was coming, and no way to make enough light to facilitate quick reactions. Pinkie must have had some idea, because when we came to a dead end, she darted over to the left, and I quickly followed, praying to her that we were going the right way.
Oh, Goddesses, it was terrifying. Every few steps, I felt something snap at my tail, causing me to jerk forward to save myself, but I was tiring out. Each lunge took its toll, making my jumps become shorter and shorter. To make it all worse, the monster was panting, sending some kind of spit against my legs and hooves, causing me to slip every so often, which made my heart to skip a beat until I could regain my footing and put on a burst of speed.
It was also gross. Very, very gross.
But, as the chase wore on, the snaps at my haunches and legs began getting further and further apart. The scritching began growing faint, until the only sounds to be heard were the panicked, shaky breaths of Pinkie and myself, and the quick clopping of hooves on stone. The pony in front of me started slowing down, eventually causing us to halt, leaning against opposite walls for support.
"Did we... did we lose it?" Pinkie asked after a while.
"I hope so, otherwise we are monster food," I replied. "Yeah, I think I know why this tunnel was sealed now." I looked down the tunnel, shuddering at the thought of what would have happened. "That was probably a drake, sort of like the dragon's baby cousin. I heard stories of them living in the mountains before the Royal Army drove them out, but I didn't realize the Princesses kept one as a pet."
"You know, Twilight, it probably wasn't the princesses," Pinkie said calmly. "It seems likely that Queen Chrysalis put it down here, maybe to eat me later, if she had to. After all, a hunting beast would track down a pony easier than a squad of changelings."
I blinked, and looked over at where the voice was coming from. "That... that makes sense, yeah. Are you good to go?" I asked, reigniting my horn.
"I'll manage," she replied. "But, what's that all over the back of your legs? Did it get you?"
"No, just slobbered on me. I'll be fine." I bumped Pinkie's hip with mine, flashing her a friendly smile before taking back off down the corridor.
*****
We must have been walking for hours with naught but the flickering of my magic and the sharp sound of hooves on stone before Pinkie spoke again. "So, what happened to you before you came down to the mines, Twilight?"
"I, uh," my mind scrambled, fruitlessly trying to come up with something to say. Call me crazy, but I didn't want Pinkie knowing I spent several months helping Chrysalis. "I... I was locked in a dungeon." Well, it wasn't a complete lie, anyway. A lie of omission, though, part of me said.
"Oh, that must have been scary. I was locked in a cell too..." Pinkie trailed off, staring down at the floor. I trotted closer, throwing a hoof around her shoulders in a reassuring hug, which ended up turning our walk into an awkward seven-hoof, two-pony hobble. It worked for all of three steps before I tripped, my hoof around Pinkie's neck pulling her down on top of me.
We stared into each other's eyes for a long moment. They were still dead, empty of the laughter that long characterized my pink friend, but still such a pretty shade of blue. Suddenly, they lit up with mirth as Pinkie rolled off me, giggling like a maniac. I joined in, our laughter joining together and bouncing off the natural walls of the tunnel, echoing back and forth, until a score of Twilights and Pinkies laughed alongside us.
A score of Pinkies and Twilights, and one angry growl.
The laughter died instantly. "Did you hear that?" I asked as the last of the echoing laughter faded away.
"Yeah," Pinkie responded quietly. "Is that thing back?"
"Celestia, I hope not, but then again, it could be a lot worse." I glanced down the tunnel, dimming my light a bit in case it hadn't found us yet. It was pretty likely the echoes threw it off, unless it was tracking us by scent. Then again, it had slobbered all over me, so we might smell like drake. "Okay Pinkie, we have to be quiet and hope that it doesn't find us long enough for us to find the way out. After all, they had to have a way to get it down here, right?"
Pinkie nodded.
"So there is probably a door down here somewhere, right?" Pinkie didn't answer, just started tiphoofing into the tunnel. I followed close behind, scanning anxiously for a way out.
It wasn't too much further down the tunnel when I heard the scritch of the drake nearby. I quickly doused the light and pushed Pinkie into a narrow crack in the wall, turning myself around to slide in in front of her. Sensing my anxiety, the pink pony didn't question me, instead deciding to breathe shallowly and lightly, each exhale tickling my ear.
We stayed in the crack for uncounted minutes. Just when I thought I might have imagined it, or overreacted, I heard a sniff. Just to be safe, I poked Pinkie's leg, hoping she got the message to be quiet. "It wasn't me," she whispered into my ear.
Suddenly, the darkness in front of me grew darker. It rolled smoothly by, moving in a very uniform pattern. It was searching for something; searching for us. I held my breath, afraid even the littlest tremor would give us away. I strained my eyes, trying to discern the beast from the black background, every second making my heart beat faster, until I was almost sure the beast could hear it, and that it was going to dig us out and eat us.
Eventually, the shadow left. A small sigh escaped my lips and I slumped just a bit, taking some weight off my hind legs. I was just about to turn and give Pinkie the all clear when a massive white eyeball burst into the entrance to our hiding spot. I stood, paralyzed, unable to do so much as even breathe. This is it, my mind kept saying. I'm about to die, and we never even made it out of the castle.
The slit of the pupil darted around, likely unable to see into the pitch black of our hiding space, but it could smell. Every few seconds it breathed a massive gust of air in, searching for our scent. I felt Pinkie trembling behind me. It wasn't long until my body wanted to do the same, though I restrained myself.
For a terrifying second, the eye was looking right at me. My entire body froze. I didn't blink, didn't breathe, didn't even think, lest I think too loud and be caught. Suddenly, a noise down the hallway drew its attention. The massive drake lumbered off, tail slithering ominously behind it.
I poked my head out, and, seeing nothing, squeezed myself out of the crack, followed shortly after by Pinkie. "Come on," I whispered, "before it comes back." She nudged into me, letting me know she understood, and we set off down the dark tunnel once again, constantly listening for the drake's claws on the stone ground.
We walked for a few more minutes, before the worst thing happened: we hit a dead end. "Oh now what?" Pinkie worriedly whispered from my right. "We're trapped!"
"Just stay calm," I replied, frantically looking at the dark walls for a way out. "There's gotta be something..."
"Can you make some light?"
"Well, I could, but it would tell the drake exactly where we are if he is still in this part of the tunnels with us. Its so dark that any light would carry for quite awhile." I moved, pressing myself against the wall and feeling around with a hoof for some sort of indent that would denote an escape.
"Twilight, please!" I felt hooves clumsily fumble around on my coat for a moment before settling on my shoulders. Pinkie shook me. "I can't stand the dark any longer! Please, just for a moment so we can look. If we don't find a way out, we're dead anyway, that thing is between us and the way back to the mines."
She is right, part of my mind said.
Yeah, but she is also talking about suicide! another replied.
So you would rather sit in the dark and starve to death, or get mauled trying to slip past an angry drake? Even if we do make it out, we'll just end up rotting down here.
While my inner pessimist and optimist argued inside, the opportunist of me acted. For the briefest of seconds, I flared my horn just bright enough for me to see... there! On the ceiling, a trapdoor! Then we heard the roar. The bellow shook the cave around us, briefly hiding the sound of the drake's claws gouging at the floor; no longer a quiet scritch, now it was a thunderhead, an oncoming storm. And we were right in its path.
"Pinkie, quick, I need to get on your back!" I shouted, positioning her below the trap door.
"B-But, Twilight! The monster's coming!" she replied, though she crouched a little so I could clamber up onto her.
"I know, I know, if I can just get this hatch open..." I muttered, more to myself than Pinkie. My horn lit as I channeled a simple levitation spell through it. I found the hinges with my magic. With a simple thought, I moved the tendril of telekinesis opposite the hinge and pushed hard, causing the door to flip open with a mighty BANG!
I hazarded a glance down the tunnel, and sorely wished I hadn't. The drake was barreling down on us. Its long, curved horns almost scraped the ceiling, the ridges from the base circled down into mandible-like protrusions on his lower jaw, just below his mouth of countless razor sharp teeth. Every so often his forked tongue flicked out to taste the air, sharp with the fear of his pray.
Quickly whipping my head towards the opening above me, I reached for the power inside myself once again, levitating myself up, holding on just long enough to clear the lip before landing. I quickly spun around and fell to my stomach, reaching a hoof back down the hole. "Come on, Pinkie, jump!" I shouted down at her.
I didn't need to tell her twice. With a mighty leap, Pinkie launched herself into the air, grabbing my hoof in the process. I heaved, digging my back hooves into the ground and pushing with all my might until the pink pony popped from our underground prison. We tumbled through the air, finally coming to a rest on top of the white marble, side by side.
"Did we make it?" I asked, not opening my eyes.
"Yes, Twilight Sparkle, it would seem you have," a voice replied.
My eyes shot open, and before I could even think, I was on my hooves, crouched low to the ground, eyes spitting fire. Not a second later, Pinkie joined me, standing facing the other way. Only then did I take in our surroundings; a long hallway, red carpet reaching down the middle, from a massive, gilded door to a big chair, big enough for one pony. White marble pillars were spread out evenly, except for one which had been broken in two and now rested in a corner.
"We were just about to go looking for you, Miss Sparkle. Thank you for saving us the trouble," a changeling sneered from his seat by the throne.
"You... you are not Queen Chrysalis," I said, looking it over. "Hmmm... you all look the same to me. Do you know this one Pinkie?" Silence. "Pinkie...?"
"T-Twilight..." Pinkie said, nudging my flank. "We should go. Now."
I slowly turned. "But I'm having fun... with... buck." Behind us, crouched over the still open trapdoor, was the drake. "Yeah, I agree. Run!" We took off, followed by the roar of the monster, and the bellow of the drake.
I thrust ahead with my magic, causing the golden doors I had walked through every single day to fly open, ripped from their hinges, and clatter against the twin looping staircases leading upstairs. We skid to a halt, blocked by the line of changling soldiers before us. "Halt, in the name of the Empress!"
"Empress?" I asked, "isn't she aiming a little high now? I mean, honestly, capitulate one nation, and suddenly she is the Great Creator."
The lead changeling paled as the drake stomped behind us, saliva dripping from its open maw. The lead changeling shouted orders as his unit bolted. The drake roared, sending the leader running for his life. Not to be outdone, Pinkie screamed, bolting down the hallway towards the front gate. I charged after her, priming my horn for another blast of magic.
The door to the outside world burst open, spraying bits of stone and wood everywhere as the latch shattered and hinges burst. We charged forward, just to be stopped by a score of changelings in full combat armor. Knowing full well what was hot on our heels, I pushed Pinkie to the right, diving over her as the drake burst through the now-demolished gate, plowing into the changelings and through the portcullis, the last thing blocking us from the outside world.
"Go, go, go!" I shouted, pushing Pinkie past the legs of the stunned drake and the bodies of what used to be the changelings. We burst out of the castle, straight into High Street. Ponies gawked, changelings drew weapons and moved towards us, and one very, very angry drake crawled up the walls, perching itself across one of the turrets spaced along the walls, and roared, shaking a bit of snow off the cap of the mountain itself.
Seizing the distraction, I charged forward, knocking a changeling hard enough that he dropped his sword. I quickly picked it up, clumsily holding it in my magic grip as I nodded my head down the street, following Pinkie as she took off running once again. Most ponies moved out of the way, but some joined us, a couple even taking up weapons.
What began as a two pony dash quickly turned into a full-scale riot. As we galloped through the streets, ponies everywhere joined in, taking out changelings, breaking through barricades and checkpoints. We were an unstoppable wave, wrecking everything in our path. We pushed forward, breaking through one last checkpoint to reach the gate out of Canterlot, but they knew we were coming.
Changelings, outfitted in full riot gear stood between us and the gate. A force too large to count, with more constantly pouring in from the sides. I turned around, intent on leading us through to another gate, just to find more guards sealing us in. No longer were we an unstoppable force, no, we were now in the center of a slaughter.
As one, the guards pushed in, weapons sharp and glinting in the noonday sun. They caught us off guard, cutting a swathe through the ponies on the outermost edges, changelings in the back levitating the bodies out so the guards could push forward. From there, it devolved into an all-out brawl.
Those who had stolen weapons as we charged through the city stepped up, getting in front of those without. Inexperienced ponies fought trained soldiers, getting cut down as easily as the unarmed. The ground quickly became slick with blood, turning the cobblestone into a sticky red mess..
I stood in the middle of the carnage with Pinkie, looking around for the one who had to be in charge. From what Zil had told me, an operation this large had to be directed by a changeling somewhere nearby. If I could take him out, we could escape while the troops reorganized. I saw one changeling holding back, up on the wall. Assuming he was in charge, I heaved my stolen sword at him, and watched as he fall down into the crowd below.
I was right. For a second, the guards faltered, allowing the ponies to push the box out a little bit, but it wasn't enough. Another changeling quickly claimed the chain of command and they pushed forward, more determined than before. The fight was drawing closer to Pinkie and I now, to the point that I started firing off spells into the crowd of guards. Pinkie, however, wasn't doing as well. She was huddled up against me, cowering.
That gave me an idea. It was a long shot, but it was better than dying silent.
"Changelings, halt!" I shouted at the top of my lungs, praying it would work. For a second they faltered, but quickly pushed back once again.
Damn. "In the name of the Empress, halt!" That caused a bit more of a stir. The changelings pulled back, and the ponies nearby stared at me, looks ranging from curious to concerned to outright hostile.
One changeling strode forward from the groups, his silver armor denoting rank. "And who are you, silly pony, to challenge--" He stopped dead in his tracks and stared at me. "Twilight...?"
Suddenly, the group of ponies gathered around me pulled back, leaving me alone with the silver-clad changelings. "How do you know my name?" I asked him, mind whirling. My plan had worked, but only a little. Now I had to figure out the best way forward.
The changeling took off his helmet. Most changelings look alike to me, but his features were engraved in my mind. "Zil...?"
Pinkie Pie bounced forward. "Ooh, you know him, Twilight? Is he a friend?" I didn't respond, just pushed her behind me.
"I thought you didn't work for them," I said, directing my words at Zil.
"Well, you abandoned me in the tunnels. They found me, and gave me a very... convincing offer," he replied with a smirk.
"Right... Well, it's nice to see you're enjoying life." I stepped forward, moving to go past him. "Now, if you'll excuse us, my friend and I here need to get past you, so if you don't mind..."
Zil roughly shoved me back. "I can't do that, Twilight. I'm under orders to bring you to Empress Chrysalis."
I rolled my eyes. "Again with the Empress stuff? I think all this power has gone to her head."
"Silence!" Zil roared. "You and your pink friend are coming with me, and the rest of these insignificant whelps can die by the sword!" At his words, the changelings quickly moved in, separating Pinkie and myself from our little group, which was quickly herded away. I calmly took note, and stored it away to freak out about later.
"Well, too bad, ZIl. I've had my fill of being captured, and I'm not going back. So you can just kill me now." He flinched at my words. Hmm... interesting...
"You don't have a choice," Zil replied, moving forward and drawing his sword.
Oh, please trust me Pinkie... I hope this works... "No, you're wrong. I do have a choice." Zil's eyes widened as he realized what I was going to do. I quickly turned towards Pinkie, channeling power through my horn. I grabbed her and myself in an aura of arcane teleportation, and flung us far outside of the city. |
The Last Hope of a Fallen Nation | Encounters | Encounters
Here's something you may not know: teleportation where you randomly launch yourself into the intersection of space and time (yes, with practice and a little bit of luck, teleportation can be used in both the material plane, and for time travel, but that's another story) is not exactly the best way to travel. As Pinkie and myself flew through the purplish-black vortex of magic, I began to count the seconds, knowing that if we were in the tunnel too long, we could end up somewhere bad.
As it was, the tunnel was unstable. I didn't have the time to structure the energy into a secure, stable form like I had been taught. What we now traveled in would make any magical tutor cringe, any accomplished magi holier-than-thou, and make any Circle member strike you down without a second thought. It wasn't terrible, but if we were unlucky, the tunnel would collapse, throwing us out at a random location. Given our recent luck, I was more than a little worried.
Thankfully, my worry was all for naught, for not a minute later, we were spit from the tunnel into the bright sunlight. For the second time that day, I found myself cringing and blinking as bright light filled my eyes.
"Twilight... what did you do?" Pinkie Pie asked from beside me.
"I broke about, five rules of long-range teleportation, which could have killed both of us in the process," I replied. "But, it didn't, and we're out of Canterlot."
I finally blinked back the last of the tunnel vision. Now able to see without intense pain, I took a quick look around. We were on train tracks, overgrown train tracks, bordered on both sides by large trees. There was also one very angry looking pink pony.
"Could have killed us?" the angry pony asked.
"Well, yeah, in theory it could have ripped us apart and spread our molecules across space and time," I said. "But, it was highly unlikely," I lied as the angry pony grew angrier. "I have a safety weave embedded in the spell I use for teleporting. In the event of a total collapse, it activates and kicks the traveler out of the teleport, and dispenses them wherever they may be at the time."
Pinkie blinked. "What...?"
"Okay, imagine travel through teleportation as a sort of train ride," I began, switching into lecture mode. "In the event of a collapse of the tunnel, the train, holding the teleporters, the travelers, I have a weave inside of the spell itself, like a conductor on the train, that would have pushed us out wherever we may have been, like the time you got us thrown off the Ponyville Express."
"Oh!" Pinkie said, eyes lighting up in understanding. "So, the conductor would have stopped the train and made us leave before something bad happened!"
"Sort of," I replied, "but with the possibility of a lot more falling, and scraped legs."
"So, where are we then?"
I looked around, noting the monolith of the mountain behind us. We were far enough away to be unseen, but you could still make out tiny dots of changelings rushing too and fro on top of the walls. What worried me more, however, was the now-visible magical bubble around the outside of the walls.
"Well, we are west of Canterlot, on the rails towards Ponyville Station, if I had to guess, but we need to go. Now!" Without waiting for a response, I pushed Pinkie and started running. If my guess was correct, any minute now... yes, there they were. A squad of changeling hunters had flown down from the castle.
As part of my last revisions of the Burrow System, I had recommended, but not modeled, a magical tracking system, so that anypony that escaped could be hunted down and brought back with minimal effort. We had to escape, and either get far enough away the the tracking spell couldn't be used, and would naturally dispel, or get somewhere with enough magical residue to befuddle the tracker until I could dispel it myself.
I whipped my head back and forth, searching both visibly and magically for a hotspot large enough to hide two fully grown mares long enough to unweave the spell that lit us up like fire in a dark cave. There wasn't anything close, but... there! About a mile and a half down the track!
"Pinkie, no time to explain. Follow me!" I sprinted off down the tracks, pink friend close behind.
"There they are, get them!" came the shout from behind us. Apparently, the changeling hunter squads had locked onto our magical signal, and now our sprint to salvation was a race for our lives.
Honestly, I'm getting sick of running.
"Okay," I said through gasps of air. "We're looking for the train. It derailed sometime during the coup, and I think the residual magical energy that used to power it should be enough to hide us from the changelings."
"But they know where we are," Pinkie said next to me.
"So we kill them."
"What!" Pinkie's eyes shot wide open. "You can't just kill them, Twilight!"
I shot a look over my shoulder. "Are you kidding me? We just got out of a slaughter!"
"I didn't kill any," Pinkie replied, subdued.
"Look, we can argue about this later! Right now, we have to either kill them, or hide well enough they don't find us!" The train was drawing closer, but so were our pursuers.
We were quickly approaching the train. Sometime during the coup, it appeared that something had happened, causing it to tip over. A coupler somewhere had snapped, and now part of the train was lying on the left side of the track, and the other part on the right.
I hazarded a glance over my shoulder. The changelings were still chasing after us, but they were starting to lag behind a little. "Quick, in here!" I shouted to Pinkie, pushing open the door on the train's caboose. The pink pony rushed inside, and I quickly followed, shutting the door.
"Do we hide?" Pinkie asked.
"Yeah, but not in here. They saw us walk into this car. We need to move on," I replied. I tip-hooved through the partially shattered windows, making my way over to the door suspended halfway in the wall. "Come on," I said, crouching down. "Climb on me, and get into the next car, hurry."
Pinkie glanced back at the door to the outside. "But I hear them getting closer, Twilight. What about you?"
"Don't worry about me, just get through and hide. I'll be in soon, promise," I replied with a reassuring smile, hoping my lie wasn't too obvious.
Pinkie nodded before clambering up onto my back. She pulled the door open, ducking as it fell down towards us, then climbed through into the next car. As quickly as possible, I set a couple simple trap weaves in the door to the outside, and then, with a nice running start, jumped through into the next car, setting another trap on that door before pulling it closed.
True to her title as party pony, Pinkie was pretty good at playing hide and seek. She had been in the car less than two minutes, and she was gone. I needed to join her, and fast. I looked around, biting my lip.
Well, as far as hiding places go, this car wasn't good for much. The Ponyville Express was primarily a passenger train, carrying ponies between Canterlot, Ponyville, Appleloosa, and Dodge City. As such, this was nothing but a passenger car. Loads of benches and windows, and no convenient hiding places.
I briefly considered hiding in the benches below my hooves, but quickly ruled it out. It would be almost impossible to contort myself like that and slip in before the changelings were upon us. That really only left one option: the luggage bins.
With a feat of dexterity I would have thought impossible for anypony but Rainbow Dash before my stint in the mines, I lept from the bench I was on, to the side of a bench on the ceiling, catching myself on one of the hoofrails. A quick burst of magic opened the door and another teleported me safely into the luggage bin. I quickly braced myself so I wouldn't fall before reaching out with a hoof and pulling the door almost all the way closed, leaving just a small gap to see through.
I could feel myself slowing down. I had been hyped up on adrenaline for quite some time, and its effects were starting to wear off in the relative safety of my bin. I just had to hold on, wait for the changelings to hit the traps, kill any who were left. Then I could find Pinkie and get out of here.
I was beginning to think that the changelings hadn't seen us, and had lost our trail when we neared the train. It was totally silent, the only sounds being those of my breathing and heart, and the gradual settling of the behemoth we were resting in. I couldn't even hear Pinkie, who I had expected to break out of hiding and run screaming by now. Everything was still and calm.
Until the door opened. The door on the other end of the train from my traps. The tiny sliver from the door of the luggage bin only allowed me sight of the door to the caboose, and a very slim window at that. Now, all I had to understand what was going on was a very limited magical sense--no point in giving myself away by the blatantly obvious glow of magic--and what I could hear.
"Come on, the pink one said she was down this way," a strangely confident voice said.
"Do you really think it's the Twilight Sparkle? Man, the boss will pay us out the plot to bring her back," a lighter, more feminine voice replied.
"Shhh! The changelings might be near. Let's go ahead and blow our cover, shall we?"
"Sorry, sir." The female sounded subdued.
Wait? What? My thoughts ran rampant for a moment or two before the commanding voice spoke up again.
"Let's move into the next car. I don't think she's here."
Okay, decision time. I thought. Do I let the strangers open the door and trigger the trap and probably die, or do I risk myself to see who they are and what's going on. After all, they don't really talk like changelings.
Then again, it's changelings I'm talking about. They might have taken on pony forms to fool Pinkie Pie. Ooh, I hate dilemmas...
"Wait, sir, is that a tail sticking out of the luggage bin?" the female voice asked.
I mentally whacked myself in the head. Stupid. Twilight. Stupid.
No reply came, but not a second later, a rough pounding shook the door of the luggage bin, rattling my eardrums. "'Allo? Is anypony in there?" the first voice asked, followed shortly after by, "We're armed," and the sound of a sword being drawn.
"Okay, okay, calm down," I said, sticking a forehoof out of the bin. "Let's not be hasty now. I'm coming out. Don't slice my horn off."
True to my word, I poked my head out of the luggage bin, taking a moment to reorient myself to the sideways car. I heard a gasp behind me. "Sir, is that really her?" I glanced over to identify the speaker; a small yellow pegasus with strange mechanisms strapped to her wings.
"Only one way to find out," the pegasus' companion said. The dark unicorn flared his horn, and I felt the tingle of a magical scan. "By the Goddesses, it is. Miss Twilight Sparkle, please, allow me." The unicorn quickly sheathed his sword before reaching out a hoof, using it to gently pull me from the bin and set me down precariously on one of the benches.
"Who are you ponies?" I asked, still somewhat wary. Zil had told me that changelings can't reproduce a magical aura, but given that he had turned again, I took his instruction with a grain of salt.
"Allow me," the pegasus said. "I am First Scout Fleetwing, and this is Sergeant Midnight of the Free Equestria Society, Canterlot Espionage Division, at your service, Miss," she said, gesturing to herself and the dark blue unicorn balanced next to her.
"The what?" Yeah, call me slow. You try being locked in a dungeon for Celestia-knows how long and try to keep up with current events.
"The Free Equestria Society. We are the resistance, led by--" An explosion from the caboose cut her off.
"Tell me later," I said. "Right now, we have to get out of here. Changelings are after us, and one just hit a trap I put on the door."
"I thought you said she couldn't fight," Midnight said, turning to Fleetwing. "That's why you dragged me from the base, because you said she couldn't fight, and you weren't sure you could take the changelings on by yourself!"
"Well, we don't know if she can! She knows traps, and that's all well and good, but traps aren't much use in a brawl, especially in a closed in area like this!" Fleetwing replied.
"Look, it doesn't matter, you're here now, uh, sir, and we have to go!" Another explosion rocked the car as I finished speaking. "There's only one trap left, and we're right in front of it."
"How can we trust you?" Midnight asked. "Sure, you passed the scan, but how do we know you are the real Twilight Sparkle?"
I opened my mouth, about to defend myself, when Fleetwing spoke up. "Of course it's Twilight Sparkle. How many other unicorns do you know who the changelings are after who happen to be purple, with a highlighted mane, and a six pointed star on her flank?" She turned to me. "In fact, I'd bet she did something totally awesome before she ran. What'd you do, Twilight? Did ya single-hoofedly lead a revolt from the inside?"
"Look, this really isn't the best time," I said, but Fleetwing went on, her voice become faster with every word.
"Ooh! I bet you took down Chrysalis yourself! You don't need a resistance to help, don't need anypony backin' you up. Why, I bet--"
Running out of time, and unable to get Fleetwing to stop talking, Midnight reached out a hoof and whacked her on the side of the head. "Damn it Fleetwing, get your head together! Real Twilight or not, we have a responsibility to bring this free mare into safety. We can quiz her later."
Fleetwing rubbed the side of her head. "Ow... I mean, yes sir!" Turning to me, she continued. "Right this way, Miss Maybe-Sparkle."
MIdnight turned around and started moving away, leading me away towards the door they came through just as the door to the caboose flew open, triggering my last trap. A wave of flame burst into the caboose, blowing forth a wave of heat that singed the ends of the hair of my coat.
"Fleetwing, protect the innos!" Midnight shouted to the pegasus.
"Yes, sir!" Fleetwing replied with a smirk. She shook her wings, two blades sliding out of the mechanisms on them and clicking into place just as what was left of the changeling search force carefully entered the car, wary for more traps.
"Hey, boys!" Fleetwing shouted to the few changelings who had survived. "Looking for me?"
"Out of the way!" the leader commanded. "We are looking for the purple and pink ones. You are not our concern."
"Oh really?" Fleetwing replied with a smirk. "Allow me to fix that." Almost faster than the eye could see, she darted forward, moving her wing to slice across the throat of the changeling leader. He fell with a gurgle, blood quickly pooling below in the recesses of the windows.
One of the surviving changelings quickly thrust compacted air at Fleetwing, which blew her back into the wall. They were on her in an instant. The pegasus raised a wing, slicing into one of the changelings, but she was unable to get the other in time.
The lone changeling selected a dagger from a belt full of them slung across his chest. As he raised it overhead, I blasted him with a thin bolt of fire. His hard, black exoskeleton cracked, the force of the blow blasting him back through the closed caboose door.
"You... you saved me," Fleetwing said, looking up at me with something suspiciously like adoration in her eyes.
"Don't worry about it. You guys saved me, it's only fair I return the favor," I replied, inexplicably embarrassed.
"Yeah, good job Miss Sparkle, but can we continue this conversation somewhere else? We need to get back to the outpost before reinforcements arrive." Midnight began walking towards the door out as I helped Fleetwing to her hooves. "Come on."
Midnight led me deeper into the train, Fleetwing not too far behind. Most of the fallen cars seemed to be passenger cars, which made sense. It was pretty standard for rail companies to put luggage and the like up at the front of the train.
About four cars in, at an inconspicuous bench on the right side--what was now the bottom of the car--Midnight stopped. He rapped a hoof on one of the bench's supports, and the whole ensemble slid down and back, revealing a stairway down below the train itself.
"After you, Miss Sparkle," Midnight said, gesturing down the dark shaft.
"Yeah, I'm not going down there unless one of you go first," I replied, giving Midnight a flat stare. "I've had my fill of dark spaces for a very long time."
"So you were locked up," Fleetwing piped up from beside me. "Don't worry, I'll go down with you." She nudged me with her snout, pushing me towards the staircase.
"Alright, alright, but I'm warning you right now: if this is some kind of a trick, I'll make what happened to that changeling seem like a kindness," I said with venom in my voice as my hoof hit the first step.
Fleetwing's eyes grew in astonishment. "I promise, it isn't a trick. We are part of the resistance. This is our Canterlot Outpost, and I imagine the Commander is going to send for you as soon as she hears you're here."
"Undoubtedly," Midnight said. He entered the stairwell as soon as there was enough room, flicking something with a hoof that slid the bench on top of us again. He light his horn in a dark blue glow, illuminating the rest of the steps down to an unassuming wooden door.
As we approached, the door banged open and a blur rocketed towards me. Without even thinking, I flared up a wall of magic and knocked the blur aside, into Midnight. With one taken care of, I spun around, using a burst of air to knock Fleetwing off balance. While she was dazed, I pounced, knocking her into the wall.
I was about to scramble Fleetwing's brains when I felt a pair of hooves wrap around me from behind in a hug. "Twilight! I'm so glad you're safe, but what did you hit me with a wall for?"
My magic slipped away as I backed up, letting the frightened Fleetwing move. "Oh, Pinkie, it's just you." I looked back over my shoulder at the pink pony, and the blue unicorn dazed beyond. "Uh, sorry. Guess I'm just a little tense."
Midnight opened his mouth, likely to chew me out for attacking them, but Fleetwing jumped in front of him, facing me and beaming. "That was awesome! You were all, 'don't mess with me or I'll kill you,' and then the door opened and you freaked and knocked all of us over without breaking a sweat!"
"Is everything alright out here?" asked a vibrant blue unicorn, stepping through the door. "Wait a minute, isn't that Twilight Sparkle?"
"The one and only!" Pinkie said from beside me.
"OhmigoshIhavetotellCommand!" the unicorn spun on her back hooves and galloped back into the outpost at top speed, bright yellow mane trailing out behind her.
"I had a feeling she was going to do that," Midnight said, taking lead of the group once again. "Better get inside before she tells Command we just broke about every protocol there is." Without further preamble, he walked inside. I followed shortly behind, side to side with Pinkie. Fleetwing fluttered right behind us, closing the door as her tail crossed the threshold.
The outpost was... interesting. Broken bits of wood and other building materials had been scavenged from the train where it wasn't noticeable from the outside, lending the room a very bright but chaotic appearance. There was no floor to speak of, it was nothing but the dirt the cave had been dug out of. Over in the corner I could see the strange unicorn speaking into a blank mirror.
The stranger's horn glowed, and her reflection reappeared on the mirror. She trotted over to me and held out a hoof. "I'm Private Sparky. It is an honor to meet you, Miss Sparkle."
I hesitantly reached out a hoof and took hers. "Uh, thanks...?"
MIdnight rolled his eyes. "Alright, if you two don't stop swooning like schoolfillies, I'm going to send you topside. What'd Command say?" he asked, turning to face Sparky.
"I think our mirror might be broken, sir. As soon as I said we had Twilight Sparkle unharmed, it got very difficult to maintain the spell. Command said they would send a flyer with orders," Sparky replied. "They are to stay here in the meantime."
"Twilight Sparkle is staying here?" Fleetwing asked, practically vibrating. "She can bunk with me."
"What?" I asked, stunned by the Pinkie-esque level of enthusiasm.
"No, I'm bunking with her," Pinkie asserted, sticking her muzzle right up against Fleetwing's. The two glared at each other. Just before it looked like it was about to go to blows, Midnight stepped in.
"Alright you two," he said. "We have five bunks. Nopony has to bunk with anypony."
"But I want to," Pinkie and Fleetwing said at the same time. They turned and continued glaring. "No, I get to." Pinkie pushed her nose forward, causing the other pony to scrunch back. Fleetwing growled, causing Pinkie to pull back. The pegasus pushed her neck forward, filling the gap.
Midnight looked over at me. Can't you do something? his eyes asked.
"Hey!" I shouted, trying to make myself heard over the echoing argument. Both Fleetwing and Pinkie stopped mid-sentence and turned to face me. "How about I'll sleep there," I pointed to a bed, "Pinkie sleeps there," my hoof moved to the one to the left of mine, "and Fleetwing sleeps there," my hoof stopped on the one to my right. "That way, you both are near, and nopony has to be left out."
Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Sparky and Midnight exchange a look, but I was focused on Fleetwing and Pinkie. They looked at me, at the beds, at each other, then back to me. The cycle repeated several times until Pinkie raised her hoof.
"Um, can I have the bed on the right?" she asked with a sheepish grin.
I sighed and looked at Fleetwing, who grinned. "Sure," she said, "the bunk on the left is mine anyway."
*****
A few hours later, everypony was settled down and sitting around a table that took up most of the middle of the large room. I looked up from my plate, having eaten my meager portion of some unidentified rations from the outpost, and gently pushed it towards the middle with the others.
"So, what now?" I asked, looking at all the ponies around me. Midnight was directly across from me, with Sparky on his left. Pinkie was to my right, and Fleetwing was to my left. There was one open spot, but none of the others wanted to so much as look at it, so I didn't ask.
"Now, we wait," Midnight replied, leaning back and putting his forehooves behind his head. "Obviously, we have to get you to Command. It's the only place you'll be safe. The only problem is that our Mirror apparently can't connect to the main relay in Manehatten. Sparky says Command is sending a messenger with orders our way. Really all we have to do is hang out here until he arrives."
"And how long will that take?"
Midnight looked over at Sparky. The unicorn stared off into space for a minute or two. "Depending on changeling patrols and the pegasus they send, it could be anywhere from tonight to the day after tomorrow, at the latest."
Before I could reply, a thud echoed from overhead. Midnight quickly held a hoof to his mouth, motioning us to be quiet. Synchronized perfectly, as though rehearsed, Fleetwing darted over to the door, placing her eye against a peephole, and Sparky shot a bolt of magic at the light, dousing it and shrouding the room in darkness. I felt some fumbling and a scraping noise before I felt a warm body huddle against mine.
As one, all of us save Fleetwing stared at the ceiling, as though we could stare through it. The thumps came in measured strides; whoever was up there was searching for something. The pony huddled against me began to shake, and I put a forehoof around them to try and keep them calm.
"Twilight, I don't like the dark, they do bad things in the dark," the pony against me said.
"It'll be okay, Pinkie. The changelings can't hurt you in the dark, not here, not anymore," I replied. Pinkie didn't say anything else, but the shaking gradually abated.
I mentally mapped the train car from our short jaunt through before. If my calculations are correct in approximately--thud--two more steps, whoever is up there will be at the passage here.
Two steps later, the sound stopped. A low-pitched scratching sound echoed through the room, followed by the dull thump of a hoof on wood. Pinkie nestled against me even harder, burying her muzzle in the fur of my neck. Whatever they had done to her, whatever I had done to help, it wasn't enough.
A few minutes later, even the thud of hoof-on-wood ceased, leaving the room deathly quiet. The thin hissing of breath was the only thing breaking up the oppressive silence, until something thumped against the door.
Thunk. Thunk thunk. Thinkthunkthunkthunk.... thunk.
"Open it up," Midnight said. "That's the code." The light flared up, momentarily blinding everyone in the room. Pinkie looked up at me with a shy smile, and I nuzzled the top of her head.
"Private Starfire, reporting," said a small reddish-yellow pegasus from the door. Her sky-blue mane was pulled back by a simple leather strap, causing it to cascade over the low-slung saddlebag favored by long-distance flying pegasi. "I've got a message from Command for Sergeant Midnight, regarding one Twilight... Sparkle..."
Starfire trailed off as she looked from Midnight over to me. "You're Twilight Sparkle, yes?"
I nodded.
"One moment, please." The pegasus reached into her saddlebag, pulling out a scroll. Midnight grabbed it with his magic and began reading. Sparky quickly trotted over and stuck her head next to his, reading alongside him.
"Here." While I was watching the scroll, Starfire had approached me, holding a scroll out to me. "There's actually two there. They are marked for your eyes only. Orders are to burn them when you're done."
As I took the double scroll from Starfire's mouth, I felt a faint tingle of familiar magic. On a hunch, I turned it over so I could see the seal holding it shut. I made a noise somewhere between a gasp and a sob, causing everypony in the room to stop and look over at me.
"Are you okay over there?" somepony asked.
"Y-Yeah," I replied, tucking away the scrolls to read later. "What's the plan?"
"Command wants us to escort you to Manehatten. We're supposed to shut down the outpost, in case it gets found while we are gone," Midnight said. "Starfire, help yourself to some food, if you want it. Fleetwing, Sparky, get over here and help me go over these plans."
With a thanks, Starfire sat down where Midnight had been and grabbed a plate of rations. Pinkie sat next to her, after a reassuring nod from me, and they began chatting. Midnight, Sparky, and Fleetwing were over by the strange mirror in the corner, going over maps and changeling movement reports. Figuring nopony around was watching me, I picked up the scrolls and started to read.
Dearest Twilight Sparkle,
The day they told me you escaped Chrysalis' dungeon was probably one of the best I've had here. I'm so proud of you, Twilight.
You were right about Cadence all along, and we didn't listen to you, and I'm sorry. Because I didn't listen to you like I should have, your brother, Spike, and countless others are dead, and you spent three years with Chrysalis.
But now, you are out. If you are reading this, then Starfire must have reached the outpost okay. They will bring you back to the Free Equestria Society in Manehatten. Doubtless, they will take you to the Mirror so we can speak, but just in case we don't have a chance to talk alone, you must know this.
In the moment before Chrysalis banished me to the sun, I harnessed all the magic I could and bound my room shut. Nopony but you can get in. Once Chrysalis is disposed of, make your way alone into my private chambers, and ask Philomena to retrieve the letter I left there for you. Follow the directions contained within. You are the only one who can.
I look forward to speaking to you again, Twilight. It has been too long. Remember all I've taught you, Twilight, and remember who your friends are,
Celestia
My eyes shot down to the signature, then back to the top. I read the whole thing so fast, I couldn't recall half of it. I read it again, slowly, trying to see if it was maybe a fake trying to buy my loyalty, but it was perfect, down to the little flourish on the C in Celestia. Finally assured it was from Celestia, somehow, I went about committing it to memory. As soon as I could recite it forwards and backwards, and after covertly nuzzling Celestia's seal across from her signature, I touched my horn to the scroll, and watched it quickly burn.
Now, knowing somehow I might be able to talk to and see Celestia again, I couldn't help but smile as the little fire burning within me got a little brighter. Still with a silly grin on my face, I levitated over the second scroll. My smile died the instant I read the first word.
Twilight Sparkle,
This whole business has gone pretty sideways, hasn't it? If only you had trusted me, and not left me alone down in that cave. It doesn't matter. What's done is done.
I hope you realize the damage you did to my reputation with Chrysalis, single handedly leading a revolt and then usurping my control of my forces? I have at least five new scars from that.
I just want you to know that in the wake of that "riot," almost a hundred of your kind have been put to death, including your mother. She wasn't part of the riot, but I made sure to find her and put her to the sword, just for you. It's just a matter of time before you join her.
Lieutenant Zil
I blinked back tears. I had hoped that somewhere, my parents had survived this. Zil didn't say anything about my dad, and I didn't know if that was good or bad, but no matter what, I knew my mother was gone. Then it hit me: these letters were from the resistance. How did Zil...
"Starfire!" I shouted. Everypony in the room turned to look at me.
"Yeah," Starfire replied. "What's up?"
"Where did you get this?" I held up the letter from Zil.
"Is that the one from the changeling guy?" Now, the focus had gone from me to her. "Yeah, it was for her eyes only, but Command sent specific instruction with that one. Apparently, it was intercepted communication from Canterlot to Vanhoover. Someone high up read the first couple lines, and ordered it sent to you."
I looked over at Pinkie Pie, sitting next to Starfire and doodling on the table with a hoof. She looked up, smiled, and shrugged. "I guess I'll just have to ask this elusive 'Command' when we get to Manehatten, huh?"
"I guess," Starfire replied. "Sorry. What was the other letter about, if you don't mind me asking."
"It..." I was about to answer, when I remembered Celestia's last line. "Remember who your friends are." Starfire seemed okay, but I wasn't totally certain... "It was a message for me, from a friend."
The resistance ponies all nodded. "Hey, it was for your eyes only," Midnight said, shrugging. "What you said is more than we usually would have heard."
"When do we leave, sir?" Sparky asked.
"First thing tomorrow. Sparky, Fleetwing, shut it down," Midnight replied. The two ponies saluted, and went about their tasks. Fleetwing was stacking food and placing it and other supplies into heavy traveling saddlebags, while Sparky was over with the mirror, horn glowing as she chanted the spell, presumably to disable it. I made a note to ask her about it later.
Left with nothing to do, I went and sat on what I had claimed to be my bunk during the argument earlier. Moments later, a pair of pink hooves appeared in my vision, and more weight settled on the end of my bed.
"It was Celestia," Pinkie said.
"Yeah." I wanted to say more, but couldn't bring myself to. It wouldn't be good to bother Pinkie with my problems.
"Did she say anything?"
"She said I'd be able to talk to her when we go to Manehatten, and she left me instructions for after we debunk Chrysalis." I looked over at Pinkie. "I'm just afraid it was a fake."
Pinkie cocked her head. "Did it feel like a fake?"
"Well... no." After all, every unicorn, and Alicorn, had a unique magical signature, like a hoofprint. Even with advanced magic, it was almost impossible to fake.
I felt a leg wrap around my side and pull me into a hug. "Don't worry, Twilight. Tomorrow we head for Manehatten, and you can ask her yourself."
I smiled at that, and my hope grew a little bit more. "Yeah, I'll make sure to do that." Ask her about the letter, and other things... |
The Last Hope of a Fallen Nation | ...And Through the Woods | ...And Through the Woods
"Up and at 'em!" shouted a voice, slicing through my uneasy dreams. My eyes shot open and I bolted upright, eyes scanning the dimly lit room. Midnight laughed. "Someone is ready to go, huh?"
"Haha," I replied. "Funny."
"Don't worry about it, we've all been there. Try to relax a bit, we'll be heading out when Fleetwing gets back."
"Ready to go?" Pinkie asked, bounding to my bedside. "Fleetwing is up on the surface, looking out for any changelings still after us. Midnight and Sparky spent hours dispelling the tracker they had on us. We're finally free, Twilight!"
I sighed and laid my head back on the curiously hard pillow, looking up at the dark roof. "Now we just have to make it to Manehatten in one piece, find the rest of the girls, figure out that Taint stuff, take down Chrysalis, and bring back the Princesses."
"Easy peasy," Pinkie replied with a huge grin. I just rolled my eyes and shook my head. If only...
Just then, the door to the outpost opened up, and in walked Fleetwing. "Looks good up there, boss," she said to Midnight. "The nearest patrol is over by the Everfree Forest. As long as we give them a wide berth, we should be fine past Canterlot."
Midnight just nodded before returning to the magically projected map spread over the only table. Sparky pointed a hoof at something, muttering to Midnight, who shook his head, pointing to a different place. The blue unicorn shook her head, yellow mane flying everywhere.
"They're really going at it, aren't they?" Fleetwing asked, trotting over to stand by Pinkie at my bedside.
"Well, I'm glad someone is figuring all this out.. I don't know anything about moving while someone is trying to kill me." I sighed. "I grew up in that castle, you know? I never thought I wouldn't be welcome."
Fleetwing's eyes grew wide. "You grew up in the castle? Are you part of the royal family?"
I opened my mouth to respond, but Pinkie beat me to it. "No, silly. She is the student of Princess Celestia." Fleetwing's mouth followed her eyes, dropping to form a little 'o.'
"Hey! Are you three done gabbin, or should we wait and leave tomorrow?" Midnight called from across the room. Fleetwing stuck out her tongue, once his back was turned, then trotted over to stand by her comrades. Pinkie looked over at me.
"Ready to go?" she asked.
I took a deep breath, and let it out slowly. "Yeah. Let's go."
♣♣♣♣♣
We waited, clustered at the blackened, charred remains of the door to the caboose, waiting for the all clear from Fleetwing to dart out and over to the other side of the tracks, or so the plan was. Unfortunately, we had been waiting for about ten minutes, and Midnight was getting nervous.
"Where is that damn pegasus?" he asked, rolling his shoulders to readjust the scabbard slung over his back for the thousandth time. I could acutely feel the pressure of the short sword they had given me across my back. I could probably use it, but, if it came to a fight, magic was infinitely preferable to a sword.
Finally, right before Midnight charged out into the clearing, horn blazing, we heard the whistle that signaled the all clear. The tension in the crowded car evaporated like early morning mist as we filed into the green-tinted dawn light.
Fleetwing touched down atop the tracks almost as soon as we were all outside. "What the hell took you so long?" Midnight all-but shouted. "Take a bit of a trip to Las Pegasus to gamble away your paycheck?" Apparently, that was a long standing joke, but personally, I didn't think it was very funny. Then again, I was responsible for what was going on in Las Pegasus.
"Sorry, boss," Fleetwing said. "A patrol of changelings was sweeping the area. I barely got out of sight in time." Midnight quickly looked around, causing the small yellow pegasus to laugh. "No, they're gone. We're safe for now, but we should get moving soon."
Midnight nodded and jerked his head, signaling us to move off. The six of us set off across the train tracks to the other part of the wrecked cars, and past them into the trees beyond.
"According to my calculations," Sparky said, "if we continue this way for approximately ten minutes at our current rate, then head due north-east, we should skirt the Everfree Forest and be straight on the way to Manehatten."
Midnight eyed the blue unicorn. "You better make sure that's right. I don't fancy our chances in the Everfree Forest. Freaky things happen 'round there."
"It really isn't that bad," Pinkie said, gathering astonished stares from everypony but me. "Me and Twilight have been in there a bunch of times. If you know how to get where you're going and stay near the paths, you're safe."
As one, the resistance ponies turned to look at me. "It's true," I confirmed. "I used to go into the Everfree every week to visit a zebra friend who lived there. If you know where you're going, and look out for danger, it can be done."
Sparky, Starfire, Fleetwing, and Midnight all shared a look. "Not anymore," Midnight said. "One of the main jobs of our outpost was to investigate reports of 'aberrations' dumped into the Everfree Forest."
"What?" I asked, though I was afraid of the answer.
Midnight looked over to Sparky, who said, "A little while after the resistance formed, they had agreed to not set up a Canterlot outpost, simply because of the danger it posed to the ponies stationed there. That was until one of our scouts who was doing a routine sweep over Ponyville, we thought that was where you would go if you escaped, reported changelings leading ponies into the forest.
"We didn't think much of it until a captured changeling told us some things under... interrogation. He revealed that Chrysalis had been experimenting with an unknown, presumed toxic, substance known as the Taint--"
"Chrysalis used something called the Taint when she overthrew Celestia," I said without thinking.
"Really?" Sparky raised an eyebrow. "You'll have to tell Command when we get to Manehatten. Anyway, the changeling told us that she was experimenting with it, on ponies. He didn't know if there were any successes, or even what the experimentation did, but the failures were dumped into the Everfree. The Free Equestria Society flagged the forest as an area of extreme danger, and we haven't messed with it since."
"We have to get there first," Midnight said. "Let's get moving." He started walking, forcing us to break into a trot to catch up. I let the motion of my hooves take care of themselves, relegating the thuds of walking to nothing more than background noise to my thoughts.
Four days, minimum. It would be at least four days before I could get to Manehatten, meet this mysterious "Command" and talk to the Princess. I must admit, I did feel the slightest bit of guilt; I had not thought of Luna since her failed revolt on the very first day, not seriously anyway. Just another thing I could add to the list of questions for Celestia when I could talk to her.
With a weary sigh, I turned my gaze towards the sky. Small bits of blue peeked through the green canopy. Just enough blue, in fact, that I could make out small black specks darting around. Fearing the worst, I quickly trotted up to Midnight, pushing Fleetwing out of the way.
"Midnight, we've got a problem," I whispered in his ear, ignoring the cry of a displaced pegasus. "Look up." The dark unicorn looked at me, then turned his gaze skyward, as I had not but a few minutes ago.
"Gather around, quickly," he hissed into the midday sunlight. We all stopped and spun together, forming a tight circle. "Miss Sparkle here noticed something flying around above us." Predictably, four pairs of eyes turned up to the canopy. "Sparky, are you sure that tracker was dispelled?"
The questioned unicorn nodded. "Yeah, I double checked this morning. Those two are clear."
Midnight nodded slowly. "Fine, so they might just be routine patrols looking in the general area that Twilight and Pinkie escaped. I think that if we stay vigilant, and quiet, we'll be fine..."
"Three o'clock," Starfire muttered. Everyone quickly looked to their right. There was a moment of collective mental facehoofs before everyone looked to Starfire's right, over my back. Just visible in the distance, between some low-lying bushes, a squad of changelings were skulking around, obviously searching for something. Turning back to face the group, I saw another group behind Midnight.
"Look," I said, quickly taking control of the conversation. "They are after me and Pinkie, right? If you four circle around to Ponyville--you know where that's at?" My question was answered by four nods. "We'll go through the Everfree and meet you--"
"No," Midnight interjected, with a wave of a hoof to emphasize his point. "There is no way we can let you go alone, especially through the Everfree Forest. We just explained how dangerous it is, and you want to go cavorting through anyway?"
"Who said anything about cavorting?" Pinkie interjected. "Wait, Twilight, what does 'cavorting' mean?"
"I'll explain later, Pinkie," I replied on reflex. "Midnight, we don't have much of a choice. If you four go to Ponyville, we can meet up. Both Pinkie and myself know our way through the Everfree Forest, and it's safer in there if you know where you are going. We need you four alive to get to Manehatten, and to the Free Equestria Society safely, so we can't risk dragging you all through the forest. We'll be fine."
The sergeant looked like he wanted to argue, but the sound of brush being trampled nearby silenced him. "Fine. We'll go through, and meet you in the town square, but be careful. I don't want to have to explain to Command how we lost our best shot of winning the war."
"No." I shook my head. "The square will be protected. Our friend used to live in a cottage on the edge of the Everfree Forest. Meet us there; it's secluded, and we can find it easily from almost anywhere in the forest." Without waiting for an answer, I motion towards Pinkie. "Come on, Pinkie. We need to go."
We galloped off towards the west, not even looking back. As we entered the thicker part of the treeline--the Everfree Forest proper--Pinkie spoke up. "But, Twilight. You never told me what cavorting is..."
♣♣♣♣♣
Midnight was right; the Everfree had changed, for the worse. A few meters in, an oppressive darkness settled around the treetops. Gone was the blue sky with snippets of fluffy clouds, gone was the green-tinted light filtered through uncountable leaves. All that remained was a dingy half-light, reducing visibility to less than ten hoofsteps in any direction..
I shot a look over at Pinkie, worried the darkness would get to her, as it had before. To my relief, she was plodding along easily enough, though her eyes darted around, seemingly unable to focus on one thing for too long. To be honest, I was getting a little freaked out as well. I hadn't been afraid of the dark since I was a little filly--or at least, I always had a reading lamp on to keep it away--but there was something about the oppressive gloom just set my hackles on edge.
"Twilight... do you know where you're going...?" Pinkie whispered in my ear.
"Well... I did." I looked down at the path below my hooves. Without being able to see anything, or the sun or stars to guide me, we were becoming more and more lost by the minute. "Okay. we're going to have to find some sort of landmark. Zecora's hut, the old castle, something, because I don't know if this is the right path anymore."
Pinkie stopped and nodded. Placing a hoof over her her eyes, she leaned forward, peering through the gloom. I bit my bottom lip and moved closer to her, trying to see into the distance myself, trying to ignore the tremors in my legs.
That is, until we heard the growl.
"T-Twilight," I heard Pinkie whisper next to me. "Is the... is the dragon back?"
"It was a drake, not a dragon," I replied, slowly sliding my borrowed sword from its sheath. "And I don't think so. Evil and hateful as she is, I don't think Chrysalis would let that thing survive, not when it was a direct threat to her. But it doesn't matter, we need to move. I'm going to try to blind it, same plan as last time. Pick a path, and go. I'll follow."
As soon as Pinkie nodded, I began focusing energy in my horn. Not as much as last time, I couldn't afford to drain all of my power in one go, not this time. Using a small bit of power, I resheathed the sword. I didn't want to worry about carrying it, or dropping it when we started to run.
I could feel the pressure I allocated to the spell starting to leak out. "Run," I hissed, before pointing my horn towards the direction of the sound. A comet of light burst forward, setting the foliage in its path alight. The air was rent with an animalistic scream, but we were gone long before the echoes faded.
Running while looking backwards isn't the easiest thing ever. Every so often, I would look forward, just to make sure I was headed in the general direction of the pink hooves in front of me, but for the most part, my gaze was straight behind, ready to fire another blinding bolt if the need arose.
I don't know how long we ran. Thankfully, I never had to use more magic to distract the growling monster, but I'm not entirely sure it was chasing us, either. We didn't stop until Pinkie stumbled, and I, looking back over my shoulder, tripped over her stationary form. We tumbled together, eventually ending tangled up on the ground.
Slow seconds ticked by, both of us frantically looking around, worried this was it; we had been running for our lives for three days, but you can only run so long. Finally realizing we were safe for the moment, I tried to get to my hooves only to find Pinkie sitting on three of them.
"Come on, Pinkie, we have to keep moving," I said, trying in vain to lift my trapped hooves.
"But I'm so tired..." she mumbled in reply, nuzzling into my coat. "Can we just... go to sleep?"
"No, we have to keep moving." I pulled as hard as I could, eventually managing to free one hoof. That was when I felt the prick in my own flank. "Get up, Pinkie, it isn't safe to just lay here." Though I fought and struggled, I could feel the strength draining from my body. As my eyelids grew heavy, ears drooping and limbs filling with lead, I managed one last move--enough to see the small dart sticking out of my flank.
♣♣♣♣♣
"Twilight, Twilight you need to get up. Come on, you can't lie here all day. You're needed, and we still haven't had our talk yet. Go on, to your hooves. Get up. Get up..."
Consciousness returned in fits and starts, reminding me of my time in the Canterlot dungeons. At first, all I had in my command was a sense of feeling; cold stone pressed against my side. I couldn't move, couldn't speak, couldn't do magic, but I could feel, and that was better than nothing.
The next thing to come back was hearing, I think. There wasn't really anything to hear, but I could no longer feel blood rushing through my ears. Soon after, I could twitch my tail and the tips of my hooves, though I was far from the focus needed to cast magic.
"I thought I asked you to get up. It is unlike you to not listen like this. You have always been such a good pony, such a good student. Come on, rise and shine, for me..."
After that, I must have blacked out, because the next time I was conscious, there was something poking my side repeatedly. Something about the gentle touch sparked something in my mind, something familiar, something like home.
Painful as it was, I cracked one eye open, just enough to see the sliver of canopy above me, but it wasn't enough. With a bit of effort, both of my eyes opened the rest of the way, pulling a small whimper from my mouth. Finally able to see again, I scanned everything within eyesight, but to no avail. The pokes were gone, along with whoever may have caused them.
Mystery of the phantom pokes solved, I took more stock in my surroundings. As I realized earlier, I was lying on my side, on a cold stone floor. At first I was confused; there were no structures in the Everfree that I could recall made of stone, at least, not around where I passed out. But, the more I looked, the more came back to me.
I had been here before. I was in the old castle within the forest; the original home of the Elements of Harmony. And, I was alone.
It took a few more minutes, but eventually I was able to get into a--shaky--sitting position. I was in the castle courtyard, but underneath an outcropping of stone. Just in front of me, in the direction I remembered lead back to Ponyville, was the gate to the courtyard, and the bridged chasm, which mean that the door inside the ruins sat somewhere behind me, confirmed by a quick glance over my shoulder.
Getting back to my hooves took longer. My first attempt ended with me back on the ground, too weak to stand. I worked my forehooves under my chest and pushed, eventually getting back into a sitting position, though it left me breathless.
There was only one plant I knew of that could leave a pony as weak and disoriented as I was. We were in the right place, it only grows in the Everfree Forest, but everything else was wrong. Who besides the changelings had a reason to knock both Pinkie and myself out? There was no doubt in my mind that if they had caught me, I'd be back in Canterlot, in front of Chrysalis, or dead, so who drugged us, and who dragged me to the old castle? And for that matter, where was Pinkie Pie?
I got one of my answers sooner than I expected, and definitely not how I would have wanted it--a scream, from inside the castle ruins. I didn't know who--or what--it was, but I knew I couldn't sit there and do nothing. So, fighting down my weariness and the dizzying fog around my head, I got up to my hooves.
Standing was easy, a simple matter of keeping my balance and not doing anything, but moving was a different challenge altogether. My first step sent my hoof sliding out from under me. Only quick thinking and a little bit of luck allowed me to plop down onto my flank, instead of back on my stomach.
I shook my head, vainly attempting to clear it of the crippling fog left from the dart. I was dizzy, thirsty, tired, hungry, sore, and most of all, scared. I was in the Everfree, perfectly fine going from Ponyville to Zecora's hut, but I'm not sure where we entered, and now I was in a castle straight from my memories, and nightmares, one pony less than what I entered with.
At first, I thought my saddlebags and sword were gone as well, until I spied them lying in a pile, and not just tossed, either. Something had taken the effort to strip me, and stack the items in a small pile near where I was laying. Just on an impulse, I tried to levitate over my sword, and was pleasantly surprised when it got up and moved over towards me, though slowly, and in fits and starts. Before I got back on my hooves, I made sure to sling the leather strap as Midnight had showed me, with the hilt over my left shoulder.
Armed and somewhat rested, I tried, and succeeded, to stand up. Back on my hooves, the next step was to walk, which I technically accomplished. Shaky and stumbling, I made my way over to the wall, barely managing to catch myself before falling back onto my flank. I hit the door, somewhat harder than I intended, sending an echoing bang throughout the mossy ruin.
Before I could regain my balance, one of the old, oaken doors creaked open. Through the crack, a face-sized slice appeared--yellow fur bordering a teal eye, with a small lock of pink across the top. "F-Fluttershy?!" I whispered before I could stop myself. To my surprise, instead of the quiet voice of my friend, the shout of a changeling assault force, or the strange voice of denial, all that I heard was a soft, hesitant knock against the wood of the door.
"Fluttershy, is that really you?" I asked the eye.
A hesitant knock.
"What's going on here? Where's Pinkie Pie? Who was that screaming? How did you get here?" all rushed from my mouth before I could calm down. To my surprise, the eye flinched, and drew back from the door. "What's wrong? Don't you recognize me? I'm your friend, Twilight Sparkle."
There was a small pause, then the eye seemed to grow closer, and mist up. The door slowly opened, and out stepped the skittish yellow pegasus. She wasn't in as bad of shape as Pinkie was when I found her, but... she definitely wasn't still the cheerful, kind animal-sitter who lived in the quaint cottage, outside of town.
Her once long and flowing pink mane and tail were jagged and torn, easily only a third of their original length. Her coat was dirty, and she had patches of moss clinging to her back and wings, which looked... okay, if a little bedraggled. She slowly walked up to me, shoulders hunched up. Haltingly, she reached up one hoof, dragging it gently across my muzzle before prodding my horn, once.
Satisfied with whatever she found, Fluttershy jumped forward, wrapping her forehooves around my neck in a fierce hug. Before I could even lift mine to return the hug, I felt the telltale dampness on my coat, right around where Fluttershy's eyes were buried. She was crying softly, body wracked in silent sobs.
"Hey, don't cry, it's going to be alright," I crooned into Fluttershy's ear. I drew her closer, something she did not complain about, and ran a hoof through her mane. "Come on, stop crying. We need to get moving." When the pegasus stopped shaking, I pulled back far enough to look into her shining eyes. "Pinkie Pie was with me when we both were knocked out. I woke up here, so have you seen her nearby?"
Fluttershy nodded and pulled away. Turning back towards the door, she motioned for me to follow with one hoof before slipping into the dark interior of the castle ruins. Before I followed, I tried to pull the magic together to cast the spell Zil taught me to identify changelings in disguise, but I was still too tired. So, wary for a trap, I followed slowly.
The castle was much as I remembered it, only darker. Parts of the roof were still missing, column debris still littered the ground, and green moss--like the pieces clinging to Fluttershy--still grew rampant. We walked into the middle of the entry chamber before my guide stopped. She looked around for a moment before stamping her hoof three times. The sound echoed around the room, escaping through the ruptured roof and echo around the castle's other chambers.
A door, earlier concealed by a pillar, swung open. I immediately tensed up, moving forward to block Fluttershy, but there was no point to it, for out of the door stepped Pinkie Pie. "Twilight, you're okay!" she shouted, rushing over and hugging me with the force of a slow-moving train.
"Yeah, I'm fine," I replied, gently pushing her away. "How did we get here, and why is Fluttershy not talking?" I looked back at the pegasus as I spoke, but she just shrunk back behind her mane. Back in front of me, Pinkie was equally as reserved. "Would somepony tell me what's going on!?"
"You might want to see this," Pinkie whispered before walking back to the door she just came from. Fluttershy went soon after, motioning me to follow. Slowly, with trepidation building in my chest, I followed.
As I passed through the door, unremarkable aside for the fact it was totally intact, I couldn't help but look over my shoulder. To the right, opposite of the main door, was the chamber that used to hold the Elements of Harmony. Unbidden, memories of that night rose to the top of my mind, bringing with them a smile. At the time, I was terrified, but out of it came my friends, and my life in Ponyville.
If only this ordeal could end half as well...
Back from memory lane, I took my first look at the room Pinkie had been in. It didn't look like much, compared to the rest of the structure. It was a rather small room, about as big as the main floor of the Carousel Boutique. It was what was in the middle of the room that drew my attention.
A hole, no bigger around than a kitchen pot was sunk into the ground. Within was something I had seen only once before, but had wondered and worried about ever since; a black, vile, bubbling substance, almost projecting the feel of the evil which it had caused. Before me sat a sample of the Taint.
For the second time that day, my hind legs gave out under me, and I ended up in a, very shaky, sitting position. "Twilight!" Pinkie shouted, rushing over to my side, but Fluttershy got there first. The silent pegasus took a couple short steps and nuzzled my neck before taking a seat to my right.
"Are you alright?" Pinkie asked when she reached us a few second later. She sat down on the other side of me, facing the vat, just like myself and Fluttershy. "And what is that... stuff?"
A few silent seconds passed. "I've seen it before," I mumbled, eyes glued to the vile substance. "I think it's one of the sources of Chrysalis' power, called the Taint. The only problem is, I've never heard of it." I finally forced my gaze away from the middle of the room, instead finding some solace in the cracked flagstones underneath us. "Nothing I've ever read so much as hinted at it. But it's real, and it's powerful, and I don't know anything about it."
"Fluttershy, is something wrong?" The voice from my left startled me from my revere. I looked over, to see the yellow pegasus visibly shaking next to me.
I reached a hoof around her withers, and drew her in close before leaning over towards Pinkie. "What's wrong with her?"
Pinkie shrugged in response. "I don't know. She hasn't said anything to me."
"Exactly." Using the hoof around her withers, I started gently stroking Fluttershy's pink mane. "I know she has always been a little shy, but she was getting better about it. But I haven't heard her say one single word since she opened the door."
She shrugged again. "When I woke back up, after I made sure you were okay, I went to explore the castle, because I remembered how pretty it was, and we didn't get to see much on Nightmare Night. I found Fluttershy in here, curled up in that corner over there." Pinkie pointed a hoof over at a corner by the door, full of what looked like fluffy moss--a makeshift bed. "She never said a single word, and left when you knocked on the door."
I rubbed a temple with my unoccupied hoof. My head was filled with the overwhelming desire to leave, and my hooves itched to be back moving, back on the road to Manehatten, to Command, to my promised talk with Celestia. "We need to get moving. Midnight is expecting us." Pinkie nodded in agreement, so I turned to the now-still pegasus still huddled against me. "Fluttershy, are you going to be okay?"
She tentatively nodded.
"We have friends waiting for us, to take us somewhere safe. But we need to get out of here. Do you know a fast way back to your cottage?" I asked.
Fluttershy looked up at that, and for the first time since I woke up, she smiled. It wasn't much more than a small grin, but it was a start. She didn't give an actual answer--words or no--but she got to her hooves and walked through the door. When we didn't follow, she poked her head back through and motioned for us to come with her.
"Wait." I held up a hoof and motioned Fluttershy back in. "When I woke up, I heard a scream. Did you hear anything?"
"Eh-heh heh..." Pinkie's cheeks tinted a little darker. "When I found Fluttershy, I might have gotten a little... carried away." I glanced over my shoulder just in time to catch Fluttershy's confirming nod.
I went to leave the room, but for some reason, I was compelled to stay; a nameless feeling deep in my gut demanding that I not move. "Go on ahead. I'll... I'll meet you two in the courtyard, alright?" Pinkie smiled and hopped through the door. Fluttershy actually took a step into the room, obviously intending to stay with me, but a small smile and a slow nod sent her out as well. Once the hoofsteps had faded into the distance, and the echoes vanished, I turned back to the vat of Taint.
I took a hesitant step forward, then another, and another, until I was halfway across the room. There I stopped, for it felt like the Taint was... reaching out to me, pulling me in. It was all I could do to stop where I was. Ah, little Twilight Sparkle, come to say hello? I froze where I stood, ears perked high, listening for anything.
You can listen all you want, but you won't hear me. The voice was deep, but smooth. Everything was enunciated perfectly, but with the slightest hint of an accent I couldn't identify. No, you can't identify it, and you never will. Best get used to it, small filly. Now, let's talk.
"W-Who are you?" I asked, finally finding my voice.
My name is of no importance, nor would you probably be able to understand it, no matter how many books you've read. You're right, by the way. You have never heard of the Taint, and only your dear, precious Princess Celestia could inform you about it. Or, maybe I could. Quid pro quo, as you ponies say.
Once again, I looked around the room. The only door was the one I had come through, and it wasn't likely anypony could have slipped in. The room was lit rather well, courtesy of holes in the roof. There were no hiding places, nothing that could afford any protection to anything bigger than a mouse. Just to be sure, I extended my magical sense, looking for anything with a spark larger than the one needed to maintain life. The only things in the room that glowed at all was myself, and the bubbling goop in front of me.
Ah, stop that. It tickles. Oh, well, I guess that gave it away, didn't it? Come closer, child, let us talk. Against my will, I padded forward, until I was right at the edge of the hole in the floor. Now, I understand you're busy, and your friends are waiting for you to continue your trip, so I shall be brief.
I am this entity your thoughts refer to as "the Taint," but that is not what I would call myself. I am the collective consciousness created to represent us. I opened my mouth to respond, but an outside force snapped it shut hard enough to make my teeth clack. No, hush, I will do the talking. All you need to know now is that Chrysalis does not control us, she controls a small sample, taken from where we actually are. This is but another sample, a wild sample. Before you deign us evil, know that your changeling mistress has tainted us beyond what we were. We simply want to be left in peace.
Go now, young mare, and keep what we have told you in confidence. Who knows, maybe we can become partners in the future. Before I could reply, the Taint drained into the ground, leaving nothing but a barren crater behind. Before I could do anything else, I heard a voice behind me.
"Twilight, are you alright?" I looked back over my shoulder to see Pinkie standing in the doorway looking confused. "We've been waiting, but you didn't come out."
"Did you hear it?" I hissed, stepping away from the crater. "Did you hear it!?"
"Hear what?" Pinkie cocked her head. "Twilight, there's nopony here, just me and Fluttershy, and neither of us said a word, promise."
"That's right," I mumbled to myself. "He said it was all in my mind..."
"Who said what? Twilight, are you hearing voices? Do I need to do magicaley-surgery like you did to me?" Despite it all, I grinned.
"No, I think I'll be alright, Pinkie. But that... that pool of Taint talked to me, I swear it."
Pinkie cocked her head to the other side, ears pricking forward. "Taint? There was Taint here?" |
The Last Hope of a Fallen Nation | Onward to Manehatten | Onward to Manehattan
"It... It was right there." I pointed with one hoof to where the depression in the stone floor was. "I swear, it was right there."
A look passed between Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy. "If you say so, Twilight..." the pink pony spoke up, moving to stand next to me and put a hoof around my withers. "Come on, we need to go before it gets dark. The others are waiting for us, remember?"
I nodded, recalling the others bidding us farewell an undetermined amount of time ago. "Y-Yeah..." On a hunch, I took one last look at the empty hole. "Let's go..."
A light drizzle had started falling sometime while we were in the ruined castle. Unafraid of some water, all three of us trotted out into the mist, instantly wetting our coats. "But which way..." I breathed, looking up at the sky in frustration. There was no sun to navigate by, no stars, nothing but a single rolling wave of gray cloud.
"We need to hurry, Twilight, or Midnight and the others will worry about us," Pinkie said, moving to stand next to me.
"I don't know the way."
"Sure you do, we've been out here before. We just have to find the way back." Pinkie looked over at Fluttershy, and the pegasus nodded in agreement.
I shook my head. "It's not that simple. Everything has... changed. I can't explain it, but it's almost like the forest is more alive than ever. I don't know if a simple compass spell will get us out, and if we don't head the right way, we could be wandering in here for days, or until something bigger than us picks us off."
Fluttershy's eyes shot wide open, ears falling victim to gravity. "Oh, Fluttershy, that's not what I meant. I'm sure we'll--" Before I could finish, the pegasus shot up into the air, flying faster than I ever saw her fly before, until the last wisp of her tail vanished above the cloud layer.
"Fluttershy!" Pinkie got on her hind legs, cupping her forehooves around her mouth. "Fluttershy!" Before the last echoes faded into nothing, the pink pony dropped back onto her hooves. "She's gone..." We both stared up into the air, captivated by the small hole Fluttershy left behind. Pinkie only hesitated for a moment before sinking to her knees, sobbing quietly. I waited awhile longer, unwilling to believe she would just leave like that.
It was a good thing I did, for not a minute later, Fluttershy popped back down, gliding in large circles until she touched down nearby. Pinkie was on her hooves immediately, charging down the pegasus in order to hug her violently and demand she never disappear like that again. Again I held back, waiting for Pinkie to back off before slowly trotting over.
"What did you see?" I half expected Fluttershy to speak up, to just tell me and then insist I take the lead. Much to my surprise, she just jerked her head and started walking, turning around and motioning again when she saw we weren't following. I looked over a Pinkie and shrugged, both of us breaking into a fast trot to catch up.
The rain let up after about an hour, though the clouds didn't start to clear for another. By that time, it was apparent it was about to get dark, and that we would either have to camp out for the night in the forest, or try to push on through the moon-deprived darkness. As it was, I had already foregone my ban on magic to form a light for us to walk by, as the treetops cut out what little light snuck past the clouds.
Our party was mostly silent. The only words that we really saw fit to trade was the occasional query on everyone's well-being, and asking Fluttershy to fly up and check our heading. It was a good thing she did, too, because I was right. The forest had grown. Before, the worst thing you had to worry about was in the depths of the forest, the uncatalogued monsters that haunted the inner treeline. Now, though, it felt like every step out took us deeper, led us closer. The very trees breathed malevolence.
Thankfully, we hadn't met any of the experiments that Midnight had described. Yet.
"Girls," I said as the cicadas began chirping in the dusk. "I think we might have to stop. It's getting too late." The other two stopped and turned to look at me.
"But what about Midnight?" Pinkie asked.
"I guess they'll just have to wait. This forest is bad enough during the day, but I don't know how much longer I can keep this light going, and it's going to get dark very fast." As if to prove my point, my light flickered. "We need to find a campsite. Fast."
Fluttershy poked Pinkie gently with a hoof and nodded, pantomiming sleeping. At long last, Pinkie nodded. "Okay, so where should we go?"
I peered through the trees, trying to find a clearing big enough for a campsite. "There." I pointed with a hoof. A short walk later found us in a small clearing, almost entirely fenced in with large trees. I set the others to gathering kindling and logs and, as soon as I had a large enough stockpile, the fire sprang to life with a small spark from my horn.
The three of us huddled around the fire. The sun had retracted its warmth, leaving nothing but the cold for ponies to contend with. Before too long, we were warm enough that we started to steam, filling the air around us with rainwater from our coats.
"Girls, listen," I said as the comforting chirp of the cicadas gave way to the creepy growls and hisses of the more nocturnal denizens of the forest. "We need to get some sleep, but we need to set a watch. I'm... I'm tired. Pinkie, can you take first watch?"
Pinkie Pie sat up straighter and nodded. "Yup!"
"Can you?" I raised an eyebrow. "You have to stay awake, and make sure the fire doesn't die, but you can't let it get too big either."
"Yup!"
"And you have to wake us up if something comes into the camp, or looks dangerous, okay?"
"Okey dokey lokey!" Pinkie saluted. "You can count on me!"
"Remember," I said with a yawn as I tried to get comfortable on the hard ground. Across the fire, Fluttershy was doing the same. "Don't sleep, shout if something comes up on us, don't let the fire die. Wake me up in a few hours and I'll take last watch." The last thing I saw before my eyes drifted shut was Pinkie leaning back onto our stack of firewood, falling onto her back as it gave way from under her.
♣♣♣♣♣
The cliff shot up in front of me, a massive wall of white. At the very top, I spied a figure, ponylike in shape, staring out at the horizon behind me. As I watched, more and more ponies, armed, moved to stand beside the lone shape, all of them watching opposite the cliffs.
I turned around, with no small amount of hesitation. I was standing atop a hill, or maybe a small mountain, looking down on a city. It was a bustling metropolis, huge buildings rose from the center while uncountable smaller ones stretched off into the distance. Throughout, little flecks of color went about their lives, oblivious to the dark cloud gathering at the edges of the city.
"It is a troubling sight," said a voice next to me. I spun quickly, ready for anything except the visage of Princess Luna staring down at the city. She looked over at me and smiled. "Hello, Twilight Sparkle."
"P-Princess? What are you doing here?" I asked, glancing down at the city. "For that matter, where is 'here?'"
"Your dream. Thou art currently in the Everfree Forest, two hours outside of Ponyville. Dear Fluttershy is asleep as well, though her dreams are much more... tumultuous." Luna turned to gaze back at the city. "'Tis a lovely town. Is it your creation?"
"I've never seen it before. Is it significant in some way?"
"We cannot say. We have only been in a scant few of your dreams, and all of those recent." As though anticipating my planned outrage, the princess held up a hoof. "It was on Sister's request. Chrysalis was attempting to use thine dreams against you, to attempt and rupture thine sanity. Sister asked Us to protect you as much as We could, and so We did."
I gulped, thoughts jumping instantly to one nightmare had while locked in the Canterlot Dungeons. "Y-You did?"
The corners of Luna's mouth twisted up in a smile. "We do not remember details, Twilight Sparkle, unless We were there ourselves." My breath whooshed out in a relieved sigh, adding the faint lilt of laughter to the princess' next words. "We expect thou has many things to speak to Sister about upon your arrival in Manehatten. But be wary, Ponyville is not as safe as it once was."
I nodded, though everything was beginning to shake. I could just barely hear a familiar voice in the distance, though I couldn't make out any words. "Thank you, princess." The scene shook again, disguising the slow creep of the dark clouds over the city. "Sorry, but I think I'm being called."
"Fare thee well, Twilight Sparkle, and remember what we spoke of." Those were the last words from Luna's mouth before the scene shifted one last time then dissolved into a colorless black expanse of nothing.
♣♣♣♣♣
"Good morning, Twilight!" Pinkie shouted, taking her hooves off my shoulders after I cracked my eyes open. Across the fire, Fluttershy smiled before continuing to pile dirt onto the smouldering embers.
"Morning...?" I asked, voice cracking.
"Yup!" Pinkie beamed. "You looked really tired, so I let you sleep!"
"You let me sleep through my watch!?" Pinkie was in for it now. I was mentally preparing a large lecture on how she had endangered us all, leaving the camp unguarded like that, and in the middle of the Everfree Forest, no less! It was ready, loaded, and properly outlined in my head, mere seconds from spilling forth when the earth pony shook her head.
"Nope! I just didn't sleep." In a quieter voice, she muttered, "I don't always sleep well anymore.. Sometimes, it's just easier not to..."
"Oh, Pinkie," I slowly got up on unsteady hooves, throwing one around Pinkie's neck in a hug. "It'll be alright, I promise. Luna told me we're a couple hours outside of Ponyville, and from there it's only a couple of days to Manehatten. We'll be there and safe before you know it."
"Luna? Like, Princess Luna? When did you talk to her?" Pinkie asked. Finished covering the fire, Fluttershy slowly trotted over, the same question written across her countenance.
"She was in my dream."
Pinkie cocked her head. "Then how did she know how far away we were?"
I stopped and stared for a moment. "No, she wasn't a part of my dream, she was in it, like me, not a dream-Luna, the actual-Luna, walking through my dream."
Another looked passed between the other two ponies, the, "Twilight's gone crazy' look. My right eye twitched. "I'm not crazy..." I muttered. Then, a little louder. "It doesn't matter, let's just get a move on. Fluttershy, which way?" The butter pegasus launched into the air, returning not a minute later. She nodded her head, and we three set off from our relatively safe clearing into the unknown.
The forest seemed different in the new dawn light, almost friendlier. The emerald greens glistened with fresh dew, quenching the thirst of birds perched up in the lofty boughs of the canopy. Visibility was better as well, though everything that wasn't already green was tinted with it. We walked quickly but surely, attempting to make as little noise as possible, just in case something was skulking around, looking for an equine breakfast.
I'm not totally certain when the edge of the forest appeared--whether it was two hours, more, or less was difficult to figure out without a clock or even a sundial. As we passed from the shade of the last tree, I shielded my eyes with a hoof and looked around, trying to spot Fluttershy's cottage. A few seconds later, the pegasus herself tapped me on the shoulder. Once she had my attention, she pointed into the distance, to where a small plume of smoke rose from an overgrown hut, set up against a dead, untended garden.
As we got close, I told Fluttershy and Pinkie to wait in a bush for my signal. Once I was certain they were safe and out of sight, I went to the front door, readied a burst of magic, and knocked softly. Before the door even opened, I felt the tingle of a magical scan. I dropped my magic as the door opened, aided by a deep blue aura of magic.
Midnight poked his head out. "Twilight," he acknowledged, "where's Pinkie Pie?"
"One second." I raised my hoof, the signal for the girls to join me. Pinkie bounded from the bush, but turned back a few scant steps later once she realized she was short one follower. She dove back into the hiding place, emerging pushing a wary pegasus before her.
"Who's that?" Midnight asked, narrowing his eyes. "Did you check her?"
"It's our friend, Fluttershy. Yes, I checked her, and she's coming with us to Manehatten," I replied, putting a hoof around Fluttershy's withers as she drew close. "She's another Element, and more importantly, our friend. Is that going to be a problem?"
Midnight shook his head. "Of course not. Welcome aboard, Miss Fluttershy." He held out a hoof, which the pegasus tentatively shook. "Everyone's waiting. I'll get them, and we can--"
"No," I said, shaking my head. "There's something I want to do before we leave. Just wait here, it won't take too long."
"The library?" I nodded. "Alright, but take somepony with you." Midnight turned his head back into the cabin. "Fleetwing! Front and center!"
One yellow eye poked around the doorframe. "Yes, sir!"
"Escort Miss Sparkle here to the library, and keep it quiet, got it? I expect both of you back here, in one piece, in an hour." An orange hoof flashed by, coming to rest above the yellow eye. Midnight stepped aside, allowing Fleetwing to exit the cottage. She waved at Pinkie and Fluttershy, then looked over to me.
"Ready to go?" she asked, shaking her wings to make sure her wingblades were tight.
I nodded and looked over to the girls. "Are you two going to be alright here?"
"Yup!" Pinkie took her place next to Fluttershy, replacing my hoof when I removed it. "Don't worry, Fluttershy, these ponies are friends. They're going to take us somewhere safe as soon as Twilight gets back, okay?"
Pinkie lead the pegasus into the hut, turning to wave at me before disappearing into the depths of the room. Midnight went to follow, turning around on the doorstep to deliver a warning before going inside. "Don't be late." Without waiting for an answer, the unicorn walked inside, and closed the door.
I set off, Fleetwing not too far behind. We tried to stay off the road, preferring instead to stay in the bushes nearby, sacrificing speed for stealth. Unfortunately, it only worked as long as we were on the outskirts. Once the road from Fluttershy's cottage joined the one to Sweet Apple Acres and headed straight to the Ponyville Town Square, everything changed. There was a line traced into the dirt, a small depression on either side of the road. The other side was devoid of vegetation, forcing us to move back onto the main road/
Now unable to hide, we began moving slower, searching constantly for anything that may wish to impede our progress, or worse. The closer we got to the square, the more high-strung we became, though nothing showed its face. Even the square itself was empty, not a changeling or monster or other pony in sight.
"Stay here," I instructed Fleetwing once we were near the library. "Er, not really here, but in the general area. Just don't follow me in, okay?"
"Why not? We're supposed to stick together! How am I supposed to do that from out here?" Fleetwing sat on her haunches and crossed her front hooves, pouting.
I trotted over and placed a hoof on her withers. "Look, it's nothing against you, but it's personal. I'd prefer some privacy, alright?" Fleetwing bit her bottom lip, chewing on it in thought.
"Alright," she said after a few moments. "But be quick, okay?"
Before she even finished, I had the door halfway open. "Yeah, I'll be right out." I entered the library backwards, staring at the floor. The door clicked shut, forcing me to turn around. Every hoofstep raised plumes of dust, mixing with dim light filtered through the grimy windows to cloud my vision.
As soon as it cleared, I wished it hadn't. To be expected, the library had been ransacked, most likely by the changelings searching for information. For the first time, I wondered if what I was looking for was still there. It was small, and was actually rather unimportant in the grand scheme of things, but it was the last physical link I had to the Princess.
I made my way to the staircase to the upper levels, focusing my eyes on it to avoid looking at the heaps of books piled carelessly on the ground. The wood of the stairs creaked under my weight. Not thinking, I looked down and shushed them. Even worse, I didn't even realize what I had done until I was actually in my room. My cheeks erupted in blush, almost lighting up the area around me, and I thanked Celestia nopony had been around to see it.
My room was in even more of a state then the downstairs. Books were again strewn on the floor, my private collection, I was loathe to realize, but that was just the beginning. Shelves were tipped over, as was my mattress and bed frame. Drawers from my desk were tossed on the floor, a couple broken into pieces, contents scattered across the room.
I had expected the changelings to have ransacked the library, but I had never expected my home to be ravaged this bad. Storing the thoughts and emotions for later, I flared my horn, clearing a way from the door over to the desk.
"Now... where is the latch..." I muttered, feeling around with the tip of my hoof. Eventually, one of the places I touched depressed with a click. Unfortunately, I didn't remember where exactly the drawer was, because it popped out and whacked me in the head, right at the base of my horn.
I slowly rose back up, making sure not to hit my head again, grumbling about stupid secret compartments. Mom had it made for me before I left for the castle, saying that Princess Celestia's personal student needed a desk, and a mare needed her secrets. I hadn't even understood what she meant until I dropped a quill while writing a report, and hit the catch with a hoof while trying to get it. Even once I worked out how to open it, it remained empty until just a couple of months ago.
I reached in with my magic, gently lifting the only thing that ever inhabited the secret compartment of my desk: a skinny but rather long black box. Even months later, even knowing what was inside, I still found myself struggling to open it. With a creak of reluctance--from me, not the box--it slowly opened, revealing a simple but elegant silver necklace.
Princess Celestia had sent it to me on my twentieth birthday. Rationally, I knew it was just a well-wish from her, a congratulations on surviving another year, but it was almost impossible not to dream it meant something more. Wiping away a rebellious tear from my eye, I deftly released the necklace's clasp, and placed it upon my neck. The metal was cool, but I relished the comfort of the sun it brought.
Slowly, I closed the box and replaced it in the drawer, pushing it closed with one forehoof. It wasn't until I was almost down on the staircase that I heard it; the first stair always creaked. Spike always bugged me about getting it fixed but, especially during one of my caffeine-fueled study binges, I always used the creak to tell when somepony was coming up the stairs.
And I had just heard it, in my ransacked home, in the deserted square of Ponyville. I had mere seconds to decide, fight the unknown enemy, or to hide and hope it didn't find me. While my mind argued with itself, my body took action. I dove under the bed, shimmying over to where a pile of fallen books obscured me. A small crack where the opened pages of a book rested upon another provided a peephole, letting me see the monstrosity that shambled into the room.
It... may have been a pony at one point in time, though it was almost impossible to tell. It's coat was a sickly, dull green color, covering nothing but a twisted skeleton. The beast hobbled in, favoring the back hooves. It stopped right in front of the desk, snuffling the air, obviously following a scent from downstairs.
All I could see of the beast was a few scraggly tail hairs by this point. It was following some scent around the room. I followed it with my ears, tilting my head as well and quietly as I could, trying to make sure it didn't surprise and eat me. Or worse.
The beast walked around my bed, sniffing around the nightstand that used to be piled high with light night reading. Of course, now the books were lying on the floor, along with the shattered remains of the nightstand. Hoping that the monster wasn't going to turn and look, I slowly made my way to the edge of the bed opposite the beast.
Once to the edge, I turned around, and cautiously poked my head out so I could see. Moving as little as possible, I peered around, making sure the coast was clear. Assure I was safe for the moment, I edged out from under the bed and crawled forward to the end. The door was in sight, but before I could make a dash for my life, the sniffling on the other side of the bed stopped.
Limping hoofsteps slowly made their way around the end of the bed. Lacking time to get my way back under the bed, I huddled under the skirt of the bed, placing my muzzle and horn under and upturned book. It took some doing, but I eventually managed to calm myself down just as the beast rounded the corner.
The beast's hoofsteps reverberated on the floor, shaking me. I wedged my eyes shut, praying I would survive to escape. I could feel the necklace pressing into my chest, mocking me for my arrogance. We were safe, about to leave, but I just had to go and get this necklace, this... stupid string of silver.
If I die here, I'm going to kick my flank in the afterlife.
...I wonder if Spike and Shining will be there with me...
The monster sniffed closer and closer. I could feel the breath from its nostrils ruffling my coat. I'm not entirely sure if what happened would have been different had I not lost my cool, but it was unavoidable. One particularly strong sniff sent slime and mucus across me. The binds I put on my mind to attempt to keep myself calm shattered like dropped china.
I jumped to my hooves, only pausing long enough to buck the monster in the face before galloping back to the stairs. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the beast rising slowly to its hooves. Down the stairs, two more were pulling their way from behind various piles of books, howling and groaning as their prey made its way out the door.
"Hey, Twilight, get everything you--" Fleetwing hailed as I burst through the door.
I passed by her, pushing her flank with a hoof. "No time," I shouted over my shoulder. "Run!" I could hear them now, coming from almost every direction. The scrape as their forehooves dragged across the pavement, their growls of hunger, their cries of pain. All of it echoed across the empty streets and alleys. It wasn't too long before Fleetwing caught up on wing, words spewing from her mouth.
"What the hay are those things!? Why are they after us? Will we be able to get away? Do you think the others are alright in that cottage?" The questions poured out. I ignored them as best I could until the torrent slowed to a trickle
"Fly ahead," I gasped between pants. "Fly to the others, and make sure they're ready to go when I get there. We're leaving, now."
"Are you going to be alright?" The pegasus ducked, barely avoiding a rock meant to ground her.
"Yeah, now go!" Fleetwing nodded and poured on the speed, rocketing ahead back towards the cottage. Too afraid to look back, I focused my gaze forward. In the distance, I could barely make out the depression from earlier. It shocked me to realize it was the basis of a Burrow wall. Faintly, I remembered the information that they tested the system on Ponyville, but that was the last I heard. Another question officially added to my list of questions for "Command."
Once I passed the remnants of the walls, I risked a look back. There was a line of monsters behind me, grunting and growling, but they seemed too afraid to cross the line the foundations traced in the dirt. Even though it was probably safe, I kept up my gallop all the way to the cottage.
Midnight and the others were waiting for me, weapons drawn. As soon as I thought I was close enough, my hooves folded under me, and I collapsed onto the dusty road. Feeling myself lifted into the air, I peeled one eye open to see a mass of blue fur. Midnight had adjusted his sword's sheath and placed me upon his back. "Come on, ladies. Let's head home." Our party set off, Midnight at the head, the others spread out around, and myself half passed out on his back, enjoying the gentle sway of his stride. |
The Last Hope of a Fallen Nation | Mare in the Mirror | The Mare in the Mirror
Before all of this, I considered myself a scholar. Maps and geography were never really my thing, but I did accompany the Princess to Manehatten on business once. We rode in a carriage, of course, but in the tedium of travel I calculated that it would take roughly eight hours by high-speed train to reach the outskirts of Manehatten from Canterlot; nine if from Ponyville.
It took us, on hoof, just over a week, which was a little longer than originally predicted. I'm just glad it didn't take longer. As it was, anticipation almost ate me alive.
Almost from the beginning of our trek from Ponyville, problems arose. The first day, I didn't really care; I spent most of that day on Midnight's back, too exhausted to do more than stare at my distorted reflection in the chain around my neck. The others too, I think, didn't spend too much time on idle thought. Pinkie and Fluttershy had braved the forest, and Midnight and co. acted exhausted as well. We didn't even eat dinner that night. One of us stopped, the others followed suit, and we all passed out on respective pieces of unremarkable grass. Not even a watch was set.
The next day, I joined the others in walking. Some time was passed with idle chatter, but we all knew how far we had to walk, so silence was the order of the day.
Around noon, Pinkie was the first to speak what we all were feeling. "So... do you have any snacks?" she asked, spinning around to walk backwards in front of Midnight. "Because we skipped dinner last night, and that means we haven't eaten anything in almost a full day! In Sugarcube Corner we never would... have..." Pinkie's voice petered out.
It was then that we learned what had happened to Midnight and the others after we separated. They dodged the changeling force readily, but waiting for Pinkie and myself to emerge from the Everfree Forest took a bit of a toll on our food supplies. Add that to the fact that we lost some provisions while in the forest, and that now we had to feed Fluttershy as well, and our food situation was looking decidedly grim. Thankfully, with three unicorns water was only a simple spell away.
We got by mostly on what we could scavenge from the wilderness while on the road, and what Fluttershy could convince her animal friends to bring us; though how she managed to do so without talking was beyond me. Dinner most nights consisted of dusty, half-dead grass, dry wildflowers, and a small hooffull of whatever we could scavenge while walking with as much freshwater as we could drink--even if it did have a faint taste of metal.
"You know," Fleetwing said one night as we feasted around a dim fire, "after this, mineral water doesn't quite hold the same appeal."
I suppose the nightly fire--whenever we weren't dodging small towns or camps which dotted the countryside-- was the exception to the golden rule of silence. Around its faint glow it almost felt like our situation was forgotten. Pinkie, Fluttershy, and myself weren't three of the most important ponies in our group, Midnight, Sparky, and myself weren't always looked at like we were in control of the whole situation. In fact, the only thing that really remained the same was Pinkie's on-again-off-again post-apocalypse zeal and Fleetwing's--somewhat irritating--borderline hero worship.
Around the fire, we were just normal ponies. As equals, we told stories from before. Starfire was a trans-Equestria mailmare, responsible for delivering mail in-between settlements. Much to my delight, Sparky was a researcher at one of Canterlot's many schools of study, and we spent many nights debating abstract metaphysical and philosophical topics that usually left the rest of the group in almost instant confusion. Midnight, unsurprisingly, was an officer at one of Equestria's border forts. Most of my questions he refused to answer, saying that I would be told when we arrived at Manehatten, but he did tell me that, while most of the Guard were wiped out in the initial attack, the survivors, around a fifth of the force, had a large hoof in forming the resistance.
Fleetwing, however, staunchly refused to say anything at all about her past, even when I broke the rule of silence to ask her when we were mostly alone on the road. "Just give her time," Midnight said after I asked him as a last resort. "Her past is a bit of a sore spot. She'll tell you when she's ready." Out of options and unwilling to find out by force, I dropped the subject.
♣♣♣♣♣
On our last day of travel, having just finished what meager rations we designated for a lunch, we crested a large hill we had been climbing most of the day. I stopped at the summit and covered my eyes with a hoof, gazing off into the distance.
"There she is." Midnight stopped next to me. "We're home."
I was frozen in place. The longer I looked, the weaker I felt. A massive cobblestone wall, large enough to hide all but the tallest buildings inside, stared back at me. I recognized it almost instantly, even though I had never actually seen one. It was a Burrow wall, my planned and recommended fortification to keep ponies inside, effectively turning the entire city into a battery of love.
My hind legs gave out under me, and I found myself scrambling into an awkward sitting position. A soft step and soft voice to my right broke through my reverie. "Twilight," Pinkie said, "are you alright?" From behind her, Fluttershy eyed me, backing up our friend without words.
"I-I... No," I muttered. I was suddenly deathly afraid one of the freedom fighters would hear me. "These walls, they're part of the Burrow. I designed this for Chrysalis while she held me captive. Now... now I get to actually see it."
"This is way above my pay grade..." Midnight muttered to himself. "Look," he continued, still whispering, "don't tell the others, okay? Don't tell anypony but Command. You are our best hope of winning, but these Burrows... You've caused a lot of trouble, you know?"
"Alright, let's move out," Midnight said, getting the attention of everypony and shepherding them towards a reinforced wooden door in the wall. Part of me knew that Midnight had not meant to, but his words still stung. However, I had designed the Burrow, with the express intention of being able to get around it easily. I closed my eyes, bringing to mind the blueprints and pointing out all of the key structural and strategic flaws I had hidden. I would have to inform Command as soon as I could, in order to reinforce Manehatten's defences and aid in whatever else they may be planning.
My walking was halted by a soft hoof on my chest. I followed the appendage to see Fluttershy, pointing a wing ahead to Midnight and two guards at the gate. From the look of things, they had been arguing for some time while I was lost in thought.
"I told you, the Canterlot Outpost is sanctioned by Command. Just let us in to talk to them, somepony will know," Midnight was saying.
"I'm sorry, but this gate is closed to civilians, and we have no record of any ponies being assigned to an outpost near Canterlot," the guard replied. Both he and his partner lacked the discipline of the Royal Guard, and the tarnish on their armor would have earned them cleaning duty, but I guess military supplies weren't quite what they used to be. After squelching a thought of what I must look like, I felt my judgemental side slowly wither into nothing.
"I can vouch for them," Starfire said, moving up to stand next to Midnight. "We have three VIPs here that need to talk to command immediately."
The other guard spoke up. "Those three?" he asked, looking back at Pinkie, Fluttershy--who dove behind me--and myself.
Midnight tossed a look over his shoulder. "Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Twilight Sparkle; three of the Elements of Harmony and ponies who have had a standing rescue order since the founding of the resistance."
Both guards shared a look, barely containing laughter. "Well, in that case, right this way, Miss Sparkle. We'll see to your friends, but you need to report to Command right away."
Before we could do anything, the gate was pulled open. Two more guards came out, directing everypony but me deeper into the fortifications in the wall. Pinkie looked at me with a small smile before prying Fluttershy off of my leg, seating the pegasus on her back, and heading inside. The freedom fighters looked back at me and muttered reassuring words before following.
"Miss Sparkle?" a voice called, drawing my attention to a gold pegasus stallion standing to one side of the gate. "My name is Dashing Cloud. I'm here to take you to Command. Please, follow me." He stood silently, patiently waiting for me to come through.
I stepped forward, tossing a suspicious glance to both chucking guards as I passed between them. As soon as the last stray hair in my tail passed through the gateway, the wooden door was swiftly shut, leaving me alone with the strange stallion. "Come," he said, starting off down one of the hallways within the wall, "this way."
Together we walked a short distance within the wall before exiting through a side door and emerging into the bright light of Manehatten, and the shadow of the Burrow. Now freed from the gentle curve of the wall, our path became much more confusing. We twisted and turned almost constantly, sticking mostly to the cramped back alleys much to my disappointment. Some part of me still wanted to know how my plan had ultimately worked; it wanted to find out if the Burrow system of letting ponies live lives as unaffected as possible was truly a viable idea. Unfortunately, lost in the secret shortcuts as we were, I didn't see a single other soul until one alley spit us out in the middle of what was essentially Manehatten's town square.
For one glorious second, I thought the more curious side of me would have her answer, and finally leave me alone. Then I saw the second pair of guards in front of a second gate and wall. My head quickly turned over my shoulder, confirming that, yes, this wall was altogether separate from the outer wall. "What's going on here?" I demanded, turning back to Dashing Cloud. "Where are you taking me?"
"This is the command core," Cloud replied. "The town hall and surrounding park have been converted for military use. The square houses various tents for military use--blacksmith, armory, training, etc.--while the town hall itself is used by Command for offices, dungeons, interrogation, and other things. The wall and gate serve only to keep civilians out of the way."
"Oh." I scratched behind my wilted ear with a hoof. "Sorry. Just a little jumpy still, I guess. It's hard to believe that we traveled here without a major incident. Feels almost... wrong somehow."
Cloud answered my comment with a noncommittal grunt before heading towards the new gate. Unlike the last one, the guards pulled it open without raising a fuss, letting us into the repurposed town square. I had been here once before, but after living in Ponyville for so long, the massive stone building caught me somewhat off guard. Add to that the various assortment of massive tents in the grass and pavement in the general area, and the ponies in armor striding from place to place--I was somewhat overwhelmed.
My guide seemed to not notice my pause, for he continued straight through the camp to the open doorway of the town hall. At first, I thought the door was propped open to facilitate easier access, but as we approached, I noticed with some measure of concern that the doors had actually been blasted open at some point in the past; currently, they rested up against a pillar in the entrance hall.
Once again, our path became hard to follow as we wound through the structure. Signs of battle were everywhere; scorch marks on the wall, windows bricked up, wall sconces torn from their housing and lying twisted on the ground. I pointedly ignored them as we continued deeper into the structure. At long last -- past a wall covered in what I fervently hoped was cherry filling -- we stopped in front of an inconspicuous wooden door, different only by virtue of two ex-Royal Guards standing on either side.
"Another Twilight Sparkle to speak to Command," Cloud said, answering the guard's unasked question. My ears perked up at the insinuation that I was not Twilight Sparkle, but I left it alone.
"Has she been checked?" the guard on the left asked.
"She passed through both anti-Changeling fields with no side effects."
The guard on the right nodded and rapped the tip of his spear against the door. "One Twilight Sparkle seeks admittance," he said.
"Alrigh', send 'er in," called a voice from the other side. "Let's get this over with..."
That voice... I charged through the door, much to the displeasure of the guards, and almost ran into an orange mare. The second my eyes fell on her, I knew for sure, and wrapped her in a tight hug. "Applejack!"
"Well, this certainly is one of the better attempts we've seen," another voice said from deeper in the room.
I looked up at the sound and beamed wider, making the corners of my mouth hurt. "Rarity! You're okay, too!" Rarity waved a hoof and I was dragged off Applejack by the two guards. "Hey, what are you doing? Let go of me!"
Rarity walked over to Applejack and helped the fallen mare up, wiping down her coat with a hoof. "Let's get this over with, darling." Rarity nodded, and the guard marehandling me let me go. I pulled away, shooting him a look over my shoulder. "Alright then, prove to us you are who you say you are."
"P-Prove?" I spluttered, "but it's me! I don't think there are too many other lavender unicorns who look like I do, and I don't know a single other one that is the Element of Magic!"
"You know as well as I do that disguise spells have become very common since Chrysalis took over. You're going to have to try harder than that," Rarity replied.
"But, Rarity, Applejack, it's me! We... We met in Ponyville when Princess Celestia sent me to oversee the Summer Sun Celebration..." The words just spilled out, powered by my desperation. Surely other ponies hadn't tried to impersonate me? Obviously they had, because now two of my closest friends didn't even believe me. "...And I wanted to go into the forest alone, but you wouldn't let me, and I'm glad you didn't. I don't think I could have made it through without you, which made it really difficult when the Princess only sent me two tickets to the gala..."
Our story continued as I frantically outlaid every adventure we'd been on over the years we'd known each other, barely stopping to take a breath or look at my captive audience during my frantic storytelling. I paced back and forth, motioning wildly with my hooves in an attempt to emphasize what happened and how much I had actually been there.
"...And then we ran from the castle and ate donuts, but the Princess showed up herself! Even though I knew that it wasn't likely, part of me was afraid she was going to yell at us, to condemn us for ruining her gala. But of course not, because she wanted to sit and eat with us! I couldn't--mmfmm." My story was ground to a halt very unceremoniously by a hoof shoved in my mouth.
"Alrigh'", Applejack, the owner of the hoof, said softly. "We get it. Ah'm convinced it's you, Twilight, but..." she tossed a look back to Rarity, who nodded, "we gotta make sure."
Rarity walked deeper into the room, skirting a large table topped with several large pieces of paper. She walked over to a shelf, one of the only ones still containing books, and pulled out a rather large tome. "Most of the books in the Ponyville Library we weren't able to recapture," she explained while walking back towards Applejack and myself, probably in response to the longing look on my face. "Most of the ones we did save are in your room, assuming, of course, you pass this last test."
This was the first time Rarity had said more than a sentence at once, and I was shocked at how different she sounded. Unlike Applejack, who seemed almost unchanged on the surface, almost everything about Rarity seemed different somehow. Her voice had lost its Canterlot accent and many of her speech mannerisms were gone as well. Everything about her seemed just a little... harder. Even her personal grooming wasn't up to past standards; just from where I stood I could tell her mane wasn't as shiny and probably hadn't been combed in a couple of days.
Rarity fumbled with the book, removing a small wooden box from inside. After placing the book on the table, she gingerly sat the box down in front of me. With two short steps back, she drew even with Applejack and sat down on the stone floor. "Just open the box, darling."
I cast my gaze down, noting the intricate carvings on the lid. Slowly, I reached out and prodded it with a hoof until the lid slowly creaked open. Inside, nestled within a cradle of fabric, was a small, magenta six-pointed star. As if it saw me, the star flashed in greeting as the lid to the box flicked fully open.
"Is this..." I breathed, staring down at the small jewel.
"The Element of Magic, in a fashion," Rarity replied. "I think it's actually the jewel from your tiara. One of our soldiers brought it to us after a raid of Canterlot to try and rescue you. We decided to keep it, because only the real Twilight Sparkle can use it." I glanced up to see her soft smile, mirrored by Applejack beside her. "Go on, take it."
I nodded, hesitantly reaching out with a small tendril of magic. The two connected, and the star burst into a bright light, moving of its own accord to hover in front of me, glimmering all the while. "Um... ta-da...?" I muttered, smiling sheepishly at my two friends.
In the flickering purple-ish light of the Element of Magic I could clearly see the wide smiles of Applejack and Rarity. Before they could do anything, however, the captive jewel still had one trick left. Just as Rarity rose to her hooves, the Element of Magic's aura of light quickly expanded, before the jewel itself rocketed backwards, affixing itself to the silver necklace I recovered from Ponyville.
All three of us stared down at the jewel now dangling from my necklace as it lost its shine and settled on being just a normal star. While the other two were staring, probably taking in my new fashion choice, or perhaps that I was still alive, I sprung my trap. I jumped forward, wrapping one hoof around Applejack and one around Rarity, pulling them into a large hug. "I'm so glad you're okay,"" I breathed into the tight space between them. "I was so afraid..."
I felt the other two hooves wrap around me and pull tighter, turning us into a triangle of squished pony. "I'm sorry about all of that, darling," Rarity said, "but in the beginning, we had too many ponies pretending to be you. Some were obviously fake, but as time went on and disguise spells became more and more robust..."
"We didn' want ya to actually come back and think we'd replaced ya with a floozy," Applejack continued.
We stood together for some time before Applejack pulled away. "Ah think our happy reunion is gonna have to wait. The Princess is gonna want t' talk t' Twilight," she said to Rarity. "An' I reckon we probably aughta see t' the ponies who brought her here. Supposedly, they got Pinkie and Fluttershy too."
The reverie the words 'talk' and 'princess' put me in shattered the instant Applejack mentioned Pinkie. "I almost forgot!" I shouted, cringing at the wave of guilt. "We were separated at the gate of Manehatten. I think... I think Midnight and the others from the Canterlot outpost are with them."
"It's alright, sugarcube, Ah'll go find 'em," Applejack said, opening the door and walking through.
"And I shall take you to the Mirror," Rarity said, stepping forward to keep the door from closing. "Come with me."
After a glance at Rarity's small smile, I eagerly followed.
♣♣♣♣♣
So far, my time in the resistance headquarters had been rather stressful. Being separated from my friends, being led through a building that had clearly been attacked recently, having my identity questioned by two of the ponies I consider my closest friends, it was all very overwhelming.
But now, being led through the rather unimpressive town hall of Manehatten--likely fortified by Chrysalis in the conversion to the Burrow--something much worse than stress began to creep into my mind. Curiosity, anxiety, anticipation. Fear. A large, cold ball of fear, right in the middle of my chest. It made it difficult to breathe, difficult to control my hooves. For a brief second, I considered bolting as a much better alternative than facing Celestia. After all, I let her down, I tried to resist Chrysalis and failed; I made it worse!
I quickly reread the letter she sent so long ago in my mind. The day they told me you escaped Chrysalis' dungeon was probably one of the best I've had here. I'm so proud of you, Twilight... I look forward to speaking to you again, Twilight. It has been too long. What if she knew what I had done.
What if she knew how I--
"We're here," Rarity said, shattering my thoughts like dropped plates. I smiled, trying to swallow the lump of fear lodged within me. "I'll let you go in alone. I'm sure you and the Princess have some private things to discuss."
The little bit of courage I had managed to drum up to do battle with the fear evaporated in an instant. "Well, uh, alright, but... I don't know what to do to activate the mirror. Do I need to, like, breathe on it and write a number, or cast a spell, or..."
"It's all taken care of, darling," Rarity said. She reached out with a hoof and pushed the stout wooden door open, spilling a strange blue light into the hallway. "I'll be here when you're finished."
I slowly passed into the mostly dark room, closing the door behind me. The only thing visible was a circle inscribed in the floor, slowly spreading its blue light around the room. It was barely bright enough to light up the circle and the walls, most of the corners were cloaked in shadow, but none of that really registered at first. All that mattered was the tall white alicorn standing in the middle of the circle.
"Princess...?" I whispered. Of course she couldn't hear me, probably couldn't see me either, not in the dim light provided by the Mirror. At least, I thought the runic circle in the ground was the Mirror--after all, there wasn't anything else. I should walk over and talk to her. It's been so long...
But I didn't. I just stood and stared, not wanting to step forward in case my intervention would destroy the magic and send my Princess back to wherever she had been the last few years.
"I heard the door, is somepony there? Twilight?" The princess shuffled her wings, looking towards me and the door.
Hesitantly, I stepped forward into the strange light. "H-Hello, Princess."
"It is you, my faithful student." Celestia graced me with one of her warm smiles. "When they told me that another Twilight had surfaced, I was truthfully somewhat skeptical. So many ponies have come to us trying to be you, and though I've known where you were the entire length of Chrysalis' reign, I couldn't help but hope Luna was wrong, and that you had returned to me."
Slowly, I walked forward, hundreds of questions and thoughts whirling around in my head. Why was Celestia in the circle? Why hadn't she come out? What did she mean she knew where I was the whole time? What did Princess Luna have to do with anything? Returned to her? What was this strange circle? Wh--
Why couldn't I move forward?
Forcibly removed from my thoughts, I finally began to take my surroundings in once again. Directly in front of me stood Celestia, looking down with a slightly sadder smile than before, her alabaster coat marred by a harsh blue light. "Oh, Twilight," she said, kneeling down to look me in the eyes. "I'm sorry. The Mirror is only a projection. I can't physically be there in Manehatten." No... "This is the best solution we could manage, without a powerful spellcaster easily accessible." I began to tune out my teacher, preferring instead to closely examine the runes in the Mirror.
"So what is this, exactly?" I asked, not taking my eyes from the tracing of the closest rune.
Celestia laughed softly. "You are definitely Twilight, always looking for an answer to a puzzle." The passing comment stung, even if it was true. "It is a modified Circle of Summoning. We call it the Mirror, because it runs on the basic principle of Reflective Projection Theory, most commonly used with mirrors to channel speech and visage."
"I thought mirror magic was very unpredictable, and that most unicorns could never quite get it right." The questions were going on autopilot now, as the rest of my conscious thought busied itself on retracing the first rune, further back, in lavender, careful to keep myself between the two sets.
"Yes, and it took time to repurpose the communication spell for use without a static surface, but Luna and I did not have much more to do. Once we had it perfected, we contacted Rarity instructed her and three other unicorns how to create that circle behind you and allow it to draw latent magical energy from the user," Celestia explained in a bemused tone.
I smiled. She figured out my plan. I moved onto the seventh rune, halfway around the circle. "So, if you aren't in Manehatten, or able to come here, where are you?" Where am I going to end up if this works?
"Luna is, from what we can tell, back on the moon. I'm not certain, but I... I think I may be on or in the sun, or something of the sort. It gets rather hot, but I can't see anything outside of the enclosure I am in." I briefly glanced up at the princess. I nodded once, noting the concern evident in her gaze. After a moment of thought, I took two steps over and slightly changed the last rune I engraved before moving forward.
"If you're trapped somewhere apart from Princess Luna, how are you two communicating? Do you have another Mirror?" Not too much longer, now. I hope this works.
Another two runes inscribed into the ground. "No, nothing quite that elaborate. My sister is rather gifted at dream magic, and with nothing else to do in exile..." The princess trailed off. "The first week or so was very relaxing."
"A good night's sleep always helps me," I replied. Another rune, only two more to go. As I traced my way around the Mirror, inscribing my runes into the ground, I began to notice a faint glow of purple emanating from my creations. Either a very good, or very bad, sign.
"Is that why you fell asleep so many times in my chambers as a filly... and right before your trip to Ponyville?" My face erupted into blush, and I thanked... well, Celestia, that I was turned away from her. Even without seeing my face, however, she still seemed to know. An airy chuckle echoed around the empty room. "I am glad your time with Chrysalis did not change you as I feared."
The mention of my former captor's name made me twitch, throwing off my trace of the last rune. It was you, Twilight. You caused this whole mess. It's all your fault.
"Or maybe it did..." Celestia continued in a much softer voice. "Twilight--" The rest of her sentence was lost as I completed the last rune of the circle and a howling wind ripped through the previously silent room. An ethereal lavender light mixed with the blue from the Mirror, their combined light finally enough to light the furthest corners of the room, even if the illumination was even more distorted than before.
Just one more thing to do... Slowly, under Celestia's watchful eye, I walked to the original ring of runes in the Mirror. With a single blast of magic, the rune closest to me was wiped out. All at once, the other blue runes in the circle lost their light, and slowly faded away.
I took two measured steps forward, and embraced my princess in a hug. Celestia wrapped her wings around my back, shrouding me in a soft cocoon of white. |
The Last Hope of a Fallen Nation | Tainted Origins | Tainted Origins
Celestia and I stayed in our embrace for some time, neither of us wanting it to end. We stood there, unable and unwilling to let go, but the silence could not last forever. Slowly, the realization of what I'd done washed over me. My alterations had worked. Replicating the runes of the Mirror, then breaking the original circle had transferred the spell into my imitation, with me inside it, neither in Manehatten or the sun, but somewhere safer, in the middle.
All for a hug, from my--the, let's not get possessive--the princess, Celestia.
"That was very dangerous, Twilight. You could have been seriously hurt," Celestia whispered over my head.a
I nuzzled into the base of Celestia's wing. "I don't care," I replied softly, watching her feathers ruffle with my breath.
"But many ponies do." The princess shifted back, just far enough to dislodge my head from its warm hiding place and force me to look up at her. "What about all of your friends? The refugees from Ponyville? The thousands of other ponies, including Luna and myself, waiting for you to defeat Chrysalis?"
Great, no pressure then. "But how? We don't have the Elements of Harmony, and even if we did, Rainbow Dash is still missing!"
"One step at a time." Celestia finally broke our embrace; I squelched an annoyed squeak. "Applejack and Rarity have been fighting this war for almost as long as you were captured. Your return to us does change things, but not so far to make us replan everything..." She trailed off, as though to contradict her own words. "War is a terrible, terrible thing, Twilight. I worked very hard to keep it from the borders of Equestria, and now I am asking you to dive muzzle-first into the darkest and most scarring part of it."
To bring back Celestia, I'd do anything. "I won't let you down, Princess."
"I know you won't. You never have." She smiled down at me for a moment before her gaze hardened. "Listen to me, Twilight. As nice as seeing you again is, terrible things are about to happen, and there are things that I must tell you before they do. Luna has shown me your dreams and I know you hurt, but as much as I want to help you, you must listen first. There is time for everything else later."
"B-But, Princess," I stuttered.
For a moment, Celestia's gaze softened, almost to one of sadness. "Oh, Twilight, I'm not much of a princess now, am I? The only charge I have left is the sun, and it can almost move on its own."
"Don't say that, Princess!" I shouted almost without thinking. "It's not true. There's a whole city out there willing to fight and die for you, and I would too. You're still our princess, and you always will be."
Once again, the alicorn smiled. "Then it is even more important you listen to me right now, Twilight." She sat down across from me before beginning. "First and possibly most important is Chrysalis herself, and more importantly, where her power comes from."
My ears started slowly drooping. "P-Princess... do you, um, do you know what Chrysalis had me doing when I was... ah... with her?"
"Yes, Twilight, I do," Celestia replied softly. "I think you made the best of a bad situation, especially with the little weaknesses put into the... what did she call them? Burrows?"
I slowly nodded. "You... you're not disappointed?"
"Are you mad at me for distrusting your instinct about Cadence?" When I was younger, I hated when she answered a question with another question, but having used the technique myself I can at least understand the thought behind it.
"No." It wasn't a lie. Any sort of anger directed towards Celestia had faded long before Chrysalis begun her invasion in earnest. Cheese-legs had her claws in deep, and her impersonation was good enough it took a fresh mind to see through it.
"We all must make difficult decisions in our lifetimes, Twilight. You were held prisoner, tortured, threatened, and you resisted her until Chrysalis threatened somepony you care deeply about. And even then, you tried to resist and compromise her plans. I have not met many ponies who had the heart to do what you did and the courage to do it so well."
Find out if the princess wants to smite me for what I'd done for Chrysalis, checked. A little of the weight lifted from my shoulders, but only enough that everything else pushed down a little harder. And she praised me for my failure on top of it. A rush of thoughts turned to speech died in my throat as Celestia raised a hoof.
"We're running out of time," she said. A small crash shook the imperceptible darkness around me. "Yes, love is the power and food of the changelings, but I'm talking about Chrysalis' personal power. The Taint. I ask that you do not interrupt, Twilight, because if you do, I'm not certain I will be able to continue."
Of course, the first thing I wanted to do was ask why. What could be so terrible, I wanted to ask, that even you, Princess, couldn't bear to tell? Something about her expression, a small spark of pain hidden deep in her eyes, is the only reason I didn't. So, as the darkness around me shook once again, I nodded for her to go ahead.
Celestia took a deep breath. "Luna and I first discovered the Taint, though we did not call it that at the time, long before the rise of Discord. We were in a very bad situation; lost, confused, and with the expectations of hundreds on our shoulders we could not afford to make a mistake. In desperation, we made a deal with a stallion nopony had met before, a deal we would come to regret deeply."
Of course she started talking with probably the most question provoking statements I'd heard in awhile. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I remembered my "conversation" with the Taint in the Everfree Forest. Two things kept me from breaking the promise I made just a few moments ago: the somewhat worrying shaking of the darkness outside my rune circle, and the consistent sad look in her eyes.
♣♣♣♣♣
We were young, Twilight, you must keep that in mind. Equestria had just been founded, and was little more than a small tribe. For the sake of brevity, I would like you to assume that the events of the Hearth's Warming play are true--please do not look at me like that, Twilight, it is a topic for another day--and that Princess Platinum, Commander Hurricane, and Chancellor Puddinghead--the very same from the Hearth's Warming play--were in charge of this fledgeling coalition.
If my memory is correct, and that far back can be hazy, Luna and I were born to the first pegasus and unicorn couple. At this point, we were just normal ponies, nothing special about us save for our horns and wings--neither of which actually worked as well as a unicorn or pegasus.
Even so, the ponies of this new nation rejoiced at our existence. They saw us a sign that their venture was destined to succeed, which only increased as no other foals born shared both visible traits from the three original tribes. We were almost deified, impotent as we were, and as such, treated with reverence second only to their leaders, and only just. And, as the case often is with foals, all the attention slowly fed our ego, and trampled our common sense.
Then, tragedy struck. Princess Platinum, the oldest of the three leaders, passed away, simply from old age. Equestria carried on, though its spirit of conquest and hope was somewhat dampened. Commander Hurricane fell next, in battle, defending our borders. Racial tension began to rise slowly, as Chancellor Puddinghead remained, the last of the original three. Earth ponies began to adopt a superior attitude, not unlike the unicorns of old, and often mocked the other tribes for the "incompetence of their rulers." The unicorns and pegasi began to point hooves at Chancellor Puddinghead, blaming her for the deaths of their rulers, claiming them to be assassinated. Within less than a year, all three tribes were at each other's throats and civil war loomed on the horizon.
More level-headed ponies saw the anger of the common majority, and began to brainstorm solutions to prevent the shattering of Equestria. Placing another pegasus and unicorn in power with Chancellor Puddinghead did not work, as neither of the tribes could agree on who should ascend. Statements from Chancellor Puddinghead did nothing as well. Even Earth Ponies criticized her for trying to deny her tribe's superiority.
Thankfully, before open war broke out in the streets, somepony remembered Luna and myself, the forgotten idols of a lost age. In a last desperate attempt to save Equestria, Chancellor Puddinghead removed herself from power, placing the vestments on my sister and I, remaining only as one of our many new advisors.
It was a terrible idea. Luna and I were young, almost a decade older than you, Twilight. We had no experience with leading, politics, or anything of the sort. We were scapegoats, Twilight, in power only to be blamed when everything inevitably boiled over. We knew, our "advisors" knew, but the general population didn't seem to. The tension did not vanish, but it hid behind curiosity as ponies waited to see what the hybrids would do.
In short, we panicked. We didn't know what to do, so we tried to simply restore Equestria to how it once was. In pursuit of that goal, we alienated many ponies who felt they deserved something from us. Slowly, and completely without help from our supposed advisors, we began to realize that the population was slowly turning against even us.
That was when he showed up. In a town not even twice the size of Ponyville--the size of Equestria at the time--a stallion suddenly appearing that nopony knew drew enough attention that he was shepherded to the building that was serving as the house of government.
This mystery stallion came before my sister and I, looked us dead in the eyes, and offered the solution to our problems, under the terms that we would allow for his master to settle within Equestria. We agreed, and the stallion left, saying that we would receive what we needed on the morrow.
And a strange night it was for when we rose the next day, the sky was empty, neither sun or moon in the sky. But we could feel it, inside. To this day, I can still feel the burning in my horn when the sun is due to rise, awake or asleep. However, it took us three full days to understand what had happened, and as such learn to control the new most basic parts of ourselves, and the massive stores of magical power we now commanded.
During the fortnight of darkness, the waves of rebellion seemed to have stagnated as ponies drew together in scared confusion. Rumor slowly spread that Luna and I solved the problem by taming the sun and moon themselves, and thus the legend of Princess Luna and Celestia was born.
♣♣♣♣♣
I sat still and silent through the entire story, but impatience combined with a thirst for knowledge and growing fear of the world shaking around me finally decayed my resistance. "Princess, I don't understand. Why is that so terrible?" The second the interruption slipped out, I clapped my hooves over my mouth and gave Celestia my best apologetic look.
To my surprise, she just sighed. "Because of what happened after, Twilight. You see, Luna and I were so busy exploring our new power, power we had been originally denied as hybrids now amplified to ludicrous levels, we never gave a second thought to the strange stallion who came before. Idly we speculated where our ability came from, but we, as they say, did not want to look a gift horse in the mouth."
"So you feel bad because you forgot somepony? Surely you can't remember everypony," I replied, mind still not quite making the connection.
My heart froze as Celestia's expression fell. "I wish it was that simple. Some years later, after a string of disappearances, our version of court at the time began hearing reports of odd creatures lurking around the outskirts of town. Descriptions were vague, but most involved pegasus-like features, but with wings that extended past the flanks, and small points extending from the hooves."
"Wait, you mean..."
Celestia nodded. "It took another month before we found them. It was in a house, deep in an arm of what would eventually be renamed Whitetail Woods. They fought, if you'll excuse the pun, with beak and claw, but at last the creatures were subdued. And such, the Griffin race was born. In the basement, we discovered a sinkhole filled with black, bubbling substance." She shook her head slowly. "Another pony, one we never did catch, had foalnapped ponies, usually from the outskirts of town, and experimented on them with Taint to create a new race. His true intentions we never discovered, and to this day, the true origins of the griffins are known only to a select few."
I reflexively thought back to what I had first thought to be a hallucination in the Everfree Forest. "The... The Taint talked to me, when we found Fluttershy in the forest."
Before I could move, my vision was filled by two lavender eyes rimmed with white fur. "When was this?" Celestia demanded, staring deep into my eyes. My cheeks slowly started to warm up. "How do you feel?"
"W-Why? What's wrong? What's going to happen to me!?" I blurted out, breathing starting to speed up.
"Just answer the questions please, Twilight. I have to make sure..." She was using the same voice that was always there to comfort me when I was younger and something had gone wrong.
"Two, maybe three weeks ago, in your old castle," I replied on reflex. "Since then I... I can't really say I feel any different from normal... not that I really know what normal is anymore..." I added at the end under my breath.
Celestia withdrew, intense gaze subsiding. "I apologize Twilight, I..." She ran a hoof over her face, something I had learned over the years meant something was really bothering her. "The Taint is... evil, I can think of no other way to say it. Alone, it can't do anything, but it is very good at working its way into ponies' minds. It takes your darkest thoughts, twists them, then gives you the power to make them real."
"It took my sister from me," she continued much softer. "We were working constantly to try and eradicate any traces of Taint we found. It was a losing battle to be sure, as we didn't know what creates it, but ponies, and even other creatures twisted by Taint have done... terrible things, things we could not allow to be repeated.
"Luna had just returned from the southern border where she was hunting for almost a month when the Nightmare overcame her, and I refuse to believe my little sister turned on me by coincidence. I will not allow it to claim you as well, Twilight."
I closed the short gap between us before stretching out and gently wrapping my forelegs around my princess' neck. "I won't let it, princess. I never had any intention of listening to the Taint, and I definitely don't now." Celestia wrapped her neck around mine, resting her head on my back.
"Just be careful, Twilight, please. The Taint took my sister from me, I don't want to lose such a brilliant student and good friend too." My heart both swelled with pride and melted in agony. Just a friend... Swallowing my pain, I pulled away from Celestia and nodded.
"--light!" The sound floated through the air, just barely registering.
"Did you hear that?" I asked the princess, ears stretched as high as they could to try and find the sound again.
Celestia cocked her head slightly. "I think somepony is calling your name, outside of the Mirror." She gave me another smile. "You should go. We can always talk later, and it sounds like you are needed."
I really didn't want to leave, ever. I was perfectly content in this shaking darkness as long as Celestia was here, but she was right. "There's just one problem..." I laughed nervously. "I, uh, don't know how to leave."
With care, Celestia moved me towards the edge of my runes before moving back to the now dull original circle. "By the way, Twilight," she said, catching my attention once again. "These ponies know you, all of them. The resistance movement was built around your return; they know who you are, they know what you are capable of, and they will look to you for guidance."
"But what about Rarity and Applejack?" I asked. "I don't know how to lead a war!"
"Neither do Applejack or Rarity. Together, however, with Luna and I behind you, I think you will succeed." Her horn lit up, and a golden rune sketched itself, completing the original circle of the Mirror. "Now just remove one rune from your circle, and the spell should cancel."
"I'll talk to you later, princess," I said, reaching a hoof out to erase one of the runes.
"I look forward to it."
With the last runic circle broken, the light from the spell faded, and the now empty room was thrown into darkness. I cast a longing glance where Celestia once stood before heading back out into the hallway.
"Bout time ya came outta there, Twi', we were gettin' kinda worried here," Applejack said the second the door closed behind me. A massive crash echoed around the building, shaking dust from the rafters onto our heads.
"What is going on out here?" I asked, flicking dust from my mane.
"That's what we were trying to tell you," Rarity replied, quickly tapping her hooves against the floor. "Manehatten is under attack." |
The Last Hope of a Fallen Nation | Battle Plans | Battle Plans
"What!?" Ignoring the cement around my hooves I dashed to the nearest window, turning my gaze across the city. Sure enough, just over the crest of the
outer walls I could see a wave of black steadily approaching the outer walls, complete with rock-hurling catapults. Deep breaths, Twilight, don't panic. "Okay, what do we do?"
"We do have procedure for something like this," Midnight said, stepping from the shadows. "Seeing as how many of our soldiers are out on raids or reconnaissance, we will pull troops from the outer walls and bring them--"
"No. That would leave all of the citizens without protection if the walls are breached. We need a new plan," I interrupted.
"With all due respect, Miss Sparkle," Midnight shot, somehow managing to make the honorific sound distasteful. "You do not have a military background, to my knowledge, nor are you in charge of our armies. I understand you were Princess Celestia's personal protege, and are maybe used to keeping some form of consul with her, but it works differently now."
"I agree with her," Rarity spoke up, cutting off my scathing reply. "We freed this city, and they allowed us to make base here, knowing full well that it may bring Chrysalis' ire down on them. In return, we protect them, and last I checked retreating is not protecting."
The dark unicorn lowered his head. "Of course. I was simply stating standard procedure for something like this. What would you have us do, Commander?" He stressed the last word, tossing a pointed glance my way. I found myself sorely missing the unicorn I trekked across Equestria with and wondering where he'd gone in just a few short hours.
"Twilight?" I nodded in acknowledgement of the white unicorn before casting my gaze out the window. This is what Celestia was talking about. Out of the Mirror room five minutes and important decisions were already hooved out to me. Stifling a whimper, I turned my attention to the problem at hoof, reluctantly dredging the plans for Manehatten's Burrow from its coffin in my memory.
"The outer walls are easily over two feet thick and I don't see any siege engines powerful enough to break them down, so going through the walls isn't likely," I muttered to myself, though everypony else leaned in to listen.
"How does she...?" I heard Rarity ask, but Midnight hushed her.
Ignoring the conversation in the background, I continued my verbal thinking. "Flying over the city to attack from the inside would just open them up to attack by magic from the ground, and would probably result in hundreds if not thousands of casualties before the invasion force even breached the walls. Likewise just landing troops on the walls themselves isn't practical. Can't go over, can't go through, can't go around, that only leaves...."
"Down," Applejack finished for me. She turned towards Midnight. "Get word to the messengers. Get all ponies off the wall tops, but leave the inner bastion garrisoned. Also get groups of unicorns throughout the city and have them monitor movement. The second a mole digs underground five miles outside the walls Ah want to know about it."
Midnight saluted before taking off down the corridor at a brisk trot. "Twilight," Rarity said as the unicorn left the hallway. "How do you know all of these things? The Twilight who left Ponyville with us didn't really strike me as one skilled in military strategy."
"That was three years ago," I replied softly, desperately trying to shove the Burrow plans back into my memories, along with my shame. "A lot has changed."
"Twilight?" Applejack began, as quiet as I was, "what happened to you, sugarcube?" Another impact shook the keep, almost drowning out her words, but I understood clear enough. I needed to tell them. Even if I didn't want to, they deserved the truth, but not now. I had barely managed to tell Celestia, and she already knew. How would Rarity and Applejack react when they found out that much of what they had gone through was my design?
Rarity, noticing my hesitation, leapt to the rescue. "Maybe now isn't the time to catch up?"
The earth pony looked like she wanted to argue, to press me for information, but at a look from Rarity, she relented. "Yer right. There'll be plenty of time to catch up when things slow down here. Ah'm goin' to prepare interception teams in case the Changelings try anything fast. Ah'll see you two at dinner tonight." Without another word, she spun on her hooves and walked down the same hallway as Midnight.
"I suppose I can take some time to show you around, if you'd like," Rarity said to me after Applejack's tail disappeared around a corner.
"Sure. I'll need to know my way around, especially if a fight breaks out," I replied. "And we should probably get Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie. They must be wondering where we are by now, and all of this shelling must have Fluttershy practically catatonic."
Rarity motioned with a hoof, and we set off deeper into the impromptu keep.
♣♣♣♣♣
Our first stop was my quarters, a room I was going to be sharing with Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie; Rarity hadn't planned on bunking all three of us so soon, and we didn't want them in the general barracks. It would be a tight fit with three ponies and all that the resistance recovered from my library in Ponyville, but we would make do. It was also just a couple of halls away from the room that held the Mirror, which was a plus.
The next room over I didn't get to see the inside of, Rarity said that there wasn't enough time, but she told me it was her and Applejack's quarters.
From there, the last two places we went to see physically was the armory--one of many--and then back to the office I visited first upon my arrival. Already inside, waiting with varying degrees of patience, were Applejack, Fluttershy, and a massive pink missile that nearly took Rarity and I off our hooves.
"Twiliiiighhhht! You're okay! And Rarity! Ohmigosh I thought you were all dead! I mean, I know Twilight wasn't dead, because she came here with me, but they took you away, and we got separated, and Fluttershy was stuck on my back because she wouldn't move, but now you're here and we're all together again, and..." Pinkie blinked and took a deep breath, looking around for possibly the first time. "Where's Dashie?"
Fluttershy squeaked, I lowered my gaze, Rarity and Applejack exchanged a glance. "Where's Dashie?" Pinkie asked again, more firmly. Our hug dissolved, and she fixed us all with a death glare. "Where is Dashie?"
"Pinkie, darling, Applejack and I have exhausted every spare resource, trying to find all of you. We found Twilight easy enough, but that was it. We... do not know where Rainbow Dash is."
"You don't know..." Pinkie deflated, pulling back away from us and into herself. "That's okay. At least us five are all together again..."
"It's not like that, Pinkie," I said, stepping forward. "We haven't found her yet. But we will. We will end this, together. I promise." I turned to look at the others, planning fully to capitalize on this motivational protagonist speech. "We're going to end this siege, we're going to find Dash, and then we're going to take back Equestria. Together."
"Ah take it you have a plan, then," Applejack said, "to break th' siege? Maybe some more information you shouldn't have?"
"Applejack!" Rarity snapped, "what is wrong with you?"
"Nothin'," the earth pony shot back, "Ah just want t' know how Twilight knows what she does. The only ponies who would know that much are the ones who designed or built it." She turned to me, looking a lot less angry that I first thought. "Ah mean no offense, Twi', but if you got somethin' in that head o' yours that can help, we need t' know."
"Applejack!" Rarity practically shrieked. "What are you saying!? It's Twilight! Do you think she is a spy? A traitor? A plant to tear us apart?"
"'Course not! Ah just think that it's a mite strange, her showing up in time fer the Changelings to."
Rarity stalked up until she was muzzle to muzzle with Applejack. Whispers passed between the two, heated from even where I was standing. Pinkie Pie huddled in the corner, not sure what to do. Fluttershy padded quickly over to my side and hid her face in my mane.
After almost ten minutes, I think, of silent argument, I trotted over quickly and forcibly separated the two. "Enough!" I shouted, easily loud enough to drown out their protests. "I was captured by Chrysalis, okay? I never made it out of the wedding hall. She captured Spike too, and used him as leverage to make me work on her defense strategy. They're called Burrows. I tried to defy her, so she tortured me and, when I resisted, killed Spike."
I glared at Applejack, trying hard to keep the memories from overwhelming me. "Happy now?"
"Twilight," Applejack said softly. On cue, the others began to move towards me, but at that moment, I wasn't really in a cuddly huggy-kind of mood. I pushed between Rarity and Fluttershy, and exited into the hallway. I wandered the keep for a few minutes, struggling to remember how to get where I wanted to go, but at last I found it.
I walked through a nondescript wooden door, into a dark room. Faintly I could see the outlines of two sets of runes on the floor. I sat directly in the middle of the two rings, hunched over until my head rested on the cold stones, and finally let go.
♣♣♣♣♣
The door to my prison burst open, flipping pages in books and sending loose papers skittering all over the room. I dove from my chair, rushing to bow as low as possible before she came.
"Twilight Sparkle! a voice exploded from the doorway. A sheaf of papers flew through the air before bouncing off my head. Careful to remain respectful, I waved along the floor with a hoof until I felt one. With a little more work, I moved the papers to where I could read them. "Do you think I am stupid? Explain yourself, now!"
"These are the plans you wanted to convert the Burrow project into a form for Cloudsdale," I replied. "I did exactly what you asked for."
"Yes, but this plan calls for it to be pulled to the ground! What's the point of having a floating city if we have to keep it tethered to the ground for it to work!?" My body was enveloped in a sickly green aura and lifted into the air until I was muzzle to muzzle with my unwanted visitor.
Chrysalis glared at me through the shimmery haze of her magic. "Well?" she demanded, shaking me like a ragdoll. "Answer me!"
"I-It was the most practical way to make the walls. According to my research, the secondary clouds that compose Cloudsdale's outer layers aren't thick enough to support material from the ground. Primary clouds can, but those are in the middle of the city, and heavily populated by buildings. There are just too many risks, and it would only wall half of the city," I replied, trying to keep the acid from my voice.
"I did not tell you to give me excuses. I told you to create a Burrow for Cloudsdale, and you failed." Her voice dropped to a soft whisper. I didn't want to listen, I knew what was coming. "Remember, you are just a pony. We don't need you, Twilight Sparkle. You are expendable."
With a flick of her head, Chrysalis sent me flying into the opposite wall, sending books clattering down to the floor. A burning pain erupted in my leg. Sprained, at least, hopefully not broken. Again. Before I could take a closer look, a hoof pressed down on my chest, pinning me to the floor.
"You are expendable, Twilight," Chrysalis hissed. "And you would do well to remember it." I watched from the corner of my eye as she left my chamber. "She failed again," I heard her say to the guards outside my door. "Please ensure she doesn't again."
I squeezed my eyes shut just before the guards entered the room, locking the door behind them. Then the first blow fell,and I squeezed them tighter.
Finally, after what felt like hours, my vision cleared. I sat up slowly, wincing in expectation of pain that had faded a long time ago. With practiced ease and a deep breath I shoved the memories back inside. There was no place for them here.
At least, not yet.
♣♣♣♣♣
"Hey, Twi'," Applejack said as I entered the room. After my retreat to the Mirror, I made my way back to the office to find a soldier waiting for me. During my absence, the changeling army had finally reached the outer wall and set up a camp. Rarity, Applejack and the others had moved to a location known as the 'War Room,' but had seen fit to leave me with an escort.
"H-Hey," I replied after a couple of failed attempts. Both of us looked at each other for a long, awkward hoofful of seconds.
Then Applejack spoke, and it all vanished. "Look, Ah wanted to apologize--"
"Later," I said, striding forward into the room and taking a good look around. The War Room was brightly lit by torches and lanterns, to make up for the lack of windows. Various maps hung along the walls, detailing Manehatten, the town hall, and even the walls of the Burrow, though those had much less detail. In the middle of the room was a large table, surrounded by chairs. One last map sat atop the table, a very detailed rendition of Equestria and surrounding area, even going as far north as the Crystal Empire. Various colored markers adorned the map, some on cities, some towns, and some just sitting in the middle of the countryside. Some still had arrows near them; mobile armies and the direction of their travel.
"Glad you could join us," Rarity said. She motioned with a hoof to the chair on her right. "We were getting worried."
"I needed a moment," I took the offered seat, and gave Fluttershy on my right a smile. "I'm fine now, what's the situation?"
Applejack took another open seat, between Pinkie Pie and Rarity. "The changelings have set up a camp outside of the outer walls. Unfortunately, their siege engines aren't close enough to do anything about them. Thankfully, they aren't strong enough to do any damage to the walls." Another shot from outside hit.. "At least, not yet."
"As for the response forces, since they're still armed and ready from your trip, I have Midnight and the ponies from the former Canterlot Outpost each heading their own response team of five others, evenly spaced in the civilian quarter. More soldiers are armoring up and dispersing throughout the city. Within an hour, we will be organized enough to field three separate shifts."
"With all due respect," a crisp voice interrupted, "why are we telling civilians this?" That voice, I knew him. I glanced across the table at the only other pony in the room, a white stallion in tarnished Guard armor, who I hadn't seen since Shining's graduation. His presence here wasn't exactly reassuring.
"Snowhoof, how... nice to see you again." I gave him my best half-watt smile. "What are you doing here?"
"Major Snowhoof here is one of our best advisors. He is the one who organized the remaining Guard after the Fall, and is essential to their cooperation." Rarity's tone was pretty clear. I don't like this guy, but we have to put up with him or there will be problems.
Which was great. Because I didn't like him either. He was always envious of Shining, who was just an all-around better soldier--sibling bias aside.
And yet, another part of my psyche reminded me, he survived, and Shining didn't.
Now I disliked him even more. But if he was important...
"Well, it is always good to see an old friend. So tell us, what are your plans to lift the siege?" I steepled my hooves, careful not to bump anything, and rested them on the map table.
"Well I don't see how that's any of your concern," he spat. "Or those two." He pointed to Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie. "I have a plan, but you three do not need to hear it."
"I would like them to, and last I checked, I was in charge," Rarity spoke up, raising a hoof to stop Applejack's own retort. "Please, Major, educate us."
"We need to get word to Cadence--" What did he just say? "--it wouldn't take too much more time for her to send troops here instead of Vanhoover--" Cadence is still alive? "--And all we need to do is hold out, sally forth troops when Cadence arrives, and then resume our initial attack plan."
Why didn't anypony tell me she was still alive? I wonder if anypony else made it out of Canterlot, like my parents... Dimly, I could hear Rarity continue the conversation under the background noise of my much more important thoughts. "That is your master plan, then? To wait for somepony else to come save us? Even if we could get a flyer out of the city without being slaughtered by the changelings, it would still be at least a month for forces from the Crystal Empire to make it here."
Focus, Twilight. I gave myself a mental slap as Applejack joined in the strategy discussion. "And a lot can happen in a month, Major. More changelings are probably on the way. Fights are gonna break out, 'specially when food stocks start to run low, an' that's not even countin' skirmishes. The changelings are gonna get in eventually, and we'll have to fight them off. Ponies are gonna die, and we don't have a lot to replace them with." Yeah, take that, Snowhoof. Coward.
The white stallion in what I imagined to be purely decorative armor sniffled. "Fine. I take it, then, that you have a better plan?"
At that, Rarity blushed slightly and shot a look over towards me. "Well..."
...I didn't like the sound of that.
♣♣♣♣♣
"Psst, Twilight, are you still awake?"
I rolled my head to the left, where the hissing voice came from. "Yes, Pinkie, I am still awake. And I will continue being awake, until you are quiet enough to let me sleep."
"Have you come up with a plan yet?"
We were lying in our room, hastily modified with a couple more beds for Pinkie and Fluttershy. Everything was dark, peaceful, meant to promote sleep. Except for the hyperactive pink pony lying just a few feet away. "No. Not yet. I was going to sleep on it, remember? Kind of hard to do that when I can't fall asleep."
Of course, there was no point going to sleep now. The changelings had apparently learned that if they aimed higher, they could lob massive rocks or whatever it was they were shooting into the city itself, and it was like teaching a foal to whistle. Every few minutes, they would hit something else. Some close, some far, but almost every shot was followed by a flurry of movement outside of our door, if not screams and cries and loud, scary rumbles.
Which was probably why Fluttershy had decided to forego her own bed, and instead cram into mine. I suppose it could be worse, the heat of midsummer is fading and the nights are actually getting chilly. A pegasus wing makes a better blanket than a blanket any day.
The snores next to my head tell me that Pinkie has finally fallen asleep. Now if I could just get those changelings to stop trying to destroy the town we forcibly took from them I could get some sleep! With a groan, I shoved my head under my pillow, attempting to use the faux-cardboard to block out the sounds of war. It almost worked, too, until sompony burst into our room, and pretty much ruined everything.
"Wake up!" the interloper shouted, banging his hoof against the open door. "You three, get up! We've been breached! They need you in the War Room!"
And, of course, by the time I launched my pillow at the door, he was already gone. "T-Twilight," Pinkie poked my side with a shaky hoof. "What does he mean, 'we've been breached'? Are the changelings inside the walls?"
I detached myself from the pile of ponies, making sure Fluttershy was awake and ready to go before dropping to the floor. "Probably. We should go see what they need from us. Stick close, okay?"
We ran through the keep, headed towards the War Room. Every so often I was able to glance through a window. If we were being attacked, they hadn't managed to breach the inner wall yet, and the thick stone the town hall was built from deadened most of the sound. If I didn't know better, I would say it was just a normal night.
The War Room, once we arrived, was already very lively. Snowhoof was really going at it, and by the shade of red his face was, he had been going for awhile. "--have planned for this, Rarity. The Changelings are very efficient; they probably had a team working on the tunnel before they even made camp! And after the raid of Dodge Junction, you should know that they don't seem to suffer from magical fatigue like our unicorn magi do."
"Well Ah didn't hear you comin' up with anythin'!" Applejack shot right back. Her, Rarity, and Snowhoof were crowded around the center table, a detailed map of the streets of Manehatten haphazardly thrown across it. There was a black mark near one of the outer walls -- possibly the changeling entry point -- along with two colored arrows: green for patrols, red for civilian evacuation.
"I had a perfectly acceptable plan, if you recall--"
Applejack snorted, shaking the loose armor she wore. It was pretty obvious her and Rarity had just woken up as well. "Yeah, Ah remember yer plan, hide. But ya know what? They still would'a attacked us if we did what you wanted."
Snowhoof blew air out of his nose, but said nothing, for a time, until he saw the three of us at the door. "Your guests are here, Commander," he said to Rarity with a wave at us. "Now maybe we can get something accomplished," he continued under his breath, but none of us paid him any attention.
"Are you girls okay?" Rarity turned to look at us, pushing her frazzled mane out of the way. "They haven't made it this far into the city, have they?"
I took a moment to direct the still half-asleep Pinkie and Fluttershy to chairs. "No, I don't think so. What happened? I thought they had just set up camp a few hours ago, how have they already got through?"
"We are not entirely sure. A few minutes ago, we had reports of changelings in the city. We followed the carnage back to their point of origin," she pointed to the black spot on the map. "There is a hole, here, that we suspect leads outside of the wall. Troops are stationed at the entrance on our side to prevent another incursion, but we have not sent any through ourselves."
"That's nice, they got through, but why are we here? Not to be rude or anything, but I am tired, and I still need time to come up with an acceptable plan to break the siege," I replied. With a wave towards the others, I trudged onward. "Not to mention Pinkie is terrified of even the word 'changeling', and Fluttershy is..."
Rarity and Applejack nod. We know what Fluttershy is like now.
"Sorry to interrupt your beauty sleep," Snowhoof spits from his side of the table. Now that I think about it, I don't think I've ever seen anypony actually stand near him if they can help it. I wonder why? "But there are more pressing problems. Namely: the changelings that came in, they never went out."
For once, I think Pinkie processed something before I did. The only warning I had was a rather shrill, "there are changelings inside the walls?" before she all-but vanished in a pink blur. Rarity caught my eye and raised a single eyebrow. I shrugged, and looked to Fluttershy, who nodded and slowly trotted over to a shaking pony-shaped lump of map in a corner.
We watched the mute pegasus attempt to comfort the shivering map for a few moments. My attention was pulled away by Rarity sidling up to my side. "What happened to those two?" she whispered in my ear. Applejack moved over as well, forming a triangle of secrets near the door.
"Pinkie was captured," I whispered back, "imprisoned in the dungeons beneath Canterlot, and, when I didn't cooperate, dumped into the crystal mines. Alone. For two years." Rarity winced and shot another glance to our pink friend. "Fluttershy... I don't know. I hadn't heard anything about her at all, but we found her in the Everfree Forest, in the old castle where we found the elements."
"Oh, dear. And she was silent the whole time?"
I nodded. "I don't know if we'll ever find out what happened to her. She could be physically incapable of speech just as easily as she doesn't want to talk. I have no idea."
"Sorry to interrupt," Snowhoof says, forcing his way over into our little pow-wow, "but there are changelings loose within the walls, and an invading army outside. Maybe we should spend a little less time gossiping, and more time trying to win this war."
I'd like to think I'm a patient pony, really, but this guy was almost too much. I mean, they have a right to know what happened to their friends, not to mention fellow Elements of Harmony.
"We are working on it," Rarity replied, glaring the larger stallion down. "We have teams of ponies scouring the city as we speak. That will suffice, unless you have another plan?"
"Of course. We just need a suitable pony to use as bait, and--"
Thankfully, for Snowhoof, a loud crash and scream cut him off. Without thinking, I yank the sword from the sheathe across his back, pointedly ignoring his protest, and charge out into the hallway, followed closely by Applejack and Rarity. The hallways is empty and silent--the echoes of sound long since faded away.
Confused and directionless, I reached out with my mind. Even now, months after the return of my magic, it still felt weird to draw upon more power than a simple levitation spell. Various points of light appeared around us, stirring sleepily as they attempted to shake off sleep. Five of them, however, stand out.
"The Mirror!" I shouted, before racing off down the hallway. Applejack hobbled past me on three legs, trying to tighten down her armor mid-run. Even Rarity started to pull ahead, horn crackling with energy. I attached the stolen sword to my back and just tried to keep up, partly thankful that I was behind. After all, if I was in charge of leading us to the Mirror, I doubt we'd make it in time.
By the time we arrived at the mirror room, it was already too late. Through the massive hole in the wall where the door used to be, flanked on either side by the bodies of ponies who used to guard it, five changelings scuffed their holy hooves in the ground, apparently trying to erase the runes.
"Hey!" Applejack and I shouted at the same time. We kind of differed from there, though. She went with, "What do y'all think yer doin'?"
I ran in and clobbered one over the head with my sword.
And it all kind of went downhill from there.
The changeling I hit dropped hard, unconscious or dead. That drew the attention of the other four, which gave Applejack enough time to charge in and knock another out cold. By then, though, the remaining three had recovered, and were aiming their horns directly at us. I had just enough time to get close to Applejack and throw up a quick bubble shield before they attacked.
There was a slight problem, though. It was a quick shield. It had power, plenty of power, but hardly any real structure. "Applejack!" I shouted over the hiss of magic smashing against my shield, "where's Rarity?"
"She ain't that good at fightin'!" Applejack replied, warily eyeing the bursts of green spraying harmlessly across my shield. "She ran t' get help!'
A sharp crack echoed through the inside of my barrier, halting conversation for a moment. "I hope she hurries! This isn't going to last much longer!"
"If we have to, I can take the one on the right if you take the one on the left!"
"What about the one in the middle?" I charged my horn briefly and used the energy to try and patch the growing crack in the shield wall.
Applejack shrugged. "We'll just have t' make do."
I took my eyes off our attackers for a brief moment to look through the hole in the wall. There was no sign of Rarity, or her help. Just to make everything a little worse, a deep hum shook the air, likely signaling the end of my poor little shield. "Get ready!" I shouted.
Honestly, I was terrified. The hum was just getting deeper, which means that whatever spell was charging was growing in power. I had never been on the receiving end of something this strong, and I was beginning to wonder if my battered shield could even slow it down.
But I wasn't going to wait and find out. "Go!" I shouted in the instant before I dropped my shield. Applejack dove right, I dove left, just as a massive burst of green energy shot past us, through the outer wall of the keep, and into the night beyond. Everything fell silent for a moment, the calm in the middle of the storm, broken all too soon by the crunch of metal on scales.
Apparently, Applejack had made it to her target, and they were now rolling around on the floor. Changeling the third, the middle one, was still exhausted from releasing his massive bolt of energy, so all that was left was me and my initial target.
I stared down my enemy, daring him to make the first move. I hesitantly pulled my sword to the front to make a barrier of deadly metal between the two of us. Up to this point, changelings like this had mostly only used magic, but it didn't hurt to be careful. Applejack rolled between us, and I used the momentary distraction to attack.
Screaming at the top of my lungs, I charged forward, sword pointed out in front of me like a lance. The changeling tried to jump out of the way, but not fast enough. I heard a crunch, followed by a wet, sliding sound, until I was nose to nose with my foe. He coughed, once, before the light slowly faded from his eyes.
I just killed something. I mean, yeah, I've killed before, like during my escape from Canterlot, but never... never so close.
And the worst part? I didn't really even care. I'd read stories and accounts of people taking lives and being changed forever, or hating themselves, but I honestly didn't care. Just another thing to file away for a moment when my life wasn't in danger, preferably in the presence of somepony who knew what the hell was wrong with me. Besides the obvious.
"Twilight!" Applejack shouted, drawing my attention back to the outside world, "look out!"
I quickly glanced up just in time to see the last changeling, now recovered from his last attack, charging his horn again. I moved forward to add another notch to my sword, but it held fast, stuck in the corpse of my last victim. Focusing more energy into my horn, I tugged as hard as I could, even going as far as to wrap my hooves around the hilt to pull, but it stuck fast.
As soon as it was apparent the sword was a lost cause, I let go and dove away, but never felt the bolt pass by. Something crashed into me, knocking me over. A hot, sticky liquid splattered on my barrel, just before my vision went black. |
Marked | pre | She sighed and saw only one book remaining: the Foal and the Fountain. Twilight glanced up to look at Stamper at the front desk, kindly smiling as he stamped books and hummed what sounded like a very old tune.
The princess levitated the book in front of her, and given the lack of major sources right now, decided to open and begin reading...
> The Foal and the Fountain part 1
Once, long ago, in a time of old,
Where the ponies were not yet as one,
There lived a smart and wise young foal,
Who's genius had not gone unsung.
He awed one and all, with his brilliant mind,
For a genius, indeed, was this boy
The people all loved him, they treated him kind,
Not a soul would dare call him coy.
But he was unsatisfied, he wanted more!
For knowledge to him was his pride.
So he looked into stories, he looked into legends,
Until, one day, it arrived.
The answer he sought, his challenge, his mountain,
Was revealed to him in kind.
The legend, it goes, was of a great fountain,
Which expanded anyone's mind.
For hours and days, he researched it more,
From don till dusk he did read.
Until, Finally, a location secured,
He assuredly had what he'd need.
He told all the elders, he told all his friends,
Of the journey on which he'd embark.
But warnings they issued, caution of ends,
But not a single word did he hark.
Thus he left from the village prepared as can be,
Hiking and journeying far.
Until such a time as he reached the peaks,
Where a guardian stood with a bar.
"What seek ye, foal?" The guardian asked,
His staff now raised in alarm.
"to be wisest of all, to have knowledge unmasked!"
He replied, not afraid of the harm.
The guardian pondered, looked over this boy,
Finding mind and strength to be best...
"Alright my dear boy..." The guardian said,
"But first, you must pass my test..." |
Marked | Chapter 10: the Straight Path | Twilight was interrupted from her reading by a soft toned voice in front of her. "Princess...?" It asked quietly.
Twilight quickly closed the book and looked upwards. She was greeted by the face of Straight Arrow, the pale blue stallion from the jail. He put on a meek smile as she turned to him.
"Straight! Glad to see the guards accepted my pardon!" she said with a relieved expression.
"Thanks again, princess... and I'd like to talk about that, if it'd be alright with you," the stallion proposed, his tone still hushed.
"Of course! What do you need?" she inquired, curious.
"Well, I realize that if it weren't for you, I'd still be in that jail, and I'd like to try and make it up to you." he offered, his expression one of sincere regret.
Twilight casually zipped the book back up in her saddlebag before responding. "What did you have in mind?" She asked cocking her head to the side slightly.
"See, I mentioned that there was a letter that the fifth guy received, and I never saw its contents, but I never saw him destroy it either. It's a stretch, but I can show you the hideout. Even if the letter's not there, maybe there are other clues? The others are still in jail, so it should be empty." He explained, letting it all set in.
She mulled this over in her mind, considering very briefly if this could be a trap, but her analysis of his tone, body language, and other factors convinced her that he wouldn't try anything like that, and he certainly wasn't nervous enough to indicate being forced to do something like that.
"Are you sure, Straight?" the princess asked him, her hoof on her chin in thought.
Arrow was quick to reply. "Of course, Princess! I got mixed up with the wrong crowd, and I feel I need this redemption. Truth be told, if I hadn't found you, I would have gone there alone and looked around anyway, reported stuff to the royal guards."
Twilight smiled kindly and stood up. "Well, lead the way!" she agreed, her tone hopeful. Maybe she'd get to learn a bit more about who was coming after her!
Arrow smiled and they walked out of the library, waving to Stamper as they left, and entered the chilly afternoon air.
After they had been walking for a while, Arrow began to speak up. "Princess... I feel I should explain myself a little better. There's no excuse for crime but... I feel I should explain what led me there in the first place."
Twilight was always interested in stories, so she nodded and trotted next to him with a kind, listening expression.
"I told you in the interrogation room that I met Ruby a while back, and we hit it off. Well, that's partially true. See, Ruby and I grew up on the same street, and she was always kinda quiet, didn't smile much, but when I would practice archery, she'd always crack a grin. Well, she moved, and I didn't see her again until a few months ago. She was attending an archery contest, I found her after it was over, and we talked and caught up a bit," he explained.
Twilight looked him over as they walked. He clearly remembered Ruby fondly, and his expression showed it, but it darkened slightly as he spoke again.
"She still didn't smile much, and she'd become a bit reclusive. She really didn't have any friends that I knew of at the time, and overall, Ruby just seemed kinda down. So I started giving her free passes to all my archery contests. It wasn't much but, I got a hug and a smile out of that deal," he continued, his expression brightening with that last note.
He went on. "After about a month or two, she came up to me with a big smile, and I thought something really good had happened. It was great to see her smile like that. She asked me if I'd like to make a few extra bits with her, and I wanted to see her happy, so of course I said yes..."
He cringed a bit here, clearly thinking of a mistake. "She brought me to the thug hideout, and showed me off to her pals. They started asking me what my 'experience' was in stuff like this, and I... I didn't want to disappoint Ruby, so I lied. I told them that I had dabbled in thievery. I was a stupid foal, and I got sucked into their scheme. They said they needed a few extra hooves for some big gig, and apparently Ruby had told them about me. So... you know the rest..." he finished, sighing in disappointment.
Twilight understood now. Straight Arrow was a stallion with a good heart. He did the wrong thing, but for the right reasons. He just wanted to help out another pony, he never intended harm.
"I know I don't really deserve it princess but, can you ever forgive me? I know what you said in the room but..." He was cut off by Twilight giggling slightly, which caught him off guard.
"Of course I forgive you, Arrow. Really all you did was grab my leg. It's clear you're not a bad pony, in fact you had good intentions! You'll be alright," she assured, which brought a smile to his face.
"Thank you princess! Heh... growing up, my dad always taught me that I should try to make right my wrongs before doing anything else," he said with a smile.
Twilight was a bit curious now about this fellow. "Wise words indeed! What about your mother?" she questioned, trying to make conversation.
He hesitated, then looked down. "Sombra got her when I was young, before we were sealed away..." he trailed off.
Twilight's ears drooped as she quietly apologized, to which he nodded and smiled lightly. He stopped and turned his head up, signaling for her to stop too.
"We're here," he told her. They sat before a plain, one story house, with cruder gray crystal walls and semi-round windows. Arrow walked up to the door and carefully opened it, walking in and then gesturing for her to follow. Her horn ignited slowly, and she ducked inside.
Nothing. Almost an hour of searching had yielded nothing. There were 7 rooms, one living room with a table, chairs, and some playing cards, 4 bedrooms, one bathroom, and one weight room.
The boss's bedroom was simple enough, with a bed and nightstand, which was filled with gold and jewels, likely all stolen. He had some clothes folded on a dresser, and two mirrors. One on either side of the room. The room next door was apparently Ruby's, as it had a desk by her bed, a carpet on the floor, and a desk. Inside the desk were some lock picks, a bag full of bits, a drawer full of stolen trinkets, and in the top drawer, a black crystal heart-shaped necklace, an arrowhead, and some tickets to archery events. On the floor in that room was a small sleeping bag, which evidently was for Arrow.
The third room was rather difficult to sort through. There were clothes strewn about, of all different sizes, and a chest which contained a large number of cleaning supplies on one end, and a large assortment of knives and handcrafted sharp objects in the other side. One end of the room held wood shavings, while on the bed stand next to the old mattress, there were fairly ornate wooden carvings standing on end. Arrow informed her that this room belonged to the green pony.
The bathroom yielded nothing of interest, and the weight room was equally empty. Not even a feather could be found there.
Finally, they did a search through the next room, which had nothing but a military cot in the back, which was cleaned of any hair or feathers, and a desk in the exact middle of the room, with a burnt candle on the top. The drawers contained nothing, which disappointed the two explorers. They sat together in that room, thinking over the whole place.
Twilight, hoping to brighten the mood in contrast to the setting sun outside, mentioned the things in Ruby's drawer. "Hey, she saved those tickets and an arrowhead, that must mean something, right?" she tried.
Arrow sighed and smiled weakly. "I guess she was a better friend that I first thought..." he trailed off.
"Was? Who's to say that you two can't still be friends?" Twilight proposed calmly, as she stood and lit the candle with her horn to brighten the room.
"She's a criminal, and by now she knows I'm not. I don't have a chance to talk with her now," Arrow said with a drooping head.
Twilight huffed. "Well maybe she just needs someone to show her the way! It's clear she at least respects you... I think it's worth a shot to try and stay her friend. Maybe with you, she'll see the light!" she said triumphantly, accenting the word "light" with a glow of her horn.
"You think so?" Arrow asked, hopeful.
"I know so!" Twilight said with a wink, and trotted around near the walls.
He brightened up, his face beaming at this idea. "You're right! I shouldn't give up now! Thanks princess!" he exclaimed, seeming to be warmed with hope.
She nodded with a smile, then took a deep breath. "Hey, do you smell something off?" she asked, sniffing as she walked along the walls.
"Not that I can smell..." he said, curiously looking around. He poked his head under the desk to search for the source, when he exclaimed "OH!" and bumped the table when he brought his head up.
She came over to the desk. "Are you okay?" she asked calmly, looking to see him pull a piece of paper out and plop it on the desk.
"I'm fine, but look what I found!" He said, squinting to try and read. Twilight's horn glowed to provide some more light, and he began to read. "It says... 'too late' ?"
With that word, there was a mighty crash, and the gray pegasus slammed down from a weak spot in the ceiling, tackling Arrow to the floor beside the desk and executing a decisive kick on the princess simultaneously.
The pegasus had his hoof on Arrow's neck, and looked towards the princess through black, unblinking shades.
"NO!" Twilight shouted, scrambling to get up in time!
But the pale blue pony barely managed to utter "Ruby" before the gray pegasus cleanly pressed down with a snap, and Straight Arrow was gone. |
Marked | Chapter 11: Firefight | Twilight was frozen. She watched as the pegasus slowly removed his hoof. There was no blood, and scientifically she knew that he had collapsed his trachea, and likely severed the spine as well in one clean movement. But this knowledge did little to stop the crippling wave of shivers across her body.
Time itself slowed down, as the gray pegasus backed up, her shivers shifted from those of fear to those of despair, and finally, to those of rage. She was tired. Twilight was tired of running, tired of hiding. Of all the villains she had faced, none had ever killed before her, yet here was a true monster, a murderer, expressionless, and free as a bird.
She was a princess, one of four absolutist monarchs, and although she never thought she'd need to, she had the right and now the duty to act as judge, jury, and executioner.
Time resumed as she let out a blood curdling scream of rage, pent up fear now turned to pure hate. Her horn glowed with a black aura as she unleashed the first blast upon the pegasus, who just barely managed to dodge it, singeing his back.
Her eyes widened in surprise and realization as the wall she hit erupted in flames. The strange smell! The pegasus was intending on burning down the whole place, but not with any old lighter, with a mixture capable of eating through crystal when lit. This shock allowed the grey pegasus to land a hefty blow on her side, knocking her back.
She was too flooded with adrenaline to care about the pain, and after rolling back into a standing position, another black blast rang out, which he did dodge. She was powerful, but uncontrolled. The pegasus knew this, and used it to his advantage, rebounding off the ceiling for a head-dive, which she dodged, managing to land a hoof on the side of his jaw. It felt like hitting a brick.
The room was getting smokey now, and the fire had started to spread throughout the nearby rooms. He looked up to the ceiling, and Twilight growled in anger. She was already lunging up as he zoomed out of the roof and into the night. Not this time! Twilight resolved, zooming out into the night and, with a horn-assisted burst of speed, slammed her head into the assailant. He was knocked below, but stabilized, executing insane turns and maneuvers. Twilight would have none of it, and cleared just enough hate to use a normal attack. She cried out as she let loose a flurry of blasts, twenty two purple streaks flying at the monster in the night, and two making contact: one in his hoof, the other on his wing, sending him spiraling down. She took advantage of his few seconds of confusion to pounce on him, diving straight into the burning building and breaking through the roof of Ruby's room. Upon landing, Twilight heard a satisfying snap of his wing, eliciting a small grunt from the formerly-silent assailant. "WHO ARE YOU?" she yelled, the last week's worth of paranoia and conspiracy evident in her voice.
The fire was lapping at the walls from the hallway, but neither party cared. The grey one yanked himself out from under her, executing a precision roll and bucking her into the dresser, knocking the top drawer's contents onto the floor. She lunged, punching with hooves but to no avail: he blocked each and every strike, and countered with a painfully accurate strike at the base of her shoulder, sending spikes of pain through her arm. The fire had begun to enter the room, the doorframe was crumbling like bread, and the tickets from Ruby's drawer were burned to ashes.
Normally, Twilight would be analyzing the situation, carefully planning each move, watching keenly for subtle giveaways, but she had snapped. Killing an innocent pony with a future so bright... she couldn't think straight, and this played in her favor just as much as it played against her. The gray pony attempted a wall-jump to gain momentum with his one good wing, but Twilight teleported and charged a blast from her new spot behind him. He flapped both wings to instinctively correct, but only one worked, sending him into the flames. He ducked and rolled out, putting out a small fire on his coat and jumping high to avoid a powerful black blast.
He charged and slammed her through the brittle wall behind her, sending them into the burning living room. Twilight's eyes were full of fury as she corrected her position and grabbed him, using his own momentum against him as she jumped, slamming him back-first onto the ground, atop his broken wing. He kicked her off, and the two had a moment where they were a yard apart in a building consumed by fire. "Who are you?" Twilight demanded again over the crackling and roaring of the fires, which elicited nothing. They stared for a moment longer, and in her mind he had become everything she had faced so far: her fear, her paranoia, the adversity from the shadows, the subtle signs, and the violence. All of it personified in this silent gray pony.
She teleported, causing him to look back, and she appeared right in front of him, where he'd least expect her to. Her horn was charged, and by the time he reached up to deflect the shot, it was too late, she had blasted him out of the front of the building. She flew over to where he was, and watched him feebly stand up, his right front hoof visibly broken. One of his shades had shattered, but he kept that eye shut. She eyed him and calmed down enough to reach a demanding tone.
"You will confess everything, or you will be sentenced for your crimes," she said plainly. The sounds of the royal guard drew near, and within less than a minute, they would see the whole thing. It was over. She had won.
Then he did something scarier than any other move he had ever performed: he smiled. Not a subtle smile either, but a wide, toothy smile. He still said nothing, but he broke into a sprint towards the building. Twilight attempted to run after him but was too late, for as she got near he had already jumped directly into the hottest flames in the doorway. She sat back in awe of what had happened, with one final observation in mind. As he ran, he exposed his flank, which was emblazoned with... nothing. He was a blank flank.
The guards showed up as she sat watching the building. "Princess! What happened? Are you alright?" one guard asked while the five others surrounded the burning house.
She nodded, but said nothing, as she sat, eyes wide, jaw open, and stayed there until the roof collapsed in on itself, and though she saw him jump into the hottest flames, she could nearly swear that, as the building gave way, there was a deep, hearty, final laugh from within. |
Marked | Chapter 12: Some Time to Think | Twilight didn't even notice the trip to the palace, being led by two guards. She was still in total shock from what had happened. By the time she finally did enter, she was aware enough to see Shining Armor panicked and running up for a hug. She embraced him back, and after a moment, they broke.
"Twilight... I'm so glad you're safe. Rest a moment here, I will be right back, I just have to check with the guards on the situation," he said slowly, eliciting a nod from the shocked Twilight.
Then, when the door shut, she was finally alone in the dining hall. I'm such an idiot... she thought to herself. She had been so overwhelmed, so caught off guard by his burst of speed, but she should have DONE something. I could have blasted his back leg, or I could have levitated him back to me. Why was I so stupid? she mentally lamented.
Of course, when he had sprinted, she had long since passed fatigue, in fact it was miraculous that she had enough energy to even shoot him through the wall, let alone walk all the way back here. Yet, she couldn't help blame herself.
But what of the events leading up to it? "I should have brought a guard along with us..." she muttered, but then paused, and thought a moment.
No... telling a guard to come with would be trouble. Without knowing who's behind it all, nobody unproven can be trusted. Besides, a guard wouldn't have been able to do anything to help anyways. Maybe just another body... She shook her head at this thought.
Her mind was clearing slightly with all these ideas. This was what she needed: time to think. She wandered to the topic of Arrow's death. His killer had been just so cold and efficient. He had clearly heard everything they'd said, so how could he just be unfeeling? Even Tierek, the most violent villain she could think of, never outright killed anyone. Enslaved and drained yes, but not murdered. What could drive a pony to be so cold?
Her brow furrowed as she mulled over the subject himself. He willingly jumped into the fire. In fact, he seemed triumphant, elated even to do so, but why?
Her eyes shifted over to the door, as her thinking was interrupted by Shining Armor returning to the room, followed directly by a concerned looking Cadence. Shining sat calmly across from her, while Cadence wrapped her arm around Twilight's shoulders, in what was meant to be a comforting gesture. Cadence's arm felt unusually heavy, and rather than warmth, a slight chill graced Twilight's spine.
"Twily... what happened?" Shining asked, still very concerned. She sighed, reorganizing her thoughts and calmed down, gently rubbing the bandage on her arm.
"The gray pegasus was found at the hideout of the thugs. He jumped us and... killed an innocent civilian. His name was Straight Arrow," she explained, her voice quiet when mentioning his name.
Shining's white face somehow became even paler, draining of color at those words. Murder cases were extremely rare, in fact, it was seldom that they ever happened in modern times. The closest he could think was some medical malpractice cases and a few "adventuring gone wrong" tales, but a flat-out murder? Such a concept terrified Armor to the core.
He cleared his throat and piped up. "Straight Arrow? He was one of the original thugs, wasn't he?"
"I assure you he was innocent... I can personally vouch that he was a good pony with good intentions... and a bad decision. I don't want his good name tarnished, he was only there for a friend gone astray," she told him, her voice shaky but stern, so he dared not question her, at least, not anytime soon.
"Right... I understand. So, why were you at that hideout in the first place?" he asked, keeping his tone gentle and calm.
"Arrow and I were looking for clues. He felt guilty for the incident and offered to help me, and I needed answers, so we searched together," Twilight told him.
At this, Cadence chimed in, her tone soothing, but with a hint of maternal scrutiny. "Twilight, why didn't you notify the royal guard? They would have investigated the place and looked for clues."
Twilight began to speak but hesitated, earning her a searching look from Cadence. She couldn't tell her that she didn't trust the royal guard, and that Arrow would have gone alone either way. So, she chose her words and spoke very carefully. "You know how meticulous I am... I had to be absolutely, positively, thoroughly sure of everything," Twilight said.
Thankfully, her reputation worked in her favor, and it seemed that Cadence believed her on this. And why wouldn't she? She'd borne witness to Twilight's OCD and strict attention to detail since she was a little filly.
Shining took this chance to step back in, drawing Twilight's attention back to him. "What exactly happened in the fight? It's clear there was one, a guard saw blasts in the sky and gathered a group to come to the rescue."
Twilight winced a little as she remembered the dark energy she has channeled through her hatred and fury. She decided it would be too much to mention that right now, and kept it simple. "After he killed Arrow, I attempted to completely incapacitate him. He was a very capable fighter, with an abnormally high pain tolerance, able to fight on with a critically broken wing," she explained.
Shining appeared to be taking notes, and she hesitated with the last bit. "Also... after he had been beaten, and the guards were arriving, he... he jumped into the flames," she recounted, and briefly glancing to Cadence, saw that she had completely paled at this fact.
At all of this information, Shining looked angry. "We can't just let this go! We need to do something about it!" he shouted. Twilight was getting a lightened feeling in her chest. Could she finally get some dependable help?
He continued. "I pledge to you Twilight, I, no, WE will do everything in our power to--" he stopped, and as he stopped, Twilight felt a slight shift in the weight of Cadence's arm on her shoulder, but when she looked to Cadence, the face appeared blank. She clearly signaled him somehow, but why?
Shining, in a slightly calmer tone drew her attention back to him. "We will do everything we can to... help." He had uttered help a little quieter, and looked down as he said so, gritting his teeth slightly. I am not blind, something's amiss. Twilight thought to herself, but she just didn't know what yet. "In the meantime, I think you should get some sleep," he said quickly, and she knew her brother well enough to know that he had more to say, but didn't want to. Or coundn't, she thought darkly.
However, she nodded, and received a pat on the back from Cadence as she got up and left, but not before Shining stopped her.
"I'm so glad you're safe, I just need you to know that," he said, seriously.
It was a bad habit, staying up late, but she couldn't just sleep, so she decided to reorganize every bit of information she had learned so far. After laying out her papers, she read through the notes and reorganized them together in one.
•Cutie Marks act as a driving force upon the subject. Regardless of if the person is capable of the talent, they will be driven to attempt whatever it depicts.
•Cutie Marks are separable from their subject, but will return as long as unimpeded.
•Losing a Cutie Mark significantly weakens the subject, thus resulting in both suppressed abilities and a much duller personality.
•Marks are never mentioned in reference to pre-equestrian ponies.
•The Mark of King Sombra was never written down, depicted, or even mentioned. "Blank?" written as a note.
•Early textbooks talk a lot about the three founders of Equestria, but they stop being mentioned shortly after the foundation period. Unexplained.
•Short phrase in one of the oldest textbooks, near the very end:
"Thus our ancestors formed our society, long before the modern age of the Branded peoples of this great land."
•The murderer was Markless, completely blank.
That last note she jotted in seemed to fit in with her Sombra theory. Could Marks prevent violent tendencies? she wondered, sealing everything in her bag. She sighed and felt a lot better about herself as she lay in bed, closing her eyes. She was prepared for sleep this time. |
Marked | Chapter 13: Shadow of the Night | Twilight was back in the Thug's hideout. She glanced around the living room, noting that everything was the same, pristine, unburned. She was initially confused, but quickly bucked down her thoughts.
Stay focused, she thought to herself, trotting around to look for anything off. It didn't take her very long, because after a brief walk around the room, she began to hear murmuring from somewhere.
Cautiously, she began moving through the house, and the farther back she went, the closer the murmuring got. Her horn began to glow with a familiar energy sound, resonating slightly through the halls. She proceeded all the way to the back room, where she finally found the source of the sound.
Straight Arrow was lying on the floor where he had been earlier, staring up at the ceiling aimlessly, and mumbling quietly. Twilight was afraid, but with a gulp, she got the courage to approach him, and began to listen intently, as the words made themselves clear.
"Your fault... Your fault..." he kept repeating in a hushed tone. She listened for a little while, but that's all it was, on repeat, continuously. She backed up slightly and looked out the windows, scratching her chin in thought. It was unusually detailed. Twilight took a long hard look outside for a moment and touched what should have been her bandaged arm. To her surprise, the bandage was still there, albeit with no pain from contact, but still there.
Her thoughts were beginning to jumble, but she needed to stay focused. So, she approached the window and began to inspect the outside with great scrutiny, turning her back to Arrow...
She was grabbed from behind and turned to see a risen Straight Arrow, eyes white and glowing with energy, almost panicked. Twilight was scared, and shook involuntarily... until he spoke.
"MY DEATH IS THY FAULT!" Arrow shouted at her with wide eyes, eliciting a spark of recognition from Twilight. That seals it, she thought to herself, feeling more determined.
Arrow hesitated, then began screaming "YOUR FAULT, YOUR FAULT, YOUR FAULT!" but at that point, it was too late. Twilight simply looked into the burning white eyes of the shell of a man she had once known, and in a calm voice, she simply said: "Luna."
The Arrow look-alike did not respond and kept shouting, eliciting a sigh from Twilight. She felt a tug of wakefulness, as if something was trying to force her awake, but having anticipated this, she surrounded herself in a dream bubble, preventing her from waking up.
Twilight glanced once more out of the window, taking in the surroundings. Too much detail that way. So the only way out is the one least expected. With that thought fresh in her mind, she charged a beam quickly and blasted a gaping hole in the floor, after which the Arrow double faded away.
A similar gasp as before was heard from the void below, and Twilight wasted not a second. "Not this time," she muttered as she dove right in, spotting the Lunar princess frantically trying to open another dream-walking portal out of there.
Twilight gritted her teeth and diverted her energy to both hold the portal open and grab Luna, pulling her back. This was taking an excessive amount of energy, and Luna herself was resisting the pull, so she needed to make every second count.
"Why are you doing this?" Twilight shouted, sounding as confident as she could while maintaining two holding fields and a dream bubble.
Luna looked absolutely panicked at this, and looked around shakily before shouting back: "We have no choice! Please just give up!"
Twilight was going to ask more, but her bubble began to falter, giving Luna the perfect opportunity to blast Twilight with a solid beam of energy...
...Twilight awoke with a start, sitting up in bed quickly and looking about. The sun was again shining into her room, but no servant knocked on the door this time.
Luna's words echoed in her head: We have no choice! Please give up! Luna was the second most powerful pony in Equestria, and she had no choice? Twilight got out of bed and looked out the window at what would normally be a beautiful sunrise, with a dark thought brooding in her mind. Somewhere out there, a being powerful enough to manipulate dreams, powerful enough to lead a coup against Celestia, powerful enough to control the moon's orbit... lived in fear of something more powerful. |
Marked | Chapter 14: The Weak Link | Despite all of the recent events, Twilight's mind was fairly blank that morning. It was blank as she got up and re-dressed her wounds. It was blank as she calmly walked out of the palace. It remained blank for her entire walk to the library, and with a sigh, she opened the door and walked inside.
Stamper immediately took notice of her down disposition, and he managed to draw her eyes up from the ground at which she'd been staring for a while when he asked her a question. She hadn't understood what he'd said the first time, and, shaking her head a bit, asked him kindly to repeat the question.
"I asked what the matter was, princess!" Stamper said with a concerned tone, and an equally concerned face to match.
"Nothing, nothing's wrong," Twilight said, straightening herself up, not too abruptly, but the look of suspicion evident on Stamper's face told her before he even opened his mouth that she wasn't fooling anyone.
His voice took on an almost grandfatherly tone as he spoke. "Now I may be old, but that just means I've been around long enough to know a lie when I hear one, princess."
She sighed and paused for a moment as she thought things through. She clearly wasn't fooling him, so there really was no point in hiding her concerns, but she had to be cautious how to word it. She eventually straightened up a bit more and spoke clearly.
"Someone who I thought was a friend did something to me that they shouldn't have... but I get the feeling they didn't want to. And not just the one either, a few of my friends have been acting strange, acting like... not themselves. I'm just not sure what to do." Twilight admittedly was a little relieved that she could tell someone that much, at least.
Stamper smiled at her honesty, and that brought a little more relaxation to the worn mare. He thought for a moment before speaking again. "Well, I'm not gonna ask you for all the details, took you enough guts just to tell the truth. But, if you want my advice, I'd pull one of these friends of yours aside and ask them about it in private. Maybe they're scared of somebody, but if they're truly your friend, they'd be able to tell you in secret!" he finished with a hopeful expression, as if waiting for her to respond.
She nodded slowly, thinking on it for a moment before asking "Are you sure that'll work?"
He simply winked and nodded, which was more than enough reassurance as it was, and seeing her face brighten slightly, he began to chuckle. "The books aren't the only things you can learn from in here. Heh, on that measure, they're not the only things worn by age either!" He broke into laughter at his own joke, before the laughs turned into a short coughing fit.
"Are you okay?" she asked with concern. Twilight moved forward to help, but he stopped her, waving a hoof to indicate he was alright. Amid the coughing, he picked up an opaque thermos that was on the table and drank a bit of it's contents, the coughs subsiding immediately.
He snapped right back into his usual self and put on his typical friendly smile, as if nothing had happened at all. "So, princess, what books can I get you today?"
Twilight mulled over her options and his words before responding with a confident tone. "Actually, there's someone I need to talk to. Your advice has helped me more than any book could right now. Thank you Stamper!" As she spoke, she was already headed back out the door. Stamper had just enough time to wave and say a quick farewell as she disappeared.
The old stallion sat back and sighed, the smile fading from his face. He looked at the thermos briefly and then back down at the desk with a pensive expression. "I hope you find whatever information you're looking for, princess... For better or for worse," he muttered quietly.
Twilight strode into the palace with a fresh air of confidence, walking into the dining hall to find Shining Armor alone, nibbling on breakfast while doing paperwork.
"Is Cadence here?" she asked straight out, drawing his attention up to her entry.
"Oh, hey Twily. No, Cadence is supposed to be out working on a housing--"
"Good, I need to talk to you in private," she stated, cutting him off with a flat tone.
"Now Twilight, I'm not so sure..." he began, but trailed off as he saw his sister's blank expression.
"Do I need to make that a royal order?" she asked, with a hint of sarcasm, but enough of a real threat to convey the urgency of the request.
He nodded and motioned for her to follow him. She looked ahead at him quizzically as they passed by his office, and he quietly spoke as they trotted on. "If we're going to talk, I'd rather not do it in my office. Some crystals can be used to record and play back sounds, and they can be... very easy to hide."
With that comment saying more than enough in the way of reasoning, the rest of the walk was silent, until they finally reached their destination: the balcony of the palace spire. The wind blew past them lightly as Shining walked to the edge and looked around, Twilight walking beside him and sitting down.
They were silent for a moment, neither entirely sure what to say, until Twilight finally got the courage to break the silence. "Your strange hesitation, the looks Cadence has given you, and the brother I know wouldn't back down when he's passionate about something. Something is different, what is going on?"
He was silent for a while, looking down briefly, but eventually sighed and looked off of the balcony into the distance.
"About a week ago, Cadence started acting... different. She began making changes and looking around more and being more reclusive," he began, staring off into the distance as Twilight looked up at him.
"She never told me why, but she started telling me how to organize my guards. The nights before you arrived, she told me that some guards should be re-positioned to better guard higher crime areas, and ON the night you arrived, she told me that multiple guards were required in specific areas... and, I suppose, indirectly, less than others." A look of partial fear and guilt crept onto his face, prompting him to look back down, still avoiding eye contact.
She mulled Shining's words over carefully. My meeting with Celestia was almost a week ago... in fact, at that thought, she couldn't help but notice how this very spire tower, the roof, the smooth floor, the regal decor, all were hauntingly reminiscent of that first meeting place.
"Why would she suddenly start doing things like that? Was there any precursor?" she asked, subtly wondering if Celestia had outright mentioned anything.
"Not that I can think of," he said plainly.
Twilight decided that subtlety had no purpose here, so she bluntly asked if Cadence had spoken to Celestia.
"No. In fact, the only meeting she'd been to before it all started was a large business conference, where big business owners from all across Equestria come together to discuss trade and economics."
Twilight took a mental note of that, but moved on. "Why did you back down when you were voicing your help for me? Whenever you get into a mood like that, almost nothing can stop you from making a promise."
It was hard to imagine his face could have looked any more guilty before, but somehow, he managed to pull it off, closing his eyes.
"See, there are a few signals that she gives me that indicates I shouldn't say something. She didn't use them often, and before this week, she reserved it for rare occasions in which royal orders I had been unaware of overrode what I was about to say. But this week... she's used it more than the past two years combined, not just around you either. What's scarier is that she didn't explain it this time. The previous times, afterwards, she told me why I had to stop. She even revealed a few royal agreement secrets that would have prevented my recommended actions. But this time... I ask, but she doesn't tell."
A chill seemed to hit Twilight, but she stayed silent as he started up again, opening his eyes and finally turning, looking at her, desperation and concern worn upon his face.
"The way she's acting, I think she's under pressure from somebody else. I don't know who, and I definitely don't know why, but she's acting stressed and almost paranoid. I've asked her constantly but she refuses to answer me."
At this, Twilight wrapped a hoof and wing around her brother, helping to comfort him a bit. Shining had always been about responsibility and protecting those he loved, and to see his wife being threatened and unable to help must have been torture to him.
"Don't worry, we'll find out who's behind this..." she consoled very quietly, earning a small smile from him, which was very abruptly cut short by a new voice.
"No, You won't!"
Twilight and Shining both jumped back to see Cadence fly up from her hiding place under the balcony, her face marred by pure fear, her voice shakey and panicked. "I'm sorry!"
Shining didn't waste a second, kicking Twilight back slightly and erecting a shield bubble around them, which absorbed two powerful blasts from Cadence. "GO!" he shouted as he focused all of his energy on the shield, making it opaque.
Twilight, in pure and utter shock, merely nodded numbly, and with a shaky execution, teleported away. |
Marked | Chapter 15: The Tipping Point | Twilight appeared in a flash of purple light at the base of the palace. Looking up above, she noticed bolts and flashes, indicating that Cadence was still attacking the bubble, giving Twilight a few precious seconds more to escape. She took advantage of this, and with a burst of speed, disappeared into an alleyway nearby.
Twilight was panicking now, her heart racing almost as fast as her mind, as she thought deeply on the situation at hand. What do I do, what do I do, what do I DO? she wondered, closing her eyes and crouching, her hoof splashing in a puddle as she did so.
Initially she froze at the sound, her eyes snapping open to be met with... her reflection: a panicked, purple alicorn with pinkish hair. This gave her her first sense of direction. Okay, I need to lay low, but I can't go out looking like this. She thought back hard on some of the old books she had read, until she remembered a very special technique from one of them. "Never thought I'd actually need this one..." she muttered softly to herself as her horn began to glow, lighting up the dark alleyway.
A purple aura washed over her whole body, levitating her off of the ground, and with a grunt, light began radiating from her coat and hair, as the follicles were restructured.
When she floated back down, she was panting, given the large exertion of energy. She shakily took a look at the puddle again, the water rippling from the event, but as it calmed an image emerged. Staring back up at Twilight was a mare that looked familiar but... different. Her coat was yellow, with light green hair on top, in Twilight's usual fashion. She had successfully changed her appearance.
She messed up her hair after briefly pondering the image before her, and peered at her back. Wings AND horns are abnormal. I need to keep these hidden.
She couldn't sustain true invisibility for more than a few minutes at a time, even less so spot invisibility, so she did the next best thing: she stealthily stepped into an unlit boutique and grabbed a cloak. It was a simple, dark brown cloak, loose fitting, so it perfectly covered her wings and saddlebag. While inside, she managed to find a brush laying on a table, and used it in conjunction with a back mirror to do up her hair in a new style. I guess all those lessons with Rarity actually DID come in handy, she thought to herself.
She didn't want to risk leaving hair behind, so she took the brush with her, and being a mare of integrity, she left enough money for the cloak and brush on the front counter. Just as she put the bits down, she froze. Did I just hear a door? The echoing hoofsteps from the back indicated that she had, and she very quickly teleported out into the back alley, then briskly walked out into the street.
Looking up at the mighty palace again, the light show had stopped, and to the untrained eye, it looked fairly normal. However, Twilight noticed that the blast marks on the spire indicated a lot of energy had been used. Her stomach knotted somewhat as she trotted about, thinking about what might have happened to Shining Armor, but knowing him, if he were here now, he'd say something like "C'mon Twily, you can't be worried about me. You telling me you wasted those extra seconds I gave ya?"
She had to push on, and she had an idea where to start. Twilight hadn't gotten too much information from Shining, but when she asked about precursors, he mentioned the business summit, which was her biggest, and only, lead at this time. If she could find out who was pressuring Cadence, maybe she'd learn more about what was happening here.
Thus, Twilight made her way to the nearest community center, consciously adjusting her gait to be different from usual, paranoid all the way. The ponies were all milling about, not a single one appearing to notice her. So far so good, she told herself to remain calm.
As she made her way to the big bulletin board, the ultimate test of her disguise came along, as a guard walking away from the board bumped into her, and looked her straight in the eye. There was a tense moment from Twilight's perspective, and she almost thought she had been caught, until he merely said "pardon me ma'am" and kept going. She nodded and almost chucked. That deepish voice belonged to the guard who had been at the front desk at the jail. It's moments like that that reminded her just how small the empire could actually be, when put into perspective. That may or may not work in her favor, given that someone may recognize her as different... or just not care.
Moving ahead, she found what she was looking for: a poster for the business council summit. It had been held at the library, on the evening of the same day she had spoken with Celestia. She thought it was fairly ironic that the very thing she was investigating had been hosted in the location in which she had done most of her research, but at least there was a friendly librarian to answer a curious mare's questions.
She was about to leave when she looked at a large poser that had just been put up: with a big picture of her, the real, purple her, smiling on it. Many ponies were reading it, and she furrowed her brow as she looked it over herself.
Her blood ran cold as she read it's contents: "Find Princess Twilight! The princess is hiding somewhere in the kingdom, and if YOU can spot her, you can win a cash prize! Simply tell your local guards to collect!" She tried desperately to understand exactly why it was written that way. They hunt me like a criminal, yet they don't label me as one. They want me captured, but not made an enemy of the state. Why? What terrified her more though was the fact that these clearly had been pre-printed. She hadn't been a fugitive a few hours ago, but suddenly well made, professional signs were out for her capture. But then she read the fine print, and absolutely solidified her determination to get to the library, for there, written on the bottom of the poster was a small legal message: "prize generously donated by the Business Council of Equestria".
Twilight entered the library, very careful that her posture and gait were different from usual, yet believable. Stamper looked up blankly, then smiled at the new library patron approaching the desk. Clearly this place didn't get much attendance, and today was no exception: empty again.
She sighed briefly before preparing to speak. She had been rehearsing a new accent in her head the whole trip here, and now, she had it down packed. She even consciously adjusted the pattern with which she looked about the room before speaking. Perfect disguise. "Hello there! Just came by to ask about the big business meeting that was held here a while back!" she said simply. Her voice had sounded foreign even to her, perfect.
Stamper looked at her for a moment, then lit up. "Sure thing, princess!" he said cheerfully.
Her security shattered. How had he known? And without even a minute of looking her over? Her eyes widened and panic crept onto her face. Stamper just calmly chuckled.
"Hey, relax, I'm not interested in turning you in. Besides, the guards already came by and asked about you. I see you snuck past the one who's patrolling outside though. He looked to be a heavy sleeper, so can't say I'm surprised."
She was confused, and still slightly panicked. Sure he was a friend, but if he could figure it out, what if someone else could? "How? How did you know it was me?" she asked quietly, still in her fake accent.
He merely waved off her concern with a hoof. "Oh I wouldn't worry too much. Your disguise is very convincing but, I have... other ways of identifying people, ways very few ponies still use." He explained, subtly adjusting his own saddlebag as he said this. She couldn't help but glance at the bag with mild curiosity, but he snapped her back to reality.
"So, the business meeting?" he asked, briskly, but retaining a friendly tone.
Clearing her throat, she spoke, asking again about the meeting. Stamper calmly trotted over to the front of the library and flipped the sign to "closed" and returned. "Alright, Princess, what exactly do you want to know?"
Twilight began with exactly what the meeting was, wanting all the basic details.
He got right to it. "Well, it's the largest business meeting in all of Equestria, where business leaders meet to discuss their profits, products, some plans, and economics. It's held in a different city each year. The topic of this year's meeting was the empire actually. They primarily were discussing new products for the more recent Crystal Imperial market, and thought that the arrival would be great for the economy, which was going stale due to lack of diverse markets," he beamed as he finished explaining, glad he could be helpful.
Twilight looked pensive as she digested the information. "Alright... so, who was in attendance of the meeting? I know that Cadence came by here at some point, but I don't know who exactly attended otherwise."
Stamper handed her a list, And it included multiple names that she recognized, such as Filthy Rich. "Cadence was just here briefly to oversee the meeting towards the end, but she did have a more private meeting with the Business Council Officers afterwards.
She scratched her chin as she saw a name that sounded mildly familiar, but otherwise was unfamiliar to her. "Hey, Reach sounds familiar. Who exactly is he?"
Stamper's expression was the same as someone who had just managed to choke on their tea, but he shook it off quickly and responded.
"Well, Far Reach is the CEO of the Reach Mining Co., and in recent years, the Reach Jewelry and Refinery Companies." He got a very strange expression on his face, some kind of mix she really couldn't read, and he asked her exactly why she asked about him in particular.
"Well, he's listed as a council officer, and I could've sworn I heard that name somewhere earlier this week," she explained, unsure how to take his odd curiosity.
He looked very pensive for a moment, as if considering his next action. Eventually he sighed and coughed, drinking from his flask again.
"Any more questions?" he asked simply, returning to his more neutral, helpful expression.
She couldn't quite think up any other questions that he would be able to answer about this, but she now had a new directive in mind. "May I keep this list?" she asked, to which he nodded.
"It's a copy anyway. And something tells me you need it more than I do!" he said with a grandfatherly wink.
She thought of leaving, and began to turn before she halted and faced him again. "Why are you so helpful, Stamper?" the princess asked very suddenly.
"Hmm?"
"Why are you so helpful? You aren't turning me in, you're kind, you've helped me throughout my research of... history, and you've been answering all of my questions without a second thought! So I ask again: why are you so helpful?" she inquired, her tone firm.
He sat quietly for a moment, then laughed a bit, shaking his hoof once again. "I'm just an old stallion trying to lend a hoof. I don't need that cash prize, and besides, spreading rumors is is none of my business." His voice sounded true, and almost fooled the princess into believing it. Almost.
Twilight shook her head, and looked back at him with somewhat piercing eyes.
"I don't buy it. I may not be nearly as wise or experienced as you, but I wasn't born yesterday either. You've done more than any typical librarian... you probably know what this is all about, don't you?" She paused here to let him speak, but he merely looked at her with a blank expression, his smile gone. "I'll ask again, why are you helping me?" she repeated, slowly, articulating carefully and with emphasis.
He sat very still for a moment, his jaw set. Then, he sighed and looked down at the floor, his thinning hair casting a shadow over his eyes, hiding them from sight.
He spoke in a raspy tone. "Suffice to say... I have seen the consequences of inaction far too many times to continue turning a blind eye." His tone and diction seemed entirely out of character... but it seemed so much more sincere than his usual disposition. She sensed genuine guilt in his voice, but also a very stern and determined tone.
She was just about to respond when there was a knock on the primary door. Stamper looked up and whispered, face still blank. "the alley out back is unguarded. If you can teleport, your highness, I recommend doing so now." Then, turning to the door, in his more cheerful voice he shouted "BE RIGHT THERE!"
"Thank you, Stamper. For everything," she said sincerely.
He put on a genuine smile and nodded at her, and at that, she disappeared in a final flash, leaving the stallion alone in the library once again. |
Marked | Chapter 16: Risky Business | Twilight calmly strolled out of the local Big Bucks Bank, with a few pamphlets about them in hoof. After a short stroll to a park not even a block away, she sighed and plopped herself down on a park bench.
She subtly checked her surroundings and, finding only a few ponies out for a stroll, decided to read the pamphlet she was currently holding. As she raised her hoof up to hold it, she couldn't help but notice the yellow coloration of her coat. It was still so strange to her, being so... different. However, she knew it necessary for the time being, and, after shaking her head to refocus, began to read.
"Big Bucks Bank was founded 20 years after Luna's banishment, in a time when depression and insecurity ruled the land, and the people needed something solid to hold their funds, something to give them security again. It was founded by Small Bucks, and is currently run by Lotso Bucks..." Twilight shook her head slightly and stopped reading. There was nothing in here any more significant than what she had learned when interviewing Lotso himself a few minutes ago, who was staying at his local branch office due to the meeting a week prior. She had claimed to be an interviewer, collecting information on business owners to add them to the list of potentials for the "Friendliest Business Award," and that excuse had served her perfectly so far. However, everything in these pamphlets were just repeats of what Lotso had told her... and there wasn't a single shred of evidence connecting him to any of the strange goings on recently.
She casually crossed his name off of the list Stamper had given her, and placed the information and papers in her slowly filling saddlebag, next to the information from other businesses.
For the past two days, she had been doing little more than going from business to business, interviewing people and reading up on corporate histories. The short naps she managed to get were completely dreamless, and she was really unsure what that could mean, if anything.
Her eyes scanned the sheet to look for the next business to investigate, noting many crossed off throughout. She hadn't been able to go in order due to the diverse location of businesses and the readily available information on said businesses, which initially bothered her organized mind, but any irritation subsided with her sense of urgency. Every day she didn't find a connection was another day they could do more harm.
She looked back near the top of the list and furrowed her brow at the sight of a name she had almost unintentionally been avoiding: Far Reach, of the Reach Mining Company. She really didn't know why she'd been steering away from it, perhaps it was Stamper's adverse reaction, or the fact that she only vaguely heard the name somewhere, which in her mind shrouded it in mystery. However, given her constant dead ends so far, and the lack of any evidence after two days, she figured it was time to look into it. So, she got up, and began walking north.
After a long walk to the northern boarder of the empire, she came upon the Reach Mining Co. local office, located not far from the mountain mines where the laborers worked. She gathered her confidence with a bit of breathing, and walked inside, being met with warm air, and feeling a semi-stiff carpet upon her hooves. There were a few fancy chairs, and one very bored receptionist behind the glass of a help-window, chewing gum and casually reading a magazine.
Twilight boldly walked up with a rehearsed smile, keeping in character with her new accent. "Hello! My name is Tara Writer, and I was wondering if Mr. Reach is available to be interviewed for the 'Friendliest Business Award!'"
The receptionist looked up at her with a tired expression, clearly very bored. "He's not here right now. He's in Canterlot or something," she said with a quiet but direct voice, her relaxed posture remaining unchanged.
Twilight was a bit disappointed, but hid it well, moving on to plan B. "Well may I search around the building for information I could use for the award?" she asked, to which the receptionist shrugged.
"Whatever" she said, returning to her magazine, which was enough for Twilight, who said thanks and began walking down the back hallway. She glanced into a few of the offices, the walls all a dull cream color, the employees inside all looking either focused or bored, perhaps both. Nothing of consequence around these offices, so she headed to the very back into the work area to look around.
She started in the Refining area, and she watched as many fine gems were washed and shined, cut and polished. Some of the metals were being melted down into ingots for transport in another section of the room. Nothing too suspicious here.
Next, she entered the processing area, where geodes were being busted open, rocks and dull "common" crystal was being separated from precious ores and gems, with some of that rock and stone being sent to the refinery area to be turned into bricks or building materials.
Finding nothing still, she entered the large storage area, which contained drills, shovels, pickaxes, hard hats, masks, and all sorts of other mining equipment. She had almost given up of finding a connection in this place, when she noticed an eerily familiar smell. She followed that smell until she found a few rows of large barrels, containing mining gel that could melt through crystal. It was the stuff that the grey pegasus had used to coat the hideout before burning it to the ground.
Evidently she had zoned out staring at the barrels, because the next thing she new, a worker had approached her with a voice that reminded her of Braeburn's, but slightly rougher. "Pretty cool huh?" it questioned. She turned around to see a tan pony wearing a white hard hat and a stained, formerly white worker's uniform. Taking advantage of her reporter look and the situation, she decided to ask him exactly what was in the barrels.
He was quite eager to answer. "Oh! That's one of the things Reach himself invented! It's a special sticky gel that coats the solid, worthless dull crystal and stone, and can burn right through it like it was wood, without harming the precious ores and rare gems inside!"
Interesting, so this absolutely was the real stuff. "Do you ever sell this stuff to other companies or people?" she asked.
"No, never. In fact, we haven't lost a barrel in the last three years! Mr. Reach is very big on proper inventory!" he explained, gesturing to the platform on which the barrels rested. Upon closer inspection, it was actually a giant scale, weighing exactly how many barrels there were.
He seemed to continue on his own accord. "That stuff makes us the best and most efficient mining company in Equestria, so not only is it patented, but to prevent anyone from stealing it, we manufacture it on site upstairs!"
She was delighted, and asked if she could possibly see the place, which led to a slight droop in his expression. "Aww shucks. Sorry, but that area's supposed to be off limits," he informed, his ears dipping ever so slightly.
Now Twilight made it a point to use integrity in all dealings, and to encourage freedom from all individuals, so Twilight would never wrongly manipulate anyone into going against their morals.
Tara Writer however, was not Twilight Sparkle, and if he had known that there may have been lives at stake, he may have been more willing voluntarily.
But, one flash from her horn later, he was leading her up the stairs to the lab, and only looked puzzled when they arrived. "Thanks!" she expressed happily, and, being unsure what just happened, he assumed she had somehow been allowed there and happily said "you're welcome!"
They were standing outside of a thick glass wall, looking at a white room with scientists and workers all diligently working over chemical vats. One white mare wearing a chemical hood walked over and came outside of the lab to talk, removing her face mask and smiling, "This here's a reporter looking over our company, and she wanted to talk to y'all! ...I think," the worker said, scratching his head slightly as Twilight and the scientist shook hooves. "Hello! I'm Tara Writer, for the 'Friendliest Business Award,' just wanted to ask a few questions!" she explained.
"Name's Dr. Enay C. Ell, #1 chemist here at the Imperial Reach Mining Co. What can I do for you?" she asked, confidently smiling.
"I'd first like to know how Mr. Reach is as a manager, and please, be truthful!" she said, partially to keep up her act, but also because she was curious.
She was quick to respond. "Oh he's a very calm stallion, not one for dressing up all fancy like other business leaders. All things disclosed though he can be kind of dull at times."
She took a small note on this, then continued with the questions. "Has he made any unusual decisions lately? See, he may have heard of this award in advance and we uh, wouldn't want him cheating to look better for the award now." She had almost faltered in her speech, but Ell didn't seem to notice, and the worker was still scratching his head a bit.
The doctor waved it off immediately "oh no..." but she trailed off and scratched her chin in thought. "Although... just the other day Mr. Reach asked for an extra order, of the gel. We haven't needed an extra order for almost three years now, but according to him, some new employee went and spilled a barrel!"
Twilight quickly wrote and underlined a note of this, and asked if he had brought in any new employees or guests. Knowing she had to quickly cover her tracks with the suspicious question, she spoke up, "I'm trying to get a feel for his friendliness to those outside or just entering the company."
"Oh no, in fact it's quite rare that anyone is let in here, for good reason, but a few reporters have been coming by to ask about the recent opening of Reach Refineries, so I'm not too surprised."
She was relieved that her presence here was not too suspicious, but was quite disappointed that there were no more clues about the place.
She reached out and shook both of their hooves. "Thank you both for your time, have a great day!" she stated in a friendly manner.
After they had both left, she began walking back through the halls of offices, when she came upon what appeared to be the central office. She froze and ducked out of sight quickly when she saw a technician from the lab come in levitating a file.
Upon close inspection, it appeared to be a production file for the gel
She heard a voice inside the office ask if anyone else had seen the file, and the technician responding not very formally. Her ears perked up as she listened in to hear the voices more clearly.
"Good. The last thing Mr. Reach needs right now is a mouthy technician letting people know we sold gel to a non-employee client. Understood?" the voice asked gruffly. It was definitely a male, and it sounded fairly deep.
She gasped when she heard him and she could see the shadow of the file being put in a safe.
Backing away calmly and eventually making her way past the receptionist, she left calmly and walked outside, placing the notes in her bag.
That file may be the big missing connection between Reach and the grey pegasus. She needed that file, but going in alone would be risky, and she hadn't read too many books on being stealthy or cracking safes.
And then, something clicked in her mind as she thought about it. While she knew nothing about cracking safes, breaking in sneakily, or stealing... she now knew some people who did.
Twilight confidently and quickly began heading downtown. She knew where she had to go, but she had one quick stop to make along the way. |
Marked | Chapter 17: Among Wolves | Twilight approached the jail calmly and cooly, making sure she had everything she needed. She paused about a block away and gave her saddlebag one last test wiggle, and everything felt in place, everything was ready.
This shifting of the weight brought to her attention just how far she'd come. When she had first placed the saddlebag on her back, it had been light, barely noticeable, maybe some papers or two, but otherwise not much there. At this point however, it was full. Scrolls with all her various notes and theories, money, the book Stamper had given her, bandages... and yet, she hadn't noticed the big difference until now. She could hardly look at it, given that lifting up the cloak too far ran the risk of showing her wings, but she felt it.
Twilight was still a block away when she thought about the whole thing. For the very first time through the whole ordeal, thoughts of giving up finally crept in. This isn't even about Cutie Marks anymore... what if we just turned ourselves in? We're not a criminal, we're not being hunted like a criminal, so they clearly don't aim to actually hurt us...
She looked to a local bulletin board nearby to see the smiling face of princess Twilight Sparkle looking back at her, and in a crystalline window beside it, she saw the yellow face of Tara Writer. It was far more worn, more somber. Is it all really worth it...?
Something clicked inside her at this thought, though she couldn't quite place what. Whatever it may have been, the face in the window reflection seemed to solidify. The somberness turned to pure determination. Yes. We're right, it's not even about Cutie Marks anymore. It's about potentially saving lives. This new fire took root deep in her chest, and with one more defiant look at the smiling visage of the purple princess, the real Twilight pushed on to the jail, her plan ready to unfurl with newfound determination.
She waited in the lobby as two ponies were released from from the back. "About time!" one said in a familiar voice. Twilight smirked as she waited for them to pass by. Gray Gravel... Let's hope your skills are just as sharp as your tongue. Ruby Crystal had on a look of utter apathy as expected, but something was a little different. She was looking at the ground a little more, her gait slightly slower than Gravel's.
After they exited. Twilight walked outside calmly, looking at the two admiring their freedom... well, Gray was at least. "Free at last! About time they let us outa there," he said aloud, earning a sigh of acknowledgement from Ruby.
"Feeling good to be out I see?" Twilight asked, trotting up next to them.
Gravel looked at the strange yellow pony with an expression of confusion, asking "What do you care lady?"
"I believe I at least get to ask your condition, since I just dropped 100 bits on you two," she responded slyly. Twilight had to stifle a short chuckle, because in her new accent, that phrase sounded much cooler than it would have normally.
Ruby and Gravel both looked at each other with utter confusion, then they simultaneously looked back at her, Gravel leaning in slightly, and Ruby tilting her head just a bit. "You paid our bail? Like, why?" he inquired.
"I need two ponies of your... particular talents. It's for a job of great importance," Twilight offered up, hoping they would jump at it, but unfortunately for her, that backfired.
Ruby looked down and Gray got a serious expression on his face, shaking his head. "No way. Last time I listened to somebody OTHER than Gray Gravel, we ended up getting screwed, and a buddy got killed. No deal," he said, Ruby also shaking her head to agree with him.
Needless to say, it was Twilight's turn to be confused. "Wait, how do you know someone got killed?"
Ruby spoke up for the first time today, her eyes still looking to the ground. "The guards in the jail talk, you know. We heard they found our friend's body in a fire of unknown origin."
"So we ain't doin' anything! Not for all the money in the world, no way, no how!" Gravel said sternly, his head shaking for emphasis.
Twilight was thrown off a bit, but she had one last trick up her sleeve, or more specifically, in her bag. She slowly unzipped it and pulled something small and shiny out, sealing it up afterwards. She held the object in front of her, catching Gravel's eye, who nudged Ruby. When her eyes looked upon it, they widened like saucers, and there was silence.
On the way here, Twilight had trotted to the general area where the hideout had been, to find the area swarming with guards. Now, she could turn herself invisible for very short periods of time, and so she did. Using this ability, she managed to sift through the ashes of a former bedroom and find a shiny crystal object unscathed: Ruby's necklace.
Ruby finally spoke, and in a voice barely controlled, she asked directly, "where did you get that?" without ever looking away from it.
"The fire didn't kill Arrow. I'm looking for whoever's truly responsible for his death," Twilight said, calmly, firmly.
Ruby looked up into her eyes, her own eyes somewhat red, watery. "You're bluffing! You didn't even KNOW him!" Ruby shouted, her knees shaking slightly.
Twilight calmly replied. "Arrow liked you too, Ruby, he was a good guy. I only want to know the truth... so did he. But your grey pal made sure that didn't happen. I'll need your help of we're going to find out who he worked for."
There was a very tense moment where their eyes were locked, and Gravel stared intently at her face. They sensed that Twilight was telling the truth, and after looking to Ruby once more, he spoke up.
"...The guards did mention that that pegasus was in the wreckage too. So, look. Normally, I'd totally say no but... Arrow was a good kid. Not as tough but he gave us all some good laughs so... If you're sayin' what I think you're sayin', and this grey guy did him in... I wanna know who put him up to it. ...I'm in."
Ruby slowly took the necklace and put it on, swallowing hard and nodding, extending her hoof. Gravel followed, and all three shook hooves on the deal. Justice would be served, for Arrow. |
Marked | Chapter 18: The Plan | Shortly after their agreement, Twilight and the other two headed downtown and rented a room at the local inn, where they began to formulate a plan.
After being settled in for a few hours, Twilight and Gray looked up at the door to see Ruby enter, carrying hardware supplies, tools, etc. that she had been sent out to grab earlier. She plopped the bag down and began unloading the stuff, as Twilight and Gray looked over the large sheet she had laid out on the table.
The sheet had the architectural schematics of the main Reach office building, and the central office she had seen. She had written plenty of notes for the three of them, the most common notation being differences between the schematics and the office room, indicating it had been modified after construction.
"Okay gang, here's the basic plan," she started, using her horn to highlight a path on the schematics. Gray stood on her right, while Ruby stood on her left, both looking intently at the trajectory.
"I can't sustain it for long, but I can make all three of us invisible for about two minutes tops, as long as you are both in contact with me, likely at the shoulder, we'll be fine. It should only take about 45 seconds to quickly walk to the main office. Then, picking the lock will be up to Ruby, and I'll scan the room for traps. I should be able to deal with any of them, while Gray cracks the safe and gets that file." Her tone was strong and confident, earning a sly chuckle from Gray.
"That's pretty good, but it's a company, so we'll need to strike when no employees are there, yeah? Nighttime is our best bet, of course," Gray added, nodding. "Ruby, you pack the bags?"
Ruby nodded as well and gestured to the two saddlebags over by the couch, one for Gray, one for Ruby. After looking over all plans again, everything was solidified. They would strike just after dusk.
"Now you two just got out of jail, so you'll need some rest before the operation," Twilight recommended, looking to them for approval.
"Fair, fair, but if we wanna be well rested that late at night, we'll need to fall asleep pretty late so we wake up real late, the way I see it. Midnight should do." Gray spoke with a strategic confidence, but Twilight wasn't so sure about that timing.
"Ruby! Get the extra item I ask ya to bring! We'll need to kill a few hours." At this order from Gravel, Ruby nodded and entered the kitchen, and quickly returned with a 12 pack of hard cider.
Now Twilight was not a heavy drinker. In fact, she wasn't much of a drinker at all, save for some Canterlot Wine from Celestia, and occasionally a special cider brew from Applejack. However, she eventually rationalized the situation. It was bleak, they were up against incredible odds... why not have a few drinks?
In the moonlit night, laughter erupted through the hotel room. It was not the first time tonight, and for once in this whole mess, Twilight was grinning and smiling, some of the big pressure laid off.
"It's all a true story, that's why I'll never touch pickled ANYTHING ever again!" Gray said, laughing. They had been telling stories for the past few hours, although Gravel was telling the most of them all, which was quite fine by Twilight. The less questions "Tara" had to answer, the better.
Eventually, the topic of comrades returned, and Twilight got the chance to ask something that had been on her mind ever since the incident at the jail.
"So, Gray, what's the story on your green friend? Heard he was in solitary when I went to bail you two out." This question had been burning for a while, given that he seemed to have no major link outside of that isolated attack and warning.
Gravel's face contorted and he lay back in his chair. "Well now, Sieve's uh... quite the unique case," he began, taking another swig before continuing. "See, he and I were real pals growin' up. School friend, you know? Anyway, he'd always been a little off, but not too bad. He always loved wood carving, wood shaving, sculpting with wood. I never did meet his parents, but I think they were in the carpentry business. Anyways, so about a year back, after the Empire reappeared, I lost contact with him. This was the kinda guy who believed all those conspiracy theories that ponies spread rumors on, you know the kinds. Now he told me he was on to something big, and he wouldn't quite tell me what, but he started going to the library just about every day after that. THAT was when he disappeared... until about a month ago, he came back asking me for work. He seemed paranoid and a little desperate, so I helped him out. He wouldn't say what he'd seen, but he started buying... strange things, like chemicals and stuff. He seemed to think something was always there, but he didn't say anything outright, and he avoided the topic."
Twilight digested the information slowly. Looking into conspiracy theories and turning paranoid. That sounded familiar. Twi was just about to speak, when she noticed that he still looked deep in thought.
"You know, he said something weird to me when he passed my cell on the way to the interrogation room. He said: 'I've got it! If you embrace the dark, you need not fear it!', and that threw me for a loop. All I know is, next time around he was being dragged to the back with a bloodied gash on his arm." Gravel seemed to finish his thought, then shrug. "But that's Sieve. Hope he's alright in there..."
Could he have been running from the same people I am? Could he have joined them out of fear? She felt disturbed, but was snapped out of it by Ruby speaking up for once. "So, how did you know arrow, huh?" she asked, leaning forward to listen with intent.
Now Twilight couldn't mention that she was the princess yet, so she'd... modify the story a little.
"Oh, well, see a while ago he bumped into me and uh... He hurt my leg by accident. Anyway, he was very polite, very sorry, and I kept saying it was fine, but he insisted on making it up to me. Now, I'm a reporter, so he uh... was looking into a weird story himself: your pegasus friend. He thought he could hand me a story and catch this guy at the same time..." Twilight hoped they were buying her little story modifications, but Ruby seemed too curious to notice any errors in tone.
"Two apples, one arrow..." Ruby said quietly. When she noticed Twilight looking at her confused, she shook her head and cleared her throat. "Sorry, uh, it was a phrase he used to say to me..." Ruby said quietly, a hint of a sad smile growing on her face. "What else happened?" she asked.
Twilight simply replied: "oh, it's all a blur. I remember the gray pegasus being there but... I can't remember much other than... seeing Arrow on the ground..." she said, sulking. Ruby looked down too, but to comfort her, Twilight had one little detail she could give away. "You know... I do remember that his last word was... 'Ruby.'"
Ruby looked up with watery eyes at this revelation. Gray calmly raised his glass and said "to Arrow!" and they all toasted to him.
After a brief moment of silence. Gray spoke up again. "Oh hey, enough about us, what about you, you have any friends?"
Twilight looked down. It was always troubling to think about her friends so far away back home now. "Yes, I do but... I came here to do some research that I don't want them seeing," she said.
"Well why not? They're your friends aren't they? I'm sure they'd understand anything you had to do," he said, smiling to her.
To be honest, this struck a nerve with Twilight. While she had never really believed that her friends would betray her to even Celestia, she always had the feeling that this investigation was a little more than just Cutie Marks. To be frank, she was actually glad she hadn't pulled her friends into the whole mess. Kept them safe back home. "It's best they stay back home," she said simply, nodding, earning a look of approval from Gray.
The alarm began to blare, indicating midnight: their time to begin resting for the long night tomorrow. "Alright everyone, let's all rest up, we'll need it," she said, and they both nodded and headed off to bed, leaving the secret princess alone in her seat.
Finally, she had hope for the whole situation, and a chance at some real hard evidence against whoever was after her. And yet... she felt dread. Nervousness made sense, but she felt a deep knotting in her stomach, and felt close to something.
Her journey had been tough and very long, and she felt something big coming up soon: for better or for worse, tomorrow night would be a defining moment, that much was certain.
And so, new thoughts weighing heavy on her mind, she fell into a deep, dreamless sleep. |
Marked | Chapter 19: Final Links | All three left the apartment separately, with the sun just setting in the distance as they were leaving. So it was that, by the time they arrived at their meeting place, an alleyway across from the Reach building with full view of the door, the sun had long since dipped beneath the horizon. The three lingered in the dark, nodding to one another in complete silence.
Ruby was the first to emerge, with the other two hanging back, silent, and waiting for her to do her part. Ruby had put on a hat and coat as to make herself unrecognizable to any passerby who may happen to see her. She casually strolled up to the door and knocked on it, like a customer who was quite late. After noting zero response after 30 seconds, she knocked again, and began covertly picking the lock as she looked at the open to closed times listed on the door. Anyone who had happened to watch her would have merely thought her a confused, late customer, resting their hooves on a door while reading.
After a short few seconds, the door clicked, and she very covertly left a small crack in it, unnoticeable from any distance. She dropped the thin lock pick in the crack to keep it open, and walked away from the door, with a fairly convincing look of defeat worn upon her face. Any nosy people nearby would merely see a customer who would have to come back tomorrow.
Ruby walked around to the other side of the alley and folded up her hat and coat, putting them in her saddlebag. "Ready?" Twilight looked back to her approaching and nodded, then did the same to Gravel. Both formed up on her sides, and with a quiet grunt, she focused carefully on the three of them, and they suddenly disappeared, completely invisible.
Normally she could have tried teleporting in, but not only was teleportation a skill known only to high level unicorns, so it may have blown her cover with them, but she also ran the risk of running into any secret security that she wouldn't have known of, not to mention that energy detection was certainly not unheard of, and teleportation have off a very large energy signature.
The three invisible invaders walked over to the door, and gently pushed it open, as if the wind had caught it. Ruby covertly stooped and grabbed her lock-pick, and just as soon as they had slipped into the foyer, the door gently swung shut, with no evidence that it had ever been opened.
They traveled a little further until they were well out of the view of the front door before returning to a visible state. Twilight was panting a little bit from having to use a lot of energy to keep them invisible, but better a lot of hidden energy over a long time, than one easy burst of energy that might be noticed.
After catching her breath, Gravel turned to her. "You good?" he asked quietly, and she nodded. They began to walk onward, with Twilight leading the pack, until they reached the door to the big office that she had seen before.
"This is it, Ruby," Twilight whispered, her horn glowing as she searched for anything off in the halls. After a few seconds, a sharp click was heard, but Twilight could have sworn she heard another dull thud somewhere in the building at the same moment. She scanned, but found... nothing.
This is no time to start losing it, the princess thought to herself, as she cautiously stuck her head into the room to scan it as well. Nothing wrong here. She motioned for Gravel to come in, and trotted gently inside.
"Watch the door Ruby," Gray said simply in a hushed tone, eliciting a nod from the girl. He entered the room, and saw the large safe that contained the file. Just as his eyes fell upon it, his face lit up while he walked over.
"Ah, a 2600 series Everfree safe, one of the hardest ones to crack in its day. This brings me back..." he said all this with a very reminiscent tone, as he pulled out his tools and delicately got to work.
This sparked some curiosity in Twilight, who still didn't know too much about these ponies personally. "Say, how did you get into crime anyway?" she questioned, her tone still kept down.
"Well, see, before the whole 'sealed away' thing, Sombra had all the stallions mandated to do work. And my mum... bless her soul, she passed on when I was just a kid. Now a kid can get hungry in the empire, and old Grey Gravel here was NOT about to starve! So I taught myself how to take what I needed. I was crafty enough to either not get caught, or to talk myself out of a sticky situation. But this here safe... when I was a young Foal, I knew a place where a general of Sombra's had a lot of money. Safes weren't nearly this complex back then, it was just a lockbox, but I cracked it. That's when I got my Mark," he said, gesturing with his head to his rear. She looked at it: a lock and some tools.
"A criminal cutie mark?" Twilight asked in surprise. She had never see a mark specifically for a crime before. He quickly cleared things up though.
"Nah, it turns out I'm actually a born locksmith. Ironic, am I right? But that came in handy when I was picking locks... and when I got my Mark, I was sent to work making locks for the jails and the houses. What they don't know is that I hid a release mechanism in each of my locks. Very specific, very hard to find, but if I ever get locked up, I can get out on my own. Only reason I didn't bust out was 'cuz Ruby was in another wing. Couldn't leave without her." He finished on that note, which gave him a bit more honor in Twilight's eyes. He stole from others... but he was loyal to those he trusted.
He was almost done cracking the safe, and Ruby showed no sign of any danger thus far. Twilight scanned again carefully, still finding nothing. Given that everything was going so well, she had time to clear up one final point.
"You said the 2600 here took you back... but the Empire has been gone for 1,000 years! This safe was invented about 10 years ago, how could this take you back?" she asked, confused.
"Oh, well when the Empire returned and was freed, I didn't quite have a stable income yet and... well, old habits die hard. This here was the first type of safe I ever broke into to get money. Pretty sure old Lotso didn't miss it though, they never found me," he said with a chuckle and a wink.
In the next second, a distinct click was heard inside the safe, and it creaked open slowly. Gray gave a slight bow as he opened it for her, revealing multiple files, with the chemical file right on top: the latest addition to their safe's contents.
"Let's see here..." Twilight started quietly, with Gravel looking over her shoulder to read as well. Inside, the file contained just a few papers, and one was a purchase record. It stated that a barrel was purchased directly from the manufacturer by one "Mr. Flak", and that all expenses were paid in full, meaning it would not be entered into the balance sheets. It looked very formal, nothing was too off for the most part... except for one little sheet inside the folder. It was typed, and it looked extremely official, moreso than the purchase record sheet. It read simply "The transaction permitted on this date was approved, and formally authorized at the behest of the council." The bottom of the sheet bore a formal stamped seal, that depicted what appeared to be three parallel arrows, pointing up, but that were attached on the bottom to one, central line, so that it seemed the middle arrow was the largest, with two small arrows attached to the sides.
Twilight was confused, and decided to look for other files with a similar insignia, and she found quite a few. Almost all of them were similarly written off transactions, paid in full, not entered into public record, and approved by some council. Many were purchases of steel and other building materials, but one file seemed very different from the others. She put the transaction files back and read the stand alone file, whose folder was a dark blue color instead of the typical tan or brown.
She opened it up, and saw what looked like some of the other records, but it was prefaced with what looked like an urgent typed paper.
It read simply: "Brander Repair Mandate: Reach Division Responsibilities", with each front letter capitalized and very evenly spaced. This one bore a whole list of materials, markedly more than the other small requests, and it called for steel, strong gems, and other things that would be difficult to just write off.
Then she thought about the title itself. "Brander Repair Mandate."
Brander... Brander! Twilight instantly recalled one of her notes: a history book calling the Equestrians of its time the "Branded peoples of today". "I need to copy these!" she exclaimed quickly, pulling out the files as Grey watched.
"I'm afraid that would be most unwise," a deep voice said from behind them. They wheeled around to see a very strong, blank-flanked black unicorn standing in the doorway, with Ruby knocked out cold, a gash on her right temple. Twilight recognized the voice: she had heard it in this very office when she had been here. He strolled in and the door slammed behind him, sealing the four of them in.
Twilight, panicked, fired a powerful blast straight at him, but he used some barrier she had never seen before. It reflected back at her, and she instinctively jumped out of the way... but the blast curved, hitting her square in the horn, and sending her flying into the back wall. Gray turned to see her fall. "TARA! I--" he froze. Her cloak had fallen off, revealing her wings. "But... only princesses can have wings and a horn! ...Princess?" he questioned, confused.
Twilight nodded weakly in the direction of the unicorn, indicating that they had more to worry about right now. He was walking towards Ruby's crumpled form, and his horn glowed with a powerful energy.
Gravel wasted no time, and although not as built, Gray was certainly no weakling. He jumped and slammed a hoof at top speed into the unicorn's jaw to keep him away from Ruby.
His feet never moved. Nor did his body. In fact, his head only slightly turned to absorb the powerful punch, and based on Gravel's shocked expression, it must've felt like punching concrete. The unicorn's horn had stopped glowing, and in one lightning speed move, he slugged Gravel out cold, leaving a bloodied imprint on his head.
Twilight struggled to move, but taking a direct blast to the horn is not easy to recover from. She could hardly scoot herself over before he was standing over her, looking down with an almost angry expression. "You're lucky someone wants to talk to you," he said plainly, and fired a green aura around her. He walked away, and she began to lose consciousness as she saw the door open, letting ponies in with simple white suits and masks.
"Take these two and put them with the others. Prepare the princess for transport to the facility..."
That was all she could make out before her vision blurred, and her whole world turned to black.
> Chapter 20: Illumination
Twilight groaned as she finally came to, recovering consciousness with a fading throb in her head. After an encounter like that, she was expecting to wake up in a holding cell, or buckled down with restraints, but the very first thing she could feel was... she was sitting on a very soft chair, her spine resting against its back, and her front legs held up by the cushioned elbow rests.
"Ah, princess! I'm so pleased you're awake. I must apologize for my associate's behavior, he can be quite the brute at times." The voice that spoke was flat overall, but had an air of gladness about it, as if a bored business pony had just been impressed with a successful proposal.
This prompted her to fully open her eyes and look up, and she was met by the sight of another pony sitting in an identical chair, facing her, just a few feet away. He was a light gray earth pony, with short, neat, black hair, piercing green eyes, and a small, almost pleasant smile worn upon his thin lips.
"Where did you take them? Where am I?" the princess demanded with a start. Her horn began to glow, but she powered it down after an ache ran through it. Must still be sore from the direct hit it took earlier. Despite her horn faltering however, her posture and tone still elicited command, and she sat firm in her question.
"Oh, your friends are quite alright I assure you, no harm will come to them. As for where you are, I wish to welcome you to my humble office," the stallion responded calmly, unfazed by her display of authority. It was interesting, his tone of voice was very unique, reminding her slightly of Discord's, but much flatter, and it had a more formal air to it.
His office? She swiveled her head about, and other than the two fancy chairs, the office was actually very blank, much like the mysterious pony himself. The office was very large, with a fairly high ceiling. The walls were about the same shade of gray as his coat, while the floors were made up of polished, ebony colored tiles. There was a plain metal desk just a few feet from her right, and a wooden double door to her left.
Twilight felt very confused about this entire situation. As she looked down to think, she was surprised to see her coat had been returned to it's original purple coloration, which was even more distressing, given that, in theory, only the user should be able to reverse the changes.
"Oh, I'm terribly sorry, where are my manners? I have yet to introduce myself. My name is Far Reach, CEO of Reach Mining Company... though, I think you're more than familiar with that, given we found you stealing from my Crystal Empire branch." Despite the accusation, he did not sound mad in the slightest. In fact, he almost sounded amused at the fact that she tried stealing from him.
So this was Far Reach, the mysterious CEO himself. "So this is your office... are we in a Reach Company building then?" she inquired.
Reach chuckled slightly and shook his head slowly. "Oh no, we're nowhere so public as a corporate office. We're at my... let's say, more important place of work."
Twilight had had just about enough of all these dead ends and riddles, and her brow furrowed in determination as she stared directly at him, speaking slowly. "What is going on here?"
Reach ceased his laughter and stared back, the two pairs of eyes staring into each other, both asserting their power, and neither noticeably faltering. Finally, Reach relaxed subtly without breaking eye contact. "Would you like some tea?" he offered, pressing a button on the side of his armrest. She looked over on the left side of her chair as a small end table rose up out of the floor with a cup of hot tea on it. She looked over to see that the same had appeared on the right side of his chair, and he was already taking a drink from his.
"I personally prefer Earl Gray tea, straight, no sugar, but we took the time to get to know you a little better. Fresh Canterlot tea straight from your favorite shop, three sugar cubes, just as you like it," he said, nodding at her cup. She smelled it, and it was exactly the same. His smelled rather bitter, but she was more concerned with the matter at hand than some businessman getting her tea right.
"What is going on here?" She repeated the question with more intensity this time, looking back at him. His thin smile disappeared much like the steam from his tea, and after taking at sip and sighing, he put down the half-filled cup on the side table.
"Always with the questions!" he started with a mildly annoyed tone. It was the first real expression of emotion that she could truly believe from him, but even that was subdued. "You know, I can never understand what it is with you princesses always asking so many questions, each of you!"
"What do you mean by that?" the princess asked, slight concern etching features into her face.
Reach refocused on her and began to explain. "You see, each princess at some point decided to start looking for Marks. My predecessors had to deal with Luna and Celestia, and I had to deal with Cadence before you... but you my dear were never daunted, never gave up! Congratulations, you are the first princess to ever make it as far as learning about the Brander." He said the last statement with almost some enthusiasm, as if he was nearly proud of her achievement.
Cadence, Luna, Celestia... Twilight suddenly began to realize why they each had acted so strange and out of character whenever she began her inquiries and investigations. If they had been through similar things, and were persuaded to stop seeking... Who were these people?
Reach continued on with his proud expression beaming on her achievement. "You know, some of the council was actually considering termination, but I saw the potential in you. You're intelligent, you're inquisitive, and most importantly: you care for your subjects. Thus, I actually have a proposal for you."
She suddenly shot her head up to look back to him. "Proposal? What Proposal? What council?" she asked in confused tone, almost desperate for answers.
"Again with the questions," he said nonchalantly before looking into the yearning eyes of the monarch. He closed his eyes for a moment and stretched his neck back before staring directly at her while he explained.
"Princess, I represent a large organization known as the Trident. We have been ensuring peace and harmony in Equestria since it's very dawn. Now I needn't dive into details quite yet, given it's nature, but I'm offering you a job that entails managing and ensuring safety of a large population. Your intellectual ability would make our operations significantly more efficient." He finished his statement with another small smile, and took a sip from his tea.
Twilight sat in silence for about a minute, pondering what she was just offered. She became filled with all sorts of emotions. A secret organization? Forbidden knowledge? This was almost a dream come true! But then, something came to mind that completely overshadowed her fantasies of knowing so many secrets.
"Wait, but your evil henchman committed murder! He murdered and innocent pony! Under your authority!" Twilight accused, leaning forward in her seat and getting very heated.
Reach was taken aback, and wore a new expression of mixed surprise and disgust. "Oh, you accuse me after I offer you a job? I assure you, his death was not my fault, and in fact my excessively violent associate was punished for such a horrendous act... but I'm sure you're aware of the price he paid."
Twilight's face went soft after this comment, which robbed of her righteous anger. "I... I did see him jump into the fire... but you gave him the compound!" she began, still grasping at something to accuse this shadowy figure of.
"Yes, I gave him the Reach gel, based on intel that he was burning an empty, uninhabited building. At most, I was an accessory to destruction of property, but the landowner received a generous compensation from 'an anonymous organization who heard about the fire.' We can both agree that what he did was unacceptable, and I understand how you would make the connection, but you really shouldn't accuse someone you've just met based off of one little sale in a file." He ended solidly, not showing any aggression back towards her, and remaining neutral and fair throughout the discussion.
The princess paused and thought hard about the situation. He has a valid point, and it sounds like he paid for every issue he caused... Yet, she still tried to find something, anything to pin on the guy. "And what about Gray Gravel? And Ruby Crystal?" she inquired, much more mellow now, but there was blood coming from both of them, last she had seen.
"Oh, they're being taken care of, they're alive an well, and in good hands. My associate is getting a stern talking to about harming ponies under my watch, especially potential friends. After all, the ally of our ally is our friend. You are our ally, aren't you, princess?" His question returned him to a smile, looking almost smug as he finished his tea completely, and put it back on the table.
She bit her lip and wondered what to say, thinking about all the pros and cons. Much like his tea, her accusations were completely gone.
Twilight finally asked if she could have time to think about it.
Reach was elated at her consideration. "Of course, of course, take your time! After all, you are a thinker first and foremost. Feel free to walk about this facility, I only ask you not to enter any doors marked with a red arrow. You can see whats behind those if you decide to join," he explained kindly. He pressed a button and their tables retracted into the floor. Hers came back up with her saddlebag, which she levitated and placed back onto her back. It felt exactly the same weight, yet... almost easier to bear.
She thanked him and headed out of the large wooden doors, leaving Reach behind, smiling to himself in his chair. |
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