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Gazing to the Ocean of the Sky | 51 - Dancing | They stood before a somewhat rundown house. Spike gestured at it. "Moon Dancer." He knocked softly on the door. "Excuse me?"
The other three glanced to one another. Was the great and powerful horny pony that would enchant their train really there? Shoot, they needed more than one horny pony if they were going to get the party going properly.
"Moment..." A glow was visible before it opened, revealing the horny pony that lived there. Moon Dancer perked an ear at all three of them before settling on Spike. "Oh! It's been a while, Spike. How are you? How's Twilight?" Her dour expression had brightened like the sun bursting through some thick clouds. "Who are your friends?"
Spike hiked a thumb at the dumbfounded seahorses. "This is Cherry, Berry, and Indigo. They need your help."
"Oh?" Moon stepped out of her house, her magic closing the door behind herself. "What sort of help? In fact... what are they?" Her eyes focused on their unusual anatomy, following the lines of powerful tails that led to flippers. They were more like dolphins than anything else, or so Moon Dancer decided. "They seem clearly aquatic in nature."
Cherry shook off her surprise. "Oh, yes. We're from the ocean. Hello, dryland pony." She thrust a hoof forward. "We were told you are a very skilled horny pony."
Moon went a dark red in her cheeks. "W-what?"
Spike snickered and fished out the letter that Twilight had sent him with. "Here."
Moon Dancer's magic wrapped around it and her eyes quickly swept back and forth, rapidly absorbing the contents of the letter. She relaxed a little. "Oh... Oh! I see... I think? You need a heavy duty thaumic integration process on a heavy metallic shell with complex mechanical parts." She nodded. "It's going to need high heat and water resistance, not to mention tolerance for sodium." The letter vanished with a puff as she sat and looked thoughtful. "This will be quite a challenge."
Indigo leaned forward a little. "Can you do it?"
"No."
Berry reddened with sudden fury. "No?! We came all this way so you could just tell us you can't do it?!"
Moon held up a hoof. "That is correct. I will require some assistance. Another school friend of mine has some talent that would be complimentary to mine."
Spike raised a brow. "Really? Who?"
Moon blinked at Spike. "You should know her. I hear she ran into you and Twilight in Ponyville, twice at least." She lowered her head a little and a colorful flare of magic revealed a holographic horny pony.
"Trixie?!" gasped Spike, pointing at the image. The pony wore a pointy hat, and was gazing at the three as if she were very confident indeed.
Cherry clopped her fore hooves. "She looks like she could do it. How do we get her to help?"
Moon nodded. "Therein lies the challenge. Trixie Lulamoon is a talented spellcaster, but her methods are... unconventional, and she has a few... beha... She has a few..." She kept tripping over ways of explaining it.
Spike rolled a claw. "She has a few issues, to put it mildly. Still, she, uh, seemed to be doing alright, last time she came through. She even made friends with Starlight Glimmer."
"Oh, that's nice." Moon nodded. "Forging beneficial co-relations is quite conducive to efficiency both in and out of duty."
Indigo took a step forward towards Moon. "So you will be helping?"
"Of course." Moon dusted off her fluffy-looking shirt. "Twilight has requested it. I simply cannot proceed without undue difficulty without this assistance."
Berry let out a powerful sigh. "Alright, that's getting somewhere. So where is this 'Trixie'?"
Spike shrugged.
Moon pointed into the city. "Her tour should be taking her through the city in a short time. Tonight, we will attend and, I propose, we approach her after the show concludes."
Cherry brightened at the news. "What sort of show does she do?" Whatever display came from a horny pony, she could only imagine it'd be fantastic to see. "Can we watch?"
Berry tapped Cherry on the nose. "That's what she just said. We'll watch this 'Trixie' and ask her to help afterwards."
"Correct." Moon nodded. "Until then, do you require anything?"
Indigo pointed at Moon Dancer's house. "Do you have a... tub I think it's called?"
Moon blinked. "Yes?" She sounded unsure of why anypony would even ask her about that, at least until all three ponies charged past her into her home. She looked at Spike, befuddled. "Did I do something wrong?"
"Nah." Spike waved his claws. "They're just eager to take a bath and get their fur wet. They are sea ponies, after all."
Moon tapped her chin. "I wonder if they require a specific level of salinity."
Spike assured her that they'd be fine. The splashing and giggling coming from the bathroom didn't sound like anypony having a bad time.
Moon peeked down the hallway towards it before looking back at Spike. "Do they often perform communal bathing ceremonies?"
"Uh."
"With two mares and a stallion... Are they related?"
"I don't think so, no."
Moon frowned with thought, trying to apply the friendship lessons she'd learned. "They must be very good friends." Possibly they'd advanced to levels of friendship she hadn't even dared to consider yet. She began to daydream a moment about some of the books she'd read.
"Moon Dancer?"
She started from her fantasy and shook her head. She was assuming things. "Yes, right. We'll proceed when the time is correct."
Some time later, three dampened sea ponies, a dragon, and a bookish horny pony set out into the evening light.
The city was bustling, as it often was, drawing the eyes of the seaponies this way and that way and every other way to see the sources of curious sounds, admire the bright colors, or follow teasing scents. Every sense was assaulted with something they wanted to know more about, but Moon Dancer and Spike kept them pointed approximately in the correct direction.
Berry veered off from the school and snatched up a small shiny bauble. "This is very nice."
The mare who ran the shop she had picked it up from nodded at Berry. "It would go nicely with your pelt. Would you like to have it?"
"Can I? Thanks." She moved to walk right past the shopkeep without a moment of hesitation.
Spike hurried up to the confused shopkeep. "They're not from around here."
"You don't... say?"
"I do say." He fished out a few bits and slapped them down to cover the price of the bauble. "I hope that makes up for it. If not, send a bill to Princess Twilight Sparkle."
She blinked down at Spike. "Oh! Of course you're that dragon! I will, thank you. I hope she enjoys it, but do try to stop her from just picking up things without paying for them."
Moon Dancer moved to do just that. She tapped Berry on the shoulder. "I believe Spike is handling it for you, but you should refrain from stealing."
"What?!" Berry recoiled at the accusation. "I didn't steal anything! She gave this to me."
Spike hurried up towards the two. "It's alright, Berry, just a misunderstanding. See, when a shop pony asks if you want something, they mean to ask 'do you want to buy this?' She's not mad, you can keep it."
"Oh.." Berry gave the bit of jewelry a guilty look. "I didn't know."
Moon Dancer nodded. "We all make mistakes. As friends... we help each other learn."
Spike bobbed his head in kind. "Exactly. Huh, Twi's gonna be happy to hear how much progress you've made."
Moon blushed at the idea. "You don't... have to tell her." Though maybe that would be nice kinda? "Look, there's the show."
There was a slowly thickening crowd of ponies around a stage. Banners nearby announced that Trixie would be performing and showcasing a brand new feat of reality shattering magic for those lucky enough to be in attendance.
Despite all that focus, one small land filly thought the three aquatic ponies were more interesting. "Hullo." She had to raise her voice to be heard over the crowd. "What kinda ponies are you?"
Indigo looked down at the smiling little horny pony. "Hello there," he greeted in kind, offering a hoof. They met in a soft clop. "My name's Indigo."
"Nice to meetcha Indiwo," she tripped over the word even as she soldiered on by repeating her question. "What kinda pony are you?"
Berry threw a leg over either, drawing her companions close. "We're sea ponies." She wagged her tail for emphasis. "You're a horny pony."
"I'mma unihorn!"
"Corn, dear." her mother corrected, turning to see who her daughter was speaking to just to start at the sight of the three sea ponies. "Oh! Um, hello?" Defensively, she put a leg in front of her daughter. "Nice to... meet you?"
Cherry mouthed the word. She was sure she'd heard it at least once before. "Unihorn?"
The mother gave a sympathetic smile. "Unicorn. That's what we are." She pointed a free hoof up at her horn. "I hope she hasn't caused you any trouble."
Berry waved it off as she got her legs back under herself. "It'll take more than that to rattle me. Nice to meet you, Unicorn."
The filly tilted her head. "I'm Amber Streak. Thas my name. I am a unicorn." She pointed at Indigo. "He is Indiwo, a sea pony. Sea ponies are pretty."
Indigo giggled a little. Being called pretty by a mare was good, but she was a bit young to count. "Thank you, Amber."
The lighting suddenly dimmed, the street lamps lowering in intensity as a booming voice announced, "Welcome, one and all. Fillies and Gentlecolts. Prepare to be amazed! Trixie has a feat of magic for you today that not even the stupendous Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Friendship and Element of Magic, could master. But first..." Fireworks exploded in a sudden colorful spray, a blue-furred unicorn appeared in the center of the stage. "The show begins!" A fresh wave erupted to some curious clopping and stomping by the crowd, ready to see the feat of magic.
With scintillating lights and dazzling displays, Trixie kept the crowd hooked as she practically danced across the stage, a perpetual nova of activity. A few minutes into the act, it seemed to die down as she looked out over the crowd. Her eyes widened a little at the sea ponies. "Perfect. You there!" She thrust a hoof at them. "Yes, one of you, with the flippers. Come up to the stage."
Berry moved first, boldly and confidently making her way to the stage. She hopped up onto the stage, a feat she had only recently gotten down. "I am here, Trixie. What do you want?"
"Oh ho! Such confidence... Trixie admires it." She gestured at Berry. "Behold this exotic example of pony kind. Trixie will perform her nigh-forbidden magic on her!" The combination of exotic pony and forbidden fruit had their attention, and Trixie savored every wide eye in the crowd. She loved it. As she looked over Berry, she remembered Starlight mentioning a sea pony. Was this that one? Whether they were or not, the show had to go on. "This is your last chance, if you're scared, to run away, sea pony."
Berry blinked and puffed out her chest, standing defiantly. "What, me? Never! Do your worst, Unihorn."
Was that an insult? Trixie decided to pay it no mind as she focused on the spell, arcane power gathering dangerously as a headache bloomed. The immense force required for that trick always left her dizzy. She didn't have the thaumic reserves to pull it off seamlessly, but a seam nopony else ever saw may as well not be there. She kept a pristine look of showmaresmanship as she focused the beam on the sea pony, bathing her in bright and strobing light. Bright wooshing sounds announced something incredible was happening in the light. |
Gazing to the Ocean of the Sky | 52 - Horny | It grew quiet. The crowd was gaping at the feat of magic performed. Faint whispers went from pony to pony.
"Behold!" cried Trixie, gesturing without directly looking at Berry. "Where once a mare, then a stallion!"
Berry blinked softly as she looked herself over. She certainly felt like a mare. "Are you sure it worked?"
"Of course it--" Trixie finally looked at the target of her spell. She had gained a horn, it just wasn't the sort of horn she was expecting. "Wha? I mean, behold!" She threw her forelegs wide. "Trixie has destroyed the barrier between tribes."
Berry's eyes went up and crossed to look at the curved and pointed spire jutting from her forehead. She was a -- "Unihorn!"
"Unicorn, dear assistant," corrected Trixie. "You are now Equestria's first ever sea unicorn. Everypony give a hoof to our brave volunteer."
The silence was broken with excited babble and stomps on the ground as curious ponies pressed closer to get a look at Berry's altered form. Had what they'd seen been true?
One stallion pointed up at Berry. "Can you do magic?"
Berry had no idea, dazed and confused. "I... can try?" How did it even work?! She focused on the stallion that had asked, grunting and heaving as she tried to access a muscle she didn't have minutes earlier.
Trixie softly patted Berry's shoulder. "Don't hurt yourself. Trixie will magnanimously offer to train you, or she can restore you to your lovely birth form. She is here to delight and amaze, not cause terror. She learned that lesson."
Berry relaxed noticeably at Trixie's word, letting out a sigh of relief. "You can turn me back?"
"It shouldn't be an issue!" Or so Trixie hoped. "For now, rejoin your friends." She pointed down into the crowd where Spike, Moon, Cherry, and Indigo sat watching with different forms of shock on their faces.
The show continued with a fresh wave of razzle and even extra dazzle.
Indigo reached up with a shaking hoof and lightly prodded his friend's new horn. "Are you alright?"
Cherry was leaning right in on it, staring intently. "You look like a narwhal." She flashed a bright smile and threw a leg over her friend. "At least she said she can fix it."
Moon Dancer applied a hoof to her face. "I find that less likely than I would care for it to be."
Berry turned to Moon. "What?" Her eyes widened a little. "She was lying?! Why?"
Moon squirmed faintly. "This is just conjecture, but she did not intend this particular transmutation. She simply wanted you to step aside so she could finish the show without souring it. I predict she will do her best, but it may take more effort than she casually implied."
Spike rubbed behind his head. "Uh, we'll get it fixed, for sure. Are you... alright?"
Berry peered at Spike a little. "No!" She looked up at the horn again. As functional extra pieces went, it had a lot of potential. It was also scary! It was also just not what she was. She was a sea pony. Sea ponies did not usually come with horns. She reached up and tapped it lightly. "I... It reminds me of my grandfather."
Moon blinked at that. "Your grandfather had a horn?"
Berry nodded. "Right in the middle, like this. Just... like a Narwhal." She tapped her horn again. "He's about the only pony I ever saw with one, and he didn't have any magic that I remember."
Moon Dancer frowned thoughtfully. "Your horned heritage may have interfered with the spell. Trixie is going to be upset to hear you are not an entirely new creation."
Cherry tilted her head. "I didn't know there were horny sea ponies."
Indigo softly clucked his tongue. "I've... heard stories." He sounded far from certain.
The magic show wound down and the crowd dispersed, leaving a fatigued but satisfied Trixie to clean up the mess she had made. She saw the sea ponies and two familiar faces and waved to them. "Come closer. Trixie is no longer performing."
Moon Dancer approached the stage. "It is good to see you."
Trixie nodded at Moon. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"
Moon forced a smile. Smiling was important. "We require your arcane expertise."
Trixie brightened like a light-bulb that had just been turned on. "You need an expert in magic and, of course, you came seeking the best? Trixie is delighted to hear you have such good taste."
Cherry thrust a hoof at her friend's jutting new part. "You made my friend horny!"
Trixie blinked at that, puzzling out the worrying potential meanings before she settled on the most obvious one. "Trixie will attempt to undo the magic, if you wish? Trixie notes that having a horn is a lovely thing." She tapped her own horn. "Trixie could not imagine life without it."
Berry looked to Trixie a moment, then spun on Indigo. "Am I ugly?"
Indigo froze. Did he really get asked that? He looked Berry over. He hadn't really given her that sort of appraising before. His eyes followed the lines of her figure and back up to her horn. "You're pretty." Not as pretty as Cherry, a petulant part of his brain complained, but no, she was a lovely sea pony. Horned or not.
Berry gave a soft smile of relief. "Then I will let it be. It reminds me of my grandfather, and he was a good pony. If you like it, Indie, then I'll keep it." She moved to his side and pressed in tight to her romantic target. Indigo was blushing terribly, caught by a mare, and not the one he wanted most.
Trixie nodded at Moon and looked to Spike. "What brings you here, familiar of Twilight Sparkle?"
Spike blinked owlishly at that. "Familiar?"
"Familiar, a creature created or conjured by a magician's magic, typically to serve as a companion and assistant. Does that not perfectly define you?"
"Wha?"
Trixie rolled her eyes. "You were literally conjured from an egg that would otherwise have laid dormant. Twilight Sparkle made you. You serve as her companion and assistant. You are the very definition of a familiar."
Moon put a hoof between Trixie and Spike. "We are becoming distracted. The sea ponies require a sizable thaumic integration that would require considerable--"
Trixie perked an ear. "Trixie does not mean to demean herself, but why did you not ask Starlight Glimmer? She is a friend of Trixie's and quite talented. Why, if you came from Ponyville, it would have been a lot closer."
Moon blinked. She didn't really know Starlight. "I am not aware of this pony."
Spike did, and put a claw to his face. "Oh yeah! That would have been a good idea."
Trixie waved a hoof. "Go on. Starlight loves using her magic, and she'd delight in the chance to create something spectacular."
Spike blinked at that response. "You don't mind giving up the job to her?"
Trixie shook her head. "Starlight is a good friend of Trixie's. She can afford to cede the spotlight to her, just this once." She smiled gently. "Do tell her Trixie sent the gift, and let Trixie know how she liked it."
With friendly waves, the group was sent back towards the train that would bring them back to Ponyville. Moon Dancer remained with them. "I want to meet this pony."
Spike nodded. "If you like studying magic, you should like her. She's a natural."
Berry followed along, walking between her friends. Her eyes kept drifting upwards to the new, strange, thing that obscured just a bit of her vision if she looked upwards. Both of her friends were quietly supportive of her, and neither made fun of her. That helped. Still, she would need time to get used to the strange thing that had taken residence on her forehead.
As they rode back to Ponyville, Spike looked over Berry's addition. "It's longer and pointier than Twilight's before she, you know, became a princess and all."
Berry blinked down at Spike. "Her horn was smaller?"
Moon nodded. "She has gained significant horn and general stature since she originally left Canterlot."
Berry peeked up at the horn. "Does that mean I could do extra fancy magic?"
Just as Moon was about to reply, Cherry jumped in. "Sure! You'll be extra awesome."
Berry quirked a smile at Cherry. "You do know, if that's true, I'll be an even harder rival to top." She threw a leg over Indigo and pulled him close. "I'll snatch Indie for myself and what will you do about it?"
Cherry glanced between the badly blushing stallion and her 'rival'. "Congratulate you."
Berry blinked. "T-that's not what rivals say!" She thrust out a hoof to lightly kick Cherry in the chest. "Be more angry!"
Cherry snorted. "No need to get violent about it." She circled around to Berry's side. "I'll let you off the hook this time, seeing as they just made you horny."
"That's Unicorn," reminded Berry, puffing up with some bit of growing pride. "How can I tell if it's a magic horn or just a big poking thing like my grandfather had?"
Indigo reached a hoof to gently tap the new thing. "It's pretty cool either way."
Berry darkened at the praise from Indie. "T-thanks."
Spike looked to the side, facing across the train. "Moon Dancer?"
"Yes?"
"Do you think Twilight's gonna be mad?"
She blinked. "Why would she be?"
"I... kind of messed up." He glanced quickly at Berry and away. "I was supposed to keep them safe."
Moon Dancer shook her head. "If she holds it against you, I'll speak on your behalf. It was an accident, and Berry doesn't seem too disturbed by the outcome. If she does have some degree of thaumic control, the repercussions are staggering. As a fellow scientist, she will understand that and forget everything else."
Spike shrugged. "That sounds cool, but how can we tell."
Moon raised a hoof. "With vigorous testing, of course. Twilight should have the supplies we need. Where is this 'Starlight' pony?"
"Oh, she's at the castle."
"Expedient." Moon nodded. "To the castle then."
The train came to a smooth halt and the party hopped off the train.
"Hello!" Pinkie Pie had caught wind of them somehow. She was looking at Berry with a huge grin. "When'd you get another sea pony? Hi! I'm Pi--"
Berry held up a hoof. "Hello, Pinkie. We've met. Surely you recognize me?"
The voice was enough, Pinkie gasped. "Oh wow! You're the second friend of mine to suddenly get a new body-part. Are you a princess now?"
Berry grinned, pleased at the idea. "Princess of the sea..." she sighed out.
Cherry prodded her friend. "My mom's the Queen, so, technically..." |
Gazing to the Ocean of the Sky | 53 - Welcome Back? | As they approached the grand edifice that was Twilight's castle, Moon Dancer looked it up and down. "It looks far more impressive in person. Was it colored after her intentionally?"
Spike shrugged softly. "It just kinda... happened."
Berry waved her horn at Spike dangerously. "Kind of like this then?"
Spike danced away from the sharp tip. "Yeah, actually. Well... guess I better face the music."
As he was about to dash off, Moon's hoof came down on his shoulder, arresting him. "We'll go together."
Spike was quietly happy to not have to go alone, as shown by a nervous smile. Together, the entire group proceeded inside.
A small bell rang out, though no bell could be seen.
Starlight appeared with a pop. "He--Oh! Hey Spike, who's your..." She trailed off, looking past Moon Dancer to the aquatic ponies and seeing that one of them was... different. "What happened?"
"I," announced Berry, standing forward with her horn held high. "--am now a sea unicorn!"
"I... see?" Starlight frowned a little thoughtfully. "Is that real?"
"It is verifiable," agreed Moon Dancer. "I would like to conduct many more examinations and tests to confirm suspicions and expand our understanding, but that would require Twilight's assistance."
Starlight took a step away. "I'll... go get her."
"Wait!" Spike had a claw thrust into the air. "Before you go, now's a good time to meet Moon Dancer." He gestured at the new pony.
Starlight nodded and gave a friendly smile. "Nice to meet you. Twilight had mentioned you a few times."
"In a good way, I hope?" Moon rubbed behind her head, nervousness building. "Starlight Glimmer?"
"Ah, you've heard of me too?" Starlight gave a laugh that sounded as nervous as Moon. "Just who doesn't Twilight know? I guess that comes with the whole, you know, 'princess of friendship' thing."
Spike looked between the two awkward unicorns and smirked. "You two are gonna get along just fine."
Moon perked an ear at Spike. "What was that?"
"Oh, nothing." He made shooing motions. "Just that you two should catch up while I go get Twilight."
Moon looked to Starlight, who grinned at her sheepishly. "What... is there to catch up on with a new acquaintance?"
Starlight shrugged. "Search me, so... You... do anything silly that Twilight had to fix?"
Moon Dancer sighed dramatically. "Sort of. Stupid mare skipped town on my birthday party without even a letter." She let out a slow breath, using a motion that Twilight had passed to her. "I've gotten past that, even if I did spend an unfortunate number of years avoiding social contact... for..." She stopped herself from entirely spilling her motivations and aspirations and clammed up, looking sheepish.
"Oh, no, don't be embarrassed! Please, my exploits make yours look... practically tame." Starlight waved it off. "I... mighta kinda took over a town with brainwashing, bullying, and cultish obedience techniques." She let out a nervous little laugh. "I've... gotten better."
Indigo raised a hoof. "Is that why you cast that spell and left us floating in our tank all day?"
Starlight went a dark red. "You were hit too?! Dear Celestia... I'm so sorry!" She threw herself to her belly, prostrate before the three sea ponies. "You must be so angry with me!"
Berry might have been, but she might have also liked standing over Starlight, taking the dominant pose over the powerful spell-caster. "You can tell me how amazing I am and how sorry you are." She offered a hoof to the fallen Starlight. "Begin."
Starlight blinked with confusion. She was being forgiven, but in a very curious way. She wasn't entirely sure how she felt about it. Still, it was her mistake... She sat up and pulled the hoof closer, kissing it gently. "I am very sorry, honored guests. Please forgive me?"
Cherry stepped up and nudged her rival out of the way. She offered her own hoof, but to help Starlight back to her own standing, not for kissing. "It's alright, just don't do that again. I had a headache for days after that."
Indigo nodded. "I was so glad when Twilight freed us. It's alright, Starlight, just, you know, not again, alright?"
Moon Dancer seemed a little relaxed for the story. She was far from the worst unicorn Twilight had to deal with. "So... I hear you enjoy the study of magic?"
Starlight perked right up at that. "Now that's something I can stand behind. Are you also a scholar of the arts?"
Moon smiled. They were entering much safer territory. "Why, yes, yes I am. Perhaps you could even assist in this." She pointed at Berry's horn. "We'll need to determine exactly how thaumically active it is and how much control is being granted to its wearer. Oh! Trixie said to mention that these projects are her gift to you and she'd love to hear how you enjoy them."
Starlight smiled brightly. "Trixie? You ran into her?" The clear affection in her voice was easy to pick up on. "This is quite a gift. I imagine she wanted to do it."
Berry tapped at her new horn. "She already got to make it in the first place."
Starlight blinked. "Trixie did this?!"
"Trixie did what?!" Twilight was descending the stairs with Spike, eyes locked on Berry and her new addition. "What happened?"
Moon Dancer took the role of storyteller. She spoke in clean clinical descriptions of the events, including what she could observe of 'thaumic flows' and the like. "Further testing is absolutely required."
"I... would imagine so," spoke Twilight slowly as she joined the rest. "Berry, are you alright?"
Berry blinked. "Hmm?"
Twilight smiled. "As your friend, which rates more highly than any other bond we share, I want to make sure you're alright first. If you don't want us to proceed, or want us to focus on getting you back to normal, then we'll do that. That's more important than any... world-shaking discovery... we could find..." It was clear that Twilight wanted to proceed, rather badly, but she was employing her own lessons and trying to be a good friend.
Berry tilted her head. "Well, if I can do magic, that would be great! But we did have a project before we even left, and I'm not giving up on that." She puffed out her chest. "As the world's #1 sea pony train engineer, it's my resp--"
Cherry bristled. "Hey! What makes you #1?"
Berry flashed a cocky grin. "Now that is more like a rival." She nodded with clear satisfaction. "We want the train to work underwater, and that's more important."
Twilight and the others seemed shocked at the idea that Berry would rate the train project above herself.
Spike pointed at the horn. "You don't care that you have... that?"
Berry shrugged lightly. "Of course I do. Pfft, it's right there, taunting me, but it's not like it won't be there after this, and if it isn't, well, that means I wasn't going to get much use out of it anyway, right?"
Starlight took a step forward. "Very well then. Let's get this train working. Is it where it usually is?" All three sea ponies nodded. "Let's have a look at it and make a plan."
As they led the way, Indigo moved to walk beside Starlight. "It already works, you know, just not in the ocean. It runs on dry power, and if we get it too wet, it won't work. We need to keep the furnace and the dry fuel, um, dry, all dry."
"Coal," offered Cherry. "That's the dry fuel."
Twilight nodded. Though not asked, she had joined the group as they went. Her eyes kept wandering to Berry's mighty prong. "Right, dry fuel..."
Moon Dancer looked at the train as it came into view with some amazement. "This is yours?"
Indigo pointed at the distracted Twilight. "She and her friends helped us get it."
"It was a princess," offered Cherry as she charged up and hopped aboard the engine. "Come inside and see."
Moon hopped up next and began looking around curiously. "It looks quite old on the outside, but I can see clear evidence of heavy refurbishing. This must have taken considerable effort."
The sea ponies didn't seem to mind being praised on their skills as the three unicorns began poking and prodding at things.
Starlight tapped at the main furnace. "So you need this to be entirely water resistant, even at considerable pressures and depths?"
Moon nodded. "And they'll have to have access to feed coal even while it's in operation."
Twilight followed unseen lines over to the bin that held a good quantity of coal. "Why not connect the coal bin directly to the furnace?"
Starlight tapped her chin with a hoof. "What if the heat caused the coal in the bin to ignite?"
Moon grunted with thought. "That would be a disaster."
The three became absorbed in discussing ideas and entirely forgot about the sea ponies that had brought them there.
Indigo looked to his two mare friends. "Should we be doing something?"
Cherry shrugged. "Not much we can do right now, just give them room to do their unicorn magic."
Berry sat with a little frown. "I wish we could help. I don't like somepony else doing the work for me on my train!"
"Our train," corrected Cherry.
Berry huffed at that, but then nodded. "Right, our train, dear rival." She threw a leg over Cherry and pulled her tight a moment. "Well, maybe now that I'm a unicorn too, I should listen in."
She rose and moved to sit with the three excitable unicorns. There were barely any breaks in the conversations, and the words they were using went over Berry's head as often as it didn't.
She did get one thing. "If you need us to rig a pumping system for the dry fuel, we can manage that."
All three looked to her. She smiled nervously. "What? We can do that."
Moon tapped at the coal bin. "Well, if we can get a reliable pumping system that doesn't permit too much heat transfer..." It descended rapidly into babble that Berry didn't fully grasp, but what she needed to do was clear!
She waved Cherry over and began explaining it to her. Her rival understood her, of course, and soon they were gathering scraps of metal and making drawings and working out how it'd work. They couldn't let the dry power get to the dry fuel ahead of time, so they got to working on that and started making a list of what bits of metal they'd need shaped by the smith into what shapes.
They could do it.
Even as the three unicorns kept debating, the sea ponies trotted off together to place the order for the parts they'd need forged.. |
Gazing to the Ocean of the Sky | 54 - We Can Do It | Things became hectic. While the sea ponies were drafting up parts and keeping the smith busy when they weren't busy fitting the pieces together and constructing the shared device that would ferry the fuel safely, the unicorns were all abuzz about their portion of the task.
The three horned ponies had used chalk to make countless circles, lines, squares, and other patterns across the entire hull of the thing while chatting in a constant, excited, babble.
Indigo leaned towards his two mare friends. "They're really into this."
Cherry nodded. "Who doesn't like to get something big done? We had lots of fun making this train work, why shouldn't they enjoy their part?" She looked over as Moon Dancer slowly trailed along one of those lines and smudged out a bit, just to redraw it slightly differently. "They're taking it seriously, and I'm glad. We'll make this work."
Twilight dropped down with a flutter of her wings. "About that! There's one thing that hadn't been accounted for, but I think we can manage without too much difficulty, and it gives us a use for the heat the engine produces that isn't being used for the actual driving of the train." She pulled out a strange two-headed beaker. "Water, as you may know, is actually comprised of two kinds of air. One, the kind we breathe, is also what fire breathes. So--"
Berry blinked at Twilight. "Water has air?"
"Why, yes." She bobbed her head. "With this, we'll combine that extra heat and some magic and bust apart the water into the two kinds of air, so you'll have the air you need for the fire. The other kind of air we don't have much use for." She shrugged. "You can just let it go and it'll turn back into water on its own." This wasn't strictly accurate, but was good enough for all the ponies involved.
She wandered off, humming a tune to herself as she got back to work.
Cherry watched her go and looked back to her friends. "I have no idea what half of what she said meant, but it sounds good. Dry power needs air, so if she can make more, that's good." She clopped her hooves lightly. "Now let's get this fuel pump working."
With a shared rallying cry, they got back to their own labor.
It would be several days before all six of them collapsed in a pile of hard worked, but satisfied, pony flesh.
Starlight sat up with a weary smile. "She should be ready to go."
Cherry thrust a hoof into the air. "Then off we go!"
Twilight gently pressed at that leg, drawing it back down with her magic. "Don't be that eager. We should test it before you rush into the depths of the ocean. I don't... expect issues, but better safe than sorry."
The train was transformed. Thin lines of neon cyan and purple ran along its red frame, carrying the thaumic power and along the vital patterns that would protect it and enable it to do as it needed to do. It was a spectacle to see, even when not moving.
Berry shook her head. "The only way to test it is to do just that. We'll go back to the beach where we began and roll it into the ocean and it will work or not." She flashed a grin at the unicorns. "I have no doubt in your performance."
Moon Dancer smile a bit more awkwardly. "We tried our best to account for every reasonable expectation."
Twilight rolled a hoof. "Be that as it may, this is no small undertaking. We can't assume everything will be perfect, even if we want it to be." She pointed at the train. "It's important we be ready in case anything goes wrong. If we're careful, we can fix it and try again. Let's not look at it as a setback, but a chance to learn. We'll do this."
That attitude was more to Cherry's liking and she offered a hoof, to be met almost instantly by her aquatic peers. Twilight met it, clopping her hoof in, soon to have Starlight and Moon clopping in with a show of solidarity.
Moon smiled as she adjusted her glasses. "Well, let's get some rest. We're all fatigued after a day's work. We can set out tomorrow."
So they did that, retiring to the castle where Spike had thoughtfully prepared a dinner for the herd of exhausted workers.
"So, uh..." Spike rubbed behind his head. "Twilight?"
"Yes?" She took a great big bite of the hay burger that had been made for her, chomping a bit messily. "What is it?"
"Am... I a familiar?"
Twilight blinked softly. "What? Who said that? Don't be ridiculous."
Spike squirmed a bit in place. "Trixie said it, 'cause you kinda made me, and I do all the things a familiar would do, so..."
Twilight rolled her eyes. "Let's start by looking at who's talking. Trixie? You're taking her word?"
"Hey!" Starlight scowled at her mentor in clear defense of her friend. "It was, perhaps, a bit... harsh, to bring that up with Spike, but it was far from unfounded."
Cherry tilted her head. "Are familiars bad?"
Spike blinked. "No?"
Cherry shrugged softly. "Then does it matter if you are one or not? You're Spike, the most amazing and friendly dragon I ever met." She reached with a leg and pulled Spike close.
Twilight joined the hug. "You are also my #1 assistant and one of my best friends."
Starlight nodded. "Nobody here doubts your worth, as a pony, a dragon, or anything else you care to be. You're great, Spike."
Indigo bobbed his head. "Don't worry about it, Spike. You're Spike, and not many people get to be that."
Berry pointed up at her horn. "I'm a sea pony unicorn suddenly, but I'm still Sea Berry, and that's more important. You, as the others pointed out, are Spike, and that's a fine thing to be."
Spike was blushing in the group-wide admiration and support. "Y-yeah!"
The matter was gently set to rest and ponies resumed their feasting. There was work to be done.
The Red Rocket was pulled along by one of the trains in active service. No matter how loudly they had argued, they would not permit the Red Rocket to roll on its own power on the company lines. That matter aside, they had arrived. It was the city where everything had started.
A pony met them after they hopped off their train.
"Good day," said the familiar unicorn stallion. "I have a present." He moved for Indigo and furnished a set of legs. They looked even better than the others, sleek and finely articulated. Its insides looked finely cushioned and it had a nicely crafted space for fins. It was... enviable.
Enviable enough that both sea mares were glaring at it.
Indigo accepted it with wide eyes. He squirmed into it with some help by Starlight and soon was standing in the new rig. "Wow! Why? I mean, thank you!"
The inventor nodded. "Consider it part of my fee for your idea. I have a feeling I'll be selling a lot more of these. Good luck." He raised a hoof in a salute and trotted off.
Cherry prodded the harness. "It's... better than mine."
Indigo shook his head. "Yours has you in it. That makes it... better." He was blushing as he said what he hoped were smooth words.
Cherry burst into gentle laughter and hugged Indigo close. "That was sweet, but you're going to let me look at that later, no buts."
Berry butted in between them. "Not without me."
Twilight coughed into a hoof softly. "Let's focus on the task at hoof. They're unloading the train from the tracks, then we'll roll to the water's edge. I added some wheels that should adjust to work better on the sandy floor of the ocean and the beach itself. Follow me." She hopped up into the engine and soon all were gathered at the controls, which had several new buttons.
She pointed at the one that looked like a puffy doughnut of a wheel. "This one activates the soft-surface wheel adaptation." She pressed it and a loud humming was heard as the train began to sparkle wildly, magic clearly being put to work. It raised upwards as its wheels inflated like balloons, becoming huge and soft. "There we are. On firm surfaces, just press it again."
Twilight began going over what did what and what let them see what and what they wanted to see, didn't want to see, and what to do if they saw something they didn't want to see. "Does that make sense?"
Cherry gave an unsure nod. "I'm not sure I rem--"
Twilight pushed an operator's manual against Cherry. "Here you are. I made one for all three of you."
Berry blinked in amazement as she flipped through a few pages, then set it down. "I think we're ready."
Twilight began to go over more safety features and procedures, but Starlight gently lifted her mentor. "We'll get out of your mane. Good luck!"
Soon the three unicorns, and Spike, were parked on the beach, cheering among a crowd that had quickly gathered to see the amazing train power itself down towards the water's edge. The big wheels were doing the job, rolling on top of the sand instead of making big holes and getting stuck in them.
It was time.
Berry put out a hoof towards Cherry. "Well, rival, let's show the world what our combined might can do."
Cherry met the hoof with a clop. "Let's bring the dry to the ocean, and the ocean to the dry!"
Indigo bobbed his head. He wasn't as invested as the other two were, but he was invested in them. He would not abandon his friends. "Let's do it."
They assumed their positions and turned on the air seals. The coal bin snapped shut and a new humming came from deep within as air began to be manufactured for the train. The rest of the compartment would flood, but none would get into the places it didn't belong.
It would be a very wet engine of dry. The idea pleased all of them.
With a lurch, the train started forward and began rolling into the water. A new sound reached them as sea water began to be sucked up and fed into the air-maker to keep things going. The metal around them quickly grew damp, wet, then flooded as water rushed into their cabin.
But the engine kept rolling.
"It's working!" cheered Cherry as the entire train submerged and kept right on rolling, powering out towards the sea.
Twilight looked towards her friends. "Well... That went well, but our work is just starting."
Spike blinked. "Huh? I thought that was it?"
"Oh no." Twilight shook her head. "The prophecy starts now. We have to get the station ready to receive their train when it returns, and they'll have friends with them, I suspect. The tsunami begins now. The ocean rushes to the land in a mighty wave." She nodded softly. "Though I think we'll like this wave." |
Maniac's Melody | pre | "That's not how it works around here, laws aren't worth nickel anymore. From when are you? Before the fall of Celestia?"
"What do you mean 'laws aren't worth nickel'? Equestrian law is written to never expire, even if the world were to end. So you have to follow my orders!" Twilight countered, Crystal stopped laughing and frowned at Twilight.
"That's right, you MUST follow my orders. That's the law." Twilight said with a triumphant smile. Crystal just looked at Twilight with growing hate, and Twilight noticed how frustrated she was.
Crystal pounced at Twilight and pinned her to the ground, she took her crossbow and aimed it at Twilight's throat; she then leaned in close and whispered in Twilight's ear.
"Let's get something straight, wiseacre: I don't take orders from you. I'm not doing this for you. I'm doing it for the money. Is that clear?" Crystal hissed in Twilight's ear. Twilight was petrified by fear and couldn't do much more than nod slowly.
"Good, let's get moving then." Crystal said and helped Twilight up, she was shaking and didn't want anything other than get away from this twisted version of Canterlot.
So this city is named Canterlot? How come I know that? Welp, must be an important place.
"Identify yourselves!" A voice suddenly said, Twilight and Crystal looked at each other before looking over the wall they were hiding behind. They found themselves staring into the faceplates of a squad of Enlightened. Twilight felt herself turn multiple shades paler; Crystal Sun slowly raised her crossbow and grabbed Twilight's hoof with her own.
"Prepare to run when I tell you to." Crystal whispered, Twilight nodded without taking her eyes off the cyborgs.
Wow, they sure resemble crusaders with that armor. Except bigger, and deadlier, and scarier, and less reasonable.
A red beam came from the visor of one of the cyborgs; it swoop across Twilight and Crystal before fading away.
"Targets identified as Twilight Sparkle and Crystal Sun, recommended action: kill Crystal Sun and Twilight Sparkle." The Enlightened that scanned the two mares said, a white glow began emanating from the muzzle of it's weapon.
"RUN!" Crystal yelled as she drew her crossbow and shot the Enlightened straight through the visor: the arrow punched through the glass and embedded itself in the cyborgs brain; killing it instantly. Twilight turned around and ran away as fast as she could,the other Enlightened opened fire and she could feel the air around her crackle as brilliant-white energy beams barely missed her. Twilight ran as fast as her librarian body could carry her.
Do I work out? Maybe I should do it more.
Twilight's thinking was interrupted by Crystal dashing past her, moments later Twilight felt an energy beam singe the tip of her tail.
This only motivated Twilight to run faster, and she could hear the noises from the Enlightened shrink in volume as she outran them.
Suddenly, a beam of energy from one of the Enlightened struck Twilight's leg. She felt a jolt of pain and the smell of burnt skin reached her nose.
"Aagh!" Twilight shrieked as she lost balance and crashed into the ground headfirst. She slid in the mud for a good meter before hitting a rock. Twilight crashed into the rock with her horn first and felt a massive surge of pain as the sensitive appendage cracked from the impact.
Twilight screamed at the top of her lungs as she felt the crack spread to the base of the horn. Energy began flowing out through the crack, and she felt her body grow heavy from the loss.
"Come on, get up! We need to get out of here!" Crystal yelled to Twilight, but Twilight could only whimper as she laid in the dirt. Crystal stopped, turned around, and ran back to Twilight. She muttered something before lifting Twilight's slack body with her fierce green magic.
"Faust damnit! You broke your horn!" Crystal growled to Twilight before dumping her behind a broken wall. Twilight nodded weakly, she could feel her very life spill out through her cracked horn.
Crystal dove down behind the wall and landed next to Twilight. Then she saw the large field of crystals in front of them. Twilight glanced weakly at the field and remembered the guards back in the castle: the ones that had been encased in crystals.
"Buck! How am I supposed to get you past the field?" Crystal groaned in frustration. She then turned to Twilight with a much more concerned look.
"Hold still, I'm going to fix that horn. It's only temporary, but it should work until we find some reinforcements." Crystal said with a calming voice. She charged her horn and sent a beam of energy into Twilight's; the effect was instant, a green net grew over the crack and stopped the energy leakage.
"Wh-what did you do?" Twilight blurted out as she ran a hoof across her horn, it seemed to be in crisp condition.
"I quick-mended it. Your horn will hold for a while, but you still need to get it checked by somepony." Crystal whispered as she eyed the field of crystals. She was trying to determine if it was worth trying to throw Twilight across.
Something's not right with Crystal Sun... She isn't a normal unicorn.
Twilight stopped thinking as she saw a swarm of blue bolts soar above her head, she shakily stood up and followed the bolts as they crashed into a group of approaching Awakened. The Awakened were engulfed in white energy discharges, a *thump* could be heard and the energy subsided. There were nothing left of the cyborg ponies.
"Did you see that Crystal? What was it?" Twilight said in a confused tone as she turned to Crystal.
"That my dear Lotus, is our ticket out of here..." Crystal mumbled with a small smirk. Twilight tilted her head and gave the brown mare a questioning glare. The purple unicorn then turned around as she heard something, only to see a large group of cyborgs move towards her and Crystal.
"Um... C-Crystal... Now would be a g-good time to d-do something..." Twilight stuttered as she paled from the sight. Before Crystal could react, something appeared on the other side of the crystal field. It jumped across the field and landed in front of Twilight, who reeled back with a yelp. Twilight realized that the creature was a pony, it stood on it's hind legs though, and it sported some sort of futuristic white armour. The pony was also holding some sort of metal tube with it's front hooves, which it now pointed at the incoming cyborgs.
"Wub a dub dub motherbuckers!" The armoured pony yelled with a feminine voice, before letting loose a barrage of energy spheres from the tube it was holding. Twilight watched in amusement as the projectiles discharged when they hit their targets and completely evaporated the cyborgs, doing no sounds except from a heavy thump with each discharge.
Seeing the coast was clear, the armoured pony turned to Crystal and Twilight. It put a hoof to one of it's ears before starting to talk.
"Command? Scratch here, we have a civilian and a mutant. Requesting Ox evac." The pony said, Twilight assumed she was using some sort of communications device.
"Who is that?" Twilight whispered to Crystal, the armoured pony must have heard her though, and it turned to look at Twilight.
"Save the questions until we're at a safer location will ya?" It said, Twilight assumed it was female considering the voice. The pony put a hoof towards it's ear again, nodded and muttered something.
"Alright ladies, I have good and bad news! Our evac won't be able to land closer than a kilometer away." She said to Twilight and Crystal, Crystal groaned.
"And the good news?" Crystal asked in an annoyed tone.
"Those were the good news, the bad news is that an armour division has been dispatched by the Marked of Cadence to take us out, and we won't get any reinforcements of our own in another six minutes. So I suggest we start moving towards towards the extraction point!" The armoured mare barked before grabbing Twilight and Crystal with her magic. She then turned towards the field of crystals.
Oh no, there's no way she's going to make that jump! Twilight desperately thought just before the armoured mare jumped.
Twilight closed her eyes as hard as she could, but opened them again when she noticed that they were still hanging in the air. Twilight looked up at the pony carrying her, a pair of metallic wings were extended from her back. The wings didn't flap and seemed to be used for gliding rather than flying.
The three mares landed on the other side of the crystal field safely, and Twilight immediately turned towards the armoured mare.
"Never... EVER do that again without warning me! What's your name by the way?" Twilight growled while trying to calm herself.
"You're not in any position to comandeer me sweetie. Name's Scratch by the way." The armoured mare said with a small laugh. Twilight raised an eyebrow, it felt like she knew this "Scratch".
I swear I know that voice and name from someplace else...
Twilight's thinking was interrupted by a beam of energy striking the tiara that somehow was still sitting on her head, causing it to vibrate from the sheer amount of energy in the blast. The crystal in the tiara gave off a little spark, that spark jumped to Twilight which caused her to get a slight migraine.
"We need to get to the evac zone! Double time!" Scratch barked. She launched another volley of energy at the incoming cyborgs and set off in the opposite direction; Twilight and Crystal quickly tailed her. As they ran, a thumping noise could be heard. It sounded like a walking giant, and it was getting closer.
Suddenly, a giant metal unicorn appeared in front of them. Twilight raised her eyes and saw a red crystal at the tip of the giant horn. The three ponies stopped, and Twilight could hear the other two swear.
"What the buck is an Avatar doing here!?" Scratch yelled in a confused and angry tone. Crystal didn't answer, she gritted her teeth and brought up her crossbow.
"Get yourself to cover! I'm taking it out!" Scratch barked and gestured to Twilight and Crystal to run into one of the ruined buildings, an order they promptly obeyed.
The Avatar, a behemoth compared to the three ponies, emitted a low-pitched sound not unlike a growl. Twilight peeked up from her hiding spot behind a cracked wall and saw how the red crystal at the tip of the giant's horn was glowing. Suddenly, the lavender unicorn felt something shove her aside, a brilliant red beam cut through the wall and scorched the ground where she had been standing mere seconds ago.
"I swear to Faust, I'm not going to help you the next time you decide to get hit by an Obelisk laser." Crystal growled while slapping Twilight. Twilight reeled, she put a hoof to her chin and rubbed the sore skin.
"S-Sorry..." Twilight stammered, but was quickly silenced by another slap.
"Just... be quiet will ya." Crystal groaned in irritation.
Scratch tilted her head upwards to see the top of the Avatar: it was a somewhat larger than usual model, and it was equipped with a scanner.
"Well, seems like Crystal and that civvie won't be able to hide. Help me Tavi, what's the best approach?" Scratch muttered. A gray earth mare with a pink bowtie appeared on the inside of her visor, the small mare took up a cello and slowly played a sad tune while answering.
"Well... according to your scanners you are up against an Avatar AW-15. Before I give you some advice, may I ask how you got into such a ridicilous situation?" The small pony said in a slightly disappointed tone. The tune she played sped up slightly and turned from minor to major.
"Oh you know me Octavia, I'm always getting the cool missions!" Scratch replied with a chuckle. The armoured mare unleashed a volley of sonic pulses from her cannon, they didn't even scratch the paint job on the Avatar. The enormous robot pony shifted it's attention towards Scratch and fired a beam of ruby-red energy from it's horn. She swiftly jumped to the side as the beam cut the air and evaporated the remains of a cart behind her.
"I swear, if you didn't remind me so much of Vinyl..." Octavia said with a grunt. She threw away the cello, took a thick book from nowhere and placed a pair of purple reading glasses on her muzzle. She opened the book, flipped a couple of pages and read a little before continuing to talk.
*ahem* "Avatar Warmech, model AW-15, produced by the Brotherhood of TROT. The Avatar Warmech is an advanced weapon developed specifically to counter the heavy armor of the E.D.I Manticore Tank. This hulking beast resembles a black metal unicorn, and is armed with an Isis Class VI Military Laser. It's known for being able to vaporize entire armour columns in a matter of minutes and it's ability to take equipment from other TROT vehicles in order to upgrade itself. What makes this robot menace truly unique is the fact that Princess Cadence herself designed it." Octavia read in a monotone voice, completely oblivious to the fact that Scratch was doing her best to dodge the lasers fired from the Avatar.
"Yeah, that's great trivia and all but... Could you skip to the part with documented weak spots?" Scratch sighed while dancing away from a giant hoof trying to crush her. Octavia frowned, flipped page in the large book and ran her hoof down the page..
"Ah! Here we are my little stressball, known Avatar AW-15 weak spots. The best way to neutralize an Avatar AW-15 is to focus one powerful blast on it's belly, as this is where the hatch for the crew is placed." Octavia said with a playful smile. Scratch quickly acnowledged and activated her visor to display the area. The surroundings was covered in a white grid, her two unicorn companions hiding behind the wall were covered in a green grid, the Avatar was covered in a red grid: a square on it's belly were highlighted in yellow.
"Thanks Tavi, I'll cover it from here." Scratch mumbled with a smirk before dismissing the small gray mare from her line of sight. Scratch used her jump-pack to glide past the Avatar and land next to it. She quickly bolted in under it and rolled over on her back.
"Let's see how ticklish you are..." Scratch whispered while centering her sonic cannon on the highlighted patch in her visor.
"Are you sure this is a good idea? This equipment is still a prototype, and such a discharge has never been attempted before. I'm not sure even your custom capacitors will be able to handle a power flux at 120 percent." Octavia said in a concerned voice.
"Don't worry baby, I got this!" Scratch yelled as she removed the safety lock from her cannon. A humming sound could be heard from it, and a blue light coming from the coolant vents intensified.
"Have a taste of my BASS CANNON!" Scratch screamed as she fired her cannon. At first, nothing happened. Then, a blue-white beam of energy struck the underside of the Avatar, ripping apart the entire midsection of the large robot, pushing Scratch one decimeter into the ground and releasing a sound like the heaviest bass drop in the history of Equestria. The beam continued far past the gray clouds up in the sky and disappeared almost as soon as it had appeared.
*phew* "What'd I tell you Tavi? I got this." Scratch laughed before beginning to dig her way out of the hole she was laying in.
(Avatar destroyed. Unit promoted.)
Twilight and Crystal threw themselves to the ground when they heard the shockwave, for all they knew it might have been the end of Equestria. The duo slowly raised their head over their cover and took in the scene: Scratch was digging herself out of a hole, surrounded by bits of metal and small fires. Twilight couldn't help but find the scene a bit funny, it just looked so unreal to her.
"Alright girls, we need to reach the evac point ASAP!" Scratch barked, and before they knew it, they were running again.
Twilight could feel that she hadn't been running this much for a very long time, and finally she collapsed from exhaustion.
*gasp*"I-I can't*phew* run an-anymore..." she panted as she crawled across the ground. Crystal and Scratch looked at Twilight with disapproving expressions, looked at each other and said something. It was too low for Twilight to hear.
"It's a good thing we finally got backup then. Great work on running pony girl." Scratch encouraged in a sarcastic tone. The two mares then snickered to each other.
(Reinforcements has arrived)
They were all interrupted by a loud roaring noise, and suddenly a large tank rolled through a building and drove past the trio. Twilight sat up and watched as more of the vehicles drove past them, including some even larger double-barelled tanks.
"Wh-What is that!" Twilight yelped. She looked at the other two mares who just seemed to be more and more amused at her stupidity with every minute. They were whispering something about amnesia.
"I'll have somepony explain to you when we are on the Ox, alright?" Scratch said while gesturing to an armoured cart-like vehicle. The vehicle stopped and a pony sporting regular combat armour leaned out through a window.
"Hey there Captain Scratch, need a ride? I'll give ya one in exchange for a date." The pony said with a stupid grin. Scratch laughed and gestured for Twilight and Crystal to get inside the vehicle.
"Keep dreaming, we need a lift to sector zeta-six for evacuation. Or you know what, I'll drive." Scratch said with a slight laugh. She then proceeded to take the soldier's place at the controls and drive the party away from the battle. The soldier, now sitting in the back with Twilight and Crystal, looked like he was in heaven and Tartarus at the same time.
"I can't believe this... Here I am alone with two hot mares in the back of an APC, both of them are taboo and I'm going to have to go through the realm of Discord if I try something funny..." he muttered while trying to hide his blush. Twilight noticed how Crystal saw an opportunity. She stood up in the moving APC, spun around and brushed her tail against the face of the soldier. Twilight couldn't help but laugh a little at the soldier's reaction, as he fought to remain collected. Crystal then sat down, and winked at the soldier, who proceeded to have a nosebleed and fall unconscious.
"How did you do that?" Twilight asked with wide eyes. Crystal just smirked and gave the lavender librarian a sly smile.
"Practise Lotus, lots of practise." She said with a wink. Twilight decided to leave it at that, she wasn't sure if she wanted to hear the rest.
The two mares remained silent for the rest of the trip, the vehicle was closed up so they couldn't watch the landscape speed by. When they reached a full stop, Twilight had counted to approximately one-hundred and fifty bolts holding the armoured plates in the vehicle together. The vehicle shook as Scratch jumped out of the driver's seat and opened the back door for Crystal and Twilight to exit.
"Here we are ladies. It may not be first class, but it's durability, reliability and ability to absorb large amounts of anti-air fire makes up in my opinion." Scratch said while leading the two unicorns towards a large flying transport.
"Wha... What is that thing?" Twilight asked with her mouth hanging open. To her it looked like a giant metal bird, it had two wings with some sort of fan attached to them. There was a grey container attached to it, and Twilight assumed that was the cargo hold.
After being shoved inside the container by Scratch, Twilight sat down on a bench while they took off. She wasn't unused to flying, but flying in a metal box held up by two fans was almost too much for her.
"What's the matter Lotus? Scared of heights?" Crystal teased as she saw Twilight's expression. The lavender mare took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down, it was obviously nothing to be scared of.
"So, where exactly are we heading Captain Scratch? I hope it's not a detention center." Crystal asked as she turned to Scratch, who was talking to a holographic extension of a gray earth mare.
"Well then design the next capacitator's software to not get a green square of doom when the hardware overcharges... Huh? Oh, we're heading to the EDI base in the area." The armoured mare spoke absently without turning away to the hologram.
"Who are you talking to?" Twilight curiously asked while throwing a glance at the hologram. She had never seen anything like it before, and if she had it was now forgotten. Scratch turned around and held up the holographic projector. It was a gray metal plate with a ghostly image of a pony standing on top of it.
"I don't think you've been introduced to each other. This is Octavia, she's my personal PBPU, or Pony Based Processing Unit. Octavia, meet Crystal Sun. She's the mutant bounty hunter I told you about." Scratch said while gesturing at Crystal, who frowned slightly when Scratch called her a bounty hunter.
"And this is... I don't think I ever caught your name." Scratch said as she turned to Twilight. The lavender librarian could see a confused and surprised face appear on the image of the pony called Octavia.
"Oh, um... Just call me Lotus Star, that's what Crystal does." Twilight awkwardly answered.
"Okay. *ahem* Octavia, this is Lotus Star. Lotus, this is Octavia." Scratch said while gesturing between the two ponies. Twilight smiled slightly, but Octavia seemed to withdraw.
"Scratch, is this a joke? Are you messing with me?" Octavia whispered, her ghostly teeth clenched together.
"Huh? No I'm not. Why would I do that?" Scratch asked in a puzzled tone. The rest of the unicorns looked just as confused, and repeatedly kept looking between Octavia and Twilight.
"Because that pony is supposed to be dead." Octavia answered in an emotionless tone. Scratch and Crystal gasped, they then turned towards Twilight with an expression of confusion. She just looked at them with even more confusion.
"Uh... Are you sure Tavi? Why are you saying that?" Scatch stammered, she slowly backed away from Twilight until she was standing against the wall in the small cargo hold.
"Oh but for Faust's sake Scratch. What were you doing during history lesson? That pony is Twilight Sparkle, the last Element of Magic. She disappeared just a few years before the fall of Celestia, and many thinks her disappearance was one of the reasons Celestia was... removed. Can't you see the tiara on her head? That IS the Element of Magic. Search her saddlebags, I'm sure you will find the rest of the Elements there." Octavia groaned while facehoofing. Scratch rubbed her head with an armoured hoof, she didn't seem to know what to do.
"Wh-What? Why are you saying that?" Twilight blurted out. She then noticed how Octavia was giving her an annoyed face. Crystal rubbed her chin.
Suddenly, Scratch let out a relieved little sigh.
"Oh I know what this is, your software has been tilted by the overheat in the capacitators! But don't worry Tavi, I'll plug you into the maintenance grid as soon as we get back to base." She laughed, Twilight could hear the exhaustion in the armoured mare's voice. Octavia's eyes narrowed, and she was just about to say something when Scratch withdrew her.
As they kept flying, Twilight noticed how Crystal was eyeing her. The lavender mare paid it no attention, and managed to fall asleep for the rest of the flight.
"Wakey wakey!" Twilight awoke from a voice yelling in her ear and a hoof connecting with her chin. She sat up and rubbed the sore spot where she had been slapped. The lavender unicorn raised her eyes and stared Crystal right in the face.
"Why are you hitting me so much?" Twilight spat while standing up. She took her tiara, which had fallen off her head, and placed it in her saddlebags.
"Oh you know. I find it funny, mostly because I know you won't strike back." Crystal grinned. She was quickly silenced by Twilight's left hoof striking her muzzle. Crystal wiped some blood away from her nose and chuckled. She then grabbed Twilight with her magic and threw her out on the ground.
"You know, try practicing your technique! The force is there, but you're not using it properly!" Crystal laughed from inside the Ox cargo hold while Twilight slowly got up. After glaring daggers at the unicorn, Twilight turned around and saw the impressive base she was inside. It was surrounded by a concrete wall, and towers with some sort of small double-barelled cannon mounted atop were placed evenly along the perimeter. A number of large buildings could be seen, most of them were identical with some sort of large chimney. Twilight suddenly felt a hoof shove her forward, so she began walking towards the entrance of the largest structure in the base, the one they had landed outside.
"Come on you two! We don't have all day, Scratch yelled from the entrance. She had removed her helmet and Twilight could finally see her face. The mare had a white coat and a well-combed electric blue mane. Her eyes were deep-green.
The trio stepped inside the main building and found themselves standing in a small chamber.
"Scanning in progress." A voice spoke from a speaker. A cyan light filled the chamber.
"Organic lifeforms detected, starting decontamination process." The voice said, sprinklers then opened in the ceiling, completely dousing the three mares. Twilight felt how the chemicals sprayed caused her horn and hooves to hurt, and she noticed how Crystal seemed to have even more troubles with it. The mutant unicorn was gritting her teeth, and it was an obviously painful procedure for her.
When the sprinklers retracted, Twilight could see small wounds on her hooves, and when she touched her horn she could feel the crack in it forming again. Scratch seemed to notice this, as she quickly pushed a red button on one of the walls. She then barked something in a microphone. Twilight wasn't sure what, since she felt a fog lower over her senses. The lavender mare collapsed just as the other door on the airlock opened, and the last thing she saw before blacking out was two medical teams rushing in to her and Crystal.
Twilight slowly opened her eyes, it felt like somepony had been marinating her in Hydrochloric Acid. She blinked a couple of times to adjust to the bright light surrounding her. After squinting for a while, the lavender mare finally managed to take in her surroundings.
Twilight was laying in a hospital bed, and a number of machines were connected to her. After some struggle with her weakened muscles, the unicorn managed to turn her head just enough to take a look at herself in a mirror standing next to her hospital bed.
She was a mess to say the least. The purple horn was covered in some sort of metal cone, probably to protect it. Her legs were each having two syringes connected to them, a glowing green liquid was being extracted from the leg by one syringe while the other one was pumping in a crimson red liquid. Twilight wasn't sure on what the green liquid was, all she noticed was that it seemed to be replaced with blood. Looking at her hooves, Twilght noticed that they were placed in some sort of cage, a cyan field was surrounding them.
"Oh, so you are awake? What a pleasant surprise." The purple unicorn heard from behind her. She slowly turned around and was met with the hologram of a surprisingly familiar looking stallion.
"Wh-Where am I? What are all these machines?" Twilight mumbled, not being capable of much else. The stallion, who had a caramel coat, a brown mane and an EKG as a cutie mark simply chuckled. He took the glasses he wore, wiped them and placed them on his muzzle again.
"A very good question. But a better question would be 'What are you doing here?'." He answered. Twilight just raised an eyebrow, how was she supposed to know that?
"You're probably wondering why I'm saying this, but the reason is very simple. You see, it's not every day I get a patient that's supposed to, how should I say this... Have died a couple of hundreds years ago. Isn't that correct, Miss Sparkle?" The holographic doctor said in a surprisingly menacing voice.
That line caused something to spark inside Twilight's mind, and she felt a massive surge of pain rush through her brain. The pain was so immense that Twilight couldn't even move, all she did was lay and watch the doctor walk up next to her and stare at her, doing no visible effort of trying to ease her pain.
After ten minutes of unimaginable pain, it finally subsided. Twilight opened her eyes, which she had clenched shut halfway through. It felt like a fog had been partially lifted from her mind, and memories were starting to fill the gaps.
"I-I remember things... I'm Twilight Sparkle. You're Doctor Stable." Twilight mumbled. She looked at the now very familiar face of Doctor Stable, who were smiling while writing something in a journal. He nodded to himself before fading out of existence, just to appear in front of a machine hooked up to Twilight a second later.
"Just as I suspected, a severe case of amnesia." He mumbled while reading some of the gauges on the machine.
"Just how are you doing that? Walking around, you're dead too." Twilight exclaimed. Stable looked at her and chuckled.
"One might argue that I am in fact, physically dead. But my mind now exists inside a computer. The floor here is actually a holographic projector, that's why you'll probably see some old friends around here later. I wasn't the only one to do this you know." He absently said while warping between the machines.
"Now relax, when we got you you were suffering from Chrysalium Toxemia. Your body was slowly crystallizing. What I've been doing is that I've removed all the major infected tissue, I've also been purifying your blood with a powerful neutralizing agent. At this rate, your body should have recovered in a week and a half." The doctor said while reading a notepad. He adjusted his glasses and scribbled something on it.
"Stable, can you tell me exactly where and when I am? I think I have been subjected to some sort of temporal displacement. I-I'm so confused." Twilight asked, ending in a sigh. Stable looked at her in amusement.
"You are in the underground medical station of a EDI base located at the outskirts of what used to be Canterlot. The time is half past seven and the year is three-hundred and forty-seven after the Fall of Celestia. You're in the future Miss Sparkle. Wait a sec, I'm going to bring you a very close relative." Stable replied. He dematerialized once again, and returned several minutes later. With him he had another holographic pony.
It was a mare Twilight didn't recognize, she was a chalk-colored unicorn with a purple and white striped mane. Her cutie mark was three purple stars.
Twilight just looked at the unicorn in confusion. It felt like she knew her, but Twilight wasn't sure. The chalky unicorn just looked at Twilight with teary eyes before disappearing, leaving nothing but a stain of holographic tears next to Stable.
"You didn't recognize her, did you?" Stable asked, a hint of disappointment in his voice. Twilight slowly shook her head. he sighed and brought up a notepad. After making a mark in it, Twilight noticed how a blue fluid was mixed with the purified blood pumping into her. Before the lavender mare had any chance to protest, she had fallen into a deep sleep.
"Don't worry Twilight. You'll wake in a week, and I'll make sure to have a way to make you remember by then." Stable muttered before dematerializing. His mind flowed out on the base's grid and informed all the other PBPUs that the Element of Magic had returned.
Holographic ponies watched over Twilight during the following days. |
Maniac's Melody | 9: Just a Nightmare, Just a Nightmare | Twilight struggled against the chains, they were keeping her in the rusty bed that she was strapped to. She tried to use her magic, but stopped once she saw her broken horn laying on a pedestal next to her bed. The room she was laying in looked like some sort of facility, and the walls were covered in rust, mold and dried blood. A large and old machine was standing against a wall, it was rusted and covered in dials.
The lavender mare screamed for help, screamed for somepony to find her. Suddenly, a pony appeared next to Twilight: the pony was a chalk-white unicorn mare with a white and purple mane, the eyes seemed to have been cut out, and in their place a red and blue vortex was present. The pony was also constantly crying a glowing green liquid. Despite the mutilations, Twilight instantly recognized the mare as her mother, Twilight Velvet. Twily tried to say her mother's name, but when she opened her mouth Velvet levitated a knife into Twilight's mouth and cut out her tounge.
Twilight didn't even feel any pain, she was too shocked and scared. The lavender mare just watched as her mother placed the tounge next to the purple horn. Helpless and scared, Twilight felt tears beginning to pour down her face. Velvet just looked at her with an expressionless face before leaning forward and licking away one of the teardrops. Velvet then backed off a bit, and more ponies appeared around Twilight. They all bore the same mutilated eyes and expressionless faces.
For a minute or two, they just stood there watching Twilight, who was trying to not break completely. Suddenly, some of them stepped aside to reveal a to Twilight all too familiar pegasus.
"Missed me, Twilight Sparkle?" Fluttershout said with a subtle smile.
Twilight's eyes widened, and she began thrashing around, trying to break free from the chains and escape from her possessed friend. But all she managed to do was to exhaust herself, and she could only watch in horror how Fluttershout walked up to her. Fluttershout slowly ran a hoof through Twilight's mane, and stopped to nibble slightly on the crippled unicorn's left ear.
"It's so sad you forced me to do this. You would've been perfect as my personal assistant," Fluttershout whispered, a tone of disappointment and malice in her voice. The pale pegasus then circled around the terrified Twilight, she then giggled in a way that reminded Twilight too much about Fluttershy.
"Would you kindly finish this, my dear Crusaders?" Fluttershout called. Three fillies made their way up to Twilight and jumped up next to her on the bed. When the lavender mare realized who the three fillies were, her eyes overflowed with tears of fear and sadness.
Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom stared at Twilight with their red-blue vortex eyes for a couple of seconds before doing anything. Apple Bloom stood up on her hind legs and smeared her hoof in the green liquid pouring from her eyes, the filly then touched Twilight on the left hind leg. Twilight felt a tingle and sensed a strange smell coming from the area Apple Bloom touched. When she looked at her leg, Twilight could see a spot where she was decaying, rapidly. In only a few seconds a hole into the bone was created.
The lavender unicorn tried to scream, but she couldn't since her tounge had been cut out. She just trashed in panic while the Cutie Mark Crusaders continued to spread decay over her body.
"What's the matter Twily? Cat got your tounge?" Fluttershout cackled madly.
Twilight's vision began to blur, and she realized that it was only a matter of seconds before it would all be over. She began crying, but her tear canals had decayed into nothing. Everything darkened as she decayed away.
"Twi...wake...stimula...now!" A sting in her shoulder made Twilight bolt up in bed. She looked around herself and saw the hospital room. The lavender mare tried to calm herself, she was soaked in sweat, she was hungry and she was hyperventilating.
"There Twily, take slow, deep breaths. In through the nose and out through your mouth," Stable said. Twilight took some deep breaths and forced herself to calm down.
Just a nightmare, just a nightmare... the lavender unicorn thought as she regained control over her breathing.
"I-I'm fine... It w-was just a n-nightmare," Twilight mumbled, stuttering slightly. Stable gave her a concerned look.
"It must've been quite a nightmare. I had to triple the dose of narcotics to keep you in bed, and then give you pure epinephrine just to wake you up before you fell into a state of unreversive coma," Stable said while reading from a notepad. Twilight sighed, she had already forgotten who most of the ponies in the dream were.
"I was chained to the bed... and... and... three fillies... they k-k-killed me..." Twilight mused quietly, tears formed in her eyes and slowly trailed down her cheeks. She was shaking, but not because she was cold. A sting in her shoulder made her wince, and she saw a syringe on a metal arm inject a clear fluid into her.
"That should help your body get rid of the rest of the epinephrine," Stable explained as the metal arm retracted into an open hatch in the ceiling. Twilight exhaled slowly as her body stopped shaking. She crawled out of the bed and stood up on her shaking legs.
"Muscles have degenerated at a constant rate of 2.5% each day, I suggest we take a tour of the base. Both to make sure you won't get lost and to re-activate your muscles," Stable smiled and extended a hoof. Twilight tried to grab it, but failed. Mostly because Stable was nothing more than a hologram. Stable chuckled.
"Funny..." Twilight muttered as she crawled out of the bed. Once she stood up, she realized that she was wobbling, alot.
It's tiring to stand up, I really should begin exercising when all this is over.
After a few seconds of wobbling on the spot, Twilight followed Dr. Stable out of the hospital room. The lavender unicorn found herself standing in a fairly large hallway, it was mostly unpainted metal, but some areas had symbols and signs pointing out directions painted on them. A number of ponies, both real and holographic, were walking and talking with each other. Twilight noticed that the floor was made out of some sort of glass-like material, and that it was glowing beneath holographic ponies.
"The floor is one large projector," Twilight remarked, Stable nodded. The duo then began walking down the corridor, with Twilight asking Stable about everypony and everything she saw.
"So, this will be the last place on our tour of this base: The War Factory." Stable said as they reached a particularly large door in the corridor. Above the door there was a picture of an armoured vehicle with a cannon mounted on it. Beside the picture there was a sign.
"Armoured Vehicle Dispatchment Area, Safety Gear Must Be Worn At All Times." Twilight read out loud as she took a step forward to the massive door. A glowing display was placed right next to the door, and Stable was talking to somepony through it.
After a brief conversation, Stable nodded, the display turned off and the massive armoured slowly turned outwards, showing Twilight the insides of the massive hangar-like War Factory.
"That... is one big door..." Twilight mumbled as the at least one meter thick door opened completely. The lavender unicorn took a couple of steps into the hangar-like area and took in the impressive scene: the room was huge, it had a very industrial look to it and vehicles were standing everywhere; they were either unused and neatly lined up, or they were well used, dirty and partly broken, as ponies were working with replacing parts on some of them.
"Impressive, is it not?" Stable remarked as he came up next to Twilight. She simply nodded slowly.
"But that's not why we're here. Grab a helmet, there are some ponies who wants to see you," Stable said and gestured towards the nearest wall, where a number of yellow construction helmets were hanging on a metal rack. Twilight took a helmet and put it on before following Stable, who had began trotting through the massive hangar.
Twilight observed the many vehicles in the hangar, they looked like they could take on a platoon of Royal Guards on their own. Well... most of them did, some looked like they could eradicate entire armies by themselves, and the giant hangar was full of them. The purple librarian lifted her head to see a large vehicle hanging in the ceiling, it looked like a sleeker, more dangerous version of the transport that had brought her to the base. A loud clanging sound interrupted her train of thought, somepony had dropped a silvery wrench, and it had landed mere inches from Twilight's head. She looked up at the aircraft hanging right above her, a wall-eyed dark blue earth pony was leaning out over the edge of the vehicle, bearing a sheepish and concerned face.
"You okay down there? I-I just don't know what happened," the pony shouted in a surprisingly deep voice, revealing him to be stallion. Twilight nodded and continued trotting after Stable, this time keeping an eye to the ceiling.
After getting exactly five wrenches, eighteen screws and five hoofulls of small metal pieces (she had counted) dropped on or next to her by mistake from various clumsy ponies, Twilight and Stable had finally made it through the largest part of the vehicle bay.
At least they make good helmets... Twilight philosophied as she removed her helmet and dropped it in a hatch labeled "Helmets, Hazardous Environment Suits (Mark IV only) & other protective equipment".
They entered a smaller room, where individual ponies where working on armour, weapons and strange devices. At one table, a very familiar pony was sitting fidgeting with a white metal backpack while talking to a small hologram of a gray earth pony with a pink bowtie. The white mare pulled her well-combed blue mane away from her deep-green eyes and continued working.
"Hey, will ya look who's awake? Welcome to the armoury. Had a good recovery, Twily?" Scratch said without looking up from her work. Twilight trotted up to the white unicorn and curiously observed the work she was doing. Scratch was using a tiny manual screwdriver to fasten a pair of pulsating tubes on a green card filled with small silvery lines inside her backpack-thingy. Not understanding why, Twilight noted to ask Scratch later what it was, if she got the time.
"Um... Yes. I'm fine, thank you. How do you know my real name," Twilight asked, confused that Scratch somehow had learnt not only her real name, but her nickname.
"That you can blame on Herr Doktor over there. Poor stallion can't keep his mouth shut about special patients. By the way, you can call me Shatter," Scratch said, chuckling slightly. Twilight gave Stable an annoyed glare, she didn't like too much undeserved attention.
"Okay... Why can I call you Shatter?" Twilight asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Because that's what ponies call me. My full name is Melody 'Shatter' Scratch," Shatter mumbled and fastened a small, beige card in her backpack. She closed the hatch on the backpack and used the screwdriver to secure it. Twilight rubbed her chin, both of the last names where very familiar.
Twilight's train of thought was interrupted by something tackling her to the ground, and she could already guess who was responsible.
"Hello Crystal, did you miss me?" Twilight groaned in irritation as she wormed her way out from beneath the brown unicorn. Crystal laughed as she helped Twilight up, but stopped as soon as Shatter's disapproving glare met her.
"Seriously!? We are inside a military facility, at least try to pretend that you actually are able to act professionally," Shatter scolded. Crystal retreated with a silent "yeah whatever" and turned back to Twilight.
"Sorry, I guess. But you're still the only one here I can jump without getting noticed," Crystal said, holding back a snicker. Before Twilight could reply, all the lights turned out, and red emergency lights activated in the ceiling.
"What happened?" Twilight shrieked. The lavender unicorn ignited an orb of light at the tip of her horn and turned to her four companions, two alive and two holograms.
"I don't know, the entire PBPU grid is in chaos. Apparantly there is some sort of disturbance in the power grid, strange readings have been picked up from somewhere and the radar has been jammed. Literally, jam is for some reason seeping over the radar monitors. Hold on a sec... Yep, it's cloudberry jam," Octavia babbled, her eyes changing colour so rapidly that Twilight got a headache from looking at it. Stable trotted up to Octavia and gave her a powerful, holographic slap.
"Sorry for that, PBPUs run on a separate power grid. When something like this happens, the regular information grid is not sufficient to send all the data. Therefore some of it gets converted over to the power grid, as an extra data slot so to say. As you can see, that data sometimes is picked up by PBPUs, who begin babbling uncontrollably about everything they pick up, relevant or not," Stable explained as Octavia regained control over herself. She rubbed her temples before giving everypony a sheepish face.
"Whatever, this isn't good. We have to get to the command center ASAP," Shatter barked before galloping out into a corridor. The rest of the ponies had little choice other than to follow the best they could, which was difficult considering the dull, red light in the tight corridors.
"Excuse me? I'm not allowed in? I'm the highest ranking field operative on this Faust forsaken base! I'm a bloody field captain!" Shatter yelled at the holographic soldier guarding the entrance to the command center.
"Well excuse me Captain Scratch, but my orders are to only let in Generals, Commanders and higher ranks," The soldier spat back, everypony in the group groaned. This one PBPU was serious about not letting them in.
"Um... Excuse me Mister, Sir. Why are we not allowed in?" Twilight asked. The guard turned to her.
"Because the command... Excuse me ma'am!" the soldier began, but quickly saluted when recognizing Twilight. The purple mare lifted an eyebrow, was the soldier addressing her?
"Eh, could you maybe... I don't know, let us in?" she tried, hoping the guard wouldn't notice that he had taken the wrong pony.
"Yes ma'am!" the guard replied, disappearing before the armoured door slowly opened like an aperture. The five ponies walked inside, the door closed and the soldier from before could be heard over a speaker.
"Element of Magic, Twilight Sparkle on the bridge! All personnel report!" the voice barked. The chaos in the large room stopped instantly, all the uniformed ponies running around, checking screens and yelling just froze. They all turned to Twilight and made one perfectly syncronized salute.
Now what? Uh, maybe I do like they do in the books!
"At ease!" Twilight yelled, all the ponies in the room stopped saluting and slowly began moving closer to Twilight. They whispered among each other.
"Is it really?"
"Yes it is!"
"But, how?"
"It's the most talented unicorn in Equestria, don't question it."
Twilight backed a little, she wasn't sure on what to do.
Shatter cleared her throat.
"Can anypony tell us what in the name of Discord is going on?" she spoke loudly. The ponies in the room began talking among each other before one stepped forward. It was a young pegasus, he was wearing a brown uniform and a headset.
"We aren't sure captain! All we know for sure is that Area 73 had a 087," the pony said. Twilight raised an eyebrow.
What does that mean?
"Excuse me, but what does that mean in Equestrian?" Crystal asked. Twilight could hear that she was annoyed of not understanding. The uniformed pegasus paid her no attention.
"What's an 087? Where's Area 73?" Twilight curiously asked. The pegasus turned to her.
"An 087 is something unknown, we're not sure on what happened. Area 73 is located at what used to be called Ponyville," one earth pony said. Twilight felt a chill run down her spine, the coincidence that it would be Ponyville, just when she was there, it didn't feel like a coincidence.
It's as if somepony is toying with me, if only I knew who...
The lavender unicorn stopped thinking as a loud noise erupted from the command room's speaker system. The sound was loud, obnoxious and terrifying at the same time. Everypony looked around wildly in confusion, monitors were checked, orders were barked, Shatter threw herself and Twilight to the ground, they covered their ears. The most peculiar reaction however, came from Crystal: she curled up in a ball, clenching her ears while spasming slightly.
Shatter threw her a concerned look and ignited her horn: a light-blue barrier formed around Crystal, sealing her from the sound. She instantly calmed down, and laid down on the metal floor, rubbing her temples.
"What's happening to her?" Twilight managed to say as the loud noise died out.
"She's a mutant, her cells, proteins, everything really, isn't carbon-based. The carbon has been replaced with Chrysalium. It has a five to ninety-five per cent chance of happening to infected ponies. That's why she's so strong, durable and swift. However, it's also her curse as powerful sonic waves can disrupt, and possibly destroy her cells," Shatter said with a sigh.
"Will she recover?"
"Yes, just leave her in a field of Chrysalium. The stuff enables her body to rapidly heal."
Shatter pressed a button on the wall, and a minute later two muscular earth ponies appeared. Shatter told them to get Crystal to the nearest Chrysalium field. They nodded, picked up the mutated mare and promptly carried her away.
"We've managed to pinpoint and dechipher the signal, ma'am," a unicorn stallion said as he approached the two mares.
"It appears to be some sort of beacon signal, sent from Area 73. We turned our spyglasses at the spot and saw a large Changeling base surrounding the area. They appear to be searching for something," the unicorn continued. Twilight scratched her chin.
Ponyville is my old home, that much I remember. But what could be there that's of any value?
Twilight stopped speculating as all the lights in the relatively small command room turned off. An ominous female voice appeared from the speakers in the room, who were now glowing red for some reason.
"I know you're confused, and frankly I don't care. But I know you're there Twilight Sparkle. I can hear you. If you want answers, go back to the place where all of this began. Oh, and do it now. I'm an impatient pony," the voice was replaced by white noise and all of the lights turned back on. The entire command room was quiet, all ponies were either staring at the speakers or at Twilight. The lavender mare herself wasn't really sure on what to do either.
"With all due respect ma'am. It's most probably a trap. We've detected very high Changeling activity in Area 73," a middle-aged earth pony told Twilight.
"I know, but it doesn't seem like I have much choice. I need answers," Twilight replied. The earth pony, who was a mare, saluted and turned back to her colleagues.
"This is actually a good opportunity to wipe out those Changelings. Your presence alone will be enough of a moral boost for our troops," Shatter mumbled to Twilight. Twilight nodded slowly and thought about her options for a while.
This isn't my type of decisions...
"Um, sure... I'm not the expert. I suppose we attack, or something," Twilight stammered. The entire room saluted at once. Without questioning the lavender mare, the ponies returned to their stations and began preparing.
"Now what?" Twilight asked Shatter, who responded with a sinister smile.
"Now? Let's go practice war, Twily..." |
Telling Tales | pre | "That's the weights," said Dirt, ramming it all down, "to stop the tobacco from floating away."
"Right," he said, "now it's ready. First, you need to put the pipe bit into your mouth."
"'Ike 'is?" said Discord, his jaws wrapped around the muzzle.
"Yes, like that. Now, this is a rather fancy pipe. You see, you have to pull that lever down there, and the flint will make a spark and burn the tobacco."
Discord nodded sagely. He reached out with a cloven hoof and pushed the trigger down. The flint fell, sparked in the pan, and then...
BANG!
It blew Discord's head clean off. With that one drag, he'd got higher than he'd ever been. His body keeled over backwards and landed in the mud with a slap as his head soared into the sky. Dirt Cheap smiled to himself and lifted the gun back onto his back with the bags of shot and powder, and set off back to Buckston.
Discord's head flew through the sky, through the clouds, into the stratosphere, orbited the earth once, then fell back down, through the fire of re-entry, back on to his neck at that crossroads.
He shook his head, checked it was all okay, and tried to remember where he was going. Buckston? No, not Buckston. Whenever he thought of Buckston, he got a terrible headache. He looked at the sign by the crossroads, and saw that one road led off to a town called Fetlock. There perhaps, he could set up his base of operations, his chaos capital.
So Discord set off on the road to Fetlock. However, he was seen by a lone pegasus, desperately trying to fight off the waves of pink clouds buzzing around the town. Seeing Discord coming down the road, she rushed back to Fetlock and told everyone what she'd seen. And again, there was panic. Ponies were about to flee, fight and try to calm each other down, when a single voice spoke out, loud and clear.
"Don't worry, everypony, I have a plan."
The local cobbler, Boot Black, stood in the centre of town with a large bag, smiling proudly.
"I need all your old shoes," she said. "Every pair you can spare, bring them to me."
So they did. They were a little apprehensive, maybe, but Boot Black seemed to know what she was doing. Soon enough, every thrown horseshoe, every worn-out workboot, every out-of-style high heel in town was in that bag. Boot Black slung it on her shoulder and headed down the road towards Discord.
She walked over the hill just outside town, and sat by the roadside with her bag of shoes. Before long, levitating pies came, then the flying pigs, the line-dancing bison. Finally, Discord came along.
"Hullo," said Boot Black, conversationally.
"Hello, my little pony," said Discord, a little cautiously, maybe.
"Where are you going?" she asked.
"To Fetlock," he replied.
Boot Black drew the air through her teeth, hissing and shaking her head.
"You don't wanna go there, mate," she said. "Long way to Fetlock from here."
"How far?"
"Well, I set off from Fetlock a good ten years ago,"
"Ten years?" said Discord, incredulously. "No way."
"Yes way, mate," said Boot Black. She lifted the bag of shoes and dumped it in front of Discord. "Because that's all the shoes I've been through since I set out."
Discord balked.
"Well, to hell with that!" he roared. "I'll find somewhere closer!"
And with that, he turned back and stomped off. Boot Black smiled to herself, and when she was sure he wasn't watching, she slipped back to Fetlock with her bag of shoes.
So Discord stood at the crossroads again, fuming with anger, chocolate rain pouring down around him. This time, he looked up at the sign at the crossroads, and saw the arrow pointing down the road to Ponyville..."
* * *
"And of course, we all know what happened next!" said Tales.
"Of course we do, we were there," said Pretty in Purple, abruptly. "This is absurd."
"What do you mean absurd?" he said, more than a little hurt.
"All this! All these stories, all these... lies! Stupid tricks and chance encounters! That's not how it works! That's not real history!"
"Then what is 'real history'?" Tales asked. Lies? As if they were lies! They were stories! A small voice in his head said, don't get involved. This isn't part of the plan, arguing with the audience. Come on you dolt, he thought, drop it or they'll remember you as the arsehole who shouted at their friend!
"Magic!" she shouted, sounding somewhere between angry and desperate. "Dragons, princes, princesses, politics, brave heroes! That's what history's about!"
"We had King Art in there!" Tales protested, against his better judgement. "He's a hero, and he's real history!"
"Yes, but the Black Knight wasn't!"
"Sir Goin' got married to Lady Ragnail, that's in books!"
"Yes, but it's argued that-"
"SHUT UP."
All eyes turned to a yellow pegasus, who abruptly shrank back.
"I'd just like to hear some more, is all..." she said, shrugging.
"Ahem, sure, right, well."
Tales scrambled for a story briefly. He cleared his throat.
"Well, as we all no doubt know, Discord's return was not the first time Equestria has suffered under the rule of an eldritch abomination from before the dawn of time..." |
Telling Tales | Chapter Seven - Nightmare Moon Meets Her Match | Chapter Seven
Nightmare Moon Meets Her Match
You see, during the brief reign of Nightmare Moon, the Dark Tithes were established (Or, to use its proper name, the 'Stygian Adjustment Tax'), the original basis for Nightmare Night. Every farmer was to give half of his crop directly to the Crown, so as to ensure food was distributed equally. Of course, since it was dark all the time, all crops had to be grown by lamplight. Farmers could hardly grow enough to feed themselves, let alone create a surplus, so the Tithe meant that inevitably they'd go hungry.
So one farmer (his name was Dutch Hoe) had had enough. He only had a small farm and the Tithe always hit him hardest, so he came up with a Plan. He went to the palace to seek an audience with Nightmare Moon. Now, she was eager to be seen as a benevolent and kind (which she wasn't), so she let him grovel before her.
"Now, little pony," she said, and she didn't say 'little pony' the same way Celestia does. She knew you were little, and wanted to rub it in. "Why have you come?"
"Your Majesty," he said, with a bow. "I have come to ask which half of my crop you would like this year."
"Which half?" she said, puzzled.
"Yes, Your Majesty. Would you like the half that grows above the ground, or the half that grows below the ground?"
"Well, what is it that you usually grow?"
"I usually grow wheat, you majesty."
Nightmare Moon laughed, a deep and terrible laugh, like an echo from deep space.
"Why, then I'll have half that grows above the ground!"
Dutch bowed again. "Very well, your majesty, as you demand."
And he left and went back to his farm.
Time passed as time does, and all too soon it was harvest time. The farmers all took in their miserable crops and heaped up half for themselves and half for the Crown. Nightmare Moon herself went around with the taxponies and assessors to oversee the gathering of the Tithe. She took a bite of every farmer's lot, just to make sure they weren't trying anything on. Eventually, it came to Dutch Hoe's farm, where a huge pile of fronds lay outside.
"Dutch Hoe! Is this half of your crop?"
"Yes, Your Majesty," he said, humbly. "The half that grew above ground."
Nightmare Moon leaned in and took a bite, just to check. She spat it out in an instant.
"What is the meaning of this?" she said, spluttering. "It's vile! How is this suitable tithe?"
"Your Majesty, you asked for whatever grew above ground. I grew carrots," he said, smiling.
Nightmare Moon raged and roared, stamped and stormed. She cursed Dutch Hoe and the ground he walked on, cursed his family to the Nth generation, but in the end, she took her half and left. Before she did though, she had A Word with Dutch.
"Well, little pony, if that's how it's going to be, next time I'll have what grows UNDER the ground!"
"As you wish, Your Majesty," said Dutch, still smiling.
So another year passed. Dutch Hoe grew his crops and around him, the nation grew weary of Nightmare Moon's tyranny. Soon enough, it was harvest season again. The farmers arranged their crops in two piles, and Nightmare Moon and her taxponies came to collect. They took potatoes, apples, corn and all sorts, and soon enough, they reached Dutch's farm. But all he had in his tithe pile was a heap of roots.
"What the devil is this?!" cried Nightmare Moon. "Dutch Hoe, is this half your crop?"
"Certainly is, Your Majesty," he replied, smiling. "The half that grew under the ground, just like you asked."
"But I thought-"
"I grew wheat, Your Majesty."
Nightmare Moon raged again. She stomped about, she threatened to blast Dutch Hoe's farm to dust, to blast him into dust, but in the end she struck upon an easier solution. The Dark Tithe was to be collected from every farmer in Equestria. Every farmer, except Dutch Hoe. She had Plans for him.
She sent her Night Guards to bring him to her, for some punishment so terrible it'd be talked about for years to come in hushed tones, but when they got there, they found Dutch Hoe gone. He'd taken his surplus crops, hitched them on to his back and taken off for parts unknown.
* * *
There was a resounding round of applause, and Tales took a moment to take it in, smiling half in relief. Pretty in Purple was still sulking, of course.
"Well, it's all the same now, of course," said Tales, addressing the audience, but looking at her. "Princess Luna's restored to us, and the Kingdom's rejoiced."
She just shuffled around to avoid eye contact. He frowned and thought for a moment. He could hear his old tutors, screaming at him to stop making this personal. You're telling to a crowd, not an individual, they'd have shouted. Focus, you silly colt! A few stories, then we go on our way to Connemara! Not a personal vendetta!
"It doesn't seem very appropriate to dwell on her past," said Pretty in Purple, sulkily.
Well, that was that. From that, there was no stopping him.
"Well then what else am I supposed to tell?"
"I don't know, anything!"
"Anything, huh? Well why don't you try then, eh? If it's so godamn easy to tell stories at the drop of a hat, why don't YOU?"
He grinned nastily, until he realised Pretty in Purple was holding his gaze, and she was smiling back. That, he supposed, was worse than any violent outburst. He knew that smile. He'd seen mares smile that smile before. It meant she had a plan. He tried to think of some way to apologise, to take it back, but she was already standing up and walking over to him and he knew it was too late. She cleared her throat, quite calmly and faced the crowd.
"Well, I happen to know a story," she said, icily. "I might not be able to embellish like you do, but I still think I have one or to two worth telling."
Tales didn't dare contradict her. Not if she was putting inflexions like that on the word 'embellish'. Inflexions like that could do a pony some serious injury. She cleared her throat politely.
Twilight was not, for the most part, a pony given to theatrics. She did what she did, and did it in a well-organised and reasonable manner. She was not, and had never thought of herself as a performer. She had no spiel, no rapport and no experience. Luckily, she didn't know that she needed it.
What she did know, was that she didn't strictly speaking, have a story. Oh she had history, battles, princes, princesses, magic weapons, and such, but as for stories....
Well, there was one. She remembered it with the smell of cocoa, dragon smoke and almonds. Smells of the Palace, smells of the Princess. She cleared her throat, and began.
"When Spike was little, he used to be a real hoof-ful. I haven't much experience with foals," she said, with a pointed look to Mr. and Mrs. Cake, "but I know Spike. And when Spike's bad, he's bad."
The aforementioned dragon in the second row folded his arms and harrumphed, but said nothing.
"So whenever he got too much, I told him this story about what happens to dragons who go bad..." |
Telling Tales | Chapter Eight - The Dragon of Canterlot | Chapter Eight
The Dragon Of Canterlot
This story actually happened, five hundred and twenty-three years ago, and I know that because it was told to me by somepony who was there. And what happened was this; a dragon came marauding across Equestria from the East over the sea, through the farmland towards Canterlot. And he wasn't a nice small dragon like Spike, or a reasonable dragon like the one we convinced to leave last year. He was a big, angry dragon. Huge teeth, long, sharp claws and big yellow eyes. He could swallow a house in a single mouthful, he could burn an acre in a second, he could...
("Sorry Fluttershy,"she said, shrugging to the yellow pegasus who was shaking like a leaf, "but that's how it was.")
He burnt everywhere, from Manehattan all the way inland to Canterlot, leaving nothing but ashes in his path. He destroyed homes, stole anything of any worth and even burnt and ate anypony who opposed him (or just burnt and ate them anyway). And of course, the more he stole and the more he burned, the larger and more dangerous he became.
A big dragon needs a big cave, and the biggest caves around were under Canterlot. So it was natural that he'd go there to sleep for a thousand years, which as we already know, would be a bad, bad thing. The dragon dug through into the old gem mines, where it bedded down on its treasure and soon, smoke billowed out of every crack and crevice on the mountain.
Now, I'm sure you're wondering why Princess Celestia couldn't deal with it. She is, after all, the most powerful pony in the land, who lifts and controls the sun (and at the time, the moon too). Well, you see, any magic she had great enough to defeat the dragon would've blown Canterlot off the mountain. A more nuanced, subtle solution was needed.
First, the Guards went in to fight it. They marched down the tunnels, with their shining spears, their shining armour ("But not my brother," she muttered to herself, "he wasn't born then, let alone in the guard."), and their can-do attitudes, chests puffed out and their heads held high. They exited the caves mere moments later, scorched, battered and bruised. The dragon clearly couldn't be removed by force.
So the university professors, all powerful unicorns, went in. They all had more specialised magic than Celestia, and had trained for years in their fields. There were experts in levitation, alteration, teleportation, thaumo-harmonics (theory and practice) and narrative causality. Famous ponies, like Doctor Golden Cowl, Professor Tinderdry and The Emeritous Professor Sunshine Lolipop the Sardonic.
("Who?" said someone in the audience. Twilight just rolled her eyes and sighed.)
And, just like the Guards, they ran back out moments later, singed and fearful, and with them, came the dragon, with an ultimatum for the Princess.
"Now, this just isn't neighbourly, interrupting of my sleep like this," he said, in his deep booming voice (Although Twilight knew she couldn't hope to match Celestia's original dragon voice). "What's say we make a deal? I'll stop burning and looting and eating your kingdom, and in return, you send me... oh, I don't know... one filly a month, just in case I get hungry down there."
("Not of course that he needed it, since dragons subsist entirely on a carbon-silicon diet," she said to herself. "I think it's symbolic of something, but I'm not sure what.")
"Never," said the Princess. "We don't negotiate with bullies."
"But you will," said the dragon. "Because if you don't, I'll smoke out your entire kingdom, then I'll eat whatever's left and take all the shiny bits back to my horde here."
"You'd never."
"Watch me."
So, what was the Princess to do? She held an emergency court session, to see if anyone else could see a way to solve the crisis, because at this point, any solution was better than giving in to the dragons demands. Every member of the upper crust in Canterlot went. Every Earl, every Duke, every Lord, every Prince and Princess, all looking for some reassurance that someone knew how to deal with the malign presence under the city.
Unfortunately, no one did. Everypony just stood together and worried. Princess Celestia was doing her best to keep everyone calm, but they were getting more nervy by the minute, more anxious. It was only a matter of time before everyone panicked, and then there'd be no saving Canterlot, no saving Equestria.
But at this point, when things looked at their worst, a single earth pony stepped forward. His name was Doc Marten, but he wasn't even a doctor. He didn't even have a master's degree. He wasn't even a liberal arts major. He was a cobbler, and he was sick and tired of the dragon. It had burned his shop, destroyed his livelihood and now threatened to smoke out his country. He marched into that meeting and stood before Princess Celestia.
"Milady," he said, because he didn't have the time or patience for court etiquette. "I have a solution for our problem."
Of course, the court was in uproar. Who was this pony? A mere earth pony, and a tradespony. Just who did he think he was? But Doc was nonplussed, as was the Princess, who simply held up a hoof for silence.
"I shall need a woolen fleece," he said, "and a hundred pounds of sulphur."
"And how will that save us from this dragon?" she asked, raising an eyebrow quizzically.
"Don't worry," he said, smiling. "I know what I'm doing."
No other solution presented itself, so she had to take his word for it. So it was agreed. Princess Celestia would provide Doc Marten with as much sulphur as he needed and a sheepskin (a gift in rather poor taste from a griffon ambassador). Doc filled the skin with the sulphur, and stitched it up so it looked, from a distance, like a sheep. Then he put it on his back and carried it down the tunnel to the dragon's lair.
Down in the caves, it was smoky and dark, but Doc kept going. Eventually he reached the main chamber where the dragon lay, big as a castle atop his gleaming pile of treasure, puffing smoke and snoring. Doc cleared his throat gently, and the dragon awoke, eyes snapping open.
("He was probably a light sleeper," said Twilight. "There are instances of dragons sleeping through wars taking place literally on top of them.")
"Who dares awake me?" the dragon boomed, as dragons are wont to do.
"Ahem, er, me," said Doc, feeling less certain. "I've brought you a gift."
"A gift? Is it gold?"
"No."
"Jewels?"
"No."
"Does it shine?"
"Not as such..."
"Well what use is it to me, then?"
"You could eat it," said Doc, shrugging. "I brought you a sheep, milord, as a snack to keep you while you slept."
"Sheep?" he said, enraged. "I asked for FILLIES!"
(When she first heard that bit, Twilight had almost wept with fear. When she wanted to be, Celestia could be astonishingly loud)
"Ah, yes, well, think of this as a down payment," said Doc, quaking in his size-nines "We'll give you the sheep now, and a filly later, how does that sound?"
The dragon grumbled. "Oh, well, if you say so. Just leave it there, would you?"
Doc nodded and bowed, and left his gift in front of the dragon. For a moment, wondered if his plan could work. The sheepskin seemed so small in front of the dragon...
Regardless, he backed out and ran out of the cavern, up through the caves, and back to Canterlot. Everypony sneered when he emerged unharmed and unburnt. What kind of dragon-killer was he?
Meanwhile, the dragon was intrigued by the sheep. He sniffed it, and it smelled... tangier than usual. This wasn't like any other animal he'd ever eaten. ("Dragons have good eyesight at long range, but they can't focus on objects too close," said Twilight, helpfully, "which explains why he couldn't tell the difference between a sheep and a sheepskin full of sulphur."). He took it between his teeth and, in one swift movement, swallowed it.
Sulphur, you see, is to dragons what salt is to ponies (She spoke from experience here. She'd fed Spike sulphur tablets and charcoal biscuits as an experiment when she was little, and that had ended spectacularly badly), and the dragon had just eaten a hundred pounds of the stuff. Even on a dragon of his size, that was enough to affect him. It made him terribly thirsty, his tongue shrivelled and his throat closed up.
That made him mad. He wanted water. No, he needed water, like he'd never needed anything else in his life. He thrashed and writhed, shaking the mountain from top to bottom, bringing some of the higher spires in Canterlot crashing down. Everyone stared at Doc Marten in shock. If anything, he seemed to have made things worse. Finally, the dragon could take it no longer, and he burst out of the mountain through the cliff.
He flew up high in search of water. He cast about desperately and, there! He saw the river, flowing through Canterlot and down the waterfall. He dived down and sat underneath it, drinking it dry in one gulp.
Now, as anypony knows, water and fire makes steam, and inside that dragon there was a surplus of fire, and now there was a surplus of water too. Thus, a surplus of steam was created. And, also as anypony knows, steam expands, but the dragon didn't have a surplus of space inside him.
(She loved that line. It was just so neat)
The blast was heard as far away as Timbucktoo. Bits of dragon rained for miles around, and the threat was no more. Doc Marten was hailed as the saviour, not only of Canterlot, but of the whole of Equestria. There were those who demanded he be given a knighthood, others that he be made a duke, other still that he deserved every penny of the dragon's loot, but when asked what he'd like for a reward, all he asked for was enough money to set up his old cobbler's business again, and go back to the life he knew. This was granted, and his fame ensured he always had business.
The dragon's hoard was used to fund the rebuilding of the kingdom, and thus, Equestria rose again. A few weeks later, a set of shoes were delivered to the castle for the Princess. Each one was made from dragon skin, beautifully stitched, and (Twilight could vouch for this) smelled faintly of sulphur.
* * *
"...and so, Princess Celestia told me, that if Spike got too much, I should tell him that story, and warn him that if he didn't start behaving, I'd go tell Doc Marten, and he'd make him into shoes!"
There was a ripple of laughter and applause. Tales laughed too, to cover the fact he was screaming in terror inside. By all accounts, this was a disaster. There was another teller and she was just as good as he was. She was up here, telling a tale he didn't know, and she was being applauded. How was he supposed to get away now? She'd challenged him now. He tried to think of some cruel story to tell about uppity unicorns who got their comeuppance.
"I'm not sure I quite get along with all these stories," said a white unicorn in the second row. "They're all so..." she waved a hoof vaguely, "sordid. I mean, I'm not squeamish (shut up, I'm not), but exploding dragons, eyes gouged out, abominable table manners? Why can't we have any pleasant stories?"
"Why don't you tell one, Rarity?" said El Pinko.
Tales almost lost it there and then. He was going to let this preening sod on stage? He was going to LET THIS HAPPEN?
"Oh, well, I don't know," said the unicorn. "I mean, I'm not sure I really know any stories."
Damn right you don't, he thought, sullenly.
"Come on, it'll be fun!"
No it won't, thought Tales. You try doing it every day of your life. You spend three weeks living out of one suitcase and see how you like it! You try learning how to sleep on park benches! Walk a mile in my horseshoes!
"Yes, Rarity," said Pretty in Purple, smiling wanly. "I bet you'd be great at this."
The unicorn glanced away bashfully. "I suppose... I suppose I have one..."
OH NO YOU DON- |
Telling Tales | Chapter Nine - The Instrument | Chapter Nine
The Instrument (Or, Tales Makes a Run For It)
I read this story a long time ago. It happens in the City of Artists, where all the greatest craftsponies lived. Every buildings was designed by the best architects and built by the best masons. Every stitch of clothing was hand-made by the greatest tailors ever to walk the face of the earth, all made in the best possible taste. And it wasn't just craftsponies who called the city home, there were great poets, great actors, ("Great storytellers too, presumably," she said, nodding to Tales, who seethed quietly.) and, of course, great musicians. The greatest musicians of all were the Tune family. There was father Toe-Tappin', mother Soft, daughter Sweet and the son, Jazzy.
The mother, father and sister were all brilliant musicians, naturally, and would play at all the greatest occasions. All the great society balls, soirees, box socials, and the like, when everypony dressed in their finery to let their manes down ("Not literally, of course, they spent a fortune getting their hair up, but you get the idea."). The family all had cutie marks of music, of notes and of instruments, but Jazzy had no such luck. His flank remained blank, no matter what his parents tried. They gave him lessons, they tutored him in musical theory and musical practice, but despite their best efforts, they had no luck.
In fact, they had worse than no luck. Jazzy wasn't just bad at music, he was downright awful. Guitars de-tuned whenever he went near them, piano strings snapped and violins screeched before he so much as picked them up. It was clear that Jazzy would never become a great musician, or even a good musician. At this rate, he'd never be any kind of musician at all.
His parents shook their heads and awaited the day when it all fell into place for him, but that day never came. They had to face the fact that their son would never play with them. With great regret, they had him apprenticed to one of the city's carpenters. Jazzy went, albeit reluctantly, and became a reasonably successful carpenter. Not the best, since this was the City of Artists and the bar was always set high, but he was still good enough.
So, time passed, and Jazzy might have stayed a carpenter if it hadn't been for one thing. You see, in the City of Artists, there were always disputes over who was really the best. The tailors like Stitching Time and Golden Fleece, the jewellers like Get-DeBeers-In, the architects, the masons, the carpenters and, of course the musicians were always at each other's throats, never content in being good. They always wanted to be the best. So naturally, they always argued about it. In an attempt to end the quarreling and bickering, Princess Celestia announced there was to be a grand competition of all the artists, to decide exactly who would be the best.
Now, when Jazzy heard about this, he was crestfallen, because he knew he'd have no place in it. His family would be performing as their band without him, and while he was a good carpenter, there was no way he'd be able to show his face at the competition.
So instead, he went out into the woods that bordered the city with his guitar on his back. He mightn't be able to use it, but he liked the sentimental value. And in the woods, when no one was around, he'd play it and tell himself that, no matter what, he'd get a cutie mark in music one day.
He was just getting to the end of murdering one tune, when he was distracted by a rustling in the shrubbery. Curious, he brushed it aside and saw... well, what did he see but two little pegasus ponies, neither taller than a knitting needle, with beautiful gossamer wings. They were both smiling at him.
"'Ullo, Jazzy," said one.
"Good afternoon," Jazzy replied, always polite to a fault.
The little ponies giggled. "You play the guitar, don' you?" said the other.
"Um, yes," he said, shyly. "Not very well, though."
"Dun' matter," said the first, "'ow'd you like to come and perform for our king?"
Jazzy wanted to say no, but to his horror, found himself saying, "Of course."
(Tales couldn't help but sympathise.)
"Great! Follow us, then."
The little ponies took off, Jazzy close behind. They flew this way and that through the woods, until they reached a tall tree, The two little ponies flew into a hole under one of the big, rugged roots.
"Down here, mate!" one shouted, just before he vanished.
Jazzy glanced about, a little puzzled. The hole looked just about big enough for him to fit in, so he squeezed himself through, pulling his guitar behind. He crawled down through that hole until he saw light at the end of it. Finally, he came out in a grand chamber.
Now, Jazzy had grown up in the City of Artists. He was used to opulence and grandeur, but even he was surprised by the beauty of this room. He hadn't have expected much from a party at the bottom of a rabbit hole, but he was in for a surprise.
The ceiling reached high over his head, a great vaulted roof with tall, stained glass windows. Ponies swanned this way and that in long, flowing gowns and fine suits. They were years out of fashion (That had always struck Rarity as odd) but here they looked just right. And they were dancing, eating, drinking and laughing together, without a care in the world. At the far end of the room, a big rotund unicorn with a red, bushy beard was seated in a high throne, looking like a hot-air balloon in his finery. When Jazzy entered, he stood and gestured him to come.
"Ah! The entertainment!" he said, shaking the room with his deep, booming voice. "You've come rather early, I'm afraid. The music and the dancing will come at the end of the proceedings, so until then you can go about your business. Eat! Drink! Be merry!"
Jazzy thanked him and bowed. He went to the buffet, where there was a fabulous spread of food and drink. Naturally, he went for the drink to drown his fears. Performing in front of such a crowd seemed unthinkable! He knew as well as anyone that he couldn't play so much as a chord without causing physical pain (Gosh, he was thinking, wasn't this good wine?). He pondered how he could escape it, moving on to the food. It had been a while since he'd last eaten, and the food all looked rather good.
He watched the ponies pass him by, and noted they all seemed... off, somehow. As though there was some unacknowledged way ponies should be, and they all differed from it in a way you sensed more than saw. Jazzy watched them carefully, wondering just where in Equestria he was.
He didn't have long to wonder before the big chap in the throne stood and threw a hoof up for silence.
"Friends! It's been a fantastic night, hasn't it?"
Night? thought Jazzy. It was only one o'clock in the afternoon when he'd last checked.
"Now, I hope you all brought your hooves for dancing, 'cause we've got none other than this guy," he said, gesturing to Jazzy, who found himself cast suddenly into a spotlight, "who will delight us all with tunes from his homeland, won't he?"
Jazzy was about to protest, but something in the unicorn's tone made him reconsider. He levitated his guitar-
("Oh, yes, he was a unicorn, did I not mention it?" Rarity blurted. Tales winced on her behalf.)
...And started to play. He gritted his teeth and dropped his ears, all too ready to face the jeers and protests of his audience, but instead, he heard music. Beautiful, and lilting. He played, or rather found himself playing, a gentle waltz. All the ponies present took partners and started dancing, but Jazzy paid it no heed. He simply focused on playing, astonished at this change.
After the waltz, he played a polka, then something wilder still, until he was barely thinking of what to play and just played. Around him, the ponies danced like the floor was on fire, reaching fever pitch. The noise, the movement, it was all a blur, and Jazzy saw as those ponies shifted, into something part pony, part something else entirely, things of unspeakable beauty and grace.
And then, all of a sudden, it ended. Jazzy's music came to a natural stop, and the dancers slowed and went still, now all definitely ponies (and all looking like they had never been anything else). Jazzy panted, and dropped to the floor, his guitar clattering beside him. Across the dance floor, from the throne came a unicorn stallion, slate-grey with black beady eyes. He was smiling broadly.
"Thank you, Jazzy," he said, bowing his head. He spoke with a gentle, Connemaran accent.
"H-how?" was all Jazzy could think so say.
"You drank our drink and ate our food," he said, simply. "We find that it helps ponies really shine."
"Who... who are you?"
The stallion's smile didn't falter. "We're the grey folk, the Seelie, the Flitterponies. We are the Other Guys," said the stallion, with a dismissive gesture. "But enough about us! We haven't discussed your payment!"
"Payment?"
"Yes, for services rendered!" said the stallion, slapping Jazzy on the back. "What about a new instrument?"
"A new instrument...?" said Jazzy, breathlessly. "But, I'm no good, I'm a terrible musician!"
The grey pony chuckled. "Your flank says otherwise."
Jazzy looked down, and where before he'd been blank, there were now three musical notes on his side. His mouth opened and shut with shock. The grey stallion just kept smiling.
"Now, about that instrument..."
And like that, one was brought forward by two grey pegasus. To call it merely a guitar would be to insult it. Never before and never since would there be a more beautiful and perfect instrument. It wasn't a guitar, so much as the essence of a guitar, distilled. Its lines were sleek and straight, a mighty V of dark, varnished mahogany. Jazzy took it gratefully.
"Thank you," he said, staring at his instrument. With something like this, he could become a truly great musician, worthy of the name of Tune. Then, he remembered. The competition! His family! If there was anywhere he needed to be, he needed to be there.
He coughed politely and turned to the grey stallion. "If you'll excuse me, I have somewhere to be."
The stallion nodded and gestured to the exit. Jazzy left the ballroom, went back up the tunnel, guitar strapped to his side. He came up into the forest again, under a clear blue afternoon sky, and set off at a gallop for the city.
In the City Hall, the competition was is full swing. The architects had presented their offerings, the bakers had made theirs, as had the carpenters. The Princess herself was watching proceedings, seated at the head of the hall. In front of her, artists queued for their chance to show their greatness, and slowly, they worked their way through
Soon enough, they had reached the musicians, and this being the City of Artists the competition was very tough. The Tune family were feeling a little uncertain at this point, a little worried that they mightn't succeed. More than a little, in fact. They were terrified. Perhaps it wasn't such a good idea to put their reputations on the line and be rated alongside every other musician. They all seemed so much better.
They had no time to doubt, however. They were called up to perform. Toe-Tappin' was on saxophone, Soft was on double bass and Sweet was on drums. They made eye contact and tried to calm each other. They'd rehearsed endlessly together for this moment, but they couldn't help but allay the feeling something was missing. All eyes were on them, and they were just about to start, when the doors at the far end of the hall flew open, and Jazzy entered. He was carrying what looked to everyone like half a guitar.
He walked straight up to his family, and hopped up on to the stage. There was an outburst from the queue, consternation as musicians contended this late arrival, when Jazzy levitated his guitar and strummed it. The notes rang out loud and clear, and hung in the air, humming for a moment. That silenced any complaints. And then, just like that, they burst into song.
They played Bahrns, they played Marezart, they played their own tunes, and when they ran out, they played whatever came to them. Through it all, Jazzy's guitar screamed, weaving the song together as they played to the beat of Sweet's drums. When they finished, the silence was overpowering. The assembled artists, even though they were a cut-throat and jealous lot, applauded. The other musicians got up and left, knowing when they were beaten. And Princess Celestia approached them, gliding down from her podium.
"Well, I think we have our winner," she said, smiling broadly. "Congratulations."
He stepped up on to the stage and shook their hooves in turn. When she reached Jazzy, her smile became more... curious.
"May I see your guitar?" she said, pleasantly.
He levitated it to her and she took it in her hooves, turning it over, examining it. After a moment, she smiled and passed it back to Jazzy.
"It's a good instrument," she said. "A rare thing for a pony to possess."
Jazzy stayed silent, and simply nodded.
So, the Tunes were officially recognised as the greatest musicians in the entire city, Jazzy got his mark in music, and they all lived well and happy for the rest of their days.
* * *
"...now I don't know how true that is, but I know for a fact that there's a funny-looking guitar in the Canterlot museum, and they all say it came from the City of Artists. So make of that what you will."
Tales stamped the ground in applause with everypony else. Inside, he was just... tired.
"Right, everypony," he said, brightly, because if nothing else, being a storyteller meant you could act. "I think now would be a good time to have an interval."
"Oh yes!" shouted the Pink Devil. "We can all go to Sugarcube Corner!"
There was a universal cry of agreement. Well, of course, Tales thought. It wasn't a proper show without someone desperately advertising something. The pink one led the audience off to wherever. Purple and White followed on, chatting excitedly, leaving Tales alone.
He leaned back against the fountain and stuck his head in and didn't take it out until he was running out of air. Then he swept his head back out and slumped down, dripping water.
Okay, now he felt better. He fished his bowler hat out of the foutain and shook it out.
Well, Ponyville seemed like a nice enough town. Large green spaces, nice architecture, pleasant community, and he had to leave immediately. He was confused, tired and out of time. They could do without him now. He'd started them off and they'd taken matters into their own hooves, telling stories for themselves. He told himself he'd shown Pinko all he needed to show her, and to be honest, things had turned out as well as could be expected. Right?
He got up and went. After all, he thought as he walked through the park, that was only the plan, wasn't it? Show them proper storytelling, and leave. Simple as anything, and they seemed to have picked it up pretty quick. It was past sunset now, but the summer sun hung just behind the hills and lit the horizon faintly. Tales walked through the town, lost in his thoughts. He barely heard a gale of laughter behind him.
He was just setting out on the long road to the coast, a noise behind him, pierced his thoughts. It sounded like a spring twanging. Curious, he turned and saw...Oh god no.
The Pink One, the Pink Devil, the Terror From Twenty-Thousand Leagues Under The Candy Store was bouncing after him. Her expression was one of vapid, vacuous happiness. She'd ask him to keep telling. She'd ask him not to leave, and he'd have a hard time saying no. She'd want a reason, and he'd be entirely without one. Tales let his legs think for him, and he ran.
He ran like he'd never run before. He ran until his lungs hurt, then he trotted until his legs ached too. That didn't faze him much though, truth be told. He knew he had to escape. He didn't stop running until he was over the bridge and a good half-mile out of town. He collapsed by the roadside, panting. He lay for a moment to catch his breath. He could probably make it to another town tonight. Some other small farming burg perhaps. Bargain a few stories for a bed, maybe. He'd be alright. Keep moving was the important thing.
He went to get up, and a helping hoof was offered. He took it gladly and hauled himself up, only to find himself face to face with...
Oh no.
He sighed, defeated. "What do you want?"
"Well I was gonna tell you that we'd all gone into Sugarcube Corner and you'd got us thinking and we'd all started telling stories and it was all really fun 'cause there's cake and coffee and tea and stuff there, so we were all having fun and it turned out Ditzy Doo knows all forty-six verses of Tam Lin and Blossomforth was telling us a pegasus epic about the Trotjan War and they just go on and on, and I thought it was a shame that you weren't there, so I went to look for you 'cause I thought 'gee what a shame that our storyteller isn't here while we're, y'know, telling stories', and I know that someone like you would be able to get Fluttershy to tell a story, 'cause she's so shy, and we're taking it in turns and oh wouldn't you please please please come please?"
She was grinning so broadly that Tales was entirely without a clever simile. He thought to say no, he thought to protest, and he definitely thought to tell this filly to shut the hell up and leave him alone. He had better things to do, he had to get to Connemara for the gathering. He couldn't afford to spend any more time here.
But... what was he if not a storyteller? Maybe... maybe he'd learn some new stories to tell at Connemara to show Loose Oats and Knell Phoenix. Maybe if he just made a short detour.
So, against his better judgement, he said, "Yes." |
Telling Tales | Chapter Ten - Tales Tells All | Chapter Ten
Tales Tells All
As Pinkie had said, they were telling stories in Sugarcube Corner. 'Colgate' Minuette was holding the floor with a tale about three bears and a blonde filly, while the audience sat around drinking the wide and wonderful selection of warm beverages sold at Sugarcube Corner (only one bit thirty for hot chocolate and a muffin of your choice, offer until this Saturday).
And, as Pinkie had also said, Fluttershy was having no part in it. She'd tucked herself into a little yellow and pink ball in the corner, trying to shrink back behind her mane. Pinkie pointed her out to Tales as they walked in the door, and he couldn't help but feel... irritated, yes, but also sympathetic. Hadn't he been like that once?
He sidled over to her, unnoticed by the others in the cafe (Minuette was good, after all), and took a seat. Pinkie had been talking about Fluttershy all the way back to town, and Tales didn't fancy his chances. She sounded like the wettest wet blanket in existence.
"Hullo," he said, smiling as kindly as he could.
"'lo,"she replied.
"So, everyone's telling stories, huh?"
"'s."
"Do you think you'll join in?"
"No."
"Aw, whyever not?"
"Don' wanna."
Tales bit his lip.
"Huh. So, not feeling up to it?"
"Too many ponies."
"Come on, don't be like that," he said, rolling his eyes. "All your friends are out there, and they told stories."
"All two of them."
He rolled his eyes. "Are you always like this?"
There was a pause.
"'s."
Tales sighed.
"Sorry."
Behind them, Minuette finished to a round of applause and Fluttershy shrank back even further. Hm, clearly he'd have to do better than just telling her to buck up and be brave.
"Well, you wouldn't be the first to have trouble telling stories," said Tales, nonchalantly."There've been more than a few ponies who couldn't bear to."
"Are you going to tell a story about one?"
Damn, she caught on fast.
"Yes, I am. But this story's different, on account of it being true."
* * *
Once, in the north, there was a pony, and his name was Trotsky McGee. He was not a rich pony. He had no qualifications, no skills, nothing. He worked on farms as hired help, but since no single farm had work all the year round he had to go from place to place, looking for work. This meant that more often than not, he'd have to rely on the kindness of others if he was going to get a bed for the night.
Of course, the ponies in the north are a hospitable lot, so anypony travelling far from home could expect to stay at least one night in someone's house. They'd get food, a bed and rest, provided they gave something in return, which was most commonly a story. Real or made up didn't matter, so long as you told one.
Now this was bad news for Trotsky. He couldn't tell stories to save his life. He'd turn up at a stranger's house, receive his food and bed, but when it came to tell a story, he'd curl up in a corner and mutter that he didn't know any. This, naturally, tended to irritate a lot of ponies. In the best case scenario, he was grudgingly allowed to sleep in the shed. Worst case scenario, he was thrown out.
And it was one cold, wet autumn evening when Trotsky was wandering down a long and lonely road when this really got him into trouble. The wind was blowing and the rain was coming down in sheets, turning the path into mud. He stumbled on through it all, wrapping his anorak around himself. He was cold and hungry, and was just on the verge of panic, when he saw a flicker in the gloom.
He went towards it, and soon that flicker became a glow, which revealed itself to be a small thatched cottage, with friendly warm light shining through the windows. Trotsky dashed over to the door and hammered on it. It was opened by a short, wide mare with a big grin.
"Hullo," she said, brightly. "Do come inside."
Trotsky thanked her and hopped in. It was warm and cosy inside, a pot of stew bubbling above a blazing fire. Steam rose from Trotsky's coat.
"Hang up your jacket," said the mare. "So, young colt, what's your name?"
"Trotsky McGee," he said, hanging up his anorak.
She gasped and put a hoof over her mouth. Trotsky hoped she hadn't heard about him and was about to throw him out. Instead, she grinned and shouted, "Moor! Come in here! We've been graced with the great Trotsky McGee!"
A second mare trotted out, tall and gangly. "Trotsky McGee? Well then, we'd best put some stew out for him, Appletree!"
The short mare hustled him over to the dinner table, while the tall mare doled out a bowl of stew for him. Shortly, he had a bowl of stew and a hunk of bread to eat.
"Er, how do you know who I am?" said Trotsky, a little uneasily .
"Oh everyone knows about Trotsky McGee!" said Appletree, putting a kettle of water on. "When Trotsky McGee comes around, you always give him a bowl of stew, bread, and a cup of cocoa."
Trotsky was a little confused, but didn't say anything. Soon, he had a cup of hot cocoa steaming by his elbow.
"I say, this is very kind of you," he said. "I don't suppose I could sleep here?"
"But of course!" said Moor, cheerfully doling out stew for herself and Appletree. "When Trotsky McGee comes around, you always give him a bowl of stew, bread, a cup of cocoa and a good bed. You can borrow our bed tonight. We'll sleep in the spare room, which we wouldn't dream of inflicting on you."
"That's very kind of you," said Trotsky, who was now tucking into his stew.
"Oh well, you know what they say," said Appletree, with a glint in her eye. "When Trotsky McGee comes around, you always give him a bowl of stew, bread, a cup of cocoa and a good bed, because he will always tell you the best stories,"
Trotsky spat out his cocoa in surprise. "You WHAT?"
"Trotsky McGee always tells the best stories," Moor repeated, calmly.
"I'm sorry, you must have me mixed up with a different Trotsky McGee," he said, desperately. "I can't tell stories!"
Appletree nudged Moor, still grinning. "You see? So modest these celebrities. Go on, Mr McGee, just a short one."
"I'm sorry," he said, "but I don't know any stories. I can't tell you any."
Moor and Appletree's faces fell. "You what?"
"I can't tell stories."
Whup. His bowl of stew was gone. Whup. His cocoa was gone.
"The nerve," said Moor, shaking her head solemnly, spooning the stew back into the pot.
"Some ponies," Appletree muttered, drinking Trotsky's cocoa. "Thinking they can just turn up under an assumed name and fleece a couple of trusting mares like us."
Moor tutted.
"It's not an assumed name, it's my name," he protested. "I really am Trotsky McGee!"
"You're clearly not," said Moor, "otherwise you'd have a story to tell us."
"You're lucky we're the kindly sort," said Appletree, "otherwise we'd throw you out. You can sleep in the spare room. That's punishment enough, don't you think?"
"Yes," said Moor, "but you mark my words, we want you out by first light tomorrow."
They hustled him upstairs, muttering about the youth of today (though neither was a day older than Trotsky). They pushed him into the spare room and shut the door sharply, leaving him alone.
He slumped down on the bed, which was a plank of wood. He curled up under the thin sheet and sighed. He wondered who the other Trotsky McGee was, and what he was like. Presumably if he was such a success, he wouldn't have to walk anywhere. Carts would give him a lift in return for a dazzling tale, or he'd make money (actual money!) and be able to take a train. He slept in feather beds every night and ate white bread. Trotsky pulled the sheet around him. Yep, being a storyteller like that'd be alright.
He was just dozing on the edge of sleep, when he heard something coming up the stairs. It bumped up slowly, with a thump, thump, thump. He hunkered down under the sheet, hoping the two mares weren't coming to wreak their revenge. The thump, thump, thump came closer, and then reached the top of the stairs with one final thump! Then, the sound was dragged along the landing, wood scraping on wood.
The door to his room creaked open, and three ponies walked in. They were fine unicorn stallions, dressed in top hats and tailcoats, one white, one grey, and one black. They were dragging a coffin behind them, which they laid slowly on the floor. The white one turned to the others.
"Who'll help us carry the coffin?" he said, solemnly.
"Who else, but Trotsky McGee?" answered the other two.
They took Trotsky by the hooves and dragged him out of bed, then stood him up and lifted one corner of the coffin on to his back. The white unicorn took the other front corner and the grey and black ones too the back corners. Together, they carried the coffin back down the stairs, through the house and out into the night.
The weather was clear now, but the ground was still wet. Mud squelched under Trotsky's hooves and splashed from the white unicorn on to his coat. The white unicorn didn't seem to be getting any mud on him, though. Bloody magic, he thought.
They walked on, for what seemed like miles. The unicorns seemed to be moving just slightly faster than Trotsky. Not so fast they outpaced him, but just fast enough that the coffin bounced and dug into his shoulders. And despite the fact these stallions were clearly so strong and capable, it seemed to Trotsky that all the weight was on him.
Eventually, they reached a gateway, overgrown with brambles. The unicorns forged on through it, Trotsky being pushed by the weight of the coffin. Briars and thorns scratched at his legs and sides, drawing blood. Through the gate, was a graveyard. They walked between the headstones, until the three unicorns stopped at an empty plot.
"Who'll dig the grave?" said the grey unicorn.
"Who else but Trotsky McGee?" answered the other two.
They put the coffin on the ground slowly, and lo and behold, there was a shovel waiting for him. He lifted it and started to dig. The shovel sank into the soft earth easily, but it was still hard work. After what seemed like an age, Trotsky was stood at the bottom of a hole six feet long by two feet wide by six feet deep. He clambered out, and found that the unicorns and lifted the lid off the coffin.
It had been empty the whole time! He opened his mouth to say something, but the black unicorn spoke first.
"Who's going to get into the coffin?"
"Who else but Trotsky McGee."
He felt two heavy hooves on his shoulders, pushing him into the coffin. He thought to resist, but he couldn't move a muscle. The unicorns laid him in, crossing his front hooves over his chest, and slowly they levitated the lid down over him. He lay in pitch darkness, his nose just brushing against the lid. He felt them lift the coffin over to the grave and lower it in. The heard them take the shovel and he heard the pitter-patter of soil on the lid of the coffin.
And that sound broke whatever spell he was under. He burst out of the coffin, leapt out of the hole, ran through the graveyard, through the brambles, down the road, back to the house, up the stairs and under the sheets where he lay curled up, trembling. Somehow, he went to sleep.
The next morning was bright, clear and cool. Trotsky lifted his head slowly, his mind buzzing with thoughts of last night. Who were those unicorns? What had they been doing? No, it didn't matter now. He was safe. It was all a dream.
Except that now, in the light of day, he could see the muddy hoofprints on the floor. His muddy hoofprints. He could feel the bruise on his shoulder where the coffin had dug in, and of course, all down his sides and legs were cuts and scratches from the thorns. He sat for a moment and gaped in shock.
After that, he very quickly reached a decision. He jumped out of bed and dashed downstairs. He pulled his anorak on quickly and pushed the door open. Behind him, he heard Moor and Appletree come down the stairs.
"Oh, just leaving were we?" said Appletree, snarking all she could.
"Damn right I am," said Trotsky. "I'm not staying a moment later in this house. It's haunted, or something!"
Moor raised an eyebrow. "Haunted?" She walked over to him slowly. "Now this house is many things, but haunted?"
"Well, whatever happened to me last night certainly wasn't natural, whatever it was!"
Appletree gave him a curious look. "What exactly happened to you?"
So he told them. About the noises in the night, about the three unicorns, about the coffin, the briars, the mud, everything. When he'd finished, Appletree and Moor smiled at each other.
"You see?" said Moor, sounding relieved. "Trotsky McGee always tells the best stories."
"The best stories," said Appletree, smiling oddly, "but I bet he could tell them better."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, we could show you how to tell stories properly. We could make you a storyteller..."
* * *
"And so they did," said Tales, smiling faintly. "They taught me everything I know."
Fluttershy's eyes were wide. "But what about y- what about Trotsky McGee?"
He glanced nervously. "I'm Tall Tales now. I... I like it better that way."
Fluttershy nodded slowly.
"So, how do you feel about telling now?"
Fluttershy thought for a moment. What could she tell? She didn't know any stories...
Wait, what was she saying? Of course she did. What did she tell the little animals to make them go to sleep? What did she hear from Angel? You could learn a lot from animals, she'd found, if you took the time to listen. She stood up and walked into the middle of the room. Tales watched her go for a moment, like a proud engineer watching his ship leave port. Then he went to go and see if he could cadge a cup of hot chocolate.
All eyes turned to her (well, most eyes), and Fluttershy felt a hint of fear. She went on regardless.
"I'd like to tell a story," she said, smiling a little uncertainly. "I know this one's true because I heard it from the squirrel it happened to..." |
Telling Tales | Chapter Eleven - Tales Hears All | Chapter Eleven
Tales Hears All
The squirrel was laid back in his favourite tree on a branch which hung over the river, the long, slow, broad river that ran down to the bigger, broader lake. He was just relaxing, not a care in the world. He was about to shut his little eyes and have a snooze, when he heard a voice.
"Squirrel," said the voice, a whispery, wet voice, "squi-irel!"
Squirrel looked down, and saw a pike below him in the river. It was long and sleek, with a mouth full of sharp, pointy teeth. It was using all of them to grin at the squirrel.
"Hullo," said the squirrel, whose branch was just above the pike.
"Hey, squirrel," said the pike, "The king of the fish is holding a party at the bottom of his lake."
Squirrel nodded, a little uncertainly. "That must be very nice for him."
"Ah, but it's not a party without squirrel," said the pike. "What's say you come down from your tree and come along?"
The squirrel's jaw dropped. "What? Are you nuts? I can't swim!"
"Ah, don't worry, squirrel. I'll carry you on my back to the lake, then I'll take you down!"
The squirrel squinted at the pike suspiciously. "You wouldn't just be trying to tempt me down so you can eat me, would you?"
The pike gasped. "You'd suspect me of such a thing?"
"You are a pike."
"Granted, but I'm not trying to trick you, I promise."
"Oh yeah?"
"Yes!" said the pike, exasperated. "Come on, it'll be fun! There'll be singing, and dancing, and cake!"
(Mr. Cake glanced up out of habit)
The squirrel looked suspicious. He rubbed his chin with one paw and studied the pike carefully, but there didn't seem to be so much as a flicker of dishonesty in his fishy face.
So, he glanced one way, and glanced the other, until at last he said. "Well, okay."
The pike thanked him and slid up under the lowest branches of the trees, and the little squirrel clambered down on to the pike's back. It was slippery, and scaly, and smelled unpleasantly of fish (not that the pike could help it, being a fish who ate fish and all, but the squirrel was not an accepting sort).
The squirrel hunkered down as the pike shot off down the river. The banks flashed past either side and the river slowed and widened. The squirrel hung on as best he could, even as the wind and the water tried to tear him away.
He tried not to think about the scaly, slippery fish below him. He tried to think about the party, tried to stay optimistic. Think of the singing, the dancing, the cake! He was going to have fun. The river soon widened into the lake, which spread out as far as the squirrel could see.
Finally, after what seemed ages, the pike stopped in the centre of the lake.
"Are we there?" said the squirrel, hoping the journey would soon be over.
"Ye-es, about that," said the pike. "I'm afraid I wasn't totally honest with you earlier."
"Oh...?"
"Yeah, you see, the real reason I brought you out here wasn't really that the king of the fish is having a party."
"Oh."
"Yeah, see, he's in no position to have a part of any kind. He's sick, you see, and I need a squirrel's heart to make him better."
The squirrel was quiet for a long time after that.
"Squirrel? Please don't be angry."
"So there's no singing?" he said, slowly.
"Not as such."
"No dancing?"
"Not really."
"And no cake?"
"No, no cake."
The squirrel was quiet a while longer.
"Well, you should have told me that to begin with!" he said at last, rolling his eyes and throwing his little arms up. "You see, I brought my lungs for singing, my feet for dancing, and my mouth for eating, but I completely forgot my heart!"
The pike sighed, exasperated. "Oh no, you've got to be kidding me!"
"Sorry. We've got to go back and get it."
The pike sighed again, turned around and set off back down the river. They sped on through the water, through the spray, wind etc etc.
Eventually, they reached the squirrel's old tree. He hopped up into the lower branches.
"Don't worry, I'll be right back with my heart," he said.
The pike nodded and waited. And waited. And waited. And as far as I know, he's still waiting.
* * *
"... and that's why, the squirrel says, he can never go back down to the river."
Tales only pricked his ears up on that line, but it sounded good regardless. He put his mug down to applaud, and took a seat there. Well, everything seemed more or less in order. He'd have a drink and then head off. Yeah, they didn't need him here any more, right?
"Hey there!" said a voice all too familiar and terrible. "That was good, don't you think that was good?"
"I only caught the end," said Tales, diplomatically.
"Well, trust me, it was real good."
Thankfully, she seemed to run out of things to say. Tales sipped his cocoa and glanced around the cafe. He saw Pretty in Purple sitting a couples of tables over with a couple of other ponies and tried to catch her eye, but she studiously ignored him.
"What's up with her?" he said to Pinkie. "Is she usually like this?"
"No, but I think you annoyed her."
Tales' jaw dropped. "I annoyed her?"
"Yeah, Twilight's not keen on ponies lying."
"I wasn't lying! I was telling stories!"
"I don't think she sees much of a difference."
Tales took a moment to think. Well, to sulk thoughtfully, at any rate.
"I can't imagine why," he muttered.
"Probably because she's lived through a couple of stories, and didn't find them fun."
Tales' curiosity piqued. He wasn't averse to true stories. "Is that right?"
"Yeah, she defeated Discord, and Nightmare Moon, and talked a dragon down off a mountain. I don't think she really enjoyed doing it."
He raised an eyebrow. "For real?"
"For real."
Tales looked across at Pretty in... well, across at Twilight, if that was her name. He didn't know how far to trust Pinkie, but if she was even a little bit right... well, it couldn't hurt to ask. He went to get up.
"She's the one who defeated Nightmare Moon and Discord?"
"Well, she had help," said Pinkie, noncommittally.
He nodded and wandered over, quite casually. The Mayor was telling now. She had a story of local politics whose intricate, byzantine complexity would put even the most long-winded Connemaran Táin to shame. Twilight was sitting with the stetson-hatted earth pony and the white unicorn, and was quite absorbed in a discussion with a pegasus (who was a rather charming shade of Air Superiority Blue with a rainbow mane, if you must know), and didn't notice Tales sidling up, not least because he had sidling down to a fine art.
"Excuse me," he said, politely as he could. "Are you Twilight Sparkle?"
Never before had he seen such enmity in a single look, even in front of a Trotheim crowd after one off-colour reindeer joke too many. He wilted.
"Yes, I am," she said, like he'd just said 'no you're not'.
"Ah, right, good, because I was wondering... you see, I've heard that... well..."
"He wants to hear about Nightmare Moon," said Pinkie, who was standing beside him.
"How did you get here...?"
"Oh, really?" said Twilight, a little confused. "It's not much of a story."
"Are you kidding me?" said Air Superiority Pegasus, laughing. "It's one hell of a story, 'cause of the main character, none other than Rainbow Dash! You shoulda seen me when Twilight fell off that cliff!"
"Now jus' hold on there," said the earth pony, "don't you go gettin' caught up in it, RD."
"Well what did you do then?" said the aforementioned RD.
"Girls!" said Twilight, exasperated. She turned to Tales. "It's complicated, okay? Look, it was all in the newspapers at the time, didn't you read it then?"
"I may have been elsewhere at the time," he said, which was true. There wasn't much market for Equestrian newspapers in griffon country, where literacy ranked some way below the ability to tear your opponent's lower jaw off and use it as an ice cream scoop. They had a good ear for a story, though. "Anyway, I want to hear it from you."
"What are we talking about?" came a breathy voice from behind them. Fluttershy had wandered over, a mug of tea balanced on one wing. Tales was surrounded now.
"Tales here was just asking about our rather sordid adventures with creatures of unknowable evil," said the white unicorn.
"And I was just about to tell him to -"
"Oh wow, really? That'd make a great story," said Fluttershy, although it sounded to Tales more like a wheeze.
"Just what I was gonna say," said Rainbow. "So there I was, diving to rescue Twilight..."
"Hey, you can't just start in the middle!" the pony in the stetson protested.
"Yeah, you've gotta start at the start," said Pinkie. "That's why they call it a 'start'! Unless you're using in medias res, but that's just showing off."
"Ugh, where does it start, though?" said Twilight, her head in her hooves. "Most of it is just our lives."
Tales thought of something clever to say about that, but left it unsaid.
"Tell me the whole thing, from the start," he said, instead.
"Okay, okay..." Twilight took a few deep breaths. "You sure? It's a long story."
"That's okay, we'll just take a break and tell it in two parts," said Pinkie. "That's how I remember it, anyway."
"Okay... so, it was last year, and it was the eve of the Summer Sun Celebration..."
* * *
You know that story, right? Well, Tales didn't. He lapped it all up. He'd heard all sorts of mangled versions of it up north, where Equestria was rescued by any number of miscellaneous persons, but this version, this version was the truth. Six mares between Equestria and eternal night. You couldn't make it up. And it was good to hear it from the ponies it'd happened to. The way they told the bits that had happened to them, the way they bickered over the details, it was all... right.
Tales listened furiously. They began to attract the rest of the clientele of the cafe as the yarn rattled on. Heads turned, chairs and flanks shuffled over to listen, and by the time they finished, everyone was listening.
It had seemed perfectly reasonable then, to tell the story of how they'd beaten Discord. Everypony was rapt. Ponies who had been present in Ponyville at the time, who had witnessed the epic battle were still on the edge of their seats. They'd all agree later that they might've known the story, but hearing it like that made it new, made it proper.
There was applause, naturally, at the end, quite above and beyond what would be expected. The walls of Sugarcube Corner shook. It would be entirely true to say they ended the night on a high. Everypony went back home feeling that, in some small way, the world was a better place.
And what more can you ask for, really? |
Telling Tales | Epilogue - Pinkie Pie Has the Last Word | Epilogue
Pinkie Pie Gets The Last Word
Tales had managed to wrangle a place to sleep at Sugarcube Corner. They weren't in the business of renting rooms they said, but in his case, they could make an exception. It was a store room really, and he was sleeping on flour sacks and that meant a sneezing fit every time he turned over, but in all honesty anything was better than a park bench. He might be used to sleeping al fresco, but that didn't mean he enjoyed it.
He was up bright and early, the moment light crept through the small, dusty window. He hopped up off the pile of sacks and brushed the flour off his coat. Then he patted it out of his mane. Then he had to upend his bowler hat to empty it. God, it was worse than the dust at Burning Mare festival.
He tip-toed through the empty cafe, hoping the Cakes wouldn't mind the trail of white hoof prints. He opened the door as quietly as he could, and was about to leave, when he heard a creak behind him. He turned, to see Pinkie sitting on the stairs, quite calmly. Tales winced. He expected her to go off at any minute and start yammering, but strangely she stayed still.
She smiled at him oddly instead. That was probably worse.
"My parents always used to tell stories, every night," she said quietly, casting her eyes low, "to me and my sisters."
Tales was, for a moment, stuck for words.
"That's... nice," he said, edging out the door. He'd had a good run and all, but he really had to go...
"And there used to be caravans that came past the farm every couple of months. Roamer travellers. Gypsies. They always used to tell stories too..."
"Uhuh, uhuh," said tales, still trying to get away as politely as possible. "Look, I have-"
"Stop leaving, I'm trying to talk to you," said Pinkie, flashing Tales a glare that... well, he didn't want to see it again in a hurry. He wondered where mares learnt such sharp looks. Pinkie bit her lip and looked bashful for a moment. "I just wanted to say, it's nice to hear them again like that. Thank you."
"Uhuh?" said Tales, his voice wobbling in disbelief. He'd had it all wrong. Here was someone who had always known the right kind of storytelling. She was a kindred spirit. She was a fellow northerner. His mind raced for the right words.
"All this time, then?" he said at last. "You knew?"
She shrugged. "I wanted it to be like the first time. I wanted to show everyone what it was like."
Tales nodded, slowly. She was smarter than she looked.
"One thing, though," he said, head tilted. "Where are you-"
"Near Herd's Hollow," she said, simply. "So I'm not that northern."
He nodded sagely.
"Well, it's been... an experience," he said, smiling. "I'll tell them all the proper story of Nightmare Moon at Connemara."
"You better," said Pinkie, smiling back. "Oh, and one more thing."
She trotted down and slid a box off the counter and passed it to Tales. The label read 'Cupcakes. Party-grade. Do not drop'. Below that, it said 'For: Peppermint Twist (birthday)', but someone had crossed that out. With pink crayon.
"For the road."
Tales must have been a proper storyteller, because he took them without a thought. He held the box by the strings.
"Thanks," he said, around his new burden.
"No problem," said Pinkie, her smile growing into a grin. Tales could see the spell of calm was wearing off, so he chose his moment to go.
"Goodbye, madam Pie," he said, bowing his head and holding his hat to his chest with a flourish. Pinkie giggled and bowed back .
Tales gave her a wink, and left with his swag. He trotted out of the door, and into the early morning sunshine. It looked like they'd make it a nice day today, with a clear sky and warm air. Say what you want about the south, they knew how to put on a good summer.
He headed down the road east out of Ponyville, the road that led to the the coast, and led from there, to the boat to Connemara. It seemed so... straightforward when he thought about it like that.
Too straightforward, really. Maybe... maybe he should take take the long way around. There were a few small towns between here and there he fancied visiting. Plus, he had some new stories to practice now. Whyever not, he thought.
That too, seemed like a good idea at the time. Maybe it was. |
One Wish For Nothing | pre | The earth pony glared at them, raising his masked head high, the immense horseshoe attached to his face gleaming. Then he raised both forelegs high, beady eyes glowing with passion and determination as he shouted: "For the honor of Senor Morpheus I shall fight! Very well, I show no fear to you, come at me however you like and I shall show you the strength of El Casco, and he shall teach you the ways of Lucha Libre!"
"Let's kick his flank!" Rainbow Dash growled, and Applejack nodded firmly as Pinkie Pie only yelled loudly, cheering from the sidelines as the two mares rushed forwards.
And they were both caught by their faces before they could strike, the two staring before yelping when El Casco whacked their heads together. Then he laughed loudly as he plucked Applejack's hat off her head before shoving it firmly into Rainbow Dash's face, sending the Pegasus stumbling backwards as she shook her head wildly to try and dislodge the stetson.
Applejack snarled, spinning back towards El Casco... and he slammed a headbutt into her that knocked her senseless thanks to the enormous metal hoof on his mask, sending her flopping down in a stunned heap. Then he turned easily towards Rainbow Dash and slammed a jab into the hat the Pegasus was ineffectively trying to pull off her face, knocking her sprawling on her back as the stetson finally popped off with a sound like a cork.
El Casco laughed brazenly again, punching his hooves together before he posed quickly, declaring: "I am among the greatest of all Luchadores! I fight with honor and pride for the stallion who saved my life and my village!"
Rainbow Dash only bared her teeth as she rolled up to her hooves, and Applejack scowled as she slowly crawled up to her own hooves, her head ringing and her words slurring a bit as she said slowly: "Y'know he's... gonna destroy Equestria and all... and your village is part of Equestria, innit?"
But El Casco only shrugged, sitting back and saying calmly: "The code is a difficult thing sometimes, senorita, but I must obey it wholeheartedly all the same. With all my heart, all my honor, and all my pride! Besides, Senor Morpheus is not so bad. He has a good heart. He has tener cojones! And he will do the right thing in the end, I know it!"
Rainbow and Applejack both only glared at the earth pony, and then the Pegasus said flatly: "You're delusional, pal. And your boss ain't so tough... Twilight's still chasing him around all by herself! I bet we aren't even going to need the Princess' help to take down him and his freaky skeleton pal and a giant jumping bean like you!"
El Casco reared back, looking offended before Applejack added sharply: "We ain't scared of any lucy-doors, either, since all you seem like is some short weirdo wearin' baby booties and a big piece of metal glued to his face!"
"You insult the Luchadores? You insult my mask?" El Casco reared back, and then he pointed at them sharply, saying furiously: "You leave me no choice now but to defend my honor, and the honor of my family!"
The two mares only glared, even as Pinkie Pie winced and waved a hoof wildly, calling hurriedly: "Wait, wait, they didn't really mean it, they just-"
But it was too late: Applejack and Rainbow Dash had flung themselves towards El Casco, who met them with an impassioned roar. And Pinkie Pie winced away, half-covering her face as the two mares were thrown around like rag dolls as El Casco shouted proclamations and preached about the art of Lucha Libre.
Rarity and Fluttershy, meanwhile, had awkwardly approached Antecedes, who had seated himself down beside the throne and was pointedly ignoring everyone... including Morpheus, who swore at him every time he ran past with a grinning, insane-looking Twilight following, zapping the winged unicorn with black energy every now and then.
Fluttershy winced as she looked up and watched them complete their narrow loop of the room for the dozenth time, and then she looked worriedly at Antecedes, before asking the skeleton hesitantly: "Can... can't you do something? Your friend is in danger and... Twilight looks so strange..."
"She's being influenced by your Princess." Antecedes said moodily, not looking up from the newspaper he had unfolded before he added irritably: "And unless you want me to kill her, it's better to just leave her alone until she tires out. But I suppose that Celestia will be ready to fight by then, and the silly games will end and she and Moonflower can have their little ego-battle."
"My name is Morpheus!" snapped the winged unicorn as he skidded to a halt... and then he cursed as a black fireball smashed into him, knocking him to the side with a wince. But a moment later, he blinked stupidly as he realized it had little effect, absently brushing at himself before he groaned even as Twilight Sparkle ran at him, yelling furiously. "What am I doing, running away from... stop it."
Morpheus flicked his horn irritably, and Twilight ran face-first into an invisible barrier, whimpering as the magic whiffed out from around her horn and her eyes. And a moment later, a solid box of dark stone formed around her, leaving her imprisoned as Morpheus huffed before he approached and added moodily: "And you, ingrate. Come. Up on your hooves, we aren't done here yet."
"Y-Y-You're not going to h-hurt us, are you?" Fluttershy whimpered, looking over at him fearfully, and Morpheus turned to scowl at her.
He only managed to look at her for a few moments before he blushed awkwardly and cleared his throat, turning his eyes away and mumbling: "I... just... Antecedes!"
"What Lord Morpheus is trying to say is that if he kills you, the Elements of Harmony will cease to function. Even if they're trapped in the shield, you're still connected to them." Antecedes said mildly, not looking up from his newspaper.
The winged unicorn sighed in what almost sounded like relief, nodding quickly a few times in agreement as he cleared his throat. "Yes, that... that is precisely it. So... stay out of my way, and we won't have any problems. That's all."
He peeked awkwardly at Fluttershy, then winced when Rarity leapt up beside him, her eyes gleaming as she rubbed a hoof along his breast and said encouragingly: "Maybe we can all... put all this silliness aside and just be friends, what do you say, darling? Oh, I can see there's certainly some bad blood between you and Celestia, but my dear, that doesn't mean we're all bad..."
Morpheus looked blankly down at her, and then he carefully reached up and pushed the unicorn away, shivering a little. But as he started to turn away, he found Fluttershy looking up at him meekly, the Pegasus asking hesitantly: "Mister Morpheus, why... why do you want to destroy Equestria? You don't seem like an evil pony..."
"Well, I am. I am evil. I am the Lord of Darkness!" Morpheus said after a moment, raising a hoof high in the air... and then he scowled over towards Celestia, who was only calmly standing on the other side of the room, the stallion saying in a colder voice: "And for too long, the sun has shone. Isn't that right, Killing Light?"
Celestia only smiled thinly from where she was standing, and Morpheus narrowed his eyes uncertainly. There was something strange about her now, something different... yes, she had put on some kind of choker. And he thought he could sense her magic power rising...
But before he could question it any further, there was an almost-frantic knocking before Twilight Sparkle's voice called weakly: "Can... can someone help me, please? I can't... it's... I'm scared! And I... P-Princess Celestia, it hurts!"
Morpheus scowled at this, and Antecedes slowly folded his paper closed and looked up with disgust as Rarity and Fluttershy traded confused looks. But Celestia only continued to smile calmly, coldly: she and Morpheus locked gazes, both refusing to look away as they tested each other's resolve and power, their horns sparking faintly now and then as they saw into one-another.
Across the room, El Casco put Applejack into a headlock, then yanked her along with him as he charged at Rainbow Dash before leaping up and slamming both rear hooves into the Pegasus. The light blue mare was knocked flying through the air as Applejack gargled when she was slammed down on her stomach, and then El Casco laughed as he leapt up to his hooves, shouting: "You two know nothing of what it means to be a Luchador!"
"They don't! But I do!" snapped Pinkie Pie, and both Applejack and Rainbow Dash looked groggily up to see the pink mare had somehow pulled out a multicolored, blue-and-yellow costume that covered most of her body, a mask covering the upper half of her face like a cap, her eyes glaring through narrow holes in the checkered fabric. "El Casco! I am Ex Parte! And I challenge you to máscara contra máscara!"
"You dare? You dare?" El Casco drew himself up to his full height, pointing back at her as his eyes blazed with passion, but Pinkie Pie.. or Ex Parte, rather... only glared and pointed back, and El Casco laughed loudly. "Yes! You have the passion! You are fearless! Very well, I accept!"
"Oh horseapples. This is not going to end well." Applejack mumbled from the ground, and Rainbow Dash wheezed as she tried to push herself up.
"P-Pinkie! You don't stand a chance against that jerk alone, just..." And then Rainbow wheezed and dropped back on her face, mumbling: "Just wait for us to... do stuff..."
El Casco lunged at Ex Parte, but Ex Parte caught him by the face before she spun around and flung him to the side. The moment he landed, however, El Casco yanked himself around and leapt back at the mare, but with ease, Ex Parte leapt over him and then dropped onto his back, slamming an elbow into his spine and driving him to the ground as he howled in shock.
Then Ex Parte seized him around the neck and twined one of her forelegs into his own, and the stallion shouted in shock as he was pinned on his stomach... but after only a moment, he grinned widely, eyes blazing with passion as he roared: "Yes! You have the passion, and you have the skill! But I am the greatest of all Luchadores!"
El Casco suddenly leapt upwards and yanked the mare off his back, swinging her down into the floor back-first with a crushing thud before he wrapped both forelegs around her throat, crushing down on her neck as she gasped. She began to weaken as El Casco grinned... but then, in a surge of sudden strength and vitality, she seized both his forelimbs and yanked him forwards into a roll with her, slamming the stallion down onto his back.
His forelegs went comically wide, and Ex Parte flung herself high into the air, then dropped elbow-first onto the stallion, making him gasp in surprise more than pain... but it still left him vulnerable for long enough that Ex Parte was able to seize one of his forelegs and roll onto her back, locking her rear legs in a scissors around his neck as she stretched his foreleg out over her body.
The stallion was rendered helpless, gritting his teeth as Ex Parte growled like a chihuahua and fiercely pulled back on his foreleg. But then her eyes widened as El Casco roared and slowly began to raise his foreleg, pulling her along with him before he suddenly rolled to the side and yanked the mare through the air, slamming her face-first down into the ground and knocking her loose with a gasp.
Immediately, he pounced on top of her, then attempted to slam his horseshoe-covered face down in a vicious finisher, but Ex Parte roared and slammed her own head back against him, surprising him as he was repelled. He stared down at her for a moment, then said incredulously: "But El Casco has never failed to crush his foes beneath his mighty hoof!"
"That's because I already submitted my injunction!" Ex Parte shouted, and then both her rear hooves slammed up under his chin, knocking him crashing off her as the mare rolled backwards. El Casco barely managed to stagger up to a standing position, starting to get into a defensive pose before his eyes widened as the mare pointed at him. "And now it's time for a declaration of irreparable harm!"
"This can't be happening!" El Casco cried, stepping back as he shielded himself as best he could with his forelegs, and then he gritted his teeth when Ex Parte charged before suddenly leaping into the air, launching himself straight at the mare as he started to swing his head down... but fearlessly, Ex Parte leapt up and caught him around the neck, letting her legs kick out as they spun wildly together before slamming down to the floor with a tremendous bang.
El Casco gasped, and then Ex Parte rolled on top of him, yanking him back by the shoulders before slamming him face-first down into the ground. She yanked him up again, then held him in place as she shouted: "Where's your counter-motion?"
She slammed him down into the ground again, then yanked him back as he gargled, eyes rolling in his head as she snapped: "Because I'm gonna petition for habeas corpus! And it's gonna be your corpus, El Casco!"
She slammed him down into the ground again, then yanked him back up and this time flung him onto his back, leaping forwards and dropping to pin him as she straddled the helpless stallion, who stared up at her with amazement. "And it's just about time for the judge to make his ruling!"
Ex Parte growled down at him, and El Casco stared up at her before he gritted his teeth and reached up to grab her shoulders, shouting: "Well, El Casco never stops walking! And he's gonna walk all over you, Ex Parte!"
He reversed the hold, slamming her down and grinning... and then he stared as Ex Parte only grinned back, snapping: "Except in this court, the only right you have is the right to a fair beating! And I'm about to serve you up a notice of smackdown!"
Ex Parte suddenly rolled beneath him, slipping free from his grip and then bouncing to her hooves under the short stallion to lift him off the ground. For a moment, he laid across her back, looking stupefied... before Ex Parte bucked hard forwards and caught him at the same time, flinging him down and slamming him headfirst into the ground.
For a moment, El Casco tottered back and forth on his head, awkwardly balanced on his face before he slowly keeled forwards and landed with a thump on his back. He stared blankly up at the ceiling, and then he whispered: "Madre de Dios. I cannot believe it."
"Well you better, because the jury just found you guilty on all counts." Ex Parte retorted, and then she reached down and forced the stallion to sit up, El Casco wincing before his eyes widened in horror as the mare seized the metal horseshoe on the front of his mask. "And the sentence is death for El Casco!"
Ex Parte tore the Luchador's mask off and thrust it into the air above her head, and Neato Burrito grabbed at his face before throwing his forelegs wide and howling a denial to the ceiling. Then, slowly, he tottered to the side and curled up in the fetal position, staring off into the distance with glassy eyes.
Applejack and Rainbow Dash both looked up disbelievingly as Ex Parte nodded firmly and flung the mask down, and then the Pegasus scowled as she carefully approached, peering down at the stallion and poking him a few times as she muttered: "Hey. He doesn't look that badly hurt."
"Well, duh, I wasn't trying to hurt him you guys. We were wrestling, not fighting." Ex Parte said reasonably before she reached up and yanked her mask off with a bright smile. "It's all about the show and the style and the substance, not who throws the hardest punch! Don't you guys know anything?"
Applejack and Rainbow Dash both stared at the mare disbelievingly... and then Celestia said coldly: "Thank you, girls, you've all made my job much easier."
All five mares looked up as Morpheus' eyes widened, Celestia suddenly breaking contact to slash her horn out, and a massive wave of golden flames tore through the air. Antecedes and Morpheus both immediately shielded themselves, but the mares screamed as the waves of aureate fire passed over them before their bodies - along with Neato Burrito's - were all encased in solid stone.
Celestia smiled ruthlessly, throwing off her cloak as her mane sparked and her eyes glowed with anger and power, saying icily: "Now I've eliminated one problem. The Elements of Harmony will no longer function. Now you can't reach the Tablet of Dreams... not that I'm going to give you the chance to. Either surrender, Morpheus, or I will kill you."
"I can save them, Morpheus. For... for the sake of the plan, of course." Antecedes said in a low voice, and Morpheus hesitated, biting his lip and feeling a strange churning inside his stomach...
"No, you can't." Celestia said almost gently, interrupting the stallion's thoughts, and she chuckled softly before her horn glowed brightly, continuing with the faintest hint of regret: "It's too bad, though. They were good little listeners, the perfect little 'heroes' for our nation. But at least I might be able to salvage Twilight, if she's still alive in that box you put her in."
The glow around her horn grew brighter before she suddenly snapped her head back, closing her eyes and arching her back with a cold smile, a tremble running through the world before cracks tore through the floor around her and the ceiling high above. The fractures spread as the earth began to shake, and Morpheus snarled as Antecedes leapt into action with a curse, almost tackling the statues of Rarity and Fluttershy before they both vanished in a flash of red light.
Morpheus leapt up over the dais his throne sat on, before his eyes widened as he saw the ground around the other four statues was already heaving apart. So, acting on instinct more than anything else, he snapped his horn out as he shouted: "Only you, Celestia, could make me want to save these stupid goody-two-hooves!"
A black sphere formed around the statues, the wall of the forcefield disintegrating whatever it touched even as it lifted the four petrified ponies into the safety of the heart of its dark embrace. Morpheus gritted his teeth as several massive chunks of stone ceiling collapsed over the shield, but they too were dissolved into dust and ashes on contact with the terrible orb, before the winged unicorn's eyes flashed, and the sphere of dark energy vanished, statues and all.
Then he turned a glare towards Celestia, stepping back in front of his throne even as the world rocked and shifted around him, ignoring the chunks of ceiling hailing down all around his once-beautiful fortress as their eyes locked. Darkness and Light faced each other, and in that moment, it wasn't about saving Equestria or destroying it, about good or evil, right or wrong: all that mattered was that one pony was going to win... and the other was going to die. |
One Wish For Nothing | The Killing Light | Chapter Six: The Killing Light
~BlackRoseRaven
Morpheus and Celestia stood some thirty feet apart, the ivory mare seeming to glare down at him patronizingly in spite of the fact he had the higher ground with the dais he was standing on. He gritted his teeth, hating how she was looking at him, lording over him... and yet for some reason, that wasn't what was making him angriest right now.
"How could you just throw away their lives like that? They trusted you, and... you, so-called 'savior,' you proved you really are nothing more than the Killing Light! You tried to kill them, not just innocent ponies, but the Elements of Harmony, heroes of your nation!" Morpheus snapped, gesturing angrily out around his destroyed throne room as the dust and shaking finally settled.
Celestia only smiled coldly in response, shaking her head slowly before she asked contemptibly: "And what do you know about 'sacrifice,' Morpheus? Sacrificing the things you hold dear yourself, I mean, not... using up and throwing away the lives of other innocent ponies who mean nothing to you."
The ivory mare was still smiling, but her eyes were blazing, and her mane was slowly beginning to separate into glowing, crackling strands as she continued icily: "I do. You seem to think you know all about me... who I really am, where I came from, what I am capable of. But you know none of these things. You have no idea what horrors we fought when we first came to this brittle and blackened land, more than a thousand years ago now. You have no idea how it felt to watch my friends ripped apart by monsters, and politics tear my illustrious family apart. I did the only thing I could do!"
Morpheus shivered a little as Celestia's eyes blazed, the mare leaning forwards and snarling: "We were here to bring order and justice! But those savages refused to give up their beliefs, refused to elevate themselves to a higher, purer level! We were as angels and they were nothing but dogs!"
Morpheus winced as tremors tore through the room, before he set himself and said coldly: "Except you weren't shy about helping yourself to their treasures along the way, now were you? Don't lie to me or yourself, Celestia: the Forgotten Crusade was about curbing a growing threat to the Old Kingdom and stealing treasure more than anything else. Something I would actually admire if you weren't so self-righteous about it."
"To the victor go the spoils, Morpheus." Celestia smiled thinly, and then she straightened as the choker around her neck gleamed, her eyes glowing with power as she said with disgust: "I claimed what was rightfully mine. You are a thief, a coward, and... pathetic."
"Pathetic, yes, I'm the pathetic one here." Morpheus rolled his eyes, then he pointed towards the ivory mare and said darkly: "You made me what I am today, Celestia. You created me, with your absolute refusal to give me so much as a chance... all I wanted was a chance! I came to you with an understanding of night magic that, even in the past, completely dwarfed even the most knowledgeable necromancer or keeper of secrets!"
Celestia laughed shortly at this, shaking her head slowly. "All you brought were bad memories. Now, you and I, here and now... we are going to settle things. In the past, when I led the crusades here, I saw terrible, awful things, and I met a ruler who refused to do anything for her people even though they saw her as a goddess. Who refused to use her power to end the conflict..."
Celestia lowered her head, shaking it contemptibly before she said coldly: "She talked down to me, you know. She saw me... likely similar to the way that I see you. A meddling, rude little insect, a cockroach... no, a maggot. A slimy little rot-eater. But the difference between you and I, Moonflower, is that my goals are noble. Even if you kill me, you'll only make me a martyr. And the ponies will never obey you, never listen to you, never accept you."
"Maybe not. But I don't need them to..." Morpheus gritted his teeth, shaking his head and glaring at her furiously. "You've built yourself a house of cards, Celestia, and the only thing I want to do is smash it down. Once I get the Tablet of Dreams, I'll use it to do to your happy little sycophants precisely what you did to me: wish them away into an endless darkness... and the only difference between what they'll suffer and I did is that none of them will escape."
Celestia smiled coldly at this, leaning forwards as her horn sparked, her eyes glowing as she said coldly: "So you'll punish the entire world just because you were held accountable for your actions, is that it? You really are pathetic, Moonflower."
Morpheus snorted at this, then he looked up coldly and retorted: "I'll punish the world for all the reasons you already gave me, Celestia. Because this is your world, not mine. Because this is a world of light, and happiness, and I am evil and darkness. Because I will never be accepted by these ponies, just like you told me: and if I'm going to be alone, I'd rather be alone in the darkness than forced to spend my solitude surrounded by happy ponies, living together in their wretched, false harmony you've imposed over them."
The ivory mare laughed shortly at this, and then she shook her head slowly before saying in a disgusted voice: "Then so be it, Morpheus. But the Tablet of Dreams isn't the only artifact of great power in my possession."
She rose her head, smiling coldly as the choker around her neck gleamed, and Morpheus began to snarl before the mare snapped her head forwards and unleashed a tremendous blast of golden flame. It smashed into the stallion, too large to dodge and too fast to stop, and he was flung backwards through his own throne to crash into the back wall.
The stallion snarled as he tore himself loose from the cracked stone, his eyes blazing, his body seared and aching... but it was anger more than pain that drove him as he snapped: "Go ahead, use all the stupid little toys you want, Celestia, but you'll never be as powerful as I am!"
Celestia snarled as she snapped her horn down, unleashing another torrent of holy fire, but this time Morpheus was prepared: he flapped his wings hard as he leapt straight up, veering out of the way before he fired a black fireball at the mare, but Celestia only flicked her horn to the side and negated it with her own magic, saying with disgust: "You're nothing but an ignorant child, Morpheus. Even a foal wouldn't be so direct with such a weak spell."
She flicked her horn sharply, replying with another massive blast of golden flames, and Morpheus snarled as he lashed his horn forwards, creating a shield of black energy that the holy fire uselessly disintegrated against.
The stallion shoved his front hooves into the barrier, his horn glowing darkly as the black shield slowly began to spin, becoming a black vortex that started to slowly but steadily expand as it pulled in debris and energy. Celestia swore under her breath as she felt it pulling at her, glaring furiously up at the stallion before she dragged herself backwards even as she felt the strength of its grasp increasing.
Her horn glowed brightly as she continued to pull herself away from the growing grip of the vortex, swearing under her breath before she suddenly stomped both hooves savagely into the ground. Cracks ripped through the floor in front of her, speeding forwards before a massive pillar of stone ripped out ground behind the vortex, smashing into Morpheus and knocking him out of the air with a curse of pain.
The black vortex sparked before it exploded in a tremendous black wave that hit Morpheus before he could crash to the ground, flinging him bonelessly across his throne room: the force of the shockwave knocked Celestia staggering as well, and sent several more thin sections of wall collapsing into ruin, filling the air with dust and debris.
Celestia looked sharply back and forth as she recovered, before she snarled as she sensed movement, snapping her horn to the side... but all she hit was another tottering wall, blowing it into pieces in a flash of white light. She swore under her breath, eyes glowing, her mane separated now into long, glowing strands of multicolored energy that looked almost serpentine, eyes glowing with eerie amethyst light as she hissed: "Where are you..."
A rock flew at her, but Celestia slapped it aside before cursing and raising one wing as a blast of black fire streaked towards her: they bounced almost uselessly off the almost-glowing white feathers, however, and Celestia spun towards Morpheus as she lashed her horn out, sending a blade of golden light streaking through the air.
Morpheus deflected this with his own horn, and then he grinned coldly as he fired a volley of dark magic back at the mare. But every crescent blade he launched was met and canceled out by a blade of holy light, before Celestia roared and snapped her horn forwards, and six missiles of white energy streaked out of her horn, zigzagging wildly in every direction before they homed sharply in on the stallion.
Morpheus barely managed to avoid two of the bullets of energy, while the rest hammered viciously against his body, bruising and burning him as he was flung backwards to crash and roll painfully away on his back. But he recovered quickly, gritting his teeth as he forced himself to shove backwards and land on his stomach... before wincing and creating a wall of black energy in front of himself as another barrage of golden blades shot towards him.
His barrier held under the assault, and Morpheus gave a sigh of relief... a moment before the ground beneath him exploded in a tremendous burst of white light, the stallion sent flying through the air to bounce painfully off the black crystal box imprisoning Twilight Sparkle, sending cracks through the dark stone before he landed with a thump on the other side.
Celestia snarled, launching a mortar of holy energy after the stallion: this crashed down on top of the box and exploded with a tremendous wave of white energy, knocking Morpheus rolling backwards with a curse and shattering the top of the box completely. Then the ivory mare paused before scowling as a whimpering Twilight Sparkle stuck her head out of the box, looking back and forth fearfully before Celestia snapped: "Twilight! Come here!"
Twilight Sparkle looked at her mentor... and her eyes widened in fear at what she saw, as the gorgonesque mare glared at her with hate-filled, glowing violet sockets, her tendril mane snapping back and forth, her body thrumming with a terrible, unnatural radiance. The violet mare trembled violently for a moment... and then Celestia snarled, her horn glowing gold, and the purple mare screaming in agony and falling to the ground as pain ripped through her system. "Do not make me repeat myself!"
"Your hypocrisy will be your undoing, Celestia." Morpheus said coldly as he stood up, glaring furiously over at the ivory mare, and she slowly turned her attention to him with a look of contempt. But Morpheus looked fearlessly back, brushing at himself slowly as he said with disgust: "Magic is only a tool. It is what we do with it that determines whether it is good or evil... and at least I'm open about my aims, Celestia. You... you are only the Killing Light."
Celestia snarled furiously... and then, slowly, she steadied herself before giving a cruel smile. She snapped her horn to the side, and Twilight Sparkle was batted away like a toy, crashing bonelessly to the ground on the other side of the throne room as the mare said darkly: "You're only right about one thing, Morpheus. Because you see... even when I must allow the darkness to live, I keep it in chains and shackles. I show no mercy for anyone infected by the disease of shadow. None of them can handle it: Antecedes, you, Twilight Sparkle... all of them are corrupted by it. That is why they must be controlled, and monitored, and punished... and eventually disposed of, when they get too strong or when they refuse to listen to my orders. When they refuse to serve the light.
"But I am the Killing Light, Morpheus." Celestia smiled coldly, raising her head and saying softly: "And I'm going to give you the honor of fighting me as I was in my prime. Before I took on this... tawdry, stupid disguise to make the ponies listen to me."
Celestia stomped her hooves down, her eyes glowing as she dropped her head forwards and snarled, white light spreading over her body as her choker gleamed dangerously around her neck, and Morpheus gritted his teeth and winced away as the glow built higher and higher... and then it vanished, and left an armor-clad beast in its wake.
A cold smile spread over a scaled face crisscrossed with scars, half-equine and half-dragon. Two new, darker and sleeker horns pushed out the back of her skull through a mane of tendrils that snaked and twisted over her now armored back, kept out of her face by the heavy crown-helm over her features that was designed to add extra support to her unicorn horn, which had become bladed and even larger. Massive, bladed boots protected her hooves, and large, feathered wings stretched out and flapped slowly, eagle-like at first glance... demonic at the second, with the almost-hidden claws at the end of each and their enormous, draconic structure.
She was covered form head-to-tail in thick golden plating, gothic spikes sticking out of her shoulders and running along her limbs and down the length of her thick tail; this particular armored appendage ended in four huge, thick blades, turning her tail into a flanged mace that weaved slowly back and forth.
And at her neck, that choker glowed brightly, feeding her power as the half-dragon, half-mare said coldly: "You called me the Killing Light, Morpheus. The ponies call me Celestia. But the name you curs first came to know me by was Lady Stronghold Halfdragon."
"The most feared commander of the crusades. When I was a foal, parents were still telling their children that if they misbehaved, Lady Halfdragon would devour them." Morpheus said coldly, his eyes narrowed, his body tense as they faced each other. "Shouldn't that tell you we're more alike than you want to admit?"
Celestia... no, Halfdragon only laughed loudly before she shook her head slowly and said quietly: "My name has been erased from the sands of time. No one knows the truth... that I used the Tablet of Dreams to replace Princess Celestia after I killed her. What choice did I have, though? We were sent here to purge the barbarians and monsters from this land, to bring the Order of the White Dragon here. Our prophets told us that our God demanded war and eradication of those ponies who would not serve."
Morpheus laughed at this, and Halfdragon narrowed her eyes at him before he asked mockingly: "Is the god of dragons really so impotent he's scared of a few ponies on the other side of the ocean?"
Halfdragon snarled... but then she caught herself, instead smiling thinly before shaking her head and saying with disgust: "We are not dragons, like the brutes that live throughout Equestria. We are... were Draekin. But in a moment of... of stupidity and weakness, our holy army was disbanded and excommunicated by the High Elder after all the work we had done for God, and we were left alone in this wretched place..."
The mare shook her head shortly again, and then she closed her eyes and smiled thinly. "My home country was destroyed shortly after. Of course it was: peace is maintained through force, unity is maintained by conformity. The High Elder turned against these teachings. I don't know and don't care why. I do know that the leader of the ponies, Princess Celestia, had spoken to him, and even if she refused to force order over this country... the ponies listened to her. And in her presence, I felt..."
Halfdragon stopped and almost seemed to lose herself for a moment, then looked coldly across at Morpheus as she flexed her body slowly, then smiled calmly. "Well, Moonflower, you know enough of my secrets, and I've quibbled away enough time with you. Thank you, by the way. For so politely sitting there and listening. It's been a long time since I've been able to show my real face to anyone... and more importantly, it takes quite a while for my strength to reach its peak."
Morpheus only smiled in return, raising his head high and replying pleasantly: "Well, Celestia... or Lady Stronghold Halfdragon, if you prefer... I wouldn't want to fight you if you weren't feeling your best. After all, I want to make it clear, beyond the shadow of a doubt, which of us is superior. And besides... you've given me all the more reason to kill you and destroy this entire country."
The mare snorted, then reached up and snapped her helm's visor down over her eyes, her expression cold as she said contemptibly: "I've saved this country. I brought them together, under one banner, under one rule. It's too bad I have to kill you now, Moonflower, you would have made a pretty ornament to add to my collection. And you'd make an excellent test subject for conversion... a process I've been working on for many years now, that turns negative energy into positive power. My ultimate answer for this nation of ponies that seem to always revert to their old ways."
"That's funny, Lady Halfdragon. I thought you were a commander of the crusaders. There's something in most religions about greed and lust and hate, isn't there?" Morpheus asked moodily, looking at the mare with an almost childish disgust. "Even you have to realize you can't just take everything that's 'evil' in the world, and try and make it 'good.'"
But Halfdragon only grinned coldly, replying darkly: "We did God's work, and we were thrown to the wolves for it. What I've learned is that god doesn't exist, and rules are only for the weak. But I am strong, Morpheus: I can handle the weight of my so-called 'sins.' The rest of the world either can't, or won't... and so they leave me no choice but to take matters into my own hooves."
And, without wasting another word, Lady Halfdragon leapt suddenly forwards, snapping her horn out and unleashing a blast of holy fire straight at Morpheus. But the stallion deflected this with a bolt of dark energy, before snarling and snapping his horn back and forth as Halfdragon roared and fired spell after spell at him.
Blasts of magic collided in the air and ricocheted off each other, smashing apart stone and forcing the two to struggle to focus through the explosions of light and sound that wreaked havoc on their senses. But every spell was countered or neutralized by their opponent: Morpheus' dark magic had barely managed to leave a single burn against Halfdragon's armor, and Halfdragon's holy energy had only left the smallest of scratches over Morpheus' side.
Then Halfdragon suddenly leapt upwards, flapping her wings hard and taking to the air: Morpheus cursed as he quickly backpedaled, looking up before his eyes widened in horror as Halfdragon leaned down and roared out a blast of white hellfire: an attack he admittedly hadn't expected from a creature he was still thinking of as Celestia.
He leapt to the side, and the scouring flames slowly pursued him as the mare snarled in fury. The power of it was incredible and intense, and Morpheus grimaced as he realized that this kind of attack would likely eat through even his strongest defense... except...
His eyes widened, and he suddenly snapped a hoof upwards, a black wall appearing in a blind spot at Halfdragon's side before he shoved his other hoof up in front of him, a second black vortex forming. The gout of flames blasted down into this as Halfdragon grinned cruelly... before her eyes widened in shock as her own fire was redirected through the dark oval beside her, her wings flapping wildly as her own flames seared her armor and roasted her flesh.
She fell from the air a moment later to land on her hooves with a tremendous crash, snarling; but before she could regain her balance, she was driven backwards by a barrage of black magic, bolts of dark lightning sizzling and crackling around her body as she swore and shook herself back and forth angrily, shouting: "I will not stand for this embarrassment, filth!"
Her horn glowed brightly before she snapped it back with a roar, and a blast of force and flame erupted through the air around her, negating Morpheus' magic and knocking him crashing backwards with a wince. The winged unicorn barely managed to catch himself before his eyes widened as Halfdragon leapt out of the inferno, her eyes blazing with hatred and her horn thrumming with power.
She snapped the spire forwards, and a tremendous blast of white lightning hammered into Morpheus and launched him backwards with a squeal before he crashed and bounced violently over the floor until he hit the wall with a thunk. Halfdragon grinned coldly at this, then seized the stunned stallion with telekinesis before he could resist, the mare spinning around and lashing him through the air to send him flying face-first into another section of wall.
He smashed through the thin stone plate with a tremendous crash, striking the wall past it and knocking that section crumbling forwards. He ended up sprawled out over the fallen slab, his eyes rolling in his head, his expression dazed before he shook himself out and mumbled: "Perhaps Antecedes was right with all his... complaining about shoddy work..."
Morpheus shook himself out, then turned around and gritted his teeth, shoving himself off the fallen wall and launching back into the throne room area... only to squeal like a filly and kick wildly at the air as Halfdragon's bladed tail snapped down towards him. He barely managed to throw himself out of the way, hitting the ground painfully on his side... but it was much better than being torn in half by the deadly mace-tail.
Halfdragon yanked her tail back as she leapt at Morpheus with a snarl, but the stallion managed to roll out of the way before he snapped his horn out, and a spinning wave of dark energy slammed into Halfdragon, yanking her violently backwards in a wild, out-of-control whirl before she crashed down to the ground on her face, rolling almost comically backwards. But she caught herself with a snarl and skidded around in a half-circle, her eyes blazing as she roared: "I'll rip you apart!"
She snapped her horn out, and a massive blade of golden energy ripped towards the stallion, Morpheus' eyes widening in shock as he barely managed to duck out of the way of the blast of magic. He glanced over his shoulder in disbelief as he heard an awful smashing noise, and he stared with horror at the sight of the rear wall of the throne room: a slash almost ten feet long had been torn through it by the blast, at least a meter deep. Even he wouldn't survive getting hit with one of those attacks...
He turned around just in time to see Halfdragon follow up with two more that formed a crisscrossing X, and the stallion gritted his teeth before he ran forwards and then furled his wings tightly at his sides as he dove through the narrow space beneath the crossed blades.
Halfdragon's eyes widened in surprise, and then Morpheus snapped his horn out and blasted her with a telekinetic hammer, knocking her rearing back as she snarled in fury and spread her wings on instinct. But before she could anchor herself back to earth, Morpheus snapped his horn straight up, and a tornado of black energy tore up around the mare, yanking her off-balance body into the air as she howled in frustration and fury, one of her wings snapping loudly as the other tried uselessly to steer her into some kind of control.
She was dragged almost up to the ceiling by the black twister before it simply disintegrated, and the mare was dropped unceremoniously through the air, crashing down through one of the wall sections head-first with a tremendous bang. Morpheus couldn't help but grin at the sight of this as he stood up, then he called mockingly: "What's wrong? I thought you were supposed to be a feared crusader, not a... fearful pushover!"
Morpheus began to smile... and then the world all-but-exploded, the stallion flinching away from the terrible light that filled the air before he looked up in horror at the sight of Halfdragon standing with a look of absolute hatred on her bloody features, her eyes glowing with rage as dozens of pieces of broken stone wall floated like jagged blades around her, the mare roaring: "I'll show you why I was the bane of your nation, pack-beast!"
Massive chunks of concrete shot through the air, one after the other, and Morpheus was barely able to dodge back and forth between them: except every time a piece of stone drew close, it exploded in a hail of shrapnel and aureate fire, digging gashes through his body and distracting him.
He attempted to shield himself, but he couldn't concentrate enough to prepare the magic. Instead, his badly-timed pause was rewarded with a large chunk of rock to the face, knocking him sprawling backwards in a broken heap before he howled in misery as an avalanche of burning, magic-charged rock was slung on top of him.
Halfdragon grinned, then she ran forwards before tackling the stallion just as he started to scramble upwards, pinning him cruelly on his back. She leaned down, eyes blazing as she shoved her face down into his, and hissed: "See? You're nothing. You're a worthless little pile of meat. You don't have power: I have power. I have everything, and you have nothing. Your friends aren't going to come running to your aid: darkness is a dead end, useful only when I need a quick and dirty solution."
Morpheus gritted his teeth... and then Halfdragon brought a hoof up and smashed it down into his face, crushing his features down into the ground as she bared her fangs at him. "I feel younger than I have in years! I'd forgotten everything I'd given up... this, you see, this is sacrifice! I was born to be judgment and wrath, to be the sword of Heaven... but instead, I had to give all that up to become a preening little pony princess, and pretend to be loving and compassionate and kind. I had to rule them like I really was some useless alicorn named Celestia. I had to become Celestia. And I did it for the greater good, to serve and protect these ponies!"
"You did it... to rule them yourself... because you think you're better and stronger than them, because you think you know what's best for them and... you're scared of them." Morpheus retorted... and then he cursed in pain when Halfdragon slapped him across the face, looking down at him with disgust and hatred.
"I did it because without my aid, they were barbarians. Unicorns enslaved earth ponies and Pegasi were thugs and the few earth ponies that escaped their masters became criminals. Your people were primitives, savages, ruled over by a Princess who didn't care about them! I cared! And when god abandoned me, when I learned Heaven does not watch out for us and our world, I made it my mission to be that god, that ruler, that controller, to keep Equestria from becoming a threat to itself or the rest of the world!" Halfdragon snarled, seizing him by the throat and shaking him roughly. "How many people would give up their lives to protect the very people they had been sent to destroy? I have trained these ponies to protect what is good, and to eradicate what is evil! I am their savior!"
Morpheus laughed weakly at this, and then he smiled bitterly before whispering: "And here I thought that I was supposed to have the delusions of godhood, as the villain and all... that's rather disappointing. I may call myself Prince of Darkness, God of Evil, oh, any of these other silly names... but I know in my heart I'll never be anyone more than Moonflower, the colt no one loved, the little boy that will always be alone, forever..."
"Not for much longer, Moonflower. Very shortly, you'll be dead." Halfdragon said contemptibly, and then she pinned him down by the shoulders as she asked cruelly: "So do you have any last words? If you beg, I might be willing to let you live a little longer. I've missed having someone to talk to."
"You're deranged. And that's not a compliment coming from me." Morpheus replied gently, and then he gave a thin smile before adding calmly: "And I'm the one with the upper hoof here, I'm afraid... so if anyone here should be begingg for life, it's you."
Halfdragon gave a cruel grin, opening her mouth... and then her eyes widened in shock as there was a distinct cracking sound. She trembled for a moment, then reached a hoof slowly up to touch her choker, before she snarled as she felt the amethyst orb flaking and tumbling away under her gentle touch, reduced to nothing but blackened, broken pieces.
She looked down at Morpheus, who smiled coldly back up at her before he winked as his horn gave one brief black glow... and then the radiance and the sense of magic vanished, as he asked wryly: "Didn't you teach me that it was a beginner's level trick to cloak your magic?"
Halfdragon snarled, then wrenched him up off the ground before turning and flinging him across the room. Morpheus barely managed to catch himself before his eyes widened as he felt a tremendous surge of magic power as the mare roared furiously: "Then why don't we stop playing games, Moonflower?"
She snapped her horn forwards, and it felt like she had just channeled all the raw power of the sun into the roaring comet that streaked towards him. And Morpheus realized with horror that all that energy, crammed into one barely-focused, barely-coherent meteor, was going to create a blast of apocalyptic magnitude. It wasn't just going to erase him if it hit: it was going to eradicate this entire fortress, likely including Halfdragon herself.
Morpheus leapt into the air and flapped his wings hard, the fireball tearing past him before it started to curve downwards... but if it hit the ground, he knew they were all just as dead. So instead, he snapped his horn down, a blast of black lightning hammering into the fireball before it formed a latticework of energy around the meteor, multiple leashes of lightning feeding out of this back to the stallion's front hooves and horn.
He roared as he flapped his wings hard and wrenched upwards with all the strength he could muster, gritting his teeth as he hoped against hope this was going to work. The comet streaked towards the ceiling, and the stallion snapped the leashes of dark energy binding him to it before he snapped his horn out to boost the fireball wrapped in the net of black lightning with all the power he could spare.
It shot upwards and hit the fractured ceiling... and thankfully, tore straight through it. It rose, higher and higher, as Halfdragon's eyes widened and she strode forwards, staring up through the collapsing roof before she shouted in denial as it streaked into the sky...
The fireball rose... and then suddenly gleamed brightly before exploding in a monumental burst that shook the walls of the fortress and sent a rain of fire cascading over the swamps and dark forest. Morpheus was knocked to the ground by the force of the blast, and Halfdragon staggered back and forth, struggling to maintain her balance before she cried out in denial again: partly because of her failure to destroy them all, and partly because her body was beginning to revert, armor loosening against her frame and her mane starting to fuse back together into one radiant mass.
Then she snarled in fury as she spun towards Morpheus, charging sloppily for him even as the stallion began to pick himself up. He barely had the time to look up before a hoof smashed across his face, knocking him onto his back with a wince before Halfdragon shouted furiously down at him: "There is no retreat, Morpheus! I don't care how powerful you've become, I will fight you and I will destroy you, do you understand?"
Morpheus glared up at her... and then he looked to the side in surprise as a trembling voice asked weakly: "P-Princess... what.... what's going on..."
Halfdragon's eyes widened before she turned towards Twilight Sparkle, who was staring with horror at the mare... and for good reason. Bits and pieces of her body had returned to Celestia's shape, but with the dragon scales and the horns and other parts of her body that had yet to revert, she looked even more monstrous, especially in her damaged, bloodied armor. "Twilight Sparkle... I..."
Halfdragon gritted her teeth, and then she stepped back and ordered sharply, pointing at Morpheus: "Kill him. I order you to finish him off."
"Oh please, Lady Halfdragon. If you can't kill me, a novice like her can't. Leave her out of this." Morpheus interrupted irritably as he climbed to his hooves, and the ivory half-pony glared at him furiously as he looked coldly back. "Die with dignity. Because unlike you, I don't enjoy the thought of making people beg for their lives when I have interest in leaving them alive."
Twilight swallowed thickly, looking back and forth between the two disbelievingly as Halfdragon gritted her malformed teeth... and then she suddenly spun towards Twilight, eyes blazing as she snarled: "I gave you an order!"
Her horn glowed, and even if her magic sputtered weakly, it was still enough to send the violet mare into agony, screaming as she dropped and hugged her stomach. Morpheus' eyes widened in shock at this, before he snarled when Halfdragon suddenly picked the convulsing mare up with telekinesis before turning and flinging Twilight savagely at him.
He caught her with a curse... and then howled in pain when a blast of golden flames followed up the unicorn, sending her flopping bonelessly away to crash on her side with a whimper and a gasp, as Morpheus hit the ground on his back. Then he hissed in shock as golden restraints formed around his forelimbs and yanked them both wide, pinning him to the ground as Halfdragon slowly began to approach, growling even as her horn sparked and her body shivered with pain: "I will do anything it takes to protect what I have built... their lives mean nothing to me, all that matters is purging this country of all evil..."
"You are evil, Halfdragon. A competing evil." Morpheus growled, and then his horn glowed blackly and released a pulse of powerful magic, making the mare wince as the restraints binding him were shattered. And his horn continued to crackle with dark power as he climbed to his hooves, his eyes blazing with a rage he couldn't entirely explain at the way Halfdragon so carelessly tortured, cheated, hurt others just to maintain a worthless facade even she seemed to hate... "I don't like competitors."
There was a rumble from behind Halfdragon, and the mare frowned before her eyes widened in horror as a black vortex swirled into being. But this wasn't like the portals before: this malevolence exerted a titanic pull that immediately began to drag her backwards as it sucked up stone and debris, and it devoured even light...
"No... no!" Halfdragon tried to throw herself forwards, eyes filling with fear as the black hole dragged her slowly but steadily backwards. She snarled, then swore and looked over her shoulder in horror as chunks of armor were peeled from her body like skin from a fruit, cursing as she struggled to resist the tightening grasp of the vortex.
Morpheus bared his fangs at her, glaring furiously at the mare as he kept himself anchored, trying to use his raw hatred to will her into the portal. But Halfdragon, even exhausted and with barely a shred of magic left, was putting up a tremendous fight against him. And if he wanted to maintain control over this powerful and dangerous a spell, he couldn't risk so much as moving a single step.
Halfdragon snarled, glaring furiously at the stallion before she tried to lurch towards him... but the pull was too strong. No, she needed to make him cancel the spell... and the mare gritted her teeth before shouting suddenly: "I... I surrender! You're right, you're... you win, just please don't kill me!"
"Then allow me to show you the same mercy you showed me!" Morpheus retorted, his eyes blazing as he focused more energy into the magic, and Halfdragon howled as the entire tail section of her armor was torn free and devoured by the black hole, the mare clawing at the stone floor for any kind of purchase.
She snarled, raising her horn as it glowed, but Morpheus only grinned at her challengingly, fearlessly, which confirmed her worry: this vortex wasn't going to magically go away if he lost his concentration. He was willing to risk killing them all to kill her... or at least...
Halfdragon's sharp eyes flicked towards Twilight Sparkle, who was trembling on the ground, staring at her... and then the violet mare convulsed as Halfdragon's horn glowed brightly, and she ordered sharply: "Throw yourself into the vortex!"
"What?" Morpheus' eyes widened as he looked with disbelief towards the violet unicorn... and then he shouted a useless denial as the young mare shoved herself up to her hooves, swaying back and forth and whimpering as tears filled her eyes, staggering weakly into the pull of the black hole and letting herself be drawn towards it: whatever Halfdragon had done to her, Twilight couldn't fight it.
The stallion snarled, his eyes flicking back and forth, breathing hard and not knowing what to do before he suddenly swore and snapped his horn down. And immediately, the black hole snapped shut, letting Halfdragon leap forwards with a cold grin before she turned towards Twilight Sparkle and lunged, stabbing her horn cruelly down.
Twilight looked weakly up as her mentor's horn thrust towards her... and then the violet mare's eyes widened in shock as she realized there was something over her. A shadow, and a warm weight.. and then the Princess she had once so adored slowly stumbled backwards, gasping quietly, trembling violently as she clutched at a bloody wound torn down the side of her neck.
Morpheus breathed hard, not even knowing how he'd moved so fast... although he'd suffered for it, too, from the long slash ripped down his own face. He didn't know if Halfdragon had expected him to try and protect Twilight or not, but the mare was devious... but not fast enough to take advantage of the opening she'd created either by accident or intention, with how beaten and low on energy she was.
Halfdragon staggered backwards even as her features finished reverting to that of Celestia's, and she trembled for a moment before slumping to the ground, bleeding heavily from the gaping wound in her throat. Morpheus shook his head in contempt... then stared in disbelief as Twilight launched herself out from under him, running over to the mare and catching her head as it fell, crying out: "C-Celestia! Princess Celestia!"
Lady Halfdragon only laughed weakly at this, shaking her head slowly before she whispered: "Stupid filly. I'm not... I'm not your..."
Her eyes fluttered, and then she snarled and attempted to look up, rasping: "My... sister will stop you. Worthless, stupid brat or not... she can reach the Tablet of Dreams before you can. You're going to die, Morpheus. You're going to die horribly."
"Princess, shush now, we're... I c-can try and heal this, you need to stop talking, though, you're making yourself bleed more and-" Twilight Sparkle was abruptly cut off as Halfdragon shoved her away with surprising strength, and the violet mare whimpered as the not-Princess glared up at her coldly.
"I thought... you would be my successor. Instead, you're... nothing but..." Halfdragon coughed, then shivered once before dropping her head to the ground, and Twilight Sparkle trembled violently before hugging the mare's head tightly and burying her face down in her mane.
She shivered, trying to hold back her sobs before she opened her eyes... and then almost threw herself backwards in shock as she saw not a pony, but an ancient, emaciated drake.
She shook her head weakly... then trembled as she turned around, looking up at Morpheus as tears ran down her cheeks. She started to snarl at him, but Morpheus only shook his head before he said softly: "My quarrel isn't with you, Twilight Sparkle. Besides, I need you alive. But if it makes you feel any better, the pain is going to be over soon... for... for all of us."
Twilight looked down, shivering before she gritted her teeth, then turned her teary eyes back up to whisper: "She just wanted to protect us. She loved us. She loved me. She told me so... she s-said I would be... that I could be..."
Morpheus only gave a brief smile, and then he shook his head slowly before he muttered: "I don't think any of us really know what we want. Now, if you'll excuse me, Twilight Sparkle, I have to go and make sure your friends are safe, then head to Canterlot. I'm eager to finally see what the Tablet of Dreams can do... and to make my one wish come true."
"It won't change anything." Twilight whispered as Morpheus began to turn away, and the stallion frowned a little, halting and looking uncertainly over his shoulder at her. But the violet mare only smiled bitterly, shaking her head and looking down as she said bitterly: "Even if you kill us all, what's it going to solve? You'll still be alone. The only difference is you won't have any distractions, any plans, any future. Just a past you'll never, ever be able to get rid of."
Morpheus bit his lip at this, shifting uncertainly for a moment before he shook his head shortly and muttered: "It... it will give me peace, it will. You'll see." He stopped, then scowled a little, adding moodily: "Actually, I suppose you won't."
He stopped, then shifted uncomfortably as Twilight looked up at him coldly before the violet mare turned back towards the drake. A tremble ran down her spine, and then she shook her head fiercely before whispering: "Just go. Leave me alone. All I want to do is spend my last few moments here, with Princess Celestia."
Morpheus opened his mouth... and then he only sighed as the poor, delusional mare silently walked over to the corpse and curled herself against the dead, already-decaying drake. He studied her for a few moments, wishing strangely that he could say something... then only shook his head and finally turned away, bitterly reminding himself that no matter what he did, he was never going to be accepted by any of these ponies anyway. He could conquer even a legend from the past who had usurped a goddess of the present... but none of it changed a thing.
So Morpheus walked away, leaving Twilight Sparkle in the embrace of a husk; and as he left, he couldn't help but reflect bitterly that if only Halfdragon could see the love this little pony still had for her in spite of all that had happened, it would convince her that she had finally succeeded... and destroyed every last shred of dignity these ponies had once possessed in the process. |
One Wish For Nothing | Stubborn In Victory | Chapter Seven: Stubborn In Victory
~BlackRoseRaven
The forest was burning, and Morpheus shivered at the sight of it. The rain of fire that had fallen from Halfdragon's attempt to kill them all had spread far and wide, and he thought that it had maybe set fire even to the grasslands beyond the mountain...
But rain was starting to fall from the storm clouds above, and Morpheus was glad they were getting a chance to do more than just serve as decorations. He shook his head briefly, then glanced down as he heard a ribbit from beside him before smiling a little at the sight of his pet. "Toad, what are you doing here? You should be back at camp."
"Actually, boss, you're the one who should be back at camp right now. That's why I'm here, to get you. They just finished destoning the last pony." Toad replied mildly, jerking his head at him before the amphibian sat back and hesitated. "Hey, uh. Not that it's any of my business or anything, but uh... you okay there? You seem a little... you know, down in the dumps, is all. Shouldn't you be celebrating? You like, freed Equestria of the tyranny of a fake Princess Celestia and all that. I mean, right before you're going to destroy it, sure, but still. Brownie points."
Morpheus grunted, then he shook his head slowly before muttering: "It doesn't feel like a victory. I feel strange, Toad, that's all... I... I just..." Morpheus scowled, then shook his head again, with much more vigor this time. "No, it doesn't matter. I'm going to end this world as we know it, anyway."
Toad sighed a little at this, and then he said wryly: "You know, boss. You could just not end the world. Hell, this is your chance to rule Equestria! Wouldn't that be cool?"
"Not really, Toad." Morpheus reached down and picked the amphibian up, gently placing him on his back before the stallion turned and headed in the direction of their little camp, adding moodily: "Besides, where would I rule from? My fortress is all but completely destroyed. My entire dark army has fled - so much for them being a major plot point in my achievement of world domination - and the ponies all hate me. Why, I bet-"
Then Morpheus yelped in surprise as he was seized in a fierce embrace around the neck by two of the mares, staring down with horror in his eyes as Rarity and Pinkie Pie both looked up at him with shining eyes. "Oh, darling!"
"You saved us all! And... and Twilight, you saved Twilight too, right?" Pinkie Pie said brightly, looking warmly up at Morpheus, and the winged unicorn winced before carefully reaching up and prying the two off, staggering backwards and shivering a little as Toad chortled on his back. "Yeah! And Princess Celestia wasn't really Princess Celestia, right?"
"I knew it the whole time!" Rainbow Dash said hurriedly, raising her head high and wobbling a bit on hooves that were still made of stone, and Applejack favored the blue Pegasus with a mildly-entertained glance as she continued quickly: "I just... you know, she totally didn't act at all like the real Princess Celestia. The real Princess Celestia is always so nice and at least twenty percent-"
"Please shut up. You're making it very tempting to leave you with rocks for feet for the rest of your life." Antecedes said dourly as he approached with a sponge and a small bucket. Rainbow Dash glowered at him, but the skeleton was unperturbed as he dropped beside her and dunked the sponge in the container, before he leaned forwards and carefully started to paint one of her remaining hooves. "We don't have much of this left. Tell me, if you had to choose a limb to be permanently crippled, which one would it be?"
Rainbow Dash stared at the skeleton, but Morpheus only rolled his eyes before he looked back and forth, awkwardly doing his best to keep Rarity at a foreleg's length until he spotted Neato Burrito sitting away from the rest of the group. "Uh. Excuse me."
"Only if you promise to come right back, darling!" Rarity called... and then she stared in horror as Toad leapt down from Morpheus' back and grinned up at her.
"Hey, babe. Don't you worry about him. I'll keep you company if you want." The amphibian puffed out his neck, then winked at her and grinned... before scowling as Rarity shrieked and turned to bolt, the toad visibly deflating.
"Oh cool!" Pinkie exclaimed, sweeping up the little amphibian, and he yelped as he was hefted into the air above her head and spun around, the bright-pink mare gazing up at him with awe. "It's a talking frog! Talking frog, hey, do you turn into a prince if I kiss you?"
"Oh please don't try!" Toad groaned, trying to pry himself out of her grip before he called helplessly: "Boss! Hey, hey boss! Come on, come back, give me a hoof here, for crying out loud!"
But Morpheus ignored Toad as he sat down beside Neato Burrito, looking curiously at the Luchador as the earth pony miserably played with his torn El Casco mask. "Senor Morpheus, I am very glad you are okay, but... oh, I am not fit to be seen by your high-and-mightiness. I have failed you."
"What? You did not, Neato Burrito. You did very well." Morpheus encouraged, but Neato Burrito only mumbled, dropping his head and looking ashamed of himself. "Celestia was my battle to fight. And you stopped those other ponies from attacking me, did you not?"
"But I was defeated! I have brought shame to my Luchador line!" Neato Burrito said weakly, thrusting his torn mask almost into Morpheus' face and making him wince. "Now all know that I, Neato Burrito, am El Casco! And El Casco is no more! I lost, in máscara contra máscara! And I was unmasked, and I am ashamed!"
Morpheus reached up and slowly rubbed at his face, and then he frowned before asking moodily: "So what, does that mean after any Luchador loses his wrestling match, he has to give up his title forever?"
"What? No! That is ridiculous!" Neato Burrito proclaimed, shaking his head fiercely. "Only a coward or a weakling would retire after losing one match! No, I will never stop fighting, it is in my blood, I am a Luchador! But... but I can no longer wear my mask! She has been taken from me!"
"Please don't. Ever refer to your mask as a 'she' again." Morpheus shuddered a bit, and then he frowned before looking over his shoulder at Pinkie Pie, asking slowly: "Well... could you reclaim your honor by defeating the pony who beat you?"
Neato Burrito nodded slowly, then he frowned over his shoulder before saying honestly: "Yes, but that mysterious Luchador, Ex Parte... she came from nowhere, Senor Morpheus! I do not know how we would get in contact with her again."
Morpheus looked for a few moments at Neato Burrito before he turned his eyes back towards Pinkie Pie, who was giggling and bouncing around with a miserable-looking Toad. Then he drew his eyes back to the stallion and looked at him sourly, asking flatly: "Are you serious?"
Neato Burrito only frowned at this, asking curiously: "Why? Do you know of this Ex Parte? Did you perhaps meet her during your mighty battle with Princess Celestia?"
"It wasn't Princess Celestia, it was... someone else." Morpheus muttered, grimacing and not wanting to get into who Celestia had revealed herself to be... and something about that was still nagging at him painfully. But maybe it was just the part where Halfdragon had mentioned her own sibling had replaced Luna... "Look, I don't have time for all of this Neato Burrito. But if you want to challenge Ex Parte to a fight, you don't need to look any further than these ponies. Ex Parte leapt in to protect them, correct? So if you want to fight Ex Parte..."
"I must challenge each and every one of them to battle, until Ex Parte leaps in to defend their honor, as I defend yours!" shouted Neato Burrito, thrusting a hoof into the air as he clutched his mask against his chest with his other foreleg. "El Casco will rise again!"
Morpheus looked blankly at Neato Burrito for a moment, and then he rolled his eyes before patting the stallion awkwardly on the shoulder, saying dryly: "Good talk."
"Yes! Excellent talking! I must now go and prepare, Senor Morpheus... for I must restore my honor before I am again worthy of being at your side!" Neato Burrito declared, and the winged unicorn blinked in surprise before Neato Burrito leapt up to his hooves and bolted away from the campsite, calling over his shoulder: "Farewell, my friends!"
Morpheus sighed tiredly, rubbing slowly at his face for a few moments before he strode moodily back towards the others. He stopped in front of Pinkie Pie, who looked up at him curiously while squeezing Toad against her chest.
He looked back at her with a slight grimace, studying her and wondering how the hell this spry little thing could have kicked Neato Burrito's flank, and then he simply shook his head before saying moodily: "A little bird told me that El Casco wishes for a rematch with Ex Parte. He wants to... 'regain his honor.'"
Pinkie Pie's eyes widened slowly, and then she nodded fervently, bouncing up and down on the spot and looking strangely excited. "Oh yes, yes, yes! I'll definitely let Ex Parte know right away. You know. I'll let her know. Right away."
Pinkie Pie tipped him a wink that could probably be seen from the moon, and the winged unicorn sighed tiredly before he dropped his head forwards as she informed: "I'm Ex Parte, silly."
"Thank you for sharing." the stallion said moodily, and then he shook his head briefly before looking up and asking irritably: "Antecedes, are you done yet? We need to go to Canterlot. I still need to destroy Equestria, and from what I learned during my fight with Halfdragon, Princess Luna might be one of the Draekin as well. Which could make things very difficult."
"Hey, you can't destroy Equestria! I... I thought you were secretly a good guy or something!" Rainbow Dash blurted out, and Applejack frowned worriedly as Fluttershy looked up fearfully. "And what do you mean, Princess Luna is a dragon?"
"Draekin. Very different. Usually with ironic clan names, like Halfdragon or Smalldrake." Antecedes muttered as he finished carefully scraping Rainbow Dash's hooves with the substance: now only one was stone, but it was rapidly turning back to flesh and blood as he stood up.
The skeleton realized that all eyes were looking at him, and he gave an exasperated sigh before explaining grumpily: "Equestria used to be occupied by three tribes. Hearth's Warming Eve tells us this. What they leave out is that the three tribes didn't instantly start working together because of one nasty little encounter with some ice spirits.
"Unicorns created little kingdoms and used earth ponies as conscripts and Pegasi as mercenaries. They enslaved both as well. There were many, many years of conflict, and at that time, Equestria was also a wild land, untouched by any civilization. There were many creatures here that didn't take kindly to the intrusion of the ponies." Antecedes paused, then he looked slowly around at the semicircle of ponies that had naturally formed around him, and he continued in a quieter voice: "Then the crusades began."
"I don't think any of us... ever learned anything about any 'crusade' in school... I mean, I wasn't the best student, but I think I'd remember that." Applejack said slowly, but Antecedes only chuckled quietly and shook his head slowly.
He looked around at them all, his red eyes glowing with strange entertainment as he said wryly: "I feel a little sorry for you ponies. You've lost so much of your culture. And even if that culture was mostly made from atrocities, evil, and suffering, it's still your culture. You should still know your roots."
Applejack glared at the skeleton, saying moodily: "I know my roots. My family, as a matter of fact, helped found Ponyville!"
"You're talking to a thousand year old dead stallion. Do you really think that I'm going to be impressed by your parents founding some little city somewhere?" asked Antecedes moodily, and Applejack grumbled under her breath even as she blushed a bit before the skeleton held up a hoof. "Back to the point.
"The crusades were led by the Dragoons of the White Dragon. It was a very strict religion, which gave its Grand Masters a ridiculous amount of wealth and power. And when you have wealth and power, you often end up wanting more wealth and power." Antecedes shook his head slowly. "So they began a march against the 'pagans,' starting with Equestria. Ponies were either 'converted,' and forced to relinquish their treasures - and often, daughters - to the Dragoons... or they were 'cleansed.'"
"By which you mean..." Rainbow Dash swallowed a bit, trading looks with her friends. "Oh wow. That's heavy... but... no way, I've never heard of it!"
"What history do you know?" Antecedes asked, and it would have come across as ironic or mocking if he hadn't sounded so serious. The ponies traded looks between themselves nervously, and the skeleton nodded calmly, saying softly: "Exactly. All you know is what you've been taught. And all you've been taught is that a thousand years ago..."
Antecedes allowed his voice to trail off, then he glanced to the side at Morpheus, who was frowning deeply. "This part will interest you. The Halfdragon Clan was one of the noble families at the time of the crusade. It was never confirmed that the Killing Light was actually a member of the Halfdragon Clan until now, though... I always thought she was part of the Bladescale family, which is the only Draekin family that we still have records of."
"That is not anything that interests me, Antecedes. Please get to the point." Morpheus said dryly, and then he grimaced at the sky as he felt the rain beginning to fall in heavier droplets, muttering: "Oh, wonderful."
He flicked his horn irritably, and a dome of black energy burst into being, floating above him like an enormous umbrella. He smiled at this... then winced when the five pony mares immediately huddled in around him, the stallion glaring back and forth between them before he snapped: "You are in my personal space! I do not like mares, you're all... icky!"
"Icky!" Rarity looked horribly offended, and then she huffed and whined: "And well, then use your magic to shield us all! I absolutely cannot get my mane wet on top of everything else and... oh, come on, darling, Twilight isn't here so..."
Rarity quieted, and Applejack grimaced a bit as Pinkie Pie looked up uneasily. All five of Twilight Sparkle's friends shifted, and even Morpheus felt a strange twist roll through his gut before he sighed softly and muttered: "Fine. I'll expand the shield... and... well, don't worry about your friend. I'm... sure she's fine. Right, Antecedes?"
"The shield is still whole, yes. As long as the shield is whole, it means you're all alive, and you're all still connected. Besides, you five should know better than us if something happens; you'll feel it." Antecedes replied calmly, and then he shook his head briefly before adding irritably, as he glanced up at the clouds: "Also, you didn't cast this spell properly. The atmospheric pressure is completely off."
"Oh shut up. It's not like you can feel the water anyway." Morpheus complained as his horn glowed, expanding the protective dome of dark energy over the entire field. Then he turned a pointed look back towards Antecedes, saying irritably: "You were getting to the point then? Because I'm hoping you have a very good reason why I'm wasting my time here while I could be on the way to Canterlot to destroy the world."
Antecedes sighed tiredly, rubbing at his face moodily before he asked in a dry voice: "Could you please stop announcing your intention to destroy the world constantly? And this is important: besides, I don't think Princess Luna will make a run for the Tablet of Dreams... more importantly, if she did, there's no possible way we could stop her, anyway. If we take our approach slow and measured, she might give us a chance to explain ourselves.
"Because remember, we aren't dealing with the real Princess Luna. And if she really is the sister of the Killing Light, then there's only one person she could be: Throna Halfdragon. She was thought to have died, but... the records were always indistinct. It's very possible that instead she was taken prisoner or badly injured, and later recovered by Stronghold."
Morpheus frowned at this, then he licked his lips slowly before asking uneasily: "What do you know about this... Throna? I've never heard of that name, but you're much more familiar with ancient history than I am..."
Antecedes only shrugged, saying moodily: "Nothing special, from what I can recollect. Second-class healer, not the kind of Draekin I'd expect to have survived... but maybe because of her noble name and her status as a noncombatant, she was spared while others were not. I think that we should ask her ourselves in Canterlot, Morpheus. And I'm beginning to think we should escort these ponies home with us, strange as that may sound."
The five mares looked up in surprise at this as Morpheus groaned and slapped at his forehead, then he snapped: "You're supposed to be a skeleton, so think with your brain, not your nonexistent-"
"You think for a moment, Morpheus. We need all six of them alive to keep the Elements of Harmony working." Antecedes retorted, then he gestured pointedly around at the rumbling, rainy darkness around them. "If we just abandon them here, chances are they'll be attacked. And while the goblins might not do much to them, there are much more dangerous creatures guarding this territory... not to mention all the idiotic traps you had us set up."
"He's kind of right, Boss." Toad piped up from one of Pinkie Pie's forelimbs. "They could end up getting hurt or worse if we just abandon them out here. Especially since. You know. The crazy evil lady set the whole forest on fire."
"She wasn't evil, she was... well..." Morpheus halted, frowning uncertainly as he bit his lip, and then he shook his head quickly and flung those thoughts away, grumbling: "Anyway, I... well... I'm not dragging these five back with me. It will take us literally the entire day and night to march there if we have to tow them along. Antecedes, you take care of them, I'll go ahead alone."
The mares all grumbled at him, and Antecedes sighed before he said finally: "There's no telling what will be waiting for you ahead, though. I can feel your magic waxing and waning, and you won't be at full strength when you reach Canterlot. And from what you described before, the Killing Light must have been stockpiling magical artifacts and treasures since the crusades."
"Well, that's perfectly fine. I still have my secret weapon, after all." Morpheus replied pointedly, and Antecedes only stared at him for a long, awkward moment before the winged unicorn glared back, blushing only slightly. "You forget, Antecedes, the caliber of enemy we are faced with. You'll see: this is an act of tactical genius."
"This is a blunder." Antecedes rubbed slowly at his face, and then he sighed tiredly before nodding and muttering: "Fine. It might be better this way, anyhow. When that purple unicorn finally comes to her senses, I can remove the hidden enchantment carved inside her body."
"Is... is that why Twilight was acting so strange?" Fluttershy asked worriedly, and then she looked uneasily towards the castle, murmuring: "Oh my... maybe we should... we shouldn't leave her alone if she's got some kind of... spell on her..."
"No, Halfdragon is dead. Besides, the real hold that Halfdragon had over her was..." Morpheus stopped, then he shook his head slowly and murmured: "Well, it's not important anymore. It... it doesn't matter, because I'm going to end this all."
"You don't have to, darling... you can... come with us." Rarity said softly, and Morpheus glanced over at the mare with surprise: both at her words, and the change of demeanor to something... honestly gentle and compassionate instead of fawning. "We'll... help explain everything. Honestly, it's hard to wrap my mind around but... something was wrong with Twilight, after all, the whole way here, and this impersonator was so angry and cold."
Applejack nodded firmly, adding: "We've seen things called Changelings before, you know, who take on other ponies' shape and form... so it ain't like we can't believe something like that happened here. I bet the real Celestia must be out there... we should work together, and if that Luna really is a big fake too, we should interrogate her and find out where the real princesses are!"
"They're probably dead." Antecedes said tactlessly, and the five ponies all stared at him with horror as the skeleton said softly: "They've likely been dead since the crusades."
"That's... that can't be, though. Celestia was always so nice to us... and... what about Nightmare Moon?" Rainbow Dash asked incredulously, shaking her head vehemently. "I can't believe that! We need Princess Celestia! The real one has to be out there somewhere, and... and we gotta find her and save her!"
Morpheus chuckled at this, shaking his head slowly before he muttered: "No, I just have to find the Tablet of Dreams. I know where it must be hidden: in the treasure vault at the core of Canterlot. Then I'll... fix everything in my own way. By making everything... nothing."
"You don't have to, though. Come on, we... we can all be friends." almost pleaded Pinkie Pie, smiling at him reassuringly as she leaned towards him. "Come on, let's go back to Canterlot and figure it out together, and... after we fix everything, we can have a big party!"
Morpheus grumbled under his breath, and then he shook his head shortly before muttering: "No, I won't be dissuaded from what I've chosen. I'm going to do what must be done. All of you..."
The stallion gritted his teeth, and then he shoved himself away from the crowd before snapping his horn sharply, and the mares flinched and shouted in surprise as the dome of darkness vanished, rain pelting the ponies as the winged unicorn spun around and snapped: "I am not the good guy! I am not going to be... done in by your wiles, deceived into giving up everything I've worked for, and I will not forget what the world has done to me, or that this world is crafted in the image of a false empress... it must all fall down! And I have wasted enough time on all of you and all of this! I am Morpheus, I am the King of Darkness, I am Lord of Evil, I am not your friend or your savior!"
With that, Morpheus leapt into the air and then vanished into a burst of dark energy, leaving the mares standing in the pouring rain and staring into the space where he had been moments before. None of them knew what to say or how to react, shifting uncomfortably, eyes drawing down, trying to form questions... but it all felt suddenly so... useless.
Antecedes sighed quietly, and then he flicked his horn calmly, and a ceiling of red energy slowly formed over the camp, suspending itself between the trees around them and shielding the ponies from the heavy rain. "Well, there he goes. And like it or not, he's probably going to succeed."
"Yeah. Poor bastard. Poor, stupid bastard." mumbled Toad, and then the amphibian shook his head before adding wryly: "And poor us too. I mean. We're kind of going to get erased shortly and all. That's a pretty crappy deal."
"Why, though? I mean... what's his problem?" Rainbow Dash blurted, looking back and forth disbelievingly. "I thought... I mean..."
"Isn't there anything we can do?" asked Fluttershy quietly, the sun-colored mare looking up and biting her lip. "He seems so... he just seems so sad."
"Yeah... he wouldn't want to destroy everything if he just realized he had friends." Pinkie Pie added pointedly, nodding a few times. The other ponies gave varying murmurs of agreement, and then the pink mare paused before looking curiously between Antecedes and Toad, asking slowly: "But you guys are his friends, right? So... why didn't you stop him?"
"Hey, I'm just a pet." Toad defended lamely, holding up his webbed hands. "What the hell am I supposed to do? Moony doesn't listen to me. And when he gets really annoyed with me he squishes me or doesn't feed me."
Antecedes shook his head, and then the skeleton muttered: "Why would I want to stop him? My existence is nothing but pain and frustration. I sought dark powers, I achieved dark powers... now I suffer with these dark powers. And I am selfish and, if you must know, too cowardly to want to live like this for any longer. But if the world is erased, I'll be erased with it, and free."
There was silence for a few moments, and then Fluttershy said meekly: "I don't think any of us want you to die, Mister Antecedes. You seem... nice."
The crimson glow from Antecedes' sockets softened as he looked for a few moments at Fluttershy, and then he shifted a little before muttering: "Well, I'm not. But... come on. Your friend has been given enough privacy. We need to bring her back to reality, and then we might as well start marching back towards Canterlot."
"Yeah, maybe Moony will screw up. Or monologue for long enough that we'll be able to get there and..." Toad hesitated, then laughed a bit, mumbling: "And I don't know. We could just smash the Shield of Heaven..."
"Moonflower already took the shield from me. He's got it keyed to his summoning magic now." Antecedes replied with a shake of his head, and then he hesitated and looked up before murmuring: "But fine. Let's get going. I suppose there's no great harm in giving you ponies one last chance to try and convince Moonflower to do something different."
"But he's a stubborn bastard. And he won't believe a word you guys say, either." Toad said pointedly, nodding a few times. "Guy's got all the power in the world, enough of a brain to use it... but not a single shred of trust for strangers. He's got an anxiety thing."
"He's got a lot of things." Antecedes muttered, as he turned towards the ruins of the fortress. "Enough, all of you. Let's pick up your friend, then you can decide from there what to do."
No one really knew what to say, so they all simply agreed through silence and motion, following after the skeleton, none of them completely understanding what was really going on... but all of them hoping that Morpheus would give Equestria another chance to show that there was more to ponies than just whatever he had suffered under Halfdragon's secret regime.
Morpheus wheezed painfully as he appeared in front of the gates to Canterlot, almost falling over as he slumped slowly down to the ground. He mumbled a little under his breath before shaking his head briskly out, his horn sparking a bit before he glanced awkwardly up as he found two large, burly Royal Guards glaring at him.
He immediately straightened and hopped backwards, raising his head high and thundering: "I am Lord Morpheus, bringer of darkness evil! I mean, the... the bringer of evil darkness! Not just regular darkness, but the kind that's filled with... evil."
Both Royal Guard were now looking awkwardly at the winged unicorn, and the stallion blushed slightly before he swore under his breath and rose a hoof as his horn glowed. Green lightning surged outwards over both Royal Guards, making them flinch before there was a puff of black smoke... and a moment later, both soldiers had been transformed into large, chubby lawn flamingos, posed awkwardly on one leg with expressions of horror on still-vaguely-equine features.
Morpheus huffed loudly, and then he glared back and forth... but as it was that dark time between late night and early morning, there was no one else around. So instead he bad-temperedly shoved one of the flamingos over before striding towards the sealed castle games.
Morpheus scowled at this moodily, and then he rubbed his hooves together before his horn glowed blackly as he approached, baring his teeth in a grin and growling: "No matter how large or how you shut it, a gate is still a gate... and my magic is the key to any door!"
He laughed loudly as he slowly forced the immense portcullis to rise, gritting his teeth as his eyes blazed and his horn crackled with the same dark aura that gleamed around the metal bars. And as it rose high, the enormous doors past the sealed gate shuddered violently before they began to slowly creak open as Morpheus poured all his strength and concentration into the telekinetic push.
Ponies stared as Morpheus smashed in through the ajar doors, the stallion grinning widely around the entrance hall and throwing his head back as he declared: "Try as you might to hide, none of your locks, your barriers, your walls will stop me! I am Morpheus, Lord of Shadow!"
He stepped forwards and let the gate drop behind him, doing his best to hide his wheezing... although there really wasn't a whole lot he could do to disguise the sweat running down his body. And then he scowled as one of the few ponies in the entrance hall pointed awkwardly past him, Morpheus glancing moodily over his shoulder... and staring blankly at a small side entrance, the door leading outside left invitingly ajar.
Morpheus mouthed slowly at the sight of this... and then one of his eyes twitched before he turned around and snapped: "My... my awesome majesty demands that I use the main entrance, not some... not some silly servant's entrance. Now, I demand to be brought before Princess Luna!"
"That is funny, Moonflower, we were about to demand that thou would be brought before us." boomed a voice, and Morpheus blinked dumbly before he looked awkwardly up to see the Princess herself was standing only a short distance away, several bat-winged ponies on either side of her glaring fiercely at the stallion. "I am glad we are in agreement about this, at least. Let us not waste time and speak in private... but first, I must ask that thou make an oath that thou wilt do no harm to any ponies here, including myself."
"Oh, don't worry. I won't hurt any ponies." Morpheus said moodily, and the Princess of the Night glared at him before the stallion straightened and gave a grim, short nod. "Whenever you're ready, your highness. But I should warn you now: if you attempt to ambush me, you will leave me no choice but to demonstrate the fullest extent of my powers."
Luna only laughed shortly before replying thinly: "Unlike some present, we have honor here, Lord Moonflower. Shall we?"
"I am Morpheus. Morpheus. Not Moonflower." the stallion said testily, but then he gave a brief nod and gestured at her irritably, and Luna huffed at him before turning around and quickly striding away, the stallion following after her and her guard with a scowl on his face... but nervousness in his eyes, far from sure about what the hell was going on.
To his surprise, they headed to the throne room: Luna dismissed her guards almost the moment they entered, leaving only the lifeless-looking soldiers standing at the doors as these swung slowly closed.
The moment the doors shut, Luna's entire demeanor changed, going from fierce and self-assured and loud to slumped and... tired, he thought. Morpheus frowned at her, and Luna reached up to silently toy at her peytral before she murmured quietly: "You killed my sister. You killed her, and now... I'm the last of my kind left."
She quieted, then shook her head slowly before giving a faint laugh, whispering: "And do you know what the worst part is? I'm actually relieved. She had become so... obsessed. So damaged. I had to watch her over a thousand years as she became... more and more twisted... so determined that she could play goddess to this nation..."
The mare shook her head silently, and Morpheus hesitated only a moment before stepping forwards and saying quietly: "Your name is Throna Halfdragon, isn't it?"
"Yes, that's right." The mare looked up with surprise, then she blushed a bit and glanced back down. "And you are... Moonflower, yes?"
"Morpheus. Moonflower is my old name." The stallion glanced away awkwardly, and then he rubbed the back of his head slowly, looking uncomfortable before he asked finally: "Do you understand that I'm here to destroy the world, and that I just killed your sister?"
"There's nothing more dishonorable to the Draekin than dying a peaceful death. And my sister... was sick in mind. I think she knew her body was ailing... as I can already feel my body beginning to weaken." The mare silently touched her own body, murmuring: "The spirits of the Draekin aren't meant to inhabit such soft pony forms. That's why she grew so weak, so... unpredictable and angry. Even after just a few years, I feel like... I'm changing. My compassion and discipline are bleeding away, and the... childishness I've always had is coming more and more to the surface. Just like Stronghold was so full of rage and hate and pride and had forgotten... who she had once been. Honestly, it's... it's a strange relief to know she's at peace. I was starting to fear that in her quest to make the whole nation 'good...' she was going to destroy everyone in it, myself included."
Morpheus looked at the mare, realizing she hadn't really answered either of his questions but deciding not to press the subject any further. Instead, he shifted uncomfortably before prompting slowly: "So you and your sister... you took the places of Celestia and Luna a thousand years ago, you... became them?"
"Yes. Or at least, Stronghold did. She used the Tablet of Dreams to become Princess Celestia after killing her: it allowed her to both fake her death and take control of the nation in secret." Throna replied quietly, giving a brief smile. "I just... stayed quiet, and hid away. It wasn't that hard: I know all the old places that history has long forgotten.
"Luna, of course, noticed her sister was acting strangely, and... well, we all know the story of Nightmare Moon. I doubt Celestia would have ever been so callous, but... Stronghold was always focused, always... selfish." Throna quieted, looking down silently. "When Nightmare Moon returned from the moon, Stronghold had grown comfortable enough playing her role she was able to wait out the defeat and reconciliation with Luna... and then, that night, she was cursed and turned to stone, and thrown in the treasure trove with all the other artifacts. And... I used the Tablet of Dreams to become the new Princess of the Night. Although there were... differences between us."
Throna fell silent as she reached up to stroke slowly through her starry mane, looking down before she shook her head slowly, trembling a little. "It... it wasn't fair. To her, to me, to... anyone. Stronghold was always so convinced she absolutely knew what was best for everyone, but look where we are now!"
The mare cursed under her breath, then she slowly forced herself to calm, closing her eyes and hugging herself before she murmured: "And I'm too weak and too tired of this whole charade to do anything about it. I could use the Tablet of Dreams to kill you, but... what would that accomplish? Precisely, nothing. I'd still have to rule the country and explain the absence of almighty Princess Celestia. Which I couldn't do.
"I could use the Tablet to bring Stronghold back, but... it would require a sacrifice. And sister or not... I'm not willing to commit murder to power the Tablet." The mare closed her eyes, shaking her head briefly. "And I... I'm afraid of what Stronghold would do if she came back. These last few months, she... she lost the little of herself that had been left. I was scared of her. And I fear what she would do much more than what it is you plan to do."
Morpheus nodded uncomfortably, and then he silently put his hooves together before saying awkwardly: "Even though you do know that... I'm going to take the Tablet of Dreams and use it to destroy the entire country, right?"
"Yes." Throna looked up at him with a faint smile, giving a slow shrug and a quiet sigh. "And I'm going to keep my claws... or my hooves, rather, out of it. You do what you feel you have to, Moonflower, Morpheus, Mumford, whatever your name is. And if the world ends, I'm not going to complain. I've been alive for a good fifteen hundred years and... I miss Mommy."
The mare looked up and gave an open, honest smile, and Morpheus looked at her with surprise before she shrugged and said simply: "I think that when we die, it'll just be another coming home. I never lost my faith, like Stronghold did... I still believe that there's something or... someone out there, who cares about us. Each and every one of us, you, me, and all the ponies and dragons and other things in the world. I do.
"I think when I die, I'll get to see Mommy and Daddy and all the rest of the Clan. I hope Stronghold is there, too, and that... she's learned her lesson. Mommy always scolded her, but that was because Stronghold always had to be right, always had to be special, always had to push and push and push. And while her pride and drive made her a commander in the crusades... it also meant she missed out on a lot of life. I feel sad for her... not angry at you, just... sad."
Throna stopped, then she shook her head and murmured: "No, how could I be mad at you? You did... you did a good thing. She was losing herself. She had started... drinking more, and abusing potions and powders, and throwing around her power to get whatever she wanted. She really started to believe she was better than everyone else, purer somehow. Able to 'handle it.'
"I never thought she was a bad person, even if she was scary and ruthless and proud... but she was true Draekin, and the Order of the White Dragon was everything to her. So when we were given the order to retreat, she ignored it, along with most of the army, treating it like it was a test of faith. And when we were excommunicated for continuing the war against the High Elder's orders... it destroyed her. She really believed she was doing the right thing, but... she only saw enemies on the battlefield. I was a healer. I only saw... victims."
Morpheus shifted a bit, and then he shook his head shortly before grumbling: "You're telling your story to the wrong person. I'm not interested. All I care about is-"
Throna reached up and smacked him, and Morpheus' head twisted to the side as he mouthed slowly and wordlessly before the mare scolded: "Stop it. Good or evil, right or wrong, that doesn't matter and it's not an excuse to be so willfully stupid. If you beat Stronghold, you can't be stupid. So don't act like it."
Morpheus glared at her, and then the mare shook her head slowly before biting her lip, then she looked up at him and said quietly: "And I think that you'll ultimately make the right choice, anyway. Like I said, you must have a brain in there."
The stallion only shrugged moodily, rubbing slowly at his cheek before he said sourly: "Enough of one to know that any inconveniences that might arise from the world being destroyed wouldn't be difficult to overlook if it meant I'd never have to deal with another mare, ever again." He stopped, then hesitated before adding wryly: "And furthermore, I thought you didn't care. Or you were afraid or something of being left to try and rule this pathetic little kingdom on your own."
"It's not a kingdom because there's no king." Throna said testily, and then she shook her head shortly before adding in a quieter voice: "But I am, yes, but... I also know that it's better not to run away from my problems. No matter how far you run or how you try to hide, they have a habit of... showing back up."
Morpheus frowned a little at this, his eyes flicking to the side as he shifted uncertainly, before the mare sighed softly and said quietly: "The Tablet of Dreams can only be activated by a sacrifice. Are you willing to sacrifice life to achieve your ends?"
"I suppose the sacrifice will be the entire world." Morpheus replied moodily, and then he shook his head and looked down, muttering: "So I guess that... I guess I am."
Throna studied him for a few moments... then she gave a strange smile before simply nodding briefly. They looked at each other uncomfortably for a few moments, and then the mare said calmly: "If you want, I'll teleport you directly down to the vault in Canterlot's core. I would prefer to avoid any further conflict... none of us can stop you, anyway. I might as well send you right down to the vault, although you'll still have to figure out how to get in yourself."
Morpheus hesitated for a moment, and then he nodded briefly before biting his lip. Throna looked at him curiously, and the stallion grimaced, then shifted before mumbling almost grudgingly: "Thank you. For... being reasonable. I didn't expect you to be."
"I was only ever unreasonable with Stronghold. And that's just because... at the end of it all, we were arguing about absolutely everything. The only time we were sisters was when we pretended to be Celestia and Luna and... the rare occasion when..." Throna halted, and then she sighed softly, reaching up and silently touching her breast. "I can't wait to shed this pony's body. I wish I could be my old self again without needing a Reconvertor, but... sacrifices must be made. That was one of Stronghold's favorite sayings..."
"You have funny names." Morpheus almost blurted, and then he winced a bit when the mare glared at him sourly, her starry mane sparking violently. "I... mean that in the most flattering way possible, of course. You just... sound..."
Morpheus realized he was painting himself into a corner, so instead of saying anything further, he simply smiled awkwardly and closed his mouth. They looked at each other again for a few long moments, and then the stallion said finally: "I'm ready to go, Throna Halfdragon. And... I... suppose I should thank you for helping me. It's strange, but... this isn't the first time... someone I never expected to has helped me."
"Then maybe you should consider that before you do anything stupid. Stronghold was trying to build a perfect, peaceful nation: I'm not sure if she succeeded, or if she failed in a wonderful way, but I do know that Equestria is a good place, where maybe even you can... be accepted. You just have to be willing to try." Throna stopped, then smiled faintly and shook her head slowly, her horn glowing as she murmured: "But perhaps in another life."
Slowly, a portal revolved open in the floor, and Morpheus looked down into this uncertainly, feeling a strange hesitation welling up through his body before he glanced over his shoulder as the mare gave him another brief smile. "And thank you for listening to me, too. It's been so long since... since I've really had anyone to talk to. Stronghold could get along without any friends, but we were... we were never all that alike."
Morpheus only looked at her for a few moments, and then he dropped his head and shrugged a little, replying quietly: "I suppose it's the least I can do for you. Even... even we villains have our codes, you know. Maybe even, in another life, like you said, perhaps..."
The stallion broke off, then shook his head quickly, looking down for a few moments before he muttered as he turned away: "Well... goodbye, Throna Halfdragon."
With only the briefest of hesitations, he strode towards the portal and stepped into it, and the mare gave him a faint smile before shaking her head slowly as he sank through the vortex. And she couldn't help but reflect on how even if the stallion claimed he wanted to be left alone... he seemed to trust unfailingly in and depend upon other people all the same, leaving her some hope that there just might be a future for Equestria after all. Even if Stronghold would have called her childish and stupid and cowardly for deciding to bow out of this fight, Throna knew that sometimes you just had to trust in fate... and that even the worst of people could make the best of choices. |
One Wish For Nothing | Dreams And Nightmares | Chapter Eight: Dreams And Nightmares
~BlackRoseRaven
Morpheus slowly rose out of a swirling vortex, smiling coldly as he looked straight ahead at the doors of what could only be the treasure vault... and then he yelped as he was flung the rest of the way out of the portal to land painfully on his face a moment before the rift in reality slammed shut.
He awkwardly half-rolled forwards, toppling onto his back with a grimace and glowering moodily between his own legs at the vault doors. Then he carefully clambered up to his hooves and shook himself out, scowling over his shoulder at the ground and grumbling: "What an excellent piece of magic, really. That portal could have..."
Morpheus halted dumbly, then blinked slowly as he realized that portal could have actually taken him just about... anywhere, really. He rubbed awkwardly at this face, then shook himself briskly out and mumbled: "No, no, clearly... clearly she had no choice but to tell the truth, really. Not just because of my influential presence but because... uh... because."
He couldn't even come up with a good reason why she hadn't just sent him to Tartarus or to the center of a volcano or something. Sure, he'd probably survive and make his way back, but it certainly would have bought her a lot of time. Long-distance travel wasn't one of his strong points, after all: his chain-teleporting exhausted him and he had to stop and rest every few miles.
Maybe she just... hadn't been smart enough to think of that. Maybe she was afraid of his power, since he'd killed the Killing Light. Maybe she had some secret backup plan...
Morpheus shook his head shortly, trying to ignore the strains of anxiety and odd excitement running through his veins as he strode quickly towards the vault doors. They were at the end of a bottlenecked hallway, massive and imposing and inset with the crests of the moon and the sun... and a shape that he knew could only represent the Elements of Harmony, although he didn't recognize the strange, hexagonal figure.
The stallion looked meditatively at this for a few moments, then he finally flicked his horn forwards and sent a bolt of black energy into the doors. But his magic only bounced uselessly off, both doors lighting up with a potent magical force, and the stallion grimaced a bit. "Old magic. Very powerful indeed... the architect was right about the vault."
Morpheus stepped back, anchoring himself as he looked calmly ahead and smiled slightly, his eyes narrowing as electricity crackled over his horn. Smoke puffed up at his side, then quickly cleared, the winged unicorn easily catching the heavy marble shield as it fell towards him out of the vanishing smog. "Now, let's just hope he was right about this, as well."
The stallion hefted the heavy stone shield in front of him, grasping the artifact carefully by either side as he faced it towards the vault doors. He took a slow breath as he focused himself, squeezing into the sides of the shield as he forced away his nervousness and apprehension.
He concentrated on pouring his energy into the shield, breathing slowly as he tried to keep the spiritual energy as pure as possible, not tainting it with either darkness or his own malevolent energies. Only pure energy, closing his eyes as he muttered: "Not good, not evil, only energy... this is just about making it work... get it powered up..."
He could feel it starting to activate: the shield was absorbing his energy, and he could feel the Elements of Harmony trapped inside it all linking together, as a humming filled the air. He gritted his teeth, clutching the shield tighter before his eyes widened in surprise as he found himself no longer pushing, but only struggling not to have all his energy dragged out of his body as whatever had been blocking his energies was completely overwhelmed.
The embedded gemstones lit up one after the other as the marble shield thrummed with white light, and then Morpheus yelped, nearly knocked off his hooves as a rainbow-colored ray of energy tore out of the shield and smashed into the doors. It squarely struck that hexagonal symbol in the center of the vault gates, and the stone lit up with unnatural radiance for a few moments before cracks suddenly ripped through the rock as the harmony sigil was blasted out of place, the doors slamming open and nearly tearing off their hinges.
A moment later, the rainbow ray vanished, and the shield lost its glow as steam poured up from the surface, Morpheus wheezing in surprise as he awkwardly tossed the now hot-to-the-touch artifact aside. He patted his front hooves quickly against his chest, blushing slightly before he shook his head hurriedly and muttered: "I... I knew I could do it. I was absolutely sure of it."
The stallion bit his lip, and then he sat back for a moment: not out of tiredness, but trepidation that was only growing higher and higher as he looked uncertainly through the broken vault doors. He felt... well, it was hard to put into words what he felt. He was... afraid. It didn't feel like there was victory waiting ahead for him, it felt like it was just another inevitable failure.
One wing unfurled, and he started to knead the feathers nervously between his hooves as he gazed uneasily into the vault beyond, not sure of what he should even be feeling. Where was the sense of victory? Why did this all seem too easy? Shouldn't someone be trying to stop him?
It was funny: he had reached the end of the long, desolate road, and he was scared of finishing this journey. The winged unicorn shook his head slowly, cursing under his breath before he gritted his teeth and hopped up to his hooves, quickly furling his wing back against the side. He took a breath, then strode towards the treasure vault, muttering: "No, I'll... I'll prove that my plans are superior, that I am the strongest in this world, I'll... I'll force everyone to suffer, to be excluded like I have, to... know darkness and loneliness!"
He growled as he strode quickly into the open vault... and then tripped stupidly over his own front hooves, falling in a sprawl and gaping in disbelief at the size of the room he walked into... and almost every inch of the massive storehouse was filled with treasure, gold and baubles stacked in enormous piles along the walls, and the walls themselves covered in walls and racks that held every kind of artifact, gemstone, and trinket imaginable.
There were totemic statues that were so tall, they stretched into the darkness above; there were large, rolling shelves stuffed with papyrus and scrolls and books. There were piles upon piles of coins and gems, and maps and suits of armor and weapons of every shape and size...
The stallion looked back and forth in awe as he slowly strode through the room, and then his eyes widened before he hurried over to two enormous sets of full plate mail. He studied them with fascination: they were Draekin armor, and one of them clearly had belonged to the Killing Light herself, while the other was smaller and had strange letterings and symbols over it: if the stallion had to guess, he would imagine it denoted Throna as a healer.
He studied them both with fascination, then noted that Stronghold's armor was missing a piece: that choker. Throna's, however, still had hers present, and the stallion studied it with interest before he reached up and touched it, murmuring: "I see. So that's what Throna meant by a 'Reconvertor:' it must be some kind of space-time magic, letting them assume their old forms... literally, become as they were in the past. That was why Stronghold became so weak after I destroyed it..."
He frowned thoughtfully for a few moments, then shook his head and stepped back and gazed almost yearningly over the heavy Draekin armor again. He was surrounded not just by treasures, but by pieces of the long-forgotten past, come to life... it was incredible.
Morpheus drew his eyes around the vault... and then stared at a statue, placed almost perfectly in the center of the room. He mouthed slowly at the sight of this before swallowing a bit and approaching nervously as he was reminded forcefully of what he was here.
It looked like a statue of Princess Luna... except the stallion knew that this was Princess Luna, frozen in stone for all of eternity. She looked frightened but defiant, her head held high, her forelegs crossed as if she had been refusing to give any ground in spite of how humble she seemed at the same time. She looked like someone who had been pushed into a corner, but then refused to be shoved any further... gods above and demons below, how well he understood that...
But what caught his attention most of all was the object cradled in her forelegs. It looked like nothing more than a simple stone tablet, with a completely blank, polished face, framed in gold. It looked like nothing special, maybe just some decorative plate waiting to be fitted with a crest or a name... and Morpheus laughed faintly before he reached forwards and silently lifted it free, gazing over it with a tremble before he whispered: "This is it. This is what I've worked to try and retrieve, my entire life... this is... the Tablet of Dreams."
He sat back, studying the Tablet of Dreams silently, barely able to believe that he had it after all this time. He held it here, in his own two hooves, the stallion licking his lips slowly before he laughed weakly again and thrust it up above his head, trembling... but the pose was anything but victorious. It was almost fearful, as he stared up silently at the blank slate and wondered... what the hell was he going to do now?
Slowly, he lowered it down into his forelimbs, then frowned uneasily as he almost cradled it against his body, looking back and forth. He knew how to use it... or at least, he thought he did. The architect who had helped Stronghold make this had told him that the Tablet of Dreams tapped in to a power outside of their world: it was connected to some kind of cosmic energy that was capable of transforming their reality, literally rewriting the world.
The architect had been old and wise and... a very strange pony. Morpheus hadn't known what to make of him, but now he supposed he was going to find out the real worth of the ancient pony's words, one way or another. But yet, he was still hesitating, still worrying, still... so goddamn afraid. This wasn't the way it was supposed to go, was it? The bad guy wasn't supposed to win... but... he was the bad guy, why the hell was he thinking that?
Morpheus scowled as he shook the tablet... then stared in horror as he clumsily dropped the goddamn thing. It hit the ground with a thud and flopped over... and... it was perfectly unharmed. Yet as he stared down at it, it wasn't relief that he felt: it was a weird kind of disappointment, like he'd almost been hoping that... well...
"Stop it. Just... just jitters. I mean, after I destroy the world and prove I'm the most powerful, evil pony in existence, I'm probably going to have to make some kind of... evil award acceptance speech. I've never been good on stage." Morpheus mumbled as he picked the tablet up again, shaking it briskly once before he looked warily back and forth. "This feels almost like a trap, too. I... I should activate this and... get it over with."
Morpheus breathed slowly, then he looked down at the Tablet of Dreams and gritted his teeth. He threw away his hesitation and his anger and his everything else as he looked down at it, before saying slowly and carefully: "Sleeping tablet, I call you out of rest... to grant a wish at my behest. I am your master now, so you must obey: awaken now, and hear what I have to say!"
There was silence for a few moments, and Morpheus shifted uncomfortably as nothing happened before he looked back and forth, mumbling: "Maybe Stronghold... changed the password? Or the architect was wrong or... uh..."
Morpheus looked awkwardly at the tablet, and then he shook it firmly several times. Nothing happened, and the stallion scowled before rolling his eyes and dropping it on the ground, muttering: "Well. This has been a grand waste of time after all, hasn't it? How delightful, really. I'm sure that Antecedes is going to get a big laugh out of-"
"I'm awake! I'm awake!" A voice blurted out of the tablet as it shot into the air, and Morpheus squealed like a filly and leapt backwards, staring in shock as the tablet floated groggily back and forth, the voice muttering out of it as it took on an eerie, colorful glow: "I was just getting to sleep, too... now... what do you want?"
Morpheus stared blankly at the floating tablet, and then he pointed at it and said dumbly: "You... you talk. And you sound... stupid."
"Your stupid what." snapped the tablet in response, and there was an awkward silence for a few moments before the tablet mumbled: "That wasn't the right response. But what did you expect?"
Morpheus only scowled, then he stepped forwards and grabbed the tablet out of the air with one hoof, yanking it down as it squawked before he said irritably: "I don't like being toyed with. I have a wish to make. Will you grant it?"
"If you're willing to pay the price..." the tablet whimpered, seeming to try and nod in his grip before the stone plate added uneasily: "But yes, I can... I can grant any wish you desire. I can do anything: nothing is outside my power, so long as the payment is good."
"And how do I make this payment?" Morpheus asked moodily, shifting uneasily before he said slowly: "Can you simply... take life away? Or do I have to do it myself?"
"Well..." The tablet hesitated, and then it said finally: "The payment has nothing to do with the extent of my powers. The payment is so that those who make a wish understand the gravity of what they're dealing with... I'm a force of cosmic supreme power, you know. We don't do things lightly."
Morpheus smiled slightly at this, and then he rubbed his hooves together as he let go of the tablet, allowing it to float backwards as he said pleasantly: "Excellent. And, Tablet of Dreams, is it true that you cannot affect the minds of those who have already been touched by your powers, but you can still affect them physically?"
"Yes, that's right! Gosh you know a lot about me." the magical plate said thoughtfully, floating towards him and seeming to inspect the winged unicorn as it whizzed back and forth around him. "Have we met before? Except I really don't get out that much."
Morpheus scowled at the the tablet, and then he swatted at it irritably before complaining: "Why are you acting like a foal? Look at me! I am pure evil, I am a terrible villain, so I act regal and cultured and... very posh. I know my character and I act perfectly naturally for it." He reached up, calmly adjusting his coiffed locks and smiling pleasantly. "And look at you. All powerful and you sound like... like a child. A whiny child."
"Hey!" the Tablet of Dreams exclaimed in an injured voice, and then it huffed and spun around once before floating up in front of Morpheus' face, declaring: "I am all-powerful. I can do absolutely anything I want. I don't have to pretend to be anything but myself."
"Then why are you trapped here, taking orders from anyone who knows how to wake you up?" asked Morpheus irritably, and the tablet huffed and floated backwards to drop itself into Luna's petrified forelegs... but the aura around it turned to a pale pink, as if it was embarrassed.
"Because... well, everyone has rules, that's all. You have rules, I have rules, we have rules." the Tablet of Dreams replied almost defensively, the stone tablet apparently trying to shrug as it wiggled back and forth on the spot. "I can only grant the wishes of other people. If I try to do anything by myself, without being ordered to, it'll kill me. Same goes for doing things without taking a sacrifice."
Morpheus grunted, and then he hesitated before asking curiously: "What did Stronghold Halfdragon sacrifice for her wish? And what about her sister, Throna?"
"Uh... well... I don't think that I'm supposed to discuss that, but... well..." The tablet suddenly popped up, blurting: "Stronghold sacrificed all kinds of ponies! She was nuts! Anyone who disagreed with her, whoosh, she would kill them right in front of me and then order me to do something for her. Apparently that counts as a sacrifice because. Well. It scared the hell out of me enough that I was willing to risk it, one way or another. Because I didn't want to get smashed.
"Throna was a much sadder case. It was really Stronghold who made the wish anyway, she sacrificed this perfectly nice pony... turned her to stone, as I remember. I wonder where she is." the Tablet of Dreams mumbled, settling thoughtfully back into the forelegs of the very statue he was speaking of, and Morpheus winced before he awkwardly rose a hoof and pointed.
The tablet tilted oddly towards him, then floated up out of the statue's forelimbs and spun around before looking up and down it... and then it screamed loudly and rushed over to try and hide behind Morpheus, the winged unicorn staring over his shoulder in disbelief as the tablet wailed: "Oh my god, that's where they've been keeping me? They're sick! Oh, game over, dude, game over, this is just not cool, oh god oh god oh god..."
"Get a hold of yourself." Morpheus grumbled, then he reached up and snatched the tablet out of the air before saying pointedly: "I have a wish for you. And it's going to cost a lot of people their lives, so you will take those as my sacrifice. Fair?"
"I... oh, oh come on! I... I really don't like killing people! Come on, dude, just... think twice about this, okay?" the tablet pleaded, glowing a bright, shocked multitude of colors as it tried to wiggle out of the stallion's grip.
Morpheus huffed at this, then he shook his head before saying sharply: "All my life, I've been... the bad guy, forced to play the role of villain, shunted aside for being... different, for being dark! I walk into a room and ponies judge me because... I have a dark coat and I like to take care of myself, so oh no, he must be pure evil, he must not fit in, let's judge him without even getting to know him... no, I won't stand for any of this, do you understand?"
The stallion shook his head vehemently again, then he looked down and muttered: "Enough is enough. Unlike the rest of the world, I've seen it firsthoof, I've... wasted my time trying to make friends and... being betrayed. I've seen the real face of the world..." Morpheus forcibly spun the tablet around, shoving it out to face the petrified, scared and defiant face of Princess Luna. "And behind the false faces are false rulers who are only concerned with their own vision of the world. Never once taking into account what might be best for their people... corrupting their country into... into a state of broken docility, where..."
Morpheus looked down, and he shook his head slowly before whispering: "This is for the best. I wish this entire world was gone... and I was finally alone. Like I've always been... Antecedes only cared because he wanted the world destroyed and his life ended, Neato Burrito only served me out of honor, not friendship... my whole kingdom of evil fled like dogs when..."
Morpheus halted, then he turned the tablet around and shook it violently, snapping: "Didn't you hear me? Take all their lives if you want, but erase this entire world, make it all go away! Destroy it all and leave me-"
The Tablet of Dreams flashed brightly, and Morpheus winced... before staring back and forth in disbelief as he found himself floating silently in... blackness. At first, he could swear there was nothing around him, just emptiness that stretched on for eternity... but then he frowned a little as he realized there were stars twinkling quietly in the distance, and... yes, he thought that was the moon up there, and to his back, the sun burned brightly so many, many miles away...
Morpheus breathed slowly in and out as he looked back and forth, and then the Tablet of Dreams floated in front of him and mumbled: "One world, sacrificed, you crazy bastard. Now, since all that is kind of... the sacrifice... you have one wish. Pretty much... anything you want."
"I..." Morpheus halted, and then he scowled before putting his front hooves behind his head, kicking his hind legs to swim through the weightless, dark air as he muttered: "I made my wish already. I don't need it."
"Well, you have it. I can't give you a freaking return or gift credit on a wish, you know." the tablet retorted sourly, floating doggedly after him as the winged unicorn closed his eyes... and felt no sense of victory, no sense of triumph, no sense of... anything. It had all been so... anticlimactic, really. A flash, and poof. The whole world was gone.
The whole world was gone. Morpheus opened his eyes and rolled over, looking uncertainly back and forth as he hugged himself and... just... floated. After all, there wasn't a lot to do now but... float here, without any feeling of victory, with no Antecedes to gloat to, with no Neato Burrito to congratulate him, with no Toad to point out what a moron he was...
Morpheus looked uncomfortably back and forth, and then he shook his head quickly before glaring over at the Tablet of Dreams as it floated up beside him, saying loudly: "Hey, I just said that you have a wish remaining. One wish remaining. You have to use that up."
"Can I wish for you to throw yourself into the sun?" Morpheus asked waspishly, and the Tablet of Dreams halted, then spun around almost happily.
"Ha! So the architect was right! There would be someone someday who would wish for me to destroy myself!" the Tablet of Dreams said cheerfully, and then he spun around again before revolving in a slow circle around Morpheus, as the stallion looked at the stone slate blankly. "He told me that was one of the few wishes I should never honor, and I wouldn't be punished for it. So the joke's on you, you joker you! Although, you know, you still have a wish left."
"Oh come on!" Morpheus groaned, slapping his forehead. "Can I wish for you to go far, far away then, and leave me in my misery here?"
"Well, yeah, but... hey, buddy, you know you could wish to be happy or something too, right?" the tablet said pointedly, and Morpheus opened his mouth... then slowly closed it, staring over at the stupid, loud piece of rock as he realized it might have a point.
He smiled, then leaned forwards... before frowning uncertainly, shifting uneasily as he looked down and muttered: "But... what makes me happy?"
He fell quiet, shifting into a sitting position in the weightless darkness before he scowled a little and looked back and forth, murmuring: "This didn't... and... why was it so simple, Tablet of Dreams? There was a pop, a crackle, and then... what did you do with the world?"
"It's gone, like you said. It, and everyone in it, gone, stuck in limbo, kaput, booshed. Zipped and zapped out of here. Poofed." The tablet spun back and forth as it spoke amiably, glowing with a strange pride. "Like I said, I can pretty much rewrite anything. So what I did was rewrite all of it outside of reality, while I left you inside, in this bubble of atmosphere. And hey, you know, if you wish for happiness, I'll throw in a free blanket for you if you want. Because even if there's kind of a big air bubble still here, it's gonna get real cold soon without any... anything."
Morpheus frowned uneasily at this, looking back and forth and shivering a bit before he asked finally: "So you mean... I'd have to wish for a planet to survive? I... I don't know what makes me happy, though. I don't... I thought that I'd be happy when I destroyed everything."
"Seriously?" the tablet asked disbelievingly, and Morpheus blushed a bit and glowered moodily off in another direction before the stone slate asked irritably: "So like, just how the hell did you find out about me, anyway? You can't be that smart."
"Hey! I am the supreme master of all evil, the most powerful villain in all the... land..." Morpheus' gesture slowed to an awkward halt as he looked out and reminded himself... there was no land anymore. No land, sea, or technically air. Just darkness and loneliness and... him, stuck in the middle of it all. Completely alone, completely triumphant... completely goddamn miserable.
He sighed a little, and the Tablet of Dreams remarked pointedly: "Guess that doesn't mean a whole lot when there's no world anymore, right?"
"Oh shut up. I... I just wanted you to destroy Equestria, anyway, I simply... misspoke." mumbled Morpheus, looking grouchily down and twiddling his hooves together, but imagining... it would have been the same, wouldn't it? He'd be sitting here, alone... without... without all the people who'd gotten him this far.
He thought of Antecedes: a pony he respected enough to have rescued twice from Celestia, who had mentored him and helped him even when... even when he was hurting, and he, Morpheus, hadn't done a damned thing to help him. He thought of Neato Burrito, that silly little earth pony, so dedicated to honor that he had thrown his life away for him... the one pony in maybe the whole world who had really... believed in him. Sure, he'd come with him because he'd been rescued, but... what kind of self-pitying jerk was he to say that had been Neato's only reason for staying? And Antecedes! There were a thousand easier ways Antecedes could have found his 'peaceful death,' but he had always been there...
And Toad, his precious friend Toad... and... and those stupid ponies. Even Twilight Sparkle... what had she said? Right... that his wish wouldn't change anything. Even in the depths of pain and delusion and sorrow, she had spouted wisdom at him that he'd brushed right off, but was proving so goddamn true... he'd destroyed his friends, no his enemies. He'd erased all the light in the world... and left himself trapped in darkness, all over again. He was alone all right... and...
"And I couldn't even be right about Celestia... she turned out to be nothing but a lie, Stronghold Halfdragon's greatest mask. If only she had been real... maybe... maybe none of this would have happened." muttered Morpheus, and then he sighed softly as he looked silently away.
The Tablet of Dreams thrummed, then glowed brightly. The light made Morpheus wince, and he scowled over his shoulder at it, opening his mouth... and then staring in disbelief at the phantasm of an ivory mare that smiled down at him tenderly, one of her hooves reaching up to touch his back gently as Princess Celestia said softly: "You don't have to believe in me, Moonflower. I already believe in you."
Morpheus mouthed slowly, and then the Tablet of Dreams hiccuped before saying in an uncomfortable voice: "So I'm kind of scared right now because I just threw up a ghost. Can someone please explain what the hell just happened?"
"Not every wish starts with the phrase 'I wish...' and not every wish made to you, Tablet, requires giving up a life. Especially not when someone's just calling back a sacrifice already made..." Celestia smiled softly, becoming a little more physical as she turned her kind eyes towards Morpheus. "But I don't have a lot of time. Yes, you've made a mistake... but that doesn't matter. I can't fix this for you: no one can. That's something that Stronghold Halfdragon never understood: you can't seize control of someone's life and force them to do what you believe is right. That takes away meaning, freedom, and every pony's right to determine their own future.
"Stronghold never realized that even with all the good things she taught the ponies of Equestria... she also took away their strength, their will, their ability to choose and decide things for themselves. She hated them, but she was the one responsible for her own hatred..." Celestia smiled faintly, shaking her head slowly. "But all you can do is guide your people. The answer is not executions, gulags, and strict law. And what Stronghold failed to realize was that Equestria, wild as it was, was never violent until the crusaders came and brought their war with them. She never realized that it was her own church that created the rifts that pushed the country into a bloody civil war. And she never stopped to think about it, either, when she unwittingly took the same side she'd always taken and assumed they were good... the believers, who wanted to crush out the ponies that still clung to their own gods and spirits."
Celestia quieted, looking down and sighing softly. "But I never thought she'd go so far. It's ironic, but she used not just Draekin magic, but the help of the most powerful practitioners of pagan unicorn arts she could find. But I suppose by then, she had decided if God had abandoned her, she would abandon God..."
Morpheus looked silently up at the spirit, and the spirit of Celestia gazed back down at him before she smiled softly and said quietly: "But now, you can make things right, Moonflower. Take the Tablet of Dreams, and make your one wish. I believe in you."
The ghost reached up and gently touched his shoulder, and the stallion dropped his head and shivered a little before he whispered: "But... you don't know me. I'm everything you're not, and... everything that you hate. I'm..."
"You're a pony." Celestia said softly, and then she smiled at him kindly before saying softly: "That's all I have to know about you. You're a pony, just like me. Nothing else matters, really, Moonflower: without night, day would be meaningless. Without pain, you could never truly appreciate pleasure. Dualities are the basis of all things."
She reached up and gently tapped under his muzzle, then smiled again before adding: "And I think that, secretly, Stronghold admired you. She was afraid of you, but I think she admired you all the same. I think part of her... knew that what she was doing was wrong, continuing the crusade her Order started a thousand years ago. But I can only hope. Just like I hope that you'll make the right choice."
Morpheus dropped his head silently, not knowing what to do or say. He shifted uncomfortably back and forth... then finally sighed quietly before nodding slowly as he closed his eyes for a moment.
He took a breath, then looked up... but Celestia was gone. The Tablet of Dreams floated uneasily nearby, seeming to look back and forth before the stone whimpered: "Oh dude. Dude. I'm... I'm full of ghosts? Oh come on, I thought... sacrificed souls... I wanna be sick but I'm terrified if I throw up I'm going to puke out more ghosts and then it's going to be like when you throw up really hard you can't stop throwing up because it's so-"
"Tablet of Dreams, shut the hell up." Morpheus said flatly, and then he straightened before gritting his teeth. For a moment, he felt a burst of emotion, of selfishness, of stupidity... but he stomped on this savagely in his mind before shouting: "Tablet of Dreams! I wish for everything to go back the way it was, before I made my wish!"
There was silence for a few moments, and then the Tablet said grumpily: "You don't have to yell at me, okay?"
Morpheus began to glare... and then there was a bright flash, and the stallion winced and stumbled backwards... before falling over and landing painfully on his side with a thump, the stallion blinking stupidly before he looked up blankly and realized... he was back in the vault.
He mouthed wordlessly, then stared at the Tablet of Dreams as it floated down to him and said loudly: "You're welcome!"
"I..." Morpheus scowled up at the tablet, and then he shoved himself up to his hooves and snapped: "Well, you just granted me two wishes instead of one!"
"No I didn't! I didn't! You're a liar!" the Tablet shouted, and then it added threateningly: "And we're never going to talk about that lady showing up out of nowhere again or I'm going to make you disappear, you hear me?"
"Oh, I'm really so afraid." Morpheus retorted, and then he reached up and punched the tablet, sending it zipping across the room to crash into a pile of gold coins before he frowned a little over at the statue of Luna, asking curiously: "Tablet of Dreams. When Princess Luna was sacrificed... did you take in her spirit as well?"
"I don't eat ghosts! I don't... they're... they just end up inside me, I don't know how!" the tablet whined as it rose up out of the pile of coins, and then it floated over and shook itself vehemently, adding grouchily: "But I don't think so. Why?"
Morpheus was already looking thoughtfully off in the other direction, however, tapping a hoof slowly before he asked finally: "And life. Must a life always be sacrificed, or for small things... say, reversing a wish... would blood suffice?"
"Uh..." The tablet did a remarkable job of looking stupid, which was very impressive for a piece of stone, before it said awkwardly: "No one's ever wanted to reverse a wish before. I mean, before you. You just did it, and it felt like... well... half a wish, really, and-"
"Then you still owe me half a wish. Now shut up." Morpheus spun around, his horn glowing before he shouted loudly, his voice echoing through the treasury: "Throna Halfdragon! I, the Prince of Darkness, demand your presence!"
The tablet whimpered something about its nonexistent ears, but Morpheus was only hopping from hoof-to-hoof, grinning widely before he laughed loudly as a portal opened, and a scowling Throna Halfdragon strode out of it. She glared at the stallion for a moment before saying irritably: "As nice as it is to see that-"
"Silence, the Emperor of Evil is going to speak." Morpheus said imperiously... and then the mood was ruined slightly as he frowned a bit and asked awkwardly: "Wait, you can portal directly into the treasure room?"
"Yes, I can. Stronghold had it magically sealed and protected, but one time while we were visiting here, I snuck away and tossed a coin with a waypoint enchantment on it into the pile of treasure. Even Stronghold couldn't track it down in all this mess so I gained a way to come and go as I pleased... although then Stronghold decided to hide the Elements of Harmony and turned me into her personal pack-mule." Throna scowled, then shook her head and asked irritably: "Now what-"
"The Lord of Darkness knows what wish he shall make." Morpheus said clearly, and then he glared over his shoulder when the tablet mumbled: 'half-wish.' "Shut up and grant this half-wish, then. Rend Throna's glammer asunder and revert her to the shape of her past existence!"
"Can you repeat that maybe in a language I can understand? Not a dictionary here. Just a big flat piece of stone." the Tablet of Dreams said sourly, floating over to Morpheus and clunking itself firmly into his head, making him wince.
He rubbed sulkily at his forehead, then looked with embarrassment over his shoulder at the staring mare before he quickly looked back ahead and whispered: "Look, just. Turn her back into a Draekin, the thing she looked like before you turned her into Luna. Can you do that?"
"Oh, yeah, right, easy. I don't even know if that counts as a wish, to tell you the truth, minor... aesthetic change and... okay, okay, stop glaring at me like that!" the Tablet of Dreams whined, and then it glowed brightly... but there wasn't even a flash before it declared: "Done."
"Oh come on, you can't have..." And then Morpheus turned around and gaped in shock at the sight of the Draekin now standing behind him, looking over herself with shock. She had blue and white scales, and a mane that glowed like starlight, and hooves with small, nub-like claws. She was only a little bigger than him, and Morpheus mouthed wordlessly at the sight of her before he hurriedly pasted an evil grin on his features as the mare looked up at him dumbly.
"I... I mean, yes! See the power of the Tablet of Dreams? It is... powerful." Morpheus stopped for a moment to stare at her a little more, then rapidly shook his head and cleared his throat before he thrust a hoof into the air and declared: "And this is only the first stage of my evil plan! Next is this!"
Morpheus' horn glowed darkly, and then he spun around and snapped it towards the statue of Princess Luna, which lit up with a strange, pale radiance... and a moment later, the stone gasped before dropping forwards as rock turned back to flesh, eyes blinking as her pale blue mane spilled over her face, mouth working wordlessly before Morpheus forced out as evil a laugh as he could. "Now Equestria will be thrown into political chaos and turmoil and... uh..."
Princess Luna - the real Princess Luna - looked up and silenced him with a glare before striding over to the stallion and slamming her hoof into his face, knocking him in a stupid sprawl as she shouted angrily: "Thou art nothing but a stupid git! Cease thy wretched acting and speaking, for 'tis like adders' venom in my mind! Now, knave, cease such preaching to yon maiden-Draekin and I, for my sleep in stone hath left me with ears wide open!"
The Tablet of Dreams attempted to float casually down beside Morpheus before it asked in a whisper: "So uh. What did she just say?"
"She sayeth shut the buck up." growled Luna, and the Tablet of Dreams squeaked and hurried behind Morpheus before Luna shook herself out roughly, then sat up and slammed a hoof into her other, glaring imperiously back and forth. "Now that I am free of my prison, I shall set about making Equestria right! In the name of my sister, who I loved so dearly, we shall turn the tide of-"
Then black lightning sizzled over Luna, and her eyes bulged before she toppled onto her side, twitching weakly. And Morpheus sighed, relieved that his spell had worked as he crawled up to his hooves and then walked over to her, leaning down into the glaring, paralyzed winged unicorn's face before he said mildly: "Only I'm allowed to make the speeches, okay? That's the rules. Evil talks. Good shuts up. Evil brags. Good stays 'humble,' which is another word for 'silently embarrassed because Good never does anything cool.'"
Morpheus spun back towards Throna, who was still looking at him dumbly, and the stallion grinned. He was actually enjoying himself... actually really enjoying himself, as he pointed upwards and declared: "And now, I shall demonstrate the other half of my evil plan!"
His horn glowed with dark magic... and then it fizzled out, and he scowled up at the spire before Throna said dourly: "There's a block on all teleportation magic here. Only Draekin portals work."
"I... well. Then. Portal us up to the highest tower of Canterlot." grumbled Morpheus, and when Throna gave him a childish look, he rolled his eyes before asking grumpily: "Please?"
"Only because you asked so nicely." Throna said ironically, and then she smiled despite herself as her unicorn horn glowed brightly, asking almost teasingly: "Shall I take the Princess as well?"
"No, leave her here. She's much more dangerous than I thought." Morpheus mumbled, rubbing at his jaw as a glowing blue portal slowly formed. He paused, then looked lamely over at Throna Halfdragon, adding lamely: "Thank you."
He skittered through the portal like a foal, and Throna smiled despite herself as she followed, the Tablet of Dreams hurrying after them as Luna gurgled on the ground and glared furiously at the portal. But a moment later it slammed closed as the three emerged onto the highest rooftop of Canterlot's highest tower, Morpheus' horn already glowing with green light before he shouted: "And now, see my greatest work of evil!"
He pointed his horn outwards and released a thrum of energy from the spire, and Throna frowned as she looked out over the world... but nothing seemed to be happening. She looked dumbly back and forth, but the deep night was still and silent apart from...
One large, horse-like ear twitched, and her eyes widened slightly as she looked down and saw lights were flicking on, all throughout the city. She could hear screams and yells, and panic... and then Morpheus laughed. But even as she looked at him with surprise, she sensed... something less than malicious about him, as declared: "You fools and your love of tacky outdoor ornamentation... it has been your downfall! I've sent hundreds of my minions, disguised as harmless lawn toys, to be sold in gift shops all around Canterlot! Now my army awakens, and you will rue the day that you ever tried to battle Lord Morpheus, Prince of Darkness! This... this was my true evil plan all along!"
Morpheus laughed again... and then he turned beet red when Throna leaned over and kissed his cheek gently, the mare murmuring softly: "Thank you, Morpheus, for making the right choice."
Morpheus glared at her, and then he flung himself off the roof, flapping his wings wildly and veering slightly to the left as he sailed off into the night, howling over his shoulder: "I'm evil! Evil! And there's nothing you can do to stop me! Stupid ponies, why would I destroy the world when I can take it over?"
He cackled as he sailed off into the night on his slightly-tilted course... and Throna sighed and shook her head slowly before the Tablet of Dreams said wryly: "What a doof. But I'm gonna miss him."
"Oh, he'll be back, tablet. Now come, we have... much to do. And you have a story to tell me before we find a safe place to keep you... a place where no one will be tempted to abuse your powers." Throna said softly, smiling over at the stone slate, but she paused to give one last warm look into the skies, whispering: "Thank you, Moonflower." |
One Wish For Nothing | All About Fish | Chapter Nine: All About Fish
~BlackRoseRaven
Lord Morpheus, Enemy of Equestria, most wanted villain in the entire world, relaxed with a sigh as he sat back in his throne room. Yes, for once... everything felt like it was going right. He had the entire world under his hoof, just like he'd always wanted. Or at least since about about a month ago. And that was close enough, right?
His fortress had been rebuilt... and now, with actual rooms instead of just large stone panels, since the incident with Stronghold Halfdragon had finally shown him why large, free-standing pieces of stone were a bad design idea.
Sure, his 'attack' roughly a month ago had been firmly repelled. But at the same time, he had demonstrated his point and thrown Equestria into chaos. Sort of. And okay, so maybe things hadn't gone quite as he'd hoped with Throna and Luna, with Luna now acting as Commander-in-Chief and Throna her advisor and second-in-command. So much for bearing grudges.
But hey. He had a massive army of terrible, evil... well. He had a lot of goblins, packs of diamond dogs, and a whole load of idiot jerk ponies to boss around. Neato Burrito had returned to his side, and Antecedes was sitting on the edge of his throne's dais, reading a newspaper. And seeming pleased as punch, but Morpheus wasn't about to let his snide little self-proclaimed victory get on his nerves.
No, everything was going right for once. And Morpheus smiled pleasantly as he rested back in his throne, rubbing along the arms of the enormous seat as he said wryly: "You know, it's good to be king, Antecedes. It's good to be the master of all evil."
"That's an oxymoron. Moron." Antecedes said without looking up, and then he added dryly: "And listen to this: 'Lady Halfdragon has announced that a new national holiday has been declared. Freedom Day: a day to celebrate the day that balance was brought to Equestria, will be in three days.'"
"There's nothing special about that date. That's silly. I should find a way to ruin it for them." Morpheus said thoughtfully, rubbing at the underside of his chin, and then he scowled as he heard loud laughter from beside him.
Slowly, the winged unicorn turned a scowl down to Toad, who grinned at him from the safety of his watery aquarium before the amphibian said mildly: "Did you really forget your own birthday, dude? And furthermore, it's also the day when you tried to get Princess Celestia to let you be the Prince of the Night. And, you know, also the day you got your ass kicked."
Morpheus blushed deeply and scowled horribly, shaking his head vehemently before he grumbled: "That's probably why I was blocking it out of my mind. Thank you oh so very much for reminding me, Toad. I think I'll stick you in a blender to celebrate."
"We don't have a blender. Neato Burrito broke it making one of his protein shakes, and the diamond dogs and goblins are too dumb to steal one for you. And, you know, since all of Equestria knows who we are now, we can't just walk to the store and buy one." Antecedes folded his paper down into a little square, tucking it away in his robes as he added mildly: "So good work there, your lordship. You've actually left us in a worse state than we were before you tried to destroy the world."
"Okay, for one thing, I did destroy the world. Secondly, look around! This place we've built is fantastic!" argued Morpheus, shaking his head quickly and huffing. "Don't be such a child. Just... be thankful for what you have, Antecedes. And you should be thankful too, Toad, and... where did Neato Burrito go?"
Antecedes only shrugged, and Morpheus sighed and smacked his forehead before he added grumpily: "Dealing with you two has given me a headache. You've ruined my happiness. Happy?"
Antecedes shrugged again, and then he turned his eyes forwards and said mildly: "And in case you weren't listening, your lordship, I'd like to remind you that Throna Halfdragon will be coming by. Hopefully not to ask us for more help with the Tablet of Dreams. I marvel at the genius of the defense mechanism, though: making it so idiotic I'd rather smash it than make a wish on it."
"Apparently it wasn't half as talkative around Stronghold. But then again, from what I hear, Throna has become much more at peace and pleasant herself with Stronghold gone." Morpheus paused, then looked back and forth quickly, adding hurriedly: "But I didn't do a good thing in killing her! I merely proved that I am the most powerful evil force in all of Equestria and... and moved my terrible plans to conquer the world another step forwards!"
Antecedes glanced over his shoulder at him mildly, and then he rolled his red eyes before he said calmly: "I'll be taking the evening off."
"Do you have another tea party with your friends to attend?" asked Morpheus, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
"Yes." Antecedes said simply, which shut Morpheus up... before the winged unicorn glared when the skeleton added sourly: "It's not a challenge to your homosexuality, which, oh great and flamboyantly-evil one, is far greater than my non-sexuality. But it's nice to have a break with the ponies. They're quiet. They're respectful. They listen to me. Unlike someone else I know."
"Oh, sorry, Antecedes, I wasn't listening to you because I apparently think nothing but gay thoughts all day. Gay gay gay gay gay, that's all that's in my head. Stallions, stallions, stallions." Morpheus said huffily, whirling his hooves through the air around his head before he added grumpily: "And it reflects badly upon me, Antecedes, that you're going out and... making friends and the like."
The skeleton sighed and shrugged, then replied drolly: "If you're so concerned with keeping up appearances, Lord Morpheus, master of all that is bad-wrong in the world, why don't you say that I'm just earning their trust so that I can later betray them?"
Morpheus looked thoughtful at this, rubbing at the underside of his muzzle before he huffed a bit and waved a hoof irritably. "No, no, that doesn't make any sense at all. No, if anyone asks, I'll tell them... that... I've sent you to gain their trust to spy on them, so that one day we can lure them into a trap or use them as part of our evil schemes."
Antecedes looked at Morpheus for a few moments, and then he sighed tiredly and turned around. Toad, meanwhile, leaned up against the wall of his aquarium and said ironically: "You know, it really goes to show that there's no one quite as smart as you are around here, boss."
Morpheus glowered down at Toad, and then he said crankily: "If you keep this up, we're going to play a game of fetch with one of the diamond dogs, and you get to be the ball."
Toad huffed at this, and then Morpheus sat back in his throne and tented his front hooves before he smiled a little as he relaxed in the heavy seat, murmuring: "We've come a long way my friends, haven't we? Conquered the world. Uncovered ancient Equestrian legends. Fought and defeated the last of the Draekin. And now here we are..."
Antecedes glanced up, then the skeleton sighed a little as he said wryly: "I would prefer being dead, but... I guess this is the next best thing. I suppose having a reason to live makes things... easier, though. That, and the fact I can come and go as I please to Canterlot... and you know. When you killed Halfdragon, her advisors lost their immortality. It might be cruel, but I enjoy having conquered them. And I'm glad that you stopped her, Morpheus."
Morpheus smiled briefly, and then he looked down at his friend and said softly: "You didn't say that you were glad I killed them, though."
"Death isn't a punishment." The skeleton looked up with a chuckle, and then he added finally: "And at the same time... maybe death is too much. It's been strange, getting to know these ponies in Ponyville and Canterlot... seeing how they can change and adapt. It's strange to walk through the streets of a city that knows we're supposed to be the enemy, and yet they don't attack us."
"Well, they fear us, that's all." Morpheus said comfortably, brushing at himself before he added moodily: "Although it would be nice if they didn't close all their doors to us, too. Here I am, willing to pretend to follow their rules and pay them good money, and they won't let me in. Then I have to smash down the door and steal everything in the shop."
Toad snorted at this, then dropped back into his aquarium with a splash, even as he said with amusement: "Yeah, and how often do you screw that up, boss? You can't fly very well as it is. You end up careening into buildings and dropping all the stuff you've stolen on the way."
Morpheus huffed at this, scowling and opening his mouth... and then he blinked dumbly and looked up in surprise as there was a loud chime. He frowned a little, then brushed himself hurriedly off before straightening and neatening himself out, calling calmly: "Enter the sanctum of darkness!"
"That's downstairs. This is just the throne room." Antecedes muttered, and Morpheus slowly scowled down at the skeleton, even as the doors opened and a goblin in a ragged little suit hurried inside, wheezing and saluting awkwardly.
"Lord Morpheus, sir, I... visitor, strange visitor!" wheezed the goblin, gesturing behind himself and looking more than a little frightened... which made Morpheus feel uneasy as he leaned down, tilting his head. After all, usually his goblin servants were nervous or anxious, but never really... afraid. "Well, she's with Lady Throna... but she's scary! Strange and scary!"
Morpheus only huffed at this, waving a hoof as he relaxed a little. "Well, bring Throna in so she can introduce her friend properly. I'm sure that it can't be anyone that bad, Throna is nothing but a childish pushover who knows her place, after all."
Antecedes looked meditatively up at Morpheus as the goblin skittered off, and then the skeleton said dryly: "You know this is likely in response to your last letter. And for all you know, perhaps she's found another Draekin. We know she sent out envoys to scout out her home nation."
"You and everyone else I've spoken to have all told me that the Draekin nation was destroyed, though." Morpheus replied mildly, tilting his head pointedly towards the skeleton before he gestured airily at him. "You worry far too much, that's what I think."
Antecedes sighed tiredly at this, shaking his head slowly, and Toad looked warily up from his aquarium, asking uneasily: "Boss, uh... you sure you want to go underestimating her and all? I mean, I get it, Throna ain't exactly like her big sister. But that doesn't change the fact that she's still a Draekin. And they seem to live pretty much forever."
Morpheus only sniffed disdainfully, resting back in his throne and tenting his hooves... then smiling as the doors opened and Throna was led inside, alone, by his goblin servant. "Excellent, so glad you could arrive so promptly... my friends here and I were just discussing you. I was reminding them that you know your place, don't you, Throna? Firmly hiding with all your other goody-two-hoof friends, away from the might and wrath of my terrible, ultimate evil."
"That is in part what I came to talk to you about, Lord Moonflower." Throna replied easily, and Morpheus scowled at her even as he sat up a bit, tilting his head almost uncertainly. "What would you do if I told you a much more dire threat has come to Equestria? Something... far more evil, far more powerful than you?"
Morpheus snorted in amusement, and then he sat back and grinned widely, dropping his forelegs on the throne and saying easily: "Throna, dear, I've already proven that I'm more powerful than any pony in Equestria. Furthermore, while it amuses me when 'new villains' crop up, you know that I have no interest whatsoever in sharing territory. What did I say to that witch that came by? Oh, yes. 'Good or evil, this is my country. And you will suffer the full wrath of my awesome might if you do anything that interferes with it.'"
Throna simply smiled wryly at this, and then she said pleasantly: "Then I assume that you would be willing to test your strength against this new evil that's come to Equestria? She's very powerful, though, I must warn you. She makes you look... well, I don't want to say 'weak...'"
Morpheus scowled darkly at this, crossing his forelegs before he snapped: "There is nothing in the entire universe that can make me look weak! I am the most powerful being in the world! I am a god of darkness! I am... I am the king of my dark and terrible and homosexual domain!"
"Oh, will you please stop dragging the fact you're gay into it? Honestly, Moony, no one cares anymore." Toad groaned, leaning up and adding flatly: "Or are you still insulted that the Canterlot gay pride parade wouldn't let you join in?"
"They are not truly gay! Their rainbows and sashes and fruity uniforms are not a symbol of the true evil that homosexuality is all about!" Morpheus snapped crankily, and then he huffed a bit and crossed his forelegs, muttering: "I didn't want to be part of their stupid parade anyway. And if I really wanted a baton or sash I'd just... take it from one of those silly dancers."
Throna cleared her throat loudly, and then she said pointedly, dragging Morpheus back on topic: "It might be true that you are very powerful, Moonflower. Perhaps you even are the largest fish in our little pond, as you like to say. But the universe is a very big place, and as I've learned, there are things out there that make even a marlin like you look like a minnow."
"What's a marlin?" asked the winged unicorn dumbly, and then he cleared his throat and crossed his forelegs, adding hurriedly: "I... know that it's a fish of course. Probably a shirk. There is nothing greater in the sea than shirks, after all, and... even in the ocean of the universe, I am the most dangerous and powerful of all fish."
"Shark. And it's not. It's more like a swordfish." Antecedes corrected, glancing over his shoulder at Morpheus.
"That's what I said. What did you think I said? I said shirk." Morpheus argued, completely oblivious. Antecedes only sighed, and the stallion scowled at the skeleton before he huffed and turned his eyes forwards, saying grouchily: "But enough of your silly metaphors, Throna. Evil does not have time to waste, unless it is good's time that... evil is wasting. Because it has nothing else to do. So. Show me this... 'greater evil.'"
Throna smiled slightly at this, then she glanced over her shoulder and called clearly: "Queen Hecate!"
Morpheus scowled at this... then paled slightly as the double doors to his throne room were smashed open and a massive figure strode slowly inside, ducking under the archway. It was enormous, with a steel body that stood on two legs ending in massive, metal hooves, arms crossed in front of a chest literally chiseled and sculpted from hard metal. But the head that sat atop its shoulders was flesh-and-blood: a pony's face, with pale white hide and sunken, dark sockets, a mane of living electricity and thick black cable floating ominously around her features as a single, steel-sheathed horn gleamed dangerously from her forehead.
Morpheus slowly swallowed as Antecedes stared, and Toad whistled slowly as he leaned over the wall of his aquarium before he said almost admiringly: "Dude. You are so completely screwed."
"I... well, this is quite a surprise, Throna, you've... manufactured a golem! This is a Draekin design, I expect, yes? No wonder it looks so fearsome." Morpheus said awkwardly, and then he cleared his throat quickly before adding hurriedly: "Not that I'm afraid at all of this... thing. It's nothing but an animated hunk of metal, after all, nothing that can compare with my-"
"I don't like practical jokes." Hecate said moodily, and Morpheus' jaw dropped as the mechanical creature turned away from him to glare down at Throna. "I was informed that something of great, incredible power managed to make this entire world blink out of existence for a few minutes. I find it hard to believe that this is the being that pulled it off."
Morpheus mouthed wordlessly as Throna scowled up at Hecate, stomping one nubby hoof as she replied grumpily: "Well, it's true!" She stopped, then smiled awkwardly when the metallic creature glared down at her, swallowing her childish pique and instead saying finally: "He's... eccentric. And he's not very bright. But he's stubborn and powerful."
"I... I am the greatest evil that Equestria has ever known! I am the scourge of this country, and I am not about to allow some other false terror to take my place!" Morpheus snapped, but he sounded much more confident than he felt, his legs visibly wobbling even as he forced himself out of his throne to storm off the dais and towards the enormous machine-pony. "Now you just... pick yourself up and leave, do you hear me? Don't force me to bring my powers of darkness to your doorstep, to unleash upon you the same force that killed Celestia!"
Hecate gave a strange, thin smile at this, and then Throna leaned forwards and said awkwardly: "She knows about my sister, Moonflower."
"Oh. Uh. Well then." Morpheus halted in front of the mechanical mare, then he looked uncomfortably up at her, saying uneasily: "You're... female?"
"Yes." Hecate said moodily, and then she rose one claw, a faint glow emanating from her steel-sheathed horn before before several enormous, illusionary walls appeared around her. Morpheus stared at these, then he squawked and flailed violently when a searing light passed over him... before gaping in shock as images of him appeared on these magical, floating screens with a scrawl of runes and numbers. "Interesting..."
"I've never seen an analysis spell so advanced. It must work in conjunction with the technology of your body armor." Antecedes said thoughtfully as he strode forwards, studying the images intently. "Those runes are not Equestrian in origin..."
Hecate only smiled thinly again, and then she glanced at Throna and questioned casually: "Are you sure that he isn't the one who was pulling the strings all along? He seems to be the more intelligent between the two."
"Hey, the boss is plenty intelligent!" snapped a voice, and Morpheus yelped as Hecate's eyes flicked down with only the slightest hint of surprise to the earth pony now standing beside Morpheus. "He is honorable, strong, and has cojones like a dragon! A big dragon! Big!"
Hecate scowled slightly, then she returned her eyes to her screen, one claw flicking over the image and causing it to change as she muttered: "There is a thin line between bravery and stupidity. And neither side meshes very well with intellect. But still, he is a winged unicorn... and I suppose he might have a place in my plans yet."
Morpheus scowled at this, then he stomped one hoof as he shook himself out, saying sourly: "Okay, I've had enough of this nonsense. You may be large and metally, Queen He-Cat, but I doubt your magical prowess is anything compared to my divine power!"
Morpheus snapped his horn to the side, and Hecate grimaced as black lightning sizzled over her armor and her screens whiffed out of existence. The stallion grinned immediately up at her as Neato Burrito cheered, and Antecedes and Throna both shifted uneasily... and then all eyes stared as Hecate simply stepped forwards and punted Morpheus across the room, the stallion rocketing backwards to slam squarely into his throne.
He twitched weakly in his seat, then shook his head hurriedly out before attempting to pose in his throne, forcing a grin despite the fact his chest was already clearly starting to purple as he rasped out: "I see that... you feel you have no choice but to resort to barbarian physical methods in answer to my... majestic powers. But I feel I must warn you, that... I will be forced to retaliate if-"
Hecate began to walk calmly towards him, and Morpheus squeaked and panicked for a moment before hurriedly sitting up as his horn glowed blackly, gritting his teeth before he snapped the spire sharply forwards, sending a black fireball hammering into the mare's steel chest. It struck with enough force to make the goliath stagger with a grunt of surprise, glancing down at her seared armor before she absently brushed a bit of char away, looking surprised as Morpheus shouted: "And that is only a sample of my power! The power that once destroyed this world!"
"You're stronger than I expected. You almost pierced the protective layer. That would require at least six thousand bæns of energy." Hecate crossed her metal arms, looking meditatively down at him before she said calmly: "I'm here because I lead an organization gathering people from different worlds for a special project. A task force, so to speak. From what the half-dragon has told me, you're a nuisance and an idiot, but you're not a threat to the worlds, in spite of your earlier actions.
"All the same, what you've done hasn't gone unnoticed. Certain interested parties would like to see you punished or imprisoned, even if I've been informed that the tool you used to make this entire world vanish has already been disenchanted." Hecate gestured towards him. "So really, you don't have a choice in the matter. You can quietly come with me, or I can force you to come with me."
"What? No! I'm... this is my world!" Morpheus blurted, glaring furiously up at the mare and shaking his head vehemently. "And we all make mistakes and... really, is it such a big deal that I destroyed the world? In the long run it's benefited everybody! Those idiots should be thankful that such a benevolent evil like me exists!"
Antecedes sighed, and Neato Burrito shrugged amiably before the earth pony remarked positively: "The boss kind of has a point, lady. Senor Morpheus did good. I mean. Well. He did great evil, I mean, but it also was good, even if... evil. I do not ever doubt that you are the Emperor of Evil, Senor Morpheus, I mean no disrespect!"
Morpheus sighed tiredly, while Throna stepped forwards with a frown, saying almost worriedly: "Queen Hecate, I... Morpheus serves a purpose here in Equestria. He brings balance-"
"One pony alone does not bring balance." Hecate said distastefully, and then she scowled down at Throna. "Consider this a free lesson. We all pay the price for our crimes eventually. And we all have to atone, whether we like it or not. Redemption doesn't come with a single act of fixing what you broke in the first place, as nice as that would be."
"Well, I'm... I will not go without a fight, Queen Hecate! And no matter how fearsome you may look, I defeated the Killing Light, the most dangerous, terrible, violent, cruel..." Morpheus awkwardly came to a halt, then he smiled lamely at Throna as the Draekin mare glared at him. "Uh. Well, she was... very strong."
Hecate rolled her eyes at this, and then she pointed at Morpheus and said coldly: "I'll make it very simple for you. You're going to come with me. Because of you, the functionality of my Orphanage has been called into question. So you are going to come with me and explain how you managed to make an entire world vanish, and then why this is not going to occur again, and how you can help us ensure that this set of events does not repeat on any other worlds."
"Orphanage? You look after foals?" asked the winged unicorn dubiously, and Hecate rolled her eyes before Morpheus huffed and leapt out of his seat, grimacing only slightly at the pain that ran through his bruised chest as he snapped: "But I refuse to leave, or to be judged by... an evil council of evil or any force of good or... anyone else, for that matter! I am Morpheus, God of Darkness and Nightmares, and you will-"
Hecate strode forwards and reached down before Morpheus could react, yanking him into the air by his horn, and Morpheus whimpered and flailed wildly in all directions... then squealed and convulsed violently as electricity sizzled and crackled down the mechanical mare's arm and over his entire body, Neato Burrito and Throna both wincing away as Antecedes dropped his face in a hoof.
Then Hecate simply dropped Morpheus, the stallion landing in a smoldering heap on the ground and twitching a bit before he coughed smoke, then forced his head to rise as he slurred out: "That's... that's a good try but... y-you just wait 'til... I..."
He blinked dumbly as he realized there was something hovering over him... and then even Antecedes winced away as Hecate stomped on him. Then again. And again and again and again and again and again, looking irritably down at the stallion as she continued to squash him under one hoof until Throna blurted out: "Stop, he's had enough!"
"Well, I haven't." Hecate said sourly as she stomped the stallion a few more times, then finally drew her metal hoof back, crossing her arms and glaring down at the winged unicorn. The force of her stomps had actually crushed him partway down through the stone dais... or at least, stone-plated dais, he saw now. The inside was mostly cheap wood, and for once the stallion was glad his stupid goblin minions were always cheating and cutting costs to get things put together faster...
He wheezed a little, then whimpered as Hecate grabbed the back of his neck and tore him free from the crushed stage, immediately covering his head and howling: "Oh god, not in the face! Not in my pretty face!"
Hecate rolled her eyes and slapped his forelegs aside, and then she shook him roughly once before asking menacingly: "Are you going to do what I say?"
"Yes, yes! Okay, you win!" Morpheus wheezed, nodding violently before he trembled a bit, then looked past the mechanical mare at the people who were all staring up at him... helplessly, he thought. And he hated how helpless they looked, as he whispered before he could stop himself: "I'd just started to be happy, though..."
Hecate sighed tiredly, then she half-turned and flung him irritably to the ground in front of Antecedes, Neato Burrito, and Throna, the mechanical mare saying flatly: "I have no patience for crybabies. Hurry up and say your goodbyes, Morpheus. Then we'll go to the Orphanage, a place for... other ponies like you."
Morpheus dropped his head silently as he picked himself slowly up, then he glanced over his shoulder... but his whole body was shivering in pain, and he was very well aware that Hecate hadn't even had to try to put him in this much agony. Throna had been right... he was a big fish here, but apparently that meant very little in the grand scheme of things.
"I'm sorry, Moonflower. I... I didn't mean for this to happen. Please believe that." Throna said quietly, and the stallion gave a brief smile to her before she lowered her head and laughed a little. "Princess Luna will miss you, too... you... kept things interesting."
"I... I know. But..." Morpheus halted, looking uneasily over his shoulder at Hecate before he sighed and smiled faintly, turning his eyes towards Antecedes. "I know you're all nice these days and all that, my friend, but... you'll keep things going, won't you?"
"Not as well as you always did, perhaps, but I'll do my best, Moonflower." Antecedes replied softly, and then he hesitated before holding up a hoof.
Morpheus smiled as he took it and shook it firmly, then he turned his eyes towards Neato Burito, who was rubbing at his glaring eyes as his lower lip trembled, struggling to contain himself before he simply burst into tears and flung himself forwards to hug the winged unicorn fiercely. Morpheus groaned in agony, but then he awkwardly reached up and patted the little stallion on the back a few times, mumbling: "It'll... it'll be all right, Neato Burrito. You just... take care."
Neato blubbered some response as he pulled back, then he sat down and rubbed miserably at his eyes. Morpheus smiled at him awkwardly, then glanced down curiously as Toad hopped up beside him, the amphibian looking up at him before he said awkwardly: "Hey, uh, boss, we've... we've been through a lot together and... well. If you don't mind... I think I'll come with you. No offense, guys, but... Moony's kind of family and all."
Morpheus glanced over his shoulder at Hecate, and the mare sighed tiredly before she gave a brief nod, muttering: "Why not? And if it'll get you all to stop whimpering, he'll be allowed to return after he makes amends for his past actions."
The stallion looked up hopefully at this, and then he gave a brief laugh before murmuring: "Thank you, Hecate..." He stopped, then puffed up his chest, turning towards her and adding almost mockingly: "Of course, if you'd be more willing to just explain things instead of continuing to make surprise attacks in order to try and establish how much stronger-"
Hecate pointed at him, and Morpheus squealed in agony as electricity zapped over his body, jittering wildly back and forth before he flopped to the ground in a semi-conscious heap. Toad winced away from the sparking stallion's body, and then he made a sound of disgust as he hopped backwards, complaining: "Oh gross, I think you made him pee himself."
"Wonderful." Hecate muttered, and the mechanical mare shook her head in disgust before she strode forwards and hefted the winged unicorn up by the scruff of his neck. Then she turned a dark look over the other three as Toad awkwardly hopped up to cling to Morpheus' mane, the mechanical mare pointing at them and threatening: "If anything like this ever happens again, I will return, and I will not be nearly as kind as I have here."
With that, Hecate turned and simply rose her free claw, and the earth pony, skeleton, and Draekin stared in amazement as a portal swirled into being. Without hesitation, Hecate strode into this vortex and vanished into it, along with Morpheus and Toad.
And only a moment later, the portal vanished, leaving the three standing silently for a few moments in Morpheus' throne room before Neato Burrito asked quietly: "Do you think... Senor Morpheus, is he gonna be okay?"
"I'm sure he will. As long as he keeps his mouth shut around Hecate... he'll be fine. Moonflower's always found a way out of any of the trouble he ever got himself into..." Antecedes shook his head wryly. "He'll wiggle his way out of this, too. And he might even enjoy the challenge."
Neato Burrito nodded: slowly at first, but then it picked up into a fierce bobbing before he shouted: "Right! That's right! Nothing can keep Senor Morpheus down, not nothing! And while he is gone, we shall continue his work, right?"
Throna smiled briefly at this, shaking her head slowly before she said softly: "Good. Hecate... Hecate does at least seem to have a vested interest in protecting us. 'All of us,' she said to me: she explained that there were many parallel worlds to our own, but wouldn't go into great detail about it. And she mentioned her Orphanage, too... she said she was gathering people who had nowhere else to go, and giving them training and a place to live and work as long and participate in this special army she's building. She was certainly frightening, but..."
"She looked familiar." Antecedes said thoughtfully, and Throna nodded, the two looking at each other for few a moments before Antecedes shrugged slowly, and the Draekin smiled faintly. And since no one knew what else to say, the three only stood in quiet for a little while, turning their eyes towards the space where Hecate had simply walked away with Morpheus, and hoping silently that their eccentric friend was doing okay, wherever he had gone... and that one day, he'd return.
Twilight Sparkle sat in her private room at Canterlot Castle, quietly finishing up a few notes for Princess Luna. She rubbed absently at a thin scar on her stomach: a reminder of what Stronghold Halfdragon had done to her, and a reminder of why blind loyalty and love were such dangerous things.
To this day, she still felt that some part of Stronghold had loved her. And part of her refused to believe that it had been a Draekin all along, not... Celestia. She had thought she'd known the real Princess Celestia, that she had been one of the privileged few to truly know her inside and out... but as it turned out, she hadn't really known anything at all.
The violet mare sighed quietly, then closed the book she was working on, looking down at it for a few moments before she flinched at the sound of a knock on her open door. She spun around in the chair, then blushed a bit as she saw Throna Halfdragon, the mare giving her a small smile before she said quietly: "I just wanted to check up on you."
"Thank you, I'm... I'm fine. I'm... getting over what happened, I think. I can't forgive Morpheus, but... I also know that what happened... who Celestia really was..." Twilight looked away, biting her lip before she shook her head slowly and murmured: "I don't want to talk about it."
"You've pulled away from everyone. Your friends, Princess Luna, myself... I understand why you might not want to talk to me, Twilight Sparkle, but I'm also the only person who can understand a little of what you're going through right now. I saw my sister turn herself into something false and bad, trying to do what was 'good' in her eyes for all the wrong reasons..." Throna smiled faintly as Twilight turned away, shaking her head shortly. "Alright. Well, if you're not busy, Princess Luna requests an audience. She wants you to help with the Tablet of Dreams. Stripping its powers was surprisingly easy, but it's proving very difficult to make it take to its new function as an archiver."
"I'll see what I can do." Twilight murmured, looking down and nodding once. Throna nodded briefly, then turned away... and the unicorn bit her lip for a moment before looking up and asking hesitantly: "Is... Stronghold only used good magic, didn't she?"
"There's no such thing as 'good' or 'evil' magic, Twilight Sparkle. Only what you control, and what you allow to control you. Holy magic can be as terrible as dark magic. And dark magic can bring as much hope as any 'pure' magic." Throna said softly, looking over her shoulder and smiling faintly. "My sister believed in the teachings of the Order of the White Dragon. She served the Order of the White Dragon loyally and honorably. But she used to treat me like a child because, instead of putting my faith in what they said... I just believed in God. God and, well, Mommy too. But my sister and my mother never... entirely got along."
There was silence for a few moments, and then Twilight Sparkle nodded briefly, and Throna chuckled before she turned away, deciding not to press the subject. She could only hope that one day, Twilight would learn to trust again... but it would be a long, hard, and painful road for her, especially if she kept turning away her friends.
But Twilight's friends would always be there for her, even if at the moment, they were trying to give her some space to work things out. For now, the five were back in Ponyville, sitting at a table outside of the most popular candy shop in all of Ponyville... with a sixth, only slightly uncomfortable guest who was only holding his mug of tea between his skeletal hooves.
Antecedes looked back and forth, and then he sighed a little before dropping his head, muttering: "If Moonflower could see me now, he'd have a laughing fit."
"Oh, do tell us another story about that handsome stallion!" Rarity exclaimed, gesturing easily at Antecedes with a warm smile. "You have so many wonderful little tales about your adventures... I never realized that you were such a wild stallion yourself!"
"I wouldn't call it 'adventuring.' And it's not really all that thrilling when there's no risk of death." Antecedes replied dryly, gesturing at himself pointedly. Then he sighed and shrugged a bit, adding finally: "But Moonflower has always been a magnet for trouble, that's all. Just look at how he met Neato Burrito."
"Aye, he saved me from the most fierce of dragons! Senor Morpheus, though, he was never afraid of nothing!" shouted the earth pony's voice as he seemed to pop into being next to Antecedes. The skeleton didn't flinch, although Fluttershy squeaked and Rainbow Dash choked on her food.
Then Neato's eyes flicked sharply to the side, and he leapt across the table, knocking Applejack sprawling as he landed between her and Pinkie Pie. He dropped one elbow on the surface of the furnishing, almost glaring down at the mare as he flicked his mustache out, and Pinkie Pie gazed back up at him with something like wonder in her eyes before the stallion suddenly snatched her up and dipped her back, leaning over her and saying firmly: "Senorita. You are coming with me."
"Okay." Pinkie Pie said breathlessly, her eyes sparkling up at him.
"Then we go!" roared Neato Burrito, and he seized the table with one hoof and flung it to the side, sending plates and napkins and food and ponies flying in all directions. Then he tossed Pinkie over his shoulders before leaping forwards and bolting away down the street, the raucous laughter of the stallion and the giggling of the mare slowly fading into the distance.
Antecedes rolled his eyes, sipping at his tea as the remaining mares picked themselves slowly up, and then he carefully slipped out of his seat and put the cup down on the chair, saying mildly: "As nice as it's been, girls, I have to go to Canterlot now. Would you like me to pass on any messages to Twilight Sparkle while I'm there?"
The four mares looked between themselves, and then Rainbow Dash smiled a little and shook her head, saying finally: "Nah, we gotta let her come around on her own time, right guys? And... hey, don't go abandoning us just because you don't wanna help clean up this mess."
Antecedes looked at her dourly, then he simply flicked his horn, and all four mares stared as the table immediately righted itself and the plates, food, and utensils all flew back into place, broken porcelain mending itself and candy and drinks rearranging themselves as neatly as possible. Then the skeleton turned away, asking himself why he bothered with these ponies...
"Thank you, Mister Antecedes." murmured Fluttershy quietly, and the skeleton glanced over his shoulder as the crimson glow in his eyes softened, the question answered for him before it could even be fully processed in his mind.
Maybe ponies weren't so bad after all. He just hoped that one day, Moonflower would be able to come back and see for himself the impact he'd had... and that even evil ponies like them didn't have to be villains all the time. |
One Wish For Nothing | Epilogue: A Humble New Beginning | Epilogue: A Humble New Beginning
~BlackRoseRaven
The winged unicorn glared furiously across the table at the weird, inverted zebra with the weird skull pattern on his weird face. Lightning almost sparked between their eyes as they both leaned aggressively forwards, trying to intimidate the other... but dammit, he had been like a god back home, and he was still stronger than most of the ponies here in the Orphanage, and he absolutely refused to be intimidated by a weird zebra in weird clothes with a weird accent!
"Y'all ain't nothing but a bag of hot air! Take your crazy ouaouaron, oh mighty folle de la nuit, and scat! Fly off on your silly mismatched wings!" snapped the zebra, and one of the winged unicorn's eyes twitched.
"That's it, La Croix! How about you try flying off, you... smelly jerk!" retorted the pony, and then he pointed sharply at his hated enemy as his horn sparked with green energy before emerald lightning surged out over the zebra.
La Croix squawked, then transformed in a puff of smoke into a pink, plasticky lawn flamingo with faded white stripes and tiny little wings sticking out of his back, the polymorphed zebra staring down at himself before he snarled and rose both hooves as eerie emerald energy glowed over them, shouting angrily back: "How about you have a taste of your own medicine, mon ami Moonflower?"
He gestured sharply at him, and Moonflower yelled and flailed violently as green lightning surged over him before he transformed most of the way into an enormous blackbird, feathers puffing out in all directions as he flapped one oversized wing wildly and windmilled his other forelimb. Then the two glared furiously at each other, leaning forwards and snarling: both knew they couldn't completely transform the other, but that didn't stop them from trying all the same.
"Stop being idiots, you two." grumbled a third voice, and neither half-bird managed to look up in time before a firm hoof grabbed the back of either stallion's head, then firmly slammed their skulls together. They both yelped and rocked backwards, clutching at their skulls as their bodies returned to normal, looking embarrassedly at the mostly-white winged unicorn mare.
She scowled at them, then shook her head tiredly before saying moodily: "Moonflower, I'm not questioning Hecate here. She's smart. But the Orphanage of Wayward Youth does not have a pack structure, and you are not 'fighting your way to the top' or 'proving you're the ultimate evil.' We don't do good and evil here in Decretum. You should know that by now.
"And La Croix. Don't encourage him. Just don't. You're already in trouble as it is for all the sneaking around you've been doing." the mare added pointedly, glaring at the zebra, and he mumbled and dropped his head, reaching up to adjust his top hat awkwardly.
"Alright, alright, Cygne. Ain't no need to take that tone with us, we ain't dumb." La Croix grumbled, and then he scowled over at Moonflower, adding grouchily: "At least I ain't. Don't know 'bout him none, though."
"I am a genius. I destroyed my world, remember? And then I brought it back because I was bored. I don't know anyone else here who was put on trial. And as much as I like you, Cadence... I feel that I should not have to remind you that I'm not here by choice. This is my punishment." Moonflower said testily, reaching up and carefully adjusting his coiffed mane.
Cadence shook her head slowly, then she sighed and said softly: "Look, Moonflower. I know it's hard to adjust at first. I had trouble, too... even if... a lot of things happened to me on my world and coming here was the best choice I could make, because it saved Daddy." Cadence reached up, touching her own breast silently and tracing over a pink, bird-like pattern over her front, giving a brief smile. "But this is a good place. You're going to enjoy it here. And I'm personally really happy that you've been assigned to our little team... we can do great things together."
Moonflower only grunted noncommittally, but then he sighed tiredly and reached back to silently rub at his cutie mark: a glowing white flower with a swirl of magic sparkling around it. "I don't understand why I can't go by Morpheus though. Or why I can't cover up my cutie mark."
"I wish I still had my cutie mark." Cadence murmured, glancing over her shoulder at the faded streaks of color that were all that remained on her haunch. And then she shook her head quickly, glancing back ahead and saying softly: "It's part of who you are. We don't hide from who we are here... we use who we are and who we've become to help protect the worlds. Hecate has taken something evil and terrible and... made it into a hub to defend all the parallel worlds from evil. You saw how easily she can travel between worlds, after all... and there's lots of other things that can hop between them too. Things that most ponies can't fight against. Things that the worlds might not be ready for."
"Like me!" Moonflower said cheerfully, holding up a hoof... and then he scowled when La Croix snorted in amusement. "What do you find so funny, zebra?"
"You be a little fou, that's all." La Croix said dryly, and then he sighed when Cadence gave him a pointed look, holding up his hooves and complaining: "I ain't gonna start no fights, mademoiselle! But he fou. That's all there is to it."
Moonflower glared, opening his mouth... and then he blinked in surprise when Cadence said pointedly: "He's our teammate, La Croix. That means we have to at least try and be friends. And even if we're not friends, we still have to trust each other and work together. So come on. Try, okay?"
La Croix sighed tiredly, then he dropped his head and nodded grumpily before he looked over at the winged unicorn... then frowned at his look of surprise, asking moodily: "What? You ain't never had a friend before, folle?"
"I've had many friends! All the friends in the world!" Moonflower argued hurriedly, and then he huffed and shook his head before looking awkwardly at the two. Cadence tilted her head curiously as La Croix looked at him with entertainment, and then Moonflower huffed before turning away and grumbling: "Oh shut up."
But all the same, he smiled briefly for a moment before suddenly spinning back towards them, asking in a suddenly cheery voice: "So have I ever told you two about how I once destroyed the world? And all by myself, too!"
Cadence rolled her eyes as La Croix groaned and grabbed his top hat, yanking it down over his own head, but Moonflower only grinned. Maybe he was in a strange place on some kind of crazy parole, still not entirely sure what this place was or what he was supposed to be doing... but maybe, just maybe, there was a little bit of hope for the future after all.
Be he a King of Gods or a God of Kings;
He has no meaning without a people to rule.
February 17th, 2014 - March 3rd, 2014 |
Starlit Knights | pre | Luna grumbled a little at this, walking over towards him as Sammy chirped quietly from his place on top of her head, and then she nodded firmly, saying flatly: "Precisely! Listen to little Samael, there is wisdom in his squeaking. Did thou not understand what he said?"
"Please don't put words in my pseudodragon's mouth, Luna." Scrivener sighed a little, rubbing at his face for a moment before Luna huffed and reached a hoof up to shove against his features, making him wince back a bit. "Stop that."
She grumbled a bit, but relented after another moment of childishly pushing at his face, saying in a quieter voice: "It may be so, Scrivener Blooms, and I do care dearly for my sister. But both of us are aware that... Equestria must come first, and they would not handle the truth of what happened... of how even the mighty Princess of the Sun can make such awful errs... with the grace and dignity that we have. And we handled Celestia's mistakes with very little grace and even less dignity, my beloved daydreamer."
Scrivener smiled a little at this, nodding slowly as he looked back down at the parchment before he rolled it quickly closed, and he tossed this onto his desk after another moment, saying quietly: "Anyway. While I don't doubt that it means Sol Seraph will still find some loophole or another to wiggle through and keep her current crackdown on Ponyville in place, I doubt she'll press her luck any further than this."
"Does thou truly think the curfew will stay in effect?" Luna asked curiously, and when Scrivener nodded after a moment, she frowned a bit and lowered her head forwards slightly even as the small pseudodragon grasped at her horn and nibbled quietly at her starlit locks. "Truly, the laws of Equestria are as convoluted, complicated, and obsessive as my sister always was... 'tis sad that now, in attempting to prepare for every given situation, she has only created more bridges upon which criminals and vandals may dance. The old ways and the old days may have been harsh and heavy... but 'twas much less chance of being sent to jail for bashing a brigand in those times than these."
She sighed, then grumbled and looked up at the ceiling as the skeletal pseudodragon finally scurried off her head and jumped to the floor, the winged unicorn flapping her wings once moodily. "Come, Scrivener Blooms. Outside, and into the darkness: let us patrol the Everfree Forest for signs of unwelcome entities and loose our frustrations upon them."
Scrivy smiled a little despite himself at her, and then he nodded and fell into step behind Luna. She flicked the door open with a grumble, but hesitated for a moment on the outer deck, even as Scrivener Blooms joined her with Sammy riding placidly on the male's back, the winged unicorn gazing quietly out over the lawn and saying softly: "I remember once, we had a strange visitor here. A visitor I thought very little of for a very long time. A visitor I am sad will never visit this abode again."
"I know, Luna. It's strange, but I miss her too." He smiled a little over at her as the door shut quietly behind them, then he glanced ahead as he walked out onto the lawn and headed towards the small bridge leading over the creek, saying quietly: "I guess Trixie really wasn't lying when she said she grew on ponies."
"Aye, perhaps she did not... even if she did undoubtedly tell many tall tales." Luna smiled a little all the same, however, catching quickly up to stride side-by-side with Scrivener as she added quietly: "'Twas not the smartest unicorn, 'twas not the greatest and most powerful, as she liked to claim, 'twas certainly no great detective. But she was brave, especially in the end. The Velites still roam, but I am sure Trixie walks alongside my brother in the Vale of Valhalla... and oh, how they would enjoy one another's company!"
She threw her head back and laughed, fearless in the night even as the forest loomed around them, but the stars faintly visible through the canopy of branches above twinkled quietly, as if in response to her laughter... and she shook her head slowly as Scrivener gave her a curious look. "Oh, come now, I have told thee often of Sleipnir, thou should well know his character by now. Yes, Sleipnir could find entertainment in everything... 'twas a quality that frustrated Celestia endlessly. She was perhaps the reason I had never truly experienced 'fun' until Ponyville."
Luna fell silent for a few minutes, looking ahead as they strode quietly along the familiar path through the forest: both Luna and Scrivy could see almost as well in even supernatural darkness as they could during the day, and without painful tingling from the sun's harsh light. Then, as if she had never left off the conversation, she said softly: "Sleipnir was not as bright as Celestia... both figuratively and literally... and as thou knows, he was a colossus and boasted some control over the ground, but 'twas not magic, per se. He was like a gigantic earth pony, while Celestia and I are winged unicorns... he was like the earth taught to laugh and fight, and oft he did both at once, but never with malice."
She smiled a little, gazing upwards as she said softly: "That... last, fateful battle... he fought Fenrir with all his heart, and he brought down the mountains with his strength, Scrivener Blooms. And even as the avalanche came down, crushing the great wolf beast and my beloved sibling, he told Celestia and I to take care of one another, and made light of the situation even as Celestia screamed and I could only stare in horror and fear. He was courageous, and tender, and... good with foals. 'Tis funny, the way we identify those important to us in the past as we develop, no? Once I would have told thee what made me proudest of my brother was that he was strong enough to crush an entire army, that magic bounced harmlessly off his body like the wind strikes uselessly against earthen cliff... and now, well. Now what makes me proudest of him is that he was always there to mediate between myself and Celestia... and he would have made a wonderful father."
She smiled again, then both she and Scrivener looked sharply up as something ahead walked quietly into the path... but Sammy only gave a weak whimper, and both the winged unicorn and the earth pony lowered their heads quietly as the glowing white shape strode towards them. It was a spirit of a unicorn, almost intangible as it studied them with sad eyes for a moment, the air around it sparkling with frost as cold white mist rolled up from its glowing frame... then it turned and strode off the path, vanishing into the forest as Luna shook her head slowly. "Wretched, sad thing."
"They're bad omens, right?" Scrivy asked quietly, shivering a little... and it wasn't simply at the awful cold in the air. "And there have been fifteen ghost sightings, just between you and me, in the last month alone. The Pales, as you call them... following in the steps of what killed them, or lingering because of unfinished business. What does it mean?"
"It means something is in the Forest tonight." Luna said quietly, and Scrivener grimaced a bit before Luna suddenly veered off the path, following the trail of cold left behind by the spirit, and Scrivy winced but scrambled after her as Sammy whimpered and clung tightly against the male's back. "Come, this creature did not cross paths with us for no reason. We will discover what it wants us to find."
"Yes, let's chase a ghost through the living forest in the middle of the night while a psychopath with minotaurs runs amok in Ponyville." Scrivener mumbled, and Luna grinned over her shoulder at him, her teeth glinting and making him wince. "I swear you're Pinkamena's long lost sister sometimes."
"Nay, but Celestia is little better, she is merely psychotic in a different sense." Luna muttered, and then her cyan eyes narrowed slightly as she added mentally, the thought whispering through Scrivener's mind as if she'd spoken: Communicate like this, poet. I do not wish to be caught unawares.
Scrivy grimaced a little, but he nodded, knowing he didn't have to precisely think back at Luna for her to understand... and the two passed through the Forest making little more sound than a whisper of leaves against body and the occasional rustle of tall grasses, their hooves slowly, easily finding the way... before Luna looked sharply up as there was a loud, hissing scream, followed by a sick thud of breaking bone and flesh.
Then silence... but the forest had fallen still and cold, and Scrivener and Luna slowly, carefully made their way forwards, hearing their matching heartbeat in the terrible quiet, aware of every scrape, every sound, every breath... and then the sound of something being peeled, and a faint glow ahead.
Slowly, they made their way forwards, until they reached a narrow, gently-sloped bank... and there, beneath a glowing, crystalline lantern that was hanging from a tree branch, laid an enormous, dead manticore. Its segmented scorpion's tail was broken, bleeding black bile as well as green poison over the mess of leaves and weeds it rested on, and its hide was speckled with blood, one limb still weakly twitching... but the creature was sadly, obviously dead, from the axe standing like a grisly trophy from its broken skull.
Sol Seraph sat in front of the creature, her suit gone in favor of a tight-fitting blue security vest with black cups over the shoulders, her legs covered by thin metal braces. There was blood splattered over her face, and she was smiling almost tenderly as she carefully laid out a cloth kit in front of herself, filled with various knives and sharp implements... and then, as she took a slow drag back on the cigarette in her muzzle, she murmured quietly: "I know you're there."
Luna and Scrivener remained silent, and Sol Seraph's eyes flicked up, searching slowly around the perimeter of the embankment... but they were far beyond the dull glow of the lantern, beneath the cover of the trees and bushes. There was silence for a moment, and then Sol Seraph seemed almost to look at them even as she picked up a knife, testing the blade against her hoof as she said softly: "The face of a lion... the tail of a scorpion... wings and claws, but they are not without intelligence. But that only makes them all the more dangerous to hunt, and I enjoy a proper challenge.
"The claws are excellent for making arrowheads. The teeth for jewelry, or ground into fine powder and used in primitive medicine: the pelt is very thick, very durable, holds heat well. The poison in the tail induces paralysis and impairs nerve function, it can be refined into anesthetic or concentrated into a potent, lethal agent. And of course, the meat is very good, especially when properly prepared. They are strong, savage predators, and every manticore tastes a little different, reflecting their territory, and their success in life as hunters. Many ponies would pay much for the creature's corpse. Many would pay even more if I sold them only the parts they wanted, without having to deal with the so-called 'disgusting' process of harvesting the necessities from the waste.
"But I am only interested in the hide and the mane and the wings... and perhaps some of the meat, if I have the room to carry it in my pack. I'm alone here, Luna, and I know it's you out there... and probably your husband." Sol Seraph smiled slightly, her eyes flicking back and forth as she rose the knife, the blade glinting dangerously in the dull light. "Are you afraid of me? Why don't you come and kill me, like I know you want to? Or is it because you understand that I am a superior predator, and you are just the scared vulture, hiding in the shadows, waiting for me to be done with my prey so you can scavenge the remains?
"Still, I have more respect for you and your self-control than I do for the other ponies of Equestria... who would ask me to drag this carcass back to them, when it is my kill. When I am the one who has spent countless hours and many years training and becoming a predator from the prey-pony I once was." Sol Seraph halted, looking coldly, calmly down at the knife... and both Luna and Scrivener watched silently, as behind her, the Pale, the ghost of the unicorn, slowly strode towards her back and stared down at her, pityingly, miserably. "I am better than them, I am superior to them. Nature and life are about survival of the fittest, the strongest... and I am the fittest, I am the strongest, and I will not demean myself by caring for the weak. It is the strong that survive, it is the strong that prosper... and even a filthy scavenger like you and your slave-hoof are stronger than those belly-crawling ponies of Ponyville."
She stopped, then suddenly turned... but to her, it was if the Pale didn't exist, the Pegasus leaning forwards into it and through its ephemeral body, her eyes narrowing slightly as she looked back and forth, the unicorn ghost only continuing to stand silently. "I know you're there. I can feel it. I know you have questions, Luna, and I have all the answers you desire. But first I want you to prove to me you are strong... I shall even give you a knife. And with our lives in our weapons and our weapons in hoof, we shall plunge one into the other until one of us ceases to live, and then all your questions will be answered, and all my curiosities sated."
Luna shuddered slowly, then she closed her eyes... before Sol Seraph turned suddenly towards them, flicking her wrist and throwing the knife in a hard snap that sent it spinning through the air. It gleamed, and for one impossible moment, Scrivener thought it was flying directly at them as if guided by some evil barbarian god... but a moment later, the knife sank into the trunk of a tree some ten feet away... and yet still far too close for comfort as Sol Seraph said quietly: "There's your knife, Nightmare Moon. Tell me through your actions... will you be my predator? Or are you going to be my prey?"
For a moment, the winged unicorn breathed hard, shivering as she looked from the knife, towards the calmly, silently sitting Pegasus... and then she gritted her teeth and spun around, clenching her eyes shut as she threw herself into the forest and sprinted away, crashing through the trees as Scrivener winced... then recoiled Sol Seraph seemed to look directly at him, grinning coldly as she said softly: "Tell Fluttershy mommy's coming to tuck her in one last time, once she's done with you."
Then Sol Seraph threw her head back and laughed as she stood on her hind hooves and seized the axe, ripping it free from the manticore's skull as she rose it high, the unicorn ghost she couldn't see still standing silently behind her... and Scrivener forced himself to stagger around, turning and sprinting after Luna even as he heard the sick, dull thud of metal biting into dead, still-warm flesh, cursing under his breath as he tore haplessly through the forest.
He found Luna by their old path, skidding to a halt beside her... and she spun around and seized him tightly, hugging him fiercely as he hugged her tightly back, the two shivering together in the forest path, both breathing hard in and out as the forest seemed to whisper and sigh around them before the winged unicorn said weakly: "Scrivener Blooms... I... I..."
But he only embraced her tighter, mumbling as he pushed their bodies together and grimaced over his shoulder: "Luna, believe me. After what I just saw, I don't think I'm going to be able to wander around the Everfree Forest by myself ever again."
Luna muttered in agreement at this, and then she pulled carefully free and grimaced a little, flapping her wings once before she started a quick trot down the path, and Scrivener winced and quickly fell into pace beside her as she said nervously: "Come, then, my daydreamer, let us not dally here. I do not believe the beast will follow us but... let us put distance between ourselves and the creature in any event."
She shook her head quickly as they hurried back towards their home, the winged unicorn grimacing a little as she grumbled: "To think... Nightmare Moon, terrified in her own territory of that... that wolf. More and more I see why the minotaurs must call her by that name... she is evil. She is a monster... but perhaps this also shows our strategy is working. She is growing impatient, and challenged us to a game of death... and Horses of Heaven, to think herself a better fighter than me..."
"Or maybe she had some of those anti-magic crystals or something, and she was just trying to lure you into a trap." Scrivy muttered, and Luna winced a little at this, giving another shudder as the male said quietly: "What terrifies me most is that this creature is so... so smart. And that unicorn... it..."
"I am not surprised to know she is a murderer. I would be far more surprised were the opposite true, in fact..." Luna shook her head quickly again, then she allowed her pace to slow a little, visibly regaining a bit of her calm and smiling a little, a faint blush in her cheeks as she looked towards Scrivener and said quietly: "I have made a fool of myself, Scrivener Blooms. Shown that even I... am fearful of the shadows in the dark at times."
"That was no shadow in the darkness, Luna... and I still keep expecting to turn around and see her behind us with..." The earth pony grimaced after a moment, making a bit of a face as he lowered his head forwards, then he took a slow breath as he glanced up as Sammy whimpered on his back, clinging tightly down against his faintly-glowing white mane. "Oh what are you so scared of? You're already dead."
Sammy squawked as if offended, and then he nipped at the back of the pony's neck, making him wince a bit as Luna muttered: "True, but I fear to think of what Sol Seraph would do with a trophy she could not kill. In fact, I fear much thinking now about Sol Seraph... and I wonder, too, what that unicorn's connection to her was. I know thou felt it too, did thy not? 'Twas not hatred, 'twas not even anger... the Pale looked to her with pity in its eyes and stance."
Scrivener nodded a little, looking down a bit... and then he sighed quietly, muttering as they crossed the small bridge over the creek: "Maybe it was... a friend? Can things like that have friends? Or family?"
"I wish that such creatures did but spawn out of Helheim, but sadly, they all too often seem to be born as any other pony is." Luna replied quietly, shaking her head slowly and murmuring: "It is a hard truth... but I believe as some things can be born good... some can be born evil, as well, tainted with darkness. I know that I was tainted with shadows from my conception, however I came into this world... but... I am only glad that inside me there still glimmers a conscience. Or at least a love so deep of those I treasure that it has bred in me the necessity to act with goodwill."
Scrivener smiled a little at this despite himself, glancing towards her, and she laughed a bit at the look he gave her as they approached the cottage before she simply sat on the lawn in front of the deck. The male paused at this, then he followed her gaze, listened to her emotions more than her conscious thoughts as her eyes roved over the comfortable, single-floor cabin of dark wood, and he softened as he leaned quietly against the tall winged unicorn, saying softly: "Yeah. It is beautiful, Luna. And safe. Like you."
"Foolish poet, spare me thy flattery." Luna smiled all the same, however, gazing at him with a bit of a blush before he reached up and nudged her gently, and she swayed a little to the side before glancing embarrassedly over her shoulder, murmuring: "Come though, Scrivener Blooms. The creature was all too close for comfort to our home... let us head inside so I may activate the wards."
Scrivy nodded after a moment as Sammy chirped worriedly on his back, and then he strode quietly forwards as the door swung open, heading inside as Luna apprehensively looked over her shoulder, then gave a grim little smile before following, the door shutting behind her with a flick of her horn. Then she turned around, eyes almost glowing with her concentration as she gazed at the back of the door, and hidden runes etched throughout the wood in a spiraling pattern slowly pulsed into life.
They glowed quietly, casting an eerie radiance over Luna's face as she stepped back after a moment, then nodded firmly to herself: as long as the ward glowed and was kept charged with magic, the cabin would conceal itself magically, becoming invisible to the mortal eye. It was one of several security precautions Luna had insisted on setting up throughout the cabin, even if they were rarely used: for most things, the Forest was more than enough protection and treated them as one of their own... but for creatures like Sol Seraph...
She shook her head slowly, then sighed a little and turned around, striding towards where Scrivener Blooms was resting quietly on the bedding in the den and muttering: "The creature was deep in the woods. Who knows how long that beast has been out there, and for how much of that time she has hunted, how many she has killed? 'Tis terrifying, Scrivener Blooms... I do not believe Sol Seraph to be any normal Pegasus."
"Well, whatever gave you that impression, Luna? The fact she eats meat, kills everything around her, or exudes so much malice it sent both of us running and screaming like little fillies even though we've been half-waiting for her to challenge us?" Scrivy asked dryly, and Luna gave him a flat look before she walked over and flopped half-overtop him, making him wheeze a little. "You know, one day I'll finally be able to beat you up."
"Doubtful, thou steals all my powers to perform thine own feats. Therefore I shall always be a step ahead." Luna paused for a moment, then continued in a softer voice, as she absently played at the bedding with her front hooves: "And moreover, thou knows I mean something even different than that. Nay, she is not possessed... I wish that were the case, but I would sense a demon's presence in the creature, or any other malicious spirit, for that matter. Nay, her body is that of a pony and yet... something about her... is simply so very wrong."
She stopped, curling down a little against the male as Scrivener nodded slowly, sighing a bit as he looked towards the fireplace, then muttered: "Yeah. I get what you mean, Luna, even though part of me wishes it didn't. Maybe we should go back out there, drop a boulder on her from the air or something and squash her flat. That would be fun."
"That it would, Scrivener Blooms, but for one I doubt the creature will fall for such childish trickery, and for another, I will not allow the beast to scare me so greatly and bring my pride so low I resort to the tactics of a coward. For now, we are in a contest of wills... one I fear to admit that Sol Seraph has gained a momentary victory in." Luna shook her head slowly, saying quietly: "But we shall be patient. We shall bide our time. She is like a shark in the water now, and the smell of blood is driving her into a frenzy. All we must do is wait for the opportune moment when she finally loses control. We will not allow her to lure us into a trap... we will not permit the foul creature to make us dance like puppets. We will not give in to her temptations of bloodlust or her vicious, sadistic scorn. We will wait until she exposes herself, until she attacks in desperation or rage... and then we will stop her. We must stop her."
Scrivener Blooms nodded a little, sighing a bit... and the two only rested silently together until morning, cuddling close for comfort, their minds linked and heads often touching as they shared thoughts without words, images without context, wild imaginings and logical processions. Finally, Luna's eyes opened, and she grimaced a bit as she quietly pulled herself away, Scrivener Blooms glancing up at her curiously. "Come, poet. Let us lower the moon and turn off the wards."
Scrivener yawned a little, then nodded with a grimace, rubbing a little at his face, and together, the two went about their tasks. Luna drained the wards to allow their cabin to return to visibility, and then they made their way to the top of the cliff, sitting side-by-side and moving in silent time as Luna lowered the moon, her strength enhanced by Scrivener's presence, affection and his own stubborn resolve.
They watched, sitting side-by-side, as the sun began to rise in the distance... and Luna shook her head slowly before she murmured quietly: "We must be careful, Scrivener Blooms. The predator is upon our trail... but what I fear most is not her wrath or rage or eagerness for the hunt... it is that she is the abyss. And to gaze into the abyss... it shall gaze also into us."
"We'll stop her, Luna. And we'll stop her your way, we won't become her." Scrivener said quietly, and he gave a small smile to her as she smiled hesitantly back, nodding slowly after a moment. "Come on, I'll fix you breakfast."
"I wish to drown my sorrows in pastries and vast quantities of jam." Luna mumbled, and Scrivy smiled despite himself, nodding as they headed down the cliff, heads down and apprehension whispering its way through their bodies as they both feared for the days ahead.
Sol Seraph was now running interference and delays on every security measure she had put into place: the curfew seemed to be particularly important to her for some reason, and she clearly lied about not having received any letter from Princess Celestia when she was summoned to a meeting in city hall. She had then calmly passed out several forms, saying in her cold, serious voice that any and all complaints could be addressed directly to her superiors and administration at the headquarters of Helios Mutual Holdings, and the security firm would hold an internal review... a process that would likely take six months.
She had also begun sending 'interviewers' door-to-door, saying it was all standard procedure: furthermore, she was refusing to acknowledge Celestia's influence, and most of Ponyville's council was too terrified of the Pegasus that had now occupied Ponyville through fear and force to stand up to her. Only Twilight Sparkle had tried to argue with her... and she had been forcefully shackled as Sol told her quietly she needed a 'time out.'
Twilight had been dragged off to what was referred to as an 'isolation booth:' a large, cylindrical cell made of whitewashed metal and with a single small window in the sliding door, a vent in the roof of the cell releasing an occasional hiss of sweet-smelling fumes. She had been left for several hours, and whatever poisons they were pumping into the cell had played hell on her mind, making her feel weak and tired, talking without realizing she was vocalizing her thoughts... and then she had been dragged out of the cell to an interrogation chamber.
It had been brief: ten calm, gentle questions, and Twilight had answered three of them. Two about the Starlit Knights and their purpose, one about Celestia... but then her mind had begun to clear, and she had forced herself to stay silent. She had expected to be thrown back in the cell... but instead, she had been dragged outside the barn-turned-compound, and thrown rudely out into the road and told to 'be good' by the uniformed security ponies.
Twilight had made her way miserably back to town, sent a letter apologizing to Luna and informing her of what had happened... and in their cabin, Luna had gone into a rage for a little while, Scrivener muttering agreements with what the winged unicorn wanted to do to Sol Seraph even as he'd thought about what this all meant.
But they had gained information: even though Twilight's recollection was fuzzy, they now at least knew what was inside the barn that Sol Seraph had so quickly purchased and put such effort into rebuilding and upgrading. Furthermore, despite everything, Sol Seraph had set Twilight Sparkle free instead of using her as bait... but Luna said quietly that only went to further show that the creature considered herself to be. A hunter, a predator: and whatever she was after here, she obviously was confident that she could capture it by herself... and arrogant enough to show off the power she now held, perhaps in an attempt to bring Luna to her.
They stayed back and patient, however, Luna and Scrivener Blooms spending the night mostly in their home and forcing themselves to focus on other things. Every now and then they traded letters with Twilight Sparkle, but mostly Scrivener focused on writing and transcribing notes and Luna quietly painted, the exercise soothing her bit-by-bit. Every so often, she would look up at a beautiful painting she had done of Scrivy that hung above the fireplace, and she would smile to herself: to her, the shadowy picture of the male in mid-run through a dark forest littered with black and white roses... she would never surpass it.
But now, she was working on something for Twilight, doing everything by hoof instead of using even the slightest hint of her powers, biting her tongue nervously now and then when she tried to fix a mistake or work it into the painting. It was hard work, but it taught her patience and discipline, and that the same pains and pleasures of battle could be found in the strangest of places.
When morning came, Scrivener Blooms and Luna lowered the moon, side-by-side, then made their way into the Everfree Forest: just over the bridge, however, Luna halted, and then grimaced as she looked towards a tree that had a large, straight cut lashed through the bark, the winged unicorn resting a hoof near this and saying quietly: "Keep thine eyes open."
Scrivener grimaced a bit, looking back and forth... and then he grunted and approached a tree some ten feet away, touching it and examining another straight cut through the bark, and Luna nodded grimly. "'Tis as I feared. Our path has been marked by a pony... likely Sol Seraph. Or perhaps... she has marked this path for another reason, perhaps for those she works for. Aye, Scrivy, I remember as well what she said... but who knows what the truth is behind her machinations? The creature is sly and seeks to confuse us."
Scrivy nodded after a moment with a grunt, and the two were silent as they made their way down the path, nervously looking every now and then towards the marks that were now all-too-clear on the trees. They formed a clear path along the half-hidden trail... and their worries about Sol Seraph were clearly confirmed when they found a strip of manticore hide pinned to a tree by an ugly, short knife near the entrance to the forest.
"The creature is mad." Luna muttered, and the winged unicorn's horn glowed before she yanked the knife free with a flick of her head, then tossed the weapon disdainfully into the bushes, letting the tattered chunk of pelt fall to the ground. They both looked at this for a moment, then quickly continued onwards, emerging from beneath the canopy of gnarled trees as Scrivener gave a shudder despite himself... before they both looked up in surprise as there was a loud crash in the distance.
They traded a look, then ran in the direction of the cacophony as yells rose along with sounds of clashing steel, both recognizing the sounds of what could only be battle as they sprinted along the edge of the Everfree Forest and then up a squat hill to gaze down in shock at the sight of Sol Seraph's black carriage, and the Pegasus herself standing with minotaur bodyguards on either side of her as well as her unicorn assistant, the male hurriedly making notes as the vicious female calmly rested back in her suit and slowly smoked a cigarette. Luna and Scrivy both gritted their teeth... but without looking up or further acknowledging their presence, Sol Seraph said clearly: "We are handling the situation, Luna. Let the predators do their job."
In the distance, a squad of minotaurs and ponies in black uniform were clashing with Nibelung and Velites: the latter were composed of the skeletons of ponies and other creatures, covered in runes etched into the ivory and yellow of their bones, often wearing shreds of clothing or broken armor and several with burning gemstones fused to their frames. They were brittle but difficult to kill... demonstrated by the fact that one that had been torn in half was dragging itself towards where Sol Seraph was lounging, before one of her minotaur bodyguards stepped forwards, raising a hoof and stomping down to crush in its skull in a puff of dust.
Luna looked sharply up, surveying the chaos: the security forces were pushing them back, but not without cost. The Nibelung were fighting savagely, and even from this distance, Luna could tell they weren't bandits like the idiots who had captured Scarlet Sage, but tried and tested warriors. Several ponies lay bleeding and dead, along with a minotaur... and still, Sol Seraph only watched with cold, clinical interest before she said quietly: "Look at them. Fighting. Killing. Yet all so clumsy, so crude: they don't know what they're doing. I've heard, Luna, that you are known for your talents as a warrior... and I can clearly feel your desire to take the field, but I would advise you not to. This is not a place for princesses to play at being warriors. No matter how strong you are, understand this: my forces here are under orders to protect certain vested interests. I do not do this out of compassion. I do not do this to protect the weak. What this event before you comes down to is an exercise: the weak who have no place serving as warriors are being culled from the ranks by these mediocre opponents, and the strong will survive and prosper, as is fit.
"Do not try and protect them, when you are too afraid to protect yourself. When all that should matter is protecting yourself, your own interests, your own strength." Sol Seraph slowly looked over her shoulder at the two, and she smiled icily as she flicked her cigarette out of her muzzle, making the unicorn assistant wince back with a yelp as it bounced off his face. "Perhaps your cowardice is a blessing, though. It means you'll run faster... and I'll get to enjoy the hunt longer."
"Sol Seraph... heed my words." Luna said quietly, stepping silently forwards and bowing her head as she took a slow breath, and Scrivener looked at her silently before he turned his own gaze forwards, the two looking down at the Pegasus as she gazed up with narrowed eyes. "Surrender, and leave Ponyville. This will not end well for thee if thou insists upon making war on me, for reasons that still are so unclear. Leave. 'Twill be better for thee. For all that I wish to destroy thee... I must also prove that I am of worthier stuff than thou art. Leave, Sol Seraph. I grant to thee the mercy that thou fails every day to grant every other creature in thine own life, in the hopes that it will awaken thee from... this brutal, barbarian dream."
Sol Seraph gritted her teeth, turning around and striding slowly up the hill towards them, her body radiating malice before she shoved Scrivener Blooms hard aside and pressed almost nose-to-nose with Luna, locking eyes with her as Luna glared furiously back, her mane sparking with electricity as the starlit locks snapped backwards, and there was silence as the two glared into one another's eyes. A full minute passed, neither willing to break contact, both furious, the sense of rage and hate growing all the while... and then finally, Sol Seraph's jaw twitched, and then she stepped backwards with a hiss... and slowly closed her eyes.
Luna breathed hard, relaxing slightly, leaning forwards with her teeth grit... and then grimacing as a cruel smile spread over Sol's face, the Pegasus leaning forwards and saying quietly: "Yes... you will make an excellent opponent, won't you, Luna? Maybe some of the stories are true... but you're trapped in the old ways of thinking. Of believing that you have to protect those weaker than yourself, despite your superiority, and that is your flaw. Now, I'm growing tired of cat-and-mouse... and this only makes me more eager to test myself against you."
"Then come and find me when thou art done with thy treacherous games, Sol Seraph, and I shall end thy life and cure thee of thy madness." Luna said quietly, and then she turned and simply left, Scrivener following the winged unicorn after a moment, both ignoring the cold laughter of the Pegasus that followed in their hooves.
Slowly, they made their way back towards the path that led to Ponyville, and Luna grimaced a little as they fell into step beside each other, the female muttering: "Sol Seraph grows anxious for the battle, Scrivener Blooms, and I still worry I know too little about her. Perhaps Twilight has found more information, but... today we must spend researching and strategizing. I wish that we had the time to train the Starlit Knights as well, but... sadly, it is too difficult to wend our way around the monster's machinations at this point in time. I can only imagine how enraged Applejack is, with her orchards full of security personnel running 'inspections.'"
The male made a face, nodding at this as they made their way towards the village, the gates standing open and guarded by minotaurs... but the bipedal bulls only grunted and nodded to them, and even when a black-uniformed security pony began to open his mouth, one of the minotaurs simply slammed the butt of his axe into the ground in front of the male and he quailed immediately away.
The minotaurs treated Luna like she was one of their own: they seemed to recognize her warrior spirit, calling her Baba Yaga, a reference that made Luna laugh heartily. It was the name of a primeval entity, a guardian spirit with rule over the elements and life and death, a terrifying witch that devoured her enemies and aided the pure-hearted hero. A trickster and savior, it made Scrivy smile in amusement himself now whenever he heard Luna referred to in this manner: it was all too fitting a name for her.
And yet, for all their size, pride, and power... the minotaurs also remained in servitude to the monster they called volk: the few that had spoken a little about it said that they had no other choice, but never elaborated much. Nor could anypony get much out of Aleksandr and Ivan, even though the two no longer worked for Sol Seraph... they only muttered that it was bad luck to talk about it.
Scrivener Blooms and Luna made their way to the library, and spent the day there: with not only Twilight Sparkle and Spike helping out, but Fluttershy and Rarity also aiding their research and planning, they were able to get a lot done and cover a few important details that Luna had been worried would slip to the side.
Rarity, for example, ran a little more than just her boutique now: she made uniforms and was learning to weave gemstones and metals in ways that did more than simply accent clothing and style, but offered additional protection and armor. She also was slowly beginning to develop her skills with a forge, but much of her time was still spent some standing some thirty feet away from the 'icky fire,' slowly chewing on her lip as she hesitantly hammered metal into different shapes.
But it was a skill Luna and the others were encouraging her to learn and develop ...and once Luna had gotten Rainbow Dash to prance around in the Wonderbolts-styled armor the winged unicorn had made for him, showing off the glints and gleams of metal, they had finally started to convince the unicorn to pursue this new path. Rarity had stared at the colors, the gleam of metal, the way the plates moved and how every shape had a purpose... and this more than anything else had been what had gotten her attention. The thought that working with armor could be just another big fashion challenge, just like designing a dress that would be both pretty as well as useful... she was just using metal instead of cloth, and the results were usually a little shinier instead of glitzy and silky.
Gemstones, however, were another matter entirely. Rarity was very, very good with working gemstones into any fabric, and she had begun designing a whole range of light armor, perhaps making them a little too showy at times, but always remembering to follow the same rules she did for uniforms instead of the stylish wear she still loved to indulge in now and then: workability, usability, and durability over flair and fashion.
So far, Rarity had assembled some twenty lightweight vests, styled in what she proudly called 'gemstone scaling.' The gemstones were cut to patterned shapes and thickness to interlock with each other and form a protective layer that was both snug yet flexible, allowing easy movement as well as ample defense.
Luna was glad to know that at least when the Starlit Knights were assembled they would have equipment to take with them, despite Sol's interference and meddling... and then the winged unicorn had walked over to simply sit quietly with Fluttershy where she was silently reading. She had been surprised to look down and see it was a book on hunting and trapping... and after studying the Pegasus for a few moments, Luna had gently closed it in front of her almost-glazed, terrified eyes, and Fluttershy had looked up with a tremble before the winged unicorn had hugged her quietly and murmured softly: "'Twill be over soon, one way or another, Fluttershy. I promise."
The female had nodded mutely, then looked down and whispered: "I hope you're right, Luna. But... please, be careful. I'm scared for everyone... and the longer she's here, the... the more I remember. The trophies she kept on the walls, the big house in Hoofston, cigarette smoke and... how she always told me I had to punish myself for being weak, so that one day I could be strong... how she always tried to make me strong, by... but... I couldn't do it. I could never do it..."
Fluttershy shivered a little as the others gazed over at her quietly, and then she slowly stood up, shaking her head quickly and murmuring: "I don't want... you to do this alone, though, Luna. I can't fight her, but... I can still help you all, I have to help you all, in some way. You've protected me from her... from the thoughts she put in my head, from what she did to me, from what she tried to do to me when she first arrived."
She stopped, then looked up with a faint smile over the gathered ponies, saying quietly even as tear rolled down her cheek: "I'm terrified, but I'm going to be brave. I'm going to prove I can be brave... that I'm not worthless. Let me help."
Twilight smiled faintly, and then Luna reached up a hoof up and rested it quietly on the shoulder of the Pegasus, saying quietly: "And thou art helping greatly, Fluttershy. By keeping safe, by caring for the foals and putting on a strong face before them, and with thy selfless kindness... and thou art strong. Strong indeed, to have survived being raised by that monster... I cannot imagine how such a curse upon Equestria could birth such a blessing as thyself."
"Mother always said... I was too much like Father." Fluttershy smiled faintly after a moment, glancing away and whispering: "I think I'm glad she said that now."
Luna nodded firmly... and for a little while, there was quiet as the group went back to research and strategizing until dark. Then, Scrivener and Luna headed out and to the gates, where a security patrol was waiting silently for them... but the unicorn in charge of the group of armored and armed ponies simply held out a letter to them, then motioned for the gates to be opened with a grunt and an irritable shooing gesture.
They waited until they reached the safety of their cabin to open the strange, rolled-up letter, sealed with a black crest... and inside, there was only a short promise, written in red ink in swirling, self-righteous script: The game has ended, and my hunt has begun.
They read the words, and then Luna and Scrivener Blooms looked nervously at each other in their dark cottage in the Everfree Forest, and not even the winged unicorn could repress a shudder as they pressed their bodies close together, the parchment falling in front of the fireplace and the promise written in blood-colored ink almost glowed with malevolence in the light cast from the blue flames. |
Starlit Knights | Distraction, Encirclement, Annihilation | Chapter Seven: Distraction, Encirclement, Annihilation
~BlackRoseRaven
Luna didn't bother to activate the wards on the cottage, despite her growing apprehension: Sol Seraph had obviously tracked them through the Forest, knew the path, and would find them, one way or another, if she really wanted to. Instead, the winged unicorn spent the night relaxing as much as she could with the male, regaining her courage and confidence as fear slowly became frustration, and then frustration quickly grew into outrage.
Scrivener Blooms was for once glad when Luna leapt to her hooves and began to storm around the cottage, before he'd simply gone to the kitchen, fixed coffee and a few treats for them, and then come back to set them down in front of her when he found her sulking on their bedding.
But it proved their strategy was working, all the same: Sol Seraph was losing her patience, and was now on the offensive, eager to attack them. Luna would also be sure by now not to underestimate her, too-well-aware now that the Pegasus was ruthless, intelligent, and skilled, and had access to weapons that would make her even more dangerous an opponent.
They would prepare... and Luna was determined to no longer show any fear in the face of Sol Seraph, to no longer feed the self-proclaimed predator's pride and hungers. And, as part of this, Scrivener Blooms and Luna marched into Ponyville the following day to visit Twilight Sparkle and discuss some of their future plans to head to Canterlot... and then to North Neigh, an issue Scrivener had almost forgotten about amidst everything else.
The day was simple, tedious, and boring, with a lot of research and a lot of planning and a little bit of wandering around Ponyville, the most amusing stop being Sugar Cube Corners. Mrs. Cake and her husband were working almost non-stop in back as Pinkie Pie cheerfully ran around the shop, tossing bags of baked goods to minotaurs that were often almost crawling in order to get around the interior of the store and bouncing outside to serve the minotaurs sitting in far-too-small chairs or kneeling around the old wooden tables.
Pinkie Pie greeted them with a cheerful: "Privet!" and then bounced over to give both Scrivy and Luna tight hugs before running inside to put together the usual box of baked goods they liked to pick up while in town. Then she had rushed back out, apologized for not having more time to talk, and gleefully bounded back inside, seeming to enjoy the atmosphere despite how many ponies were only staring nervously at the fact there were roughly a dozen giant bull warriors all armed with heavy weapons of every shape and size looming around the baked goods store.
The day almost felt normal... except for the security forces, the mechanics grouchily fixing turrets that had 'mysteriously malfunctioned' here and there, and the feeling of being watched. And more than once, Luna and Scrivy had both caught sight of Sol Seraph standing a short distance away, smoking and calmly surveying them, judging them, analyzing them. Luna and Scrivener, however, simply ignored her presence... and slowly, the Pegasus began to visibly grow irritated at being blatantly disregarded.
At the end of the day, they made their way back towards the Everfree Forest, but a security team standing in front of the gates had immediately stepped forwards, four black-uniformed earth ponies dropping to ready stances behind a unicorn that looked at them calmly and announced: "Please refrain from leaving Ponyville. This is for your own protection."
Luna had traded looks with Scrivy, then the female had grinned widely as her eyes had flashed white, the unicorn immediately losing a little of his confidence... and thirty seconds later, the gates to Ponyville flew open, four ponies laying in battered, stupefied heaps as Luna loudly stomped over the beaten-down body of the unicorn, Scrivener shaking his head in slow amusement as he carried the box of baked goods on his back and said mildly: "Luna, we really might have to start working on your people skills more."
"Oh, hush, thou enjoyed it too." Luna replied, rolling her shoulders before she sighed in relief, saying easily: "I feel much more relaxed now, Scrivener Blooms! Short, disappointing, but all the same I was able to pummel something, and this always puts me in a chipper mood. Yes, let Sol Seraph come, Scrivy! Let her bring her entire army against me, and I shall make short work of them all!"
She threw her head back and laughed... and despite everything, despite the dread, the darkness, the apprehension, the cheer lasted the whole night, Luna and Scrivy talking about old times and new and doing what they could to avoid any serious topics. They needed a night together, to relax, to forget about everything else... and that was what they did, as their conversation ended only for the two to smile at one another before the fire, then kiss as their bodies pressed together...
Come morning, Luna and Scrivy lowered the moon and watched the sun rise... and the two smiled at the same time, resting flank-to-flank, feeling close and comfortable together as Luna's mane silently flowed in the windless air. Their heads rested lightly together, and then the winged unicorn reached up and quietly stroked the black pearl hanging from the ivy around her neck, murmuring softly: "I love thee dearly, Scrivener Blooms. Deeply and dearly."
"And I love you too, Luna. More than most things in the world... maybe not quite as much as those wonderful little caffeinated drinks we buy every now and then." Scrivy said meditatively, and Luna gave him an amused look before he continued musingly: "Or cotton candy. The problem is that everything else I love can't beat anyone up, and you know that's my favorite quality about you."
"Oh, 'tis not, thou art always complaining about how I emasculate thee with my great feats of strength and prowess." Luna laughed before she teasingly bit the side of his neck, making Scrivener wince and blush as he leaned to the side. "I think what thou enjoys most about me is my perfectly-sculpted form. I am as beautiful as I am strong."
Scrivener glanced at her, opening his mouth as she gazed back at him with a grin... and then she blushed a little as he softened and murmured softly: "Yeah. You really are."
Then Luna huffed and reached up to shove him firmly, almost knocking him off the top of the cliff and making the earth pony yell and scrabble at the ground to avoid toppling off the edge, the winged unicorn saying grumpily: "Oh, thou always goes and ruins the moment."
"How did I ruin... what moment? I... this is why I'm never nice to you, Luna." Scrivener retorted grouchily, glowering up at her, and the winged unicorn shrugged but grinned again all the same as he carefully picked himself up. "Anyway... should we go into Ponyville?"
"Aye, Scrivener Blooms. Remember, though... should Sol Seraph seem like she is finally ready to make her attack upon us, we shall lead her into the Everfree Forest. We will have an advantage there... trebled by the fact that her security forces will not be able to find nor follow us. We shall use her own expert skills against her... the prideful creature will not slow nor wait for allies, and then we shall attack her once we have led her to a place that will play in our favor." She stopped, then softened and leaned forwards, reaching up to touch his shoulder quietly. "Hold not back, Scrivener Blooms. Use all of my memories and talents to thy advantage... we have trained for countless hours together, and you have learned many of my abilities, but I know that at times..."
"Believe me, Luna, the last thing I'm going to hesitate against is Sol Seraph..." Scrivy made a face at this, shaking his head slowly and muttering: "A monster like her... I'm still surprised you offered her mercy, even knowing why you did it."
"And it worked, did it not? It maddened the savage beast further... and now the predator is on the hunt for us." Luna paused, saying quietly: "Her eagerness will cause her to make a mistake. I am sure of this."
"We probably should have killed her in the forest." Scrivener said mildly, and Luna snorted in amusement before she leaned over and kissed his cheek quietly, making him smile a little. "I know, I know. It was probably an ambush, I'm the one who told you that, remember? I know... I know you've got some crazy code of honor, too, you're trying to follow. I wish that... I didn't understand you so well sometimes, Luna, because I know this is crazy, and yet I can't help but follow along, since it would be even crazier not to."
Luna laughed quietly and shook her head, but she only smiled warmly in return, leaning over and giving him a gentle kiss on the cheek before they headed down the cliff... and soon afterwards, made their way into Ponyville, and found themselves surprised when they discovered the security forces had been almost completely withdrawn.
Ponies were wandering curiously through the streets, looking as perplexed as Scrivy and Luna felt... and in front of the library, they found Twilight, Fluttershy, and Scarlet Sage with Mayor Mare, the politician wincing as Luna approached, but offering a hesitant smile as Twilight Sparkle said quickly, several large sheets of parchment floating into the air next to her: "They aren't completely gone, but... well... look!"
Scrivy leaned down with a frown, Luna looking at him and concentrating, hearing the thoughts in his mind as he read quickly through the papers... and then the winged unicorn reared her head back in shock, looking towards Twilight and asking in surprise: "And hast thou seen any hint of Sol Seraph this morning?"
"None at all." Twilight shook her head quickly before she gazed at the Mayor as Scrivener looked dumbly up from the papers, barely able to believe what they said. "Would you care to explain again what happened?"
"She just... it doesn't make sense!" Mayor Mare exclaimed, and she sighed a little, saying finally: "Sol Seraph came into my office this morning, and told me that she had determined Ponyville was secure and protected, and she had ordered all her soldiers and... security beasts back to her compound. She said they would be 'reviewing' the situation and she gave me a bunch of papers to sign and... then she gave me these!"
"'Notice of Retreat,' 'Legal Compliance Order,' 'Assessment Documents...' these make no sense. She's... revoking her own powers and withdrawing from Ponyville?" Scrivener looked up with a frown, and yet despite the seeming good news and the lack of security personnel now in the village, there was a strange undercurrent of apprehension, of malefic intent. "These even say she's abandoning her guard posts..."
"Which her soldiers have. At... at the site of Fluttershy's old cottage, they..." Twilight halted, gazing towards the Pegasus, but she only smiled faintly and shook her head slowly in return, taking a slow, nervous breath.
"It's okay, Twilight, everyone... but... I think... I don't think this is over. She... she never gives up until she gets what she wants." Fluttershy murmured, looking away with a tremble, and then she calmed a little as Scarlet Sage looked up at her worriedly. "No, it's fine, dear. I'm... okay. But maybe... I could go and look around where my cottage used to be. There might... still be a few things I can salvage."
"I'll go with you, Fluttershy, and keep you company." Scarlet Sage said quietly... and Scrivy and Luna shared a hesitant look before glancing towards Twilight, but she only nodded, softening visibly.
"Go ahead, Fluttershy... but you know we can go with you if you want, too. There may not be any soldiers but... I wouldn't blame you for being afraid." Twilight said quietly, but Fluttershy only smiled a little and shook her head, reaching a hoof up to gently stroke through Scarlet Sage's mane.
"No, me and Scarlet will be fine... won't we?" she asked softly, and Scarlet Sage smiled up at her, nodding a few times and visibly emboldening the Pegasus, who straightened a little and threw off the last of her trembles as she smiled at the others. "Thank you... for taking care of me again through all this. I'll repay you all one day, I promise."
"Nay, Fluttershy, thank thee for being with us." Luna said softly, and the Pegasus smiled at her before she turned and headed quietly through the square, the winged unicorn gazing quietly after the Pegasus before she shook her head slowly and murmured: "But something... aye, Scrivy, thou speaks true. Something... is wrong here."
"I already sent a letter to Applejack and Rainbow Dash... Rarity is going to join us too, once she's done putting together a few more vests. Mayor, thank you for dropping these documents off." Twilight smiled a little towards the politician, who only mumbled a little but nodded awkwardly in return before she quickly excused herself, and the unicorn sighed and shook her head a little, murmuring: "Come on, let's sit down and work this out."
They spent most of the morning and the early afternoon pouring over the papers, trying to figure out Sol's motives as other ponies arrived: Rainbow Dash stormed around the library, saying that they should just go and mash her, but Applejack pointed out that they had been able to watch what was going on across the way from Sweet Apple Acres, and Sol Seraph's encampment was bustling with activity. Then, argumentative as always, Rainbow Dash had pointed out most of the activity was back in the ranks and rows of tents, not around the barn where Sol was... and that had gotten the attention of the others.
They discussed what it could be that Sol Seraph had hidden away in that barn that was keeping her attention... and yet she wanted to also apparently hide from her own security forces. Twilight's memories of the place were fuzzy, apart from the time spent in the isolation cell, but she said that she thought she remembered... white lights, and mountains, strange as it sounded. But not even Rainbow Dash had laughed, before Spike finally looked up from where his head was buried in the textbook and he said nervously: "Uh... guys? Remember how Sol Seraph made that rule about how only her security forces could be in power in Ponyville? And then how she was putting delays into getting all her laws reversed? Well... she dissolved the volunteer infantry and the Starlit Knights and even the police, and then she withdrew her security personnel..."
"Meaning Ponyville has no defenses up, because we haven't had a chance to reorganize any of our volunteer infantry or even the police forces yet." Twilight said slowly, looking up sharply... and then she looked towards the window with a grimace before turning her eyes to Rainbow Dash, saying sharply: "Quick, get to a guard tower and-"
Before she could finish, there was a terrific bang close enough to rattle the windows... and a moment later, shrieks and yells rose up in the distance as Twilight Sparkle shouted: "Rainbow, AJ, get out there, find any able-bodied pony you can, get everyone into defensive positions! Rarity, we need equipment, and Luna, I-"
"Worry not, Twilight Sparkle, I know my place in war. Scrivener Blooms, hurry to Fluttershy and Scarlet Sage, ensure their safety and then join us on the field!" Luna said sharply, and she gritted her teeth as she ran for the door, smashing it open and leaping out into the square before she winced as a large, ugly black fireball sailed slowly through the air in a wide arc... but with a flick of her horn, there was a violent ripple in reality, and the huge black sphere was knocked arcing back towards its source like an enormous mortar, smashing down on the other side of a burning wooden wall with a tremendous explosion.
Scrivener shot past her a moment later as Luna looked after him worriedly, then shook her head before she turned and sprinted towards the direction the attack had come from, grimacing as the wooden walls sagged and cracked visibly as they began to collapse... before she looked to the side in surprise to see Rainbow Dash shooting along beside her, the male tossing her a wide grin before his eyes focused ahead. "I sure hope this training of yours has a point after all, Luna!"
"Silence thy mouth, Rainbow Dash, thou hasn't yet earned the right to make snide comments in battle!" Luna grinned a bit all the same, however, her horn glowing as the section of wall began to topple inwards before she dropped her head forwards, a sapphire fireball launching in a burst of blue light to crash into the wall and explode in a wave of force and sapphire flames that launched chunks of burning wood in a tsunami over the hapless, would-be invaders.
Velites and Nibelung were both crushed and sent flying backwards as Luna skidded to a halt in the thankfully-wide space between two houses, Rainbow Dash landing beside her... and other ponies joining them shortly, the female looking back and forth but hiding her surprise with a wide grin as she leaned forwards and shouted: "Flee, monsters! This village is guarded by things far worse than thee!"
"Kill the fancy-corn!" roared a voice in return through the smoke... and then Luna cursed as three black fireballs shot through the wall of smog, her horn glowing as she reared back and a translucent blue wall sparked into being in front of the group, the balls of black flame exploding one after another against this in loud, powerful waves.
Then the first wave of monsters stormed through the smoke as Luna dropped the barrier, snarling: Velite unicorns, their horns glowing with black auras, dark gemstones twinkling where they were fused into their etched bones... and leading them, a Nibelung with a heavy, double-headed axe in either hand, his eyes burning red, one of the wolf-pig's tusks snapped off as his thick body flexed beneath the hides and leathers that covered his frame.
And then, with a roar, it leaned forwards and threw one of the axes in a sharp, violent movement... and Luna grinned as she snapped her horn to the side, natural weapon striking against forged, burnt steel and knocking the axe flying off to the side to thud harmlessly into the ground, her eyes flashing as she said coldly: "Try again, dwarf."
The Nibelung snarled as it reached back, yanking an ugly bone knife free from a sheath at its side before it rose its remaining axe in the air with a battle cry, and the Velite unicorns reared back before they broke into a sprint as around the wolf-pig, Nibelung and Velites of all shape and size charged through the smoke, paws and bony hooves thudding through debris and over burning embers.
Luna reared back, roaring to the skies as the ponies gathered around her steadied themselves, and lightning exploded through thin air, hammering the ground and tearing apart two of the Velite unicorns as the last snapped its head forwards and released a blast of black flames, but ponies scrambled out of the way before Rainbow Dash dived and crashed down on top of the brittle skeleton, smashing it beneath his hooves as his body flexed before he threw himself back into the air, narrowly dodging a slice of a Nibelung's blade.
And as they fought against the incursion, as more raiders and monsters swarmed rapidly through the wall, Scrivener dashed through the open gates at the far side of Ponyville, wondering silently why they had chosen to begin their attack there. Perhaps it was because of the position, where they could tear through fortification to immediately reach homes on the other side, instead of marching in through the open gates... or perhaps it was for another reason, as the earth pony ran quickly down the dirt path towards the ruins of Fluttershy's cottage.
Then he wheezed in relief as he saw the Pegasus and Scarlet Sage were both fine: if anything, they were worried, but that was understandable considering the rising column of smoke in the sky and the distant, ominous rumbles on the other side of Ponyville. "Oh thank the Horses of Heaven, you're both fine! Listen, there's been an attack, and-"
"Oh no." Fluttershy whispered, and Scrivy halted as the Pegasus's eyes went wide... before he slowly gritted his teeth and turned around as Fluttershy quailed backwards, trembling and hugging Scarlet Sage tightly even as she pressed her body fearfully back against the pile of half-broken objects they had collected from the ruins.
Sol Seraph stood between two minotaur guards in full battle armor and heavy helmets, one of these carrying an enormous executioner's axe, the other with a heavy sword in one hand and a mace in the other, the business end of this glinting dangerously... but it was not the black-armored giants that drew the eye, but the malicious Pegasus and her awful, victorious smile. She surveyed them silently, and Scrivener snarled as he turned around, setting himself as Sol Seraph slowly slipped a cigarette into her muzzle, and a moment later, her unicorn assistant nervously strode forwards, lighting it for her with a touch of his horn before he scampered backwards as she said softly: "So pathetic. So predictable. The prey has fallen right into my trap... all at once."
Sol paused, then she rose a hoof when one of the minotaurs started forwards, before smiling coldly as she leaned back and carefully shrugged off her suit jacket, saying quietly: "That's alright, boys. I want to deal with the slave-hoof myself."
"Fluttershy, Scarlet Sage, I want you both to run." Scrivener began quietly, and then Sol Seraph only shook her head slowly, and the male gritted his teeth as he leaned forwards, saying clearly: "Don't think I'm going to be a pushover. And the moment Luna's done with those monsters-"
"The Velites and the Nibelung have arrived in ample enough number to keep her busy for a long while. It was part of our agreement." Sol Seraph said quietly, holding her jacket up, and one of the minotaurs quickly took this for her before stepping backwards as Sol rose up on her hind hooves, standing easily as the unicorn assistant hurried in front of her with a large box suspended in front of him. "I do not expect them to kill Luna. It will be disappointing if they do: but then again, it will also prove she was not a worthy foe."
"You did this? You did this on purpose?" Scrivener asked with horror, and Sol Seraph simply smiled coldly, taking another slow drag on her cigarette as the unicorn opened the heavy box in front of her before two strange, gleaming metal sleeves floated out... and then Scrivener winced as these floated to the side before slipping over the forelegs of the Pegasus: they locked perfectly over the lower leg, protecting the shin completely and with four long, rectangular metal fins extending perhaps an inch out of each compass point on the vambraces, the plain, sharp steel glinting dangerously. "Crosshatch blades?"
"Good. You recognize these." The Pegasus dropped back down to all fours, rolling her shoulders beneath her silk shirt as she leaned forwards, setting herself as she flicked her red mane out of her eyes and gave a ruthless grin, a puff of smoke escaping her nostrils. "But yes, why not? The Nibelung my security team caught snooping around Ponyville were easily dispatched. We could have killed the war leader, but instead I ordered them to keep him alive. A brief negotiation later, we had a contractual agreement: I would withdraw my security forces if he attacked a predetermined point on Ponyville's structure... I knew Luna wouldn't be able to resist. The original plan was to abduct my target and possibly you, Nightmare Moon's flaw... even I didn't expect my plan to work so spectacularly that I would get both my targets at once... as well as the bonus of my worthless, failure daughter, who I can finally put to use."
"Wait, but..." Scrivener shot a look over his shoulder, at Fluttershy... and Scarlet Sage, who was shaking her head in wild denial, pushing wildly back before the male began to open his mouth... but then, slowly, he looked upwards, and gritted his teeth at the sight of Pegasi in black security uniforms standing calmly on clouds and circling slowly through the air, cutting off that one hope of escape for the two. Could she mean... Scarlet Sage? Why?
The male turned back forwards as the unicorn assistant backed quickly out of the way with the box, whimpering a little as Sol Seraph turned and spat her cigarette out, then leaned forwards and said softly: "Now, Scrivener Blooms... please do me a favor, and fight. I want to see what you're capable of, slave-hoof, before I take it all away from you, and prove that no matter how strong you are, no matter whose blessing you have... living by rules of love, and friendship, and honor makes you inferior. Living by the rules of the prey means that prey is all you will ever be..."
"And I'd rather die prey than spend a single moment living as a monster like you!" Scrivener shouted, charging forwards as he snarled in rage, and Sol Seraph grinned before she lunged to meet him, lashing one of her forelegs out in a movement that was almost playful, the crosshatch blade gleaming over her arm as it sliced through the air towards him.
He ducked low, dropping his body almost flat, and the blades narrowly missed his head before she lunged forwards as she stomped downwards, Scrivener cursing as he threw himself to the side and rolled out of the way, before wincing as Sol pounced towards him and slammed both hooves into his shoulders, trying to force him down before his eyes widened as he caught a flash of steel before yanking his head back, throwing himself away... and a moment later, Sol's crosshatch blades clanged loudly together in the space where his head had been a moment before.
Her forelegs dropped back towards the ground, and Scrivy launched himself forwards, rearing up over her and slamming his front hooves in four short, rapid jabs into the face of the Pegasus, making her wince back and stagger with a curse before Scrivener dropped backwards, breathing hard and standing ready... but even though he had managed to land at least one good hit directly against her eye from how it was already swelling up, Sol Seraph only rolled her head on her shoulders, asking coldly: "Is that all you can do, slave hoof? I'm disappointed."
She lunged towards him, and Scrivener began to leap to the side... but the Pegasus quickly flapped her wings, giving herself an additional boost that sent her shoulder smashing into his chest, knocking him backwards with a wheeze... and then he howled in agony as she slammed one of the crosshatch blades upwards and ground it into his chest like the blade of an axe, gritting his teeth and leaning forwards as he gasped in pain, feeling it ripping shallowly into his flesh as she leaned forwards and breathed slowly over his face, saying quietly: "You are inferior. Lay down, and die."
She tore the blade backwards and free, and Scrivener staggered away with a hiss of pain, trembling violently, knowing that Luna was feeling this agony as well... and his eyes flashed as he thought of her. Every time he was hurt, Luna was hurt... and the equine snarled as he looked up at her, whispering: "You're a coward."
"Words are things used by the weak, to try and drag the strong down to their level." Sol Seraph looked down at the bloody crosshatch blade, and then she smiled as she leaned down and slowly licked the earth pony's blood off it, saying softly: "The prey's barking means nothing to me. The prey's blood tells me everything I need to know."
Scrivener Blooms snarled, leaning forwards, readying himself and anchoring himself as he breathed hard in and out, feeling Luna's turmoil even from the distance they were separated at... and then he leaned forwards, anchoring his hooves against the ground as he felt something change inside of himself, felt memories that weren't his own filling him up and instincts that were familiar and alien all at once spilling through his body as he said coldly: "Then let's see what your blood tells me." Just gotta keep hitting her, and don't stop until she stops moving.
He ran forwards, and Sol Seraph looked surprised by the sudden rush even as she began to swing a leg forwards to counter... but Scrivener didn't give her the chance, lunging a split second faster and slamming his hoof into her muzzle, knocking her backwards before he reared up and kept moving forwards on his hind hooves as he slammed blows back and forth across her face, forcing her to drop her counter to stagger backwards with a curse beneath the sudden, intense attack-
(Keep hitting her, keep hitting her, keep hitting her, keep hitting her...)
-before Scrivener Blooms dropped forwards, anchoring himself against the ground as his head slammed into the Pegasus's skull, making her snarl as she dropped low before her eyes widened a moment before the male's hoof slammed into the underside of her jaw, knocking her backwards even as she lashed her crosshatch blades up in counterattack, but the charcoal equine ignored the slash of narrow blades across his body even as he winced and reared back again to slam a short, focused flurry of strikes against her chest-
(Keephittingherkeephittingherkeephittingherkeephittingherkeephittingher)
-smashing against her ribs, her breast, her shoulders, then swinging his forelegs wide when she tried to lash her own into his chest, the male hissing in agony as the blades ripped against his front limbs but Sol Seraph was again sent stumbling backwards, dropping to all fours before Scrivener's front hooves descended on her skull and crushed her head down into the ground, then jerked her up by the mane before slamming her down again, and finally yanking her hard upwards as a hoof crashed into her jaw-
(KEEPHITTINGHERKEEPHITTINGHERKEEPHITTINGHERKEEPHITTINGHER!)
-then tore back to smack across her cheek before he shoved both hooves hard into her shoulders, knocking her reeling as he threw himself forwards but allowed his upper body to drop backwards at the same time to lazily half-flip, half-fall, landing heavily on his own back even as he slammed both rear hooves into Sol Seraph's stomach, sending the Pegasus bonelessly flying backwards to crash into the trunk of a tree with a gargle, spittle and blood flying from her muzzle as her eyes bulged before she collapsed forwards in a limp, broken pile.
Scrivener panted roughly, laying on his back, eyes clenched shut, body demanding rest as his muscles ached and blood spilled down his form from the cuts over his frame, all eyes staring in shock at the results of the wild frenzy that had overtaken the earth pony... and then Scrivy's blood froze in his veins as he heard a rough, harsh chuckle, slowly rolling up to his hooves to stare in horror as Sol Seraph picked herself up with terrible calmness off the roots of the gnarled oak she had been kicked into, her clothing ripped, her face bruised and bloodied, her mane a tangled mess... but a cold, callous grin on a face that was hideous with the excitement it showed, the Pegasus rasping: "Yes... good. Crude, but strong; not worthy, but it gives me hopes and heightened expectations for what I should look forwards to from Luna..."
She rolled her head slowly on her shoulders, then she turned her head and spat out a bloody tooth before returning her eyes to Scrivener Blooms, setting herself as the earth pony weakly scrambled to his hooves... but he was unsteady, woozy, almost all of his strength sapped in the wild whirlwind of attacks he had laid into her as she said softly: "Don't worry. I'm not like you, prey-pony... I know what I'm doing. The best predators never tire; that is a prey's flaw."
She leapt forwards, wings spreading and propelling her faster, and Scrivy cursed as he began to slowly raise a hoof... but in a flash, her crosshatch blade lashed into him, slicing into the junction of shoulder and neck and yanking downwards to send up a spurt of blood as Scrivy howled in pain as he felt his leg go weak, Sol Seraph's eyes burning as she explained calmly, as if this was nothing more than a polite discussion between distant acquaintances: "First, aim for the larger, favored muscles. Disable them."
Scrivener attempted to bring his other hoof up as his foreleg shook violently beneath him, barely able to keep balance... but Sol managed to get her own forelimb between them, blocking the attack... and then sweeping her limb around in a wide spin that flipped Scrivener onto the back before she lashed her crosshatch blade into the back of his knee and tore, the earth pony releasing another cry of agony as he tried to roll away and shove himself up to his feet... but a moment later, the Pegasus lashed one of the blades into the side of his face with an easy flick of her forelimb, tearing just past his eye and filling one half of his vision with crimson. "Attack their senses. Blind them to stop them from escaping, and impede them fighting back."
Scrivener tried to throw himself backwards, but his wounded knee and sliced-open shoulder shuddered, the muscles trembling weakly as he barely managed his hooves before Sol Seraph's hoof slammed up into his throat, angled so the crosshatch blade tore a thin, narrow gash into his neck, making him gargle as she said softly: "It becomes even harder for the prey to fight when they are choking on their own blood. Most will give up to the inevitable by this point."
Scrivy gargled, barely able to see, body weakening, aching... and then he looked up as Sol Seraph drew one of her forelegs back before he snarled and slammed a hoof out, smashing her across the jaw and making her curse as she staggered backwards in shock more than pain... but before Scrivy could do anything else, Sol Seraph snarled and shoved a hoof towards him, and the male felt a distinct, crushing agony surround his body as her scarred forelimb began to glow strangely, the male's eyes widening in shock as he was hefted off the ground in a painful telekinetic grip. "And if they continue to resist... demonstrate your superiority and crush them."
Then Sol Seraph turned and lashed her limb outwards, and Scrivener Blooms was flung through the air to crash into a tree and fall to the ground, staring weakly at the Pegasus as she smiled coldly and motioned downwards before the male could find his senses... and there was an awful cracking before a heavy, lamppost thick branch was torn off the tree, collapsing onto the earth pony's back and pinning him to the ground with a cough of blood as the Pegasus said quietly: "The only useful gift my husband gave me before I killed him... was his horn."
She smiled coldly, and Scrivener Blooms only stared at her with horror as he gazed at the pulsing scar in Sol Seraph's forelimb, just visible from beneath the crosshatch blade... and then Sol Seraph simply made a short gesture to her bodyguards, and the last thing the earth pony saw before the world was swallowed up in darkness was a minotaur's hoof rushing towards his face.
Scarlet Sage screamed... and then Sol Seraph turned, rolling her head on her shoulders as she calmly walked towards Fluttershy, the meek Pegasus trembling and staring up at her mother with terror in her eyes before Sol Seraph held her hoof out and said quietly: "Give me the child."
Fluttershy shuddered... and then she silently shook her head, their eyes locking for a moment... and then Sol Seraph stepped forwards and lashed her crosshatch blade across Fluttershy's face, sending out a splatter of blood as the Pegasus screamed, and in her embrace, Scarlet Sage shrieked as the crimson fluid splattered over the filly's features. Then Sol Seraph held her hoof towards Fluttershy again, saying quietly: "One last chance, my daughter. Give me the foal."
Fluttershy shook her head, and Sol Seraph gritted her teeth, bringing her hoof back, before Scarlet Sage convulsed against the female before she shrieked... and then threw her head back, her eyes glowing bright red as she spoke in an echoing, hollow voice: "Killer of her own blood, she will murder her, and without hesitation... she will look into her eyes and see her damnation and yet she will not stop, knowing, knowing, knowing no other choice..."
Fluttershy shivered violently, staring down in horror before Sol Seraph gritted her teeth and leaned forwards, shoving her daughter roughly backwards by the face with one hoof and seizing Scarlet Sage by the back of the neck with the other, yanking her free, uncaring of the small cuts she left against the bodies of either pony as Fluttershy cried out in weak denial. But Scarlet Sage had fallen silent, and the glow was fading from her eyes... but on the foal's flank, her cutie mark had appeared.
It was a scarlet mirror, edged in black... and Sol Seraph shook her head slowly before she flung the filly rudely to the ground, making her gasp as she snapped back into consciousness before she screamed when Sol Seraph stepped down on her skull, and Fluttershy cried out again, lunging forwards... only to be met by her mother's back hoof slamming into her throat, knocking her coughing and staggering before she fell weakly to her knees. "M-Mother..."
"Grab the slave-hoof and these two crowbait, and take them back to the compound. We will be entertaining guests shortly." Sol Seraph ordered, and she slowly drew her hoof off the filly's head, looking down at her as Scarlet Sage trembled violently, staring up at her with terrified eyes. "I have orders to kill you, child. But I think I have a better use for you."
And Scarlet Sage curled up, trembling weakly on the ground as an enormous minotaur approached, looking down coldly even as Fluttershy struggled forwards to try and protect the young filly, staring pleadingly up at the giant as her mother took easily to the air, secure in her victory over the ponies that had challenged her.
On the other battlefield, Luna had felt every blow: every blow given, and every blow taken, flagging now as she breathed hard in and out, before her eyes flickered in shock as she felt Scrivener's horror and surprise, tasted pain, felt agony sear through her frame even as she managed to force herself to leaping forwards and crush another Velite beneath her hooves... and then her eyes rolled up in her head with a gasp as a thud like a battering ram crashed into her body, frame going weak as she collapsed to the ground amidst the bodies of Velites, Nibelung, and dead ponies.
The Nibelung commanding the raid looked up with a grin as it saw Luna faint, smashing a pony out of the way with a wide slap of its axe before it charged eagerly towards the fallen winged unicorn, raising its axe high as it spun its dagger in the other hand... and then Twilight Sparkle leapt in front of Luna, snarling and shouting: "Stay back!"
"Two for price of one!" the Nibelung snarled, then it flung the dagger with a hard flick of its wrist, Twilight's eyes widening before she cursed as the ugly blade of bone ripped across her shoulder, wincing in pain before looking up as the wolf-pig leapt towards her, bringing the axe high above its head... and the unicorn's eyes and horn both glowed as she leaned forwards with a snarl and unleashed a focused pulse of pure force.
The dwarf was blasted into the air, axe flying from its hands as it screamed in shock, flipping violently upwards before crashing down some thirty feet away in a broken heap on its back. It screeched, then gagged and grabbed at its chest before slowly struggling to sit up even as blood leaked from its jaws... and then it stupidly seized the broken blades of wood that had pierced through its body from falling on the shattered wall, frowning almost curiously at this before its eyes rolled up in its head and it slumped, dead.
Several of the Nibelung looked up at this, then turned back towards the hole they had breached in the wall and quickly fled back the way they had come, leaving only a scattered handful of Velites... and Applejack cursed as she jumped on one of these, Rainbow tackling another onto its back and smashing his hoof through its skull even as the earth pony shouted: "Do we follow 'em, Twilight?"
Twilight shook her head as she turned around, flicking her head to the side almost disdainfully as her horn glowed, and a Velite was torn off the ground and slammed into a wall, shattering the skeleton into fragments as she said quietly: "No, there's no point. Something must have happened to Scrivener Blooms, though, and that means..."
"Oh God, Scarlet Sage and Fluttershy, but... you don't think..." Applejack glanced back and forth worriedly, then she cursed quietly under her breath at the sight of the injured and few dead: the battle had been fast, and vicious... and not without cost, from how many Nibelung and Velites had flooded in on the attack. "Rainbow, I... help me gather up the wounded here, we'll get them over to the medical center, and then-"
"Scrivener Blooms..." Luna whispered, and Twilight dropped to her knees beside her as Luna gritted her teeth, the other ponies hesitating for a moment... but when the violet unicorn looked up at them, AJ and Rainbow exchanged nervous looks before nodding and heading quickly off to help the others. "Twilight Sparkle, I... no, I cannot feel him..."
Luna shuddered a little, slowly picking herself, breathing hard, bleeding from wounds that steamed faintly over her body... and Twilight winced before her horn glowed as she began to slowly, carefully heal the larger damages... damages she could tell had been passed on, in most cases, from awful things likely down to Scrivy. "He is... unconscious. Sol Seraph... Sol Seraph has captured Scrivener Blooms, Fluttershy, and Scarlet Sage..."
She shook her head slowly, swaying a bit on her hooves before she snarled and flicked her mane to the side, and it gave a vibrant pulse as her horn glowed, energy shocking over her form as her eyes glowed white and she snarled in a voice that wasn't her own as Twilight staggered backwards: "We shall tear her apart for what she has done! We shall skin her while she still lives!"
Then Luna winced as the glow faded from her eyes, even as her wounds slowly healed over her frame and she leaned forwards, gritting her teeth and muttering: "Apologies, Twilight Sparkle... I do not know if that was more my own temper or Nightmare Moon. Both of us wish to immediately head to confront and attack Sol Seraph before she can perform any further evils upon the heads of either Scrivener Blooms, Fluttershy, or the filly we see as our daughter... but I know that...I must not rush."
She shivered a little at these words, shaking her head slowly before looking towards the unicorn as Twilight looked over her with concern even as the wounds on her body healed visibly and her mane sparked with electricity. "Luna, not... not to be rude, but-"
"I know." Luna only smiled wanly, glancing down and closing her eyes as she shivered a little before grimacing as she glanced back and forth over the battlefield. "I need a moment to rest, to gather my thoughts... to understand what has just happened. Does thou remember the necromancy I taught thee to banish the remains of the Velites, to prevent them from resurrection?"
Twilight nodded after a moment, studying the winged unicorn silently, but Luna only shook her head and murmured: "Nay, Twilight. Worry not for me... I am fine. Go, perform the spell... I shall..."
Luna shook her head again, then she slowly stumbled around in a circle, but her gait took up more purpose, more strength, as she forced her hooves to walk slowly through the battlefield. She looked silently back and forth, surveying the bones and bodies of the fallen, shivering a little and wondering how much she had missed... but glad that at least it could not have been too long. It had been a pitched fight, fervent, violent, fast and yet slow... and the problem wasn't so much that Luna could feel information and wild thoughts from Scrivy's subconscious floating into her own, it was the feeling of separation... the feeling of failing him, and sending him headlong into an ambush. Of trying to outwait the predator... and being outwitted by a creature that was slyer and more cunning than Luna had dared to imagine.
And she could feel Nightmare Moon, eager to be set free, to take form, to chase down Sol Seraph and crush her, crush her, crush her until not a speck of the monster was left, not a trace of her existed, burning down what she had built and then tearing into her encampment, killing everyone who allied themselves with the monster disguised as a Pegasus...
She shivered, then repressed those thoughts, instead focusing on the information her link with Scrivener Blooms had brought to light. The fact that Sol Seraph had a unicorn's horn implanted in her foreleg and was somehow able to use its powers, for example, was a good start... and it partly explained the lingering Pale they had seen in her presence. But why it would still gaze upon her with pity instead of hatred or scorn...
"Perhaps there is such a thing as too kind." Luna muttered... and then her head snapped upwards as she heard Sol Seraph whisper: The only useful gift my husband gave me before I killed him...
Mother always said... I was too much like Father... Fluttershy's voice murmured, and there was a flash, an image of the Pegasus smiling... and Luna gritted her teeth, dropping her head forwards and shaking her head wildly, trying to get the memories and images out of her mind... but with Scrivener unconscious, his mind dreaming and likely a little addled from the blows she knew he'd taken...
She shook her head quickly, gritting her teeth as she stormed around a corner and stopped in an alley... then sat herself down and pressed back against the wall, eyes clenching shut as she whispered: "Daydreamer... thou sees me as a hero, and look, look what I have done..."
She shivered a bit, then shook her head briskly and muttered: "No, no. I only need a moment or two longer to rest... my mind is confused, but clearing... and even without our link, there is only one place the predator will return to. Its lair... and I shall crash in upon it and attack. I shall be merciless. I shall be heartless. I shall show Sol Seraph what 'love' means, when it is interfered with... I shall teach her that her cruelty cannot match that of Nightmare Moon's..."
Her eyes glowed faint white for a moment as she leaned forwards, gritting her teeth into what was almost a grin... and then it turned into a grimace of pain as she shook her head quickly, whispering harshly: "Stop it, Nightmare Moon! We must work together... yes, yes, we shall punish Sol Seraph, but we must first rescue Scrivener Blooms and our treasures, our friends!"
She cursed quietly... and then her mane flickered behind her, shedding sapphire light over the ground that made Luna's shadow stretch and distort, before eyes opened in the darkness spilling out beneath her... and the winged unicorn stared down at this as the shadow changed in shape, became larger, more ominous, as Nightmare Moon murmured back to her quietly: "Then let me out, my little one. Let me out..."
"Not yet." Luna whispered, and the shadow seemed to frown up at her, tilting her head as the female smiled faintly down at her, saying quietly: "Horses of Heaven, I cannot explain how much I wish to give in completely to thee, Nightmare Moon... and no, I do not fear that thou wouldst take me over again, that I would become what I was in the past... far from it, I would welcome it. If it meant Scrivener Blooms and our precious treasures were saved... I would gladly allow thee to do as thee wished, and be the one receded inside once more, small and silent, and let thee have thy way however thee pleased, in power and control...
"But Nightmare Moon, power alone cannot stop Sol Seraph. That is what I fear... and blasting and breaking the fortress around her may cause her to wound those we care for. Would thou truly risk having Scrivener Blooms face us with disappointment? Would thou risk losing the love thou so jealously guards? We must be cunning. We must be careful." Luna urged softly, sliding her hooves forwards, the shadows of Nightmare Moon crawling silently up her limbs as it seemed to almost lean up out of the ground towards her, eyes locking with glowing eyes. "But if the time and chance allows it... thou shalt taste the darkest, sweetest revenge thou can wish."
Nightmare Moon nodded slowly... and Luna's starry mane sparked quietly before it settled slowly back against her body, the shadow of Nightmare Moon receding and becoming only her own shadow once more... but Luna smiled wryly, looking down at this silently and knowing that was all Nightmare Moon had ever really been in the first place.
She sighed a little as she stood up and quietly made her way out of the alley, but her mind was settled, her goals clear. She had an idea of what to do... and then she glanced over her shoulder as she heard the approach of ponies, before smiling faintly at the sight of Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack, saying quietly: "All will be well, worry not, my friends. I go now to finish this job. I shall return with the others in tow."
"No, Luna, we'll do this together." Twilight said quietly, and Luna softened a bit as Rainbow Dash nodded firmly and the earth pony gave her own smile of agreement, the three looking resolute. "It was hard enough convincing Pinkamena and Rarity to stay back and help the others... and yes, when I said Pinkamena, I meant Pinkamena. Even... she cares, in her own weird, weird way, about what happens to Scrivy and Fluttershy and Scarlet Sage... even if she probably just wants to watch you beat Sol Seraph to a pulp, too."
"Sugar-cube, at this point, I'm pretty sure everypony here wants to see that." Applejack muttered, and Rainbow Dash gave a grunt of agreement before the earth pony looked forwards and said quietly: "Luna, please. We are your friends, don't go forgettin' that now. We ain't gonna let you walk into this trap alone."
"But that is exactly what I plan to do. Walk calmly and placidly into Sol Seraph's trap." Luna said softly, and the ponies looked at her with surprise before she smiled slightly and turned away, saying quietly: "Come then, my friends. If I cannot dissuade thee from following... at least I can explain on the way. And we may yet be able to save our precious friends."
The three ponies traded nervous look with one another, but then Twilight nodded firmly, running to fall into step beside Luna as Rainbow Dash and Applejack followed apprehensively after the winged unicorn, apprehension and malice tingling the air, but Luna facing calmly, coldly ahead as she strode slowly forwards despite the anxiety tingling in her aching body and the thoughts racing wildly through her mind, eyes glowing with ruthlessness and hope. |
Starlit Knights | For Sake Of Kindness | Chapter Eight: For Sake Of Kindness
~BlackRoseRaven
The winged unicorn strode calmly down the path leading to the barn, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Twilight apprehensively following as she said quietly: "Remember the plan, my friends. Keep calm, and keep thy heads down. We shall give this wolf exactly what it wants."
Twilight nodded slowly even as Rainbow Dash winced and Applejack grimaced a little, but Luna only carried forwards, ignoring the security personnel that clustered either side of the road in small groups, many of them armed with crossbows and melee weapons and none of them seeming to know quite what to do as Luna simply led her ponies forwards through their ranks.
A tunnel had been built in front of the fortified building that had once been a barn: it was long and ugly, like some giant's fallen umbilical cord made of tarpaulin and thick wooden walls, two ugly, grated doors guarded by minotaurs in battle armor in front of this. They looked as surprised as the other security forces to see Luna... and then one of them turned and roared a command before the two giants pulled the gates open, even as one muttered something quietly in his own language with a slow shake of his head.
Luna only smiled and shook her own, however, striding fearlessly into the tunnel, the others following... and she didn't bother to look up even as Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack nervously looked back and forth at slits that had been cut into the wooden walls of either side of the corridor, through which crossbows were being aimed and the dark, distrustful eyes of ponies watched. It made the twenty feet or so they had to travel not only unsettling, but seem to stretch into eternity, before Luna halted in front of the sliding steel doors leading into the compound, looking calmly up at another pair of armored minotaurs.
One of these saluted her sharply, smashing the butt of its battle axe against the ground and its fist against its breast, and Luna bowed her head respectfully for a moment before the two bull-giants turned and grasped the handles of the steel door, yanking them open and stepping to the sides of the wide, tall hall of cloth and wood. For a moment they were able to look ahead, Luna's eyes sweeping over at least a dozen security ponies, before bright spotlights flashed on at the back of the room, and a voice shouted: "Drop onto your stomachs, hooves on your heads!"
Luna compiled in silence, slowly lowering herself to the ground, placing her hooves on top of her skull, keeping her features passive and calm as the others apprehensively did the same... and security ponies strode forwards around them, several with glinting crossbows already aimed down at them apprehensively as others came forwards with manacles attached by heavy, short chains.
The winged unicorn only closed her eyes as they shackled her forelimbs tightly together, then half-hauled her to her hooves, security guards standing nervously around her as a chain was quickly thrown over her back and around her body to bind her wings down as well. Twilight was silent through the process of being restrained, while Applejack cursed them loudly and Rainbow Dash gritted his teeth and fidgeted before wincing when a crossbow was shoved into his face, breathing hard but calming slowly.
Out of the compound, a unicorn hurried nervously towards them, his clipboard floating beside him: Sol Seraph's assistant. He glanced anxiously over the four, then shook his head, muttering to himself as his quill jotted several notes before he stuttered worriedly: "G-G-Get them inside! Bring them straight through, straight through to the Coliseum Theatre, no... n-no isolation booths for these ones yet!"
A moment later, the bright lights inside the barn flicked off, and the unicorn turned and hurried inside, past enormous spotlights that were still faintly glowing and operated by ponies in gray coveralls to a large set of double doors. The security guards half-dragged, half-ordered the four ponies forwards, Pegasi taking to the air and slowly flying just overhead so they could continue to aim their crossbows as other security ponies walked with one hoof resting on the now-captives as they moved at a slow, awkward pace due to the short chains.
Luna bowed her head forwards as the double doors were pulled open, striding through this... and she grimaced as her eyes flicked back and forth as they passed into this room, taking in the enormous white cylinders that stood at either side of the room with only slits for windows, one standing with the door open to reveal the gleaming ivory interior... and Twilight shuddered a bit before Luna looked up as she heard a quiet curse from Applejack.
As they were guided into stepping up onto a wide, circular white platform that took up most of the floor, raised only a few inches higher than the dirty cement, Luna's eyes roved silently over the heavy, short steel fortification that spread out over one end of the room. It was topped with a walkway and an enormous balcony, looking more like battlements or some kind of grisly viewing theatre... and built into the structure were several enormous, dome-shaped window walls of glass that looked in on cells beyond.
Through one of these, Luna could see Scarlet Sage, laying with a splotch of red over her flank... and splotches of red over the cold concrete floor, the filly shivering and bruised in an empty, tiny room. And in the center cell, the winged unicorn gazed silently in to see Scrivener Blooms, held in a standing position by arching, studded metal bands that pushed up beneath his body, taut chains welded to manacles that encompassed his legs and several bands and collars of steel over his head and neck, with more chains extending from these and hooked into the walls of the cramped cell to force him to stare ahead. His eyes were open, but he blinked slowly, tiredly... before giving a weak smile to Luna through the misty glass, and Luna shuddered a bit before she whispered, as the security ponies surrounded the white platform: "I'm here to save thee, daydreamer. Worry not."
Scrivener Blooms gave a faint smile... and then there was a click, and Luna frowned a bit as she looked down for a moment before electricity surged over the white platform, the winged unicorn snarling and arching her back as the ponies behind her screamed in agony and shock, their bodies convulsing before the platform clicked again and the attack ceased, and Rainbow Dash crumpled forwards with a wheeze, large body flexing a bit as Applejack snarled and barely maintained her balance.
Twilight hung her head, breathing hard, horn sparking quietly as Luna forced herself to stand straight even as electricity zapped through her starry mane, shouting: "I am not here to indulge thy sick fantasies, Sol Seraph! I am here to end this!"
"And end this shall..." Sol Seraph's voice said quietly, and a moment later, the Pegasus strode slowly into view on top of the raised balcony, looking calmly down at them. She was bruised and battered, but clean, her wounds already tended to and a new, fresh silk shirt and suit jacket covering her body. Smoke furled slowly up from her cigarette as she looked down at them with both disappointment and triumph, leaning calmly against the wide metal railing... and then Luna snarled slowly as Fluttershy silently dragged herself forwards.
She was beaten and bruised, and even from here, Luna could tell her wings had been broken before Sol Seraph had bound them with chains. Heavy weights dangled around her neck, and her mane hung in ugly tatters, the Pegasus trembling as she carried a large steel tray strapped over her lower back as if she was nothing more than a servant or even less, like a living table.
Sol Seraph didn't bother to look as she pulled the cigarette out of her muzzle... then reached back and slowly put it out against Fluttershy's face, the Pegasus crying out, then whimpering weakly as tears streamed from her eyes, shivering violently as the creature that was somehow this Pegasi's mother said quietly: "I expected much more from you, Luna. So much more. But here you stand, beaten..."
She paused, then stomped her hoof once against the ground, and there was a clanking as a door in the side wall opened past a row of isolation booths, her two lumbering, armored minotaur bodyguards striding forwards and around the white platform to stand calmly in front of the cell containing Scrivener Blooms, one resting with heavy battle axe in hand as the rest of the security forces raised their crossbows and dropped to ready positions. "I didn't think you'd surrender... and I'm not sure what possessed you to do so. I expected an attack... not you giving in, and simply walking into my embrace. That is not the behavior of either predator or prey... it is... disappointing."
She paused for a moment, then looked coldly down over the four, saying quietly: "Your magic will do you no good here. If you even think about using your unicorn powers, that security stage will pacify you with electricity, then release a concentrated anti-magic pulse. You and all your friends will die. You have no choice now but to surrender and submit to my demands, Luna. If you refuse or become difficult... I can just as easily have Scrivener Blooms maimed, mutilated, or killed."
"If thou dares to harm my husband before mine eyes, even if thou kills him... I shall live for more than ample enough time to give thee an eternity of suffering and death." Luna said quietly, and Sol Seraph smiled coldly before the winged unicorn added darkly: "But I would not expect thou to understand anything of love or loyalty, considering what exists in thy limb."
"I am a predator." Sol Seraph said quietly, looking darkly down at them, and then she rolled the sleeve of her suit jacket back as her scar glimmered faintly. "My husband was weak, and 'affection' is a flaw that I was quick to weed out. I believed him to be powerful because of his magic, but he never once used it to his own advantage... and I would not permit such an anchor to drag me down; instead, I made myself stronger."
"No..." Fluttershy whispered, trembling violently... and Sol Seraph closed her eyes as she lowered her head forwards, the Pegasus whimpering. "Mother... please... listen to reason..."
"I have had enough of you. I have given you too many chances, Fluttershy... but I will not tolerate your weakness any longer." Sol Seraph said softly, and then she flicked her wrist upwards... and on the tray, a long, thin-bladed dagger glowed with dark, malicious light, raising into the air, pointing down like the cursed blade of Damocles as the others looked up in horror, even as Fluttershy only continued to stare at her mother pleadingly. "In this world, only the strong survive."
Without looking, she flicked her hoof downwards... and the dagger shot like an arrow from where it had raised high, slicing into Fluttershy's back just above the tray and making her body arch as she gasped in shock, tears flying from her eyes as her mouth fell open... and for a few moments, she simply breathed hard in and out, staring sightlessly at the sky... and then she slowly collapsed forwards, objects clattering off the tray as Luna stared in horror and Twilight shrieked in denial, Rainbow Dash and Applejack yelling Fluttershy's name uselessly to the cold air... and then Sol Seraph simply smiled down at them, not even bothering to look back at the corpse of her own daughter as she said calmly: "Don't do anything silly now. I want to savor your defeat. Not kill you all at once."
"Shut the hell up, come down here and fight, you goddamn monster!" Rainbow shouted, and then he arched his back with a howl of agony as electricity ripped through the platform, the other ponies snarling as lightning tore across the platform again, bringing even Luna down to her knees this time as Twilight sprawled weakly out and Applejack fell slowly forwards, wheezing painfully as shudders ran through the group.
Then, slowly, Luna forced herself back up to her hooves, breathing hard before she looked weakly to the side... and there was another presence here now. The Pale unicorn from before stood beside her, staring with pity up at Sol Seraph, more solid now and yet all the more invisible to the eyes of the others... and Luna gritted her teeth before she faced ahead and asked harshly: "How could a mother kill her own daughter out of hoof, like nothing more than vermin? Does thou know no love, no respect?"
"What do you know about how I feel, how I felt?" Sol Seraph said quietly, her voice calm... but her eyes betrayed emotion, anger, her features tensing as she leaned forwards and continued as fury began to tinge her words: "Do you know what it was like? I gave up my pride, my purity, to a male who fathered a daughter who was weak, and sniveling, and spent all her time thinking about inferior beings, talking about... emotions, and valuing... protecting them! I killed her father to protect her from his way of thinking, from his... broken, weak philosophies! Everything I did, I did to try and cure what was wrong with her, to try and make her strong like me, and I gave the worthless whore more chances than any mother ever has, more chances and more love than she deserved from me or anypony... she was weak. She was pathetic. She was useless. And now she's only another dead body to me, nothing more, and what disgusts me most is that I was too blinded by ancient, worthless instincts to do this sooner."
And, without looking around, she rose a rear hoof and slammed it back into Fluttershy's face, her daughter's body flexing silently once, and Luna felt only a hollow, terrible void inside of herself as she stared up at this Pegasus, unable to believe what she had just seen, what she had just heard. Then something brushed against her, and she looked weakly to the side to see the Pale looking at her silently, imploringly... before it silently turned ahead, striding towards the fortification even as it stuttered quietly out of existence.
Luna gritted her teeth, knowing and yet not knowing what the Pale wanted, then she looked up and asked quietly: "Then tell me, Sol Seraph, why thou made her such a part of thy agenda here... why not simply ignore her?"
"Because she was a shame upon the family name." the Pegasus said softly, and then she shook her head in slow disgust. "A family of warriors, and hunters... ended by one foul spawn that was the opposite of everything we valued. I should have thrown her from the window when she was born... I should have broken her skull under my hoof when she was a foal, and already beginning to show signs of... strangeness.
"But no. In my moment of weakness, I gave her that one last chance... and as you saw, still, she insisted on pleading, even after I punished her, just like in the old days." She grimaced in disgust, shaking her head slowly. "I never needed so many punishments as a child. I knew my place. I knew what I was to become... my parents were proud of me. Fluttershy was weak from birth, stillborn in spirit, worthless."
Luna breathed slowly in and out, lowering her head in disgust... and then Twilight Sparkle slowly dragged herself a pace forwards, the unicorn looking up and whispering: "You have so much power, Sol Seraph... a Pegasus able to use magic, I never thought it was possible. Yet you're so... weak... for all of it. So blind..."
Sol Seraph shook her head in disgust at this, and then she said coldly: "Speak to me again, unicorn, and I'll have you killed. That goes for your slave-hoof friends too... Luna is who I am after. Luna, and the filly... they are both dangerous to the people I work for."
"And 'twas not Bucephalus, was it? Who holds thy leash, monster? Whose name is writ upon thy collared neck, who has set the rabid wolf loose in the forest?" Luna looked up coldly, and Sol Seraph's eyes narrowed slowly, dangerously, at this. "Or can thou only bark when thy master commands it?" Stall her. Anger her. Make the wolf howl... lure the wolf into the hunt...
"I am no slave-hoof, and I am no inferior prey-pony, I am a hunter... and I was given the chance to hunt the thought-greatest game of all, Nightmare Moon." Sol Seraph said darkly, leaning forwards as she breathed hard in and out. "You proved pathetic and disappointing, but I am also a professional... and the hunt does not end until my trophies are acquired. Yes, the hunt was assigned to me... not by Helios Mutual Holdings, not by the idiot Bucephalus, so blinded with patriotism he never realized who was actually pulling the strings.
"No, Luna, if you must know, it was Ekleíp." Sol Seraph smiled coldly, and Luna stared up in shock at this, her eyes widening at the name of the lunar cult they had heard whispers of from the Nibelung they interrogated, the dark sorcerers that were said to make their home in the awful fortress-between-worlds, the Black Baroque. "Yes, Luna... they are well-aware of my reputation, and I have a network of contacts throughout Equestria, I've made alliances in places dark and bright to increase my influence, and to better prove my strength, my necessity, in these dark and dangerous times. I am the ultimate predator, Nightmare Moon... and with you as my prey, it is the fate of this whole accursed nation I control in my hooves."
Sol Seraph leaned back, her features arrogant and ruthless, her eyes cold and proud as she rose her front hooves for a moment... then she leaned forwards and rested one against the railing, saying darkly: "They want you for a special purpose... just like they wanted me to kill the filly, because she could become dangerous. But I think with some reeducation, some proper molding... and this time, ensuring that the only influence she receives comes from me instead of trusting others to look after her... Scarlet Sage will make a powerful ally."
"Thou hast no idea what thou tampers with! Ekleíp wish for Nightmare Moon to destroy Equestria, believe that she is the bringer of Ragnarok, does thou not understand what that means?" Luna shouted desperately, looking up at the Pegasus with horror, but Sol Seraph only looked back down with calm, cold vindication. "Truly, art thou so lost thou would meddle in the affairs of unicorns so maddened with power they wish to bring only death and destruction to their own home?"
"I am a predator, Luna... I am the ultimate predator." Sol Seraph said quietly, leaning over the railing and looking down at her with eyes that burned with a zealot's fervor. "I have mastered myself, overcome all the limitations of being born prey... I have fused my husband's horn into my own body, and once again, through sheer force of will, learned to bend and break what little of his spirit remained in the material to harness the powers he once possessed. I have hardened my bones and body through constant training and battle and bloodshed and magic... I have been hurt and cut and bled so often that now, pain brings me pleasure and excitement. And now, you shall entertain one last game, Nightmare Moon.
"I am going to come down to you. We are going to duel... we will battle to the death, like the predators we are. I do not care about Ekleíp and their aims... you are my trophy, you are my prize, and as they sought to invest in me to capture you... I have instead used them to further enhance my reputation and the sway of my power." Sol Seraph tilted her head back arrogantly, her eyes almost glowing as she leaned over the railing and looked imperiously, eagerly down at Luna. "You are a winged unicorn, among the last of your kind. If you are truly Nightmare Moon, fated to bring Ragnarok... you are the greatest predator in Equestria, you are a predator of an entire country, an entire world. To fight you, to kill you, to prove myself superior... will be my crowning achievement. Your horn will be my greatest prize... is the trophy I have always sought.
"And if you kill me, you will be bound and dragged with Scrivener Blooms for Ekleíp to do with as they please. I will honor you that way, Nightmare Moon. I will give those fools their prize, knowing that if you kill me, you will surely slaughter them, you will surely destroy this entire world." Sol Seraph grinned coldly, licking her lips slowly as she leaned forwards, almost trembling in excitement now. "How do you like the sound of that?"
"Thou art mad." Luna whispered, and Sol Seraph threw her head back and laughed in the chilling silence that followed before she turned... and in the awful quiet, there was a sound, indescribable, filling the air... and then a soft, disbelieving gasp.
The others stared up, and even though Luna could not see from the angle of the walkway, she somehow knew. She knew, as clearly as if she was watching... as Fluttershy trembled hard, staring into her mother's eyes and half-supported by a glowing, translucent unicorn, the deep wound in her back bleeding slowly, still clutching the hilt of the long-bladed dagger that was buried in Sol Seraph's chest. The predator looked down at this, disbelieving, stupefied, before her eyes roved slowly back and forth, seeing her husband and daughter... and then she slowly snarled in disgust, spitting to the side and rasping: "How... disappointing."
Fluttershy staggered backwards as Sol Seraph tried to step forwards... but instead, she drunkenly stumbled to the side before flopping back against the railing of the balcony, staring silently upwards, the light fading from her eyes and her last expression one of contempt and disgust as she stared up at the ceiling... and silently, the Pale unicorn smiled faintly to Fluttershy as she collapsed onto her knees, before he tenderly kissed the side of her face... and then he strode slowly forwards and leaned down, kissing Sol Seraph's forehead.
He lingered, glowing brighter, security ponies and the minotaur bodyguards staring up in shock at the sight of the ghost before it simply vanished... and Luna smiled faintly, lowering her head even as Fluttershy's quiet sobs began to rise into the air from the balcony above. For a few moments, it was the only sound in the silence, her soft crying filling the air before Luna gritted her teeth and flexed her body, then snapped the chains between her forelegs with a grunt.
A security pony halfheartedly raised his crossbow, but the others were only staring back and forth in horror, lost and confused, before one of them asked weakly, even as Luna began to yank her other bonds free: "What... what do we do?"
And, as if in answer, one of the armored minotaurs stepped forwards and seized his battle axe in both hands, raising it high as Luna looked up sharply... and then it swung the weapon savagely through the air in a wide arc, slamming it into the window wall of the cell Scrivener Blooms was trapped inside, shattering it completely before it took a second hard swing that severed the restraints on one side of the earth pony, letting him gasp and relax slightly as the other minotaur tossed his own weapons down and said calmly: "Is over. Volk is dead."
"But, no, wait, we have orders-" one of the security officers began, sounding almost angry as he looked up at the minotaur who had just thrown away his weapons... and then he squeaked when the minotaur's hand lashed out and seized him by the throat, slamming him savagely back against the metal wall and pinning him several feet in the air.
"Is over!" the minotaur shouted in his face, and then he flicked his wrist disdainfully and tossed the Pegasus to the ground, the security officer bouncing against the concrete before he rolled over and scrambled away, looking terrified... and the rest of the security soldiers followed suit as Luna smiled up at the bull, who surveyed the ponies for a moment as the others began to pick themselves slowly up. Then he bowed low to them, saying quietly: "Minotaurs owe great debt to Yaga Baba. She has helped bring about death of volk. She has restored honor of minotaurs."
"Nay, 'twas not I alone." Luna said quietly, gazing towards Scrivener Blooms as the other minotaur carefully helped the male out of his bonds, the pony wheezing in pain before Luna looked quietly up at the top of the walkway... and then she returned her eyes to the minotaur, saying softly: "Please aid my friends and free the captive filly."
The minotaur nodded, and Luna flapped her wings as she leapt into the air, propelling herself easily up to land on the balcony beside Sol Seraph's fallen body. She grimaced a bit at this, then turned her eyes to the still-living Pegasus, her horn glowing and a blue aura surrounding the weights and other objects strapped to Fluttershy, chains snapping and locks clicking open as she said softly: "Come child. All will be fine."
"I... I killed her..." Fluttershy whispered, trembling violently, looking up in horror and despair. "Luna... oh... oh, what have I done..."
"Shush now, 'twas a kindness... 'twas a kindness, just as thou art in every manner of the word." Luna soothed quietly, stepping forwards and silently hugging the battered, bloody Pegasus, and Fluttershy whimpered as she pressed close instinctively, shivering violently before Luna stroked slowly through her tattered mane. "That thing was not thy mother. Perhaps, once, it tried to be... but thou did not just us, but the sad creature a great favor in releasing it from life. Some souls... they are born broken, blasted with evil, tortured from the beginning. Nay, she does not deserve pity... she has done much to earn hatred. But 'twas not hatred that guided thy hoof. 'Twas not necessity. 'Twas mercy, my little Fluttershy, 'twas mercy."
Fluttershy nodded silently against her, still trembling, tears still leaking down her face... and Luna continued to hold her quietly close against her body, her horn taking on a faint sapphire luminescence as the Pegasus shivered against her, her wounds glowing and slowly sewing closed as they healed before the winged unicorn said gently: "Come, my friend. Thou shall feel better if we leave this awful place."
The Pegasus nodded silently, but hesitated for a few moments all the same as they both turned, looking at Sol Seraph's corpse... and then Fluttershy lowered her head forwards and whispered: "Goodbye, Mother. I tried my hardest to love you... I'm sorry... it didn't work out."
She stopped, then stepped forwards and silently leaned down, kissing her mother's forehead slowly, softly, as tears dripped down her cheeks and spilled onto Sol Seraph's face, wetting them and leaving faint trails that gleamed like light over the cruel darkness of the predator's dead features. Then Fluttershy leaned back, looking at her for a moment longer before she nodded slowly, then winced as she tried to spread her wings, and they only fluttered weakly... but Luna carefully took the air and reached down to hug her gently up against her body, carrying her like a child over the railing and settling her quietly down to the ground below.
The others looked at her... and then Twilight, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash traded tight, silent hugs with Fluttershy, before Scarlet Sage barreled across the platform and buried her face against Fluttershy's stomach, the filly hugging fiercely into her as she whispered: "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry..."
"Shush now... it's all okay. It's all going to be okay..." Fluttershy murmured, hugging Scarlet Sage tightly back against her body and closing her eyes... and then she shivered a little, glancing over her shoulder and whispering: "But I... I really would like to leave."
"Let's not linger, then." Scrivener Blooms said quietly, smiling a little over at Luna... and she nodded firmly, gazing back at him, their eyes locking and a thousand thoughts flying back and forth before they traded a short, silent kiss for a moment, then fell quietly into step.
The others came behind them: Twilight Sparkle and Fluttershy, with Scarlet Sage safely between them, and Rainbow Dash and Applejack bringing up the rear as the minotaurs walked slowly on the flanks of the group, one of them still carrying his massive battle axe. And, as they strode out through the double doors and the wide entranceway, other minotaurs saluted them... while others still spilled chemicals and fuel around the interior of the barn, as a few pony security guards only sat and stared dumbly.
They were silent as they strode through the tunnel of cloth and wood, no security guards watching from behind the tunnel now... and as they emerged into daylight, the found the unicorn assistant being booted back and forth by a group of angry minotaurs, his clipboard broken and body already bruised and covered in dirt and muck before Luna held up a hoof, calling to the minotaurs calmly: "I need a moment with this wretch."
The unicorn toppled forwards with a wheeze from one last boot from a minotaur's hoof, and then he groaned in pain as he looked up weakly, picking himself slowly off the ground as he whimpered and shook his head. "P-Please... I... I just coordinated things for Sol Seraph, honest, I... I had no choice, I had nothing to do with her, just... please let me go..."
"Perhaps I shall, perhaps I shan't." Luna said quietly, leaning forwards as her eyes narrowed slightly, and the unicorn whimpered a bit as he shrank down with a shiver against the ground. "It depends wholly upon thine own actions, wretch. Now, tell me what thou knows."
"I... I was assigned by HMH to keep an eye on Sol Seraph and... and keep them informed of what was going on, but she discovered and countermanded the watch order, then started assigning me to... correspondence, and running errands and... I really don't know anything!" He covered his head, shivering violently. "I took notes for her, they're... all the records are in my tent, okay? If you want them I... I'll gladly get them! I... oh god, but what's going to happen here? There's... security... what do we do? You killed her. Y-You killed her."
Fluttershy looked away silently, and Luna stepped forwards, saying quietly: "The monster killed itself, coward. And it sounds as if thou were Sol Seraph's assistant... and lackey or not, this makes her the closest to a second in command as she would deign to have, does it not? It means that thou art in charge now, and if I were thou, I would hasten to order a full retreat to Hoofston, or wherever these soldiers hail from."
"I... I... but... why would they listen to me?" the unicorn looked up stupidly, and then he winced a little as Luna only smiled grimly. "I'll try, okay, I'll... I'll take your advice but they're not gonna want to leave-"
"Then my large, burly friends will ensure their cooperation." Luna said calmly, glancing up at one of the armored minotaurs... and the bull grunted and slammed his fist into his palm, making the unicorn swallow thickly before the female returned her eyes to his, locking gazes coldly. "But the condition is this: thou all shalt leave... but the minotaurs are free to walk their own paths. And believe me... thou does not want to make war with me, no matter what baubles and trinkets and weapons thou has, no matter how many thy number are. It will not end pleasantly."
And then Luna paused and looked up, watching as flames greedily began to spread over the fortified compound, greedily spreading over wood as minotaurs walked calmly away from the inferno and security forces scampered with yells from the burning barn, and the unicorn on the ground whimpered again before nodding rapidly as he picked himself up, saying weakly: "Whatever you want, okay? Whatever... whatever you want, I'll... I'll try and make it happen just... I don't wanna die."
"Mistake me not for a murderer, and do not insult me by thinking I will renege on our deal. Fetch the papers, bring them to the library, then scamper on thy way and drag thy forces with thee, Ponyville does not need the protection of cowards and criminals." Luna retorted sharply, and then she turned and gestured to the others, saying quietly: "Our business is done here."
They left in silence, striding with a group of minotaurs that walked like an honor guard around them, no pony knowing what to say... and then, finally, Luna looked up and asked an armored minotaur, as they reached the gates of Ponyville: "Tell me, friends. What will thou do now? Return to thy homeland?"
"We cannot return. We are exiles now, for serving beneath claws of volk." the minotaur paused meditatively, then he glanced back and forth, saying in a thoughtful voice: "But Ponyville... is nice place, yes? There is good food, and four-hooves are not unpleasant. If you have needs, we fill. We help four-hooves and Yaga Baba in return for freeing us from claws of volk."
The winged unicorn looked thoughtful at this, and then Twilight glanced up and asked hesitantly: "Now that... the volk... is gone, can you tell us why you were working for her? From what I've seen of your people... you've been very kind to us."
"We are not kind, we are honorable." the minotaur replied brusquely, and this earned a small smile from Luna as the bull hesitated, glancing at the other armored minotaur... but when it only shrugged, he nodded firmly and then looked down at the ponies, saying quietly: "Years ago, four-hoof volk came to homeland. The volk was on a hunt, for a monster that had killed many of our clan, which we called Alklha-illych. Was wicked, evil dragon... and at first, we laugh at four-hoof. But four-hoof trick us... the volk had found the roost of the Alklha-illych. The volk had already poisoned the dragon with tainted meat and sent it into deep sleep. And after the volk convinced us to wager our clan's honor against her, she slaughtered the monster while it slept. She was savior, and she was destroyer.
"She ordered us to carry corpse of Alklha-illych for her, made entire tribe follow her into four-hoof country. We have no other choice but to obey, we knew we must honor our deal. Volk enslaved us, knew our ways, crushed our spirits many years ago now, knowing only when volk was dead would our punishment end." He stopped, then said quietly: "But our punishment, it never ends. We are defeated tribe, we were bested by murdering volk. We can never set hoof in homeland again, or face our brother clans. But now, maybe we do good. Maybe now, we have chance to redeem honor of our people."
Luna nodded slowly as they trudged onwards towards the library, and the minotaur smiled a bit as it straightened, reaching up and pulling the heavy helm off its chestnut-furred features, saying quietly: "Yes. Rough times ahead, four hooves, but do not despair. There is always good to be found."
"Thou art wiser than thou looks, great burly beast." Luna said softly, and she smiled a little in return despite herself, nodding slowly in agreement as her eyes roved slowly up to the blue sky, finally beginning to feel a great weight lifting from her shoulders.
Luna and Scrivener Blooms ensured everyone was alright, talked a little with Rarity and Pinkie Pie when they showed up... but then made their way quietly back to the Everfree Forest, walking in silence down the path, yet speaking with their bodies, with their minds. They had promised to help explain everything, to go over all the details they needed to... but first, they needed to rest. They needed to recover, before they discussed what had happened and what to do... and so did everyone else, from battered, almost-broken Fluttershy to still-shellshocked Twilight Sparkle.
They reached the cottage, pushing inside, striding quietly down to the den... and then Luna flicked her horn towards the fireplace, blue flames bursting into being before she looked at Scrivener Blooms, and he gazed silently back, their eyes locking before they stepped towards each other and kissed firmly for a moment, then tightly embraced, pushing their bodies together as Luna's mane sizzled and she clung to him, tears leaking down her cheeks as she whispered: "Horses of Heaven damn you, Scrivener Blooms..."
"And damn you to Helheim too, Luna, because you shouldn't've done that... I screwed up, not you." Scrivy muttered, and then he winced when Luna pummeled savagely on his back with her hooves, making him flinch even as she felt the same pain radiate through her own body. "Luna..."
"Nay, nay, enough!" Luna muttered, and she shoved her face against the side of his neck, trembling a bit as they continued to cling tightly together, and then she let out a long, shuddering sigh as she murmured tiredly: "I would be angrier with thee, and angrier yet with myself, if I was not so exhausted. And did not crave thy comfort so direly after such an awful day."
"Made all the worse because of what happened with poor Fluttershy..." Scrivener Blooms shook his head slowly, pressing back against her and silently playing his hooves through the female's mane, feeling it sizzling quietly against him as it curled silently towards him, tickling against his body. "And... was it just me or..."
"Yes, Scrivener Blooms. The Pale was there... doubtlessly, Fluttershy's father." Luna stopped, then she laughed a little, shaking her head slowly and murmuring: "I think... Fluttershy knew he was there. Recognized his presence, perhaps... and that it guided her in what to do. Yet all the same, I believe what I told Fluttershy, too... 'twas not hatred. 'Twas mercy that guided her... that guided them both, and did not just destroy the creature... but saved us all."
She stopped, then silently pushed Scrivener down onto his back before curling herself down overtop him, closing her eyes as she kissed his throat and laid her body over his... and he quietly laced his hooves behind the back of her neck, their eyes locking, seeing his own tumultuous emotions reflected in her cyan irises as she murmured: "Daydreamer... never let me become a monster like that creature was. Not even Nightmare Moon at her worst was like that... that creature... there is nothing that can describe her. She was... vile."
Luna fell silently, resting down against him and shaking her head with a slow sigh, and Scrivy nodded slowly before he gazed up at her, asking quietly: "And Scarlet Sage... you called her a Blood Seer?"
"Aye, I recognized her emblem immediately. 'Tis a very rare gift, treasured and kept secret, and sad as it makes me, we shall have to bring her to Celestia so she may determine the foal's future." Luna shook her head slowly, murmuring: "For now, her talents... I doubt are great. She can likely prophesize the likely course of a pony's future from contact with their blood... but as she grows older and stronger, as she develops this terrible gift... she will become a prophetess and powerful sorceress, capable of many different feats, both great and terrible. Either she is blessed by the Aesir or cursed by the forces of Helheim... only time will tell."
She stopped for a moment, then murmured: "And to think... that Ekleíp are involved, the cult of Nightmare Moon... the fools who live in the broken-open Black Baroque." She grimaced a little, shaking her head slowly. "I fear Ignominious may have once more escaped from Helheim to work with these foolish cultists, who likely fail to understand what they are trying to bring about, seeking only power."
Scrivener Blooms nodded slowly, leaning up and pressing their foreheads together as he said quietly: "The Black Baroque, the fortress that stands as a gateway between this world... and the dark levels beneath it. The tunnels that stretch all the way down to Hell... the cult that believes Nightmare Moon's return, the great eclipse and Celestia's defeat... it all signals the descent to Ragnarok, when the Black Wolves will purge the world in darkness and flame, guided by Nightmare Moon."
"Aye, but is rotten lies. Nightmare Moon was guided by jealousy... not by lust for destruction." All the same, however, Luna grimaced and pressed closer, and the two gazed into one-another's eyes as she murmured softly: "Besides. I have thee now, do I not? We are like one being... and thou art what completes me. Thou art what settles Nightmare Moon into calm... and even now, for all her earlier desires of vengeance, she instead feels... relief. 'Tis strange to say..." Luna smiled a little. "Darkness, relieved to have its little foal Scrivener Blooms back in its safe embrace."
"Oh, shush." Scrivy laughed a little all the same, however, and then Luna curled herself down against him, horn brushing silently beneath his jaw as she rested her head on his neck, the two hugging one another tightly, impulsively. "I... I am glad you both are there to watch out for me though, Luna. I wasn't exactly any match for Sol Seraph, after all."
"And even I fled from that beast. I commend thee for trying thy best to fight the monster off... 'twas noble, brave, and utterly stupid. The three reasons why I care so deeply for thee." Luna smiled a little, straightening over him and gazing down at him thoughtfully for a few moments, and then she said quietly: "I have a gift for thee."
With that, she pushed herself off him, heading down the hall towards their bedroom, and the male sat up slightly and looked curiously after her before he glanced to the side as Sammy chirped at him apprehensively, the small, skeletal dragon running forwards and inspecting him... then nipping quietly at his face, making the pony wince back a bit before he reached out and petted him softly. "I know, old friend, I know. The world doesn't always revolve around you, though, and... well, Luna and I just had a hell of a day. Don't worry, we'll never forget about our little replacement foal-dragon, though."
Sammy huffed a bit at this, but then pushed his skull firmer up against Scrivener's hoof as the earth pony smiled a little at their pet... before he glanced up curiously as Luna returned with a warm smile on her face, saying quietly: "I was saving these for a surprise, Scrivener Blooms... but 'tis difficult to keep even so small a thing hidden from thee, and moreover... thou deserves a small, albeit strange reward."
Scrivy tilted his head at this before his eyes roved to the small, neatly-tied gift box floating beside Luna's head, and then it hovered towards him as he smiled slightly, sitting up and reaching out to take it. He undid the bow, not rushing even as Luna looked at him impatiently... and then he winced when she tore it out of his hooves as he tried to wiggle the box slowly out of the wrapping paper, saying grouchily: "Oh, here!"
The wrapping paper all but disintegrated as Luna shredded it violently with a flick of her horn, then she thrusted the box back towards him and the male cleared his throat, taking it awkwardly and looking at her pointedly. Luna only looked challengingly back, however, and then the male snorted in amusement and rolled his eyes before he flicked the box open... and blinked before laughing in surprise as he picked out a small pair of black glasses with rectangular, narrow frames. "Hey, they look just like my old pair!"
"They are, as a matter of fact, only a little enlarged for thy fatter head and with the lenses replaced with simple glass." The winged unicorn smiled slightly after a moment, bowing her head towards him as Scrivy slipped them onto his muzzle with a smile, almost crossing his eyes to peer at instead of through the glasses, and Luna laughed a little before she stepped forwards and kissed his forehead firmly, saying quietly: "Forget not why I love thee, Scrivener Blooms. Forget not why I married thee. 'Twas not because thou were a warrior... it was because of thy insufferable, stubborn, painful personality and thy ridiculous habit of following me through the worst of dangers, all whilst complaining loudly that thou art nothing more than a writer... when to me, thou art... truly a hero."
She blushed a little, shuffling her hoof against the ground, and then she cleared her throat and turned quickly, almost knocking Scrivener over as she half-skipped towards the kitchen with a cheerful: "I shall put on coffee, Scrivener Blooms!"
Scrivy couldn't help but laugh a little at her behavior, then he smiled as he climbed to his hooves and strode silently into the kitchen, walking up behind her as she sat humming in front of the coffeemaker before he hugged her firmly from behind, and she smiled softly, bowing her head forwards as her horn glowed, the scoop, can of coffee, and carafe floating silently around their heads as he kissed her cheek and said softly into her ear: "Thank you, Luna. I won't forget. I promise."
The night passed in peace, and much-needed comfort: Scrivener smiled, adjusting his glasses every so often, reflecting on when he'd stopped wearing them and looking almost bashful when Luna remarked how handsome he was in them. They had been together, giving to one another what they both needed, tending to each other in romance and love and affection and eventually, lust... until finally, come morning, Luna arose with renewed resolve, nodding firmly as she reached up and silently touched the black pearl hanging around her neck... before she smiled slightly at the male and said quietly: "Come Scrivener Blooms. To lower the moon... to watch the sun rise. To share a story."
Scrivy smiled a little at this, knowing what was on her mind with only a glance at her soft irises... and quietly, they made their way outside, then around the familiar path to the top of the cliff. They sat for a moment, lingering as they gazed at the morning sky, so dark, the moon resting near the horizon amidst a veil of dark clouds that seemed almost to cradle it and clutch it, as if trying to keep the great ivory sphere in the sky.
Luna bowed her head forwards, and Scrivener automatically mimicked the motion, both of them breathing slowly as the glow around Luna's horn built higher, higher... and in the distance, the moon trembled, then slowly sank down, the clouds dissolving slowly around it and fading quickly from sight.
For a few moments, there was darkness, only the stars of the night sky lighting the shadows... and then slowly, the sun began to rise to their backs, the sky gradually brightening like a great multicolored veil being drawn back bit-by-bit, and Luna smiled softly as she and Scrivener closed their eyes, enjoying the warmth of the radiant light spilling over their forms, making Luna's starry mane twinkle all the brighter for a few moments before she murmured quietly: "To this day I remain amazed at what thou did, Scrivener Blooms, and if anything speaks worlds of thy character, 'twas that silly, silly thing thou did... after we decided to be married, and thou wished to give me a proper... what was thy term for it?"
"Hell if I know, I remember making some fancy term up so you wouldn't beat the horseapples out of me. Not that it worked, but you treasured that thing ever since..." Scrivener smiled slightly and nudged her gently with his shoulder, and she laughed quietly and nodded, gazing affectionately down at the carved black pearl. "And as it is, I've never been so glad I did such a stupid thing in my entire life as getting you that out of the Dark Barrens."
"Yes, thou silly, silly creature." She nudged him firmly back, shaking her head with a warm look towards him. "Amazing how thou can't remember ninety percent of what I tell thee... and yet I mention once, and only in passing at that, that the seahorse drakes that live in the swampy depths of the Everfree Forest's grottos make their caverns around the Barrens... and too late I realize thou hast gone off on adventure! And worse, adventure without me!"
"Would have killed the surprise, though, if I had you come along for it." Scrivener pointed out, and Luna laughed and nodded, gazing at him affectionately as he reached up and automatically adjusted his glasses with a slight smile. "All things considered, though, it's a good thing you found me when you did... I mean, okay. Maybe I got a little overconfident at the end... but I'd snuck into their caverns, looted a bag of black pearls for a necklace from their treasure stash, and had just about reached the entrance before they caught me."
"Aye, and 'twas a very amusing sight for me, perched up upon the cliffs, watching with a fool's gape as thou scrambled ahead of the half-fish, half-serpents, flinging pearls and rocks at them and yelling like an idiot all the while until thou were down to thy last pearl... and thou tripped, as I remember..." She grinned and leaned forwards, their noses touching as Scrivener rolled his eyes before she looked at him insistently.
"And I fell, yes. Worse, the damn black pearl was still in my hoof and I smashed it into a rock on the way down, fracturing the whole front of it... but then who should drop in but my savior, the mighty hero Luna Lightblade, protector of idiot poets everywhere!" Scrivener made a grand sweeping gesture, smiling amusedly at her, and Luna threw her head back and laughed. "As I recall, there was lightning shooting everywhere and you sent them fleeing back to their cavern, all while yelling at me for being an idiot."
She nodded firmly a few times, then picked up the story with a wink to him, saying softly: "But when I turned around to perhaps finally crack open thy stupid skull to see if a brain exists inside, I see thee holding up that damnable black pearl to me, and when I gaze down upon it, I see the fractures are shaped almost just like the petals of the black rose that adorns thy flank. It looks perfectly engraved, as if the gods themselves willed this... and when I looked at that stupid, stupid grin upon thy face as thou gazes up at me... 'twas when I knew that no matter what, we were meant to be together. That we... were soulmates."
Luna looked at him tenderly, and Scrivener gazed back before they quietly kissed for a moment... and then she smiled a little, looking down at the pearl and murmuring: "And yet thou was unsatisfied all the same. Thou took it, refined it, worked tirelessly until thou had finally woven this band of ivy thyself, and engraved the perfect image more luck than anything else, as we both know... and that was thy wedding gift to me."
"And yours was to share your vitality, your life essence with me... linking us eternally." Scrivener said softly, and Luna nodded, meeting his eyes as they studied each other tenderly. "And later... you mixed our very souls. Gave me your soul... took mine for yourself."
"Merging the intangible... all very simple, truly." Luna said imperiously, looking up towards the blue sky with a smile... and Scrivener laughed before she shoved him lightly, making him scramble a little at the edge of the cliff with a wince. "Of course, it's all gone and done nothing about thy sordid fear of heights. As if such a fall would kill thee now!"
"I really don't want to test that theory, Luna. Not because I'm scared of dying, but because I'm scared of surviving and ending up with my everything broken." Scrivener replied delicately, and Luna simply laughed again before she softened when he looked at her and asked quietly: "So should we head to Ponyville?"
Luna hesitated, then nodded slowly, saying quietly: "Yes, we had best. I am surprised, to be honest, we received no word from Celestia last night... but perhaps instead she was offering counsel to Twilight Sparkle. In any event, they will wish to hear our stories... will thou be prepared to discuss what happened?"
"Well, by now, I'm used to telling stories of females beating me up." Scrivener said blandly, then he started down the path as Luna rolled her eyes, before she smiled a little as the male added quietly: "No, it's not that. The only things that bother me about Sol Seraph's death is that she died before we could figure out everything she knew... and that poor Fluttershy was the one who killed her. Even if it was... fitting, in a sense... I can't imagine it's something that Fluttershy will get over very quickly."
Luna nodded, following behind him and saying softly: "Perhaps, though, she will at least be able to find comfort in the fact that 'twas her hoof that freed the minotaurs... and aided her father's own spirit to find peace, whatever the Pale did to assist Fluttershy... whether it was guiding her hoof or only helping her stand."
Scrivener nodded musingly in return, and Luna fell into step beside him curiously... before she smiled and leaned forwards, inviting quietly: "Go ahead."
The male smiled awkwardly at her, hesitating all the same... and then he looked ahead as they rounded the path and began to stride through the yard, saying softly: "'Twas mercy that slew the predator, as beauty maims the savage beast... 'twas kindness that smote it to the soul, that brought the hunter down unto its knees."
Luna smiled wider, and Scrivener grumbled a bit under his breath, looking embarrassedly away before he winced when she nudged him playfully. "Thou should write more poetry, my beloved scribe. 'Tis thy special gift... and more importantly it is what makes thee happy, and boosts thy confidence almost as much as my kisses."
"Lame poetry books can wait, I've still got like. Fifty or so pages to update and transcribe for your latest Sleipnir story first." Scrivener said mildly, and then he winced when Luna headbutted him firmly even as they strode over the bridge together, grumbling as they started down the forest path. "Oh stop it. You know I enjoy writing those out, too... it's just... harder. Because I have to make sure I do your brother justice, I have to actually try... with my poetry, no one but you reads it anyway, so who cares?"
"Oh, silence, Scrivener Blooms, thou great insufferable twit. Only I read it because thou refuses to have any of it published, and 'tis well-worthy of that!" Luna argued, and Scrivy huffed at her, the two continuing to bicker on and off through the forest... and yet at the same time, it was lighthearted, strangely-supportive, romantic in an eccentric way that kept them from plunging into darker thoughts until they emerged onto the dirt road leading into Ponyville.
They both looked up at the open gates, guarded by two minotaurs and a volunteer soldier who waved at them excitedly, and Luna and Scrivy both nodded with smiles to the guards, the minotaurs looking much more amiable now even as they saluted sharply.
To the surprise of both, they found Fluttershy in the square in front of the library, smiling faintly to herself and with her wings carefully bandaged. She stood and quietly watched as Scarlet Sage ran around with several other young foals. She glanced up as they approached, then nodded slowly to them as Luna and Scrivener sat beside her, watching as the Pegasus filly danced out of range of a young unicorn that tripped over its own hooves trying to catch her.
"Kids are strong." Fluttershy said softly, and she smiled a little, glancing quietly towards Luna and Scrivener Blooms as they gazed back at her softly. "I understand that now, more than ever... but that's no reason we shouldn't take care of them. Just like I understand, more than ever... why I feel so compelled to take care of children, not just animals. Why... despite everything that happened... I think I'm okay."
She stopped for a moment, then gazed towards Scarlet Sage as she finally fell over, exhausted and yet laughing as another foal pounced on her, and then another added to the pile, all smiling brightly, one young earth pony - a filly with a red mane and gorgeous warm eyes, her sun-yellow coat bright over her body - glancing up as bright pink bow bounced on her head, and she waved excitedly at the two... and Luna smiled warmly as Scrivener rose a hoof to Apple Bloom, Applejack's younger sister. Fluttershy smiled at this, then she continued quietly, her sea-green eyes roving hesitantly to gaze over Luna's features. "My mother... never loved me. She just wanted... impossible things out of me. She just wanted to make me into something like her... something in the image of the family that had bred her. But... my father loved me. And I'm just like him... and now I think I know who tucked me in the nights when I felt so alone, and who gave me Mr. Bearingtons, and why no matter how bad things got... I knew things would be okay. I think he was watching out for me... and trying to watch out for Mother, too. Trying to show her the error of her ways, until... until the very end. But she just wouldn't see... but I saw him. And I think you did too, didn't you?"
"Aye, Fluttershy. I did. I saw the Pale... the ghost." Luna said softly, Scrivener nodding quietly as well... and then she smiled a little before reaching a hoof up and stroking back the Pegasus's mane, saying quietly: "And thou has others who will care for thee, and take care of thee, friends and family both. Will thou come in with us, to discuss yesterday's events? And Scarlet Sage too... we shall need to speak to her as well."
Fluttershy paused, looking down silently for a moment... and then she gazed up at the filly, and she smiled a little as she and Apple Bloom hopped side by side together, joined by the other foals, laughing, their cutie marks almost glowing: scarlet mirror edged in black, bright white apple blossoms. "Can we give them... and me... just a few more minutes, Luna? I like... I like this." She stopped, then laughed quietly, looking over the foals affectionately. "They... watching them like this, it washes away... all the pain and heartache."
"I know what thou means... yes, this... this is good." Luna murmured softly, nodding after a moment as she rested quietly back, watching the young filly tenderly as she leaned against Scrivener Blooms, and the male smiled a little at her as her eyes roved towards him. "Daydreamer... one day, we shall have a foal, I swear by means fair or foul... and I swear, too, that I shall take greater care of it than I do even of thee, my beloved."
Scrivy laughed quietly at this, beginning to open his mouth with a warm retort, and then Fluttershy smiled softly across at them, saying gently: "You two are already fine parents to Scarlet Sage, Luna... as much as I treat her like my daughter, even though she spends most of her time with me... I'm still more of her aunt. But to her... you've always been like mother and father. You love her like she's your own foal... you treat her wonderfully."
Fluttershy stopped, then looked ahead, and Luna gazed over at her, swallowing and lost for words... and then the Pegasus simply smiled softly before she called quietly: "Scarlet Sage! Come now, we need to head inside."
The filly looked up even as the others foals whined, but then she nodded and smiled to her friends before heading quietly towards them, becoming more serious as she gazed up at them quietly, and the three looked back down... and then Luna leaned forwards and hugged her firmly, leaning down and kissing her forehead softly, and there was no need for words as they looked at one another for a few moments before Fluttershy pushed open the door to the library, and they headed quietly inside, together. |
Starlit Knights | Interlude I: From The Pen Of Scrivener Blooms | Interlude I: From The Pen Of Scrivener Blooms
~BlackRoseRaven
Mercykiller
Scrivener Blooms
The fabled Jabberwock may den in the marsh-invaded forest,
In brillig wastes it lies in wait, burbling its warning to the skies.
In mimsy borogroves, the Bandersnatch lurks, with Jubjub bird on high,
Opportunists of the tulgey wood, predators in the wild.
But what wild beast can compare to the fearsome mechanical volk?
With vorpal claws that rend and rip, and diamond-toothed hungry jaws.
The volk tick-tocks like a pocket-watch, its eyes glow without soul,
And in its head I fear and dread what calculations ever grow.
Snicker-snack! Off with the prey's heads!
The volk howls, gleeful in its violence.
This automaton dreams of electric sheep,
So it may hunt them, hurt them, grind them.
How can you kill what may never have lived?
The mechanical volk has no heart, no soul.
It thrives on the fight, the battle, the hunt,
How could battle bring such a foe low?
The volk believes itself to have no flaw, perfect in its design,
Implemented who knows how long ago, to prey upon the helpless wilds,
But the bloody crimson queen who birthed this beast forgot one thing,
Without a heart, without a soul, the volk could not see the ivory king.
The volk was only clockwork, a puppet pulled on hungry strings,
It hunted because that was what it was taught, washed in evil from the start.
A machine made to believe that killing would fill up the void of its heart,
No matter how the ivory king tried to fence the volk out of the dark.
And finally, machinery-gone-mad turned upon its own,
Rabid with blood, gears clogged with meat,
A metal body that could not suffer disease, but a mind without a heart,
The perfect lack of balance for insanity to start.
The ivory king knew he had no choice,
There was only one way to save the volk.
Invisible to the predator, he paced his way around,
And found the volk's last victim, laying on the ground.
He helped her up, up to her hooves,
He gave her his gentle blessing,
And when the volk spun 'round again,
She faced it without any misgivings.
Without needing to be told, without needing to be asked,
She gave the volk the one thing that it could not abide.
She gave it the mercy it did not deserve, as tears fell down her cheeks,
She gave it love, this machine made of metal plates and homicide.
The clockwork mind, greased by blood and slime, stuttered as it seized,
It opened its jaws to bark and howl but could not manage even a squeak.
Mercy, love and kindness were alien concepts to this sadistic beast,
The honest sorrow in the prey's eyes damaged it more than could be believed.
For it was mercy that slew the predator,
As beauty maims the savage beast.
It was kindness that smote it to its hollow soul,
And brought the hunter unto its knees.
No predator was ever feared more than the blood-rusted volk,
But all the same, ivory king and young prey blessed it as it froze,
Hoping that it would find some way to light, a beating heart, a feeling soul,
And never would it prey upon the helpless anymore.
The fabled Jabberwock may den in the marsh-invaded forest,
In brillig wastes it lies in wait, burbling its warning to the skies.
In mimsy borogroves, the Bandersnatch lurks, with Jubjub bird on high,
Opportunists of the tulgey wood, seekers in the wild they stay. |
Starlit Knights | Domestic Disturbance | Chapter Nine: Domestic Disturbance
~BlackRoseRaven
As dusk began to fall, Twilight Sparkle sat quietly with Scrivener Blooms and Luna in the library, comfortable in the silence even as their eyes lingered over one-another affectionately. The day had been long, but now they had a moment of respite after a long discussion with the others... which Scarlet Sage had sat through most of herself, the filly quiet but Luna giving her the choice to leave or stay despite the subjects at hand after a long, solemn explanation of what exactly Scarlet Sage's special talent was, and what her emblem represented.
And now, everyone had headed out to their work around Ponyville: Applejack and Big Mac were finishing work and repairs around the farm, Rainbow Dash was out on patrol of the perimeter, Rarity was back at work on the last of the equipment for the Starlit Knights and Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy and Scarlet Sage were helping collect supplies and food for the journey that still waited ahead. After all, there was still Canterlot to travel to... and North Neigh beyond.
In the drawn-out battle against Sol Seraph, they had all almost forgotten why the Starlit Knights had been formed in the first place... and Twilight Sparkle glanced up quietly, studying Scrivener Blooms as he looked back at her with a bit of a smile before the unicorn said softly: "I really admire that you're pushing through with this, despite everything, Scrivy. I know you don't talk about it much but... well, from the way Luna gets..."
"Aye, my daydreamer is a better pony than I to want to do this. I still say we should let the fools rot." Luna grumbled, but when the others gave her an amused look, she huffed a little and pawed absently at the floor with her front hooves. "Alright, alright, perchance... I understand we must put our own selfishness aside for what is to come, but all the same... I like it very little. I have become too accustomed, perhaps, to Ponyville's accepting ways over the poisons that the rest of the country seems so content to stew in."
"Oh, Luna, you and I both know it's not always that bad." Twilight said reasonably, but Luna only grumbled in response and looked at her moodily, making the unicorn roll her eyes before she continued: "You know, back in Canterlot-"
"Thou wert a unicorn that spent most of her time inside the safe walls of the magic academy, apprenticing beneath Celestia, well-versed even from a young age in the arcane arts." Luna interrupted, and Twilight Sparkle cleared her throat awkwardly as the winged unicorn leaned forwards with an amused look. "Saying that thy experiences were not all bad is like saying all the buildings in a city are the same, from the palatial manses to the tar-paper shacks."
"And I wonder which building I am in that metaphor." Scrivener said mildly, before he grunted when Luna absently smacked him with a hoof. "I swear you're a masochist sometimes, Luna, really."
"Far less of one than thee, with how often thou speaks knowing it shall only result in thee being pummeled." Luna replied dryly, glancing towards him pointedly, and the earth pony shrugged meditatively before the winged unicorn returned her eyes to Twilight Sparkle with a bit of a smile as the violet equine studied them softly. "Besides, why must pain be such an awful thing? 'Tis a reminder that thou still lives."
Scrivener smiled despite himself at this thought, then they both looked towards Twilight Sparkle as she said softly: "I really like the way things have turned out."
Scrivy cocked his head curiously as Luna looked at the female with interest, and the violet unicorn blushed a bit as she glanced awkwardly down for a moment before gazing up, saying quietly: "Despite everything... despite the way you've been treated, and what happened with Celestia, and... all the ideas of society and normalcy and good and evil and right and wrong and... what I thought... my destiny once was... I don't miss the world I've come from anymore. I think about that a lot, and I wonder if that's wrong or not... and... yet... I don't care whether it is or not now. I wouldn't want to change this back... because you're right. Pain isn't awful. Mental, physical, emotional... if we survive it, it can make us stronger, it can teach us so much more than I ever learned while I was happily standing around... everything I've ever learned has come from conflict, small or large. In peace, in joy... it was all just static and plain.
"I've learned that... too much happiness is like anesthesia. It makes you placid, it makes you numb... and you end up forgetting you should try hard at everything you do. You forget there's other ponies in the world apart from everypony inside your own little cone of being ... and after so long, when something awful does happen, you don't... you don't deal with it properly." Twilight halted, looking down quietly and nodding slowly to herself. "And then, instead, you end up blindly following the orders of whoever's in charge to fix it, and that... doesn't always turn out very well.
"I've seen now, that ponies react with anger and cruelty towards things they don't understand... that they don't want to understand. And I know that I used to be just like them, trying to 'fix' problems that weren't really problems, not trying to simply show a little understanding, a little compassion... but my experiences with my friends opened my eyes. The research I did into their... difficulties, but even more than that, just... being there for them when they were scared, refusing to turn them away, holding their hooves instead of rejecting them..." She stopped and shook her head slowly. "I only feel so fortunate that everyone was willing to work together, and that... Ponyville is so understanding."
She paused for a few moments, looking thoughtfully down at the floor, and then she gazed back up and smiled softly from Scrivener to Luna. "And don't think I'm going to forget what you two have done for me, before and after... what happened with Celestia. That, too, opened my eyes, and please don't take this the wrong way but... I'm glad it did. I hate... I hate to think what would have happened if... I hadn't seen what I did. If I hadn't known..."
Twilight paused, then laughed a little, smiling wider when Luna and Scrivener Blooms only gazed at her with warmth. "Imagine! I might have decided to try and chase you down... I might have tried to even bring the others together, Elements of Harmony or not, to fight Nightmare Moon and try and get her to once more give in to the magic of friendship. I don't think we would have ended up here... the only reason I ever started... following more of your lifestyle, Luna, is because I was childishly rebelling against everything Celestia had taught me, after all. I'm... I'm only glad that you and Scrivy... you've been so kind to me...
"Anypony else, I know, would have been tempted to... take advantage or control, would have... well, I just don't see it ending well in most other cases." Twilight smiled a little, eyes roving silently to the winged unicorn. "But for all you... make fun of her, talk about how evil she is, grumble about her blowing things up... I know you love Celestia. And you always... you helped me see that she made a mistake. An awful, terrible mistake, but one that I couldn't hold against her forever, hard as it's been for me to move on, to let go.
"But you helped. You introduced me to a lot of things, you and Scrivy both. You made me do stuff I'd never thought I'd do and you both can be real jerks but... I don't want to lose that." Twilight stopped, looking quietly at Luna and saying softly: "I just... I want you two to know, I'm always going to be there for you both. Luna, you're something to me... Celestia never was, and never could have been. I have a lot of friends now, and a circle of very good, very close friends... but I want you to know, Luna, that you're... special. But don't worry, Scrivy, I still don't like you all that much most of the time."
"Good, I'd have it no other way." Scrivener Blooms replied with a slight smile, and he and the unicorn laughed as the dark sapphire, winged unicorn blushed but gave her own radiant look to the violet pony, seeming honored beyond words before Scrivy nudged her gently. "Luna says thank you, too."
Twilight smiled awkwardly, eyes meeting the winged unicorn's for a moment before she nodded a little to her, and Luna nodded slowly back before she murmured: "Thou thinks far too grandly of me, Twilight Sparkle... for thou art a treasure to me, almost as special as Scrivener Blooms, and know that if I had the strength to share, that I did not suspect Celestia of her own designs... I would gladly spread my vitality to thee as well, even if it meant halving my own life again."
She stopped, then smiled amusedly over at Scrivy as he nudged her playfully, saying mildly: "Well, I'm glad you're still ready to make decisions that now affect both our lives, dear, as always. But... I do suppose it's much better to live one life, in the company of friends... than it is to live for eternity alone."
"And for once, the poet speaks wisdom." Luna said softly, gazing at him lovingly, and Scrivener laughed and shook his head slowly before she smiled again even as she cleared her throat and became a little more businesslike, asking kindly: "Does thou have a schedule in mind, young Twilight, for our journey to Canterlot?"
"A little. In her letters to me, Celestia still sounds very eager for us to visit... she says she needs a few more days, thanks to some meddling in the Royal Courts, but also urges us not to rush on her account. Still, I'd like to get this over and done with... and with Ponyville under additional protection from the minotaurs, I don't feel nearly as worried as before over leaving with the Starlit Knights." Twilight replied quietly, nodding slowly. "The damage that... Sol Seraph did is still here, and her... mechanical guns are still in place, but we have all her papers and information on them. They're all being disabled and shut down by Kilby Kwolek and her team of mechanics... I think she's actually one of the Starlit Knights, too."
"Good, I remember her. Cowlick." Luna smiled slightly, and Scrivener laughed a bit at the nickname Luna had fondly attached to the slightly-crazy mare engineer. "'Tis most reassuring to know that we shall have the accompaniment of such talented ponies."
Twilight smiled a little, saying quietly: "Well, I'm glad to know you approve, Luna... and I'm sure she's excited to be part of the team. Rainbow Dash is certainly glad to have her on board... they've been good friends for a while now."
The two nodded, and then Luna said thoughtfully: "Truly, though, it sounds as if Celestia has done well in picking the candidates for these Starlit Knights... and while I am glad for it, mistake me not, I also have to wonder how close an eye she must keep upon myself and Scrivener Blooms even in times like these from her scrying mirror." She paused, then peered up at the ceiling meditatively. "Celestia, thou art a sick-minded voyeur. I bet thou art watching right now, aren't thou, hoping to see some horrible scene of debauchery... well, I shan't give you that until later tonight, so focus thy gaze elsewhere."
Then she paused and looked placidly across at Twilight as she apprehensively looked upwards, Scrivy only smiled amusedly before Luna said amusedly: "Worry not, Twilight Sparkle, 'twas only a joke." She paused, then added cheerfully: "Although, knowing Celestia, she probably does use her scrying glass to peer down on ponies at most inopportune moments. Not that I would do any different, had I such artifacts, but at least I would be more honest about it, if only to see the looks upon the faces of ponies as I detail their embarrassing intimate encounters back to them..."
"Luna, behave now." Scrivener Blooms said mildly, as Twilight blushed a little and leaned awkwardly back, and Luna grumbled under her breath at the male before he leaned over and kissed her cheek gently. "Besides, you get bored too easily to manage any of that. And I thought if you really wanted to, you could watch events in the stars."
"Yes, but Celestia can actually see images, I can only divine what is going on at the time." Luna almost whined, and Scrivy rolled his eyes in amusement before the female grumbled a little. "But yes, yes, I know, husband, this is all aside the main point, and 'tis all for our benefit, I understand. Treat me not like a child, Scrivy, or I shall roundly pummel thee and then drop the moon upon thy cowardly head."
Twilight sighed a little at this, lowering her head meditatively before she looked up and asked mildly, obviously trying to move back onto a more serious subject: "And what about that stuff you told the others today, and Scarlet Sage? I always thought only unicorns could do magic. And are you sure... about bringing her to Canterlot, to Celestia? You were very quick to inform her, it sounds like... and I know that usually, your favorite thing to do is to undermine Celestia in each and every way possible."
"For the lighter things, perchance, and every now and then for something more serious... but this is truly grave, Twilight, and in answering this, I shall answer all thy questions and concerns for the poor filly." Luna replied quietly, softening visibly as she nodded slowly to the unicorn. "The magic of the Pegasus... it is not like our magic, Twilight. As I am sure thou art aware, there are many forms of what we call 'magic' in the world... our unicorn magic is but one and the most common. It is what allowed us to gain superiority in this nation: in texts old when I was but young, there were legends that we had been chosen for some great purpose... and sad to say, fools who believed that we, the winged unicorns, were the apex of the species."
Twilight frowned a little at this, tilting her head and asking quietly: "Why is that sad, Luna? You and Celestia... you're almost unique in this world, aren't you? And you two are special... very special."
She blushed a little even as she studied Luna silently, and Luna gave a small smile before she shook her head slowly and murmured: "Aye, 'twas wonderful to be loved, Twilight. But 'twas far less wonderful when the ponies looked at themselves, and began to make judgments upon their hierarchy, to use what they saw as our perfection as rationalization to further encourage the superiority already bred into unicorns, and the thought-inferiority of slave-hoofs... for in those days, they were not called earth ponies. They were named 'slave.'"
Luna fell quiet as she looked towards Scrivener Blooms, who gazed back at her with soft love. "Even back then, I knew it was wrong. For our brother was no winged unicorn... he was merely a mighty earth pony. He had the blessings of preternatural strength and powers that no other earth pony possessed, aye, but he always said, from hoof to head, he was a pony of the earth. Perhaps... that is where the term even originated. And in those days, Celestia did not ever seem to care one way or another, perhaps thought it was only 'instilling order,' but I am glad to see that... if she has done one thing right, it is that she has made the mighty unicorn and the middling Pegasus bow their necks to the low earth pony, and realize they are not better nor worse. This is what I love most about Ponyville, Twilight... all here walk as equals."
She smiled a little, glancing up as the unicorn blushed a little. "And 'tis what I love about thee, Twilight. Well, 'tis one of many things I adore about thee, that thou art so... pure, in this sense. I have never seen thou judge another pony based upon who they are. Always, thou hast treated all ponies as equals... when even Celestia and I are guilty of sometimes lording our power and position over others more than was ever merited."
"You, lord yourself over someone else? Never." Scrivener said amiably, and then he winced when Luna smacked him lightly with her horn, making him grumble a little and shove at her before he glanced towards Twilight with an amused look, adding: "But she is right, all the same... then again, you were too busy always telling me what a genius you were and how dumb I was to bother with the whole 'unicorn superiority' deal."
"I'd rather be better than you because of hard work than better than you because I'm a unicorn, anyway... which is still true, by the way, since everything you can do you steal from Luna, being soul-bound and all." Twilight smiled all the same, however, and Scrivy laughed despite himself as Luna snorted in entertainment. "Remember that poem you wrote about me?"
"Oh, it wasn't about you, Sparkles, don't be so self-centered." Scrivener retorted immediately, and Twilight grumbled at the nickname even as Luna cocked her head curiously, and Scrivy glanced towards her, explaining in an amused voice: "You know me and how I tend to deal with... well... anything that irritates me. I immediately have to undermine and frustrate it, and after getting tired of dealing with the unicorns of the Royal Court constantly bothering me to do my job better when I was already doing my damn job fine enough-"
"You wrote one poem a month, Scrivy, and otherwise you loitered around, being a jerk to everyone in Canterlot and bossing around anyone who was a lower rank than you in the Royal Court." Twilight interrupted, and Scrivener slowly turned towards her, giving her a flat look, and she gazed grumpily back. "Well, it's true."
"Do you want quality or quantity? But in any case..." Scrivener loudly continued, half-glowering at her as Luna looked at him with entertainment. "After that, I went home, wrote up a little poem, and the next day presented it to the Royal Courts. I vaguely remember a lot of yelling and objects being thrown at me afterwards. I wasn't fired, though, so I think that counts for something."
Twilight rolled her eyes as Luna looked at him thoughtfully, and Scrivy gazed back after a moment with amusement, feeling her searching through his mind, collecting scraps of memory and piecing them together, images mixing with speech and words... and then she threw her head back and laughed. "Scrivener Blooms, thou art horrible! And yet I can but envy that thou could escape my sister's wrath; all the same, perhaps we have been similar from the very start, more so than I first thought with thou insufferable whininess."
Scrivy smiled a bit, then he said softly: "But that reminds me we're getting off-topic... and we'll be dealing with the Royal Court of Canterlot among even-less-pleasant things. And this time, I don't think I can just flail around and order people to listen to me anymore because I work under Celestia."
"Yet Celestia, all the same, seems to want us to march into Canterlot, as invited guests." Luna shook her head after a moment as Twilight looked up as well, softening. "'Tis a puzzle that I fear she will not answer until she deigns to. Sister has always been... difficult in such matters."
"And North Neigh, afterwards." the violet unicorn murmured, her eyes roving to Scrivy, but he only shrugged awkwardly. "I... haven't told the Starlit Knights yet about... you know. I mean, my friends know, but I don't hide anything from them." She paused, then looked embarrassed when both Luna and Scrivener smiled amusedly at her. "Okay, I don't hide much from them, better?"
"Aye, and less from us, but still I rest assured that thou yet has a secret or two to discover." Luna replied with a slight smile, and Twilight Sparkle blushed a bit before the winged unicorn turned serious again, looking towards her husband with both tenderness and exasperation. "And thou has to learn not to think of thy past with such shame."
"Yes, well, you know me, I-" Scrivener paused, glanced over at Luna as she glared at him, and then he slowly closed his mouth and cleared his throat before saying in a quieter voice: "Fine, fine. Okay, usual defenses aside, I know. I just... don't like to talk about it, though. I don't want... pity, or even sympathy. That's... in the past now, and who I am now is not the same slave-hoof they used to beat around all the time. I'm the luckiest damn earth pony in Equestria... but you know... there's always something that lingers, deep inside, when it comes to your parents. Maybe it's fear; maybe it's even worse, and it's the remnants of love, no matter how they've treated you. Maybe it's a desire to be accepted... or the anxieties that come with the worry that... even now, even after so long, even after pushing so hard to get away... you always end up going back home."
He paused, brooding for a moment and muttering: "And I wonder. Brambles and Teacup always were awful parents who hated me and never much liked each other. They married one-another for privilege and status: for power. I hate the thought of going back home: I hate the thought more of going back to North Neigh and them to look at me as if I finally succeeded at something, because I married you, Luna... not because I care about you, because you're the most-powerful creature in Equestria, if not the world."
"Scrivy, can you go back to being a cynical jerk about everything? Because seriously, when you're smart and brooding, it really scares me." Twilight grimaced a bit, leaning back and shaking her head quickly as Luna looked silently towards her husband. The male, however, was looking moodily at the floor, still, and Twilight softened before she said quietly: "And you're nothing at all like them, Scrivener. You're a jerk, yes, and... selfish, whiny, frustrating, cynical, sarcastic..."
"Wow, Twilight, all this flattery at once is going to make me blush so deeply I'm going to fall unconscious from all the blood rushing to my face." Scrivener said drolly, and the unicorn gave him a sour look before he smiled despite himself. "But thank you, all the same. I'm glad to know I'm a selfish, whiny, frustrating, cynical, sarcastic jerk. But I'm not like my parents at all."
"Thy power of making a mockery of insults and compliments truly is something, Scrivener Blooms." Luna said dryly, and then she shook her head slowly before her eyes roved back towards Twilight with a bit of a smile. "Worry not, he understands. And if thou has faith in the knights, and Scrivener has faith enough in himself... let us canter ever onwards. 'Tis more than ample enough to reassure me between thee. But there are other subjects to attend to, and with greater speed and vivacity as well, so let us move to them with all haste."
The other two nodded, and Luna nodded firmly as she looked back and forth before she grinned slightly, and Scrivy and Twilight both immediately glared at her, both knowing the winged unicorn well enough by now to predict her next words as she said cheerfully: "And perhaps after all is said and done, we may switch business for pleasure."
Late that night, Luna dragged Twilight Sparkle out to their cabin despite her protests, the winged unicorn grumbling that Ponyville would be fine for one night without its self-appointed protector. Before Twilight could protest, Luna zapped her with an alertness spell to restore her energy, then allowed her a few quick, stumbled goodnights before dragging her out to walk with them through the Everfree Forest.
Twilight's complaints settled as they passed into the Everfree Forest, the unicorn slowly going from grumpy to admiring the scenery and enjoying the quiet calm of their surroundings as Luna and Scrivener held easy conversation, feeling more at home in the dark, living forest than they did in normal pony society. It only added to the surreal atmosphere, but made Twilight smile as she listened to their conversation and looked from one to the other softly.
The walk back was peaceful and comfortable, and they reached the cabin in good time, smiling to each other as Sammy chirped cheerfully at the sight of company and immediately ran over to Twilight, bouncing up and down on his hind legs. She laughed and reached down to pet him as Luna headed to the den, shaking her head in amusement as Scrivener made his way towards the kitchen, saying amusedly: "Give me a few minutes and I'll put on some coffee for us, or tea if you'd prefer, Twilight."
"Coffee's fine, Scrivy." Twilight said softly, walking now to join Luna in the den with Sammy perched on her back, gently nibbling at her flowing mane... and then she laughed a bit as Luna firmly patted the bedding, shaking her head and saying softly: "I have to wonder why of all the ponies in Equestria, I ended up with you two as... such close friends. I also have to wonder why you insist on dragging me out here some nights, Luna... again, you could always move into Ponyville, or at least closer to the outskirts. You're deeper in the Everfree Forest then Zecora is."
"For safety, Twilight. 'Tis deeper than most ponies would dare to tread, be they filled with thoughts of adventuring and heroism or hatred for my husband and myself... and while in most things I am brash, in some things I am cautious." Luna stopped, then smiled a little as Twilight settled quietly on the bedding beside her, leaning her side against the unicorn and adding softly: "And as wonderful as Ponyville treats me, and fond as I am of my... little kingdom, as I do so enjoy calling it... all the same, I am not a pony who is at her most comfortable in normal society. Let Celestia have her castles and brick and mortar and societies. I wish instead for the trees and the rivers and the sap and the freedom and safety of nature."
Twilight smiled a little at this, then she blushed a little when Luna leaned over to press almost forehead-to-forehead with her, smiling slightly into her eyes. "But come, Twilight, 'tis not what truly surprises thee about things. 'Tis the way they have developed... but I do not blame you, I am a truly alluring winged unicorn of vast beauty and strength, 'tis only natural thou art so attracted to me."
The violet unicorn rolled her eyes in amusement at this as Scrivener Blooms returned with a tray loaded with mugs of coffee, and then Luna's eyes flicked towards him as her horn glowed, easily lifting this away to carry it in front of the bedding. "Thanks Luna. But you know, you should really stop being so modest. We all might just start believing you, after all."
"Worry not, Scrivener Blooms, thou knows well I speak only the truth." Luna replied comfortably, and then she picked up one of the mugs and tried to drink from it... before grimacing and rearing back in surprise as she looked down at the empty mug. "What trickery is this?"
"Patience, warrior princess, patience." Scrivener Blooms replied mildly, and Luna gave him a sour look even as the earth pony headed back towards the kitchen, beginning easily: "Look, I know you like your-"
He was interrupted by a sudden loud rumble, Luna looking up sharply as she leapt to her hooves, and Twilight frowned at her before Scrivener cursed and ran across the den, shooting towards the doorway as the winged unicorn's eyes snapped to the unicorn, saying sharply: "I sense invasion, Twilight Sparkle, come with me!"
She jerked her head towards the back door, and Twilight frowned even as she leapt to her hooves, wincing and looking up as there was another rumble, asking hurriedly: "But wait, how do you know-"
"The earth quakes and the air rumbles, 'tis all too clear to my instincts from the whispers of the Forest that we are under attack." Luna grimaced as she snapped her head forwards, throwing the back door open as she muttered: "And we show no mercy and no quarter to those who dare to invade our home and sanctuary. Now hurry, Scrivener Blooms is laying the trap."
The earth pony himself was glaring back and forth, standing out in the middle of the yard... and with both Luna's thoughts and his own sharpened instincts, he was able to pick up on the presence of what were definitely other ponies. They were silent, thinking they were hidden even as their eyes gleamed under the light of the moon... and even more telling, the horns of the unicorns here and there shimmered quietly, as if they were preparing magic. "You guys really aren't so subtle, you know that? Listen, I'm sore and tired. Can we put off this whole 'rout Nightmare Moon and Scrivener Blooms' stuff off until later?"
There was another rumble, and this time Scrivener felt the grass beneath his hooves almost writhe, looking down with a frown before a voice murmured from the shadows: "Be not so bold, earth pony. We are here for Nightmare Moon, to bring her to the Black Baroque... the only reason we have not incinerated you is because we know you are connected to her."
Scrivener snarled, setting himself now as his eyes flashed, and slowly, several unicorns emerged: unicorns with staring, wide eyes ringed in black that glowed unnaturally, faces tattooed with constellations and lunar sigils, their bodies clothed in crimson cloaks and heavy capes. The male looked sharply back and forth, but before he could even take a step, the earth beneath his feet rumbled again before it collapsed violently around the male, leaving him trapped inside a bowl-shaped depression as vines snapped back and forth over the top in a crisscrossing pattern, the earth pony staring stupidly up from where he'd half-fallen in the hole.
Then a unicorn approached, gazing down with his unblinking, yellowing eyes, and he said softly: "Stay out of our way, slave-hoof. Helheim and our own planet longs for this, knows this is the only way to bring about purification, to bring about peace. Nightmare Moon shall come with the Ekleíp to the Black Baroque. The Gates of Hell will be thrown open and the Black Wolves will emerge from the tunnels, and Nightmare Moon will destroy Equestria. The world will be lit with fire, and then it will fall into a slumber of darkness when life has been extinguished. The ancient ones will awaken. They will praise Nightmare Moon. Then they will rebuild the world together... and all those who have died will be brought to new consciousness, new life, in paradise."
"But first we must send a message." murmured another unicorn, striding slowly past the pit as Scrivener Blooms cursed under his breath and scrambled upwards, only to wince as the net of vines repelled him as if he'd run into a rubber wall. "Nightmare Moon has been disoriented. Is trapped inside the one they call Luna. We shall awaken her by whatever means necessary."
"Genius plan, guys." Scrivy called drolly, and the four unicorns that had gathered in the field all paused to look down... before Scrivener winced as small spikes shot out of the earth in a circle around him, the conical blades of rock almost glowing in the moonlight. "Well, okay. I think it's safe enough for me to shut up now, anyway."
"Nightmare Moon does not come to save you. This is a good sign. But we shall further awaken her." spoke another unicorn after a moment, and the four looked up as their horns began to glow brighter. "We shall make her see reason. We shall make her understand what she must do. The halls of the Black Baroque await her grace."
And Scrivener snarled as he heard the awful rumbling building again, felt waves of force travel through the walls around him... but a moment later, it was no longer the earth shaking around the pony, but rather the enormous cliffs that shuddered with growing violence and strength, the earth pony's eyes widening as he clawed his way up to the vine netting overtop the pit he was snared in to stare in horror as the rocky crag began to crack and rumble before the top of the overhang slowly started to list forwards, stones and dust hailing down to patter like heavy rain onto the rooftop... before the first of several enormous chunks of rock ripped free of the side of their treasured vantage, collapsing to smash heavily into the cabin below.
Wood and dust and shingles flew in all directions as Scrivener felt a physical pain in his gut, shouting wordlessly as the entire side of the cliff gave away and heavy chunks of stone hailed down on top of the cabin, sending up a cloud of dust as the avalanche of heavy rock buried the cabin completely... and the male snarled in frustration as he yanked uselessly at the vine net as a unicorn said quietly: "Nightmare Moon belongs in the Black Baroque. We must show her our desires. We must prove that Ekleíp is strong. We must prove we are ready for Ragnarok."
"Then Ragnarok thou shall receive!" Luna shouted furiously, and the four unicorns looked to the side in surprise that was emotionless and bland before the winged unicorn crashed into the first, slamming her shoulder into him to knock him crashing through the others and sending them spilling over like dominos as she snarled in fury. "How dare such fools attempt to ravage my home!"
Luna's horn glowed brightly as she snapped her head upwards briskly, starry locks sizzling with electricity, and a blast of lightning issued from the air above to crash into one of the unicorns as he began to get up, sending him crashing backwards in a flash of light, rolling bonelessly several times before he crashed to a halt in a smoldering heap. The other unicorns barely reacted to their comrade's demise, however, and it seemed to only fuel Luna's rage all the further as she leapt forwards, swinging her head down in a vicious smash to another unicorn's forehead, the pony flopping to the ground in an unconscious heap before Luna snapped her horn to the side, and the limp body of the cultist was flung with savage force into the face of another unicorn, almost snapping his neck as he was sent flying backwards and knocked out cold.
They both crashed and rolled violently several times as the last unicorn calmly rose his horn, and rumbles travelled through the earth again before vines tore up from the ground, lashing on all sides towards Luna... but she snarled in response to this, rearing back as her mane snapped upwards behind her, her body almost shimmering as blue flames exploded in a short ring through the air around her that incinerated the vines around her and blew a wide gap in the plant netting covering the cage, Scrivy wincing away from the eldritch fire before he threw himself upwards and leapt free of the pit, standing ready beside Luna.
The unicorn looked slowly towards his fallen allies, then back towards Luna and Scrivy, leaning forwards as he began to lower his horn, apparently intent on continuing the battle anyway... but then a faint blue glow sizzled over his body, the unicorn twitching and taking a short, sharp breath before his eyes rolled up in his head as his legs wobbled beneath him, and he collapsed to the ground, drooling, eyes staring listlessly, half-open. His body jittered on the grass, and Twilight made a face as she walked in from the side of the field, murmuring quietly: "I don't think I'll ever get used to that."
"Thou hast my thanks, Twilight... I am glad thou art so dependable. And thou too, Scrivener Blooms..." Luna glanced down with a grimace as the earth shuddered deep beneath their hooves, shaking her head slowly before she silently looked up towards the cliff face, murmuring: "We are fortunate wards were prepared in event of an occasion such as this. But still... there is damage done."
She halted, then looked down with a scowl, walking towards the unicorn that Twilight was nervously looking down at before the violet pony winced when Luna seized the paralyzed cultist by the mane and yanked his head up, throwing him onto his back before she leaned down to look at the fastener holding his cloak together... and as expected, it was a large white circle rimmed with red and yellow flame. She sighed and shook her head at this, then began to raise a hoof... but at a look from Twilight, she halted and mumbled to herself, stepping away from the cultist and saying darkly: "There is little to be done otherwise, though, Twilight Sparkle. Let all others be shown mercy, but the fanatics of Ekleíp pray every day for death. If they must pray so much and strive so hard, I am more than glad to give it to them."
"Still. I know you're better than that, Luna. I know you are." Twilight said softly, as she lowered her head and closed her eyes, her horn glowing for a moment as a purple aura enveloped the male for a moment before becoming solid ropes that tightly bound his limbs together. Then she straightened, smiling a little as she glanced awkwardly towards Luna, asking quietly: "What about his magic? I don't know how to stop him from using that."
"We could remove his horn." Luna said sourly, but when Twilight favored her with a flat look, she sighed and muttered: "Very well. Scrivener Blooms, prepare a poison."
Scrivy nodded, turning around... and then he paused to silently survey the wreckage covering their cabin, hesitating for a moment before Luna smiled faintly as she quietly looked back at him, saying softly: "It will be alright, my husband. There is damage done, but the shielding wards will hold the worst of it at bay for now."
She stopped, then stepped forwards and buried her face quietly against the side of his neck for a moment, closing her eyes even as her horn began to glow... and Scrivener smiled faintly as he tilted his head to the side and several of the boulders and stones that had collapsed over the front of the cottage rumbled as they spilled to the side, heavy rocks and dust trickling to the ground and over the fallen stones as the cracked, broken front of the cottage was revealed. Blue light pulsed faintly through the splintered wood, making the structure glow dully as Twilight shook her head slowly, murmuring quietly: "I'm sorry I wasn't able to charge the wards faster, Luna. We could have been out here faster... or you could have left me to tend to that and they wouldn't've been given the chance to-"
"Oh be not self-loathing, 'tis the job of Scrivener Blooms. Bind the other unicorns who yet live, and I shall begin repairing the cliff while my husband goes about his work." Luna grumbled after a moment, then she halted and glanced awkwardly towards Twilight, adding in a softer voice: "And I am sorry I invited thou out to relax with us, only to find our night interrupted by the machinations of Ekleíp. Be assured, I shall make this up to thee... 'tis not fair that after thou has fought so hard beside us in Ponyville, now we drag thee out only to defend our own home from ambush."
"Luna, it's fine. It really is..." Twilight glanced up, watching as Scrivy carefully walked towards the cottage, stepping around broken chunks of rock and nervously glancing up at boulders suspended awkwardly here and there, several flat, cracked pieces of stone half-hanging ominously through the broken roof over the patio. "I wish I had done more... could do more for you... instead of always relying on you to fix everything for me. You're the one who always goes out of her way for everypony, Luna... this was just an accident of coincidence."
The winged unicorn only grumbled a little at this, however, and then she took a few steps towards the cottage before laying down, Twilight half-watching curiously even as she went about the process of binding the other unicorns. Then, slowly, Luna's horn began to glow as she lowered her head forwards... and Twilight turned towards her to stare as the very air around the female seemed to tremble for a few moments as electricity ran through her glowing mane, her back arching slightly, breathing slowly in and out as she slowly tilted her head until she faced towards the sky.
With a mighty rumble, enormous chunks of rock and collapsed mountain began to rise up, glowing dark sapphire as they pulled themselves with cracks and creaks from the glowing roof of the cabin, and lifted one-by-one from where they had collapsed on top of a sparkling dome of sapphire energy, powered by circles of glowing white runes hidden here and there amidst the bramble gardens of the small back yard.
Scrivy glanced up from where he stood on the dirt path leading between gardens fenced in by thorny vines, surveying the cracked forcefield: here and there, heavy rocks had pierced through it, shattering the surrounding shielding like glass and leaving spiderwebs of cracks pulsing with ivory light through the fractured energy shield. It sizzled against the inanimate stones as they lifted free, floating silently upwards into the air as Scrivener Blooms shook his head slowly, then sighed a bit around the glass jar he was carefully carrying by the rope handle in his jaws, muttering around it: "I hate unicorns."
He made his way through the back door and grumbled quietly as he stepped into the faintly-glowing interior, looking moodily back and forth: several particularly large, sharp chunks of rocks had torn through the roof, and dust and debris littered the floor, as Sammy chittered and skittered back and forth, the skeletal little pseudodragon looking as frustrated as Scrivy felt with the destruction that had been wrought to their home. Paintings had been knocked from the walls, glass fractured, furniture damaged, their bedding ripped... and while magic could repair some of it and fix most of the dust and grime, Scrivy knew that if the painting above the mantelpiece had been damaged at all, there was nothing that would have stopped Luna from ripping the unicorns apart.
He grimaced as he headed carefully towards the front door, knowing all the same that the winged unicorn was struggling hard not to simply bring the broken pieces of cliff crashing down on top of the unicorn cultists that had done this, as he heard heavy chunks of stone slamming one after the other rapidly back into place with hisses of heat and steam as they melted and melded back together. The sounds grew louder as he approached the dully-glowing door, and louder still as he shouldered it carefully open, static sparking through the doorway for a few moments and glanced up with a bit of a smile at the sight of the enormous rocks silently gyrating through the air as Luna sat with her back arched, her eyes closed, her horn glowing brightly.
Twilight sat beside her, staring at her with what was almost rapture... and behind them, a unicorn had managed to break his bonds, his own horn glowing darkly as he shakily stood, Scrivener's eyes widening... but the moment his emotions flared, he knew Luna could feel the warning, knew her instincts were already reacting... and that she was well-aware of the unicorn by the almost-coy smile on her face and the way her eyes half-opened as they flicked to the side before an enormous boulder shot through the air like a meteorite, smashing down into the unicorn and crushing him beneath it, Twilight flinching at the sound of the crash before she looked over her shoulder... and staggered away in shock at the sight of one of the cultist's legs sticking almost comically out from beneath the boulder.
A moment later, the rock was hefted back into the air, revealing the broken body beneath it as Twilight grimaced and looked away with a shudder... and it joined the other floating stones before they shot forwards, locking loudly into the mended cliff face as red and blue cracks shone vibrantly throughout the stony wall, broken and jagged but slowly on its way to being restored as Luna said quietly: "I believe that in mercy is strength... but some days I am prone to weakness."
Luna halted, looking moodily up at the reconstructed cliff face, and then she shook her head slowly before closing her eyes and bowing her head forwards, her horn glowing brighter for a moment and the pulsing, colored cracks throughout the jagged, damaged stone overhang growing brighter as the heavy rock fused in a final hiss of steam. Then Luna relaxed slowly, lowering her head and taking a long breath as Scrivener Blooms approached, the two trading hesitant smiles as Twilight finally pulled her gaze away from the crushed unicorn to look up at the reconstructed rock wall, murmuring: "Your powers are incredible, Luna... but... I mean..."
"'Tis alright, Twilight Sparkle. I am glad thou art not a warrior... that thou hesitates to kill." Luna said quietly, glancing towards her with a small smile as the violet unicorn blushed a little and dropped her head forwards. "But sometimes, sadly, it is necessary as well. The Ekleíp are... they are barely even ponies anymore. Death is a mercy, and the only thing that will stop them from pursuing us... and nothing we do shall intimidate these death-worshipping creatures into halting until they are dead, or we are dragged to the Black Baroque for their terrible, warped rituals."
She stopped, then looked silently towards the last two unicorns, which were both still unconscious, one of them spasming a little from the paralysis spell, and the female murmured: "'Tis awful though, Twilight Sparkle... what they have become, in pursuit of magic, in pursuit of knowledge. And I know not where their foolhardy beliefs stem from... old mares' tales, prophecies, or whispers from the treacherous demons of Helheim. All I know is that they are lies... and that for all they worship Nightmare Moon, she reviles them with even greater hatred than mine own for these dregs, these scum, these lost and broken spirits."
Luna paused, then glanced quietly towards Scrivener Blooms as the male strode towards one of the unicorns and knelt, opening the jar as he carefully pushed one of the unconscious unicorn's mouths open. He paused to look questioningly towards Luna, but she nodded firmly as Twilight frowned, asking nervously: "Luna, this is..."
"Diluted Bitterweaver poison, mixed with the root of lunar lilies." Luna replied quietly, looking down at the bound unicorn as Scrivy carefully poured only a little of the poison into its jaws. "It is a crude method, perchance, but one that will render the best results for what we require. Do not worry, Twilight Sparkle, he will not die, and we will not force him to suffer miserably, much as he deserves it. Daydreamer, wait, worry not about the other unicorn... we only need one."
With that, Luna stepped past Scrivy as both he and Twilight glanced up towards the winged unicorn, watching as she leaned down by the other cultist, her horn glowing as she closed her eyes... and slowly, she leaned down and tapped his temple with the very tip, the unicorn's eyes snapping open as he gasped and stared sightlessly forwards... and then they slowly closed, a bit of drool spilling out of his jaws as he gargled quietly on the ground and kicked a little, then slumped silently.
Luna straightened with a grimace, shaking her own head out briskly and muttering: "More mercy than thou does deserve, wretch... and we shall cast thee out to some distant corner of Equestria where thou may live in peace even in these days. Such compassion not even I receive... so I hope that thou truly knows how fortunate thou art, mindless knave."
She stopped, then grouchy kicked the unicorn once in the stomach, Twilight wincing a little and Scrivener Blooms rolling his eyes but giving a small smile despite himself before he grimaced and glanced down as the poisoned cultist gagged, then shivered as foam frothed out of his jaws, convulsing once again before his eyes snapped open as his breathing roughened and he spasmed weakly against his bonds.
Twilight flinched back a bit, looking awkwardly down at the cultist as he spasmed again on the ground, but Luna only smiled grimly, saying quietly: "Worry not, Twilight. The initial pain will pass quickly... and is nothing compared to the other methods I would have been glad to employ, had you not already asked for mercy for this sallow vermin. But it will numb him, and then paralysis shall set in... and the essence of the lily root shall char his will and loosen his mind. I am not as well-versed as Zecora in the arts of alchemy and potions, but in poisons my knowledge is more than adequate."
"You are a very scary lady." Scrivy said mildly, studying the unicorn with a grimace as the cultist cursed on the ground, eyes bulging for a moment as he coughed hard several times before slumping as he breathed hard in and out. "Will it be enough to keep him from using magic?"
"Worry not, daydreamer, they shalt not harm a hair of thy mane." Luna smiled slightly over at him, and then she grimaced and glanced down as the earth rumbled beneath their feet, saying moodily: "Although they have already disturbed the forest... and look, the pawn wakens towards consciousness. Speak to me, unicorn of Ekleíp, and speak truly and quickly, for my patience is in short supply and my wrath stands ready at full swing. And think not I will be foolish enough to kill thee, lost one, for I know there are worse ways still to punish and torment thy accursed kind."
"N-Nightmare Moon... we worship you... why will you not listen to our prayers?" rasped the unicorn, half-rolling on the ground as he stared almost longingly up at Luna, who gazed icily back. "We seek to bathe this world in shadow. We seek to heal the world. We are the Ekleíp, who will bring about Ragnarok... who will cleanse this planet of the evils that have infested it. Death is freedom. Death is purification."
"Death is death, wretched fool, and the destruction of the world will be nothing grand or glorious. Ragnarok may lead to a rebirth, aye... but it will not be the rebirth of ponies, and it will not be the rebirth of ancient gods and knowledge lost. Thou speaks only of fairy tales and nonsense." Luna said disgustedly, shaking her head slowly. "Except that nay, even fairy tales have rhyme and reason, are based upon fact... thy precious Ekleíp is naught but fools listening to the ramblings of self-proclaimed prophets!"
"The demons of Helheim hold dialogue with us... the spirits of the ether, and the planet itself whisper to us, tell us that life is corrupt, that the Aesir lied, that the gods no longer care for our planet, our Midgard." The unicorn faltered, then grimaced on the ground, muscles tensing, body flexing as he rasped for air, smearing foam against the grass as Twilight slowly shook her head and Luna looked pitilessly down at him. "Come with us, Nightmare Moon. The planet needs you. The planet begs for you. Midgard begs for sleep, so she may heal... so we may all be reborn in a paradise guarded by the Black Wolves... our seers and prophets have seen this, the gifts... the gifts that Ragnarok will bring..."
"I have heard enough of thy ramblings, of baseless legend and lies whispered to naïve fools by wicked spirits and their consorts." Luna muttered, shaking her head grimly before she asked sharply: "Answer this question then, knave. Nightmare Moon wishes to know why now the Ekleíp move against her... against myself and mine. Why have thou disturbed the Black Baroque, why have thou engineered the awful schemes against me? And wert thou and thine truly so foolish as to try and leash the devil in Pegasus's skin, did all of thee truly believe that a monster such as Sol Seraph could be controlled?"
"Nightmare Moon... no... you..." The unicorn shivered on the ground, his eyes rolling in his head as emotions flooded his features: strange in the black-ringed eyes of the unicorn that hadn't seemed to care in the slightest about pain, or the death and destruction of his comrades. "No, Ekleíp... I must stay strong... I will..."
"Kill thyself? I think not, knave." Luna said softly, looming down now over the unicorn, her eyes glowing steadily brighter as the unicorn stared up at her before he arched his back, shivering and gritting his teeth. "Struggle if thou must, but the poisons have already leeched into thy mind and stolen the little strength and will thou once possessed. Now answer the questions of Nightmare Moon... 'tis ironic, but it is not only the poisons that compel thee to... 'tis the creed of the Ekleíp, who claim their loyalty lay to her, does it not?"
"Y-Yes... Nightmare Moon..." And, as the unicorn grew visibly weaker from the influence of the toxin, more and more, his emotions seemed to shine through the mask of toneless indifference that had first shielded him, even the tattoos on his skin seeming to writhe and recede as he whispered: "The time is drawing close now... Nightmare Moon has been led astray from her path, from why she was released from the moon... but the Ekleíp exist to place her securely back on the right road. To help her once more find her destiny... find the darkness... Sol Seraph was a part of this grand scheme, grand machination. She did her duty... and found you, as we hoped... she marked the path, so we could follow... and she tried to fight you, and was judged unworthy. Destiny destroyed her... the ether destroyed her... because she failed the Ekleíp. She thought herself better than Nightmare Moon... she thought herself better than the loyalists to the night, to the darkness, to the natural state of things. The sun is an invader... it must be... blinded... the world... we must not allow..."
And the unicorn shivered again before he slowly slumped, rasping hard for breath as he fell unconscious, and Luna shook her head grimly as she muttered in disgust: "Maddened ramblings of a maddened fool... they think themselves purifiers, and yet never have I witnessed atrocity so foul, minds so corrupted and warped. But now the pieces begin to fall into place, and 'twas not his words that spoke worlds, but the way he became more like a pony and less like a machine as the toxins invaded his mind... I believe that these fools are being puppeted by blacker magic than Nightmare Moon's. Twilight Sparkle, Scrivener Blooms... it is not an idea I relish... but we shall have to take one of the Ekleíp to Celestia, by methods fair or foul."
She stopped, then shook her head slowly, looking quietly down at the bodies of the cultists as she murmured softly: "But first, we shall burn the bodies of the dead... toss the fortunate survivor to the winds of travel... and last but not least, ensure our unicorn friend is given proper lodgings for the night, and in the morning, we shall take him to Ponyville." Luna paused and grimaced, adding darkly: "And all too soon, our reprieve has been interrupted by time's merciless forwards march."
Scrivener Blooms nodded slowly as Twilight Sparkle looked up nervously, but Luna only shook her head silently as she stood over the fallen unicorn cultist, not speaking and not needing to for her husband and confidante to feel her fears for the future more clearly than if she had given them voice. |
Starlit Knights | Leaving Exile | Chapter Ten: Leaving Exile
~BlackRoseRaven
Scrivener Blooms stood outside in the cold morning air, looking meditatively down at the unicorn Luna had dealt with in what she thought was the 'kindest' way possible. After disposing of the dead bodies - a process that had made Twilight shiver a little - and teleporting the last, mind-wiped cultist in a random direction with several grouchy phrases about what a pain in the flank it could be to not simply kill her enemies, Luna had finally returned to the poisoned cultist, regarded him for a moment, and then muttered that she knew just what to do.
She had sealed him from the neck down in dirt, leaving only his head sticking out of the ground, and then she had carefully laid a small warding circle around the cultist that both she and Twilight had charged with energy. Now it crackled with white static, and inside the circle, the unicorn looked groggy and bruised, his eyes refusing to focus, his horn sparking occasionally from the anti-magic field he was effectively trapped inside.
Scrivy rubbed quietly at the scarred side of his face, and the unicorn looked blearily back, far from threatening or imposing despite the fact that he and three others had effectively dropped a mountain on their home last night. A home that Twilight Sparkle had insisted on helping him clean while Luna had listlessly flopped on the bedding, looking miserable and grouchy as Scrivener and Twilight had puttered around, cleaning things up, until they'd finally both joined her and gently soothed her with words and physical affection.
He paused, glancing quietly up towards the top of the rebuilt overhang, over which Twilight had added an extra layer of thick netting of vines and ivy, looking at where Twilight and Luna were sitting at the top, quietly talking as they surveyed the dawn together... and even though they were high above and he was down below, he could hear everything that was said, he knew that Luna was passing every last word down to him. It always made him smile, even now, with how dedicated and loyal she was despite how it might seem otherwise... but she insisted on sharing everything with him that she could, even when - or maybe especially when - Scrivener felt undeserving of it.
He shook his head a bit, dragging himself out of his thoughts before he looked quietly down at the unicorn, who still didn't seem to even recognize who he was looking at despite how almost effortlessly they had reacted to him last night, dealing with him so fast he had barely been able to distract them long enough for Luna and Twilight to activate the shielding wards... and, despite wanting to do little apart from walk over and kick the male in the face until his head came off, Scrivy sighed and forced himself to lean down, asking quietly: "Do you understand me?"
The unicorn stared at him blankly, and somehow it was more disturbing than when he had been an emotionless cultist, Scrivy grimacing a little before he asked in a louder, clearer voice: "Do you know who you are? Do you remember what happened last night?"
The cultist only continued to stare, and Scrivener began to shake his head... before he frowned quietly, stepping forwards and leaning down as he realized something else was different. Not just his expression, the sense of... befuddlement about him, but his tattoos had faded out almost entirely... and without even having to glance up, Scrivy concentrated and voiced his question to Luna in the form of thoughts and images. He felt her tense up in surprise above, and then slowly relax before she said quietly, her voice echoing down to him as if she were standing beside him: "Twilight, my daydreamer has discovered something of importance. Something that I also feared... but there is no rush now. We will have to bring him to Celestia all the same, but I believe... he will no longer be a threat, and may not proffer much in the way of information either way. Scrivener Blooms, if thou art feeling brave enough... erase the warding circle, and see how the pawn reacts. If my suspicions hold true, thou wilt be fine, and if not, well. I doubt he will summon up any greater fury than I crash upon thy head every so oft."
"Always so positive Luna, it's a real talent of yours." Scrivy murmured quietly, shaking his head and smiling despite himself, and then he sighed a little and nodded before stepping a hoof forwards onto one of the runes and making a face at the sizzle that shocked over it before he dragged firmly backwards, tearing a line through the dirt and the etched symbol... and a moment later, the entire runic warding circle fizzled out, the unicorn gasping and convulsing as the tattoos on his features writhed... then literally burst off his features like smog, silently flickering upwards into the air.
Scrivy stared at this as the unicorn stared dumbly back... and then the imprisoned equine smiled at him with all the naivety of a child, saying in a slurred voice: "Mister... I seem to be stucked in here. Can you help me up?"
And Scrivener closed his eyes, shaking his head slowly as he understood even without the link to Luna kicking in. The one part of his old job in Canterlot he had always enjoyed and actually done well was archiving... and in particular, old records and legends, so-called 'fantasy tales' about the old magic and monsters that had existed before Equestria had become the peaceful utopia it had been for the thousand years the darkness had receded.
This he recognized from an ancient ballad about Nightmares, and in particular, an ancient, evil witch who was thought to have brought them and many other abominations into the world. While Luna scoffed that the Song of Melinda was wrong on all accounts about the wicked witch... everything else in the poem was true, including... "'Oh mind-tapped servants, robbed of power, cursed with strength, her will be done forevermore and a day, as thou plunder and plow beneath the full moon's sway.'"
"Mister?" The unicorn looked up at him curiously despite his predicament, seeming unaware of what was going on... and Scrivener Blooms smiled faintly as he leaned down towards him. "What were you saying?"
"I was saying... well, just remembering something." Scrivy replied quietly after a moment, and then he shook his head quickly before sighing softly, asking gently: "Do you remember how you got here?"
"The moon made me smart, the ponies said I was going to learn magic... and then I was very cold." The unicorn frowned a little, looking down quietly before he looked back up worriedly, asking nervously: "Did I... do a bad thing?"
"No. No, not at all." Scrivy reassured quietly, and then he straightened with a bit of a grimace, glancing up and adding softly: "My friends will be here shortly, alright? They'll help you up out of that hole you... you fell into."
"I'm clumsy." The unicorn smiled up at him, and Scrivener smiled faintly back, a deeper sadness than he wanted to admit to feeling tearing at his soul as he looked with soft sympathy down at this poor, used unicorn... more than likely a few points beneath the average IQ, probably from a larger city where his disappearance had either gone unnoticed... or with sick gratitude. "I really wanna go back to the home."
"Where is your home? And what is your name, do you know?" Scrivener Blooms asked quietly, glancing down towards him as he felt Luna's own sympathies mixing with his own, heard her quietly explaining the situation to Twilight in his mind. 'Twas only a pawn, as I feared... nothing more than an expendable digit of the Ekleíp, whoever they are. A test thrown at us by mad ponies obsessed with Ragnarok... and so cowardly, they would make puppets of others to do their dirty work for them. Specifically... the mentally ill, the foolish, and society's other outcasts. They link their minds together, like ants, like a network... and put in charge one powerful mage who in all likelihood was not here tonight... but he would be the controller, and they would be like sponges for information, absorbing everything they heard, believing it with all the fervor of fanatics, before being sent out into the world to do the bidding of Ekleíp... to be used as cheap, expendable troops, easily replaced, more toys than soldiers to those who rally against us. There is little we may learn from him, perhaps... but perhaps Celestia can glean more with her particular talents.
The unicorn, meanwhile, was musing over the questions that Scrivener had asked as if unsure whether he should answer them or not... before he finally nodded firmly a few times, looking up and saying carefully: "The nice ponies at the center always-always said that if we ever got lost, to tell the helpful ponies we're from the big clinic north of Snow Saddle. And my name is Ross... but the other ponies always called me Rossc. I didn't like that name too much. It sounds bad. It made me feel bad."
Scrivener smiled a bit despite himself at this, despite the twinge that went through his body at the name of the town: Snow Saddle was the closest thing to a metropolis in the far north, since even Trotronto was further towards the south, only a day or so from Canterlot. Snow Saddle was close enough to North Neigh that he had actually been there more than once, back when he'd been working for his family... and it made him wonder if there really was something awful moving towards his old hometown... not that it could really get much worse up there than it already has, at least...
He shook his head slowly... and, five minutes later, he was joined by Twilight and Luna, the winged unicorn striding towards Scrivy first and looking into his eyes as he gazed back, sharing thoughts and memories in a short, quick burst as Twilight approached the unicorn hesitantly. The trapped equine only looked up at her with the same gullible smile, however, saying kindly: "Hello. Are you the nice earth pony's friend?"
"I... I am. Hi." Twilight replied awkwardly, hesitating as she looked down for a few moments at him, and then she looked up at Luna and Scrivy as they both smiled a little and turned towards her. "You two are doing that thing again. But... what are we doing with him then?"
"Twilight Sparkle, I am surprised at thee. We are helping the poor fool up, of course." Luna said kindly, and then she simply flicked her horn, and the earth around the unicorn trembled before cracks spread through it and it collapsed in a sinkhole around the male, letting him wiggle free with a grunt of surprise. And, as he hauled himself up, Luna offered a hoof, saying quietly: "My apologies for leaving thou out here for so long, child. Let me help thee stand."
"Thank you, miss. You're a pretty pony." Ross smiled awkwardly up at her, looking shy as he allowed her to help pull him up above the ground, and he blushed a bit as he stumbled a little on his hooves before standing, looking curiously over his own shoulder at the dirty cloak he was still wearing. "Was it Nightmare Night? Is that why I'm all dressed up? They don't usually let us dress up at the center."
"It was a special costume party, worry not." Luna smiled gently, soothingly in return, her anger from the night before forgotten in sympathy for the poor, abused unicorn's plight. "We shall take thee home when we can, but rest assured that thou art safe, and we shall allow no harm to come to thee. In fact, we shall take thee on a wonderful trip to Canterlot first... perhaps thou shalt even meet Princess Celestia herself in time. Would that not be a treat, my friend?"
"But am I allowed to? I dunno if I'm allowed to be away from the center that long." Ross said worriedly, then he paused as he studied Luna, frowning a little as his eyes roved up and down her thoughtfully. "Do I know you, pretty pony? You look real familiar. Your mane looks like it's all made of stars, too."
"My name is Luna. Does thou recognize it?" the female asked quietly, and Ross looked at her blankly for a few moments before he shook his head and only smiled, and Luna smiled back, asking quietly: "And what about the name Nightmare Moon, does thou recognize that?"
"Oh yes, the Nightmare Night lady. She's supposed to be a ghost, right?" Ross smiled at her, saying kindly: "They always tell us at the center not to believe in ghosts. Nightmare Night is all about candy anyway, isn't it?"
Luna smiled a little more at this, nodding in return and responding: "'Tis close enough to the truth, my new friend. Tell me, can thou do any magic?"
"Oh no, magic is too complicated for me." Ross smiled at her, and then he laughed when Luna leaned forwards, her horn glowing quietly as a waft of warm air whooshed soothingly along the male's body, his cape falling loose and the dirt and grime that had smeared over his pale white body and black mane crumbling away. "Hey, that tickles!"
"It will be but a moment longer, I am simply making thee a little more presentable, child." Luna replied gently, and Twilight softened as she gazed from the winged unicorn to the smiling, gullible male, as his body was cleaned and cleansed until he was all but sparkling, standing with a beaming expression on his face as he swayed a little on the spot. "There. Much better, is it not?"
"It is. Thank you pretty lady." Ross said warmly, and he smiled for a moment as he looked back and forth over himself, the cutie mark on his flank of a black puzzle piece almost gleaming against his pallid coat. "You made me look really nice. I like that."
For a moment, Luna only looked at him, studying him... and then she simply nodded before glancing over towards Twilight, saying quietly: "Please wait but a moment, my student, my darling. Scrivener Blooms and I must fetch some things from inside, to take back with us to Ponyville. Ross, thou does not mind waiting with Twilight, does thou?"
Ross shook his head quickly, continuing to look happily over himself, and Luna and Scrivy exchanged soft looks as Twilight blushed a little, hesitating... but then nodding with an awkward mumble, still looking a little wary. By now, however, the two ponies had judged the male to be far from a threat any longer, as they turned and walked unhurriedly back to the cabin, Scrivener Blooms shaking his head as Luna flicked her horn to open the cracked door. "Poor guy. I'm only glad you're not trying to murder him anymore."
"Had I understood they were thralls from the beginning, I would have been more hesitant to kill. Only slightly more, but all the same... now that he is no threat, no longer even aware of what has occurred... how could I hold evil against him?" Luna shook her head slowly as she stepped into their damaged cottage, gazing meditatively at the ground. "'Twould be hypocrisy. And while I do not mind being a hypocrite in most aspects, I shall not hold the forced evils of others against them after what I have experienced myself with Nightmare Moon... after what we experienced when our sorrows and bitterness were amplified in so much the same way by a force of darkness."
She sighed a little, murmuring quietly: "The world is an easier place when thou can believe that thou art doing right, or greater good in the name of harmony and peace. But I am not like my sister, able to blind myself with light and glory... I have lived in darkness. I have seen shadows. I have experienced evil from both sides of the field... and know it is but an illusion, a term we sadly apply to those who are different from us, to those whom we do not wish to understand, 'lest we forget our hatred and our anger." She stopped, then headed quietly through the den towards the back door, calling quietly over her shoulder: "Beloved, sad as this makes me... thou knows what we must do."
"Yes, Luna. I understand... but we'll return, when this is all over. After all... you've got that painting for Twilight to finish, and we have a lot of repairs to do. This is our home, and no cult is going to change that." Scrivener Blooms replied quietly, and Luna paused in the kitchen to glance over at him... then smile softly and nod firmly once. Scrivy watched her as she approached the door, and he laughed a little and shook his head slowly, murmuring quietly: "As long as we're together at the end of the day. That's what matters."
All the same, Scrivener lingered for a moment, gazing at the painting hanging above the mantel that Luna had done for him so long ago... and then he shook his head slowly, turning and heading towards the bedroom as he clicked his tongue lightly. Immediately, Sammy scurried out from where he had hidden himself amidst a pile of cushions, running quickly after the male as Scrivy said quietly to the skeletal pseudodragon: "We're going on a little trip, Sammy. Luna's worried it's not safe here anymore, so we're going to stay in Ponyville for the next few days, while we get the last of everything ready for our trip to Canterlot, and then North Neigh beyond. We'll... we'll come back when this is all over, but for now, we need to stay in a place where we know we'll be safe for a little while and not in danger of being crushed beneath an avalanche."
Sammy chirped quietly at him, and Scrivy nodded a little as he pushed into the bedroom, glancing towards the armor stands with a faint smile before his eyes roved up to the star-painted ceiling above, murmuring softly: "I don't like it much either, and Luna hates it. But she knows this is the safest way to go about it, too... we can't put ourselves at unnecessary risk, especially not if we're only dealing with... thralls, Luna called them, right?"
Sammy mimicked a shrug, and Scrivener Blooms smiled a bit down at his pet, his friend, nodding to him before he reached a hoof out and petted him quietly. "Look on the bright side. At least you don't have to eat or anything. Really, you've got the easiest trip of all of us... for the living dead you're a lot lazier than most ponies would expect."
Sammy huffed at this, and Scrivy laughed a bit before he finally forced himself to stop stalling, approaching the armor stands and reverently lifting the helmet from the slightly-smaller rack, looking quietly down at it. Sleipnir's heavy helm, with wings that spread from either side of the heavy silver protector, a few pockmarks and scratches over the metal that were like tattoos of honor throughout the polished metal. He smiled a little at this, then almost hesitantly slipped it carefully on, rolling his shoulders slowly and closing his eyes as he thought of how different he'd been when he'd first gotten this gift from Luna... how, so few years ago that felt like so many, he had been nothing more than Court Poet, who would never have been able to do any of the things he could do today.
He paused, then reached forwards and pulled the black leather vest from the rack next, slipping this over his body and rolling his shoulders once he slid it onto his frame, feeling it tight against his hide. The first layer, comfortable protection, the cushioning buffer... before he began to slip on the second layer of armor, the black and silver plates adorned with symbols of the night sky locking tightly over his frame as he slipped them carefully on, remembering how so long ago, he had whined about the Royal Guard armor Luna had made him wear on their trip... and now, if anything, he was beginning to appreciate the feel of leather and steel shielding his frame.
He stepped back and examined one of his limbs as he finished locking the last of the plates into place, smiling a little down at himself, feeling the care and compassion and wish for his safety that Luna had put into forging this armor. She always confessed she was never as good as Sleipnir had been, that her arts relied more on enchanting and shaping metal through will alone than the talents of the forge... but Scrivy thought she had done a stupendous job all the same. From the black cusps that locked over his shoulders, to the silver-chain protected joints and the obsidian breastplate... he felt secure in this gear, and blessed beneath the helm of Luna's beloved brother.
He tested the floor with his hooves, letting his body adjust to the weight: the only heavy plating was over his actual body, the patterned black steel over his limbs far lighter to allow for ease of movement. He smiled a little to himself as he rolled his shoulders, then glanced up as Luna pushed her way into the bedroom, saying quietly: "Thou must always preen so, mustn't thou? But neither Twilight nor Ross seem aware our presence has been amiss for some time now... I believe that finally she is speaking to him. I wonder why she was so awkward, daydreamer, does thou know?"
Scrivy shrugged a little after a moment, looking over towards her thoughtfully before he said meditatively: "Well, maybe it's just awkward, seeing you all... nice-hooves after gleefully squishing one of them last night with a rock."
Luna huffed at this, then she simply flicked her horn disdainfully upwards, her armor glowing bright blue before it tore itself off the rack and rapidly spun around her as she reared back, sapphire dragon-scale leather and black metal plating locking over her form before she stomped down and anchored herself with a spark of lapis energy, grinning slightly as her cyan eyes flicked towards the male. "Now, daydreamer, thou knows that at times my temper gets the better of me. Furthermore, 'twas not as if there was much choice in the matter at the time... we knew not what we were dealing with, and I had to protect all three of us from permitting the enemy to gain the upper hoof. But worry not, my handsome daydreamer... I shall save my wrath for the Ekleíp puppet masters instead of their thralls and pawns."
She paused, then flexed a bit, closing her eyes as she arched her back and took a slow breath... and Scrivy smiled a little, drawing his eyes over her armored body as she murmured in a softer voice: "And... it is sad, Scrivener Blooms... but to don this armor... it completes me, in a way. It gives me a renewed sense of strength and purpose, even in these dark times... it is like the home I carry with me."
Scrivy smiled a little more at this, drawing his eyes over her body: over the supple leather that clung against her body, gleaming and as polished as the plates of dark metal that protected her shoulders, her back, and her upper limbs. Her wings stood comfortably through carefully-shaped slots in the lightweight body armor, furled against smooth-plated sides, and her mane spilled out from beneath the beautiful blue helm that covered her skull as her long, starlight tail flicked to the side, before she gave him a flat look as he asked mildly: "Doesn't that make you a snail?"
"Oh, thou art the epitome of hilarity, Scrivener Blooms. Now hurry thyself up, I shan't wait for thee forever." Luna retorted, then she turned back towards the doorway, glancing down at a saddlebag as her horn glowed, and this quickly floated up and dropped over her back, strapping itself into place as she added softly: "I have most of the things we shall need and desire. I leave the rest to thy discretion."
"Because that always turns out well." Scrivy said plainly, as Sammy hopped up on the equine's back, and Luna gave him an amused look over her shoulder before she strode out into the hallway. Scrivy shook his head with his own smile, and spent only a few seconds quickly tossing a few things into a dusty pack that had already been tossed onto the bed before he threw this onto his back and headed outside to join Luna, Twilight, and the smiling Ross.
Scrivener booted the door closed behind him as Ross turned wondering eyes from Luna to the earth pony, studying them curiously as Twilight looked at them with a bit of a blush and a hesitant smile... and then Ross asked curiously: "Are you two guards from Canterlot? Except your armor looks really different and stuff. And you both don't look at all like guards at all, they're usually flying ponies or horn ponies... and you look like you're both, but you're neither. But you're all in that armor and stuff, all the same. That's funny."
"Perchance we are guards of a different sort then, young one." Luna said gently, and Ross nodded slowly before he looked thoughtfully down, and the winged unicorn turned her attention to Twilight, instructing quietly: "Pay close heed to me, my friend. This last show of strength shall likely as not be of great interest to thee."
Twilight nodded a few times, sitting back attentively, and Luna slowly turned around as Scrivener strode up beside her, then smiled a little when the winged unicorn nudged him firmly, nudging her back before they both dropped their heads forwards in easy synchronicity, breathing hard as they both focused, Scrivener letting Luna's thoughts spill through his mind as he added his focus and energy to her own already-impressive supply of both. And slowly, Luna's horn began to grow brighter and brighter, sparking with energy before she and Scrivener reared back at the same time, the same expression of concentration on their faces, their eyes clenched shut as the earth beneath their hooves rumbled... and then slowly, the cabin sank down, down, down into the ground, rumbling loudly as the cottage vanished into the ground as soil and rock spat upwards in almost-liquid streams around the edge of the sinking structure.
Twilight and Ross both stared raptly as the cottage disappeared and left behind only a sunken crater as the earth settled, a few rocks pattering away from the jagged cliff face and bouncing quietly through the shallow bowl left behind before Ross began to stamp his hooves against the ground, looking amazed as he said cheerfully: "That's incredible! Golly, I wish I could magic like that... you must both be real powerful magician ponies, is that what you guys are?"
Scrivener and Luna exchanged a softly-amused look as they both slowly relaxed, the aura slowly fading from around Luna's horn as Twilight stared for a few moments longer, then she shook her head and laughed a bit, saying finally: "They're the best magician ponies in Equestria, Ross... sometimes I think even better than Princess Celestia, when they work together."
"That must be really something." Ross marveled, leaning forwards a bit, and then he glanced up and concentrated visibly, his horn starting to glow... but nothing further happened, even as Twilight visibly tensed. "I really wanted to be a magic pony too. Some ponies told me once I could be a magic pony... but they just made me cold. They made me forget... a lot of things. But it's okay, because when I woke up from everything, you were all here and you told me you were going to help me home, and I believe you, because you three don't hit me or call me names, or have bad looks in your eyes. All I can do is make my horn shiny."
Luna smiled awkwardly at this, studying the unicorn and obviously thinking on what to tell him before she said in a quiet, honest voice: "I believe, Ross, that no matter what has happened to thee, or who thou art... there is great potential inside thee, waiting and untapped. Now come, then, new friend, and we shall walk through the Everfree Forest... but thou must stay close, and stay upon the path, and we shall protect thee from its dangers."
"Okay." Ross nodded, looking warmly across at Luna, and Luna gazed back with almost-maternal protectiveness for a moment before she shook her head quickly as Scrivy grinned despite himself, considering the fact the unicorn, for how he acted, was likely the same age as him... but he understood Luna's feelings all too well all the same. "I trust you."
"Then I shall thank thee, Ross, and hope I do not betray thy trust." Luna replied quietly, nodding towards him before she headed towards the path, and the others followed her, Scrivener gazing quietly ahead, Ross beaming warmly around, and Twilight falling into anxious pace on the unicorn's other side, soft but visibly nervous all the same.
The walk was thankfully uneventful: every now and then, Luna or Scrivy would glance towards the side of the path as if checking for something that was watching them, but there was little disturbance on their travel apart from the occasional rustling of the trees around them. The morning was crisp and clear, and the sun shone down from the calm blue sky, white clouds rolling slowly through the cerulean sea above as they strode past the occasional patch of frost over the earth: winter was coming, and when it hit, it would hit hard.
They found the gates of Ponyville sitting open, and a minotaur calmly sipping coffee, the paper cup tiny in his hand and the half-eaten muffin in the other even smaller. He bowed to them as they walked by, and Scrivy and Twilight had to almost drag Ross onwards as he stared for a few moments at the enormous bull-creature, before whispering loudly as they continued into the village: "Wow! Did you guys see that? He was so tall!"
"Yes, Ross, we saw it." Scrivy said mildly as they strode easily through Ponyville, the male shaking his head a bit as he smiled despite himself before glancing to the side as he heard a loud, irritable shout, smiling a little as he added: "Looks like Cowlick's already hard at work."
"Excellent." Luna said cheerfully, promptly changing course and instead heading towards where a grease-splattered mare was working cheerfully on one of the large, cubical sentry devices, and the winged unicorn asked clearly as they approached: "And what manner of mayhem art thou up to this morning, ambiguous-gendered creature?"
Cowlick snorted in amusement at this without looking up from where her head was buried in the open back of the machine, the two ponies dressed in coveralls beside her glancing up with blushes as she replied easily: "You're one to talk, Lady Luna. Way I hear it, you're the one who spends all her time acting like a dude. You're almost as bad as Dash."
Luna laughed at this, shaking her head before Cowlick finally slipped backwards and free from the back of the machine, grinning widely as she straightened and absently brushed her hooves against the front of her ripped denim vest, her messy, short-blonde mane spilling wildly out from beneath the red bandana tied tight around her head, one long lock twisting upwards above her eye. Her ears flicked, the silver piercings through them and one nostril glinting as she surveyed the group thoughtfully, leaning forwards over the back of the machine, reddish-brown coat streaked with grime as she tossed a wrench down and asked curiously as her blue eyes settled on Ross: "Who's the newbie?"
"He is... a unicorn we found outside our home some time ago." Luna said delicately, and Ross smiled and nodded a few times, Cowlick giving them an amused look before Luna continued in a more-serious voice: "I heard that thou would be joining us as one of the Starlit Knights, Kilby Kwolek. I wished to extend my welcome to thee and am also quite curious as to what information thou hast gleaned upon the examination of these strange mechanical devices."
"Well, hell, somebody's got to come along and stop Dash from being an idiot, and around AJ he just acts dumber, always trying to impress her like they ain't already married or something." Cowlick said mildly, flicking a hoof, and then she grinned a little as she slapped the top of the machine. "Once I got my hands on the schematics for this garbage, was easy to figure out that these are way more magical than they are mechanical. Oh sure, they still got plenty of gears and moving parts and nonsense, but they're powered by magic, and they got magic 'brains' too, so to speak. We already removed those key components, which hook into some fancy intelligent eye setup I ain't never seen outside of the Manehatten tech labs before. Anyway, this stuff is real goddamn advanced, and I got some unicorns working on reprogramming the brains right now... ain't too difficult, it's a just a lot of imaging magic and practice, you dig?"
She stopped, then added in a more-serious voice: "It seems like these things were programmed for some nasty stuff, though. After a certain date, they were going to simply open fire on anything within fifty feet. They got nasty little spiked... arrowheads, really, ain't like any bullets I've ever seen. I kid you not, these things are set up in strategic enough areas this stuff would have wiped out half of Ponyville before we figured out what the hell was going on. A good damn thing you took care of that monster, Sol Seraph."
Cowlick halted, then she cleared her throat as she stepped quickly backwards and strode around the sentry turret, pausing only to toss a wrench towards one of the engineers and order briskly: "Go back to work dissecting that thing's motor system, I wanna know how these tick before we think about employing them. I'll be back in a few minutes."
Then she smiled, glancing towards them with a wink as she wiped absently at her vest, the emblem of several interlocked silver gears almost glinting on her flank as she said easily: "You guys don't mind another poor earth pony loser like Scrivy tagging along, right? Except we all know I'm at least cooler than he is."
"Oh, bite me, Cowlick." Scrivener replied plainly, but Cowlick only laughed before she firmly checked Twilight as she felt into step with them, the violet unicorn wincing and staggering before shooting her a sour look as the group once more began to head towards the library. "Speaking of which, Luna wants to know if it's really a good idea for you to come along. We're taking a lot of Ponyville's best resources with us."
"Well, that's what we mares are there for, just resources for you to use." Cowlick replied in a serious voice, making Scrivener roll his eyes but Luna shake her head with a laugh. "Seriously, all you gals worry too much, and yes, Scrivy, I count you as a mare, but it's a compliment really. Listen, I'm the best goddamn pony in Equestria at my job, but I came to Ponyville because I heard I could help people here, way more than I was helping people in Canterlot or Manehatten. And now, the best damn thing I can do to help, is to join up with these Starlit Knights and offer my expertise to the group. You gals need a tech-head. I think you gals even know you need a gear-rat like me along for the ride, and I sure as hell don't feel safe with the idea of a clucking chicken like Chisel being the one you're all left depending on."
She stopped, looking meditatively up at the sky. "Yeah, sure, this ain't what I dreamed of. But since when the hell did any of us dream of... of this, of the way the world's turned? Equestria's plunged down deep into darkness and I for one feel better doing every last little damn thing I can do to help, not hiding and pretending ain't nothing I can do. There's always something you can do. Always. And honestly, seeing you gals at work gives me a lot of hope."
She smiled over at them, then shook her head and added in a more serious voice: "Besides, I got some ideas about how to better prepare for what's ahead. I wanted to talk that over with you if you got a moment or two, Twilight, and I guess I should ask you too, Luna, since you're the head of the Starlit Knights. I ain't always tactful, but I am a professional, and I don't wanna go using up parts reserved for other stuff. But those losers who ran away with their tails between their legs left a lot of supplies behind when they cut and jumped, and I would dearly love to put some of that stuff to good use if you gals don't already have anything in mind for it."
Luna nodded thoughtfully, looking at Twilight... and the unicorn shrugged a little, saying quietly: "Sure, Kilby, I'll pass the master inventory list on to you. Some of it is already earmarked, but most of it should be available for use."
Cowlick grinned slightly at this, saying easily: "Awesome, then. Twilight, Luna, I'll hook you both up with the best stuff I can make, and gladly. Ain't gonna ask you anything but the ability to call rank on Rainbow Dash every now and then."
"I find this an acceptable, and more importantly, an entertaining request. I agree, at least until Rainbow Dash proves himself more useful." Luna replied thoughtfully, nodding after a moment, and Cowlick stopped to pump a hoof in the air with a grunt of victory before she hurried after the others as the winged unicorn continued seriously: "But keep in mind that it shall not all be fun and games, Kilby Kwolek. I will ask much of thee... of all of thee, as both my husband and my beloved student know well."
"Ain't nothing I don't already expect, Luna. When I first started doing odd jobs for you I knew from the start you'd want nothing but the best, and I was honestly always glad for the challenge. I take a lot of pride in my work, Luna, and I ain't ever going to aim but to give you every last shred of effort and ability I got." Cowlick replied with a wink, swishing her tangled, short mess of a blonde tail. "You got your job, and I got mine, after all."
Luna nodded again with a smile at this sentiment, before she glanced towards Twilight as she added quietly: "We trust your judgment, Luna. And from the very first time I heard about the Starlit Knights, I've made sure to spend time with everypony, going over how things were going to be and not to take it personally if you give them pointers or two. Even if you're not... tactful about it."
"Oh silence, I have far more tact than thou credits me for, 'tis simply that I am not like Celestia and afraid to speak my mind." Luna retorted pompously, tilting her head upwards, and Ross giggled a little, which made Luna glance over her shoulder at him with entertainment. "Oh, what, does thou already see the truth in my words?"
"You're very funny." Ross said kindly, and Luna laughed despite herself, shaking her head and looking entertained as they started across the square towards the library. "I like all the ponies here. You all seem very special."
"Believe me, you don't know the half of it." Cowlick replied with entertainment, and she shook her head slowly before asking mildly: "Where the hell did you gals pick this dude up again? No offense to you, new guy, but you seem a little... uh... slow."
"Oh, sorry. I'll walk faster." Ross said apologetically, picking up his pace a bit, and Cowlick stared at him for a moment before she simply shook her head with a wry grin. "It's this new place... this special place. It all seems so very nice and everything... none of the ponies are looking at us funny, even though we all must look a little funny."
"Who're you saying looks funny?" Cowlick asked flatly, looking moodily over as she wrinkled her nose, making the piercing in her nostril stand out all the further... and Ross smiled at her brightly, making the female sigh before she tilted her head towards Twilight and said meditatively: "Okay, so the dude is cute, I'll give him that. Seems about as bright as Snips and Snails are but at least he's better looking. Besides, since when is having a dumb, obedient colt for your bed-buddy a bad thing?"
Twilight winced back at this, and Cowlick grinned deviously, saying mildly: "Then again, look who I'm talking to. The only chick here who understands me is Luna, ain't that right Luna? Well. Maybe Luna, now you're all tied down with Scrivy, who you could have done so much better than, just so you know."
"Thanks, Cowlick, this is why you're my favorite butch androgynous mare." Scrivener deadpanned, but Cowlick only grinned wider and tipped him a cheerful wink. "Also, please don't encourage Luna. She's a bad enough influence on everypony without your help."
"And thou does not give Scrivener Blooms enough credit... after all, our very souls are mixed together, so half of him is me. Therefore, 'tis only the other half of him that is relatively useless." Luna replied easily, and Scrivy rolled his eyes as Twilight and Cowlick both laughed, and Ross tilted his head curiously. "All the same, Ross will be accompanying us when we travel to Canterlot. And before I forget, Cowlick, I must ask thee a boon: when we return from our mission, our home shall require some minor repairs. I would be most indebted to thee if thou would provide them for us... perhaps I can pay thee. I have a bad habit of collecting shiny coins and baubles from the ponies I pummel, after all."
"Hey, don't insult me, I'm a goddamn artist when it comes to mechanical stuff, I don't need no pay for this." Cowlick shook her head quickly, then she began to open her mouth before catching the look Twilight gave her, and she frowned a little, asking in a slower voice: "Something happened, huh? And it wasn't no hissy fit."
"There was the throwing of many heavy objects involved, however." Luna said delicately as they came to a halt in front of the library, and the winged unicorn paused meditatively as she looked up at this mighty tree, studying it slowly before she smiled faintly. "But all the same, Cowlick, I am glad that I was the target, and not Ponyville. Better my one, easily-repaired, easily-hidden home be attacked, than my home away from home... better me, who can defend herself so well, than these ponies who despite their training and the adaptations they have made so far still fallen so short of my expectations."
She stopped, then shook her head and smiled, murmuring softly: "But all the same, perhaps it is all for the best. It gives me more to protect... and it makes me hopeful for a future where ponies will be able to fight and protect themselves, while remembering the lessons of peace and harmony. But come, there is other work to be done: inside, let us introduce Ross to the others, and share with Cowlick the list of supplies. I am curious as to what ideas lurk in the nooks and crannies of her mind."
"You stay out of my nooks and crannies, Luna." Cowlick grinned slightly even as worries creased her face, looking hesitantly back and forth before she nodded a few times, falling silent as Twilight Sparkle led the group into the library, the engineer watching quietly as the others filtered in before her, then sighing and looking meditatively through the open door, mumbling: "I only hope you're right, though... 'cause of what I've learned about war so far is that no matter how you win... everybody loses."
Then Cowlick shook her head and strode inside, shoving the library door closed behind her, gazing back and forth with an awkward smile as she asked finally: "So where's this list of stuff I'm supposed to hot-glue together?" |
Starlit Knights | Adventure Time With Luna And Scrivy | Chapter Eleven: Adventure Time With Luna And Scrivy
~BlackRoseRaven
Luna and Scrivener rested quietly together on the old bedding in the front room of the library, the male laying on his stomach with his eyes closed and the winged unicorn resting beside him, stroking a hoof quietly along his back as she gazed towards one of the dark windows. It was late morning now, only hours away from the time they were finally supposed to leave for Canterlot.
It had been several days since Cowlick had started in on touching up and assembling some higher-tech equipment, building and designing better armor, weapons and gear for them. It had taken her less than an hour to figure out what materials from the list she could use, and what she should leave behind in Ponyville.
They had also further organized the Starlit Knights, Luna running them through several large-scale training exercises to better assess the team and both the winged unicorn and Twilight Sparkle working together to plan out how they could most efficiently move such a large group of ponies to Canterlot, and then beyond, in the safest possible manner. There were some forty knights in total, counting the additional staff like Cowlick and their 'guests' like Ross and Scarlet Sage... noncombatants who would need to be transported to Canterlot safely, and, even though Luna hadn't yet hinted this to anyone, might well end up coming with them on the long journey to North Neigh, since she didn't want to leave anypony stranded in the capitol, especially those who couldn't defend themselves against overzealous sun-worshippers.
Luna had made sure to spend as much time as she could find with the young filly in particular, very interested in studying how the child was adapting and growing, and answering the questions she had about Blood Seers of the past, and what this strange, extremely-rare power meant for the young Pegasus... but there wasn't yet much Luna could say, telling her tenderly that at the end of the day, the powers she developed depended heavily on her own personality, and how she planned to put them to use.
Scarlet Sage took her ability seriously... almost too seriously, considering the way that Luna would sometimes use her most-grim powers for mischief and entertainment more than anything else. But even though Luna did want Scarlet Sage to understand herself, to be comfortable with herself and her powers, she also cautioned that it was an ability even she couldn't take lightly, considering the implications of being able to predict a pony's future... or twist their destinies and lives with magic even darker than Luna's most-wicked arts.
They had only worked once with Scarlet Sage's abilities since their discovery, when Luna had taken blood from herself and Scrivener Blooms, mixed it in a bowl, and then quietly told Scarlet Sage to simply dip a hoof in it, and her natural instincts would do the rest. It had been a strange, tense ritual... but the moment the filly had touched the blood, her eyes had begun to glow red... and she had whispered another cryptic prediction, that a horse born of Helheim was waiting for them in the darkness, eager for revenge, driven by misery and torment.
It was obvious to the two who she was speaking of: Ignominious, who had been sent back to Helheim by Twilight Sparkle, but had apparently clawed his way once more out of Hell. Luna had been moody after this prediction, despite her own suspicions that he had something to do with the Black Baroque and the cult that housed within its dark halls... but now she was less anxious about whatever machinations the twisted demon was up to and more eager to pound him into the ground, almost looking forwards by this point to meet Ignominious on the battlefield and hopefully put an early halt to whatever plans he was trying to push forwards.
Scrivy smiled a bit despite himself as he felt Luna's instincts, heard her thoughts in his mind... and he stretched slowly on the bedding, yawning a bit before murmuring softly over his shoulder up to her: "I'm very glad that we worked out, Luna, considering what happened to Ignominious. Or rather, what you want to do to him. Then again, I kind of want to beat the crud out of him myself, but... most of your reasons seem to be focused on what he did in the past over the other things he's done to us, apart from how he was responsible for Trixie's death."
"Aye, perhaps. But fear not, Scrivener Blooms, selfish or not as many of my reasons are for wishing to kill the sick and twisted wretch, thou knows as well as I do he is a manipulator, and whilst I doubt he holds high presence in Ekleíp, I also doubt not they use him as a consultant of sorts. He was powerful when alive, Scrivy... and more powerful when dead, yet... all the same, still weak, spineless, and he shall be easily broken." Luna muttered, shaking her head slowly before she quietly stroked a hoof along his spine, looking down at him softly. "Thou hast thine own worries upon thy mind, though... share them with me, and not just in mind. To give voice to thy fears often steals away their power."
"True enough, Luna, but they're more anxieties than they are fears." Scrivener murmured, looking ahead and grimacing a little bit, before he smiled over his shoulder at her, saying quietly: "Why don't we go for a little stroll around Ponyville? Everypony here is still asleep and... we could maybe both use some air."
The winged unicorn looked down at him thoughtfully for a few moments, then she smiled and nodded, murmuring: "Yes, 'tis true. Let us enjoy a brisk walk, then, and find a comfortable place where we may lower the moon together, my daydreamer. It will be nice to... enjoy the sights of Ponyville at peace, one last time before we must prepare and leave."
She quieted, then shook her head and strode towards the door as Scrivy hauled himself up to his hooves, shaking his mane briskly out before he smiled a bit and adjusted his glasses on his muzzle. Luna glanced over her shoulder at him as the door swung open, giving him a soft smile before the two strode out in front of the library... and both paused for a moment, looking down at the dust and stone, surveying the square where so short a time ago they had first met Sol Seraph.
But now she would never threaten Ponyville again, her soldiers had been driven off, the minotaurs now guarded their village and her security devices were being disassembled or modified to better protect the citizenry... and Luna smiled a little, glancing over at Scrivy and nodding slowly, saying softly: "Aye, there are blessings even with the evil she wrought. But after everything she did to us, to her daughter... everything poor Fluttershy was forced to endure... 'tis part of why I have placed her in the caravan instead of the vanguard."
Scrivener nodded back at this: when Luna and Twilight Sparkle had organized the groups, they had divided them up into a smaller unit that would serve as the head of the Starlit Knights, made up of Luna, Scrivener Blooms, Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Cowlick. They would stay a wide distance afield, scouting, ensuring there was no danger, and intercepting or drawing out any possible ambush forces. The rest of the Starlit Knights would be moving in one enormous group that would move slower and lug the bulk of their supplies, but would have the advantage of both numbers and equipment, and both groups would be armed with emergency flares in the event of a major attack.
Luna's main concern was Nibelung raiders: whether they were battle-hardened veterans who fought eagerly alongside the surviving Velites in uneasy alliances, lackeys for the Ekleíp sent out from the Black Baroque, or idiot dwarves who had wandered up from the dark tunnels beneath Equestria more interested in making mischief and stealing shiny objects from ponies than in actual war, the Nibelung could move in the day or night, employ a wide array of weaponry, and work together to one point or another, making them threats on multiple levels.
And while the weaker Nibelung would be easily scared off, the bloodthirsty warriors and the vicious hunters that worked alongside the Velites would ruthlessly, fearlessly attack them, no matter what the cost. Even if they had already destroyed one war band that had attempted to attack Ponyville under manipulations from Sol Seraph, the dwarves spread fast and more and more were constantly crawling up out of the tunnels and being summoned through the Black Baroque, likely to do the bidding of both the Ekleíp and any other nefarious forces with a smidgen of knowledge of the things that laid forgotten beneath the once-peaceful land of Equestria.
Luna shook her head with a sigh, and then she looked up and said meditatively: "All the same, though, I expect much of both our groups... and perhaps sister will not renege on her promise and will be providing us with support of some kind, which I admittedly will be all too glad to have. These are dangerous times... and although we move with a strong group of ponies I would trust with my life, and whilst I would truly love if it were only thou, myself, and Twilight striding boldly forwards along this mission... we will require ponies in number for that which lay ahead."
Scrivy nodded back, smiling a little and saying quietly: "We can't protect an entire village all by ourselves, or lug supplies as well as battle terrible evils all at once, huh? Well, maybe you can, Luna, but I sure can't. I can't even fly."
"I can make thee fly, though, and in many different ways." Luna replied with a wink, and Scrivy rolled his eyes as they paced side-by-side down the road beneath the ivory moonlight, smiling and gazing back and forth over the silent, dark homes, runes that they had etched and painted long ago visible here and there upon the wooden structures, ancient symbols of protection to keep the ponies inside safe from the grips of evil spirits. "Look at this place, Scrivener Blooms... even now, 'tis... utopian. Even now, the sense of peace... the sense of quiet majesty that even Canterlot lacks, aye... the sense of... belonging, welcoming, being home. It softens the pain of having to abandon our home as we did, my love... and it strengthens my resolve to end this tide of darkness before it can overwhelm Equestria in full force."
Luna fell quiet for a moment as they strode past Sugar Cube Corners, both gazing at the single dim light in what was Pinkie Pie's window, studying it for a few moments before Luna looked upwards and murmured quietly: "And... no. Thou knows that I lie, does thou not?"
She fell quiet again, only looking upwards, gazing at the constellations and stars as the moon shimmered silently in the air and black clouds rolled slowly by... and Scrivener quietly leaned against her, wrapping a foreleg around her as she shook her head and smiled faintly to herself. "Yes. I do not want it to end... too soon, too abruptly. And I do not want the darkness to recede in total... for I feel kinship with it, even as I fight against it, even as I know this surge of evil... is wrong, and bodes ill. Yet we can make the embrace of darkness... soothing, better, can we not? We can use it for a purpose, strengthen Equestria and ourselves and... selfishly, I wish... I wish for the old days. I wish to have purpose again, as an adventurer, an outlander, Luna Lightblade the warrior instead of Luna, Princess of the Night. Even being Nightmare Moon the exile was better than that nonsense... but... then again, I spent that time with thee, and that has made so much difference."
She fell quiet, looking down for a few moments at the ground before she glanced towards Scrivy, the male meeting her eyes as she asked quietly: "And what anxieties, perchance, prey upon thine own mind? For 'tis an uneasy night... likely for all of us concerned. Today holds great possibilities, of both benign and malign chance... and the first chance the Starlit Knights will be given to prove themselves as well."
"The night is over, the morning has begun... that's why it's so uneasy, Luna. In a little while, we'll be lowering the moon... this is the tenseness that comes before any big adventure, as I've learned by now." Scrivy smiled a little over at her, saying quietly: "Maybe the reason you feel so anxious isn't just because we're going to a place I loathe to rescue ponies who hate me. Maybe it's because you're in charge of protecting the lives of all these ponies... of being a leader."
"Analyze me not, Scrivener Blooms, 'tis unfair; thou art connected to me, after all, 'tis like looking in a mirror and commenting on how handsome thou art." Luna replied grouchily, glancing awkwardly away before she hurried suddenly onwards, and Scrivy smiled despite himself, shaking his head slowly as Luna mumbled: "But true, perhaps, 'tis. I am not fond of... leading such a large group. Oh aye, 'twas a pleasant surprise to discover how much I enjoy bossing thou around and teaching Twilight Sparkle, 'twas never difficult to run all variety of training and exercise... but this, this is different. This is leadership. And as thou knows, beyond my fickle attitude there is little suited for a leader in me, 'tis why Nightmare Moon always preferred to work alone."
"Luna, you make a fine leader. You know the name of every pony working for you, as well as their rank, even a little bit about them... you have us organized to play to our strengths and protect our weaknesses, and they trust you and admire you." Scrivener Blooms replied quietly, looking across at her softly as Luna mumbled a little under her breath. "Besides, we'll still be out there on our own for the most part, won't we? But we need supplies, we need to fight numbers with numbers, and we need to have enough of a presence to fortify North Neigh."
Luna sighed loudly as she strode towards the gates, muttering under her breath and nodding a few times before they both glanced up towards a pair of minotaurs chatting calmly beside the closed gates, lit by the pallid glow of a lantern at their feet. They both glanced up as the two approached, and then smiled and nodded, one striding forwards to unlock the massive gates and then yank it open with a grunt as the other said calmly: "Yaga Baba. Is good to see you and husband four-hoof. Dwarf-pigs spy upon Ponyville, but we throw rock at them, scare them off, solve problem. They not warriors, only children that play at being warriors, looking for easily-taken toys."
"My thanks then, for letting us know of their presence. Scrivener Blooms and I shall ensure they have not meddled at Sweet Apple Acres then, but thou may leave the gates open, for it shall be morning shortly." Luna replied quietly, and the minotaurs both saluted sharply by smashing one fist against their brawny chests, making the winged unicorn smile slightly. "If only all ponies could prove half as loyal and skilled as thine kind are. But come, my husband, perhaps we shall work away our stresses for the night by battering some silly dwarves."
Scrivy shook his head with a smile, then nodded to the minotaurs before he followed Luna out onto the dirt road beyond, the two striding quietly towards the path leading to Sweet Apple Acres before the winged unicorn gave a short, knowing look to the male... and he sighed, rolling his eyes and saying finally: "Okay, okay, enough. I'm nervous, I am, yes, but I don't think you really need me to go over why. We might have always joked about visiting North Neigh but the idea of actually doing it terrifies me. Furthermore, I wonder if I'm really trying to prove I'm the better pony here or just so ingrained and so desperate for their approval I'm just-"
Luna reached out and punched him firmly in the shoulder with a hoof, making him wince and stagger to the side, and then she said mildly: "Be not an idiot, Scrivener Blooms. Thou art doing that thing where thou worries so much thou blows everything out of proportion and it spawns forth more worries. And furthermore, I would like to add that if this is what having parents is like, I am all too glad I do not remember ever being a foal, much less being under the hoof of parental figures. Perhaps 'tis why Celestia is so damaged, she remembers those times lived... but then again, Celestia is Celestia, and some things, such as natural disasters, simply begin life with their only purpose to be as destructive and annoying as possible."
"And once again, the conversation becomes all about Luna." Scrivy remarked, then he ducked when she swung her horn at him with a grumble. "Still, though... I'd rather be talking about you than talking about me and my problems. Anyway, are we going to drop the moon?"
"Oh, thou worries too much." Luna muttered, but she nodded all the same as they paused in the center of the road together, glancing at each other before she smiled a little and slipped sideways so their flanks pressed together as they sat down, her starlit mane flickering quietly around her body as she tilted her head back and smiled slightly. "One day, we really shall drop the moon. Preferably on Canterlot or thine bitter hometown."
"You're so sweet, Luna, it's like being stabbed with candy canes." Scrivy muttered, his own head tilted back, his eyes closed as Luna laughed and then shut her own, her horn beginning to thrum quietly with energy as they both smiled... and slowly, the glow over Luna's horn intensified as they arched their backs in time, the moon shuddering quietly where it rested above the horizon... and then slowly, it lowered, even as it flickered strangely, even as both the equines frowned slightly as they both felt the odd pressure that seemed to push back against them.
But moments later, the moon had descended... and slowly, to their backs, the sun began to quietly rise, even as they sat like statues, barely breathing, sharing thoughts and emotions and feelings as Luna's horn continued to glow and her starry mane swept to the side, tickling quietly along the male's body before their eyes both opened... and they gazed to one another with a slow nod, as the winged unicorn murmured: "It is not impossible that other ponies can move sun and moon... but it requires more than simply magic and will. It requires finesse, focus... and something deeper that I never cared to learn. 'Twas simply... a talent I possessed, that was always all. And Celestia, Sleipnir and I... we do not remember a time we did not possess our emblems. From birth, perhaps, they were upon us, but as I have already said..."
She fell quiet for a moment, then shook her head and smiled a bit, straightening and walking forwards, and Scrivy looked at her dumbly for a moment before he hurried to catch up, falling into pace again as she said softly: "Strange, the way ponies have decided that their emblems, their so-called 'cutie marks' - and what a term that is! - are what decide their destinies. Aye, 'tis a metaphor for a pony's special talent... but all talents must be nurtured to be of worth, and it is not like other skills are thus automatically thrown out of reach. In the past, we thought of them as omens from the gods, thought of them as divine blessing and a guide... and recognized that all skills could be applied in a different direction as well."
She smiled a little, then glanced towards the entrance to the road leading into Sweet Apple Acres, the gates standing open. "It appears that at least our friends are awake, and likely unhindered. Nibelung brigands would be far too stupid to bother with opening a gate, and I am sure that the sight of the minotaurs on the property would curb many of their desires to attempt an attack."
"Either that, or Rainbow Dash forgot to close the gates again last night." Scrivy said placidly, and Luna grumbled a bit as they strode down the path, then glanced up curiously at the sound of frustrated arguing. "Speaking of which..."
They veered off towards the sound, striding through a field of harvested apple trees and towards the source of the argument, and found Rainbow Dash himself gesturing violently as Aleksandr only stood calmly, chewing slowly on an apple as he regarded the Pegasus with a meditative gaze. "-seriously! You guys can't just... decide to do whatever you want, hasn't AJ already talked to you about this, or even Big Mac?"
"Tree was rotting, so I cut down. Simple. Pretty young four-hoof approved." Aleksandr replied mildly, and Rainbow's jaw fell open before the minotaur glanced to the side and rose a hand to Luna and Scrivy as they approached. "Dobraye utro, Yaga Baba, and to you as well, face-marked four-hoof. Is good to have better company."
He paused, then took a slow bite of his apple as his eyes turned pointedly back towards Rainbow, who was mouthing wordlessly... then finally gritted his teeth and pointed at him with a hoof, snapping: "Pretty young four-hoof! For one thing, stop calling us four-hooves, and for another you... stop... looking at stuff!"
"And jealousy doth rear its head." Luna said informatively, leaning over towards Scrivener and nodding seriously, and Scrivy cleared his throat as he fought to keep a straight face when Rainbow shot them a curdling glare. "Oh, my apologies, Rainbow Dash, we meant not to intrude upon a private conversation. Yet all the same, permit me to offer a moment of advice. 'Tis the morning of moving out, and 'twould be far better for all concerned if thou wert not beaten and bludgeoned for the journey ahead. Thou art part of the vanguard after all... 'twould make things much more difficult if thou had to be moved to the caravan to nurse thy wounds and instead we required another Pegasus to keep an eye out from above."
"Hey, I would totally not lose in a fight to this... dumb... guy!" Rainbow said flatly, pointing grouchily at the minotaur, and Aleksandr only smiled indulgently before the male glared at him. "What, what are you laughing at? You got your butt handed to you by us little four-hooves!"
"Yes, but Aleksandr and his brother defeated themselves, flying four-hoof. We underestimated strength of four-hoofs, and strength of four-hoof's kicks." Aleksandr absently tapped his own temple, looking at Scrivener Blooms pointedly, and the male glanced awkwardly away. "But I am curious of this, Yaga Baba. I have heard of great campaign to take place, and wish to offer services of myself and other misfit brothers. Brother Ivan will stay here with other minotaur kindred to tend to farm, but my debt is better served on battlefield than on bumper crop."
"You... you work for us! You can't just... decide things, and besides, we're pretty damn good already, thank you very much." Rainbow grumbled, glowering moodily up at the minotaur as Aleksandr looked back down at him for a moment, and then both of them looked over at Luna, the Pegasus adding flatly: "Seriously, you can't be considering this."
Luna, however, looked thoughtfully back at the minotaur, asking curiously: "How many minotaurs wish to come with us upon this venture? And furthermore, what reasons can thou supply as to why I should permit it?"
"I and five others would help Yaga Baba. And I shall give you two." The minotaur paused, half-tossing his mostly-eaten apple towards Rainbow Dash with barely a glance in his direction, and the Pegasus jumped backwards with a glare as Aleksandr rose a hand and wiggled his fingers. "I have these, four-hoofs do not. I also have very large hammer, which four-hoofs also do not have."
The winged unicorn grinned slightly at this, nodding a few times and saying kindly: "Aleksandr, it seems that thou understands well the best way to reason with me. Very well then, I shall gladly accept thy offer of help."
"Oh come on!" Rainbow threw his head back with a groan, then he glared at the minotaur and snapped: "I swear to the Horses of Heaven I will trample you if you put one hoof out of line, Aleksandr, and unless AJ is okay with this-"
"Prettier and much-nicer four-hoof has already agreed, we discuss this last night while lazy flying four-hoof napped in hiding spot in orchard three." Aleksandr replied mildly, and Rainbow's jaw dropped before the minotaur half-bowed to him politely. "Do not worry. Minotaurs will do brunt of hard work."
"Hey, I could kick your butt any day of the week!" Rainbow threatened, but Aleksandr only smiled indulgently, which just made the Pegasus glower and stomp the grass before grumbling and turning around to storm moodily off with a loud mutter, Luna shaking her head with an amused smile as Scrivener Blooms sighed a little and then gave her a flat look.
She only shrugged, however, saying mildly: "'Tis merely tenseness for what is yet to come. Worry not, Aleksandr, he shall come around yet. Rainbow only wishes for the best for his friends and family... he will settle more once he realizes thou art honest in thy wish to protect and aid us."
Aleksandr nodded, then he saluted and bowed his head, saying calmly: "And Aleksandr understands this better than flying four-hoof knows, after tyranny of volk. But if Yaga Baba will excuse me, I shall gather my brothers for the journey and wait in front of the giant tree in Ponyville. Good luck to you both."
And with that, the minotaur turned and strode calmly through the orchard, the two ponies smiling after him before they glanced at each other, and Luna shrugged a bit before she said quietly: "Well, as we are in the vicinity now, let us find Big Mac or Applejack and attend to the matter of the caravan. Most of it should be here already, if not all... and that which is not here should be with Cowlick and Rarity."
Scrivener fell into step with the winged unicorn as she rolled her shoulders, becoming a little more serious now as she looked up in thought, frowning a little to herself as the male caught the odd memory whispering through their linked minds or an estimate or two... but despite how much Luna was trying to focus, he could also sense that most of her anxieties were based around Canterlot, most of her questions centered around the late afternoon, when they would arrive and Celestia would finally reveal whatever it was she had in mind.
They found Big Mac and Applejack in front of the barn, loading up the carriages they had already hauled out of the confines of the structure. The two greeted them warmly, and Applejack had listed out the few items they were missing, but said they were expecting Cowlick and Rarity to arrive with the last of the supplies shortly. Then they would join the others at the assembly point for the Starlit Knights: the square in front of the library, the place where they could say their last goodbyes to Ponyville and its citizens.
Luna only stayed to chat for a few minutes, ensuring that Applejack was alright with Aleksandr coming with them and reassured by the positive response of the earth pony. She felt confident enough leaving Ivan in charge of taking care of the farm, with how well the two minotaurs had been doing so far... and it wasn't like there was much to do now, anyway. They had finished most of the harvesting, and winter would be setting in shortly in earnest, and a large, burly minotaur was more than capable of handling the simple preparation for the coming cold.
Scrivener Blooms looked curiously at the winged unicorn as they strode back to Ponyville, how she fell deeper into thought as they walked down the road, barely seeming to heed even Cowlick and Rarity when they passed the two lugging a loaded cart. She managed a smile and a bit of a grunt, but that was all... and, as they drew through the gates, Luna murmured quietly: "I wish again, it was only us on this mission, Scrivy. I can take care of us... I don't know if I can protect them all. I fear... I will fail them."
"Luna... it's their choice. You've prepared them as much as you could... but every one of them isn't doing this because Celestia gave them some fancy rank, or even just because they want to adventure beside you... they are doing this to protect Equestria, to protect Ponyville, to protect their home and their friends." Scrivener paused, then he smiled a little, nudging her quietly as they strode side-by-side through the dusty streets, ponies watching the two pass with respectful, and even adoring eyes. "Stop being so damn selfish."
Luna halted at this, Scrivy continuing onwards for a few paces before he glanced over his shoulder at her curiously... and then she smiled warmly back at him, nodding firmly and saying quietly: "Thou art right. I have been selfish. I am being selfish. Once more, I think of how this affects me, and want my adventure... forgetting that this is the burden of all, forgetting that everypony else has a right to this as much as I do, as much as I ever have. Yes, Scrivener Blooms, I must instead be thankful that we have the allies we do, and think of myself not as their leader... but remember once more I am but another pony amongst them, a guide, aye, but no ruler like Celestia."
She paused, then threw her head back and laughed, striding easily forwards and falling into pace again beside Scrivy as he gave her an affectionate look. "I am fortunate I have thee always there to remind me of the things that sometimes slip my mind. Even if it means that sometimes thou forgets thy own proper place, too."
She bumped firmly against him, and Scrivy laughed and shook his head as they made their way to the library... and neither were surprised to find Twilight already outside in the square, Starlit Knights already beginning to gather and ponies standing around the open area, watching the soldiers clad in glimmering studded vests layered with gemstones and others in heavier silvery armor assembling, many of them with crossbows and quivers of bolts over their backs.
Twilight glanced up as they approached, smiling warmly as she almost embarrassedly adjusted the black cloak covering her body, Luna looking curiously over the preparations that had already taken place: more than half the knights were gathered, and excitement and anxiety both lingered in the tense air. It made her wonder how many of them had even set hoof out of Ponyville, apart from day trips to Canterlot and other nearby places... and then she met Twilight's gaze as the pony said quietly: "Everything seems to be going according to plan so far... I sent Rarity and Cowlick out earlier to finish loading up the freight wagons, and everypony I've spoken to up to this point knows what they're supposed to be doing... speaking of which..."
The unicorn smiled slightly after a moment, then gestured to the side, and both Scrivener and Luna looked with surprise to see Zecora approaching, the zebra giving the two a thoughtful look as she said in her calm, confident tones: "It seems you two are well-prepared, to make a journey few would have dared. It gives me hope for the times ahead, assuming you don't all end up dead."
"Oh, wonderful, my friend, could thou not have simply wished us good luck? Already I worry for the cost of this endeavor." Luna said flatly, but she was smiling all the same as Zecora chuckled in response to this, the winged unicorn's eyes roving thoughtfully over the shaman. "I must admit surprise, however... I did not expect thou to come to see us off."
Zecora smiled at this, however, her knowing, blue-emerald eyes glinting as she tilted her head, her charcoal and ivory Mohawk standing tall, the golden rings surrounding one foreleg glinting quietly as her large, bottom-heavy gold hoop earrings clinked quietly against the matching hoops around her neck. "We have worked together for a long time, and since self-imposed exile our friendship did shine. It would be rude for me to not have been here... and ruder still had I not made this clear; whether my home is close or near, we are in this fight together as peer. When shadows rise in one place on our earth, it is the duty of every person to lend forth their worth. For under the skies, all our planet is connected... the fall of one means the others are that much less protected."
"Do you think these things up ahead of time or are you just that good?" Scrivener asked mildly, and Zecora laughed and shook her head as the male leaned to the side, adding meditatively as his eyes roved over the swirling mark on Zecora's flank: "You sure that doesn't mean you're a poet?"
"It is not an emblem like yours, Scrivener Blooms, and you might be better at working with rhyme if all your poems weren't about gloomy dooms." the zebra replied with a wink, and Scrivy cleared his throat and mumbled something under his breath as Luna shook her head with a grin. Then the zebra half-turned and patted a small wooden box, saying kindly: "On a more important subject though, I have brought a gift should the journey's tide turn low. Several vials of elixir from the land I call home, sent to you from afar along with a tome. Normally our secrets are kept within our own hidden realm, but for you we make glad exception as you stand bravely at the helm.
"There is no need for surprise, Luna of the Night... did I not just say that we must all stand together against this blight?" Zecora gazed over at them kindly, her eyes filled with wisdom and age much greater than her dark-striped, attractive features would suggest. "I am always ready to give you aid should it ever be required, as there is much about you that can be admired. I am glad the ponies have such a strong and willful defender, for I can think of no other who would battle this foe without surrender."
"I only do what must be done, Zecora, that is all... and I cannot express my gratitude to thee for this generous gift, and this trust of knowledge." Luna said quietly, bowing her head for a moment, and then she looked up as the zebra bowed back respectfully. "But pray tell... if these elixirs are made from thine homeland, will the ingredients be possible to find in Equestria? We travel to the cold north... and as Scrivener Blooms has told me, 'twill already be cold and barren there, and possibly rife with snow."
Zecora looked down thoughtfully for a moment, and then she gazed back up with a smile, replying gently: "Luna, you are resourceful and powerful too... so if you can't find the ingredients, why not make them come to you?"
The winged unicorn looked thoughtfully at the zebra for a few moments, then she smiled slightly in return, saying quietly: "Perhaps I shall pursue this method of action, then... and again, Zecora... thou hast my thanks. I know not how I can repay thee... but I can at least promise that I shall let nothing stop me from forcing back this tide of shadows that threatens Equestria... that threatens Ponyville."
"And I believe that you intend to, for the sake of family and friends... but remember that sometimes salvation can come only when the world ends." the zebra said quietly and pointedly, and Luna's eyes sharpened immediately, the two locking gazes before Zecora closed her irises and bowed deeply. "Please excuse me now, and later for this abrupt departure I shall make amends."
With that, the zebra turned and strode calmly away, and Luna watched her leave, a chill running down her spine at the zebra's wording as Twilight frowned a bit... but Scrivener only shook his head slowly, quickly asking: "So did you know Zecora was stopping by?"
"What? Oh, no, no." Twilight seemed to understand that it would be better not to discuss what had just happened as Luna slowly began to relax, the unicorn instead approaching the wooden box and pushing the top open with an awkward smile: it swung easily up on a hinge, and a moment later, a bottle filled with clear liquid floated upwards, glowing a faint purple as Twilight's horn shimmered. "Oh, I know what this is... Zecora only had one vial of it the last time I checked, however, and she said it was very rare, very difficult to make. Uh... what did she call it..."
Scrivener, however, tilted his head with surprise... and Luna glanced at him before she said mildly: "And again, Scrivy, thy strange knowledge of the occult once more comes into play and proves me surprised at the fact thou art so good at separating fairy tale from faerie reality. 'Tis a vial of Heaven's Blessing, Twilight Sparkle, it could be many things, but the way its glow overpowers the aura of thine horn, the way it bubbles even whilst trapped in a crystalline vial, and the clarity, clearer than water or diamonds or perhaps even the sky above, aye. Made beneath the moonlight, with rare, kept-secret ingredients... 'twill save even the weakest, frailest foal from the clutches of certain death, and reinvigorate the most exhausted, broken spirit."
Twilight looked surprised at this, glancing at the vial as she drew it in closer, and Luna smiled slightly, saying quietly: "Celestia, Sleipnir and I... travelled in more than just Equestria, in the old days. We roamed near and far, and even if Equestria was... our home, where our hooves always led us back to, the place we wished to save and free... as Zecora spoke, all is connected upon this planet. We sometimes roamed far afield from home to gather what we needed, to gain knowledge and wisdom, to hunt down artifacts that would help us embattle the forces of darkness that sought to create such horrors in this broad and beautiful land of ours."
She stopped, then strode forwards as Twilight carefully slipped the vial back, Luna reaching down into the crate and smiling as she pulled out a worn tome bound in hide, a spiraling design of runic symbols over the front of the tome. "Heaven's Blessing was the name Sleipnir gave to this potion we discovered across the ocean. The shamans of the kingdom called it Yemaya's Tears... they parted with but one vial for each of us after we visited the temple city in which they lived, giving no reason, giving but one bow, and then we went upon our way."
Luna paused thoughtfully, glancing over at Scrivener Blooms, but he only shrugged a bit, saying quietly: "I knew what it was because there's all kinds of accounts of it... a lot of unicorn mages wrote about how a potion like this couldn't really exist, a lot of critics claimed it was used as a deus ex machina to keep the old stories going. Surprised you don't know about it, Twilight."
"Well, thanks, Scrivy, but as you probably recall whenever I caught you in the library actually reading something back in Canterlot, I'd always make fun of you for 'wasting' all your time on what I thought were just... silly, make-believe stories." Twilight stopped, looking awkwardly down and blushing a bit. "I was much more interested in textbooks back then and... well... I wish I'd taken a little more time to do some... supplemental reading."
"Nerd." Scrivener said half-teasingly, half-kindly, and Twilight sighed and rolled her eyes before blinking when Luna thrusted the book towards her, staggering back a bit before apprehensively grasping it with telekinesis as her horn glowed. "Hopefully you can put those skills you invested so much time in to good use now, though."
"Wait, really, Zecora gave this to you... should I be reading it?" Twilight asked nervously, frowning a bit as she leaned forwards even as the book floated beside her almost tantalizingly. "I mean, I don't want to betray her trust or-"
"Oh come now, as if Zecora is foolish enough to give a book of knowledge to a creature such as myself without suspecting me to share it with those closest." Luna rolled her eyes, shaking her head with a slight smile. "Nay, 'tis fine and well, and thou art worrying more than thou should. Come, though, thy friends approach... and it looks as if already we are well-prepared, ahead of the expected schedule."
Twilight nodded quickly, hurriedly slipping the book back down into the small wooden box before shoving it closed as she glanced up... then she smiled a little, her eyes softening as she looked over the group of ponies that took up their places in front of her. Newer faces, like Cowlick and Scarlet Sage, the mare dressed in thick chain mesh and composite fabric that clung to her body, a holstered carbine rifle on her back and a black bandana tied around her head, letting her messy mane spill freely around it. The filly, meanwhile, had only a lightweight vest over her body and a scarf around her neck... but the other ponies would do anything to keep the filly safe, and she would be travelling in the comfort and safety of the supply wagons.
And older faces... Rainbow Dash, grinning in gleaming armor that was blue-silver and edged in gold, his strong frame protected by lightweight plates of slightly-curved steel that would still allow him to move freely. His lower body and upper limbs were shielded by sapphire-colored chain mesh and banded, thick strips of metal, and his wings flapped eagerly, almost with enough strength to lift him into the air. "Finally, we're getting some action!"
"Hold on now, sugar-cube, don't go getting us in trouble before we even leave." Applejack cautioned, but the earth pony was smiling despite herself, braided hair neatly pulled back beneath her well-worn cowboy hat and a thick vest over her body that glinted with metallic-painted gemstones. Rarity had made the vests, but Cowlick had mixed and applied a composite coating over them, hardening the lightweight armor further, taking away some of the brittleness of the minerals. "I gotta say though... I got this weird excitement in me. I'm scared and anxious, but all the same... I'm excited for this journey."
"Yup." Big Mac agreed quietly: while the other ponies were dressed similarly to Applejack, Big Mac was in heavier armor than even Rainbow Dash, his strong, enormous frame easily supporting the solid weight of the full plate mail protecting him from head-to-hoof. Interlocked plates gleamed over his body, a small, circular shield buckled to one forearm as he bowed his head respectfully to Luna, and she smiled and nodded courteously back.
"Thou reminds me of my long-passed brother in body... perhaps a little in wisdom, too, but thou lacks the sense of mischief. But before Scrivener Blooms suspects me of flirting too much with thee..." Luna grinned slightly, flicking her eyes towards her husband, but he only shook his head with an amused look to her before the winged unicorn became more serious, saying quietly: "Art thou all ready for what is to come?"
"Yes." Surprisingly, it was Fluttershy who spoke up first from where she sat beside Scarlet Sage: her wounds were still healing, but she stood prouder, with more confidence than before, carrying saddlebags marked with medical symbols and dressed in a vest that had been cut so her still-bandaged, still-pained wings could move freely. "I... feel ready. I know why I'm here... I know we can't turn back now. And I won't. For my father, and for my friends: you all helped me, saved me... now it's time for me to do my part, too."
She quietly rested a hoof on Scarlet Sage's shoulder, and the young filly blushed a bit, looking up with a radiant smile... and on her other side, Pinkie Pie laughed a little before glancing almost embarrassedly up at Luna. "Pinkamena... is eager. For the fight, mostly, but I know it's more than that, too. It's... fighting, with a reason, beside people we care about."
Pinkie quieted, rubbing at her vest-covered chest and nodding slowly before she glanced embarrassedly up. "I'm ready too. I just focus on... getting through this, and helping you guys for the way you've all helped me... and then we can have a party, a big celebration, and everything will be okay again. This will be hard, and I know bad things will happen, but... we can still make the best of this. We still have hope, for the future. They can't steal that from us, no matter what happens."
Rarity nodded, the unicorn adding softly: "I never thought I'd end up here... I always thought I would be watching my fashions on the walk, not... watching them go into service on the battlefield. The cares and woes of the fashion world suddenly seem so far away now... now, if something rips, it can lead to death, not just being scolded or fired or worst of all, having everypony think you meant to do that on purpose so now it's suddenly the hot new trend. Now I'm designing to stop ponies from being hurt, to save lives... it makes me a world more anxious, and at the same time... makes me so much prouder."
She halted, blushing a bit as she rubbed a hoof at the studded vest covering her chest, the silver-painted gemstones glinting dully. "Imagine the shock on the faces of the fashion critics of Canterlot if they saw me now. I am all too sure their reactions would vary from utterly absurd to taking it as a personal insult that such atrocious-looking armor should exist. And yet, if it does its job, lives will be saved... and that makes me smile."
Rarity glanced up and nodded a bit firmer, and Luna looked slowly again over the assembled ponies before she looked over her shoulder curiously as Twilight nudged her... and the winged unicorn stepped carefully aside at a look from the violet pony, sitting beside Scrivener Blooms as the unicorn called: "Spike!"
A moment later, the library door opened and Spike hurried out, wearing his own modified, lightweight steel vest and carrying a large wooden box in his arms. He set this down with a wheeze, then stood quickly back as Twilight stepped forwards and glanced down at the oaken trunk, seeming to hesitate before she finally murmured: "I had a big speech planned... but this... doesn't really need a big speech. But we need all the help we can get."
Twilight Sparkle flicked her horn as she stepped backwards, and the trunk clacked several times before it opened with a rumble... and the unicorn's eyes closed as her horn glowed, lifting the contents of the trunk without looking, making Luna's breath catch in her throat as she and the others stared at what was revealed.
Six golden necklaces floated silently upwards, each with a symbol in a different-colored gemstone that matched the emblem upon the flanks of six of the ponies present, resting on solid metal backing. An orange apple, a scarlet lightning bolt, a blue balloon, a mauve diamond, a pink butterfly, and a violet starburst... the six Elements of Harmony, once corrupted and shattered, but now visibly restored, as they floated silently forwards and locked onto the necks of Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Fluttershy.
Last, Twilight examined hers in silence for a moment... then leaned back a bit so the necklace could twist around and lock into place around her throat before she glanced up awkwardly as Luna asked with surprise: "But how did thou manage to restore those objects? They were destroyed, were they not?"
"True, but with what remained and some new materials, I was able to slowly but surely piece them back together. They're... they're not the answer to everything." Twilight halted, glancing now towards her awestruck friends, getting their attention as they all looked up at this with surprise. "They're conductors... they react in the presence of each other, powered by certain... emotions, triggers. Since I started researching them, I've wondered more and more if we really embody... what they need to power them, or if it's because we six together, are linked, are friends... are able to generate those feelings, that... necessary power between ourselves. But... all the same, we can use them. All the same, they'll help shield us from the darkness ahead, and I believe we can learn to use them. We haven't used them for... for a long time now, but I believe... they can help us."
She quieted, then blushed a little, glancing embarrassedly towards Luna and adding: "And... I'm sorry I didn't tell you, or ask you for help, but... I was worried about bringing the subject up. I know you lost a lot just trying to get the Elements of Harmony in the first place, and I know that... after what happened with Celestia, they weren't attached to... to any kind of good thoughts. I wasn't even entirely sure I could put them back together, it took months of work and... I... I could never quite work up the nerve to bring it up."
She blushed a bit, glancing awkwardly down... but Luna only shook her head slowly and smiled a little, saying quietly: "'Tis all well and fine, Twilight Sparkle... I understand. It is only as I said before... thou has secrets, and I shall only think of this as uncovering another one of them... and if anything, I admit that I am glad we have these once more in our hooves, and that thy friends may benefit from their protection. But unless I am mistaken... thou has modified the Element of Magic, has thou not? 'Twas once a tiara..."
"It was, but... I like it more like this." Twilight said quietly, glancing down and reaching a hoof up to quietly touch the purple star, blushing a little... but Luna only nodded firmly, then gestured towards the unicorn, and she laughed a little before stepping forwards, gazing with renewed confidence over her friends. "Now that we've taken care of that... Cowlick, I need you to do a last-minute equipment check on everyone. Fluttershy, Rarity, can you help her?"
The three nodded firmly, excusing themselves from the line before Twilight's eyes roved to Rainbow Dash, ordering quietly: "Do a flight around the walls of Ponyville. Slow, not fast... take your time, make sure there's no one waiting for us to leave. Big Mac, Applejack, get everypony to fall into line, we don't want to look bad in front of Luna, do we?"
"No ma'am." Applejack smiled slightly, then she tipped her hat towards Luna before turning with her brother, the two heading towards the gathered ponies as the female shouted: "Alright, come on, find your places, break time's over!"
"Don't start without me, okay?" Rainbow Dash winked to Twilight, then he leapt into the air, his wings flapping powerfully and propelling him easily higher, moving with comfort and grace despite the armor clinging to his frame... but then again, Luna had designed the medium armor to be as lightweight as possible, and further enchanted it so that it would be far from heavy on the strong frame of the male.
That left Pinkie Pie and Scarlet Sage, but she only smiled and reached out to pat the filly on the head lightly, saying kindly: "I better go find my place in line too. You be good though, okay?"
Scarlet Sage blushed and smiled back, nodding a little, and Pinkie lingered only a moment longer before turning and heading to find her place amidst the ranks of ponies that were quickly shuffling themselves into proper line and position. For a moment or two, Scarlet Sage watched her go... and then she laughed a bit and glanced down, turning around and asking quietly: "What about me? What do I do?"
"Thou shall stay with us for the moment." Luna replied softly, gazing down at her affectionately before she leaned down and murmured: "Thou has a great role to play in the times ahead, young one... and I am only sorry that I could not shield thee from this better. Thou hast already suffered much for a filly so young, and now thou has a life ahead that will undoubtedly be difficult and challenging, and at times, painful... but I believe wholeheartedly that thou art also destined for greatness, and know that I and Scrivener Blooms and all thy other family here... we shall be beside thee, until the very end. And that is a promise I shall not break."
Scarlet Sage nodded slowly, gazing up at her trustingly, adoringly, and then she smiled a little and murmured: "It's funny, you know? Apple Bloom was saying how... jealous she was. I get to go on a big adventure, and so do her brother and sister... but she has to stay with Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. Sweetie Belle's worried but Scoot is pretty excited and wants to hear about everything when I get back... and I am scared. I am really scared... but I guess I'm kind of eager, too, all the same. It's not that I want to sound like I don't understand how big and serious this is, because I think I do... but... I want to learn more about these powers. I want to meet Princess Celestia, even if you make fun of her all the time. I think there's a lot to look forwards to, at least at first."
Luna smiled softly, reaching forwards and stroking a hoof through the filly's mane as she said quietly: "And there is not a thing in the world wrong with that. It is good thou can be positive, and look towards adventure with bright eyes... and aye, for this first part of our trip, I fear only what will come at Canterlot... and mostly what I fear is Celestia's meddling. Scrivener Blooms and I must don our armor and make the last of preparations now, however... will thou be alright waiting outside?"
"Can I go and say goodbye to Apple Bloom and the others? I'll come right back." Scarlet Sage looked up quietly, and Luna traded an entertained look with Scrivy, even as Twilight bit her lip at the thought of something not going according to plan. "I'll be real quick!"
"Go ahead, Scarlet Sage, and take your time." Scrivener said kindly, and the filly smiled warmly at them, nodding firmly before she turned around and dashed off, and the earth pony laughed quietly and shook his head, giving the unicorn an amused look as he headed towards the library door. "Can't plan everything, Twilight. Besides, would you really say no to that little filly just to keep things on schedule?"
Twilight fidgeted and mumbled to herself, and Luna snorted in amusement as she followed the male inside before looking over her shoulder curiously as the unicorn hurried in after them, half-arguing plaintively: "Well, I just am trying to keep things in order, and... I mean, it's not like she hasn't already had plenty of time, or they weren't going to be around for the sendoff or-"
"Twilight, thou hast greater control issues than mine own." Luna said mildly, and she looked curiously to the side to see Spike hurriedly stacking books into a saddlebag, the winged unicorn walking slowly over to peer down at the dragon and making him wince and lean back a bit before she stuck her head into the saddlebag even as Twilight blushed. "I see thou art bringing books for every occasion. I shall not allow this, student, thou relies too heavily upon the biased research and opinion of others."
"Luna..." Twilight began, and the winged unicorn pulled her head out of the bag and glared at her, making her flinch a little and hold up her hooves. "We have room, don't we? And it's just... a little light reading..."
"Aye, but who knows what may happen along the path? I order thee to go without a book for the trip to Canterlot." She paused, then jerked her head towards Scrivener Blooms as the male began to slip his armor over his body, Luna adding mildly: "Furthermore, forget not that Scrivy was a published author as well. Thou needs to learn to sip more carefully from the wellspring of wisdom, for 'tis not all a bounty of knowledge that comes from books. Writers are liars. Horrible, awful, foul liars."
"I'm right here." Scrivener remarked dryly, waving a hoof at her, and Luna only gave him a saccharine smile before she looked moodily back at Twilight, who mumbled a little but nodded and then sighed, waving a hoof at Spike.
The dragon wheezed with relief at this, hopping to his feet and rubbing a hand over the lightweight armor covering his body. "Good, because she was going to make me carry all that stuff. I... oh, right, look at this!"
Spike reached down and then grinned as he drew a short, sharp sword from the sheath at his side, the simple gladius glinting as he swung the short blade back and forth, steel blade polished and worn iron hilt comfortable in his hand as Luna winced and tilted her head to the side to avoid being accidentally smacked by the blade. "Rarity found it for me from the old armory, and Cowlick touched it up... they got a shield for me, too, but Cowlick said she was going to give it to me later. It's funny, I guess all that work with quills and stuff has let me get really good with my claws."
He absently swung the sword again... then winced when Luna stepped forwards and parried the blade with her horn, almost knocking it out of the dragon's hand before she shot him a flat look and said dryly: "Although perhaps not as good as thou thinks thou art, at least not yet. But thou may head outside and join rank then, Spike."
"Thanks, I... will do that." Spike said embarrassedly, quickly stepping backwards and half-saluting... and then, the moment Luna turned her back, he spun the sword once at his side before sheathing it with a flourish, and hurried quickly towards the door as Twilight shook her head with a smile and Scrivener gave the winged unicorn an amused look, but she only huffed in return before clicking her tongue loudly.
A moment later, there was a rustling above... and then Sammy skittered his way up along the railing of the second floor and into sight, looking down at them curiously as Luna called: "'Tis time to go, little friend! And Scrivener Blooms, stop fiddling with thy accursed armor."
"Oh, put your own armor on, then harass me." Scrivy retorted, grumbling a little as he fumbled at a belt that had gotten stuck... then he winced a bit when his armor glowed blue before clacking loudly as it locked snugly into place, the last of the gear firmly snapping onto his body and fitting itself against him as he cleared his throat and awkwardly adjusted his glasses. "I mean, thank you."
"Thou art welcome." Luna said kindly, flicking her horn to the side as it glowed brighter for a moment, her own armor bursting up from the floor in a whirl to rapidly assemble itself over her body, clinging tight to her frame as she grinned slightly and arched her back after a moment with a sigh as it clung to her like a second skin, dragon-scale leather and lightweight metal plating gleaming over her frame. "'Tis most relaxing in a way. But tell me, Twilight, is that truly all thou plans to wear?"
Twilight glanced awkwardly down at her cloak, then she smiled a little and half-brushed it open, revealing a thick black leather vest that covered her upper body. "All lightweight, but... it'll be enough. I know it's important for me to stay light on my hooves... I'm not as strong as you or Scrivy, and I don't know how to focus my magic to boost my natural abilities, like Celestia does. This is good for now."
Luna finally nodded as Sammy ran down the steps and over the floor to Scrivy, leaping up onto his shoulder and settling himself onto his back, and for a moment, the three ponies regarded each other before Twilight smiled a bit, saying quietly: "Listen. I know we've all come a long way together. I know times ahead will be strange. But I want you both to remember that... I'm here to help you, as much as you've helped me. You've helped me explore other facets of myself, to grow stronger, to understand friendship, affection, and... so much else, better. We've talked about it before but... for once, let me help you two. The whole reason the Starlit Knights exist is to help you two... don't try and carry all this weight alone."
"Thou does not have to keep reminding us as if we are silly foals." Luna and Scrivy glanced at each other with amusement... and then both looked towards the unicorn with surprise as she leaned in and kissed the cheek of one, then the other, stepping back after a moment with a blush and looking almost imploringly at the two... and Luna sighed but smiled, her eyes tender. "Alright, alright. Thy point is made, Twilight Sparkle, fear not. Now stop being so motherly, 'tis creepy and we do not enjoy it."
"I can't tell if you're lapsing back into Canterlot speech, talking about you and... well, you, or just talking about you and Scrivy. Who probably does enjoy it." Twilight replied flatly, and Scrivener huffed at her before Luna began to open her mouth, and Twilight winced and held up a hoof. "No, no, forget it, forget I said anything. We need to go, anyway. They're probably waiting for us."
Luna became more serious at this, straightening as flicked her head to the side, her starry locks twisting around her for a moment before smoothing back as her helm rose from the floor to slide quietly into place over her head, horn gleaming as it slipped through the supporting cradle at the top... and then she nodded slowly, murmuring quietly: "Then I shall speak to the troops, even if it was always Celestia or Sleipnir who did so."
"You always make it sound like you were the one hiding in the background, Luna... but without you, Celestia and Sleipnir would have been incomplete. And, whether you realize it or not, all those years you spent with them trained you as a leader... now come on." Scrivener walked towards her, firmly pushing Luna towards the door as she winced and her hooves skittered a little against the floor, Twilight staring as the male firmly bulled the winged unicorn forwards and forced her to wince and tilt her horn forwards, the door flying open a moment before she was shoved forcefully through it by the grinning earth pony. "Like you always say. Sometimes it just takes a push."
Luna glared over her shoulder at him for a moment... then she slowly faced ahead as a hush fell over the gathered ponies, swallowing as her eyes drew over the crowd before her. The Starlit Knights were arranged in four lines of ten in the square, and other ponies were gathered all around for the sendoff, with Ross and Scarlet Sage to one side. For a moment, she almost felt herself freezing up... but then she felt Twilight on one side, and Scrivener on the other, and instead she closed her eyes, taking a breath, feeling the words rising up from somewhere deep inside before her cyan irises opened and she said calmly, in a clear, ringing voice that carried easily through the square: "Citizens of Ponyville... of Equestria. Today marks a momentous occasion, and one all thou should be proud of. Today marks the first day of the first march of the Starlit Knights, brave soldiers made braver still by the fact that each and every one of you has started as something else. As normal ponies, who grew up in prosperous land... but through training, dedication, and perseverance, now thou all stand as something else. Not yet warriors, nay, but defenders. Protectors, and perhaps in this there is more honor than becoming what the bloody Nibelung become after so many battles, perhaps this is more dignity and courage in retaining thy love of peace and still marching into the fight than discarding it and becoming only war machines that forget their purpose.
"All of thee, I am proud to have by my side now. And in thy ranks, all are equals: earth pony, Pegasus, unicorn, thou all have a role to play, and I have faith thou shalt all play it well. Our first test, our first march, shall take us to Canterlot, to earn the blessing of Princess Celestia herself, to walk boldly despite being led by an exile, despite the taint-by-association all thou are given in rumor because of me... but we shall not fear. We shall not stumble, and we shall never forget our purpose. Our purpose is to save Equestria. Our purpose is to save Ponyville. And no matter what, whether we are stung by the arrows of our enemies or the curses of our kindred, we shall not give in, we shall never surrender, we shall not stop. Today is our first march, and it will not be our last, my friends, my family... but know that these first steps of thy hooves will take us all on a path towards the liberation of Equestria from the darkness that surges forth over it, towards a future of peace and prosperity, for our families, our loved ones, our foals!"
Luna straightened, confident and imperious, eyes blazing as she shouted: "We are the Starlit Knights, and we shall pierce the shadows, reveal the evils, and trample them beneath our hooves! And soon, my allies, my friends, my family, we shall bring peace and glory back to both day and night, and ensure that we do not simply drive the shadows back down to their caves... but send the demons weeping back to Helheim with such terror of what awaits them upon the surface that they will never again threaten our land! Hail, Equestria! Hail, to thee, and everypony in our nation and home!"
The Starlit Knights cheered, stomping their hooves, roaring their agreement as Luna sat back a bit, looking surprised at herself even as she grinned slightly... and then she gave Scrivy an amused look as he gazed over at her warmly. "See. That wasn't so bad, was it?"
Luna replied by raising a hoof and firmly smacking his helmeted head, making him wince back a bit as Twilight Sparkle laughed, then the winged unicorn gazed forwards again towards the cheering crowd, straightening slightly and saying softly: "But it is wonderful to see them... cheer for themselves, whether they understand it or not. Now come... the march begins. There is much to do and no more time to waste... Canterlot, Celestia, and North Neigh beyond all await."
And the three faced forwards towards the Starlit Knights, as ponies stomped their hooves and cheered even as the soldiers began to drop line-by-line into bows to the winged unicorn, awaiting her command as she looked over them with pride, confidence, and bittersweet joy burning in a whirlwind in her deep, dark eyes. |
Starlit Knights | A Brutal Skirmish, An Elegant Battle | Chapter Twelve: A Brutal Skirmish, An Elegant Battle
~BlackRoseRaven
Luna smiled despite herself as she and Scrivener Blooms strode at the head of the small vanguard unit, Twilight trailing back a few feet beside Pinkie Pie and Applejack as Rainbow Dash flew easily along above their heads, every now and then doing a short circle... whether it was out of boredom or because he was trying to do a good job, it was hard to say.
Cowlick and Aleksandr strode easily on the other flank of the group, a piece of straw hanging from the minotaur's mouth as he walked with ease seeming relaxed while most of the other ponies were charged with tenseness and excitement that ebbed and flowed with their emotions. They were maybe an hour out of Ponyville, on the long road to Canterlot, and as they hadn't run into much adventure yet, it seemed like some of the ponies were starting to understand that between the short bursts of violence and the battles and the tenseness... there was the suspense - or perhaps a better word was dullness - of a lot of calm travel.
The minotaur seemed to understand this most, humming a folk song to himself, dressed in his traditional kilt-and-loincloth and rawhide body armor. The black steel handle of an enormous war hammer was held easily in one hand, the large head resting just past his shoulder: the octagonal, dangerous-looking blunt business end was counterweighted by a deadly, single large fang, slightly chipped from years of wear-and-tear on and off the battlefield. The minotaurs were a rough but honorable people, and their weapons were rough and honorable as well: designed not just to kill, but for everyday tasks too... and killing just happened to be one of a minotaur's many chores for most days.
Aleksandr's brothers, as he called them, were helping guard the caravan, which was trailing almost a kilometer back now. Close enough it was still visible and that they could do a quick turn and reach it should something go wrong, far enough away they would likely be able to draw the attention of any brigands or Nibelung war bands and deal with them before the caravan could be threatened.
Cowlick, meanwhile, was looking thoughtfully over the minotaur, surveying him with interest as her carbine rifle glinted over her back, the earth pony matching his pace before she asked curiously: "You guys don't seem as dumb as you look, you know. I heard you live in tribes, though, prefer to live out in the wild. Got something against technology?"
"Aleksandr does not like technology any more than he dislikes flying four-hoof." the bipedal bull replied calmly, shrugging a bit. "But, much like flying four-hoof, technology does not like us. Is brittle. Is small. Is easily broken. Is not suited for our life."
Cowlick snorted in amusement, then she shook her head and grinned slightly. "Remind me to introduce you to some of the gear I got stowed in the caravan later. Designs out of Stonehoof and Hellhorse, mechanical marvels like this rifle I'm carrying. Take down one of your boys at fifty yards."
"I doubt this. I have seen crude guns before, is like shooting serpent's teeth from crossbow. Effective on smaller creatures, but minotaurs are kept strong in nature's wilds, we do not have soft skin like four-hoofs." Aleksandr replied disdainfully, flicking his wrist. "Is no honor to hide in bushes and shoot opponent in back. Is better to meet on battlefield with hammer and sickle, even if opponent you meet is Death."
"Yeah, I'll take not dying, thank you very much." Cowlick replied flatly, and then she shook her head before looking ahead and calling to Luna: "What about you? Honor or life?"
"Honor, always." Luna replied with a smile over her shoulder, then she winked. "But the rules of honor can be confused with a touch of mischief every so oft, with no harm done."
"You are Yaga Baba. Is different. You are expected to be meddling with rules." Aleksandr said easily, and Luna laughed at this and shook her head with a wide grin. "Besides, you teach four-hoofs to fight with pride and courage, even against dwarf-pigs and dead-walkers and all others who would threaten them. This is good."
"Suck-up." Cowlick muttered, and she shook her head before saying dryly: "Anyway, I'm sure you'll all be singing a different tune once we start having to deal with swarms of Velites and my guns are the only things that let us keep distance with them. I don't have a lot, stuff like this isn't mass-produced outside of the far reaches, but I do at least have plenty of ammo. And you know-"
"Silence, Cowlick." Luna said sharply, and the engineer grumbled but shut her mouth before frowning when the dark-sapphire pony glanced up and ordered quickly: "Rainbow Dash, ascend high, look to the north, tell me what you see."
The Pegasus glanced down curiously, but then he nodded before tilting himself backwards and flapping his wings powerfully, sending himself corkscrewing upwards until he was almost hidden amongst the clouds... and then he arched his back and gracefully fell towards the ground, letting his weight carry him down and his wings careful to catch the air before he twisted and landed smoothly with a flex of his body, saying quietly: "Looks like a little camp, two Velites, three Nibelung. How did you know?"
"There is a thin trail of smoke ahead, white and almost transparent, camouflaged against the skies... and there is a smell in the air, faint but easy to distinguish, of meat being cooked." Luna paused for a moment, then glanced meditatively back at the group as they stood, suddenly looking far more anxious. "Scrivener Blooms, wait here with the others for the time to be ripe. I shall go and speak with the Nibelung. I shall drive them off or barter for information, and either way hope that this is a trap."
"You mean isn't, right?" Twilight asked after a moment, but Luna only gave her a grin before the winged unicorn turned and headed up the slope of the path through the rolling fields, and Twilight shook her head with a roll of her eyes, muttering: "Of course you don't."
Luna didn't make any attempt to hide on her way to the small camp the Nibelung had set up: a tent, a few ugly bags, some trinkets and rocks all scattered around a fire the five were gathered in a circle around. Two of the Nibelung were eating loudly, some horrible, mostly-burnt mess sitting on a large rock to one side of the flickering, small fire, and the last wolf-pig was sharpening a knife noisily against a rock as the Velites simply sat.
They were the first to notice, one of them glancing up and hissing loudly to the other, which tilted its skull even as the other Velite pointed wildly... and then Luna sat down calmly beside it as if this was a dinner with friends, and one of the Nibelung loudly began to choke on whatever mess he was eating, the other dwarves both laughing for a moment, too dumb to register Luna's presence until she said kindly: "'Tis rude to try and speak with thy mouth full."
Without glancing up, she reached up and firmly batted the skull of the Velite beside her as it began to lean slowly towards a large log, and its skull was torn almost comically away, bouncing over the field as Luna shot the remaining body an ugly glare. For a moment, the undead beast seemed indecisive... but then it awkwardly, slowly laid itself flat on the ground and tried to make itself small, and the winged unicorn sighed and glared around at the others. "Thou art all a bunch of craven cowards. Now, either give me a reason to fight thee, or give me the terms of thy surrender. I require information."
The other Velite hissed at her, and Luna slowly turned her head to glare at the undead earth pony, which flinched back a bit before one of the Nibelung leaned over and muttered urgently to the skeleton... and a moment later, the undead creature cursed, the glow in its eyes seeming to fade a little as it crossed its arms and muttered in an echoing, unnatural voice: "Arrogant pony. I would like nothing better than to strip the hide from your body for what you did to Mistress Veliuona. For leaving us scattered, alone, and cursed... for ensuring our pain will never end."
"Oh, truly mighty undead monster thou art, using such horrid words to maim my spirit." Luna retorted, and the skeleton hissed loudly at her again, but this time the winged unicorn only shook her head, saying distastefully: "And yet thou all fled the moment Veliuona died. Some loyalty, some fearlessness. The undead fear death more than the living, do they not? 'Tis why thou does not attack me with anything but words, but come, I have not the time for this. Nibelung, tell me from whence thou hast come and what thou art doing here. I know of the Black Baroque, and the tunnels, but thou art encamped here... have thou orders?"
One of the Nibelung was still choking loudly, and the other two traded winces before Luna rolled her eyes, her horn glowing, lifting a large rock with telekinesis before throwing it firmly forwards into the stomach of the dwarf-pig that was still desperately trying to breath, and it leaned forwards with a belch, spitting out a large piece of bone and making Luna wince back as she said distastefully: "Let me make this decision a simpler one. Do not give me information, and I shall shortly be using this fire to roast back-bacon on an ivory grill."
"No, no, no, we talk!" one of the Nibelung babbled, raising his hands and waving them wildly in a gesture of surrender. "No hurt us, flying fancy-corn! We told to set up roadblock by smoky-corn, okay? He want us to set up roadblock, he said 'careful, careful' and we said 'ha, we trap her, we ready!' but we not ready, not ready at all, okay?"
"Smoky-corn... Ignominious, you mean?" Luna asked quietly, and one of the Nibelung nodded rapidly before the winged unicorn shook her head distastefully, then glanced down at the headless Velite as it tried to slowly edge away before she bad-naturedly booted the skeleton into the fire, making it flail wildly in a burst of ashes and embers that sent the dwarf-pigs screeching backwards. "Stay out of my way, or the next thing I roast will not climb so easily out of the flames, understood?"
"Yes, fancy-corn!" one of the Nibelung squeaked, and Luna smiled to herself as she turned around and headed back towards the road, purposefully putting her back to them in order to see what they would do... but not even the Velite bothered to attack her, and it made her shake her head in slow distaste, knowing all too well what was likely going to happen as she stepped back onto the wide dirt highway...
And, as expected, several more Nibelung leapt up from the side of the road and charged across it, dropping into a line of five: much-more experienced dwarves, four of these armed with bows and clothed in lightweight leather armor, war paint over their faces and arrows already nocked and at the ready. Their leader, meanwhile, carried a heavy shield in one hand... and in the other, he had a control device of some kind, grinning as he shouted: "Got you, fancy-corn!"
He rose the device, pressing the button on it, and something rumbled and clanked loudly before two large, steel-bodied figures picked themselves up, crude but effective camouflage of grasses and straw falling away from them as the golems stood and strode silently forwards, standing calmly in front of the line of archers. Thick, with wide limbs and small heads, the metal plating that made up the outer bodies of the clockwork sentinels was slightly-rusted and dented, but in otherwise fair condition... and while the weathered golems weren't as sturdy as they looked, their rusted innards would slowly limber up the more they moved, going from the expected clankiness of metal and age to surprisingly-fast weapons of destruction.
"These tactics are ancient... an obvious lure, likely a band of thieves thou hast bullied into serving as bait, and now the attempted ambush? Pathetic." Luna said distastefully, and then she whistled loudly and leaned forwards, readying herself as the Nibelung leader snarled and tossed the remote away to yank an axe free from over his shoulder. "But I suppose thy kind spend too much time being trodden on in Niflheim to be bothered with thinking up better tactics. Worry not, I shall send thee running back to the tunnels... or, if thou prefers, to Helheim instead."
"We shall see, fancy-corn, you are alone, we are many! There is price on your head, high-price, wish-price!" The Nibelung leader snarled, but Luna only smiled indulgently, making him glare and begin to open his mouth... and then there was a loud, sharp bang before one of the Nibelung archers was sent flying backwards with a gargle, bow flying from his hands. "What?"
"I do not walk these roads alone, dwarf!" Luna shouted, leaning forwards as her horn glowed brightly, and then she snapped her head upwards before any of the Nibelung could react, a voracious wind bursting into being around her and sweeping forwards against the creatures, the golems unfettered but the arrows and bows ripped from the hands of the archers as they squealed and were dragged backwards by the hurricane-force gust, the Nibelung commander hissing as he leaned forwards against the back of his shield and barely managed to hold his ground.
It gave more than enough time for the others to crest the hill and charge down... and the two Nibelung who had decided to try and join the fray from the encampment winced at this before they both turned and simply bolted away, fear easily overwhelming the little courage the creatures had.
The Velite that hadn't been battered, however, continued to charge eagerly forwards, focused intently on Luna... and then it screeched loudly when Rainbow Dash crashed down on top of it with his full weight and momentum, the brittle skeleton all but exploding before he launched himself back into the air, shooting upwards as one of the Nibelung grabbed wildly at his bow as the last burst of wind ripped past the dwarves, hissing as it followed the flight of the Pegasus before cursing as it turned its attention back to ground level at the sight of Scrivener Blooms, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Aleksander all charging forwards.
The minotaur headed straight for one of the golems, roaring as he swept his hammer back before swinging in a devastating upwards arc when the metallic creature stepped forwards with a swing of one of its arms... and the hammer smashed its limb apart like clay, chunks of metal flying in all directions as the creature staggered backwards before the minotaur rose a hoof and kicked it solidly in the chest, knocking it flat before he swung the business-end of the hammer once, then twice hard down into the creature's chest, smoke rising up from the magically-powered machination as it whirred and spasmed on the ground.
Scrivener Blooms leapt towards the second golem, gritting his teeth... and then he winced before a metallic fist smashed into his features, crashing onto his back with a grunt of pain and rolling several times as Luna winced at a shock of pain that travelled through her own body before ordering sharply over the roar of battle: "Twilight Sparkle, destroy the golem! Others, focus on the Nibelung!"
Twilight nodded quickly as the mechanical construct strode forwards, a bit of steam hissing up from the cracks in his metallic body as it strode towards Scrivy as the earth pony regained his hooves and readied himself, then leapt to the side when it swung at him before dodging backwards from another lunging blow. It began to lean forwards, but then a fireball crashed into its head, blowing off chunks of metal plating and sending it staggering backwards before Twilight snapped her horn upwards, and the ground beneath the golem shattered as thick vines raced up around its frame, locking it into place... before it spasmed wildly, smoke and rattling steel falling from its body as ivy and plant-life began to rip its way out of the chinks in its armor, vegetation clogging its gears and innards as its gemstone eyes flickered violently before the light faded slowly from them.
The other Nibelung were losing confidence as they fought desperately: one lashed a dagger towards Applejack, but she only grinned as she dodged backwards before Rainbow Dash crashed into the Nibelung's back, sending it face-first into the ground in front of the earth pony before her hooves smashed down on top of its skull and knocked the dwarf unconscious: another attempted to break away from the fight, and there was another bang before it staggered to the side, clutching at its neck as its eyes bulged and it gave a gargle before it collapsed mindlessly forwards, as Pinkie Pie dodged easily back and forth around the last still-standing archer, the dwarf putting too much concentration into trying to hit the pony... and then Aleksandr slammed his elbow down into the side of its neck, and the dwarf's eyes rolled up in his head before he collapsed onto his face.
It left only the commander, who was standing with his shield raised and axe held at the ready, breathing hard as Luna faced him with a cold grin, her horn glowing slightly and her hooves spaced evenly apart as she said softly: "Thine ambush has failed spectacularly, foul creature. I shall spare thee on the condition thou tells us about Ignominious and his plans... and the Ekleíp. We know already many Nibelung serve as mercenaries to them... we know that they provide you with these rusted, ancient constructs and other equipment. Tell me their aims, their intentions, and I shall let thee escape to live and fight another day."
"Fancy-corn already knows too much, so I let my axe teach her to shut mouth and ears!" the Nibelung snarled, then it charged forwards and swung savagely out with its shield, but Luna leapt up and shoved her front hooves against it, stalling the battering attack and making the dwarf grimace and stagger even as it swung its axe savagely outwards, shifting the shield sideways to try and throw Luna off balance... but with only a tilt of her horn, the axe blade was repelled by the natural weapon of the winged unicorn.
The wolf-pig staggered with a curse... then gasped in shock as Luna leapt forwards, lightning fast, and buried her horn through his chest, then leapt backwards as it dropped axe and shield, falling to its knees and clutching at the hole rent easily through both armor and body. She looked at him coldly as the dwarf hissed and bowed forwards... then grinned weakly even as blood spilled out of its body, one hand clawing into the ground as it rasped: "May you live to see all your friends die, fancy-corn."
It gave a single broken laugh... then fell dead, and Luna shook her head grimly as the others gazed towards the fallen creature. It wasn't the first time any of them had seen a dead body, nor their first battle... but Luna thought it was the first time many of them had seen her kill anything apart from the living dead so ruthlessly, and the winged unicorn closed her eyes before she took a calming breath, then looked up and said quietly: "Come, let us drag these bodies off the road and out of the path of the caravan. Let the unconscious ones stay unconscious, let the dead stay dead, and burn the bones of the Velite; they will offer no further troubles."
The others nodded, and Scrivener quietly approached Luna, looking at her for a moment... but she only smiled a little in return, then gestured to the corpse of the commander, and the male nodded slowly, hesitating only a moment before the two turned towards the body and dragged it carefully off the path.
Cowlick joined them a few moments later from wherever she had been sniping, grimacing a little as she rose the carbine rifle and used the scope along the top of the plain, steel-and-oak weapon to survey the roads ahead. One hoof cradled the body of the gun, the other rested on the enlarged trigger in a lever-action ring designed to allow her to easily and effectively hold and fire the rifle as necessary... and then she shook her head and muttered: "Looks clear up ahead, anyway. Should we get Rainbow Dude to check?"
"Nay, 'twas only a threat, Cowlick, and one Ignominious plainly expected us to survive. But he wished to send us a message, to show us that he knows of our plans and intends to trouble us every step of the journey." Luna shook her head slowly, saying distastefully: "Let us only hope the wretch has not risen anything worse from the tunnels or the lower realms than what we see before us."
The others nodded slowly, before Twilight glanced nervously towards the golem that now stood like a monument to nature's power, steel completely overwhelmed by vines and life. "I've read about these... even seen one or two in Canterlot, a long time ago, but they were much different... made of stone. Is it possible that they can make more of them, in better condition?"
"Anything is possible, Twilight Sparkle, but worry not. They take time to build and enchant, and time is something that will work both for and against us on this journey." Luna shook her head slowly, saying quietly: "But come. Let us once more stride forwards. We have lost time and the caravan likely approaches close upon our tails. We must distance ourselves again to the vanguard position, and be wary of further ambush or attack."
She paused, then glanced irritably to the side, adding in a clear shout as the others looked up in surprise: "Cowardly Velite, I know thou lurks in the weeds! Stay there, for all I care, and gather the bones of the dead to mend thy broken body, but do not disturb the caravan... and when thou art finished with thy staring and spying, return to Ignominious with a message. Tell him to cease his games, to face me like the stallion he pretends to be, 'lest I be forced to hunt him down in short order and send him back to Helheim a mocked, crying mess."
There was an awkward rustling in the tall grasses, and Luna sighed and shook her head, even as Twilight frowned... but the winged unicorn grimaced, saying quietly: "Nay, worry not, Twilight, one Velite alone is not stupid enough to attack the force that guards our supply caravan, and I wish to send a clear message of my own to Ignominious... that I do not fear what he has raised against me. The Nibelung will likely-as-not simply flee for the tunnels: the Velite, at least, has nowhere to go but to report back to its new masters."
With that, Luna turned and began to stride down the path again, Scrivener Blooms falling into pace beside her, adjusting his glasses on his muzzle as he studied her... but she only smiled, shaking her head as the others once more began to follow, even as Rainbow Dash disconcertedly glanced over his shoulder towards where the Velite was half-hidden and Pinkie Pie and Twilight traded worried looks. "Trust in me, and in my instincts. Besides, Canterlot is not a great distance away any longer... it awaits us ahead, and there is much to be done, much to be tended to. Shortly, in any event, we shall fall back and rejoin the caravan, to finish the march together... I would prefer to enter Canterlot in the presence of many allies than risk entry with only a few friends, who may be harmed should things not go according to whatever plans Celestia has hatched."
Scrivy nodded slowly, and then they both glanced up in surprise as Twilight laughed a little, looking towards the unicorn as she said softly: "For once, Luna... I have faith in Celestia. Maybe it was the way she told me, or maybe it was just... the conviction in her eyes, or the honesty that shines out of the letters she's been sending... I think things are going to be okay."
Luna looked at her thoughtfully... and then she sighed and nodded slowly, saying quietly: "Very well, Twilight Sparkle, thou hast certainly earned my faith... and Celestia has been different as of late. Odd, and different... and not in ways completely unpleasant. I shall... try and have faith as well."
They lapsed into silence, which stayed for most of the journey, apart from the occasional short conversation... and finally, at the foot of the path leading up the mountain range Canterlot was perched upon, Luna called a halt so they could wait for the caravan. Not that it was long in coming: the wagons were able to move a little faster than expected, and the vanguard ponies hadn't put much effort into keeping a great distance between themselves and the caravan. Instead, Luna had paced slowly, deep in thought, worries flickering through her mind as she wondered what grand scheme Celestia had concocted this time... and these apprehensions continued even as they began to make their way up the path, Luna, Scrivener and Twilight still at the head of the column even as the others fell back into line, Rainbow Dash joining the other Pegasi flying slowly over the three enormous wagons being hauled by groups of armored earth ponies as the minotaurs brought up the rear.
Guard towers had been built along the path, and Celestia's golden-armored soldiers stood in many of these with crossbows... and yet, even as Luna half-expected to be met with a hail of bolts, they only stood and looked down at her with the same anxiety she gazed back at them with. The same went for the earth pony knights that stood at the sides of the road, many of them with shields over their backs emblazoned with the symbol of the sun.
The biggest surprise, however, was at the end of the path in front of the lowered drawbridge that led directly into Canterlot Castle, where Celestia herself stood, the ivory equine tall and imposing, the winged unicorn almost double Luna's impressive height. Her amethyst eyes were calm and focused, and a rainbow mane that flowed like liquid spilled past her features, swaying quietly with a mind of its own, her tail the same strange, semi-solid substance, moving with the same eccentric life.
She wore a peytral plate of gold that was inset with a gemstone the same violet as her eyes, and a matching, tall golden tiara rested upon her head just past her long, spiraled white horn: she was next-to-flawless, beautiful, powerful, and the only thing that marred her perfection was the single circular swatch of scar tissue just beneath one leg. It was a scar that Luna had given her long ago, a past mistake she had paid direly for... and when she straightened, the honor guard of no less than a dozen enormous earth pony knights in full plate armor all bowed, and the Pegasi in the sky dropped to the ground to do the same as behind Luna, Scrivener and Twilight, the others lowered themselves in respect.
Luna gazed quietly up at her big sister, her cyan irises flickering as Celestia met them... and then her older sibling lowered her head, saying quietly: "My friends. It is a pleasure and an honor to receive you here... but come. We have business to attend to first, in Canterlot Square... Scrivener Blooms, Twilight Sparkle, I wish for you both to join us, and my knights will take the wagons to be loaded up and guide your friends the short way around to the plaza, but we have a little to discuss first."
"Of course, sister." Luna said softly, nodding slowly and trying not to show her hesitance... but when Celestia smiled a little at her, the sapphire winged unicorn knew that she had sensed it anyway, and she fidgeted a bit before nodding firmer and saying quietly: "I shall trust in thee, Celestia, as thou trusts in me."
"I do not expect that, little sister, don't worry." Celestia's eyes were tender, lingering for a few moments over the three before she shook her head before motioning for them to follow as she turned. Luna paused only long enough to glance over her shoulder and motion to the others to go on their way, and the ponies nervously rose as the knights of Celestia came forwards... but they were reserved and polite, treating them more like honored guests than fellow soldiers.
The trio followed Celestia over the lowered drawbridge and towards the open gates, the Princess of the Sun gazing steadily ahead as she said softly: "I will require a favor of you, Luna, that you may not like... but we need a united Equestria. An Equestria where the rumors about Nightmare Moon are laid to rest, and where we recognize that the source of this darkness comes from a place far darker and fouler than a pony who wished only for others to appreciate her."
"I know not whether to be touched or insulted. But tell me then, Celestia, what machinations hast thou set in motion, what grand scheme does thou have hidden in thy flowing colorful locks?" Luna asked mildly, but when Celestia only gave her a smile over her shoulder even as she led them calmly through the carpeted halls, Luna sighed a little, shaking her head... and then shuddering a bit as she looked back and forth through the grand halls. "'Tis as stuffy here as I remember. So art thou. Why must we now try to solve these problems, though, my sister? Should our focus not be upon the enemy?"
"The direct attacks of our enemy are not unimportant, but mostly they are a distraction. The shadows are subtle, little sister... while our attention is focused on the events we can see, the sight of monsters flooding our beautiful home, the sounds of battle... at the same time, darkness creeps through the ground, corrupting and poisoning Equestria in far-more-dangerous ways." Celestia answered quietly, shaking her head slowly. "What would it matter if we destroyed their armies, and they managed to convince Equestria that Nightmare Moon was the cause behind all this? Already, many ponies, driven into aggression by terror and panic, have asked me to have you hunted down and killed. Already, Bucephalus tried to do this exact task, and you saw the result: Ponyville was almost destroyed by Sol Seraph, you were nearly captured by Ekleíp, and we discussed at length through letters what happened to your home.
"I could not... I will not... even pretend to turn upon you, Luna, not again." Celestia stopped in front of a pair of double doors, turning around and gazing silently down at her sister as the three gazed up at her, the Princess of the Sun slowly drawing her gaze over them as she murmured: "I betrayed you all, terribly. And even after I tried to change myself, I was not forthcoming about what was going on, I was trying to control things and rule as a leader, not act as a sister, as a fellow pony, and it cost the life of a unicorn you had taken on as student. I have a chance now to set things right. After so much thought and effort, I have come to the decision to let myself act on emotion and rash instinct instead of trying to control, and try to unite us. To make it clear that Nightmare Moon is not the enemy, that you are not the enemy. To... save you, from having to be the scapegoat even after the darkness recedes."
She stopped, then bowed her head forwards and smiled faintly, whispering softly: "Luna, I will not... ask you to return to Canterlot. I will not make you be the Princess of the Night you never wanted to be... but I need to at least try and remedy what I caused, so you do not have to live in exile with Scrivener Blooms. And Twilight Sparkle, I owe it to you as well, to fix the mistakes I made, to show you that... what happened all those years ago, will not happen again."
Celestia closed her eyes, then she straightened and turned, flicking her horn to the side, the double doors glowing before they flew open and she strode onwards. Behind her, the trio of ponies exchanged awkward looks, then hurried after her down a long hall decorated with paintings, Luna asking hesitantly: "Art thou sure? My sister, do not think I am ungrateful, but exile has not been awful, and ponies have never dared chase me before... and as the darkness recedes, would not the ponies of Equestria decide that once more Nightmare Moon must have been bested and has decided to try and quietly escape thy wrath? Is it not tempting fate to invite these added dangers? I do not wish to have saved you all those years ago from suffering the torments I once did, only for thee to throw caution to the winds now and risk Equestria turning upon thee as well."
The Princess of the Sun only laughed softly at this, however, asking with quiet entertainment: "I have thought of this, but I believe I understand a way to ensure the ponies of Equestria do not ask for anything brash, no matter where their loyalties lie... and furthermore, who would replace me? Oh, I am sure many ponies of the Royal Court would scramble for the position of monarch, but they would all topple shortly like dominoes in the whirlwind of backstabbing that would follow. They would all have only the support of themselves, and a few sycophants... the only pony with a possible claim to the throne is so-called Prince Blueblood, and he is merely a figurehead. Not of royal blood or status, instead a figure elevated to this position by the wish of the Royal Courts, to replace me in name should anything ever happen."
"And yet I assume thou hast some underhanded loophole already exploited in this law to ensure that Blueblood would never claim the throne, even should thou be dragged down into the earth from the awful weight of thy scheming mind?" Luna asked dryly, but the look she received from Celestia in response was more entertained than exasperated. "Of course thou does. Thou always does."
Celestia only shook her head with a quiet laugh, however, saying softly: "But that is all unimportant, sister... all it does is demonstrate further that I have spent too much time planning and strategizing and seeing to every little detail. Now it is time to act, and hope for the best, as you have spent all your life doing... a life shorter than mine, but... better, in many ways, and more full, even with the years you spent sealed away."
"Yes, that was wonderful, Nightmare Moon and I truly had some deep and incredible dialogues." Luna said flatly, then she paused and glanced towards Scrivener Blooms, and the male winced a bit as a memory flickered through his mind, of Nightmare Moon storming back and forth, raving furiously to herself in what looked like nothing more than a small white room. "She was always very eloquent."
"And I require her help." Celestia said softly, and the three looked up sharply at this, stopping as Celestia paused at the end of the hall, turning around and gazing slowly over the group. "Trust in me, Luna. I know it will be strange, but I must ask you to become Nightmare Moon. And you have my promise, that everything will be okay."
Luna hesitated all the same, and then Twilight stepped forwards, saying quietly: "Celestia, I... know you mean well, but this course of action... we're in Canterlot. We're in Canterlot Castle, furthermore, and we have a long walk to Canterlot Square... is it such a good idea to-"
"Trust in me." Celestia repeated soothingly, her eyes roving to Twilight as she leaned down and smiled faintly, murmuring softly: "Just enough for this, just a little for now. And I'll repay you all for this later... I will. There is much to discuss, and we have only tonight before you must hurry onwards to North Neigh... and that is why we must make the most of the time we have now, and ensure that there will be no unnecessary distractions or problems on your travels northward."
Luna nodded with a sigh after a moment, rubbing at her face with a hoof nervously as she looked back and forth for reassurance... and Twilight shrugged slowly to her before smiling hesitantly, and Scrivener Blooms nodded slowly, gazing at her softly. Finally, the winged unicorn lowered her head, murmuring: "Well... thou were always the mind of the group, Celestia. The dangerous, dangerous mind."
"A mind that thought too often and too deeply, little sister." Celestia said softly, and the two looked at each other, studying one another for a few long moments before the ivory equine gave a hesitant smile... and finally, Luna gave a grudging smile in return before stepping backwards and taking a slow breath.
Her starry mane glowed and shimmered as her body pulsed, light spreading over her frame, her armor groaning as it rippled strangely before stretching as her body grew and changed... and then Luna arched her back, gritting teeth that had become sharp, eyes clenched shut as her black coat shone with night's dark radiance, her ephemeral locks and tail flicking backwards before beginning to slowly settle around her as eyes open, pupils like slits and irises glowing before a calm, sly smile spread over her face; the face of not Luna, but Nightmare Moon, her wings flapping once before she leaned forwards and said almost enticingly: "This is the first time, Celestia, we meet on such kind terms... you seem to be favoring your leg a little more today than usual, have you been straining yourself? I suppose that wound must hurt even now, after all..."
"We may banter later, and you may have your fun afterwards, Nightmare Moon... for now, I know you are as eager as Luna to get underway, are you not?" Celestia's voice was surprisingly tactful, her body language passive and docile, and both Twilight and Scrivener looked with surprise at this. Nightmare Moon herself seemed almost troubled by it, but Celestia lowered her head, saying quietly: "I wish to save you, sister. Whatever name you go by, whatever guise you wear, you are my sister. I won't forget that again."
Nightmare Moon's eyes flickered... and then she laughed quietly, her pupils returning to normal as the glow faded slightly from her irises, and Luna's voice spoke in return as she said quietly: "Then I shall keep my own self at bay for now for thee, Celestia. But we should hurry onwards... when I take upon her body, her mind has freer rein as well, and 'tis a very strange feeling for us to be in thy presence at... peace. Horses of Heaven know what troubles we may stir up to see the comforts of thy frustration and fury."
"Thank you, Luna. Then let us proceed to Canterlot Square... to the Chamber of the Sun." Celestia said softly, facing ahead once more to lead them through the labyrinthine castle, and Scrivener Blooms and Twilight Sparkle both winced at this: the place where Luna and Celestia had battled years ago now, the place where Celestia had lured them all, consumed with power and madness and a need to 'protect' her country.
"This isn't ominous at all." Scrivener muttered as the trio strode forwards, and Luna smiled despite herself as Twilight grimaced a little... but otherwise, they strode onwards in silence that was tense but felt strangely-necessary. Celestia and Luna walked almost side-by-side, the Princess of the Sun and Nightmare Moon, neither looking at the other, walking as calmly as if they had practiced this path a thousand times before.
Scrivener could sense Luna's hesitance as they entered the rear hall of the castle and strode towards the open rear gates... but her features remained as calm as ever, slight smile on her face, eyes glowing faintly as her armor gripped tightly into her black-coated frame. He could feel both sides of Luna trying their hardest to trust in Celestia, even as they strode out of the gates and onto the wide bridge leading down into the town beyond, even as Twilight leaned to the side and stared in surprise at the ponies - commoners and soldiers, nobles and students and everyone in between - all gathered along the road as if for a royal parade, staring in shock at the sight of Celestia and Nightmare Moon striding calmly side-by-side.
It rose more questions in the minds of all three... and yet Celestia only tranquilly walked onwards, only faced forwards with her regal and yet almost-relaxed expression. Scrivener could feel frustration from Luna, but moreover, absolute confusion as well: walking around in her normal form could draw bad enough attention and had been sufficient to terrorize any number of soldiers, but she was in full Nightmare Moon shape... and for all the fear, for all the panic, for all the way they stared, the ponies did not flee or yell or attack. They watched from the sides, almost as confused as the trio was, in silence so loud it was almost worse than if they had all been shrieking with terror.
It was the strangest stroll Scrivener had ever been part of, looking awkwardly back and forth, glad that the enormous winged unicorns took up all the attention as he and Twilight strode nervously in their wake. Both were all too glad when they reached the steps leading up to the Chamber of the Sun... and all too well aware of the enormous crowd gathered in Canterlot Square, all staring upwards at them, the gathered ponies rumbling like one enormous beast as the Starlit Knights sat awkwardly at the front of the group, beyond a line of Pegasus Guard. Other soldiers were stationed all over the square, and Pegasi flew back and forth through the air in constant patrol as they reached the state... and, no longer able to resist, Luna asked in a low, sharp voice: "What is the meaning of this, Celestia?"
"Do not worry, sister... it was important they saw us side-by-side. Important that word spread, as word spreads far faster than the fleetest of hooves... important that they know this is not simply an act." Celestia said quietly, and Luna gave her a horrible look only amplified by the features of Nightmare Moon, her eyes almost blazing... but Celestia only smiled in return, saying quietly: "I know, it was not fair to surprise you with this, but it was necessary. Otherwise, you never would have been willing to do so."
Luna's eyes narrowed moodily, but then Celestia bowed her head to them as she said quietly: "Now, pray that they will listen, my sister. Pray that the darkness has not dripped poison into their ears already, and that they are not blinded with fear and panic. But they are eager to hear why you are here, and why we stand together... and now, I shall tell them. Not the truth... but not lies, either. I shall tell them... just enough."
Celestia smiled slightly at this, and Luna shook her head slowly, her eyes glowing a bit brighter for a moment before she murmured: "We do not know whether to be impressed or scared, and I think I speak for not only myself and Nightmare Moon, but Twilight Sparkle and Scrivener Blooms."
"It's all about timing, that's all... most things are." Celestia replied quietly, and then she paused for a moment longer before turning and striding slowly to the wide balcony, gazing imperiously over the gathered crowd, and immediately, ponies fell silent as they gazed up at their Princess of the Sun, at their ruler, their figurehead, their guide.
She gazed back down, and her expression was almost sad for a moment, looking at the way they stared at her, worshipped her, begged for knowledge and advice with their eyes... and her own irises slipped closed as she straightened. The silence spiraled outwards for that moment, that second, that minute... and then her amethyst eyes opened, confident, calm, and reassuring, as she said in a voice that rang powerfully throughout the square: "My subjects... today, I stand before you with somber news, and yet also with renewed hope in spite of the gravity of what has occurred. Today, I am here to confirm that in the north, a village was destroyed by unknown forces, and that we have lost contact with the ponies who were investigating this tragedy."
She stopped, letting a rumble of unease pass through the crowd before she leaned forwards, saying quietly: "The loss of one life is terrible, and should not be overlooked... for all life, no matter who it is, no matter how large or small, has value. To lose an entire village is not something any of us can neglect... and it is not something I will ignore. All of you have seen the signs of growing darkness, have encountered the Nibelung or their machinations, have heard stories of the Velites and know that the monsters in the wilds grow more savage, that things thought legend roam the world anew. And many of you would blame Nightmare Moon, is this not true?"
Celestia leaned forwards slightly, her eyes and tone sharpening, and the effect was not a question but almost a scolding accusation: it made even the angriest of ponies wince back a bit in reflex, hesitating even as mumbles and a few scattered yells rose up from the crowd. The winged unicorn, however, only smiled as she straightened slightly, glancing towards Luna... and she stepped slowly forwards in her Nightmare Moon body, gazing coldly down at the crowd, as the ivory equine said quietly: "And yet beside me, stands Nightmare Moon herself, does she not? How could Nightmare Moon wage war on us, on Equestria, from the north, and yet arrive here from the south? Why would she stand here, beside me, with no guard, no allies... why would she walk through the presence of a thousand ponies without turning on them, calm and serene?
"The time has come for these lies and rumors to end. Years ago, you all saw Nightmare Moon battle me, and defeat me... and that is true." Celestia's voice became quieter, but it carried more weight for it, the crowd leaning forwards, staring up at her, listening almost urgently as Luna looked sharply towards Celestia... but the Princess of the Sun only smiled, slowly looking towards her, meeting her eyes and speaking to both her and the group as she said: "And it was my fault. The quarrel... was childish, and yet it escalated quickly. I am at fault, and even after Nightmare Moon fled... I did not attempt to save my own sister. I did not go after her, I did not confess my sins, I did not do everything I should have done, and instead... allowed her to take the blame for what happened in full part.
"All of you know she fled to the Everfree Forest, as an exile." Celestia turned back towards the crowd, gazing calmly over them. "And never once did she try to plunge our country into darkness, whether it was by eternal night or to overthrow my rule. How many of you failed to recognize this fact? Yet I cannot blame you... for even I did. Even I was eager for someone to blame when the darkness began to rise in Equestria... and that is why I sought Nightmare Moon out. That is why I sought my sister out... and found her already fighting the things I should have been preparing my country for long ago. We began to talk, slowly at first, hesitantly... and now, I have invited her here. To show you all that she is not a threat, to tell you all that she is not behind this darkness, but in fact has agreed to help us fight it, to be our greatest warrior against the shadows that once manipulated her, already willing to throw herself into harm's way and investigate what has happened to the north.
"And I tell you all now, she is my sister. She is Nightmare Moon, and she is Luna. She will not harm those who do not harm her and in front of you all, with the Horses of Heaven as witnesses, I give her my blessing and declare that no mistake of the past shall be held against her, for no one has held themselves in greater account for their crimes than she has, no one has suffered as needlessly as her..." Celestia halted, then she faced once more towards Nightmare Moon, meeting her eyes and saying quietly: "And most important of all... Luna, little sister... I am so sorry. I am so awfully sorry for what I have done, trying to protect not my country... but myself. I am so sorry I have made you suffer. And Equestria, if you do not excuse her of her crimes for her sake... then excuse them for my own selfish reasons. Because we need her, because I need her... because I broke that promise, to always be there for my sister, and instead sent her off into exile, maimed worse in heart than I ever have been in body."
Celestia stopped, then stepped forwards and hugged Nightmare Moon tightly... and Luna closed her eyes, bowing her head forwards, surprised and feeling her sister's faint trembles, knowing it wasn't just an act before she hugged her tightly back, the two resting against each other for a few long moments.
The Princess of the Sun stepped back and away... and Luna smiled faintly, her eyes gleaming before her body glowed, and in a burst of blue mist and light, she shrank back down, Nightmare Moon form fading, standing once more before her sister in her normal body as she whispered: "I forgive thee, big sister."
Celestia smiled softly... and then she glanced out in surprise as the Starlit Knights shouted their approval from the front rows, stomping their hooves... and slowly, like a wave, the sound grew as other ponies began to join in, bit-by-bit, until they were cheering together for the sisters as they stood side-by-side on the balcony, stepping forwards and both staring with shock over the gathered crowd... and then Celestia smiled warmly, raising a hoof, and the sound died down as Celestia said clearly: "Your approval is appreciated, but hold your applause, for there is one more announcement I wish to make, to clearly show my faith in my sister... to clearly demonstrate to you all that I believe in her, from the bottom of my heart, from the depths of my soul.
"Luna... I have never ruled fairly with you. I relegated you to the night, offering excuses... but today, I look to share the realm with you fairly and equally." For a moment Celestia hesitated... and then she said in a firm, carrying voice: "Luna, my sister... I do not offer you to take position back as Princess of the Night, but as my true equal, working beneath the light of the sun as well as the glory of the stars. We will not be Princesses of Night and Day, Moon and Sun, and I shall give you exclusive power over any territory you desire, Luna. I know... there are places in Equestria you cherish, deeper than I ever could."
There was a hush at this offer, nervousness and anxiety whispering through the air, and yet Celestia smiled all the same, even obviously knowing how wrong things could go... and yet Luna could only feel touched at the offer, made in front of the gathered crowd, made without care for how it would make her look... and the winged unicorn laughed before she lowered her head with a bit of a blush for a moment, then suddenly gazed up and said clearly: "I am no ruler, Celestia. But Equestria... needs thee, more than it has ever needed mine own presence. Yet now... I am at peace with this, and instead take comfort in the fact that still I can serve my country, protect these ponies, in a fashion more fit for my talents. Nay, Celestia, I ask instead that thou continues to rule... but cast off this ridiculous notion of Princess, and assume thy title as Queen. For that is how we look to thee, as Queen of Equestria... for thou art our ruler, our sovereign, and there is no better fit to rule."
And with that, Luna slowly bowed... and Scrivener Blooms and Twilight Sparkle both lowered themselves as well as Celestia looked back and forth, stunned, as cheers rose up from the crowd even as other ponies followed in the example. Luna was grinning slightly even as she stayed low, looking pleased with herself as Celestia gazed down at her... then bowed her head deep, even as she murmured: "Little sister... if I didn't think you honestly meant what you said, I would gladly throw you off this balcony."
"Silence, Queen Celestia, and announce thy acceptance. Besides, it seems to soothe the ponies to see me in submission to thee, twisted and perverse as that is." Luna replied easily, and Celestia gave a tired sigh as she shook her head slowly, looking at her with exasperation.
But then she nodded, straightening and leaning over the balcony, saying calmly as the roar of the crowd died down: "'Queen' is only a title... but all the same, it is a word that carries with it great weight. I have been Princess for more than a thousand years, most of which I have sadly, ruled alone... and the only reason I feel ready to accept this honor is because in the last several years, I have finally learned things I should have learned a long time ago. I have learned that everypony among us has worth and value. I have learned that I am no better than any other pony, and that sometimes we must show others we are weak and admit to our faults to truly find strength. I have learned that we cannot make everything make sense, that not even I can control the outcome of everything around me... and that even at these times, everything can still work out well, and there is always hope and a brighter tomorrow.
"I am Queen Celestia, and beside me is my sister, Luna, Champion of Equestria. Do you accept us? Will you unite with us, under our one flag, our one purpose, to drive back the darkness? Will you stand with us, beside us, as equals in this fight?" Celestia leaned forwards, and there was a roar, soldiers saluting and civilians stomping their hooves with shouts of approval, and the ivory equine nodded grimly, saying calmly: "Then we stand a chance against the shadows that come. And now, we shall all prove ourselves... that a Queen may rule with honor, that a Champion may find redemption, that a people may unite as one to battle a common foe, no matter what their fears!"
The cheers of the ponies rose again, and Celestia smiled as she stepped back, nodding firmly as Luna rose and stood beside her, the two looking out over the gathered ponies... and then the sisters turned to one another, smiling, eyes meeting, knowing that this was only just the beginning... but neither afraid as Scrivener Blooms and Twilight Sparkle both smiled warmly at the reunited siblings. |
Starlit Knights | Chaos Theory | Chapter Thirteen: Chaos Theory
~BlackRoseRaven
Luna grumbled a bit, striding through the halls of Canterlot beside Scrivener Blooms as she said distastefully: "I think, Scrivy, I much preferred when they considered us to be evil monsters, or at least unwelcome outcasts. Why is it that I come back from the moon a Princess, they revile me... and I stride into Canterlot in the guise of Nightmare Moon, and now they all keep wishing me good luck and being all nice and 'tis even stuffier here now than I recall!"
"Stop whining, that's my job." Scrivener Blooms replied mildly, and then he winced when she firmly checked him, staggering into a wall and cringing as he almost knocked a painting down, watching as it rocked back and forth and then giving a sigh of relief when it didn't fall... before Luna glowered at him, horn glowing, and the painting was flung off the wall to bounce off the earth pony's face, the canvas tearing loudly and ancient, colored dust puffing off the canvas. "Luna!"
"Oh, hush, 'tis nothing more than some cliched landscape of Canterlot from several hundred years ago, when all the famous painters were copying one another's work in any event." Luna said grouchily, and Scrivy groaned at the sight of the battered painting, the earth pony half-propping it against the wall before he turned and grumbled as he followed Luna quickly away, the winged unicorn continuing seriously: "But honestly! 'Tis maddening! Oh, all is well and sure for now, but the moment I either fail or this darkness is pushed back, I'm sure they'll want me collared and chained up like some slavering Diamond Dog in the dungeon!"
"You and dungeons and chains." Scrivy muttered, and Luna gave him a half-amused, half-challenging look, quirking an eyebrow at him. "Well, please don't storm around wrecking Canterlot Castle, that will just get them to hate us again even faster. I'm sure once the initial thrills wear off, though, you'll be proven right... does that cheer you up?"
"Nay, it does not. This is a battle I cannot win, Scrivener Blooms." Luna muttered, dropping her head forwards as they stepped into another hallway, a pair of enormous golden doors at the end of this leading into Celestia's personal quarters. "But come, at least my memory has not yet failed. Let us see what else sister has in store for us... displeased as I am that she promptly abandoned us the first chance she got to 'prepare' and 'tend to other matters,' but at least we were able to speak with Twilight and found the lodgings for the Starlit Knights."
She quieted, then shook her head quickly as they approached the golden doors... and then they both glanced up as they swung slowly open for them, Luna muttering: "Sister expects us, too. Why must she always be so well-prepared? She is like Cowlick's machines, running on clockwork and keeping always to a strict schedule, doing the tasks she is assigned with eerie ease."
"And she's stuffy, right?" Scrivener tilted his head towards her as Luna began to open her mouth, and then she huffed and closed it as they strode into the velvet-carpet corridor beyond the double doors, which quietly closed behind them as they continued down to an open set of sliding oak doors, both gazing inside the small library beyond to see Celestia standing in front of a fireplace, her head lowered in concentration, her horn glowing as a strange, sharp golden tool carved the last of a long series of runes into the floor in front of her. It was shaped almost like a hybrid between a trowel and an enormous fountain pen, with a sharp, triangular blade at the end of the long, hollow handle, a glass tube visible down the center filled with glowing ink.
Luna immediately scowled, but Celestia only gave her sister a look, saying quietly: "I mean no offense, but I do wish to speak to Scrivener Blooms alone for a moment, little sister... and I need to take precautions that you wouldn't listen in. I know that the moment he steps outside the Silence Circle you'll know what he knows, but... it is a delicate question I wish to ask him. You understand, don't you?"
"Thou hast been Queen for two hours and already thou art issuing orders and indulging in conspiracy." Luna grumbled, and Scrivener hesitated... but then the winged unicorn gave him a quick, one-limbed hug, kissing his cheek and saying quietly: "I know, I know, daydreamer, worry not, I am too tired to maim Celestia today. Perhaps tomorrow, unless she truly does address a sensitive issue. Then I shall pummel her. Does thou understand, Celestia?"
"Yes, Luna, yes." Celestia shook her head slowly, then she stepped carefully around the large circle of runes and looked pointedly at her younger sibling as Scrivener Blooms nervously walked into the library, and Luna dropped heavily to a sitting position and glared back before Celestia's horn glowed and the sliding wooden doors pulled firmly shut.
Immediately, another circle of runes glowed over these, and Luna gave a grumble of frustration from the other side of them as Celestia said clearly: "To prevent prying eyes, little sister, I am not a fool. Now, Scrivener Blooms, if you wouldn't mind, we must both step at least partway into the circle. It will muffle your connection to my sister for a short period of time... she will not be able to hear your voice or thoughts, but it should not be painful."
Scrivy nodded hesitantly, then he glanced nervously at the circle before carefully stepping forwards and into it... and then he winced a bit as a static filled his mind. It was unpleasant, but not awful, like the sound of rain falling inside his head... and then Celestia stepped carefully forwards, standing so she was beside him but facing the opposite direction, their sides almost touching as he looked at her almost embarrassedly but she only faced calmly ahead, saying quietly: "Scrivener Blooms... I have to tell Luna something that will pain her deeply. Deeper than it pained me, and it was awful to see, awful to know... and I must also confess to her the reason I have been insistent on her bringing Twilight. I do not wish to hurt her... how can I... bring this knowledge to her gently?"
Scrivener Blooms frowned a bit, and then Celestia smiled faintly, sadly, lowering her head and whispering: "Sleipnir is not in the Vale of Valhalla... he is frozen, in Helheim. I know not when, I know not how, but I have seen him there... and not in any nightmare or vision, but through scrying rituals I have not used for hundreds of years, gazing beyond the veil and into the darkness, while seeking answers. The demons have him as an icy, living trophy, already proclaiming their victory over us... the higher players in this nightmare that is slowly growing throughout Equestria, but far from the highest."
"Horses of Heaven, Celestia... why? How?" Scrivener asked sharply, shaking his head slowly. "It... will devastate Luna. But you know you have to tell her... you know that if she could, she'd want to charge down to Helheim itself to save him-"
"Which is exactly what they want, which is why we cannot make that journey, even if we had a path down into that accursed place." Celestia said dryly, but her eyes were full of pain even as she looked back ahead, breathing a little harder before she murmured quietly: "I do not doubt that Helheim's forces are mixed into this catastrophe somehow, but... they are not what is in charge of this madness. Demons can be persuaded to serve a purpose, or seek power or to delight in sin and feed off emotions, and in a few rare cases there are creatures of Helheim that will give their aid... provided proof of strength or price. But these resurgences... Ignominious, Veliuona and the Velites, Nibelung and Ekleíp targeting Luna with mad visions of Nightmare Moon and now, Sleipnir being used to mock us... someone hates us. And... I think I know why, Scrivener Blooms. But this... this I will wait to discuss with Luna, because I wish for her to be here, to hear it from me... because it is... difficult to believe. And I need her to hear my honesty, not just see it in your mind. I need her to... understand the gravity of it."
Scrivy frowned a bit, but before he could ask, Celestia said abruptly: "Secondly, tonight I plan to take Twilight Sparkle on a short journey to the mausoleum to seek answers from... a lost friend, and more importantly... and in this I will require your opinion as well, not just on how to handle telling Luna this, but Twilight as well... I am going to do something I should have done long ago. In a way both different and the same as Luna did with you, I am going to entrust part of myself to Twilight Sparkle... I am going to share my knowledge and my power with her. I do not have to tell you I love her like my daughter... but the time has come for me to... let her choose her own path. To give her what I have been holding back... to acknowledge her, not simply as my apprentice... as my equal."
Scrivener nodded slowly, looking down quietly... and then he shook his head and murmured softly: "Queen Celestia-"
"No, just... Celestia, my brother. Just Celestia." The ivory equine smiled faintly, glancing down and saying softly, as her eyes trailed slowly along the glowing golden runes: "I have done too much to you and Luna, and Twilight too, to be able to permit any of you to look up to me. I do not even feel worthy of being an equal these days... and I cannot stand the thought of harming any of you, yet I seem to anyway. It is why I have asked you aside... because as well as I once thought I knew everyone around me, now I realize... I don't think I ever did. I only analyzed them from a distance, judging what would get the best possible reaction and going with that, not understanding that... there is much more to being family and friends than that. So what do I say to her? How do I tell her these things? Part of me wants to keep it all from her... because I don't want to see her hurt, and cruelly, I don't want her to lose focus on what must be done. Yet she has to know..."
Celestia looked away... and Scrivener Blooms shook his head slowly before he said quietly: "Luna will... be glad to hear about Twilight, even if she doesn't... react that way. Tell her that... after you tell her about Sleipnir. Just tell her... and then give her a hug. It's that simple, Celestia... let her calm down, let her talk through it, and for the love of the Horses of Heaven be honest with her when you're answering her questions."
"Honesty is a difficult task." Celestia smiled all the same, however, nodding slowly and then sighing a bit as she lowered her head forwards, closing her eyes. "But, if you don't mind me asking while I have you here, and my overprotective sister won't intervene... are you confident you'll be able to carry out this mission to North Neigh? It is not that I doubt your strength or ability, especially alongside Luna... but... I have come to understand your upbringing there was less than pleasant."
"Well, Luna and I get to march in side-by-side, right? Sure, I'll be bitter and it won't be fun, but I'm now a large and scary earth pony married to the murderous Nightmare Moon, now-Champion of Equestria." Scrivener said blandly, and Celestia sighed and shook her head slowly even as she smiled a little. "Thank you, but... I understand why we have to go. I understand why we have to do this and that... I can't let an entire village face possible destruction just because of my own upbringing there."
"I would not be so generous. I'm glad that you are." Celestia said quietly, and then she shook her head slowly before nodding to herself and murmuring: "Very well. Please stay in the circle, Scrivener Blooms, I shall fetch Luna and speak to her."
She turned around... then paused and leaned down to kiss Scrivy's scarred cheek gently, making him blush and rear back slightly, but she only smiled softly. "And thank you."
"For what?" Scrivener asked dumbly, glancing over at her, but Celestia only smiled again and shook her head before she turned and strode towards the sliding doors, and he watched as she quieted and visibly steeled herself before her horn glowed, and the circle of runes inscribed over the paneling faded from sight before the doors popped open.
Immediately, Luna pushed her way inside, glowering moodily back and forth as she said distastefully: "I sense bad news. You may foil our mental link but daydreamer and I are still connected, Celestia, thou canst do nothing about the way our very souls connect even with thy clockwork machinations... Scrivy, come, out with it."
Scrivener Blooms only glanced towards Celestia, however, and Luna frowned a bit before she turned to face her sister, opening her mouth... but at the look on the ivory equine's face, she slowly closed her jaws, their eyes locking as the larger, older female stepped forwards and lowered herself to gaze down into her eyes as she said quietly: "Luna, I have been scrying into the darkness... and I have seen our brother in Helheim."
"Sleipnir? Impossible!" Luna barked, shaking her head violently... and then she reared back in surprise when Celestia stepped forwards and embraced her tightly, a tremble running through her body as her starry locks all-but-sizzled with electricity and pulses of light before she gritted her teeth and buried her face forwards against the side of Celestia's neck, whispering: "Truly then... if the dead can be punished for crimes they did not commit, have we not already lost this war?"
"No, Luna, we haven't. We shall save him... but first, we must save Equestria, what Sleipnir helped envision and build." Celestia said quietly, leaning back and resting her hooves on Luna's shoulders as the winged unicorn looked up at her silently, shuddering a little... and Scrivener grimaced as he stepped out of the circle and walked over to her, feeling her emotions crashing into him like a typhoon and almost staggering from their weight the moment he was out of the circle. "If we do not save Equestria, we defile Sleipnir's wishes and memory..."
"Aye, I... I understand, but... sister..." Luna shook her head, then closed her eyes and stepped back a bit, gritting her teeth as Scrivener halted beside her... then slowly took a step back before Luna threw her head back and yelled furiously as shock wore off and fury rose through her body, mixed with tangible sorrow as Celestia only looked at her with sympathy. "Why? First Ignominious becomes a demon, then we lose Sleipnir to that awful beast in the mountains, then I become Nightmare Moon... only to return, only to endure it all over again! Why sister, why?"
"Odin tests the warriors he values most. I believe more than ever these days in the stories of the gods, my little sister... I think I begin to understand, after so many years of living, why we are special, where we came from." Celestia replied quietly, shaking her head slowly, but Luna only muttered under her breath as she slumped a little, stomping her hooves bad-naturedly against the hardwood floor before she sat back, then closed her eyes and dropped her head against Scrivener when he embraced her quietly from the side. "We will discover more information tonight... I have plans to consult someone who may help us, with Twilight Sparkle's aid. And I promise you, we will find a way to free Sleipnir in time, but... for now..."
"We leave him to rot as a trophy of the demons." Luna said bitterly, shaking her head in disgust, and Celestia glanced away with a faint flush before Luna nodded slowly and looked down, whispering: "Nay, sister, I know. I understand. Both from shared knowledge and emotion from Scrivener Blooms and... the fact that I do trust in thy words, little as thou believes it sometimes. Thou art my older sister, and thou were the leader in olden times, and I still look up to thee, or at least up to thy... treacherous mind."
"I see little to admire there, sister." Celestia laughed a little all the same, straightening slowly and looking down at her quietly as Luna looked back up, the two studying one-another before the ivory equine asked hesitantly: "And as you share thoughts with Scrivener Blooms, do you already know then..."
"About Twilight Sparkle? I have long suspected thou would do this one day, Celestia, thou hast never been shy or particularly-stealthy when it comes to the subject of Twilight... thou art blinded by a mare's love, and understand not how obvious thy grooming of her has been while thou art busy telling us all about Twilight this and Twilight that." Luna replied quietly, shaking her head quickly as if to try and clear the bitter thoughts from it, leaning against Scrivener as she closed her eyes... then smiled a little and said finally: "Selfishly, I am... glad for it, if thou must know. I have also come to care for her very much, as it were."
"I know, sister. Twilight Sparkle cares for you as well... she cares for you both." Celestia halted, and Luna's eyes opened as she blushed a bit, the two looking awkwardly at one-another before Celestia lowered her head and said quietly: "You're adventurous, and you've never been shy of indulging yourself. And ever since... you left Canterlot, escaped my perhaps-somewhat overzealous need to take care of you, I've seen the old you more and more rising to the surface. Not scared Luna, or the Luna who felt she had to impress me or live up to my expectations... the Luna who once wrestled a dragon 'because I could,' the Luna who was unafraid to fight fire with even greater flames... the Luna who went against my orders to help me raze a demon-infested tower to the ground to destroy everyone inside and instead plunged inside with Sleipnir, and came out twenty minutes later, covered in blood and bruises... but saving every last life you could between you both.
"Luna, I admire you. And I'm very jealous of you. You and Scrivener Blooms share a mixed soul, are more than just two halves of one whole... you are one whole. You are like one entity... and without hesitation, you do anything for each other. I am... glad that Twilight is... so close to you two, even if I don't always... approve." Celestia grimaced a little, and this made Luna smile a bit and straighten as she leaned quietly against Scrivener Blooms. "I like to think that... we have made progress in certain things, after all."
"I have always enjoyed the fact that forgetting about past traditions, ostracizing others for their differences, and weeding out the 'unnatural' is considered progress." Luna remarked, and Celestia shook her head slowly, but then the two smiled a little all the same before the younger sibling bowed her head forwards, murmuring softly: "But thou hast my thanks, Celestia. It means much to hear you say all this. When does thou plan to perform the ceremony with Twilight?"
Celestia looked meditatively for a few moments at Luna, then she replied quietly: "Tonight, after one last test, one thing I wish to see. And perhaps we should leave our own last piece of business between us until the morning... I have already given you much to think about, and Twilight will require a period of recovery after... what will happen. We have other business to attend to as well... and this may answer many questions for us both, about Sleipnir, about what may have happened."
Luna gritted her teeth, tilting her head back and forth... but then she grumbled and nodded, muttering: "Underhanded game, Celestia. A promise of one thing, defied by the knowledge that I will wish greater to know another, as it concerns not just myself... but my brother, lost to me twice now. I hope thou truly intends to keep thy promise of the morrow."
"I do, Luna, that and more." Celestia said softly, then she smiled a little as she strode towards the open doors, saying quietly: "Besides, if all goes well... the friend I hope to visit may be able to clear up other details that worry me at the moment, and provide a better picture of a possible past."
"Thou speaks in riddles again. 'Tis never good when thou speaks in riddles, it always leads to catastrophe." Luna muttered, then she sighed and lowered her head, following moodily behind Celestia as she closed her eyes, pressing almost side-against-side with Scrivener as they followed in the wake of the regal ivory equine. "Scrivy, I demand recompense after this. Thou hast been doing the bidding of a vile creature."
Scrivener only smiled a little at Luna, however, leaning over and kissing her cheek gently, and she grumbled a bit even as her starry locks silently twisted to the side, stroking against the male's frame as she murmured: "I know, I know, but it hurts, Scrivener Blooms, and I am not good at dealing with pain brought on by emotional turmoil. And think not thou will escape a pummeling later, Celestia, 'tis ridiculous thou of all creatures required reassurance on how to deal with me from my husband, I am thy little sister."
Celestia only sighed at this, however, shaking her head and favoring Luna with an exasperated look over her shoulder. "And when I speak to you as such, often you take me for being patronizing. It's always been hard for me to understand you, Luna, because... you are my sister. You are one of few ponies who can make me feel a wider range of emotions than most... who can make me respond in ways that I would rather hide from the world beneath a smile."
"Like Sleipnir." Luna said quietly, glancing up and laughing a little, and then she shook her head bitterly, a shiver running down her spine as she murmured: "'Tis like he died again, Celestia. I loved him so dearly... I know thou did as well but..."
"Yes, I know." Celestia looked down and shook her head slowly, murmuring quietly: "I was always at the pinnacle, the leader. You both looked up to me, so I placed myself there, not realizing... how lonely it would be, how I eventually started to distance myself from you both. But you two were always there for one another... always so similar. Always doing awful things behind my back."
Luna smiled at this thought, and then the trio fell into silence as they strode through the halls, only nodding in return to both bowing ponies and the salutes of guards they passed. It wasn't long before they found Twilight Sparkle, however, the unicorn standing with Applejack and Pinkie Pie: the latter had removed her armor, but the former looked as comfortable as ever in her own gear, and now wore a holstered carbine rifle over her back as well.
The three bowed as Celestia approached, but the ivory equine shook her head and rose a hoof, saying quietly: "There is no need for that, Twilight Sparkle, from you nor your friends. It is I who owe all you a great debt of gratitude today." She paused, then glanced curiously towards Applejack, drawing her eyes along the weapon. "I see Kilby Kwolek has outfitted you with the weapons of the modern age... if you were not already aware, there is a large-scale practice range in the rear of Canterlot Castle, used by the Pegasus Guard. I am not sure if I can provide munitions, but there are serviceable targets, at least."
"Thank you, Princess, I wouldn't mind some practice. Cowlick said something about target shooting, so maybe she's there already. Pinkie, you coming with me?" Applejack glanced towards the pink pony, and she smiled and bounced a bit on the spot, nodding a few times.
"Sounds fun! At least, as fun as you can have with stuff like this... and... Pr... I mean, Queen Celestia, Pinkamena wants to say thank you. Well, she doesn't really want to say it but I think she means to say it and I certainly want to say it so... thank you. We've been trouble to you in the past, and we both really appreciate you... trying to help us both out." Pinkie Pie smiled, looking both embarrassed and exhilarated as she glanced awkwardly up at Celestia, but the winged unicorn only smiled in return and nodded slowly. "Okay, then! Come on, AJ... I bet Twilight has some more work to do, anyway."
"There's always work to be done." Twilight Sparkle smiled a little all the same, looking at the two earth ponies, and they both nodded, hesitating only a moment longer before turning and heading down the hall. Then Twilight's eyes roved slowly over Luna, Celestia, and Scrivener, the unicorn hesitating for a few long moments as she brushed her black cloak back before blushing a bit when Celestia reached a hoof up to quietly stroke along the Element of Magic.
She said nothing for a moment longer, then she simply nodded and gestured with her head for the others to follow, and they fell into awkward pace behind her, neither Luna nor Scrivy knowing if they should say anything to Twilight... and yet all the same, the violet unicorn seemed expectant, seemed almost to know where they were going as they made their way slowly through the Castle. For a few minutes, there was silence, and a tension that formed almost a bubble around them, making other ponies hesitate to greet them even as they passed... and then, finally, trying to break the awkward quiet, Twilight asked hesitantly: "What did you think of Scarlet Sage, Celestia?"
"Blood Seers are dangerous and powerful... the reason behind this is not simply because they are capable of supernatural feats despite having no horn, no so-called 'instrument of power,' but because their magic... is often very wicked magic." Celestia paused for a moment in front of a set of redwood doors, and then she smiled a little over her shoulder, gaze lingering on Luna for a moment. "But as I have seen... not everything is always as it seems, and vice-versa. I saw the little girl for a short time, and you have explained to me the extent of her powers... and... I see no cause to meddle. In the past, I may have demanded... terrible things done to this little foal, to ensure the safety of Equestria. Instead... I entrust her to you, and to Luna, to continue to teach her and raise her. I will give her a chance, like all ponies deserve, no matter who they are born to, no matter what they are born with."
"Thank you, Princess." Twilight murmured, then she stopped and laughed a little, shaking her head with a blush. "I mean, Queen Celestia. That's going to take some getting used to."
"Then don't grow used to it, Twilight Sparkle. There is no need for a title to come between us." Celestia glanced ahead, pushing her way through the doors and stepping out into the cool night air, the moon hanging high in dark skies above as Celestia gazed up at this thoughtfully, watching dark clouds slowly roll through the starry skies. The others joined her on the long, stone walkway that followed the side of the castle, and then followed as the ivory equine turned, almost glowing in the dark, and strode along the covered stone path.
They descended a staircase down the side wall of the castle, passing beneath a wide bridge to emerge onto a path lit by effervescent blue lanterns leading towards a set of open iron gates. Now Twilight looked apprehensive, but she was silent, patient, as Luna and Scrivener traded a look before both gazing ahead as they passed through the wrought-iron archway and between stone monuments, the Queen of Equestria leading the way into the Royal Cemetery without hesitation: a square of land in a deep, recessed courtyard hidden inside Canterlot Castle, looming statues of ponies and angelic beings standing like an honor guard before the immense, sealed mausoleums, where urns filled with the ashes of the dead stood.
"Please wait here." Celestia said quietly over her shoulder, and the three ponies nodded, watching as the ivory equine strode towards the center crypt: it was the largest, topped with an engraving of the symbol of Equestria and with a massive stone door that was patterned with runes and prayers in ancient script. Celestia stopped in front of this, then lowered her horn forwards slightly as she closed her eyes before she whispered something softly, a blessing or a meditation... and a moment later, the stone door smoothly rolled upwards, opening the way inside.
She vanished into the chamber beyond for a moment... then emerged, her horn glowing and a bronze urn in the shape of a dragon's roaring head floating beside her, a heavy lid in the upwards-tilted, open jaws. Twilight grimaced a little, leaning back a bit, before the vase slowly floated down and in front of her, the lid spinning rapidly before lifting itself free and setting itself silently down as the faint aura that had surrounded both urn and lid fading out as Celestia said quietly: "This is the dust, the ash, the last of Discord. And somehow, Twilight... I can't help but notice you don't seem surprised."
"I don't think you expected me to be, Celestia... you left some books for me in my room on scrying rituals, and you bookmarked one in particular." Twilight replied with a faint smile, glancing down as she studied the urn silently. "This is about... what Discord said to me, when he died, isn't it? This is about the fact that he said... I was a little corrupted, and a little saved."
"It is that, and more. Discord's touch affected much, but such things fade with time... with you, however, Discord did more than simply brush against your spirit. He left a mark on you, he visited you... and for some reason, he connected with you." Celestia said softly, then she reached a hoof up and brushed Twilight's mane gently back, making the unicorn blush a little in surprise at the sudden, maternal touch. "Discord was a being from Ginnungagap. A particularly-powerful one at that, and his ashes, even now, likely maintain a connection to that world. If Discord has left a mark on you, contact with them will... generate an instinctive reaction, may allow you to speak to something from the other side of reality with my guidance, and if she will give it, my sister's help as well."
"If Twilight agrees, then of course I shall." Luna said quietly, and Twilight hesitated as she looked over her shoulder at the winged unicorn... but Luna only smiled faintly in return, saying quietly: "Sadly, Twilight... I have selfish motives in this affair, so I cannot ask thee with clean conscience to do this. It is thy choice, though... but remember, 'tis... 'tis not Discord. 'Tis only ash, 'tis only dust. If he lives on somewhere, 'tis far more likely in thee than it is in such easily-swept-away debris."
Twilight Sparkle looked down silently... then she gritted her teeth and nodded slowly, finally looking up at Celestia, but not speaking, her eyes almost imploring. Celestia gazed back tenderly, a hint of sorrow in the gleam of her eyes before she instructed quietly: "Dip your horn into the ashes. I do not know what may happen... but Luna and I will aid you if it is required."
The violet unicorn nodded hesitantly, taking a slow breath as she looked down at the bronze urn... and then she leaned forwards, angling her horn downwards into the jaws of the dragon head, wincing as it pressed into something, and for a moment, there was nothing... nothing but a chill that crept along her spine, before her eyes widened, a gasp spilling from her jaws as something that felt like a claw seized against her horn before a voice whispered into her mind: Come now, Twilight Sparkle... I told you to keep a little chaos in your life, didn't I? I'm rather delighted you'd come so far for it.
Ashes burst up over her features, Twilight hacking and coughing as she staggered backwards before another shock rolled through her body, Celestia's eyes narrowing and Luna and Scrivener both setting themselves as the violet unicorn groaned, then arched her back, shrieking in surprise and pain as electricity shocked along her horn, her eyes beginning to glow brightly... and then she reared back, body moving of its own accord as she slashed her horn downwards, leaving a red wound in reality that trembled for a moment before it released a terrible gush of force as it ripped open, knocking Twilight sprawling as Luna and Scrivy skidded backwards and Celestia winced away.
Slowly, Twilight's eyes flickered as a laugh rolled through her mind before it faded slowly into static, blood dripping slowly from one of her eyes as she shuddered violently... then stared upwards at the sight of the green, strange portal that now hovered in the air. It swirled and rumbled, an alien vortex into an unnatural world... and then, slowly, a large talon stretched through it, and Twilight forced herself up to her hooves even as she swayed on them, Scrivener supporting her as she rasped in shock: "D-Discord?"
And then the figure beyond emerged... and Twilight felt a strange pain in her heart as a Draconequus stepped through, but it was not the incarnation of chaos she had briefly known, and even briefer still become a friend to. Rather, this chimerical creature had a body of black, smooth scales and broad shoulders, one arm the thin eagle's talon that she had mistaken for Discord's, but the other was longer, with shaggy red fur and gray-skinned, dexterous fingers. He stood upon a slender giraffe's leg with groomed golden fur and odd brown spots that seemed to flow like ink, the other lower limb feline and deep blue, ending in short, retractable claws on a slightly-too-big paw, long legs and long body giving him an impressive height of at least eight feet.
A sinuous, mauve kangaroo tail twisted slowly back and forth behind him, and large fins stood from his back: one was gray, rubbery and shark-like, the other thin and almost transparent, tipped with small spikes like a lizard's frill that had been put in the wrong place. They stood out from his shoulderblades like wing-like protrusions, moving once as his features - a mix of dragon and stallion, with faded red, leathery scales and thick black eyebrows - tensed slightly, then relaxed as black eyes with small white pupils surveyed the ponies around him.
He reached up, absently brushing a hand back through the short, cropped Mohawk that stood between a twisting, golden ram's horn and the strange, discolored-white backwards-curved bone that stood from the other side of his skull. He seemed strangely calm as he stepped backwards, putting his hands behind his back as he looked meditatively over the four as the green vortex he had emerged from shuddered, then sparked before rapidly furling in on itself before there was a loud pop, and in place of a portal, a green stone floated for a moment before it fell to the ground with a quiet rattle that shook the stillness of the cemetery.
"I suppose strange times make for strange allies, but from the stories we have heard, it is stranger still to be summoned by Midgard's harmony-obsessed ponies." The Draconequus spoke in a cultured, calm voice, his features serious as he studied them with as much curiosity as the ponies looked at him with. "I see, though... a last laugh from the one you called Discord, the being that sought to escape Ginnungagap. He left a mark on you."
The creature's eyes roved slowly to Twilight, who looked nervously at the Draconequus before she winced as the creature stepped suddenly forwards and reached its eagle claw quickly down, sweeping up the bloody trail beneath Twilight's eye before it stepped smoothly away from the ponies, studying the crimson fluid on its talon as it murmured: "A pity. He did not listen. He never listened. He was among our most powerful, and yet he was also among our least useful. He was the piper, content to sit and play his melodies and watch things move and enjoy his jokes, and I am sure that he has barely noticed the difference between living and dying."
"Who art thou, creature? We called him Discord, what do thou call thyself?" Luna asked quietly, stepping forwards and frowning a bit, and the Draconequus looked at her thoughtfully, tilting his head slowly as if trying to understand a foreign concept. "I am called Luna."
"No, you are not, you are called Scrivener Blooms, and he is called Luna." the creature replied in a voice that was almost kind, and Luna reared her head back at this, looking surprised... and then half-grinning as she shook her head as Scrivy looked up dumbly, not knowing whether to be confused or entertained. "The other two are Twilight Sparkle and Celestia, this is well known by us, at least when we care to understand or know things... when we do not, you are all merely ponies, some with horns, some with wings, two with both, and the rest with nothing at all and thus the entire world to gain for it. You are correct in one thing, however, and it is that you said you called him Discord... Discord was the name ponies gave to him. We have little use for names ourselves, after all... it is merely a label by which we know things, so we may take them for granted all the faster."
The creature paused, then he crossed his arms and said in his serious, soft voice: "I do not have a name, and what I shall tell you to call me is not my name. But in the spirit of Discord, I shall be referred to as Discombobulation. Is this acceptable? Although I only ask to be polite, as I care not whether it is acceptable or not: it is what it is, and it is what I have said, and that is all."
"Bob the Draconequus, wonderful." Scrivener muttered, and the creature favored him with a sharp look... then an odd, strange smile that showed off needle-like teeth, making the earth pony wince back a little. "Not that I'm assuming anything or anything but... you're not going to start causing chaos for us all, are you?"
"I am not Discord, as I thought was perfectly clear already. As I believe I hinted that he was among the most powerful of Ginnungagap's residents." Discombobulation replied calmly, looking seriously towards the earth pony before his eyes roved towards Celestia, who was still silently studying the creature. "You were the one who summoned me. Or rather, you were the one who had reason to summon me, but could not do it yourself, so you used the unicorn as a tool, not that you treated or thought of her as such. Semantics do not change reality, however, much as we treat them as such, much as we wish they did or do or could or would or should."
Twilight glanced down with a wince as Celestia continued to regard the creature, but then she only shook her head slowly, asking the chimerical being quietly: "I begin to understand what the old texts said of the residents of Ginnungagap. A place of chaos and debris from other worlds, where the intangible may become incarnate. You say you are different than Discord, but you are no less a dissident than him, are you? Only a little more subtle than by pranks and altering reality."
"I can lie, but the truth is usually more effective... therefore I did not lie when I said Discord was among the most powerful of us. I do not simply choose to work through different methods, to be effective, I must work through different methods, although I am by no means unable to defend myself." Discombobulation answered after a moment, drawing his eyes curiously over Celestia. "In my experience, however, words cut deeper... but, like Discord, I am no destroyer. Discord fed off movement and chaos: murder puts a halt to all movement, ends all chaos with the awfulness of ultimate order, of ultimate stillness. I enjoy the emotions, anxieties and most of all, confusion... I am no insipid yet powerful prankster, but a heartbreaker and a dream-taker and a few other old rock ballads all mixed together."
He stopped, then looked towards Twilight Sparkle as she stepped towards him, the Draconequus frowning a bit as the unicorn sat silently, meeting his eyes as they studied one another. Then she leaned forwards, her horn sparking as she winced a little and concentrated, and Discombobulation grimaced a little as she said slowly: "I can feel... something... a link. A strange kind of link..."
She leaned closer towards him, and the Draconequus grumbled before he leapt suddenly upwards, the tall creature showing off a surprising spryness as he jumped on top of the mausoleum behind him and then sat at the edge of it, his slender body leaning forwards as he grasped the edges of it and said moodily: "Please refrain from that, unicorn. I do not enjoy being the butt of Discord's pranks. It was why we did not cry when he left Ginnungagap, sad as we were when he was lost forever... but it never hurts to watch an annoying person leave, and nothing is more painful then hearing that same person died far from home."
"Saved, and corrupted..." Twilight murmured... and then she straightened and grimaced a bit, shaking her head and muttering to herself: "Of course, that's why... that's what he meant. I understand."
Luna and Scrivener both looked curiously at Twilight as Celestia only gazed expectantly at her, seeming to already understand what was going on before the unicorn straightened, then shouted: "Come here!"
For a moment, Discombobulation only glared at her... and then he slowly slid off the roof of the mausoleum, landing on his hoof and paw and moodily walking towards her before sitting heavily on his rear, looking sourly at her as he rested his elbows on his knees. And Twilight stared, then leaned forwards, saying quietly: "It was a riddle. 'Keep a little chaos in your life.' Discord... he knew something about what was going to happen, didn't he? So he gave me... a little chaos. A-"
"Yes, he gave you the gift of his lower-class acolyte from Ginnungagap, skipping the monologue because you are boring." Discombobulation snapped, losing his calm to sulky irritably as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Chaos does not have ranks, but it does have powers. The higher powers and incarnations get to do as they please, and often get what they want by forcibly-ensnaring the loyalty of others. It was how Discord escaped Ginnungagap. It was how Discord amused himself inside Ginnungagap. And now, it seems that it will be how Discord will continue to laugh at me even though he is nothing more than an urn of ashes and dust."
The Draconequus glared at the dragon-head shaped bronze vessel, but Twilight Sparkle only smiled a little before she glanced towards Celestia, asking quietly: "Did you know?"
"Celestia knows all, she is a grand manipulator." Luna muttered, and Celestia sighed a little before the dark sapphire equine strode forwards, looking calmly across at Discombobulation and asking quietly: "Will thou answer our questions?"
"I will, but not asked by you, or Luna, or Celestia. If you try to ask me anyway, I will lie to you, and avoid the truth, and do anything else I can to cause trouble. But I must tell Twilight Sparkle the truth if she wishes it, although I am sure many times she will wish for a lie... in which case, I will be forced to lie to her, even when I don't want to." Discombobulation shrugged a bit, his serious calm slowly returning before he looked towards Twilight meditatively. "Or I could be lying right now, and that reverses everything, doesn't it?"
"What do you want me to ask him, Celestia?" Twilight asked quietly, glancing over at the ivory equine. Celestia, however, only gazed quietly back, and the violet unicorn hesitated before voicing another hesitant question: "Afterwards... can we free him?"
Discombobulation glanced up in surprise at this... and then, to the surprise of the ponies, he crossed his arms, huffed loudly, and said distastefully: "So because I'm not Discord, now I'm not good enough for Miss Twilight Sparkle? You would throw me away, back to the garbage heap of Ginnungagap? I never wanted to leave that place, but now I've left... and now I'm stuck here, dragged through a hole in reality that can only be opened if two attempt to do it at the same time, and I am very certain all doors leading back will be bolted shut by my brethren as they laugh at my misfortune, call me the next Discord, and wait for me to die so they may cry at the celebration of my funeral in a land far from home."
Twilight stared at the creature, but before she could be dragged in, Celestia leaned forwards and said clearly: "Ignore the Draconequus... remember, he seeks to cause confusion. Read between the lines, and sample carefully what he says before you make any decisions."
Discombobulation began to open his mouth, but Twilight winced and glared at him, and her horn gave a faint spark... and a moment later, the Draconequus's jaws slammed shut and locked together, and he gave a muffled grumble as he grabbed at his features irritably. The unicorn stared in surprise at this as both Luna and Scrivener Blooms grinned, but the winged unicorn's expression faded slightly as she leaned towards Twilight and said quietly: "Ask the wretch about Sleipnir. And ensure that he knows what will happen to him should he lie or speak ill of my brother."
"Sleipnir? I... why?" Twilight frowned a bit, looking from Celestia to Luna... but when they both only looked at her silently, she sighed and nodded hesitantly, looking towards the Draconequus nervously. "Discombobulation... tell me what's happened to Sleipnir. Be polite. Tell me the truth."
The chimerical creature winced as its jaws unlocked... and then it carefully stood up and stepped backwards, features becoming serious as it looked from Celestia to Luna. "My words tend to be poisonous, even when I mean for them to serve as remedy. May I show you instead?"
"No hypnosis." Twilight said firmly, and the creature nodded... and after a moment, the violet unicorn nodded back with a sigh. "Alright, then. Show us."
The Draconequus straightened, brushing himself off... and then he flicked one hand quickly outwards, palm towards the sky, and a green, glowing bubble of light formed above this, as large as a boulder, wild images spilling across it as points of white light burned over its surface before it suddenly solidified into hovering emerald glass... and, as if reflected from inside, images shone in the enormous globe, of an immense horse surrounded by awful, warped figures, the equine frozen and howling in pain, covered in thick ice that glinted like gemstones-
"Cease thy assault, creature, or I shall shatter this bauble and thy skull!" Luna shouted angrily, clenching her eyes shut and lowering her head as a shiver ran through her, Twilight staring in horror at the awful images as Celestia only gritted her teeth... and then Luna's eyes snapped open, glowing white as she shouted: "We do not wish to see this!"
"But I know that you do all wish to see who did this to your brother... and as the forces of Ginnungagap and Helheim are rarely friends and never allies, permit me to show you that instead." Discombobulation said softly, features bathed in eerie, eldritch light as he waved his other hand in front of himself, and the imagery in the globe distorted... then formed into the smoky, smoldering shape of a grinning black unicorn, his form unstable and semisolid. "This is the mask your enemy wears, this is the puppet who was foolish enough to think the demons were doing his bidding... when in reality, he is only doing the bidding of even greater monsters. Monsters that do not wish to be exposed and employ many names and shapes and guises and who have thrown their refuse into Ginnungagap for many years, for Ginnungagap is the place where all ideas, where all debris, where all ruination and ash ends up... and in this heap of stinking garbage, we, brought into life by the toxic mix of a million intangible elements good and bad, become the masters of all knowledge in the universe. Discord could have told you more... but Discord, sadly, is no more. But I also could have told you less... but I chose not to. The truth hurts, does it not?"
He looked up with a smile... then winced as he was tackled backwards by Luna, the green orb shattering into fireworks of light as she pinned the Draconequus on his back and leaned over him, snarling: "And pray tell, nasty, venomous creature, what is to stop me from breaking thee into a thousand little pieces now that thou has had thy laugh at the wretchedness which seems to surround all those who come into contact with me?"
"Oh, Scrivener Blooms, you're so selfish. Thinking this is all about you... and yet I'd be lying if I said you were wrong, because in a way... it very much is." Discombobulation looked up at her, unfettered, as he reached up and grasped her shoulders, pushing back against her as she glared down at him furiously. "You really don't think you can threaten me with-"
Luna slammed one of her hooves into his face, knocking his head back, and the Draconequus's eyes bulged in shock and pain before she punched him firmly again, and he yelled in shock as he shoved and kicked at her, barely managing to force the winged unicorn off before he scampered backwards and grabbed at his muzzle with a wince. "Awful, horrible, wicked, foul little monster! Impossible!"
Celestia looked unfettered, holding up a hoof towards Luna as the winged unicorn started forwards again, and she cursed under her breath, eyes still glowing faintly as she muttered and forced herself to calm and step backwards, Twilight Sparkle wincing and looking back and forth before Celestia said quietly to Discombobulation: "This is not Ginnungagap, creature. You said yourself you were more limited in power than Discord ever was, and you should understand that your abilities are further hindered because you are not in a lawless, groundless dimension of chaos and idea-made-real. You are not impervious to the physical here, as Discord was quick to learn himself... therefore, I would cooperate with us."
Discombobulation shook his head quickly, looking disgusted as he rubbed at his face... then he straightened slowly, features smoothing out as he regained his composure despite the bruise on his features before he looked towards Twilight as she asked quietly: "Are you okay?"
For a moment, he only studied her, as if he didn't understand the question... then he nodded slowly and favored Luna with a suspicious glare as she glowered back, Scrivy stepping up beside her with a grimace. "Scrivener Blooms has a foul temper, and her husband Luna is both indulging and protective, a bad combination. Tell me, Twilight, will you insult me with freedom so they might maim me viciously before I am left to wander the world until I die? Or will you accept the fact that Discord has one last great prank or his first great scheme in action, and honor me with enslavement?"
Twilight shook her head slowly at this, then she looked towards the Draconequus and said quietly: "Discord... obviously had something in mind. I don't know what... but I want to find out. So I'm going to... invite you to come with us, Discombobulation. As an ally, and maybe one day as a friend."
"I would cry if I could cry and had cause to cry, but I won't, can't and don't." the chimerical creature replied mildly, and then it shook its head slowly before walking over to the bronze urn that contained Discord's dust, bringing one leg back as if to kick it... but when Twilight glared at him, he sighed and halted, slumping his shoulders instead and only scraping his paw against the ground before he turned around and said distastefully: "When you need me, I will already be there. When you want me, I may hide. And should you not desire my presence, know that I'll always be hovering nearby. Click your hooves or call my name or snap the fingers you don't have, and I'll be there, Twilight Sparkle. As a matter of fact, I'm here right now, and I'll be here whenever you look for me. But the rest of the time..."
And with that, Discombobulation rose his hand and snapped his fingers, and he simply vanished from the spot, Twilight looking back and forth in surprise before a faint wind whispered by, carrying with it the faint voice of the Draconequus: "I'll always be nearby... just out of sight, in the less-cluttered purgatory that exists in the space between spaces in the causeless air, thinking of Ginnungagap and missing everyone I'll immediately wish to be away from the moment I find my way back home. I'll see you soon... in fact, I see you right now... but you won't see me until later."
Discombobulation gave a short, dry chuckle, and then there was silence... and Celestia shook her head slowly, glancing down at the urn before it glowed a faint gold as the same aura surrounded her horn. Silently, she slipped the lid back into place and carried it back into the crypt, then exited, the heavy stone door sealing behind her without the ivory equine needing to turn around as she sighed quietly, then murmured: "You have my apologies, Twilight Sparkle. I expected only to contact a creature, not... to see another..."
She stopped, then shook her head and frowned quietly, looking over her shoulder as the three ponies looked up at her silently. "I don't know what to call it. Blessing? Joke? Gift? I... no longer feel the wrath and hatred I once did for Discord, and... accept that he was important to you, Twilight. In many ways... and this creature has given us a glimpse of our brother, confirmed what I feared... confirmed that Ignominious is both behind these events and only a puppet for a greater threat. And he seemed to know..."
"Yes... he seemed to know something about me. And thou, too... has hinted at knowledge of this... and more and more, I find this revolves not merely around Equestria, although all of Equestria suffers the attack... but around me." Luna looked up at Celestia, meeting her eyes, breathing a little harder as she gazed at her sister imploringly, frustration and fear mingling in her eyes as she stepped towards her. "Tell me what thou knows, sister... please. Tell me, in front of our honored dead, tell me now, and hide no more from me what it is! What did that creature of chaos hint at, what is so awful thou would not even whisper it to Scrivener Blooms in secret, why does thou look at me even now as if it burdens thy soul!"
Celestia looked silently back... and then she looked quietly up at the night sky, closing her eyes and saying softly: "It does burden me, Luna. It hurts me, and scares me, and... I do not know what to say, or how to explain this. And... I... there is much to do tonight, and I do not know-"
"Celestia..." For a moment Luna snarled, eyes glowing, stepping forwards as if her anger was about to overtake her as Twilight winced... but Scrivener only gazed silently at the winged unicorn, feeling the roil of her emotions... and, as suddenly as her anger had risen, the dark-sapphire female slumped miserably, staring weakly across at Celestia and whispering: "Big sister... please. Just tell me..."
For a few moments, the Queen of Equestria gazed at her younger sibling, her Champion... and then she closed her eyes, lowered her head forwards, and said quietly: "Very well. Luna... that is not your name, any more than mine is Celestia, any more than Sleipnir's was our brother's... just as we are not sisters and brother in anything but name. For more than seventeen hundred years I've lived, and only now are the memories coming back... only now, after years of searching darkness and light and the shadows of my soul, have I begun to understand, and the simplest way to tell you, is to speak to you a single name. Do not fight it... do not resist what dreams may come. I am sorry, Luna...
"I am sorry, Brynhild." |
Starlit Knights | The Rising Of The Sun | Chapter Fourteen: The Rising Of The Sun
~BlackRoseRaven
Twilight Sparkle sat silently in Celestia's room, cloak and vestments discarded: from the beautiful, enormous bed at one side of the room to the plush, cushioned bedding on the floor and the soft carpet underhoof, everything was wonderful. The smell of books and parchment filled the air, all neatly, concisely arranged in shelves and rolling racks beside quills and small pots of ink... and yet it all felt strange, and alien, and there was little joy in her soul.
Luna and Scrivener Blooms were... Horses of Heaven knew where. Celestia had called her a name that Twilight didn't recognize, and for a moment, Luna had looked irritable and perplexed, opening her mouth to spit some vulgarity or sarcastic comment she had likely learned from Scrivy... and then she had twitched, and in response, Scrivener had grabbed at his own head... and then Luna had... run away. No, first she had shouted something, a question, a curse, a... something... and then she had turned and sprinted off and taken to the air, and Scrivener Blooms had given awkward chase after her, cursing the entire time, ignoring Twilight's yells.
Celestia had taken her back to her quarters, refusing to explain anything to her... and Twilight shook her head, asking for the hundredth time in a worried, frustrated voice: "Shouldn't we do something? Go after them? If Luna and Scrivy are separated for too long..."
"Luna will never abandon Scrivener Blooms, even now, and she requires time to think. Time to understand..." Celestia said quietly, her back turned, facing towards the corner of the room and her rainbow mane flowing slowly around her like a curtain. "It will be alright. She is merely... shocked. Her mind will take time to adjust... her soul will take time to adjust. But it was the truth... and I had to tell her. To not tell her would have been to jeopardize everything... there are bonds deeper than blood between us, and she must know what the enemy may know. In fact, to win this battle, we must know more than our enemies know... we must prepare. We must not hold back... no matter what this means."
Celestia turned slowly around, looking silently down towards Twilight and stepping towards her... and Twilight winced a little, slowly climbing to her hooves before she stepped nervously backwards onto the bedding as Celestia took another step towards her, amethyst, calm, determined eyes locking with apprehensive violet irises. "Twilight Sparkle... you are as a daughter to me. You are more than a student, and have shown strength and resolve even before this darkness began to rise that made me look to you as a suitable heir. You were more than my apprentice... I have had many apprentices over many years, and none have ever been as valued and beloved as you. And that is why now I intend to pass my strengths on to you. Why I have selected you, and gladly, as the unicorn who will inherit my powers... and all the responsibilities and duties that come with them."
"I... wait, Celestia, what are you talking about? A pact? I... listen, I don't think I'm ready..." Twilight said nervously, backing up further... but Celestia only advanced calmly, cornering her against the wall, Twilight staring up at her as she looked back down silently, almost malicious in her intimidating determination. "Celestia, please, wait... I don't understand..."
"You will." Celestia's horn and eyes glowed, taking on a brilliant shimmer as she leaned down, and Twilight Sparkle winced, leaning back, unable to stop from staring into her eyes, feeling herself being drawn in by her gaze as energy crackled through the air around them-
Twilight staggered with a gasp, blinking and looking back and forth as she barely managed to keep on her hooves, shaking her head briskly... and then she winced in shock as she looked back and forth at the world around her. Everything was captured in grayscale hues, and the sounds of the world were muffled... the sounds of not Canterlot, for she was no longer standing in the castle, with Celestia looming over her, but on the bank of a river beneath a sunlit sky, a short bridge of stepping stones leading across to a field in which laid the body of an ivory winged unicorn.
Twilight blinked a few times, then hesitantly stepped forwards... and when she touched the flowing rapids of the river, the water beneath her hooves fell as still as if it had become glassy ice, the unicorn hesitantly, slowly striding across the water before she stepped onto the other bank... and then reared back with surprise as the equine groaned and slowly began to push herself up to her hooves, shaking her head with a grimace as she murmured something in a strange language that Twilight understood all the same: "Where am I..."
Celestia straightened, her body clothed in golden, heavy plate armor, her wings flapping once as she steadied herself. She shook her head, her mane not flowing and ethereal but instead tied in a multitude of hanging braids, charms hanging quietly from the ends of these as she cracked her neck... and then she grimaced as she glanced over her shoulder, flexing her body as grinning, green-skinned monsters emerged from the forest, with long, angular faces and ugly, warped features, mottled flesh tight against their heavyset bodies and flabby guts: what Twilight recognized with instinctive horror as trolls. "My memories are faded... but that does not mean I cannot distinguish friends from foe. Vanish or perish, the choice is thine."
One of the trolls roared at her in response, then charged forwards, greedily raising its warped claws... and Celestia only grinned callously, her eyes flashing coldly as she leaned forwards. Then there was a sharp flash... and a moment later, the troll was staggering backwards with a shriek, a long, thick-bladed sword buried through the chest of the creature, drawn in a flash from where it had been sheathed on the equine's back.
It glowed with golden light as it twisted savagely, then ripped backwards, and the troll collapsed on its back with another shriek as Celestia pawed at the ground, her eyes and horn glowing as two more swords slowly drew themselves from the sheaths over her back, her wings spreading as the remaining trolls hissed and readied themselves... and then all three swords violently began to spin as they levitated around Celestia's body, the equine shouting: "Then thy choice is made, and thou shalt all die!"
She lunged forwards... and in a flash of light, the memories changed, and Twilight staggered and looked up in surprise to see Celestia striding slowly through a busy street, moving like a warship through the crowds of ponies that hurried out of her way. Twilight winced as one of these ponies ran around Celestia only to run straight towards her... but then it became transparent, passing through the violet pony like smoke before the unicorn cursed and ran forwards, catching quickly up to the equine and looking up at her... and barely able to repress a shudder and grimace at the sight of the imposing, awful warrior Celestia had once been. She had glimpsed this side of her only once, in the fight against Luna... and it brought a strange sense of fear into her heart as an awful question rose in her mind: had Celestia the Radiant not been madness, but only a regression from the Celestia she knew... to the Celestia she had once been?
Then the ivory equine made an abrupt turn down an alley, and Twilight blinked as she followed... before wincing when the huge female reared around and slammed her hooves down, shouting in Twilight's face: "Why art thou following me, foul little slave-hoof?"
The unicorn stared in shock... and then she blinked as she heard a whimpering behind her, skittering around in a circle to see an earth pony all but groveling on the ground, wearing strange clothes over his body as he said apprehensively: "I was told to... to deliver a message to thee, to the fearsome warrior maiden... from the Scarlet Temple. Thou has admirers there..."
"So what, what do I care about Blood Seers and their silly games? They are unimportant to me. I have no name but the one given to me by thee and thine." Celestia said distastefully, shaking her head in disgust. "Titled the Celestial Unicorn, named Aya. I asked for no name, I asked for no title, I asked for no help and intend to give no help unless it is bought or aids my own ends, now cease following me, slave-hoof, return to thy masters, and let me be on my way!"
The earth pony winced and nodded rapidly, scampering to his hooves and turning to race back out into the street....and the past-Celestia shook her head slowly even as reality around her flickered violently, flicking her head to send her braided mane back as Twilight looked slowly back and forth as a wide, circular cement floor appeared beneath their hooves, with stands all around them guarded by both ponies and larger, stranger creatures in armor, many carrying weapons. Enormous columns rose to the ceiling, supporting it high above their heads... and then Twilight glanced over her shoulder, facing the way Celestia looked as a voice said calmly: "I see thou has reconsidered our offer."
"After some meditation, I realized that thy services may aid my endeavor after all." Celestia replied calmly, looking towards a large, rectangular table, upon the other side of which sat a row of ponies in red robes, all of them tattooed and with terrible, crimson eyes. "I have wandered for twenty years, and nothing have I discovered to my origins. I feel exiled in this nation. I feel as if this is punishment." She stopped, looking down, before her eyes flashed as she looked up and said in a soft, dangerous voice: "I take issue with being punished by those who think themselves better than me."
"Then we are much the same. I shall be brief, in this case... kill the Baron that rules over the village to the north, we seek to expand our power but he stands as an obstacle to our success. We would assassinate him ourselves, but he protects himself with artifacts and specially-trained unicorn mages... but they will not hinder thee, will they, Celestial Unicorn?"
"Thou asks much. Not so much I cannot perform this task, for what I cannot incinerate with fire, keening blade will pierce and rend asunder." Celestia paused meditatively, and Twilight shook her head in disbelief, staring with horror at the deal she was readily making with these ponies. "I shall require half my payment in advance, however. I wish not for petty baubles or magical trinkets... I have never felt the need to eat, nor sleep, and other comforts I can gather for myself. Nay, what I require is the most precious payment of all... information."
The Blood Seers conferred among themselves... and then the middle seer nodded and gestured with a hoof, a unicorn in brown robes quickly approaching with an intricately-carved wooden bowl that he laid out in front of the head of the council. "Then approach, and share with us thy blood. It will secure us both... thou shall get the full payment up front, and we shall have enough of thine life force to ensure thou does not have any... second thoughts."
"I am insulted." Celestia smiled grimly all the same, striding forwards as her horn glowed, one of her swords drawing free from her back, thrusting her foreleg forwards over the table and slicing it open with the glowing blade without a flinch, spilling crimson life essence into the wooden bowl. Then she drew back, her sword quickly sheathing itself as she impatiently watched the red-robed pony dip his hoof into the blood.
There was silence as his eyes glowed faintly... and then he looked up and smiled, saying quietly: "Thy past is hidden in a smoky veil, but thou will be pleased to know that a brother will be born unto thee in time, falling from the skies but loved-most by the earth. There are many years between then and now... and much battle and bloodshed. Be wary of betrayal."
Celestia nodded, and then static tore through the room as Twilight winced, the figures vanishing... then the Blood Seers reappeared at the table one-by-one, as the sound of Celestia's hooves thudding over the cement rose in Twilight's ears, looking up to watch her striding calmly across the theatre, dried blood splattering her dented and damaged armor, but her gaze as calm and confident as ever, looking unfettered, almost uninjured. "The Baron is dead. The unicorns are dead. The keep is toppled."
"Excellent, Celestial Unicorn, only one of thy kind... thou truly will make an admirable guardian for us." The head of the Blood Seers smiled at her, but Celestia didn't seem fazed by his comment, even as he held up a crystalline amulet in which a red liquid flowed and bubbled slowly. "What? No surprise? No shock? Or does thou understand that we are superior, and thou wishes to serve us... perhaps to one day, be one of us?"
"Nay, simply 'tis not unexpected." Celestia replied quietly, and the Blood Seer frowned... before he gagged, eyes bulging and hood flying back from his tattooed features as one of Celestia's swords snapped out of its sheath and buried through his body, the amulet falling and shattering as her other two blades slamming into the Seers on either side of him before all three weapons twisted and lashed outwards, sending up an awful crimson splash over the table and the surrounding Seers as she continued in a calm voice: "And now, what blood is mine, what blood is thine, what blood is the blood of the dead? Permit me assist."
Twilight Sparkle shivered and looked away... and when she looked back up, she was standing on a cliff, gazing with horror at a burning temple as Celestia strode calmly past her along a mountain path, still splattered with blood that seemed black and gray in this world of tainted memories... and she shivered a bit before frowning as Celestia halted, then gazed up at the sun, her horn glowing as she said softly: "Enough of that."
Slowly, she bowed her head... and in response, the sun rumbled in the sky and lowered, night falling as Celestia smiled slightly to herself... then continued on in the moonless night, beneath the darkness of the stars. Twilight turned and followed her, down a path of strangely-merged memories: they passed ruins of buildings melted into mountains, trees that had grown into one another, and soon enough dirt path became rough, windswept stone street, the buildings around them glamorous white marble, Celestia clean of blood and her armor repaired in the deep, moonless night.
Then Twilight shivered as a strange shape stole out of one of the upper windows ahead, floating strangely in the air before it dropped to the ground and landed softly as Celestia watched... and the shape turned towards them, indistinct in the darkness of the night, condensing into a bipedal thing with a circular body and long arms ending in claws, white eyes glaring out of its shapeless skull. The creature hissed as it rocked back and forth on the spot... and Celestia shook her head slowly, saying disgustedly: "Changeling or demon, it matters not. I shall send thee back to Helheim for getting in my way at this foul hour of night."
She strode forwards as the changeling hissed again, then twisted violently, limbs splaying as it fell backwards and seemed to quickly hump up at the base to step forwards as a young Pegasus filly, looking at the approaching equine her with surprised eyes as she said quickly: "Oh miss, thou must have it wrong, thou should see it is but a surprise for-"
One of Celestia's swords ripped down through the filly's features, and her eyes bulged in dumb shock for a moment before Celestia ripped the blade back with a disdainful flick of her horn... and there was a scream from inside the house as a mare stared out in horror at what had happened. Celestia frowned in return, then shook her head in disgust, only turning to continue onwards as she stepped over the corpse before her hoof crunched in something and she grimaced a bit, looking down in surprise... and then stared in horror at the sight of a crude hobby-horse dummy wearing a raggedly, homemade black dress now stained with blood, forelegs little more than straw and head nothing other than two white eyes and a smile painted crudely on badly-shaped wood... a dummy that the filly had been carrying, had fallen, had given the illusion of monstrosity with the now-stained dress that covered it in the darkness of the starlit night...
She staggered away from the foal, breathing hard as ponies began to emerge into the street around her, several others screaming at what they saw as Celestia backed away, Twilight staring with horror, shivers rolling through her body... and then a raw, furious voice shouted: "Get her! Drive her out! Murderer!"
"Stay back, I shall explain..." Celestia began... and then she ducked when someone flung a bottle, the crowd's anger rapidly building, others spilling out into the night before a chunk of rock bounced off her armored body, the enormous equine staggering backwards before she glanced over her shoulder as the crowd began to close in, her breathing picking up speed, her instincts beginning to take over as her horn started to glow, shouting: "I said stay back!"
Celestia flicked her head forwards, releasing a pulse of light and force that drove the other ponies back before she began to turn... and then she winced as a rain of debris pelted her back before two earth ponies and a Pegasus slammed into her front, trying to haul the armored titan to the ground. She snarled, straining against them, and then she flicked her head to the side and threw the Pegasus off before raising her hooves and crushing both of the others into the ground, looking back and forth as she shouted: "I will not warn thee again!"
She began to shove forwards... and from above, a pony shoved a table off a patio, sending it crashing down on top of the female and knocking her staggering, senseless, her vision going red as she snarled and rage ripped through the ivory equine, energy sparking over her body as the sheaths on her back glowed brightly before her swords ripped free and spun around her in a devastating whirlwind as ponies screamed...
Twilight closed her eyes with a whispered denial... and when she opened them, Celestia was sitting silently in the town square, the buildings around her burnt and broken, her three swords buried in the ground around a bonfire she had built out of rotten wood and rotten bodies. She stared listlessly into this, bloodied and battered, but most of the blood was not her own as the village around her lay in ruin... and she closed her eyes as she lifted a tattered, bloodstained black dress to her face, burying her features against it as a shudder ran through her body before she began to sob.
The sun rose... whether on its own or due to another, Twilight didn't know. There were few stories about how things worked in past Equestria, and too much was just that: stories. Lies, made up to conceal truths, made up to hide the real past, built for the fantasy world Celestia had tried to convince them all was reality... and Twilight looked silently at Celestia, at what Celestia had started as... and for the first time, truly began to understand why she hid so much.
The ivory equine stood in front of the ashes of the bonfire, her swords still buried around this... and then, silently, she began to pull off her armor. Piece-by-piece, she yanked it free from her body and tossed it to the ground, until she stood, bare of even the ties that had held her braids in place, letting her dirty ivory mane fall freely over her face, shading her eyes as they roved over her body to her emblem on her haunch... and she shook her head at this, saying quietly: "I am no Celestial Unicorn. I thought this meant I was blessed by the sun, by the thing that holds the greatest of all powers in the world... I thought that was meant to be me. I thought that was the only thing I knew about myself. But how much evil have I wrought? How much have I destroyed... maybe I was abandoned here, stripped of my memories, for good reason..."
She closed her eyes, bowing her head... then she turned and silently strode towards a dusty alley, abandoning her gear as the landscape transformed into the open jaws of a dark cave that the ivory equine vanished into, whispering: "Let my sun set forever in this black crypt... let me never be touched again by the sky I fell from, I am a curse... I am an inferno, full of rage, and hatred, and scorn, and still, even now, I only think of myself..."
And as Twilight sat silently in front of the grayscale cave, gazing at the gaping maw of the deep tunnel leading down into the earth, a wind blew, carrying snow, dead leaves, flower petals past... and she felt time change, watched as ivy grew rapidly over the front of the cavern, became a curtain, which grew into a shored-up entrance, and then a door... and then Twilight glanced behind her as she heard the clank of wooden wheels, and she stepped carefully backwards, looking up with a frown to see several unicorns approaching, dressed in black robes, and with an earth pony behind them hauling a heavy wagon.
One of the unicorns approached the door nervously and knocked twice with his hoof... and there was a sigh from the other side before Celestia opened this, looking moodily out from the entrance of her tunnels, her home beneath the earth. Something about her had changed as she stepped forwards, mane pulled back in several long braids that were twined together into one long tail pulled behind her head as she said distastefully: "This is tiresome. For two decades I have lived here in peace, finding myself, meditating and seeking memory and serenity inside myself instead of seeking outwards, which I understand now was folly. For eighteen of these years, thou and thine order has pestered me. I am no leader. I am not the Celestial Unicorn. I have no name and I care not for anypony and seek no salvation, only to understand from whence I have come. Please return once more to thy superiors and tell them that again, thy pilgrimage was met with failure."
"Wait, wait, no! That is not why we are here!" babbled one of the unicorns, and then he turned and quickly ran back to the wagon, fumbling in the covered back of it as Celestia frowned and Twilight looked up silently, then blinked as the unicorn came back towards the ivory equine, carrying a stone tablet in a gentle telekinetic grip that Celestia stared at, enraptured immediately, her eyes following this as the unicorn hesitantly laid it in front of her.
Twilight stepped forwards, looking down at it with awe: it was engraved with nine runes surrounding an enormous tree... and at the bottom of this, was carved three figures, two winged unicorns and what looked like an enormous earth pony... and as Celestia stared, one of the unicorn monks exclaimed: "We found it, finally found in, plumbing the depths of the Basilisk Catacombs! It says that three siblings, the Celestial Unicorn, the Lunar Unicorn, and the Horse of Stone, will bring order and balance to our world... will unite scattered ponies into one mighty land... they will be born in hundred-year intervals, cast down from Heaven to serve the planet-"
"I serve no one." Celestia said flatly, beginning to lean back... but all the same, she hesitated, looking down at the stone tablet before she grimaced, her horn glowing brightly as she lifted this up and snatched it away, stepping backwards and slamming the wooden door as she shouted from behind it. "Now leave!"
The two other monks glared at the one standing in front of the door, who winced and then sighed, slumping before he muttered: "Let's... make camp for the night in the field and return hence tomorrow. Perhaps... she will have changed her mind."
But, as the wagon and ponies pulled away, the scenery changed as Twilight leaned back a bit with a wince, finding herself now seated on hard rock instead of softer grass... and now Celestia stood silently on a cliff that overlooked a deep, wide ravine graced with a wide, deep river that cut through the center of the greenery, a simple cloth satchel the only thing on her, braided hair teased by a wild wind as she looked silently out over the valley... and then she ran forwards and jumped, and Twilight felt herself dragged forwards with her, unable to suppress a cry of surprise before her eyes widened as this broadened into a scream of shock despite knowing this was all illusion, memory, not real-
And as she kicked her hooves at the air, it felt as if there was ground beneath them, changing to her desires as she broke on instinct into a sprint, the thin air beneath her hooves rippling like water as she chased after Celestia with a gasp of shock, then gritted her teeth and leaned forwards, picking up speed and looking at her, shouting: "Why can't you just tell me what you want me to see?"
Then a shadow passed over them... and Celestia looked sharply over her shoulder before she veered suddenly to the side, and Twilight winced as something shot downwards and passed through her in a blur of reds and blacks... before her eyes widened as she skidded around in a circle, realizing with shock that it was a dragon, a snarling, bestial dragon with an enormous wingspan and huge claws and teeth, roaring as smoke poured from its jaws before it leaned forwards and breathed a swathe of flame towards the female, uncaring as the red-hot blast washed back over its own features...
Celestia dodged downwards, diving steeply as Twilight fought to stay close enough to the clash she wouldn't be forcibly dragged along by the memories, but far enough away she could still view the entire battle... and she watched as Celestia spun suddenly around as she skimmed over the river, her hooves landing on the water... and skidding over it like it was solid ground even as the liquid rippled beneath her, the female lowering her head as the dragon dove greedily... before Celestia snapped her horn upwards as it gave a sharp pulse, and water erupted upwards in a wide, half-dome wall in front of her that crackled violently as it turned to solid ice, the dragon crashing headfirst into this with a howl of pain and shock as Celestia leapt upwards and over the stunned reptile, her wings carrying her higher into the air as it flailed wildly at the water... before without looking, Celestia simply flicked her horn upwards as it gave a second golden pulse.
A blast of lightning erupted from thin air, slamming into the dragon's back, the chunks of ice littering the river sparkling with electricity as arcs of blue and gold shot back and forth over the creature, the dragon howling and spasming in agony as Celestia spun around and then dropped her horn forwards... and a second, even larger blast of lightning ripped from the skies, crashing with an echoing bang of force into the dragon's skull. The beast's back arched, the dragon giving an eerie wail as it shivered violently... and then its head flopped forwards, and floated silently for a moment longer before its immense bulk slowly began to sink to the bottom of the deep river.
Celestia rose slowly back into the sky, guiding herself easily towards a wide, looming cliff, and Twilight followed quickly through the air, breathing hard, shivering a little at the ease with which Celestia had... killed. Had outmaneuvered a mighty dragon in its own territory, had immediately analyzed it and outthought it in only a few short, critical moves. And, as Twilight grimaced as she stepped back onto solid land, she had to work to repress a shudder as she realized that Celestia had likely planned the entire battle, as the ivory equine calmly strode into what had once served as the mighty beast's aerie.
She ignored the piles of gold and gemstones, moodily wading her way through glittering heaps before her eyes finally locked on a metal chest half-buried in a pile of sapphires and rubies. Her horn glowed, sweeping the gemstones away in one mighty telekinetic shove to reveal the glittering, diamond-encrusted platinum of the heavy metal box: more than shiny enough to draw the attentions of any dragon. It was locked... but with little more than a narrowing of her eyes, there was a loud clank as the front of the chest hissed... then popped open and revealed its plush innards, and the broken tablets that rested inside.
Celestia surveyed these calmly, murmuring to herself: "So the pony was right, a dragon did attack the monk's caravan. And these... the first clues to my past... siblings, what a ridiculous notion. I have no siblings, and have no need of siblings." She shook her head, then flicked her horn upwards, and the broken tablets quickly rose into the air, revolving once before they snapped firmly together, golden light glowing brightly in the cracks as they were cemented back together by magic as Twilight stepped silently forwards beside the ivory winged unicorn.
The three tablets each depicted an image of a different figure, marked by images of sun, moon, and a mighty ash tree... and Celestia gave all three a cursory glance before she threw two of the tablets back into the chest, the pouch at her side opening so the sun-engraved tablet could slide into it. She turned, and Twilight felt disappointment and strange pain writhe through her body as she walked away... then hesitated, and the violet unicorn looked up, hopeful... but then Celestia only shook her head and leapt into the air, spreading her wings as the memory faded out.
For a moment, there was only gray, and Twilight lowered her head, closing her eyes and feeling a strange shudder roll through her body, hating to see this... this callous, cold past, this awful... beginning, to the teacher who had always been so benign, so loving, so wonderful... and then she looked up sharply as Celestia said softly: "Yes, but I have had seventeen hundred years to change, to grow, to evolve. And this hurts me to show you, and I am ashamed of myself... I hold myself in contempt, for what I once was. For what I almost became again... after spending so long growing. Changing, and discovering... myself. In body, I was an adult... in skill, I was superior. But in my mind... I was a child, Twilight Sparkle. The little wisdom I have now, I have spent lifetimes learning and nurturing... back then, I was an angry, bitter child, who felt outcast by the parents she had never known, and my only response... was to fight."
Flashes of steel, splashes of blood, and Twilight gritted her teeth as these wild images and sensations flickered through the wall of gray around her as Celestia's voice whispered pleadingly into her ear: "You need to know why I chose you. You need to see me... for who I was, and who I am. You need... no, you deserve to understand, after all these years, that... you are better than me. You are better than I ever could have been, and you, Twilight Sparkle, may become even stronger than me... and I tell you this not to scare you, or warn you against using your power for evil... but out of admiration, and respect for the knowledge that no matter what you do, no matter how strong you become... you will never fail like I did. You will never use your talents... for the terrible things I once did, before Sleipnir. Before Luna. When I hid behind the violence of passion instead of the clockwork of order..."
Then, there was silence as memory faded back in... and Celestia stood now before a city in the sky, a massive structure of white, enchanted stone supported upon enormous clouds, Pegasi, gryphons, and strange creatures that Twilight had never seen before flying back and forth around the walls like anxious birds as three armored Pegasi stood across from Celestia, dressed in armor of white and red. "We cannot... simply allow thee in, when thou will not even give us a name..."
Celestia looked silently down at them, a coronet of gold now around her head, her braided mane spilling to one side of her body. A white cloak fell back around her frame, and a satchel bag was thrown over her back, the winged unicorn leaning down as she said quietly: "I cannot give thee a name, because I have no name. I know not who I am... but my pilgrimage, my quest for my memories and myself... has taken me to the gates of thy city. Allow me to speak to the elder, I implore thee. Gaze upon me, and see me: see how destiny weighs upon my crown."
The Pegasi apprehensively looked back and forth, then the middle guard sighed and nodded grudgingly, and they parted ways as Celestia smiled... and the memories flickered like static, Twilight wincing back before frowning curiously as the world reassembled itself, revealing Celestia standing calmly on a floor made of white cloud, in front of a beautiful, golden fountain that hovered silently a few inches above the floor of fluffy white. It was smooth, the texture alien, filled with crystalline water that spilled down from jugs held by three statues made of differently-colored crystal... statues of a unicorn, a Pegasus, and an earth pony.
They stood as equals, backs to each other's, front legs keeping the jugs balanced against their shoulders as their contents eternally spilled into the bowl they stood in and overflowed into the basin below in streams of water that pulsed with a strange aura... and, seated against the edge of the fountain, a strange creature rested, robes flowing over its frame and enormous, feathered white wings stretching out behind its back, the beast's face masked by a black veil as it said quietly, talons at the end of long arms laced quietly together in its lap: "You are like the sun... powerful and burning and radiant. But if you look too closely, the sun will blind you; if you stand too long beneath it, the sun will burn you; if you draw too near, the sun will kill you. The sun is beautiful and serene at a distance, a life-giver... but the closer you draw, the more we see this is illusion. It is a murderous inferno, scorning all but what feeds it, growing ever larger until one day it will be so hot and heavy it will collapse in on itself... and in death, attempt to drag the rest of the universe around it down, down, down into darkness."
"I am not the sun, I accepted this long ago." Celestia said coldly, glancing towards the being... and then she shook her head slowly and closed her eyes, bowing her head forwards. "Yes, I have come for my own selfish ends... I have come here to try and find the answers I seek. But hear me, Elder... if these answers to my identity will pacify me, will soothe the rage of my spirit... is it not also in service to others that I act? For in healing myself, I would heal the dangers I pose."
"You seek the path that will do you the greatest good, Celestial Unicorn, not the path that will most benefit others." the Elder replied quietly, and Celestia snorted before she frowned a bit when he reached back into his robes... then she shivered when he drew out a tattered, stained black dress, ancient and yet to her, still smelling faintly of smoke, of battle, shudders rolling through her mind. "We may all find salvation and redemption. We may all change who we once were... and the greatest battles we fight are not without, but within. This was not the first innocent you killed, out of misunderstanding, out of hand, out of irritation. This will not be the last... but you have done one thing worthy of respect. Not sealing yourself away from the world, running and hiding in the tunnels, in the darkness... but in choosing to put down your swords."
"Never again shall I lift them, either, I have made this vow and it is not one I intend to break." Celestia said quietly, shaking her head with a slow shudder. "I am not surprised that thou knows, Watcher of the World, but... I am humbled by thy knowledge all the same. And I understand that I have been rude to thee in thine own home with my demands, so... let me ask, and not order."
She bowed forwards, asking quietly: "The Angelic Fount, in this, the Fortress of Heaven, built as close as Midgard can reach towards Asgard and the Vale of Valhalla... permit me to bathe in it, and glimpse my past. Permit me to... find the answers I seek, and understand what I must do... who I am. Angel, Watcher, Elder, whatever thou art... please."
The being looked at her, then it stood up, kneading the dress thoughtfully between its talons, and Celestia's eyes roved to this, trembling a little as she stared at the black, tattered cloth, before the male quietly gestured towards the fountain. "Refresh yourself and wash away your tears, Celestial Unicorn. Perhaps your heart has begun to beat."
Celestia frowned a bit at this, then blushed as she reached up with one hoof, finding her cheeks wet before she nodded slowly and approached the fountain, looking up silently for a moment at the three statues... and then she hesitated, looking slowly towards the being and asking slowly: "Permit me... a single question, though, and I know not why I ask, why it seems important... but why do slave, unicorn, and Pegasus all stand equal upon this fountain? I see it in many places... and understand it not."
"Because this world will change, Celestial Unicorn. Because, even though there are races both mightier and more divine... when they work together, ponies can achieve harmony, order, and unity... and this is a greater force than even the most powerful of your magic." the Elder answered... and then he gestured again towards the fountain, bowing forwards slightly, the veil hiding his face and yet even Twilight catching the sense of a smile. "Now go. Wash away your tears."
Celestia nodded slowly... then she sighed a little and stepped forwards, bowing her head down and reaching her hooves forwards, splashing water over her face and briefly submerging her features into the tingling liquid, closing her eyes as she felt a strange, lingering sizzle... and then she leaned back in surprise, her eyes flashing open as she straightened, ivory mane spilling down around her... before it hummed softly, beginning to glow with the radiance of the rainbow, filling with color and a life of its own as it twisted slowly backwards.
Color spilled through her long tail next, the appendage flicking backwards as it grew longer, as it became ethereal, and she gasped quietly as her eyes shimmered, becoming amethyst for a moment even in the world of blacks-and-whites... and then she gritted her teeth and shivered, whispering: "What... is this feeling..."
"The answer you have been seeking, Celestial Unicorn. No one can tell you who you were in the past... but if you stop chasing it, and embrace the future... that will be what leads you away from the creature you fear you have become." the Elder said quietly, putting his talons behind his back as Twilight leaned forwards, listening intently as Celestia looked up in surprise. "For all your mind, do you not understand? Expecting to be able to see into the past and see yourself, and instantly be healed... it is folly. Why does the past matter so much, when you know who you want to be, when you know what you have to become? Look to the future instead. Look at what you wish to achieve, and step forwards to achieve it. Give not in to your anger and temptation... work every day towards what you desire, and leave the past where it belongs, buried beneath the sands of time."
The being smiled in the language of its body as it brought one talon forwards, and now it held not a tattered dress, but instead a roll of parchment, saying quietly: "Take this map, and go to meet your destiny with your mind clear, with your heart humble, and willing to acknowledge the worth and wisdom of others, Celestial Unicorn. You must accept your destiny... but that does not mean your fate is written in stone. There are things that must be done, but you will choose your own method of doing them... and I only pray that your choices will be good."
Celestia's horn glowed as she took the map, looking silently up at the Elder as her mane flowed and hummed around her, and then she unrolled the parchment and glanced towards this, saying slowly: "Equestria... but it is an uncivilized land to the north, wilder than even here, and..."
And the Elder was gone, when Celestia looked back up, Twilight pacing forwards as she stared back and forth in surprise with the suddenness the creature had vanished... before the memories changed, flickered violently, and a moment later the unicorn found herself running to keep up as Celestia charged down a path towards a smoking crater, her multicolored, ephemeral mane and tail flowing freely behind her, satchel and coronet the only thing upon her body as she muttered: "Madness... why am I bothering, why am I drawn onwards... this land is full of darkness and insanity, I feel the butt of some cosmic joke, and now am I not only the sole Celestial Unicorn I have a rainbow flowing forever from my head and-"
Then she skidded to a halt as she passed into a field and found the source of the smoke, wincing at the sight of the enormous crater. Hesitantly, Celestia stepped forwards... then dropped herself to a ready position, gritting her teeth as what looked like a tall earth pony began to crawl free from the charred wound in the verdant green, grunting loudly and looking a little battered and bruised as he mumbled: "By Odin, what a ridiculous start to the day..."
Slowly, the male hauled himself upwards, rolling his shoulders with a wince, and Celestia couldn't help but lean forwards slightly in surprise as he straightened, stunned by the sight of him. He was enormous, almost as tall as her - and never had she seen a pony before that was even half her height without the use of magic - but his body was bulkier and heavier, covered in thick silver plating, his hooves protected by solid boots of gleaming metal and what looked like a heavy shield resting over his back. His visible coat was chestnut... and yet his mane and tail were made of twisting ivy, wild and unkempt as the vines moved slowly of their own accord, the glitter of gemstones shifting and glimmering throughout both as he blinked his green eyes tiredly... and then they locked on Celestia, and he threw his head back and laughed loudly before striding forwards as the winged unicorn only stared in dumb surprise, before she winced backwards in what was almost horror when he simply hugged her fiercely. "Sister!"
"I... I am not thy sister, get off me!" Celestia shoved at him, forcing the male to stagger backwards as she glared at the enormous equine, but the male only grinned widely in return, looking delighted all the same as she leaned forwards and snapped: "I am a century old and have never seen thee before in my life, and while my memories are not as they once were, I know well that thou cannot be my sibling."
"Well, I must be thy brother, for if I was not then by now I would surely be overwhelmed by the urge to try and make such a beautiful being my wife." the male replied jovially, leaning forwards and waggling his eyebrows... and Twilight's jaw dropped as Celestia seemed to freeze up for a moment... then slapped him hard across the face with one hoof, making the male stagger with a wince, but then laugh and shake his head with a wide grin. "Wonderful! Yes, this will be an excellent journey with thee, will it not? But pray tell, what does thou call thyself now? I fear that my own mind seems full of holes... well, fuller than usual, in any event."
Celestia seemed to have a hard time processing what was going on as Twilight only continued to stare in amazement at these memories, as the winged unicorn gritted her teeth... then finally started: "The title I was given by these ponies was Celestia-"
"Of course, Celestia! Thou art my sister Celestia, and Celestia, I am thy brother, Sleipnir!" Sleipnir smiled warmly to her, stepping forwards and hugging her again, and the winged unicorn gave a loud curse of frustration before she shoved at him and pried him back off, glaring at him even as he laughed and began warmly: "Come, though, I am eager for adventure, and the earth speaks to me, tells me where to go, and-"
"Will thou not silence thy insipid prattling?" Celestia leaned forwards, shouting in the male's face, and Sleipnir immediately fell back on his haunches with a wince as he tried to shrink his head back into his armor. "Celestia is not my name! I have no name, I was always called Celestial Unicorn, or Aya, by these foolish ponies who looked up to me, and I need not to be babysitting a gigantic, overly-affectionate slave-hoof while journeying through this land, does thou not understand?"
Sleipnir looked at her mildly for a few moments as Celestia breathed hard in and out, glaring at him... and then he leaned forwards and said kindly, completely ignoring most of what she had just said: "Celestial Unicorn, bah, 'tis too difficult a thing to say. I prefer Celestia, so I shall call thee Celestia. Shall we be off, sister?"
Celestia spat a volley of particularly-colorful curses that would have made even Luna blush as she stormed past Sleipnir, but the male only smiled warmly and followed cheerfully along behind her, the memories becoming static-riddled before Twilight found herself standing in a dark, foul-looking bedroom, the sound of raucous singing feeding up through the floor as Celestia rested on a bed with a moody expression on her face, reading slowly as her horn glowed enough to light the pages... before she glanced up with a sigh as the door banged open and Sleipnir barged inside, booting it closed behind him.
His armor was discarded, leaving his body bare and revealing tattooing over one side of his breast and down one forelimb, and he sighed in relief as he strode over towards his own bed at the other side of the room, past the jumble of armor that lay on the floor before he threw himself into it and gazed up at the ceiling... and then Celestia closed her eyes, visibly steeled herself, and then shut the book as she looked across at him, Sleipnir tossing her a curious look before she said quietly: "I'm sorry."
The male frowned, rolling onto his stomach as he looked across at her inquisitively, and Celestia said softly: "I have... owed you this apology for a long time, my companion. Sleipnir... I... treated thee badly. For a decade I used thee as a slave-hoof, for many years afterwards I barely recognized thy strength... not only in battle, but as well... in the way thou brings happiness to ponies. I have observed thee as we have travelled back and forth over this land, fighting and finding artifacts and, when we can afford it, finding small spaces of sanctuary near and far, living in peace for a time even amidst all this... darkness.
"But... I have been thinking over these last few weeks, and understand that being around thee... has helped change me. Before, I lived in solitude, thought only of myself... and 'twas always why it drove me mad when thou would stop to 'waste time' playing with foals, or help some distressed being in need... be they pony or otherwise. Thou art... generous. Thou art kind and wonderful. Thinking of this... comparing thee to myself, to who I used to be... I admire thee. And I wanted to apologize for... how I have treated thee. I shall do better in the future."
She glanced away with a bit of a blush, nodding awkwardly more to herself than anything else... and Sleipnir only smiled at her, shrugging and saying kindly: "I am not a thinker as thou art, Celestia, I only live by the day-by-day. It honors me to hear you speak so, but... I have never held thy behaviors against thee. Besides, I am sure I shall do something to earn thy wrath again sooner or later."
"Perhaps." Celestia smiled back, looking over at him with hesitant affection, and the two nodded to each other slowly before she straightened and said quietly: "I also wish to ask of thee a question. Whether or not thou believes..."
"The prophecies? Nonsense." Sleipnir waved a hoof as he rolled onto his back, looking unfettered before he smiled and closed his eyes. "Nay, as always, the earth shall tell the way. Mother Nature knows herself best, and nourishes all life, benign and evil, for reasons that are at least fair if neither good nor bad. She tells me that we have a sister we have yet to meet, however... I look eagerly forwards to meeting her, but fear it may be some time yet before we do. Still, in this time... there is much to pursue. Awful monsters to battle, a land to stride across, homes to build and ancient stories to study, and who knows how many memories to recover? We are legends where we pass, Celestia... but, much like legends, the moment we are past, the moment all the ponies begin to exaggerate and transform every little detail."
"Perhaps it is good, though. I never wish for my past to be known, Sleipnir... even now, I lash out with anger at the undeserving, despite the self I have worked steadily towards becoming." Celestia murmured... and then she frowned a bit when Sleipnir only laughed and shook his head. "What?"
"Celestia, be not silly. If thou wert the same creature thou once were, then why would thou constantly moan and gripe about the evils that thou committed? Cease thy worrying and prattling, thou art no abomination. At least, not mostly." Sleipnir winked at her, then he rolled over... and grunted when Celestia's book flew across the room and bounced off his broad back, but the winged unicorn was smiling at him all the same as he rose a hoof and waved airily at her. "Sleep well, sister. Also, worry not about our gold being stolen, I have already spent it on wine and prostitutes."
Celestia only sighed and rolled her eyes, shaking her head and rolling over... and the memories faded out before a black stone room faded slowly into being around Twilight Sparkle, the unicorn looking back and forth and repressing a shudder at the aura of menace that filled this empty space. Runes covered the walls, and a circle of melted candles resting on holders made from skulls and bones surrounded an awful black altar inscribed with lunar symbols... and then, slowly, dead bodies faded in around the area.
Monsters and ponies both, many of the latter in awful states that made Twilight shudder: maimed and mutilated, they had obviously been dead for a long time... but from the fresh wounds, she guessed that until only recently their bodies had been animated by some awful force. And then Twilight looked up as upon the altar, another body appeared... living but silent and unmoving, the form of Luna, with light blue mane and tail in place of the starry ephemerality that would one day replace these.
Twilight heard Sleipnir and Celestia before they too faded into being in the memory, both batted and bruised, armor broken and damaged as Sleipnir grimaced and absently rubbed at a large, ugly gash in one foreleg. "Sister, I knew not thou had more than magic at thy disposal. Why did thou not show such talents in the century we have spent together?"
"Because I made a vow to never use those abilities again." Celestia muttered, shaking her head and wincing as she flexed her body slowly, then she cursed under her breath as she dragged her rear leg behind her, gritting her teeth as her horn glowed brightly, the rear limb glowing before Sleipnir winced at a loud crack as Celestia hissed, then straightened shakily. "'Tis fine, 'twas only... disjointed."
"Thou art bold, sister." Sleipnir winced a little, then strode slowly towards the altar, brushing some of the candles aside as he said quietly: "And here she is. This is our sibling, Celestia... thou will not become jealous of the newest member of our little family, will thou?"
"There will be time for jokes later, Sleipnir. Will she awaken?" Celestia stepped forwards, and she gazed silently over the female, studying Luna's body, the armor that covered her frame... before she frowned a bit as her eyes settled on something resting beside her. Her horn glowed as she lifted the small object... and then she reared back in surprise as it clicked before the handle extended into a telescopic pole, sizzling with magic as the diamond-shaped head of the spear gleamed brightly.
Then Celestia looked down as the female stirred... and her horn glowed as she glanced sharply towards the spear, the telescopic weapon collapsing before flying quickly over to her and slipping into the satchel bag she was wearing, as Sleipnir frowned... but before he could say anything, the winged unicorn laying on the altar stirred and moaned weakly, her eyes flickering open... and looking listlessly, blankly, up at Celestia as she leaned down, a visible, strange pang passing over the ivory equine's features. "Where... am I..."
"A temple, thou were... captured, sister." Celestia spoke calmly, naturally, and yet even she seemed surprised at what she was saying, as she continued quietly: "We came to save thee... art thou alright?"
"I... yes, I think so... my head throbs, and my mind is scattered... who..." Luna shook her head slowly, wincing... and Celestia smiled awkwardly at her, hesitating only a moment.
"Thou art known as... Luna. I am Celestia, and our brother is Sleipnir, does thee feel the memories returning?" the ivory equine murmured gently, and Luna frowned a little before the larger winged unicorn leaned forwards, her eyes glowing slightly as she said softly: "Try not too hard. Worry not too much... we are family, and we are here to take care of thee. We... we are."
Celestia's mane glowed a bit brighter as she leaned back slightly, obviously surprised at herself... but when Luna smiled faintly up at her, Celestia smiled back, and the glimmer in her eyes was one of hope as Sleipnir laughed and stepped forwards, nodding firmly and adding jovially: "Now let us make our way out of this den of death and inequity, and sojourn to a happier place, where we can better make merry and celebrate the return of our sister! Come, come, there is much to be done throughout this land, is there not?"
"There is always much to do." Celestia replied quietly, and then she glanced back towards Luna, tenderness on her features for a moment before she shook her head and smiled from one to the other... and slowly, the memories faded out, even as the ivory equine's voice spoke from the present, not from the past, swirling around Twilight like a physical wind: "They were my family. I did not understand how or why, but they were... and we fought and suffered together and laughed together for many years. We won great victories and survived catastrophic failure, they opened my heart...
"I discovered harmony and serenity, for a little while. I reshaped myself, they helped free me from the rage and hate... but as time wore on, I became... arrogant. Luna and Sleipnir were glad to help freely, but the ponies of Equestria always wanted more and more... and our repayment? I watched ponies rip each other apart over trinkets and meaningless, imagined borders. I watched darkness surge over Equestria from within and without, the land I was told by prophecy and its own ponies I was supposed to save. I watched how they could not keep the legends straight, how we morphed in their minds like changelings, how eager they were to have vaunted leaders... how eager they were to use us as scapegoats when we failed.
"So I put a great plan into motion, and only now I realize that it was just like before... I was not working for others, only to serve my own ends. Destroying the Tyrant Wyrms and intimidating the dragons into peace with Equestria secured me in the eyes of the ponies as a peerless leader. I decided to exterminate Discord, who I held in contempt and blind hate: he was the embodiment of chaos, and he was a blight upon the land I had already begun to consider... mine. Not my home, but mine by right, on the one hoof refusing to believe the prophecies were true, on the other using them, even in my own mind, as the grounds by which I could declare that I deserved this... that I had a divine right to Equestria.
"Discord's defeat and imprisonment made me a hero... and even though Luna fought beside me in that battle, it was not hard for me to take most of the credit for myself... and back then, my little sister only wanted to impress me, still looked up to me... and I used that to my advantage as well. Luna and I by now had begun moving sun and moon at regular intervals, taking over for whatever forces had done it in the past, and now the ponies looked up to us like demigods. I laid the groundwork to make Equestria a united kingdom instead of a thousand scattered baronies, spreading my influence, declaring ourselves 'Princesses' to begin the centuries-long process of weaving order throughout this country as I destroyed ancient texts, ruins of old, and purged anything that could threaten the order of Equestria... the harmony I was building. I had decided that the ponies should live in blissful ignorance... I passed restrictions and instilled new traditions, I wove a complex network of lies... and when that last great battle of a thousand years ago erupted, when Nightmare Moon first came into being..."
Twilight looked up as Celestia strode towards her out of the cloudy, gray listlessness that surrounded her, until she was standing in front of her... and now, she looked worn, tired, and broken, her mane and tail not glowing, but ivory-white, her locks cascading around her weathered features as she leaned down as reality faded in around them, whispering quietly: "I did not give into passion. But I had become so intensely-focused on discipline, on being the opposite of what I had once been, of... instilling harmony and order... that I did not realize I had gone to the other, and worse, extreme. I sealed Luna in the moon with all the power of the sun... in order to wipe out all traces of disharmony and dissidence in my kingdom. The story spread throughout Equestria that my sister had turned evil, become a monster known as Nightmare Moon... and now I had the sympathy of the ponies of Equestria as well as their respect, their admiration... and in those days, their fear, too.
"I used that. I used that to make myself sole ruler, appear as sole benefactor. And I hurt, Twilight Sparkle, but instead of ever once allowing myself to think about what I had done... I buried my heart in clockwork and order. As the years went by, I learned the art of subtlety... I learned to hide behind a smile. I warped the teachings of the Elder, who told me my past did not matter, and used it to excuse everything I did in the past, expanded it to include the present... if it meant what I did now would ensure the best future." She stopped, then lowered her head, closing her eyes and murmuring: "Twilight Sparkle... my special little pony... I am sorry for what I have done. Given another thousand years of life, I could never explain myself to you, my reasons for what I have done. I could never excuse myself, or ask for mercy, or have the right to beg for forgiveness. From you, from my sister, from Sleipnir. Even now, I... I unconsciously twist words and truths, and fear that even in my own mind, I have lost sight of what is self-delusion and what is true fact... the only solace I can take comes from the few friends I have now, in this broken Equestria."
She fell silent, then coughed as she leaned away, blood dripping from her mouth as Twilight looked up in shock, stepping forwards... and then her vision went blurry, and she fell to her knees, gasping as pain rattled through her frame before Celestia smiled faintly, saying quietly: "My apologies, Twilight Sparkle. I am unfit to finish the story for now... and you require rest, too. But when Luna returns... we shall speak. I shall tell you of the last of my memories that you need to know."
She stopped, then silently leaned down, kissing Twilight's forehead, leaving a stain of blood like lipstick before she rose her head in the air, gritting her teeth as her horn crackled, a faint glow surrounding Twilight as the unicorn was shakily lifted into the air as she spasmed and drifted in and out of consciousness, floating slowly towards the bed... and Celestia settled her gently on it before the ivory equine slowly lowered herself to the floor, too weak to even crawl to her circular cushion as she lowered her head, her horn sparking once as her eyes slid slowly, silently shut. |
Starlit Knights | Puzzle Pieces, Falling Down | Chapter Fifteen: Puzzle Pieces, Falling Down
~BlackRoseRaven
Luna trembled as she sat silently at the edge of a cliff, tears leaking down her face as she stared up at the full moon, breath harshly rolling in and out of her chest as electricity sparked through her starry mane... and then Scrivener Blooms hauled himself up beside her, breathing hard as he mumbled: "You fly fast."
"Scrivy..." Luna closed her eyes tightly, turning her head away for a moment... and then, as his hoof brushed silently against her back, she turned around and dropped herself against him, shoving her face against his neck as she embraced him fiercely, Canterlot Castle almost glowing in the distance as she whispered: "This feels like an awful trick, a terrible joke... with but a sounded name, my mind... these thoughts, memories, things I cannot describe that dance and twist throughout it..."
"I know... I can see it too, remember?" Scrivener hugged her tightly back, pushing his face into her mane, feeling it humming silently against his features as they clung to each other for comfort, their bodies pressing together as he murmured: "Celestia... always knows something, doesn't she?"
"Aye, finally, thou understands." Luna laughed weakly, leaning back and staring up at the shimmering stars as she whispered: "But why? I have many questions for her, and wonder how long she has known, when she bore these torments, why she never told me before... and know that no matter what she answers, I will likely still wish to beat her senseless for... for all this nonsense!"
Luna rose a hoof and punched the ground, gritting her teeth before flashes of memory sparked through her mind again, of dances, of clouds, of things she couldn't put into words as she cursed and dropped her head against the male's neck again... and then she shuddered and murmured: "Brynhild... and a face. A scarred face, rough, with a single eye... it almost makes me think of thee."
She laughed weakly, glancing at Scrivener, and he smiled faintly back at her, the two studying each other silently before Luna shivered a little and shook her head. "It changes nothing, yet changes everything... and what if Ignominious knows? What if the Ekleíp knew? Oh, foul Fate... did Celestia, Sleipnir and I truly fall from the ranks of some higher plane? Are we not... what we always thought we were? Am I even a pony, or just a shattered remnant of some flaxen entity that was cursed and broken long ago..."
"You are you, Luna... you are you." Scrivener Blooms said firmly, leaning back so he could look into her eyes, reaching his hooves up to rest them quietly on her shoulders. "You are who you've always been, this is just... this is just another layer, that's all. These memories... they are strange and wild and don't make much sense, but you are you. You're my wife, and my soulmate, and I know you're scared and I can feel how this hurts you, but... we're going to push forwards through this together, okay?"
He met her eyes quietly, and Luna smiled faintly at him as she nodded slowly, closing her eyes and taking a shuddering breath before she straightened a bit, then smiled when Scrivener brushed away one trail of tears, and quietly licked up the other, making her laugh a little. "Now come on. We can take our time walking back to Canterlot so you can compose yourself, and then kick down Celestia's door and demand answers from her, just like you've always wanted."
"Aye, that at least will be fun." Luna muttered, lowering her head forwards and grimacing a little... then she nodded once before straightening, and the two began to slowly walk back towards the castle in slow pace with one another, the winged unicorn feeling her heart and mind both beginning to settle even as she felt strangely, acutely aware of every nerve, every fiber of her body, of the thud of her heart and the rasp of her breath as her eyes flicked back and forth before she gritted her teeth, then glanced sharply at Scrivener Blooms and asked in a frustrated voice: "Are thou sure this is so... so... truly, thou art maddening!"
Scrivy only gave her a smile in return, however, and Luna blushed a bit as she dropped her head embarrassedly forwards, mumbling: "I... apologize, Scrivy, my emotions are all out of order and I wish to lash out at something. Violently. And, perhaps I am jealous of thy ability to even now take everything in stride, compartmentalizing and sorting, grouchy at the idea of change but adapting all the same. It annoys me that... that thou cares so deeply about me, thou does not care from whence I may have came, it changes not thy opinion of me that I am no longer aware of who I really am..."
"But I know who you are... Luna or... Brynhild..." He stopped, glancing at her hesitantly, but the winged unicorn only nodded quickly when the name didn't stir up any shock of emotion or memory this time. "You're still you. You wouldn't be such a pain in the flank if you were suddenly different."
"Thou art insufferable. Even now, thou makes light of everything! And yet... strangely, it comforts me." Luna grumbled a bit, looking moodily down as Scrivy smiled a little at her before he stopped to reach out and touch the black pearl hanging from around the female's neck, and she blushed a little at a surge of thought and imagery that spilled through her mind... not xenomorphic memories, but a mix of thoughts romantic and cherished. "If only thou were half the poet in reality thou art in thy mind, thy words could actually be useful for something. Apart from making me feel... silly."
"You are silly." Scrivener said softly, and Luna looked at him for a moment, then she nodded and laughed a bit, glancing down with a bit of a blush before shaking her head briskly and turning to stride onwards through grass and dust, both of them looking silently up towards Canterlot Castle: for Luna, a sharp, short, violent flight to a lonely perch... for Scrivy, a long, ragged run that had forced him to twist the long way around up the curved and jagged cliffs. "Luna..."
"Cease, Scrivener Blooms, I am... feeling better. Worry not for me, but the surprise of it... 'twas jarring. 'Twas made worse to know that... Celestia has known this for some time, and that I have been perhaps laughed at for the Horses of Heaven above know how long by otherworldly entities, smug with their knowledge of the truth as I unknowingly lied to everyone I have ever met." Luna stopped, shaking her head in slow disgust. "Not to mention the news of Sleipnir and so much else that has happened... the memories, the... loss of sense of self for that moment, it dug deep."
She stopped, and they fell silent as they strode onwards... but in their minds now, they shared scattered images and whispered thoughts. Luna didn't know what these fragments that now sat in her mind like splinters meant, these glimpses of a buried past... but they were enough to disturb her. Glinting armor and metal, smoke and fire, blood... and dancing. Dances, and mingling, and the aged face with a single-eye, someone who had desired her and she had refuted... a sense of a leader she had admired, then betrayed... or was it been betrayed by?
And in these memories, there were glimpses of figures she didn't recognize in body, but she heard Sleipnir's fearless laughter, and Celestia's brutal strategy and rule. They had known each other, respected each other... but they had not been siblings, even if there had been... closeness. They were not bound by blood, and it made Luna ache in her heart, in a way she didn't want to admit she felt... but all the same, she could feel Scrivener's empathetic reassurances that they had been her family. They would always be her family... and she knew he was right. She knew that he understood, for more reasons than their connection... and she smiled a little as she closed her eyes, letting him soothe her. She was wild and chaotic and mischievous, he was calm and structured and sarcastic, and they twined together like... "Scrivener, I require a metaphor for us."
Scrivener glanced at her mildly, thinking for a few moments, and then he said plainly: "Fire and magnesium."
Luna looked at him blankly, and Scrivy shrugged, saying mildly: "Well, by yourself, you're a pain. You like to make trouble, you have a bad habit of burning your way through things, but without motive or fuel you tend to go in crazed circles beating up every poor sap you come across. And me, well. By myself, I'm common, bitter, and I pretty much just sit around on my butt with no real objectives. But when you combine us together, you get this spectacularly-burning light that can make beautiful fireworks... or a piercing flare that will cut through any darkness and burn its way through any barrier."
For a few moments, the winged unicorn only stared at him... and then a smile quirked her mouth as she looked ahead towards Canterlot, and she said quietly: "I enjoy this metaphor, Scrivener Blooms. Although thou should know by now there's more to me than smoke and flame."
"Yes, there's lightning and your hooves, too." Scrivener replied mildly, and Luna checked him firmly, knocking him stumbling as she laughed and shook her head.
They took their time, letting the last of the anxieties begin to fade out as they walked back to Canterlot at an easy pace, Luna's mind strengthening and settling as they headed for the lowered bridge and open gates. The Pegasus Guards greeted them apprehensively, but when Luna only smiled and bowed her head politely, they seemed to relax a little and let them pass without incident into the dimmed interior of the castle: by now, they had moved into the early, darker-than-night hours of the morning, when even the moon above seemed to be suffocated by the shadows and Pales were said to roam freer through the world.
Luna took the lead, and Scrivener was glad to follow beside her, feeling her determination rising, admiring her bravery for deciding to face this head on... but that only made Luna toss him an amused look, saying quietly: "Perhaps 'tis not courage, though, but rather curiosity... and that may well end badly for all concerned."
Scrivener had only given her an entertained look in return as they had made their way through the silent corridors. After minutes that seemed longer than the near-hour they had taken to wend their way through the fields to Canterlot, they reached Celestia's quarters... and although the golden double doors didn't open for them as readily this time, with a flick of her horn, Luna threw them wide and the two strode down the hall together... before both halted and readied themselves as reality in front of them flickered.
A moment later, a green door formed in front of them, as Luna gritted her teeth... but when it swung open, it revealed Discombobulation standing on the other side, the Draconequus surveying them curiously. Scrivener Blooms relaxed slightly, even as Luna continued to look at him suspiciously as the door that had appeared melted into the floor and vanished, leaving him standing calmly in the center of the hall, and then he leaned slowly forwards, looking thoughtfully at the winged unicorn as he said musingly: "Perhaps you are not as strong as we anticipated. Or maybe this is a sign you're even stronger. Either way, I have to ask you to be kind, and rewind. Twilight Sparkle is in no mood for visitors. Celestia is in even worse shape... I cannot grasp why such a powerful creature would pass so much of herself on to a dedicated apprentice who already has so much power herself... it seems neither intelligent nor passionate. It seems farcical and stupid, like when you spend five or six hundred pages loving a certain windmill-obsessed character before he's killed in a fit of authorial spite."
"Oh look, Scrivener Blooms, either he has read one of thy stories or there is another author as callous as thou art." Luna said mildly over her shoulder, and then she suddenly snapped her head forwards as her horn glowed, and Discombobulation was blown backwards down the hall in a burst of lightning, the Draconequus wincing as he skidded almost all the way to the end of the long, carpeted corridor before laying with his limbs splayed.
He coughed, a bit of smoke floating up from his jaws before he slowly sat up and rubbed at his singed front, looking dumbly down the hallway at Luna as the winged unicorn pawed the ground with her hoof and lowered her head, saying shortly: "Would thou like to test my temper further? Never, ever try and keep me separated from Twilight Sparkle... nor even from my sister. And speak not thy poison to mine ears, Bob of Ginnungagap, or I shall be forced to show thee in detail how I work in less-subtle fashions than words."
The Draconequus grumbled under its breath as it slowly picked itself up, breathing hard and rubbing at its features... and then it shook itself firmly, smoke puffing off its body and vanishing quickly as the burns and singes healed before he strode slowly back down the hall towards them. For a moment, he and Luna only looked at each other, standing a few feet away, the creature lowering its head on its snaking neck so it was at eye-level with her... and then it sighed slowly and stepped to the side, grasping the handle of the door to Celestia's bedroom.
It stopped, talons tickling against the wood for a moment before it glanced towards them, saying quietly: "Ponies are meddlesome. And even as confusion, I find them confusing, which means I must strive to understand them even as I enjoy not being able to predict what happens next. It's like listening to a symphony orchestra while watching the silly teenagers butchered in the woods by a machete or an axe or some drooling monster that's all teeth and claws: no matter how great or small the amount of gore, you can't deny there's something innately soothing about it all."
"Thou art a strange, strange creature, Bob. Come, Scrivy, I fear if thou art left alone with this beast indescribable conversations shall occur and I shall be dreaming of thine wretched imaginings for a week." Luna muttered, and then she gave the Draconequus a brief nod when it pulled the door open for her, the two ponies stepping into the room before Discombobulation shoved it closed behind them.
Celestia was still laying on the bedding, silent and quiet, and Luna shivered a bit as she looked at her, strange memories flickering through her mind again before she looked towards Twilight... and then she staggered to a halt as Scrivener turned his gaze sharply in the direction Luna looked, as the female murmured: "I believe... Celestia has pushed further and delved into deeper magic than I had expected..."
Twilight Sparkle stirred on the bed... and then her violet eyes slowly fluttered open, before she smiled warmly at the sight of the two ponies, not seeming to realize anything was different as she grimaced and pulled herself towards the edge of the bed, murmuring: "So... it wasn't just a dream... I... are you two alright? And Celestia..."
"Originally my intent was to come here and either demand answers or simply beat her until the world made sense again, but... I see that... instead, we should take a moment to regard thee instead, and... speak with thee." Luna said softly, and Scrivener nodded slowly and whistled a bit, which made the dark sapphire pony snort in amusement. "Well, at least thou aren't jealous."
"What? I don't understand." Twilight frowned a bit, tilting her head, her horn gleaming quietly... and then she glanced up at this after a moment, blinking in surprise as she realized this had lengthened as she tilted her head back and forth. "Is that all?"
As she spoke, she half-turned... and large, strong wings fluttered gently at the sides of her body. Twilight frowned as she looked over her shoulder at these, studying them curiously as she slowly spread one, the vibrant violet feathers that matched her coat covering the main body of the wings but the lower pinions raven-black... and then her features slowly paled as she realized it was actually her own wing, her jaw working stupidly as her eyes blinked before she reared back and staggered in a circle, babbling: "What? No, that's impossible! I can't be, I mean... I... what's going on? Luna!"
"Shush and calm thyself, Twilight Sparkle." Luna said firmly, stepping forwards and reaching up to catch Twilight by the hooves before she could circle again, bringing her to a grinding halt as she breathed hard and stared over her shoulder, then almost pleadingly at the fellow winged unicorn, the female smiling a bit... and Twilight wincing and rearing back when she realized she was as tall as the dark-sapphire equine. "Thou has been given a gift, forget that not. Come, calm thyself, we shall take this in slow stride."
Twilight nodded slowly, breathing hard and looking back at herself... and Luna smiled faintly as her own eyes traced backwards, silently studying the emblem upon Twilight's haunch, which was now surrounded by a circular pattern of red runes... and the violet pony shook her head rapidly, lowering her head and muttering: "This... I can... I can barely believe this is possible. I... look at me, I mean... Scrivy, you changed from Luna, I know, but that was different, Luna mixed your souls and you just got bigger and me, why did I-"
"Because you are special... because while Luna and Scrivener mixed themselves together, I did not mix... I simply gave." Celestia said tiredly from the circular cushion she rested on... and all eyes turned to her, Twilight trembling a little as she carefully slipped away from Luna to stride quickly over to the ivory equine... and Celestia smiled faintly, her eyes opening, then closing as she breathed slowly and lifted herself slightly, shaking her head with a quiet grimace. "I don't remember laying down here. But I don't remember much after... beginning the process. Sharing memories as I linked us for the process... a gift of power in return for..."
She shook her head silently, and Twilight looked down at her, trembling, before Celestia rose her head with a tired smile: "Immortality? There is no such thing as true immortality... age withers us all, sooner or later. We all must die and fade, by violence or... exhaustion of life. But you will live as long as Luna and Scrivener Blooms, and this makes me glad. You will not be alone... and I have amplified your powers, your magic, given you my blood, my strength, my innate talents. But for everything, there is a price... there must be a trade. No gift in this world is without something in return, for even gratitude is a price to pay.
"I took a little of your own strength, your own talent. It may sound strange... but there are things you can do that I cannot, and it is this we must discuss." Celestia gritted her teeth as she slowly began to force herself upwards to a sitting position... but then Luna stepped forwards and silently rested a hoof on her shoulder, looking down at her quietly.
"Nay, sister, rest. Thou art weakened. And think not that any of us are fooled by thy words... the only reason thou would be in such a wretched state is if thou tried to cheat thyself, and took too little in return for giving too much. 'Twas foolish, sister... thou could have died." Luna said quietly, and then she offered a faint smile, whispering: "And then who would I have to undermine or lash out at? Wretched creature, thou would have left me without answers I crave, and worse, at the helm of a kingdom thou hast only just been named Queen of."
Celestia laughed faintly at this... and then Twilight leaned down and tightly hugged the ivory equine, closing her eyes, burying her face against the white strands of her mane as the Queen of Equestria straightened slightly with a surprised blink, Twilight shuddering against her as she whispered: "You shouldn't've done this... you gave me too much. Please, Celestia, take it back, I... I'm not ready, and you look so... weak. I... I need you still. You're my teacher... you're my... my friend."
The weathered female smiled faintly at this, looking down and closing her eyes as a tenderness spread over her features that softened her fatigue... and then she murmured quietly: "We are rarely ready for the tasks we are given and the powers we receive, always forced to grow up too fast to grow into them... but... you are, Twilight Sparkle. You are... and you are not my student any longer. You are my equal... and my greater."
Twilight slowly drew back, swallowing thickly... and then Celestia shook her head, glancing silently towards Luna. "I know I do not have to ask, but... guide her. Take care of her. You make a more fitting mentor for her than me."
Luna laughed quietly, shaking her head and glancing towards Twilight Sparkle as the newly-winged unicorn straightened a bit and stepped back, trembling a little as she looked down, almost looking ashamed of herself. "Nay, sister... Twilight is better than us both, but all the same, I shall take good care of her and guard her well on our journey. That, I promise thee, if only because thou seems to need the reassurance."
Celestia nodded slowly, raising her head and seeming to regain a bit of her strength as Scrivener stepped up beside Twilight and quietly rested a hoof on her shoulder, the violet pony silently, automatically leaning towards him as Celestia's eyes slowly roved over the three... and then she said quietly: "Then the time has come. Twilight knows the beginning... you have lived the middle... and now I shall tell you the end of the sordid tale, Luna... or... Brynhild, as your memories seem to be settling."
"Alien memories... not of this life, of a past... they are like scattered puzzle pieces, though, making no sense to me without knowledge of what I should be looking for. Now tell me, sister... what does thou know? How did thou discover this?" Luna asked quietly, then she sat quietly back on the floor, her eyes locking with Celestia's as she murmured: "Is this... why we are special?"
"Yes... we are not... reincarnations of past selves, so to speak, but that is not to say we were not reborn. How and why, I do not know... I have only pieced together so much, been able to... stand... so much at a time." Celestia said quietly, then she looked up and gently spoke a name: "Freya."
Luna frowned... then gritted her teeth as she caught memories in her mind, sounds, battle, bloodshed, and over it all, a voice shouting orders and strategy, among the mightiest of the mighty who reigned in Asgard, among... "Valkyries. Sister, thou art saying... we were once Valkyries, of Asgard, the fabled elite guard of the Aesir. But how could this be possible? We have seen so much... enough to know gods may exist, but also enough to take every story about such entities with more than a grain of salt... art thou saying-"
"In time." Celestia said quietly, holding up a hoof and looking patiently at her sister, and Luna nodded hesitantly even as she gave a frustrated sigh. For a moment, there was silence... and then Celestia murmured another name: "Thor."
Luna heard Sleipnir's laughter... and this easily overrode the flash of memories that followed, of steel and lightning as she leaned forwards, but before she could even voice the question, Celestia preempted her with the answer: "A god best known for lightning, but to say that was all Thor had at his disposal would be like saying that Odin was merely a god with a spear. And who knows what transformations we would have undergone on our fall from the skies? On becoming... what we have become?"
She stopped, then sighed and murmured quietly: "I know it seems impossible, little sister. I know what I speak sounds like delusional madness... but compared to some of the things I have done while sane, I would rather believe in this than begin to believe again that I could cleanse all of Equestria with violence and civil war."
"Thou art Freya, Sleipnir was Thor, I am Brynhild... that is what thou believes." Luna said slowly, as memories flickered through her mind again, strange images of sitting at a table, raising goblets and mugs with a roar... and then Luna closed her eyes and shook her head quickly as Scrivener gazed over at her and Twilight looked apprehensively at the ivory winged unicorn. "Celestia, thou art utterly, completely insane. I would say this with more the conviction but... the memories such names awaken when spoken to me such... yet tales of Thor, at least, are commonplace. Why have I never felt these memories surge upwards before?"
"Because you had to hear your name, spoken by another from that realm, to begin unsealing those vaults of memory..." Celestia closed her eyes, lowering her head forwards as she whispered: "Just as I believe only because while scrying after my discovery of what had happened to Sleipnir... I heard him yell for me, by every name I have been given. Celestia, Sol, Aya, and Freya... it was as if he knew I was watching. It was as if he was trying to warn me... because sister, whatever is at the root of this darkness is something that seeks to destroy us. Something that knows our secrets... something that knows more about us than we do about ourselves."
Luna looked down quietly, closing her eyes as a shiver raced through her body, shaking her head mutely. For a moment, Celestia only looked at her, and then she finally gave a small smile, saying quietly: "I have something to give back to you, something I took from you a long time ago. I don't know why I did... I don't know why I threw it in the vaults, and never bothered to give it back. Maybe I was afraid of what would happen... maybe I was jealous... maybe the... strange happiness of having a little sister just made me forget."
She fell quiet, then glanced to the side, her horn glowing faintly and dragging a drawer in the side of the bed open before a polished, short-handled object floated out of it... then it clicked before the telescopic handle quickly extended outwards into a full spear, and Luna leaned backwards in surprise as Celestia simply let the weapon drop, watching attentively...
And Luna stepped forwards on instinct, her horn glowing and the spear lighting up as bright as day as it spun in a rapid, controlled windmill around the winged unicorn, her body swaying with the movement as naturally as if she had used the weapon all her life as a soft gasp escaped her, hearing cheers and shouts and sounds of battle as something inside her surged upwards before she grinned as the spear dropped flat across her shoulders, her eyes glowing faintly as she leaned back... then blinked once before shaking her head briskly as Twilight and Scrivener both stared, but Celestia only smiled faintly. "As I thought."
Luna blushed a bit, flicking her horn downwards... and immediately, the telescopic spear collapsed and floated to the side, hovering silently next to her as she looked awkwardly at it before she murmured: "I know not if I should be furious, exhilarated, or thankful, or some mad combination of the three at once."
"Well, we're all mad here." said a mild voice, and Twilight winced as Scrivener and Luna looked up in surprise to see Discombobulation sitting calmly on the ceiling, his legs and upper limbs crossed as he gazed down at them meditatively. Celestia, however, seemed too tired to be bothered much either way by the presence of the creature, barely giving it a glance even as the creature's long neck twisted around so it could look down at her thoughtfully. "Again, ponies confuse me... fighting so hard to refute what their senses tell them are real, even when they spend every day surrounded by magic and mayhem. Now let me ask you this, why is a raven like a writing desk, Scrivener Blooms?"
Luna sighed at this, giving a flat look to the creature before she enunciated slowly and firmly: "Because both can be crushed to fine powder beneath my hooves."
Discombobulation slowly leaned away from the winged unicorn at this, features calm but body flinching... but before he could either escape or further test his luck, Twilight Sparkle looked up and asked quietly: "What is it that you know? You even made it sound earlier like you knew something about this... is that why Discord linked you, specifically?"
"Discord rarely did anything specific, Twilight Sparkle. I do not know why he chose me. We could ask him but the dead rarely give good or welcome answers." Discombobulation replied dryly, and then he sighed a bit when Twilight glared at him, and the Draconequus dropped from the ceiling, half-flipping lazily as he gradually sank through the air until hoof and paw landed next to Celestia.
He sniffed and turned around, rubbing his talons against his chest as he said distastefully: "You know that you will not be in control forever, Twilight Sparkle. Once you were the student, and now you are the master... but you are not the one who will bring balance to the forces in Equestria."
"I swear I know what you're talking about, and most of it seems to be pop culture references, making me wonder what exactly you did in Ginnungagap all day long." Scrivener Blooms said flatly, even as the other ponies only frowned at Discombobulation. The Draconequus frowned at him distastefully, but Scrivy only looked grouchily back before Twilight cleared her throat loudly and gave the tall creature a pointed look.
The Draconequus rolled his eyes, and then he calmly crossed his arms as he responded in a dry voice: "Very well, Twilight Sparkle... like I explained before, Ginnungagap happens to be a grand wastebasket of creation. The necropolis of ideas, the death-and-birthplace of the intangible, the stinking, fetid ooze which devours the old and vomits up the new. Darwinism in a way that Darwin never could have envisioned, and don't worry if you don't recognize the name, everybody else will."
He smiled almost charmingly as he spread his arms and bowed forwards slightly... but when the others only glared at him, he crossed his forelimbs moodily again and shook his head. "Fine, be that way. But intangible as ideas and secrets are... spoken too often, they too may slip down into our primordial dump, and the residents of our dark cellar all-too-eagerly gather up gossip to share with one another. Between bursts of creation, rampaging destruction, and moments of chaos so perfect that for a single, solitary second, the entire dimension becomes bathed in light and order beautiful enough to root us all to the spot before we cheer and dance when our little universe of garbage shatters like so much cheap glass... we are terrible, terrible gossips. There's little else to do, after all, but sit with our fellows - or stand, or swim, or whatever else we feel like at the time - and gossip like schoolchildren.
"Have you ever heard the saying that three people may keep a secret, if two are dead? Well, that's a bald lie, and not merely because he who said it was bald and is now balder in his own death. No, it is because we all sweat our secrets... we all breathe our secrets... we all think our secrets so loudly we may as well scream them at one another." Discombobulation snorted at this, brushing a hand absently back through his dark Mohawk of a mane. "Look at Twilight Sparkle, secretly proud and delighted for herself in the dark regions of her soul, the place all ponies have and fail to admit exists... which just makes it grow all the worse for it."
"Discombobulation!" Twilight winced, flushing a bit as she looked back and forth... but Scrivener and Luna both only shrugged, and Celestia offered a kind smile even as the violet pony flushed and glanced down awkwardly, murmuring: "Sorry... I... he is right, but honestly, I-"
"Oh, cease, explain not." Luna said kindly, and without looking, she thrusted the collapsed but still-dangerous spear towards the Draconequus, who quickly rose his hands with a wince and reared his head back as the deadly tip of the spear almost brushed his muzzle. "And thou, Bob, must learn better manners. Otherwise, thou may end up with this weapon up thy nose and buried into whatever rodent runs the spinning wheel that sits in place of thy mind."
Discombobulation grumbled, but then nodded and slowly reached his talon up to push the tip of the spear gingerly away. "Pardon me for being less than pleased about being forced to serve as a thrall to a pony who probably isn't intelligent enough to run a shrimp factory. In short, though, there is an entity that exists that also believes this to be your past... and while not all the residents of Ginnungagap believe you and your siblings are beings built from shards fallen from Asgard, we have always regarded you with interest... mostly, because to us, it's like watching a soap opera that began when Celestia first fell to Midgard and promises to end only after whatever lurks in the darkness either destroys you all or is destroyed itself."
Twilight glared at him at this, and then she said flatly: "Thank you, Discombobulation, now please go away. I'll call you if I need you."
"Finally, a request I can honor in full. Excuse me while I kiss the sky, in that case." Discombobulation gave a short, mocking little bow, making an exaggerated rolling motion with his hands before he stepped backwards as reality behind him swept aside like a curtain. He quickly slipped backwards into the glowing void, then pointed at Luna and said mildly: "Scrivener Blooms. Don't forget that the path to Paradise goes first through Purgatory and the Inferno... and that's only if you manage to find the path through the mountains and the forest in the first place."
Luna frowned at this, but Discombobulation only gave a cryptic smile and a little wave, and Scrivy sighed and shook his head distastefully as reality slid back into place over the Draconequus and the air sparked before settling, leaving no sign that the creature had even been there in the first place. "You do understand how creepy it is that he refers to you as me and me as you, right?"
"Nay, I see nothing wrong with it, 'tis true, after all... thou art I, and I art thee. The same blood runs in our veins." Luna smiled after a moment at him, swinging the collapsed spear lightly at the male, and both he and Twilight Sparkle winced back as Celestia only sighed and shook her head slowly. Then the sapphire winged unicorn slowly turned back towards Celestia, asking quietly: "Have thee anything else to add, sister? I do not know... what thou hoped to give me by sharing this knowledge with me in the first place, if I am to speak honestly... I only feel more confused now, and fear that our enemies may have better use for it than I do..."
"And that is why I have armed you with this information in the first place, sister." Celestia replied softly, then she grimaced as she slowly began to stand as flickers passed through her white locks, before they shone faintly... and then once more became ephemeral, a rainbow of color spilling quietly through her hair. "Now the enemy does not have the element of surprise should they try to use this information to confuse you... now, you have been given a chance to know where you began, who you are. And working together... we may piece together our past, and perhaps in the core of our memories, discover how we fell to this world, if we truly did fall... and if my instincts are right, if the fact that we seem so blatantly targeted is not merely coincidence... then perhaps in our past, we may find the identity of whatever fuels these awful shadows that spill up from Helheim itself."
Luna nodded slowly... and then she blushed a bit as Celestia stepped forwards and kissed her forehead in soft blessing, murmuring quietly: "All I know for sure is that I love you, little sister, and will no longer hide anything from you. That you are and always will be my sister, for our bonds are deeper than flesh and blood, tied to the spirit and the soul, not the body. I will atone and amend what I have done wrong... and I have faith that you, Scrivener Blooms, and Twilight Sparkle can stop this darkness before it becomes too great, before it flows over our beautiful land. I will be putting all resources at your disposal, and I wish for you to know that I have already assembled a platoon of Pegasus Knights who will be glad to travel with your caravan, and who have sworn to obey your every order. They will not slow you down, are ready for the hard march to North Neigh... and with them, I offer all the equipment of the vaults of Canterlot, from the ancient artifacts to the most majestic weapons and armor locked therein."
"Thou hast my thanks... my sister..." Luna lowered her head, blushing a bit and smiling awkwardly as the telescopic spear quietly spun beside her in a nervous gesture, the winged unicorn barely seeming aware of what she was doing as Twilight Sparkle looked up at Celestia with both worry and gratitude. "But... while I know it would be foolhardy to decline thy offer of soldiers if they are indeed well-trained and loyal... I shall take only minimal equipment from Canterlot. It is not the gear that concerns me, but the merits of my soldiers themselves... and as it is, our supply wagons are heavily loaded. I would not wish to further slow our caravan with equipment we may not use and which would detract from the defenses of Canterlot."
"Canterlot is well-defended, Luna, I am here..." Celestia said quietly, before she sighed a little when Luna gave her an imploring look. "Very well... then perhaps we can compromise. I shall... have a wagon readied in the morning, loaded with some additional supplies. Tents, rations, etcetera... it will at least give you more room to better divide what you have to carry. I shall also have messengers sent to the settlements en route...both to tell them to clear the way for your approach, as well as to have them prepare supplies that will need to be replenished. An army marches on its stomach, sister, do not forget that what applies to us... all of us now, Twilight Sparkle... does not apply to others."
Luna nodded with a grimace, twirling the telescopic spear absently at her side again before she glanced towards this and blushed, quickly putting it down on the ground beside her... and then she looked up as Twilight laughed a little and gazed nervously up at Celestia. "I... you're okay, though, right? And I mean... well... I guess, Scrivy, you're going to have to help me adjust to this. You've... gone through this kind of thing, haven't you?"
"Something similar, I suppose, but... we'll all be there to help you adjust, Twilight." Scrivener said softly, glancing over at the unicorn before his eyes roved to Celestia, and he added quietly: "And I hope you didn't hurt yourself too much, Celestia. When even Luna's worried enough about you to forego an opportunity to harass you, I know it has to be serious... and we need you around. You're Queen of Equestria, like Luna said... we can't have Luna or Twilight taking up your crown quite yet, when we've got a job of our own in the north."
"Don't worry about me, Scrivener Blooms... I deserve worse pains for what I've done in my life." She hesitated, then looked towards Twilight Sparkle, saying quietly: "Perhaps one day, Twilight... you and Scrivener... will do me a favor and record the experiences I have had in life. The experiences I once sought to hide from all of Equestria... but only now, do I realize would be better served in being shown to the world. I have always feared the power of stories and well-chosen words, from watching how my own woven webs were so easily able to influence an entire country when coupled with a few majestic shows of power and privilege, but... I understand now that the unpleasant truths are perhaps the ones with the most to teach us."
"All the years lived in happiness are nothing but a waste, while a few weeks lived in pain are worth more than all the gemstones in Equestria." Scrivener smiled slightly despite himself, then he glanced towards Twilight and added mildly: "I didn't write that. I know it sounds like I probably did, but I didn't."
"Writers are a sick breed. Poets are even worse." Luna remarked dryly, and she shook her head slowly before smiling a little up at Celestia as the others shared a small laugh. "I admire that though, sister, and... thank you. But if that is all..."
"No, I have one last question to ask." Celestia said softly, and Luna frowned a bit, tilting her head curiously as the ivory equine gazed over her sister, asking in a tactful voice: "How is Nightmare Moon reacting to this information?"
Luna frowned a bit at this question, then she slowly closed her eyes and dropped her head forwards... and for a moment, silence spiraled out, even as Scrivener frowned as well and looked with surprise towards Luna... before the winged unicorn rose her head and said in a slow voice: "There is no fury... no frustration... no disbelief. There is no surprise, but there is a thrum... is it excitement? She is me, and I am her, but she is the deeper me, the darker me... and she... sees truth in thy words, which scares me. And, what scares me more... is that she seems to be wending her way through my subconscious, through mine memories sealed... and I fear what she will find there, Celestia."
She stopped, then laughed a little, glancing to the side before looking back at her, asking hesitantly: "Do I... call thee Celestia? Or shall I refer to thee as Queen Freya now? 'Twould that not be a great joke to say in front of the Royal Courts, though..."
"I can't speak for you, Luna... but even if I'm right, even if in the past, I was Freya... I am not now. Any more than I am Aya the Sun-Cursed... now I am Celestia." The ivory equine smiled a little at this, saying quietly: "It took me seventeen hundred years, sister, but finally... I can say with confidence who I am, and look back at who I was without fearing for what others will think of me. I have changed... for once I'm not saying those words only to try and impress others, or gain their confidence. I have settled into my role now, and I know it is as guide... not leader. Even this title of Queen... it is a strong word, a strong title... because I must be a strong figurehead. But that does not make me any better than the lowest earth pony... and I will always remember this. I will always remember... that a pony's worth is determined by their actions and their choices, not entitled to them from fortune's favor at birth."
"Another speech. Thou really are feeling better." Luna said softly, and then she stepped forwards, and the two siblings embraced as she murmured: "Then thou art my big sister Celestia, and I am thy little sister, Luna, as it has been for the last millennia and a half. Or perhaps 'tis better to say, for the five hundred years before thou sealed me away in the moon."
"Oh, Luna." Celestia said tiredly, shaking her head slowly even as Luna smiled up at her, and then the ivory equine drew her eyes towards Scrivener Blooms and Twilight Sparkle, asking quietly: "And what about you, my friends... is there anything more I can do for either of you? Do not hesitate to ask... if it is in my power, know that I shall be honored to give you what I can. I have asked much of you all, after all... it is only right that I offer something in return."
"Celestia, you've already given me so much... how could I ask for more?" Twilight laughed a little as she gazed awkwardly up at her, then looked apprehensively over her shoulder for a moment, slowly stretching her new wings out before they settled silently against her sides as she murmured softly: "You've given me... much more than I deserve."
"Even the most altruistic gifts often have selfish motives, Twilight Sparkle." Celestia said kindly, leaning down with a faint smile. "I enjoy seeing you happy. I enjoy knowing that you will protect our country. I am... content to pass on these abilities to you... and to see you excel, because one day you will succeed me... because you are everything... I wish I could have been."
This made Twilight blush and glance down embarrassedly, and then Celestia straightened and looked quietly over to Scrivener Blooms, murmuring softly: "And you, my old Court Poet, don't tell me there's nothing I can do for you... or perhaps I only envy your ability to be content with what you have. Your disdain for material possessions apart from a few small luxuries make it difficult for me to give you a proper gift, for all the wealth I possess. What makes it even more confusing is when sister tries to help me, which usually ends in mockery and some awful prank."
She paused meditatively, then nodded slowly to herself as Scrivener only shuffled a little on the spot before she smiled, stretching one of her wings out... and a moment later, her horn glowed, and a large pinion feather was pulled free, twisting quietly once in the air before gleaming as the bottom of the feather sharpened into a tip. This floated over to the male, and he smiled in surprise, reaching up to hesitantly catch it on his hoof as Celestia said quietly: "Perhaps small tokens, made with meaning, are the best in this case."
"Thou art trying to make me jealous again, Celestia. Truly, it seems as thou wants me to pummel thee." Luna said flatly, glancing across at her sister... but the ivory equine only gave a smile, and the sapphire winged unicorn smiled despite herself after a moment, bowing her head as Scrivener did the same. "But we appreciate it, all the same. When Scrivener Blooms is happy, I am happy."
"Thank you... sister." Scrivy said quietly, glancing up at Celestia with a small smile, and Celestia gazed warmly back down, nodding approvingly before the male carefully tucked the quill behind one ear, and he hesitated for a moment before asking quietly: "And is there anything we can do for you?"
"You are already doing too much as it is." She paused, then glanced over the three, saying softly: "But perhaps you can fulfill one small request for me, all three of you... join me for a small meal, and share conversation with me. Normal, natural conversation... I have not had ponies to sit with me as friends for a long time now, and I... would dearly enjoy just sitting and talking for a little while. Forgetting, for a few moments, all the violence and bloodshed and the darkness and corruption outside... and just relaxing, in the few moments of peace."
She smiled a little, and Luna laughed quietly and shook her head, replying in a faintly-entertained voice: "The very thing that thou would always chastise Sleipnir and I for. Well, finally, it has taken thee countless years but thou art finally loosening thy saddle. Scrivener Blooms, Twilight Sparkle... what say thee both? I myself could use pretending for a little while my greatest concern is that my coffee will be not bold enough for my tastes."
"I... I think for once I agree." Twilight said quietly, glancing over her shoulder again at her new wings... and then she looked ahead to the others and nodded with a blush. "As long as later, you and Celestia and even Scrivy can help me... get used to this."
"Always." Luna said softly, and then she smiled at her sister, and the two fell into step with one another as Twilight Sparkle and Scrivener Blooms exchanged smiles and followed towards the door, all too glad to take a moment of sanctuary amidst the pall of darkness. |
Starlit Knights | A New Hope | Chapter Sixteen: A New Hope
~BlackRoseRaven
Twilight winced as she flapped her wings wildly... and then crashed headlong into a tree with a curse, to the loud laughter of Scrivener Blooms and Luna as leaves flew in every direction. A moment later, a branch cracked, and Twilight fell out of the tree to land with a loud thud at the base of it, which only made the two laugh louder as Celestia shot them a flat look before she looked ahead and called encouragingly: "Keep your head up, Twilight Sparkle... use your body as well as your wings for movement! Balance and finesse are far more crucial than power alone, do you understand?"
"No." Twilight mumbled, slowly hauling herself back to her hooves with a grimace before she uncomfortably pushed herself into the air, wincing as her wings flapped and kept her hovering slowly several feet above the ground. "I really don't think I'm cut out for this..."
"You get used to it. I mean, if I can learn to fly every now and then thanks to Luna's magic, you should be able to get the hang of it sooner or later yourself. Or maybe I just really enjoy watching you flailing around through the air." Scrivener said easily, half-encouraging and half-teasing as he grinned at her, which made Twilight glower in return as Luna continued to giggle childishly. "Anyway, we're enjoying it and you're the one who wanted to learn."
Twilight glared at him... and then stared in surprise as Discombobulation popped into being behind Scrivener Blooms before slamming a firm kick of his paw into the earth pony's rump, making him flop forwards with a wince of surprise as his glasses flew off his muzzle and Luna's giggles cut short as she flinched and arched her back, then glared furiously over her shoulder at him. But as quickly as he'd appeared, Discombobulation snapped his fingers and vanished in another puff, his voice seeming to float past as he complained: "Don't look at me, Twilight Sparkle made me do it. I am as innocent as the morning dew, disregarding all the sexual connotations you can imply from that."
"Sorry, sorry, I didn't mean to!" Twilight landed with a wince and quickly trotted forwards as Scrivy picked himself up, her horn glowing as she lifted Scrivener's glasses from the ground and slipped them onto his face with an embarrassed smile as Luna looked at her sulkily. "It's strange having this... I don't even know what he is. I don't want to say servant-"
"Because I'm obviously not good enough to serve the mighty Twilight Sparkle, heir to Equestria... I suppose that makes you Princess Twilight, although I'm not sure if that makes you the Twilight Princess or not." Discombobulation's voice echoed, and Luna shook her head with a roll of her eyes. "Oh stop, Scrivener Blooms. You do worse to Luna on a regular basis. Still, looking at you two, it's nice to know that even if you go crazy he'll still call you supermare, and if you're alive and well then he'll be there, holding your hoof."
"Either phase entirely into reality or go back to wherever you hide, Discombobulation, we've been over this." Twilight Sparkle grumbled, glancing embarrassedly up... and when silence greeted her, she nodded moodily after a moment and smiled awkwardly at Luna and Scrivy. "Sorry."
"No, no problem at all. Besides, he's right, Luna does do worse to me constantly." Scrivener shrugged a bit, then looked at the dark sapphire pony when she began to raise a hoof with a huff. "See?"
"I... was merely..." Luna glowered at him, then she reached forwards and slowly patted him on the head. "That is all. Thou art... all paranoid fools."
"You're beginning to adjust anyway, Twilight, mastery of your new self will come with time." Celestia reassured quietly, and Twilight Sparkle looked awkwardly up at her, smiling after a moment before she glanced over her shoulder at the beautiful garden that surrounded them, filled with flowers, neatly-trimmed hedges and trees that looked as if they had been sculpted into perfection instead of simply grown... except for the scraped-off bark and missing branches here and there.
There were other signs of Twilight's awkward learning session as well: short, dirty trenches through otherwise pristine grass, holes in bushes, glaring and disheveled animals. While she could fly short distances and hover with ease, Twilight Sparkle was showing a distinct issue with the 'braking' part of aerial movement. Not that anyone could blame her, considering the suddenness of the changes in her form: more than just wings, after all, her body had grown in ways both visible and subtle.
Celestia smiled softly... and in a way, she too, had changed. Perhaps it was only from the exertion, but she seemed a little weaker, a little more gaunt than she had been, although the soft radiance of her mane and tail seemed the same as ever... and her amethyst eyes were soft and warm, as if she was content, as if she was honestly at lucid peace with herself and the world around her, as she said gently: "You're very talented to be doing so well already, Twilight Sparkle. I know it might seem strange to say... but this was your first flight, and you have lived all your life before now in a body that was smaller and constrained to the earth. There is much to be admired in you, Twilight, for learning to adapt and making these adjustments."
She stopped, then glanced up towards the sky and nodded slowly before murmuring: "And now, I think that it is nearing time for you to raise the sun, Twilight Sparkle."
"Wait, I... what? Celestia, I... I don't know how, I haven't studied that and... it's... it's the sun, I really..." Twilight babbled... and then she blushed a bit when Celestia rose her hoof and gently pressed it against her lips, silencing her with an affectionate look.
"Small things must be studied, Twilight, small things have small details... but the largest things in life are things you simply do. You can move the sun... I know you can, and without difficulty." Celestia said softly, meeting her eyes. "Just like you could move the moon as Luna can, if the urge took you... just like you can use Luna's magic, and my magic, and learn spells of every nature with ease. Your name suits you wonderfully, Twilight... inside you exists true harmony, a balance of light and darkness, like that faint, rare moment when moon kisse the west and the east at the same time, and the stars all shine in the velvet ocean of the night."
Twilight turned almost scarlet as she stepped backwards and nodded a little, glancing awkwardly down for a moment... then she looked towards Luna and Scrivy, asking hesitantly: "Can you two... or I mean..."
"Scrivener Blooms, lower the moon... a small challenge will settle Twilight's nerves more effectively than reassurance at this point." Luna said with a slight smile, and Scrivy nodded without hesitating, smiling warmly in return to her as he felt tenderness tickle through his mind and body. "After all... the newly-reborn winged unicorn cannot have the cynical, obnoxious poet show her up, can she?"
"I never said that!" Twilight reared back slightly, but Luna only laughed as Scrivy smiled and shook his head, then lowered his head and closed his eyes, blocking out everything else as he let his body relax, feeling strength and memories not his own whispering through his mind as he focused on his bond with Luna... and even as Luna teasingly chastised Twilight, her horn began to glow, a flickering blue aura humming over it as her starry locks swirled backwards and her features flushed slightly as if in excitement, as if in exhilaration.
And then, as Scrivener let out a soft sigh, Luna's eyes fluttered as she mimicked his movements, even as her eyes remained open and soft... and, just visible through the canopy of the garden's trees, the moon slowly began to set, silently plunging towards the deep horizon and leaving them bathed only beneath the radiance of the stars as Scrivy rolled his shoulders and straightened slowly, breathing, heart beating, body moving in time with Luna's as they rose their heads and gazed towards one another softly.
Twilight gazed from one to the other with a warm smile... and Celestia's eyes roved from her little sister to the earth pony with admiration that was close to jealousy, before she gazed towards the violet unicorn and prompted gently: "And now it's your turn. And while we do not share souls, or thoughts, or the same connection that Luna does... even if all I can give you is heartfelt support, Twilight, that is all you need. Don't think, only do: that is the key."
"Alright... I'll try my best." Twilight said quietly, nodding hesitantly before she looked up at the starry sky above... and as the three gazed at her, she let her eyes slip closed, features tensing for a moment, almost wincing as she gritted her teeth, her horn sparking... but after a few moments, her face smoothed out, her breathing softened as she arched her back, and her horn took on a soft glow as a shiver passed through her body, raising herself up slightly as she let out a quiet whisper of wordless surprise...
And then her eyes opened, her body flexing as she reared back, her wings spreading as the glow over her horn brightened as light gradually filled the sky and the mighty orb of the sun rose into the air, the stars vanishing behind the blue curtain of the sky before Twilight staggered backwards, her hooves almost slipping out from beneath her as the glow around her horn faded and she stared with amazement up into the heavens.
Then she blushed as Scrivy and Luna both stomped their hooves against the ground, the winged unicorn nodding encouragingly as the earth pony laughed and looked across at her warmly. "Incredible, Twilight... incredible."
"I knew that you could do it." Celestia gazed down at Twilight Sparkle affectionately, giving her a slow nod before she straightened and gazed up into the sky, adding softly: "And do not worry... by tonight I will have regained enough strength to lower the sun, by tomorrow I will be able to resume my role of raising it daily. I won't ask you to worry about that right now, not until after your investigation of North Neigh... and after you are ready to assume that duty. As it is, I have forced much upon your shoulders, Twilight Sparkle."
The violet pony smiled awkwardly, flapping her black-edged wings once before they furled a bit at her sides, and then she bowed silently to Celestia... and Celestia bowed deeply back, closing her eyes and touching her horn to the ground as she said quietly: "If I may make one suggestion, though... visit your parents, Twilight. You won't be leaving until the afternoon, anyway, and Luna and Scrivener are more than capable of handling what few tasks must be seen to."
They both rose, looking at one another as Twilight nodded hesitantly, then glanced anxiously towards Luna, asking finally: "If... you're okay with waiting, I know time is of the essence, and... I mean, I haven't actually visited my parents for a long time now. I... everything... so much has happened, and I don't even know what to say..."
"Go ahead, cease thy worrying. Besides, I sense that Celestia has some tasks of her own for us, and I would prefer anyway to allow the Starlit Knights a chance to prepare for the much-longer road ahead than have them rushing out of Canterlot, likely-as-not with regrets." Luna paused, her starry locks flicking to the side before she frowned a bit as Twilight continued to look hesitantly from her to Scrivy, tilting her head curiously. "What, speak now, Twilight Sparkle. I cannot read thy addled mind, and understand not why thy face twists so horribly."
"That's not nice, Luna, she was born that way." Scrivy remarked mildly, and Twilight shot him a moody look when Luna gave a snort of laughter. "Well, it's true. Besides, I can't be sitting here, cheering you on about everything, without getting one or two good barbs in. That would just throw off the whole balance of everything."
Twilight only muttered under her breath, then Celestia leaned calmly forwards and asked quietly: "Would you like us to go with you to meet your parents, and help ease some of this unnecessary tension?"
Immediately, both Luna and Scrivy spun around, shaking their heads wildly and likely not even meaning to mimic each other even as they moved in almost-synchronization, both rambling excuses as Celestia only looked down at them peacefully before Twilight said clearly: "I'd really, really like that. It would mean a lot to me, if you'd come and help... explain everything. I want to show them what I've done with my life... and I need someone to help explain why I'm... you know."
"Wretched creatures." Luna muttered, and she sighed and dropped her head forwards even as Scrivy winced a little and began to open his mouth, then promptly shut it when the female glared at him. "Even for thinking that I should pummel thee. Leave me alone with Twilight Sparkle and Celestia? Worse, leave me with them and trying to make a good impression upon her family? I shall rend thee asunder."
"We'll also have to explain to the others... at least a little of this. I can't just ask everyone to ignore the fact I'm... like you two, now." Twilight continued quietly, looking down thoughtfully for a moment... then she blushed when both sisters looked at her, Luna with a quirked eyebrow and Celestia with a tilt of her head. "Oh, I... sorry. I didn't stop to think how that sounded... it's not that I'm ungrateful, it's just... scary. And the way ponies look up to you two and... now I'm a winged unicorn and what Sol Seraph said and what ponies might think..."
"Let them think whatever they please, 'tis well-within their freedoms to have their own opinions." Luna said calmly, leaning back slightly... and then she leaned forwards with a slight grin, her eyes glinting. "Should they be so bold to express their opinions in any unkind way, however, and I shall teach them that not all privileges should be readily abused."
Twilight smiled a little at this, and then she glanced over the two and said quietly: "Then let's not waste any time and go and see if I remember the path back home."
"You can't go home again." murmured a thoughtful voice, and the ponies glanced up with surprise to see Discombobulation standing on a treebranch... but he was upside down, in plain defiance of gravity, looking calmly at them as leaves quietly fell around him. "Oh, don't worry about me, I have no inclination to risk the wrath of any of you ponies, I'll just quietly spy on your strange social anachronisms. But I felt I should give a word of caution... people who react the worst are honest, people who react the best are liars, and people who are happy for you are the most selfish ones of all. Celestia knows that well... don't forget that whatever you are, you're only a gear or a cog or if you're very lucky, a metal screw in someone else's grand designs."
Then, without another word, Discombobulation stepped backwards off the branch, floating in the air for a moment before he shot suddenly skywards, falling in reverse into the boughs of the tree above in a burst of leaves and vanishing completely, leaving Twilight frowning after the Draconequus and his strangely-foreboding words of warning.
Twilight's parents lived in a comfortable home in the residential district of Canterlot, neither rich nor poor. They were unicorns but nor upper-class unicorns, friendly and non-judgmental, practiced but neither exactly exceptional at magic... but they were warm, and caring, and after the initial shock of having not only the Queen of Equestria at their door, but Nightmare Moon and her known consort - and probably most shocking of all, their anxious, half-embarrassed, half-eager daughter now a winged unicorn that was taller than either of her parents at the head of the group - they were invited quickly inside.
Twilight rambled away, a mix of stories, apologies, and anecdotes, as Luna and Scrivy awkwardly sat to one side of a cozy living room, both staring around uncomfortably and their emotions mixing together in a gentle whirl. On Luna's side, embarrassment and worry about making a good impression... on Scrivener's side, curiosity and awkwardness that came with the territory of never actually having seen a functioning family before. And the whole time, Celestia sat by Twilight Sparkle, studying her parents meticulously, and maybe even a bit enviously.
Twilight strove to explain everything: to explain all the things she had never been able to talk about in her infrequent letters, to share secrets with them that could now be spoken, and to try and apologize again and again for not keeping in better contact and for not being able to tell them everything before now. She almost wandered awkwardly into a realm that Luna was sure no parent would want to hear about, but with an easy, tactful interruption, Celestia redirected Twilight towards a better subject and calmed her a little at the same time.
Yet they were happy for her... and even though they could only stay an hour, it was long enough for Twilight to leave looking refreshed and revitalized. At the same time, however, she seemed a little troubled and remained quiet until they reached the castle and Celestia parted ways with them... and it was only when Luna and Scrivener started to say their goodbyes so they could attend to the Starlit Knights, that Twilight asked abruptly: "Did I do the right thing?"
"I... oh, tell me not this is because of what Discombobulation said. Thou knows he feeds upon confusion, and is less than thrilled trapped as servant to thee, even knowing full well that it was not thy intent nor thy hoof that did so, but a prank of Discord." Luna said grouchily, waving her own hoof... and then she shook her head slowly, saying quietly: "Worry thyself not on the subject, Twilight Sparkle. It is not that I do not believe we should heed his warning and be wary in these dark times... only that he comes from a world without trust, and seems to be in the habit of spilling poison even when he wishes to apply a remedy."
Twilight nodded hesitantly, then she shook her head and murmured: "Alright, I... okay. Then I'm going to see if I can find the others, talk to them, and then I want to make a short stop by the library. I... I have an urge to look around Canterlot a little, maybe even stop by the academy. Somehow... seeing my parents, made me realize that I might... how serious this all is. And thank you for recognizing how important it was to me that I... share with them."
She glanced between Luna and Scrivy, and the two mumbled and shuffled awkwardly on the spot, the violet winged unicorn smiling faintly before she stepped forwards and hugged them both fiercely around the neck with either foreleg, and Luna laughed a bit as Scrivener smiled before Twilight drew back, nodded firmly once, then turned and headed away. They watched her leave, and Luna shook her head slowly, saying quietly: "I feel vexed, Scrivener Blooms. Twilight Sparkle is strong and talented, but still young, still should be living free from this dark pall, still... innocent. Thou, at least, were far from innocent and clung to me like a barnacle when I attempted to leave alone for the Everfree Forest and exile. Furthermore, I never took thee away from much..." She paused meditatively, glancing towards the door that Twilight had left through as they stood in the large, ornate hall, nobles and soldiers milling back and forth and tossing them curious looks as they passed. "Well, that may be a lie. I fear that left alone with Twilight, she and thyself may have forgotten about me entirely and lived happily ever after."
"Yes, until Nightmare Moon burst through the ceiling to kidnap us both, carrying us gleefully away to gobble us both down." Scrivener replied dryly, making a wide gesture with one hoof, and Luna threw her head back and laughed even as she grinned and nodded, before the two turned and easily began to make their way through the wide foyer, automatically heading towards the dining hall out of habit and instinct. "You're always so cute when you're jealous and insecure though. There's something romantic about it, while Nightmare Moon is all dominance and passion."
"Oh, here we go. For a poet that claims to loathe criticism and analysis, thou seems intent to criticize and analyze the whole world wide." She nudged him firmly, and Scrivy rolled his eyes in amusement as they strode onwards in quiet for a few moments... then Luna nudged him again and said flatly: "I did not tell thee to stop."
"By the Horses of Heaven, we share a connected mind and soul and yet you still manage to drive me crazy." Scrivener grumbled, and then he flinched back a bit when Luna headbutted him lightly with a huff. "You're a sadist. That's what I'm seeing right now."
"Thou art one to talk, sick and twisted Scrivener Blooms. I am now Champion of the nation, a hero to Equestria. Thou art the one who plays vilely with the emotions of others in thy depraved writings." Luna retorted pompously, and Scrivy snorted in amusement. Before he could think of a retort, however, the winged unicorn glanced ahead and smiled slightly, and the male's eyes drew forwards to see Aleksandr standing and arguing with Rainbow Dash in front of the open doors to the dining hall as Applejack simply sat off to the side, looking irritable. "Oh, promising entertainment!"
Scrivy rolled his eyes, not bothering to point out how this proved his point as they approached, and Applejack cleared her throat loudly and said over the bickering of the two: "If you will both just shut up for a minute, you'll see that we got company. You two may also notice the looks we're getting from all the ponies trying to get past you both, so maybe we should move this little conversation aside."
The two glanced up, and Rainbow Dash grinned awkwardly at the short line of ponies glaring at them as Aleksandr grimaced a little, then half-nodded quickly and strode towards the edge of the wide, curved room in front of the dining area, Applejack sighing and shaking her head as the male Pegasus fell into step with his wife and said grouchily: "Well, it's not my fault. He started it."
"No, I merely carried over conversation from day before. War is not fought in a single day, even with words, but over many battles over much time, until peace is found or enemy crushed." Aleksandr said distastefully, then the minotaur glanced up at the ceiling high above and added meditatively: "This is house of giants. All doorways large enough to accommodate dragons, all ceilings high as sky outside. Is strange castle."
Luna nodded agreeably at this, and then Rainbow Dash flapped his wings, hovering in the air so he was at head-level with the minotaur as the bull leaned moodily back against a stone wall, the Pegasus glaring at him and saying irritably: "Anyway, like I was saying. Since when do you think you get to give me orders? I'm not your messenger, in fact, I'm your employer."
"Actually, pretty four-hoof is employer. You are... how you say..." Aleksandr gestured ponderingly for a word, then he smiled at him and said kindly: "You are like medved. Large and strong for four-hoof, but... clumsy and not very bright. I would call you petukh instead, but while petukh is boastful and loud, is also always awake in morning to signal new dawn of day. You signal new day, midday, and end day with sleepy snoring."
"For one thing, I am not clumsy." Rainbow Dash said flatly, and he promptly performed a neat reverse somersault in midair to prove this before dropping to his large hooves with a huff and a glare. "For another, who needs to be an egghead when Twilight's around? Go ahead, ask her anything when she shows up, I dare you. She's got like five brains or something. I think you're just a jerk. A jealous jerk."
Aleksandr looked down at the Pegasus flatly as Luna sat back with a look of entertainment on her face, even as Scrivener Blooms sighed and said mildly to her: "You know, you shouldn't encourage dissidence in the ranks of your own troops."
"Oh, hush, 'tis all in good fun." Luna waved at him irritably as the two continued to glare at each other, Applejack shaking her head with a grumble of frustration. "Besides, no proud minotaur would leave an ally stranded, would he?"
At this, the bull nodded firmly, saying calmly: "Is true. We are allies first, and you are annoying flying medved second, four-hoof. Also, is easy to be agile in air, with nothing but space, but on hoof thou often falls on own face like child who has not yet learned to properly walk."
"Well, excuse me all to hell, but I spend most of my time in the air and these big hooves are hard to manage." Rainbow Dash retorted, raising one grouchily and glaring up at him. "Besides, I used to be amazing on my hooves."
"Oh shush, Rainbow, even when you was a girl you'd trip yourself up." Applejack said flatly, and Rainbow Dash winced and turned scarlet as he gestured violently towards the minotaur with his head, but the earth pony only shrugged even as she softened. "Oh stop that, Rainbow Dash, y'ain't got nothing to be ashamed of. We been through that already, ain't we?"
"Yeah, but... he's a jerk." Rainbow muttered, awkwardly glancing towards the minotaur as Aleksandr looked down at him with pursed lips, before he gritted his teeth and straightened, saying firmly: "Look, don't even start, 'cause no one gets to decide who or what I am but me, and the last thing I need is-"
"Is not possible, you were obviously never girl." Aleksandr interrupted clearly, and Rainbow blinked and leaned back, not looking how to take this before the minotaur leaned down and said thoughtfully: "No, you are male. Is not way you talk, is not way you look, is not way you act. Is just because you are you. But I do not care either way; you are still annoying flying four-hoof to Aleksandr."
Rainbow Dash looked at him for a moment, and he looked back... and then the Pegasus grinned and threw his head back, laughing, and the minotaur joined in after a moment before the two turned and strode towards the dining hall like they were the best of friends, Applejack staring after them stupidly as Rainbow asked eagerly: "So how the hell did you learn to fight like that? I mean yesterday, you took down that golem like it was no sweat!"
"Yes, but minotaurs are strong, fight all life-long. You are very swift even for flying four-hoof, strike hard. I shall teach you minotaur ways." Aleksandr's voice began to fade as the two vanished into the dining hall, and Luna stood up, looking pleased as Applejack continued to simply stare for a moment before she dropped her head forwards with a sigh.
Scrivener Blooms only shook his head in amusement as the golden earth pony finally looked up, asking distastefully: "Is it bad that before I just wanted them to stop harassing each other, and now that they have, I kind of want to smack them both silly?"
"Nay, I am very familiar with this feeling. I believe it is called 'affection.'" Luna said seriously, nodding before she winked as Applejack shook her head and smiled despite herself. "Worry not, I am sure they will return to argument shortly after we take once more to the road."
"Great. Didn't expect to ever see those boys getting along so well... fellas sure can be weird sometimes, I guess." Applejack gave Scrivener Blooms a look, and the male adjusted his glasses and cleared his throat as Luna snorted in amusement and shrugged. "You don't seem all that surprised though, if you don't mind me sayin' so."
"Perhaps not. Perhaps the only reason they were so at odds in the first place 'twas because of their similarities. 'Tis not so strange, all-in-all... they are both fiercely-loyal creatures, bullheaded - in more ways than the literal, in Aleksandr's case - and rivals from the moment they met: forget not that the minotaurs were first opponents, and Rainbow Dash's pride was injured much worse than his body." Luna said pointedly, glancing at Applejack before she smiled slightly. "But now Rainbow understands Aleksandr holds this not over his head, he thinks himself not superior. I am sure they shall compete still... but have you and Dash not always competed as well?"
"We still do some days..." Applejack smiled despite herself, nodding as she reached up and adjusted her well-worn cowboy hat. "Keeps things interesting, although the prizes are different this time 'round, keeps the sauce simmering if you know what I mean, and I'm pretty sure you do, all things considered."
Luna nodded, then she surveyed the earth pony for a few moments before saying thoughtfully: "Dependable Applejack, may I ask a favor, then? We must gather the Starlit Knights, I wish to speak to them. Please find those that thou can, and tell them to gather outside, near the Garden of the Moon... thou remembers where this is, yes?"
"Of course, Luna, ain't no problem at all. I'll meet you out there with everypony I can find." Applejack smiled and nodded, and Luna gave her a warm look in return with a murmur of thanks before the blonde-haired pony headed quickly off on her duties.
For a moment, the winged unicorn only gazed after her... then she looked affectionately at Scrivener Blooms, saying quietly: "What fortune favors us that we undeserving creatures have such loyal friends and parts to our army? Complacent and understanding, at least most of the time... but come, Scrivener Blooms, let us fetch Rainbow Dash and Aleksandr."
The male nodded to her, feeling that it likely wouldn't be hard to locate either of them even in the spacious, crowded dining hall... and he was proven right when they walked in and immediately saw Rainbow Dash prancing over a table where half a dozen minotaurs sat, gleefully telling some old story as the minotaurs cheered every now and then, raising flagons undoubtedly filled with strong ale despite it only being breakfast. Luna grinned, delighting in the warriors, and Scrivener couldn't help but laugh when she leapt up onto the table next to Rainbow Dash and joined him for a moment in storytelling.
Then, even though she seemed tempted to see if she could get the minotaurs singing some old battle song, she managed to restrain herself and instead called for both them and the other Starlit Knights in the dining room to finish their meals and head to the Garden of the Moon. Rainbow Dash offered his own services, checking around the castle for the others... and Luna had innocently said she had already sent Applejack, which Dash had taken as an obvious challenge. He had zoomed off, and Luna had looked pleased with herself before calmly hopping down from the table and dragging Scrivener towards the buffet line, demanding a snack before they continued.
Half an hour later, they stood outside on the crest of a rolling hill, an enormous stone altar to their backs guarded by looming, half-decayed pillars. Luna stood with Scrivy on one side, nervously adjusting his glasses... and Twilight Sparkle on the other, a cloak hiding her wings but unable to hide her increased size as she blushed a little at the looks the others gave her every now and then, not yet aware of everything that had happened.
Luna gazed over the group, and let the group gaze back at them, from the ponies at the front to the hulking minotaurs at the back... and then she smiled a little, leaning forwards and saying quietly: "I have only a few announcements to make, and am pleased to see all faces present... and all thou look ready for the march ahead, whether thy gear is prepared or not. Worry not, however, we leave not until this afternoon: this is thy last reprieve, the last chance we shall truly have for rest and comforts... and I implore thee all to take what comforts thou can here, to indulge in what fancies thee. Do not risk marching onwards with the burden of regrets for a path not walked... believe me, thou shalt regret it."
She paused for a few moments, then smiled again, continuing: "A platoon of Pegasus Guard shall be assisting us, granted to us by Princess... or rather, Queen Celestia. They will aid in covering our flank and protecting the air, and will pull an additional supply cart for the caravan. Treat them as equals, not lesser or better... we are all equals on this journey, we all have a role to play.
"We also have another ally who will be aiding us on this journey. He is called Discombobulation, and is a creature similar to Discord who nonetheless has been selected to aid us." Luna's voice was tactful, careful, and Twilight gave a small smile even as a few murmurs passed through the crowd. "Worry not, he has cause to fight alongside us. And creatures of chaos such as he are rarely killers... they prefer movement, and death brings with it only silence and stillness."
"Let be be finale of seem, the only emperor is the emperor of ice cream." drawled Discombobulation, and ponies looked up in surprise to see the Draconequus standing nonchalantly on the right flank of the group, several setting themselves anxiously, but Luna rose a hoof quickly and the majority calmed, even as a few of them still glared distrustfully at the chimerical creature. "Then again, we're all set up for a Greek tragedy, right here... ponies and minotaurs, a mighty heroine and her consorts, and there's even an oracle hidden among the players of this cast... all we need now is a villain. But no play, no story, no point in life is ever long without the enemy, the antagonist, the nemesis... we always need something to push back against, after all, so even when the villain doesn't exist... we make-believe him out of fairy dust and tall tales... but all too often, we suffer a momentary lapse of reason, and end trapped in terminal frost, in a new machine, in sorrow... after being hounded by the dogs of war."
He halted thoughtfully, then slowly began to stride through the ranks of the ponies, wading through them like they were objects more than living things as he studied them curiously, until Twilight cleared her throat and gave the Draconequus an exasperated look. The creature only looked back up flatly, however, saying distastefully: "Pardon me for my one slip. But I'm on the turning away, worry not... I'm only looking for signs of life amidst what seems like yet another movie, round and around. Many of these ponies, after all, seem to still be learning to fly... they are a new machine, but not a well-oiled one yet."
"You already used that line." Scrivener Blooms said mildly, leaning forwards and looking at the creature pointedly, but the Draconequus only gave a thin smile in return.
"Maybe it has a part one and a part two, you never know. Look on the bright side, at least this isn't the dark side of the moon, Luna." Discombobulation replied calmly, then he rose a hand and snapped his fingers, vanishing from the spot.
Scrivy sighed and rolled his eyes... but when he glanced towards Luna, he could see a faint frown on her face, knowing she had heard the all-too-clear message in Discombobulation's words. The hint that darkness was marching towards them, that the villain of the piece would be shortly making an appearance... and whatever else he was, Discombobulation seemed to be all-too-well attuned to the world around them.
Luna, however, only hesitated a moment longer before she said quietly: "Well, at least now all of thee know what creature walks with us. Do not attack him, even should he all-but-plead for a beating... 'tis my job to pummel him if he gets out of line and I would not have anypony steal this pleasure from me. For now, this is all the news I have to share with thee... as we journey, I shall ensure that I share what information I can with all thee, but some of it will require thought and understanding before I can speak of it." The winged unicorn paused, then smiled and said quietly: "What I truly wished to implore all thee... was to go, enjoy thyselves, and relax before our hard march begins. Make good use of these next few hours. Go now, friends, for soon we stride to meet our destiny head-on."
At the back, the minotaurs each rose a fist with a shout, and the ponies murmured among themselves as a few saluted, others stomped the ground... and Luna gazed over the group with an almost-maternal look, even as Twilight's friends headed up the crest of the hill towards them with Ross, Cowlick, and Scarlet Sage trailing behind.
Fluttershy studied her with a blush as Pinkie Pie bounced curiously on the spot, and then Spike blurted: "Twilight, what happened? You look... bigger! You... you aren't... hoarding stuff, are you?"
"Spike, I'm not a dragon like you are, remember?" Twilight said flatly, and Spike cleared his throat as he glanced embarrassedly away, rubbing at the back of his head. "No, it's... Celestia..."
She stopped, blushed a bit as she looked over her friends... then she simply shrugged her cloak back and bowed her head forwards, still looking embarrassed as she slowly spread her wings... and the others stared in shock, amazement, and disbelief before Pinkie Pie bounced gleefully forwards around Twilight, staring at her horn, her emblem, her wings, her enlarged frame as she exclaimed: "Wow, Twilight, you're amazing! Look at you, look at everything that's changed, oh wow how did all this-"
And then she staggered suddenly, mouth abruptly closing as her body seemed almost to flicker before graying, mane and tail falling straight as her features became subtly bitter, and Pinkamena smiled grimly as she leaned forwards and asked distastefully: "So how many hooves did you lick to get either Princess Sunshine or Nightmare Moon to do this for you, huh?"
Twilight glared at her... and then the earth pony blinked as Discombobulation appeared beside her, the Draconequus reaching down and poking Pinkamena's nose as the pink pony looked surprised, eyes almost crossing to stare at the eagle talon... before she yelped and staggered backwards as a jolt of electricity shocked over her body, blinking rapidly as her mane and tail once more fluffed out and the color returned to her frame.
The others winced... but then Pinkie Pie bounced on her hooves and giggled, looking cheerfully up at Discombobulation as she said in an almost-shy voice: "Pinkamena really didn't like that, but I didn't mind it so much. You're funny."
"Oh look, Bob, thou has an admirer." Luna said mildly, and the Draconequus gave her a surly look before he snapped his fingers and vanished, and Luna threw her head back and laughed even as the others looked apprehensively from Pinkie Pie to Twilight. "But worry not, friends. Twilight... was granted this by Celestia, that much is true. Do not crowd her though, give her time to adjust. It has been... a long night."
"And I haven't slept or eaten, but... I don't feel hungry, or tired. It's... very strange, Luna, and so hard to describe." Twilight murmured, glancing embarrassedly towards the fellow winged unicorn, and Luna softened as she nodded slowly. "And... everyone else, I hope you... I mean... I'm still me, and-"
"Oh, shucks, Twilight, don't you start fretting now. This is good." Applejack soothed kindly, smiling at her as Rainbow Dash nodded firmly a few times, the blue Pegasus giving a warm grin. "Sure, it's a surprise, but... I think... we're all pretty surprised at where we've ended up anyway. Strange times make for strange happenings... and strange allies, by the looks of that Draconequus. You sure he's okay?"
"I like him!" Pinkie almost trilled, nodding a few times before she softened a little, leaning forwards as she took a few slow breaths, visibly forcing herself to settle as she asked quietly: "Are you okay with it, Twilight? We know you ended up... you know. With Discord and all."
Twilight only smiled a little and nodded, however, then she grimaced as she flapped her wings and muttered: "My biggest problem right now is dealing with these..."
"Oh, hell, I'll help you there!" Rainbow Dash said cheerfully, grinning and leaping into the air as he flapped his own strong wings before he opened his mouth as he looked towards Fluttershy... but then his eyes settled on her bandaged wings, and he quieted a little, returning his eyes to Twilight Sparkle and saying softly: "Yeah, me and you, don't you worry about it."
"You look very strong. Even your cutie mark has changed a little... no, not changed, more like it's been...magnified." Fluttershy added quietly, and she smiled a bit as she met the violet winged unicorn's eyes. "It's like all of you has been magnified, Twilight... and I can't think of anyone here who deserves it more."
Rarity nodded at this, adding softly: "I couldn't have put it better myself, I must agree... and you look absolutely gorgeous, Twilight. Really, you're radiant... I dare say that soon enough you'll be looking more like a proper princess than even I could manage."
Twilight laughed a little at this, then she smiled a bit at Scarlet Sage as the filly stepped forwards... but she only smiled in return, blushing a bit as she gazed over Twilight before nodding slowly. Then the filly's eyes roved towards Luna, and Luna nodded to her, saying kindly: "Twilight, visit with thy friends, show them the few wonders stuffy Canterlot may still have yet to offer. Scarlet Sage, thou may come with me."
Twilight nodded, and then she looked up curiously as Cowlick cleared her throat from beside Ross. "Wait a second, you two, I wanna ask if I can get a look at the wagon and the soldiers that are supposed to be coming with us. Last thing I need is some clunky piece of junk following our pretty caravan."
"Celestia has likely only recently ordered it prepared, and it will likely be dredged up from some storage yard in Canterlot city rather than from the castle itself. Find a lieutenant of the Pegasus Guard or other higher rank, he will likely be able to tell thee more." Luna shrugged a bit, then she studied the two thoughtfully for a moment. "Cowlick, do mine eyes deceive me, or has this male formed an attachment to thee?"
"Hey, dude doesn't have all the lights on upstairs, but he ain't got the kind of looks I'd be embarrassed to walk around in public with and he's good with numbers. Real damn good with numbers." Cowlick paused and grinned slightly, winking as she added loudly: "There's way worse dudes out there. Like Rainbow Dude."
"Oh, shut up, Cowlick, no one likes you." Rainbow retorted, dropping to the ground and landing easily on his hooves before he grinned and arched his back, preening as he said comfortably: "You're just jealous that Applejack gets all this and you got nothing."
"Well, Rainbow Dude, I still have bigger balls than you even now." Cowlick replied mildly, and Spike coughed violently into his hand as Fluttershy blushed and Twilight sighed, Rainbow's jaw dropping as he spluttered for a response before the pierced mare winked and then turned to Ross, saying comfortably: "Come on, handsome. We got some people to find and work to do. I don't care what anypony says, you're coming with me, not staying here with Celestia. Not even a Queen gets to steal my new colt away."
"Okay." Ross said brightly, waving at the others before he turned to follow her... and Cowlick gave him an amused look that hid honest tenderness beneath her rough features as the two walked away, even as Rainbow struggled for a response.
Finally, he rose a hoof and opened his mouth, but Applejack only sighed and leaned in to kiss his cheek before saying kindly: "Let it go, hon."
"Twilight, I'll teach you to fly, but you have to use that crazy brain of yours to think up some good insults for me." Rainbow grumbled... and Luna and Scrivy both smiled before the sapphire winged unicorn glanced towards him, and the earth pony nodded, the two quietly excusing themselves and slipping away from the group with Scarlet Sage as the six ponies fell into eager conversation.
But it wasn't like they weren't glad to slip quietly away... wonderful as it was to have such good friends and to be able to share with so many ponies, both Luna and Scrivy still preferred the company of only one or two others at a time... and that was usually Twilight Sparkle or Celestia, little as Luna liked to admit her sister was still among her dearest-cherished, even now.
She smiled to herself at this, glancing down quietly towards Scarlet Sage, eyes fondly locking on her as Scrivy gazed ahead but felt the warmth of Luna's emotions radiating through his body and soul, the three enjoying the quiet as they made their way towards an enormous green wall of vines and plant life that bordered the outside of a massive hedge maze. For a little while, they followed this, then sat quietly, just in view of a few ivory statues that were part of a vast collection of carvings in a stone garden... some of which even now Luna wondered whether or not they had been victims of Celestia's wrath.
But she shook herself out of these thoughts, instead looking towards Scarlet Sage as the filly shuffled quietly on the ground, before she looked up and said quietly: "Queen Celestia is kind of... funny. I know she's your sister and all, and everypony says she's really nice, and she seemed really nice, but... she's so big, and a little scary. I feel like I wouldn't ever want to make her mad."
"Thou speaks truer than thou knows." Luna muttered, nodding ruefully, and then she gazed quietly over the Pegasus filly, reaching a hoof forwards and stroking her scarlet mane gently back. "But has thou been enjoying Canterlot otherwise? I... I am sorry, Scarlet Sage, that I have not been there more for thee, and... that thou will be forced to tarry along on this journey. But I will spend as much time as I can teaching and sharing with thee on the way... but thy powers..."
"I know. Queen Celestia told me a lot about them..." Scarlet Sage blushed and looked down, rubbing at her face slowly. "I wish... I didn't have them. It scares me, what these powers can do... and it means... so much that you... that you still trust me despite it. I mean, Celestia told me all about how the first Blood Seers got their powers by making deals with Helheim, by trading... trading their blood for demon blood, that allowed them to do... awful things. And the powers were passed down through generations... used for good and evil. I want to use my powers for good but... I'm scared."
She glanced up quietly, and Luna nodded slowly, leaning forwards and murmuring: "I trust thee, Scarlet Sage. And I understand, better than most, what thou art going through. And Scrivy and I will always be there for thee, every step of the way... is that not so, Scrivener Blooms?"
"That and more." Scrivy nodded firmly, gazing down at the filly with a small smile as she looked from one to the other with quiet affection. "Like Luna and I learned, though, the first big step is to accept yourself... to accept it's a part of who you are. When Luna... stopped fighting Nightmare Moon, she was finally able to begin relaxing, she was finally able to find peace in herself and the strength to use her powers, even her darkness, for good. You have an advantage there, Scarlet Sage... not just the fact that Luna and I will be around this entire time to help you, but that you haven't been..."
"Touched by darkness." Luna finished after a moment, smiling a little over at Scrivy, and he nodded with a smile in return before the winged unicorn looked quietly down at the filly. "We shall find the proper balance, Scarlet Sage, and move things slow. And worry not... if thou stumbles... we shall catch thee, and return thee to the proper path. And unlike with most things, I shall not pummel thee should something wrong occur."
She reached forwards and stroked gently through the foal's mane with a hoof, and Scarlet Sage laughed a little despite herself, smiling warmly up at Luna and nodding firmly once before she hesitated, then said slowly: "Celestia told me, though, that... because of my... powers... it's important for me to learn about things. She gave me some old, heavy books that I can barely make sense of... but she said that a lot of the stuff I could learn from you. She said I shouldn't ever be shy of asking you, either of you, about anything at all. And I was... wondering about what happened between you and Celestia. No one ever really told me about it... I heard all kinds of stories about Nightmare Moon, but... ever since you rescued me from the Phooka, I've learned that most of that was just stories. That a lot of Equestria's history is really nothing more than stories, and a lot of the scary stories are its history..."
"Aye, but forget not that history is authored by rulers and victors. There will always be a slant, a bias... we must be aware to take all 'told truths' with a grain of salt, and remember to think always for ourselves." Luna said softly, and then she glanced towards Scrivener Blooms with a slight smile, adding mildly: "Although there is a fine balance between practicality and cynicism, which certain ponies cross all too oft."
"I would rather be a disappointed cynic than a disappointed optimist." Scrivy replied mildly, and Luna shrugged agreeably at this as Scarlet Sage gazed softly from one to the other. Then she smiled and stood up, and the two glanced at her curiously as the foal strode forwards and snuggled herself between them, and they both gazed tenderly down at her as she wormed her way around so she was barely visible, resting her head on her hooves as Luna stroked silently through her mane, sides pressed close as Scrivy murmured: "See? Far better to never expect anything good to happen... it makes every wonder in the world brighter."
"Fool." Luna said quietly but warmly, gazing across at him for a moment, and he only smiled back as they lapsed into silence, curled up close around the foal that washed away all the broken memories, the anxieties of what was to come, the pain of what they had suffered... and instead brought hope and strength to the mixed souls of earth pony and winged unicorn. |
Starlit Knights | Interlude II: A Frustrated Series Of Notes | Interlude II: A Frustrated Series Of Notes
~BlackRoseRaven
I should pummel Celestia. I should pummel Scrivener Blooms, too. Making me write this myself, telling me it would be cathartic. Cathartic, is that right? Scrivener Blooms, come and spell-check my work. I order thee, as Champion of Equestria! Oh. Stupid quill, stop writing. No, don't write- oh never mind. And shut thy mouth, Scrivener Blooms, 'tis far easier to dictate than it is to write. I am a dictator. I mean. Oh damn everything to Helheim.
Oh, so thou will sit and listen but not write for me? Thou art lazy. Lazy. Lazy-lazy-lazy. Oh so what if I can enchant a quill to write as I speak, I should not have to. Thou should be doing- shut up. And... what, Celestia? I order thee out of my chambers. So what if thou art Queen, I care not! 'Tis not thy castle, I do not see thy name writ upon it anywhere! Why, in fact, I remember cutting my name into the stone in the dungeons when I was once locked down in those dreary cells, before thou took Canterlot over. Therefore it is my castle. Therefore I order thee to get out of my chambers. Does so count. Does so!
And now Twilight Sparkle and Discombobulation, do any of thee not understand what it means when I ask for privacy? Oh ha, ha, Scrivener Blooms. And the damnable quill still writes what I say! This is why I require thy aid, Scrivy. I do not require Celestia or... oh fine. Fine, be that way. Bob, either put the accursed popped corn away or share with me. No, Celestia, thou may not have any. Thou art evil. And fat. Evil and fat ponies do not get popped corn.
Oh very well. I shall resume where I had left off, but I swear to Odin if I hear but a squeak I shall pummel all of thee. No Bob, I did not learn this trick at magic school and do not know what a 'Hogwarts' is. Bob. If thou does not shut up, I shall roll thee up like a piece of paper, stuff thee in a tiny bottle, and fling thee as hard and far as I can from the top of Canterlot Tower. Excellent, I am glad to see thou understands.
Alright Luna, close thy eyes, and calm. Thou art in the presence of friends, yes? No, shut up Celestia, I am not speaking to thee I am talking to mine own self for a moment of friendly and intelligent conversation. And... accursed quill! (The writing descends into an illegible smear)
There. Although Celestia, Twilight and Discombobulation have insisted on staying and watching, Scrivener Blooms has agreed - in his most humble, courteous (the writing has been blotted out) -ting for me. These memories are being recorded to keep track of what I can recall so far: to serve to help me clear my mind, if nothing else.
The legends would tell us that Odin was the God of Wisdom, Warrior King of the Warrior Gods. There were many among the Aesir, and who roamed Asgard, and the Vale of Valhalla and the halls of the mighty fortress-paradise. It was not unlike Canterlot: city and castle together, named the same... but it was better than Canterlot, because in place of city, there was nature. In place of politics, there was honor. Because it was wild.
There were forty of us. Forty Valkyries: the elite of the elite, who kept watch and guardianship, and who swept down onto the battlefield at the call to arms to cull warrior's souls. Were we reapers? Aye, in more ways than the literal: we were the very best at what we did, made sharper by honor, and hardened further in practice. We slew worthy and unworthy, but gave those few most-worthwhile the chance to come back to the warrior's paradise. But much of that is unclear... or worse, too clear, and the dark part of me... the Nightmare Moon part of me... wants to linger among tantalizing shadows.
Therefore, that part is best not to think about. Rather, I think of the one-eyed god... I think of him with fondness and anger, with love and hate, with loyalty and the pain that can only come from betrayal. I think of... Freya, passionate Queen, but who always fought beside us, who always was the first on the battlefield, leading the charge. Who treated her soldiers as her family, who knew all our names, who sometimes sat with me, sharing silence or conversation, when I would find myself alone in Valhalla's hidden galleries. And Thor... but Sleipnir changed the least of us all. Freya fell to this world full of supernatural anger that afflicted her, and I had my own deep darkness roiling inside me... but Sleipnir laughed. Sleipnir was happy. Sleipnir was warm, and loving. But nothing could ever break him... the only time I ever saw him angry was when he witnessed the innocent being oppressed by the guilty. Even then... he would show a mercy, a compassion, I could never match...
I believe, even though I don't want to. It scares me to think about these things, what it could mean: and truly, if I died again, what would it mean? Would I lay silent and still in the ground, gone forever... would I rise again to Valhalla to repeat the cycle? Am I cursed now to fall to Helheim... but what scares me most is that I will bring my daydreamer with me, wherever I should go. What scares me even more is that he is willing to follow... into darkness, into Heaven, into Hell. Incorrigible, foolish beetle.
(A timestamp has been signed here, likely out of habit more than anything else. The ink is a little smeared, as if written in a hurry.)
There. Celestia and Twilight Sparkle have left, Discombobulation has been pummeled into another plane, and Scrivener Blooms is fetching me something to eat. Quill, I order thee to work properly. Oh damn thee, feather, fine. 'Tis ridiculous, I can move the moon and yet a damnable dictation spell refuses to work properly. Very well, I have precious few notes to make in any event.
I do not believe this... to be important. Nay, I phrase my words badly: I know why it is important, but otherwise... I do not feel it to be so... oh damn my lack of words. Scrivener Blooms, I know thou can hear me. I command thee to tell me why this knowledge does not feel as important as it perhaps should.
There, exactly! It is important that I know, and prepare accordingly: it is perhaps even important that I look to the past, and try to remember what I can of our enemies, should the enemies of then be also the enemies of now, driven by a need to annihilate me completely, or abuse of me my heritage in some way I wish dare not imagine. But it is not important who I was: it is important who I am. I am Luna, known as Luna Lightblade in the past, and I fight for my reasons, not for Valhalla, not for the sake of gods I still barely believe in, not for the sake of my past. I fight for my friends, and my family, and my loved ones. And I fight for myself, for who I am now... not for who I was then.
Perhaps in time I will know more... perhaps in time I will forget. But if this has done one thing... it has opened my eyes not to greater evils, but to a truth I am happy to have found: aye, in blood, we were not family, Sleipnir, Celestia and I. But we share a deeper bond. We are true siblings... and I shall honor my brother, and always look fondly up to my big sister. Our siblinghood was forged in fire and battle and ancient days long past: the links are wound so tight and true, that they shall never break, not even bend. Mistakes are forgotten and forgiven, for what does it matter that sister and I have cut one-another with blade and word and lost a little blood over it? We have also shielded one another for countless years, and lost far more from the claws and bites of our enemy, to save each other from their pain. Yes, let the worst come! Let the darkness surge against us! I have Celestia, I have Twilight Sparkle, I have Scrivener Blooms... and I have hope.
~Luna Lightblade, Champion of Equestria |
Starlit Knights | Fear Realized | Chapter Seventeen: Fear Realized
~BlackRoseRaven
The Starlit Knights had been assembled in the early afternoon, and had done so by themselves, even before Luna could go searching for them. When she strode out into the fields in her armor, with a polished leather holster over her back that held her telescopic spear, she hadn't even required a head count to make sure: they stood in rank and file, they stood unafraid and ready... and she had traded a smile with Scrivener Blooms, the male rolling his shoulders in his own armor, nodding in agreement to the feeling of pride in Luna's heart.
Celestia had seen them off, thankfully with little ceremony... but there had been ponies crowding either side of the path all the same, eager to catch glimpses of the caravan as they had made their way back down the mountain so they could circle around Canterlot and head down the other side to continue northward. For now, they were moving in one large parade, but the vanguard unit would pull away once they reached the next long section of road... for now, Luna preferred to keep moving as one group, so she could survey the Pegasus Guard and confirm their loyalty and professionalism for herself.
It seemed like Celestia had been telling the truth, however: the twenty or so soldiers the Queen of Equestria had assigned were calm and serious, bowing their heads to Luna's orders, treating the Starlit Knights as equals despite their far-different training. When Luna set them in rear guard formation, focusing mostly on their own wagon and following in the hoofprints of the others, none of them had complained and they had efficiently organized themselves to her orders.
The wagon they were pulling required two harnessed Pegasi to keep it moving, but the interior was magically-enlarged. The few supplies they carried in the interior of the ironwood wagon were mostly large-size tents and perishables, kept in a secure area at the front behind a wooden separator: the back of the wagon, meanwhile, was designed with bedding and benches for wounded or exhausted ponies to rest in, easily accessible through the large doors on the rear of the heavy carriage.
Luna was already glad for this: it meant that Scarlet Sage and Ross had a more comfortable place to ride in than the crowded back of one of their own wagons, and safer, too, since the ironwood transport was like a fortress on wheels. Of course, Luna also couldn't help but notice that despite the fact Ross was supposed to be a noncombatant, he was now cheerfully walking side-by-side with Cowlick, a rifle over his own back as he rambled endlessly and she strode along beside him, smiling the whole while.
The winged unicorn glanced over her shoulder, along the flank of the group as they wended their way down the mountainside: on this side, it was mostly Pegasi who carried themselves slowly through the air, most of the earth ponies and unicorns wary of the slanted edge of the road. They would reassemble themselves into better formation once they had reached the bottom of the gorge and began making their way along the low road through the clustered peaks of these sharp-toothed mountains.
They would also be able to separate into vanguard and following caravan... and Luna was anxious to do so. Armed with the knowledge that she may very well be a target of the forces of darkness, to her it was all the more appealing to make herself as big of one as possible. She wanted these creatures to come to her, so she could see the faces of her foes and take violent action against them. It wasn't facing even the demons of Helheim, even the awful Black Wolves of Hell that scared her anymore. It was the suspense... and the knowledge that the longer these creatures schemed in the shadows, the more evil they could plan and hatch.
Then she glanced up as Twilight Sparkle stepped beside her, offering a small smile: the newly-winged unicorn was now dressed in golden scale-mail that covered her upper body and upper limbs as well as a black cloak in which had been cut holes for her wings, and the Element of Magic shimmered around her neck as she said quietly: "I don't need to be Scrivy to see you're worrying about something, Luna. But then again, he looks pretty worried himself."
"Oh, you know, just imagining what it's going to be like walking into North Neigh, how welcome I'm sure they'll make us all very quickly feel." Scrivy said moodily, glancing up towards the sky... and on his back, Sammy chittered softly and nipped at his mane. "Oh, stop that, you. It's not my fault you decided to go sightseeing and got yourself locked up in my old room. Just be glad we checked around for you before we left."
Sammy huffed at this, then scampered quietly onto Scrivener's head and sat down primly, and the equine rolled his eyes but smiled despite himself before he glanced towards Twilight Sparkle as she asked quietly: "But won't it be different? I mean, you're going to be walking into the village to save it, with an entire army and... well, a winged unicorn on either side of you."
She smiled a little, and Scrivener only smiled faintly back, replying quietly: "Yes, and even if I was in the lead of a thousand unicorns and riding on the backs of Celestia and Nightmare Moon, they would still look down on me, Twilight Sparkle. That's the way it works in places like that... you don't get to decide your place. You don't get to earn your place. Your birthright decides all of that for you... and I was born a hornless unicorn, the greatest disappointment two proud unicorn parents could ever know. My worries aren't for myself, but how they'll treat everyone else... to them, you'll all be 'traitors' to their traditions."
"Then I shall burn the village down and tell Celestia we arrived too late to save it and that there is nothing further to be done." Luna muttered, shaking her head grimly before she sighed a little as she looked towards Scrivy, Sammy chirping from on top of the male's head. "Samael, we are attempting a serious conversation. Twilight Sparkle, bring thine own pet out to play and entertain the beast."
"Spike?" Twilight said dumbly, looking up... and both Scrivy and Luna looked at her for a moment, then both laughed and shook their heads as the winged unicorn blushed. "Oh, you mean... oh! Oh, quiet, I've... I've had a lot to adjust to this last while, I'm not thinking clearly."
"As if it's ever possible to think clearly." said an echoing voice, and then Scrivener looked up dumbly, staggering in mid-step as he realized it had come from Sammy... or more precisely, inside Sammy's skull, as one of the blue flames filling a socket puffed outwards as the skeletal pseudodragon squawked before a tiny Discombobulation strode out of it, polishing his eagle talon against his chest as Luna and Twilight both stared at him, barely managing to keep moving at the head of the line. "You rang, Master Twilight?"
"I... why are you..." Twilight shook her head quickly, then glowered at him and said irritably: "Get off his head."
"Very well." Discombobulation snapped his fingers and vanished from the spot... then reappeared, the size of a ferret now, and seated on top of Twilight's head, one leg primly crossed and his hands resting on his knee. He gazed calmly ahead like he resting on the prow of a ship, not looking down even as Twilight halted for a moment and her face twitched horribly before she forced herself to storm onwards to avoid the entire convoy coming to a halt, ponies behind her staring at them as Luna and Scrivy stared... then both began to giggle. "It's only a small joke, Twilight Sparkle, there's no need to become so upset about it. When two roads diverge in the forest, and you take the one less travelled by... it can be as boring as the more-travelled one when you aren't particularly fond of leaves and trees. You can also get lost and die in a forest, did you know that? I would expect you to, but you ponies take the simplest things for granted sometimes. Look at Luna and Scrivener Blooms, I have brought two angry, bitter, cynical little ponies childlike smiles. Would you really steal that all away?"
"Get. Off. My. Head." Twilight pronounced slowly and firmly, and the Draconequus winced as he finally hopped off, at the same time returning to his normal height and stature so he could stride alongside the winged unicorn... before Sammy chirped loudly and hopped onto the Draconequus, rapidly twining his way over the creature's chimerical body before he ended up seated on one shoulder.
Discombobulation gave it a thoughtful look, seeming to ignore Twilight Sparkle as she said grouchily: "Now listen. I know you're supposed to be helping us and all, but if that's the case I need you to be more helpful and less of a nuisance. You can start by helping us figure out what's ahead... or at least what kinds of roadblocks we'll meet up with. Or maybe you could... are you even listening?"
"I have to listen to you, Twilight Sparkle, but the best listeners listen without looking like they're listening. Then they have the element of surprise, which I have always thought is stronger than your Elements of Harmony... but again, it's how we use our tools that determines their worth, not the tools themselves. Give a pony a fish, he'll eat for a day... teach a pony to fish, he'll eat for the rest of his life... assuming ponies can eat fish, that is. Can ponies eat fish? Can ponies even eat at all?"
Sammy chirped as if in answer, and Discombobulation nodded seriously before he looked towards Twilight, twisting his head upside down on his long neck as he calmly crossed his arms. "But metaphors are a matter of perspective, and no perspective is without a little topsy-turvy in it. For example, in the eyes of the present, the Nibelung are either exceedingly-stupid or exceedingly-vicious. In the eyes of the past, which Scrivener Blooms has yet to open in her future, you may just see that they were once noble artisans... but artisans of steel and sword and war often ultimately craft their own necessary destruction."
"Tell me, how does thee know this, and give us not another lecture upon Ginnungagap as a garbage heap... for even in my past, I remember battling the dwarves, and while they were more the savvy than these wretches we have fought in the present, they were still crude, callous, and often cowardly if they had not been driven mad by bloodlust." Luna looked curiously towards the creature, frowning slightly, and Discombobulation automatically glanced towards Twilight, who nodded quickly, understanding what the chimerical creature was asking.
It sighed, rubbing absently at its features before nodding meditatively. "Very well, although by now, Scrivener Blooms, you should understand that your past isn't your past... it's only a hop, skip, and a jump back in time, compared to the actual years you may or may not have lived... assuming, of course, you were you back then even when you went by a different name and title and everything else. But who is to say that the soul changes at all when it changes bodies? Who is to say that the spirit is not like a gas, filling up whatever it inhabits instead of trapped in one solid form... yes, yes, do not rush me. All in good time, and good time takes a little building up to."
He stopped, absently reached up to lift Sammy off his shoulder... but then he only hugged the skeletal pseudodragon close to his chest, almost gingerly stroking along the skeleton's skull as he awkwardly half-cradled it and murmured: "We all come from the same source, at the end of the day. We are all nothing but flakes and dandruff, sweat and blood, lumps of flesh and bone and sinew that are made of particles and particles that are made of energy and who knows what energy is made up of? Perhaps it is the entire world, perhaps we are all walking Wonderlands, and inside every one of us there is an Alice, holding tea parties with the Mad Hatter, remarking boldly upon the grin of the Cheshire Cat... or, if that metaphor is becoming tired, for even metaphors may suffer fatigue when you use them too long and too hard, perhaps in all our minds lurk the Great Old Ones as they sit and calmly wait for the stars above to slide silently on their course so they may emerge into the universe and restart all the old machinery that grows rusty and dusty with the passage of time, but oh, they are patient... they are more patient than us, and that is why so many of us go a little insane as time goes on, fearing the things that lurk in the darkness... fearing most of all the reaching tentacles of the nameless gods that whisper and skulk in the recesses of our own minds.
"Do I speak without a point? Or do I point, without speaking it directly? I know, Twilight Sparkle, get to the point, you are obsessed with points of fact and facts of points and points of every other pointy persuasion." Discombobulation rolled his eyes, making the violet pony glare before he said calmly: "But the Nibelung fell prey to the darkness, you see. In themselves, the machinations, the gears, were started... powered by greed and pride. They wanted to be the best... they wanted more. They tried to make a magic ring, a silly thing, a magical ring... and while legend tells you it was stolen from them, they simply fell to infighting over it, over the powers it would grant the one who wore it, telling each other it would give such strength to make the wearer King of the Nibelung and Master of Niflheim. And during that civil war in low, dark, Niflheim, their bloodshed attracted beasts from a world over... and Helheim's forces devoured them like the squealing pigs they were, not understanding that even if you became an elephant... you'd still run away from the ten thousand soldier ants. Numbers win over strength, every time."
Discombobulation fell silent as he petted Samael, then he smiled strangely and held the skeletal beast in front of himself, Sammy chirping as he said kindly: "I enjoy this creature. Look at it! Dead, and yet alive... it has no beating heart and fire instead of eyes and yet it smiles at me! It is living death and shadow and yet it acts like a silly little foal... it's everything I enjoy rolled up into one ball of confusion-not-making-sensation. Yes, I meant what I said and I said what I meant, a Draconequus is faithful one-hundred percent."
Luna looked up with quiet entertainment at this as Twilight Sparkle frowned deeply, and then the violet winged unicorn asked hesitantly: "So that's why they're... mercenaries now? Because they were destroyed?"
"The collapse of one's society leaves only a few marketable job choices available, Twilight Sparkle. We watched from the safe balcony of Ginnungagap with both glee and horror over what happened... it was utter and complete chaos, but even Discord found little to delight in. Rioting and destruction is a sharp, short-lived thrill that quickly becomes withdrawal when things... stop moving." The Draconequus paused meditatively, then nodded more to himself than them. "Cigarettes and cocaine only make sense at the end of life, not the middle, and certainly not the beginning. After all, you wouldn't want to have a requiem for a dream, would you? Better to be little miss sunshine."
"Look, there's the highway." Scrivener Blooms said quietly, and Luna and Twilight both glanced up as they strode down the last of the sloped pass through the mountains, towards the wide, dusty, but clearly-marked road that led along the stony earth, weeds pushing weakly up here and there amidst stone and shale. "It's as ugly down here as I remember."
"Luna, Luna, Luna. You walked this entire road alone as one so young... Equestria truly must have been a peaceful, boring land for a thousand years if you weren't maimed or murdered like what always happens to the lone traveler in horror stories or police shows. No wonder everyone always wanted to change the channel when your cartoon was on." Discombobulation rolled his eyes, and Scrivener gave the creature a flat look before the Draconequus looked moodily ahead. "But it's not boring anymore, at least. I smell roast pork: the smell of an ambush lurking somewhere past the mountains. The smell of Nibelung that have spent too long being slow-roasted in Hell... for Helheim is cold, and nothing burns better than ice."
"I do not doubt thee, creature... for I would be disappointed were we not attacked before the day's end, especially if there are creatures with an assumed interest in me." Luna muttered, then she grimaced and glanced to the side, saying quietly: "We will call the caravan to a halt and rest for dinner after we find a suitable safe location. Bob, I do not suppose you could tell us of what lurks ahead, then, since thou seems capable of divining the path?"
"There is nothing divine about a path of dirt and a smell of burnt meat. Those are things all very much connected to this physical, rotten, fetid earth." Discombobulation replied mildly, and then he glanced down and added moodily: "I could show you something different from your shadow at morning striding behind you or your shadow at evening rising to meet you; I could show you fear in a handful of dust. I can only tell you that there are ideas ahead, whispering in the black-and-white world, kissing the monotone; I can hear vicious thoughts, as they scream loudest, but they are unclear... I can smell roasted flesh, and a foul plan to ensnare us in eager, arrogant jaws. But since you plan to go boldly forth no matter what, pretending that you know nothing... wouldn't it be more convincing for you to know no further, walk into the jaws of this trap, and trigger it with such violence that its jaws will shatter when they close upon the iron-clad limb that knowingly set hoof upon it?"
"Bob of Ginnungagap... there is a strange and alien wisdom in thy words. A wisdom that makes me wish to roundly club thee in the face, but I wish for thee to know this is out of affection, not spite." Luna replied kindly, and she paused meditatively before looking at Scrivener Blooms, asking curiously: "Does thou truly think so?"
Scrivy nodded as Twilight frowned, and then the male glanced towards her with a bit of a smile, saying quietly: "Since Discombobulation says there's enemies ahead, and Luna trusts him, and whoever they are, it sounds like they're looking for their best target... I think we should make ourselves an even better target. You, me, Luna, and only a few other ponies... make it all too appetizing a chance for them to take out who they probably see as the biggest threats instead of possibly waiting for us to pass so they can go after the caravan."
"Luna is a very self-destructive pony, if you haven't noticed quite yet, Twilight Sparkle. I think that's why Scrivener Blooms is so attracted to him... possibly why you find him fascinating as well, with your messiah complex and all." Discombobulation said informatively, and Twilight winced before she glared at him sharply, and the Draconequus glowered, hugging Sammy almost protectively against his body for a moment before grumbling: "Very well, since I have reached the... twilight of your impatience, Twilight, I shall recede. As always, just call my name, and I'll be there... since we do all need somebody to lean on."
And with that, he reached over and gently dropped the skeletal pseudodragon back on Scrivy's head, then strode quickly forwards, reaching up and making the air sizzle as he brushed reality aside like it was nothing more than a curtain to reveal a glowing tunnel beyond, vanishing through this before the wound in thin air sealed closed. Luna shook her head slowly as Twilight Sparkle grimaced a bit, then glanced towards them and asked quietly: "Are you sure it's a good idea? You said yourself we had to be careful listening to him..."
"Aye, but sometimes that means trusting in what he says instead of believing all he says to be nonsense." Luna smiled a bit, saying quietly: "But we have time yet, if what he spoke was indeed the truth... he was specific in saying 'past the mountains,' after all. And as I look at these treacherous peaks, I see that while they would give an advantage of height... they are slippery and steep. The Nibelung could hail arrows upon us, but then they would be forced to contend with armored Pegasi, magic-wielding unicorns, and a lack of sufficient cover... and to try and charge down such steep and jagged rocks would be the makings of a grand comedy on our side and a tragedy on theirs."
Twilight nodded hesitantly after a moment, looking at the slopes to either side of the wide road: the looming peaks, imposing and high, with cliff faces that were thorny and dangerous... and she laughed after a moment, saying quietly: "I never realized until now that Canterlot... really was built in such a strategic location. It's such a scenic approach to the castle you forget all about everything else... but it's on the largest mountain, built into the mighty rock, with only a few roads leading up to it... and half the paths surrounding it are like this, large enough for a convoy like ours to pass through, but a real army..."
"Aye, exactly. Once in the past, Canterlot was marched upon while Celestia, Sleipnir and I lived in the city... Nibelung, goblins, Velites, and other quarrelsome creatures had all banded together, and they strode down this very path, stupidly seeking revenge after Equestria had slain many of the barbarian war-leaders and other masterminds of the darkness." Luna paused meditatively. "We did not need to do much in that battle. Boulders were dropped at one end of this highway and the other, cutting off routes of access and escape... and then arrows, fire, and boiling oil were poured down from the mountains. It goes to show why such brutes require a puppet master to guide them... on their own, they have never been capable of thinking of more than 'gather as many as possible, and attack.'"
Twilight grimaced, glancing down at the path with a shudder, and Luna laughed quietly, looking ahead as she murmured: "Equestria has seen much death and destruction. 'Twas all buried under Celestia's suppression and stories and propaganda... but 'tis always the most peaceful, quiet land thou should be most wary of, my friend. Tranquility comes only after dedication and time... and all too often leaves the soil stained red."
Luna fell silent as Twilight nodded slowly and gazed ahead quietly: the dark sapphire winged unicorn let her take her time to think, her starry locks glimmering softly as she tossed a look to Scrivy, their eyes locking for a moment as they traded thoughts back and forth in a flash before both faced ahead, even as their minds continued to push gently at one-another's, trading ideas and rationalizations. Luna half-wanted to go on with only Scrivy and Twilight by her side... Scrivener could understand, but was concerned that the three of them - and possibly Discombobulation, but no pony quite knew what the Draconequus would do in a serious battle - could be overwhelmed by numbers in an ambush: the Nibelung liked to move in large groups, after all, and it sounded like that and worse was what they were faced against.
The winged unicorn's other worry was that the ambush wouldn't be drawn out by them: in that case, they needed strong ponies who could stay back and defend the caravan. Between the two, tossing pros and cons mentally back and forth even as the only sound was the conversation from the ponies behind them and the steady beat of hooves striding over the hard earth, they eventually managed to conclude what would hopefully leave them prepared for any situation that might occur, although it still leaned heavily on the hope that the ambush would be drawn towards the vanguard.
Luna, Scrivy, Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie: the bare minimum. They would leave Aleksandr, Cowlick, and Applejack to lead and organize the caravan... an experienced warrior and two sharp mares they knew they could rely on in case something went wrong. But with all luck, lightning-fast Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie's savage Pinkamena side would help ensure that Twilight was well-supported while Luna and Scrivener Blooms worked together to draw the brunt of the attackers.
When they halted near a wide stone bridge over a shallow, muddy canyon, Luna had allowed fifteen minutes of rest before she had calmly divided them up, Rainbow Dash looking particularly-pleased with himself on being selected as Aleksandr looked thoughtful and Cowlick looked insulted, grumbling under her breath. Applejack also seemed to understand something was up, as she stayed apprehensively back with Rarity and Fluttershy... and Pinkie Pie, meanwhile, smiled and bounced, but a gleam lurked beneath her eye that hinted she understood something was going on.
The caravan would give them a fifteen minute head start before they followed... and with Spike staying back and Scrivener still carrying Samael on his shoulder, they had the option of sending a quick alarm message as well as simply sending up a warning flare. Every additional layer of protection would count at this juncture, every additional caution was a necessary one, as Luna could feel the chill in the air, could almost hear the shadows whispering to her... and as she strode at the head of the group, Pinkie Pie beside Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash flying slowly overhead and Scrivener Blooms on the other flank with Samael shivering a little on his back, the sapphire winged unicorn could feel the pressure building... and could hear Nightmare Moon's whispers inside her mind.
She glanced towards Scrivy to see the male already looking at her quietly... and she offered an awkward smile, knowing that it was half-because of her worries, and half-because Nightmare Moon was directing some of those thoughts towards him. It was funny, how she was almost jealous of what was essentially herself at times with how Nightmare Moon enjoyed teasing her husband... and then she shook her head quickly before she frowned a bit as the road began to widen, the mountains around them becoming crumbled cliffs and mounds of broken hillock. "Wait, something is wrong..."
"The air feels... heavy." Rainbow Dash grimaced as he dropped to his hooves, shaking his head briskly and making the armor covering his body rattle, as Pinkie Pie looked worriedly back and forth... and Luna paused, feeling not only the weight in the air... but aware that even though the sun was shining overhead, the world around them seemed darker, vested in shadows. "Something feels really wrong here... and is it just me or is it..."
"Aye, the shadows are growing, sunlight is battered away by some foul presence..." Luna set herself, grimacing as she looked back and forth sharply... but the dusty road seemed as silent and empty as it had ever been, even widened into wasteland with only a few ugly, monolithic cliffs scattered here and there throughout. "Can thou-"
And before she could finish, there was a hiss and a glimmer, the air seeming to ripple before some sparkling object flew towards them, and Luna looked up in surprise before this hit the hard ground and then shattered like glass with a rumbling blast, a gush of force and electricity ripping over the winged unicorns as Luna and Twilight both cried out in pain before several more glass spheres flew from all sides, shattering around them and sending bursts of anti-magic ripping over both winged unicorns, Scrivener Blooms wincing and staggering towards Luna as both she and Twilight were forced to their knees by the flurry of explosions.
Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie immediately set themselves, Scrivener Blooms looking back and forth as a bit of blood dripped from his nose, linked as he was to Luna but not nearly as drained by the anti-magic as she was, his body pulsing with adrenaline as he gritted his teeth, breathing hard... and a soft, mocking laugh rose through the thin air around them before Nibelung faded into existence on all sides, these wolf-pigs with burning eyes and ashen fur, carrying ugly, chipped axes and swords and clad in studded leather armor that was stained with blood. They grinned savagely, their eyes hollow white and devoid of emotion, of life, one of them slowly bouncing an anti-magic sphere in his hand before he lobbed it hard forwards... but Rainbow Dash jumped in front of the toss and batted it quickly away with one of his wings, the sphere striking uselessly against the ground and exploding in a blast that ruptured only the air.
It earned another quiet laugh... and then the five looked up to watch as another figure faded into view. At first, it seemed like an enormous black unicorn... but as it drew within a few feet of them, as it solidified from whatever hole in reality it had been hiding in, they were able to see all too clearly that even if it had once been a pony, it was now something else entirely.
His hooves were invisible or simply not there at all, clear as they marked the ground beneath him with both his weight and putrefaction as he strode forwards, his limbs ending instead of flickering black flames. His entire body was composed of awful dark smog and smoke, and where it became solid, it seemed to last only for a few moments before a screaming face would push out as if from inside his hide, stretching and distorting his form, making him ripple as the pony's features cried out soundlessly in anguish and despair. His teeth were sharp and ivory, and his eyes dark pits that no light escaped, that held no gleam and yet were blacker by far than the smog that composed the rest of the awful creature as his horn of black fire-made-solid glowed with shadows.
"Ignominious..." Luna rasped, and she slowly forced herself up to her hooves even as Twilight continued to breathe hard, shivering as anti-magic shocks sizzled along her weakened body and horn. The demon-horse looked surprised as the sapphire winged unicorn managed to stand, but then he only smiled mockingly when Luna hissed: "Thou should have stayed in Helheim, foul monster. I know much of these evils that have befallen both myself and Equestria are of thine doing, deny it not... and now thou have forced my hoof, and I shall have to slay thee again and as many times as it shall take to ensure thou does not once more rise from the grave."
"Now, now, Luna, it'll take more than your horn and your magic to keep me from coming back. I have to say, the last time we met, things ended badly... but after my fall back to Helheim, I was able to make the acquaintance of some friends with mutual interests. I should really thank the unicorn they call Twilight Sparkle... except I see she's no longer a mere unicorn." For a moment, the features of the dark equine twisted with both scorn and envy as he glared past Luna towards Twilight, asking disgustedly: "Added her to your harem, Luna? You were always a whore."
"Oh please. This is why I fear neither thy wrath nor thy words, Ignominious... thou art uncreative and uninspired, and have always relied too heavily upon the expensive gifts of others... gifts that are not gifts at all." Luna shook her head in disgust, looking slowly back and forth at the Nibelung as Scrivener Blooms set himself, Sammy whimpering as he clung down against the earth pony's back. "Who art thou working for? What does thou know, Ignominious?"
"Enough." Ignominious replied calmly, but his head twitched slightly to the side... and Luna snorted in derision, which made him glare furiously at her. "What does it matter, Luna? I'm going to torture and kill you and all your friends now. This is what I came for, this is why I chose to assist Ekleíp and their wild aims and their sanctimonious masters. I care not about Equestria, whether it continues in prosperity or dies horribly... I only care about taking my revenge on you, little Luna Lightblade. Now stop fighting, and let yourself perish, it'll make it easier for me to take you home to Helheim."
Luna snorted in disgust and contempt, and Ignominious narrowed his eyes before he leaned forwards and said quietly: "Then maybe this will change your mind, Luna..."
He glanced over his shoulder and snapped an order in a rough, growling language... and a moment later, reality shimmered behind him before four shapes appeared from thick, dark air, two Nibelung with deadly, wide-bladed axes that shoved a pair of ponies in front of themselves. They were both bloody and battered, bodies pale, manes disheveled... and then Twilight staggered to her feet with a hoarse denial as the mare was shoved forwards to fall on her face and the Nibelung lowered the axe against the back of her neck, grinning, as Ignominious said in a soft, almost-tender voice: "Loving parents... talking all about their exceptional daughter to their friends, how she was on a mission for Equestria. Very proud of her... very proud of the daughter they created... so proud that when a unicorn student from the academy who claimed to know Twilight came knocking, they gladly let him in so they could brag all about their daughter... but silly them, you should never trust a stranger."
Ignominious grinned, and Twilight snarled, tears leaking from her eyes as Luna leaned forwards, eyes blazing with fury. "Thou wretch! Thou monster! Release them, they have no part in this!"
"I would be glad to release them from the bonds of flesh and life... but first, I need you and your friends to hold still." The dark equine's eyes flashed as he leaned forwards, his horn beginning to glow, and the five ponies set themselves... but Ignominious only smiled and clicked his tongue, and the Nibelung standing guard by Twilight's father seized him by the mane and yanked him up into a chokehold, making him gag weakly as the dwarf held him half-off the ground with his axe glimmering dangerously at his side. "Oh no, you'll play my game. Or we'll spill the guts of Twilight's parents... and you wouldn't want that, would you?"
"It's okay, Twilight..." whispered the mare, closing her eyes with a tremble even as the blade of the Nibelung's axe ground into the back of her neck, her light-blue eyes looking weakly across at her daughter, her purple-and-ivory striped mane hanging in ripped tatters around her face even as she tried to offer a weak smile. "We're sorry... we were so proud..."
"Mom..." Twilight trembled as Ignominious looked displeased, and then the winged unicorn snarled and shouted furiously: "Let them go, don't make me-"
"I'll make you suffer, and then I'll make you die." Ignominious said coldly, and his horn gave a dark flash as he leaned forwards, the ground beneath the five gathered ponies cracking as black mist spilled up from the earth, making them cough and choke, blotting out the sight of everything around them as the demon horse's voice carried through their minds: "Fear is the best seasoning for the soul. Fear opens all doors. Fear is what I will use to discover the little information I require from your breathing bodies before I destroy you all."
Luna snarled as she lurched forwards, trying to concentrate, but even as she felt the last shocks of anti-magic leaving her body, a new, terrible sensation was crawling through her body and ruining her concentration... and then she winced as the smog in front of her whisked suddenly away as it torn through by a sharp wind, and she found herself staring at Scrivener Blooms... except his eyes were empty and malevolent, no armor over a body that glimmered with shadows as he leaned forwards and said softly: "You know I'm going to leave you, right Luna? You know that no matter what you do... you can't make me stay with you. I'll see through your selfishness sooner or later, and just like everyone else, I'll abandon you, because even you know inside of yourself it's better that way, because you are poison..."
"No..." Luna shivered, her mind telling herself it wasn't real... but the blood in her veins turning to ice, tears forming in her eyes as her heart twisted in her chest, gasping and shuddering as she backed up a step and dug her hooves into the ground, looking wildly back and forth but only able to see black smog... and the now-grinning shade of Scrivener Blooms that stood towards her, shaking her head wildly as she tried to tear her eyes away. "Thou... art not real! Stay back, stay back!"
Scrivy glanced up, cursing as he heard Luna, but unable to see through the fog, turning and trying to run through the mist even though he knew she should be right next to him, and yet no matter how hard he sprinted, no matter where he turned, he couldn't see her, couldn't see anyone or anything... but then his body tensed, a shiver rolling through his form as he heard a childlike chuckle before spinning around... and staring in shock down at the image of himself as a young foal, a bleeding hole in his forehead, a saccharine smile on his too-thin, skull-like features.
"It's sad, isn't it? Luna works and works and works for you. You know that half the things she does, she only does it to try and make you smile... and what are you, really? A slave-hoof, and even more worthless than that. You laze around all day long, you drag your hooves after her, you spend all your time whining and crying and making her carry you... you know you're just a weight around her neck, an anchor, a chain that binds her down. And now, she'll never, ever be free of you... and she'll have to carry you forever." The foal shook his head slowly, and Scrivener closed his eyes, breathing hard before he winced away as the silky voice whispered beside him: "You'd kill yourself... but that would kill her. And you know one day everypony will see you for who you are. Worthless, broken, nothing but a leech..."
Scrivener shouted in denial, striking blindly at the air even as tears rolled down his cheeks... and Rainbow Dash looked up, almost hearing the shout as he tried to jump into the air, but his wings refused to work, refused to flap, sending him crashing back down on his front with a wince before he looked up... and then scampered backwards to his hooves as a female face leaned down out of the darkness, of grinning black-and-white. It studied him for a few moments, then laughed before sinuously sliding forwards, saying in a teasing voice: "You'd like to pretend I was gone but... I never really am, am I?"
It was the old him... when he'd been female. Rainbow Dash shivered and looked at this apparition as it smiled coyly, striding forwards, wings spread, body lithe and beautiful and perfect in every sculpted detail... and yet the eyes were hollow and awful, as she said softly: "Keep running, Dashie. Keep flying. Keep pretending. You can't escape me... oh, sure, let's go and be a boy, that'll really help, that's really healthy. But the truth is you're just a big failure and you can't escape that, can you? You can't keep up this false pride. All you can do is pretend to be someone you're not... no matter how many victories you win, no matter how you change and disguise yourself... you can't escape who you really are. Nothing but a failure. Nothing but a scared little filly, shivering and useless, all that arrogance hiding the fact you know too damn well that even if you're the best in the world you'll never, ever have the approval of the ponies who matter..."
Dash shook his head, cursing under his breath before he clenched his eyes shut, then he turned around... and almost ran straight into the apparition as it appeared behind him through the smog, staggering backwards as she asked mockingly: "See what I mean? You're nothing but a coward. You're weak. You've always been weak."
Twilight Sparkle looked back and forth, breathing hard through the smoke... and then she staggered backwards when a brilliant light shone ahead, bright and blinding, ripping the smog apart before she looked up as Celestia strode forwards, for a moment feeling relief... and then a shiver of fear passed through her, her eyes widening as she fell back on her haunches as her eyes drew slowly up over the golden, heavy plate mail that covered Celestia's body, over the emotionless, cold features of the ivory equine, over the regal crown upon her head and a mane that was ivory and braded tightly... before Twilight whimpered as golden swords gleamed and slowly drew themselves on either side of the enormous female as her horn shimmered, Celestia saying quietly: "Come, Twilight Sparkle. It is time to bring peace to Equestria. First, bring Scrivener Blooms to me. Killing him is the most efficient way to eliminate Luna as well, as she has become... difficult. Bow your head before me, Twilight Sparkle... you know you can't fight me. You know you can't resist me. I am Celestia the Radiant, it is I who gave you your gifts... hesitate or fight... and I shall take them away."
Twilight moaned weakly, shuddering as she tried to back away, but her body felt paralyzed with terror, with despair, shaking her head violently... and Celestia smiled at her grimly, her eyes glowing as she leaned forwards, the three swords floating silently ahead of her to hover dangerously around the violet pony as the ivory equine said softly: "Harmony cannot be brought about in a nation full of strife, full of opposites. The simplest path is the best path: the simplest path to peace is to annihilate anything that would disturb it."
Pinkie Pie looked back and forth through the smog, whimpering a little as she breathed hard... then she gritted her teeth, a pulse of pain travelling through her body as the smog invaded her body, spilled into her lungs, made her feel ill. She shivered, then staggered to the side and bumped against something... and she looked blearily up to see Twilight sitting, her jaw hanging open, her eyes glowing faintly as she mumbled mindlessly to herself. Pinkie began to turn towards her... and then she wretched loudly and instead staggered to the side as the smoke began to clear around her, hearing a voice mutter disgustedly: "A pony is resisting? Very well, I'll amplify the spell's power."
A moment later, black bolts of energy shocked over Pinkie's body, and she screamed, arching her back as her eyes glowed, her body stuttering violently as it went from bright to dull, bright to dull... and then she lurched forwards, gagging ahead, her mind reeling before she fell forwards as her stomach lurched and she let out a miserable wail as steam hissed up off her body, black tears dripping from her eyes and strings of darkness spilling from her mouth as the smog around her writhed and twisted... and then she leaned forwards, heaving an awful, dark mass that spilled out of her jaws and splattered over the ground, a blob of blackness landing with a thick, fleshy thud in front of her as she staggered backwards and stared, drool and blood and dark bile dripping from her maw.
Smoke and smog twisted around this amorphous dark shape as it burbled on the ground, bubbles spilling through it, steam hissing upwards, silhouetted under the dark mist as it expanded, as it stretched in alien, hideous ways... and then Pinkie whimpered in horror, almost falling backwards, her mind reeling as a very physical hoof stretched through the smog and settled against the ground. It hauled the twisted form upwards as other limbs formed, and then a head stretched upwards, a straight mane and tail spilling back as jaws grinned, showing off white, sharp, shark-like teeth as red-rimmed blue eyes shone with hellish vibrancy through the pall of black fog.
Pinkie Pie whimpered as the figure laughed... and then Pinkamena, in all her physical glory, emerged through the smoke and leaned down, grinning widely in the face of the staring, trembling Pinkie Pie as she said mockingly: "Hey there, sissy. Why so serious? I thought you were all about laughter?"
She reached forwards and firmly punched the Element of Laughter hanging around Pinkie's neck, making her body shake as she lowered her head, breathing hard, a weak giggle escaping her as she stared with almost-lunatic terror up at Pinkamena, the dull, gray-pink earth pony winking slowly down at her before she turned around and sauntered through the mist... and Ignominious frowned darkly, then his eyes widened in surprise at the sight of the earth pony emerging, before a slow grin spread over his face as she gave him a mocking, ruthless smile. "What's this? A creature consumed entirely by fear... or made from it?"
The Nibelung both growled... but Pinkamena snarled back at them, making them hesitate even as the one pinning Twilight's mother raised its axe slightly, threateningly... but Pinkamena sinuously slid towards the dwarf, licking her lips slowly as she arched her back and rose herself on her hind legs, gazing eye-to-eye with it as her hooves stroked over its armored front as she murmured: "Oh, don't mind me, little piggy. I'm just a harmless little pony... the big bad wolf isn't really scared of the pony-wony, is he?"
The dwarf half-fumbled its axe as she leaned forwards with half-lidded eyes and a wide grin, her sharp teeth flashing as her hooves stroked down its front... and then one grasped the handle of the ugly sword at its side and yanked it free from its sheath as she turned around, balancing easily on her hind hooves as the Nibelung gave a short snarl... but Ignominious quickly rose a hoof to the dwarf even as it began to raise its axe, and it sulkily relaxed. Pinkamena, meanwhile, stroked slowly along the blade of the sword with her other hoof, whistling a little under her breath before she grinned towards Ignominious with half-lidded eyes, saying kindly: "The pig-boys aren't my type, but you, on the other hand..."
She leaned forwards, slowly licking up the blade of the sword, and Ignominious grinned widely, obviously flattered as he leaned towards her and replied eagerly, his eyes glowing: "Oh, who knew there would be such a delightful creature inside one of these worthless pony's shells... tell me your name? And is that demonic residue I smell?"
"You could say I had a friend before who was a demon, but not nearly as handsome as you..." Pinkamena said easily, stepping forwards and brandishing the sword, bringing it up with a wink as she stroked the flat slowly along his face, and then she leaned in close as Ignominious grinned widely, whispering into his ear: "Pinkamena's what they always called me. But you can call me a different name... you brought me out of silly Pinkie Pie after all, didn't you?"
"And am glad that I have, Pinkamena..." Ignominious laughed and gestured towards the smoky mist, through which the suffering forms of the other ponies were visible as he said in an exhilarated voice: "Isn't it beautiful? It's artwork... they're being broken down by fear, until they're nothing but insane wrecks... and in a glorious flaw, you were created, fear given life... you must have existed in some way, some form beforehand, but without this spell, acting as lightning to whatever primordial state you were in before, you never would have existed... I can think of nothing more wondrous than to conquer my enemies and create such a delightful creature at the same time..."
"I can." Pinkamena half-lidded her eyes, leaning forwards, and Ignominious grinned as he leaned towards her... before he hissed in shock, his eyes bulging as Pinkamena savagely thrusted the sword in her hoof upwards, burying it through his chest as the earth pony smiled at him mockingly, her straight mane half-veiling her features before she twisted the sword and shoved hard upwards again, the tip of the blade ripping out his back in a burst of dark essence as she leaned in and licked slowly up the side of his neck. "Weren't you the one just saying you shouldn't trust a stranger?"
Ignominious gargled, white cracks spreading through his body as the faces of ponies over his smoky formed writhed and shrieked soundlessly as his horn flickered, the mist of fear that had fallen over the other ponies quickly beginning to dissolve as the Nibelung stared in shock... and then Ignominious burst apart into smog, lashing violently backwards and sending Pinkamena stumbling with a grimace before the hell-horse reformed with a snarl some twenty feet away, half-screaming as he clutched at his chest: "Crowbait! Kill her, kill her!"
The Nibelung standing over Twilight's mother snarled as it began to raise its axe... but in a flash, Pinkamena leapt towards it, stabbing the sword upwards and ripping through its throat. The dwarf's eyes bulged, the creature gagging as it dropped its weapon and staggered backwards, grabbing weakly at the weapon sticking jaggedly out of its neck as Pinkamena grinned, a whirlwind of dull grey as her eyes glowed with unnatural savagery, leaping towards the next wolf-pig as it threw Twilight's father out of the way and rose its axe with a growl.
The earth pony slipped forwards and headbutted the body of the pole as the weapon swung downwards, catching it against her skull before she arched her back and flicked her head upwards, knocking the dwarf staggering with a hiss as the axe was almost knocked out of his hands... and then he wheezed when Pinkamena's hoof slammed forwards into his groin before she leapt upwards and smashed both front legs into his chest, sending him crashing down onto his back in a stunned heap.
As the cloud of fear faded and the spell lost its strength, the ponies trapped under the effects of terror felt their senses returning, Luna's sharpened warrior instincts coming back all the faster as she heard Pinkamena's laughter and the sounds of battle and hissing Nibelung... and then she snarled and lunged forwards, ripping through the static-riddled illusion in front of her and barreling straight into another Nibelung charging towards the earth pony, her horn ripping through its back before she lashed to the side and sent it down with a shriek of agony as its spine was severed and her eyes glowed with rage. "Ignominious, we will flay every last pound of flesh from your body for this!"
"Kill them, stop them!" Ignominious howled miserably, wincing as he staggered backwards, rasping for breath... but Pinkamena was straddling one of the wolf-pigs she had taken down, laughing as she smashed her hooves almost mockingly back and forth over its bloodied features, and even as the three remaining dwarves charged towards the ponies, there was a crackle of energy and magic, a sense of unstoppable, incoming wrath-
Twilight Sparkle arched her back with a sharp cry, her eyes flashing, her horn glowing as a shockwave of force erupted from her body, knocking Scrivener Blooms and Rainbow Dash sprawling and awakening them from their living nightmares as the Nibelung were knocked backwards, before the violet winged unicorn dropped her head forwards with a snarl, a fireball shooting into the closest dwarf and incinerating it as she shouted: "Get away!"
One of the dwarves staggered... then it was crushed flat as Rainbow Dash leapt forwards, fear becoming rage as he slammed into it with the force of a train before he smashed his hoof down into its squat features, and the other wolf-pig had enough time to squeal before Twilight crashed into it, her horn glowing with radiance as she slammed it through its armor like butter and pierced deep into its body before she released another blast of force that sent it limply flying away. And Ignominious could only stare in horror for a moment before he winced at the sight of Scrivener Blooms charging towards him, his own eyes almost glowing, feeling the rage emanating off both him and Luna as the sapphire winged unicorn lunged in from the side-
Ignominious burst apart into a cloud of noxious smoke, shooting up into the air and twisting around in an arc to slam down into the ground on his hooves some twenty feet away, and Scrivy and Luna almost crashed into each other before the demon horse shouted at them in a strained, furious voice that couldn't hide his fear and panic: "This isn't over, Luna! This is far from over, just you wait!"
And with that, the smoky equine burst once more apart into dark smog that shot quickly through the air, the weight of darkness fading from around them as Rainbow Dash jumped into the air and shouted after him: "You better run, because we ain't afraid of you! Yeah, that's right, who's the coward now, huh?"
Luna snorted in disgust, Scrivener growling low in his throat before he winced a bit as he felt Sammy nip the back of his neck worriedly from where the skeletal beast was still curled tightly down against him, and he shook his head quickly before letting it drop forwards with a soft breath. And, as he calmed, he felt Luna shiver, then her own tumultuous rage begin to quiet as she breathed hard in and out, the ivory glow fading from her eyes as she muttered: "I should have let Nightmare Moon come out to play... then the foul creature wouldst not have escaped so easily. But... yes, thou art right, we have other things to attend to."
Luna turned around, then sighed in relief at the sight of Twilight Sparkle already helping her parents up, already beginning to heal them as they both smiled at her weakly... and then Luna's eyes looked sharply towards where Rainbow Dash was now standing, staring dumbly, at the sight of Pinkamena grumbling as she hauled a battered, filthy Pinkie Pie to her hooves, and Scrivener couldn't help but stare in shock as well as the sapphire winged unicorn said slowly: "We. Have more to attend to than I had first expected, it seems... the spell Ignominious used was to bring our deepest fears as close to the real as possible, and as Pinkamena already existed to a point, already was touched by demonic influence in the past..."
She shook her head slowly, then halted before looking silently at Scrivy as he looked back, their thoughts linking as they looked at each other before they both blushed and lowered their heads silently, Luna whispering: "I... am sorry."
"No, I'm sorry, Luna. I am." Scrivener said empathetically, then he laughed a little when she gave him a look that was half-frustrated, half-pleading. "I know, I know. But Luna, you know that-"
"Aye, as thou knows thyself, but all the same, fears are not always rational." Luna muttered, shaking her head before she firmly bumped against him and sighed a little, saying quietly: "Attend to Pinkamena, I shall see to Twilight's parents."
Scrivener nodded, striding towards the ponies... and Luna watched him for a moment before she turned and quietly joined Twilight's side as she silently embraced her father: the unicorn's coat was deep blue, his mane and tail an even darker shade of azure and short... and soft, sandstone-gold eyes looked with relief over Twilight as he said quietly: "I'm glad you're okay."
"And both of thee are... alright?" Luna asked softly, and the unicorns both turned to her with a blush as Twilight looked up with a faint smile. They nodded as the sapphire winged unicorn studied them slowly... and then she nodded slowly in return, saying quietly: "We shall wait here for the caravan, then... and then I shall send thee back to Canterlot with a safe escort of Pegasus Guard after tending to thy wounds, if thou art up to the journey."
"Thank you, Princess Luna." murmured the male, bowing his head respectfully, but Luna only smiled and rose her hoof, shaking her head with a quiet laugh.
"Nay, I am no Princess, only a warrior." she replied softly, then she glanced towards Twilight as the female bowed her head shamefully. "And stop that now, my friend. All is well... Ignominious is beaten and... a strange thing has happened, but perhaps 'twill be good in the long run."
She paused, looking hesitantly over her shoulder as Twilight frowned, glancing up and following Luna's gaze... and then she stared at the sight of Pinkamena and Pinkie Pie studying each other as Rainbow Dash continued to gape and Scrivener awkwardly looked over both the ponies. "Is... that who I think it is? But... but how?"
"Because Ignominious is an idiot who could never properly handle his own magic." Luna muttered, shaking her head before she glanced towards Twilight's parents, asking quietly: "I hesitate to ask, but 'tis important. Did thou see or hear anything when thou wert... captured?"
The two unicorns glanced at each other, then the mare shook her head slowly, saying quietly: "I just remember... darkness, and those awful wolf-things... and it was very cold. That monstrous unicorn, Ignominious... he kept talking about revenge, but it didn't make sense."
"He interrogated us, but he seemed to know you were coming this way anyway... he said something about wanting insurance." Twilight's father added after a moment, grimacing a little and glancing quietly towards their daughter, who blushed a bit and lowered her head shamefully. "It's not your fault... it's ours. We both knew there was something wrong about the unicorn that showed up but... neither of us suspected him to turn into... that thing..."
Luna nodded with a grimace, saying distastefully: "I would recommend staying with friends... or perhaps at Canterlot Castle. Celestia will make room for thee, I would guarantee it."
"Would she use her magic to try and deep-read them, like she tried to do with Ross?" Twilight asked hesitantly, and Luna paused for a moment, then shook her head, and the violet winged unicorn looked a little better after this. "Alright, because... I was talking with Cowlick on the way, and it seems that Ross was a little... upset, afterwards."
"Likely because he remembered more of being puppeted as he was... not that any useful information was gotten." Luna grumbled, shaking her head grimly. "One unicorn thrall lures and tattoos another and links their minds... 'tis puppets making puppets making puppets. We are fortunate that it is not Ignominious behind this machination, or thy parents... could have been much worse off."
She glanced towards the unicorns, who both winced as they seemed to understand what was said, and Twilight nodded slowly before she sighed a little as she glanced towards the nearby corpse of a Nibelung, murmuring: "I'm sorry you had to see me... like this. I'm sorry you were... victims of this darkness."
"It's okay." Twilight's mother soothed, stepping forwards and hugging her quietly... and Luna smiled at them for a moment before she silently excused herself to stride towards where Pinkamena was now sitting moodily as Pinkie Pie bounced around her, inspecting her darker half with fascination now that she had gotten over her initial terror.
Luna shook her head, then she flicked her horn forwards as it glowed, and the bile and blood on Pinkie's features steamed as she winced back before it vanished from sight, leaving her much less filthy as Pinkamena glanced towards her meditatively. "So you used to date that douchebag?"
"'Tis a sore nerve Pinkamena, one I would rather thou not address." Luna said stiffly, as Scrivener dropped his forehead against a hoof with a grumble. "Must thou already make trouble? Forget not that now thou cannot hide as thou pleases back inside Pinkie Pie."
"I could hide inside her. I could cut her open and make a tent out of her." Pinkamena replied thoughtfully, glancing over at Pinkie Pie... but the bouncy bright pony only giggled before hugging her tightly around the neck, making Pinkamena wince and flail her limbs. "Get off me, sissy!"
"Oh, don't be so silly, Pinkamena! You saved us, that must mean you really like us all, after all." Pinkie replied positively... and then she winced when Pinkamena shoved a hoof against her face and pried her off, pushing her firmly back onto her rump.
"I wouldn't say I like you, I just hated that egotistical jerk more. Don't tempt me to shove a sword into your brain next, not that you have one." Pinkamena said grouchily, and Pinkie Pie huffed and crossed her front legs, pouting a little before the sharp-toothed pony moodily looked over at Rainbow Dash. "Stop staring at me. I'm not going to comfort you if you need to have a little cry."
"Oh great, you're as nasty as ever." Rainbow muttered finally, shaking his head before he grimaced at Pinkie Pie as she bounced up to her hooves and hummed a little, springing around her spryly. "Pinkie, calm down a little, too. You're getting all manic."
"Sorry, but... I dunno, I feel so... so light! So energetic!" Pinkie laughed a little, gazing warmly over the four, but then she blushed at the flat look Rainbow gave her, forcing herself to steady on her hooves as she took a slow breath, then smiled a bit. "Okay, okay. Maybe it's because we're not connected anymore, what do you think, Pinkamena?"
"I think a lot of things." Pinkamena muttered, then she stood up and cracked her back before looking pointedly at Luna. "So when the hell do I get a thank you?"
Luna looked at her for a moment, and Scrivener had the distinct feeling she wanted to barbecue the earth pony... but when Pinkamena grinned, the winged unicorn sighed and rolled her eyes, saying distastefully: "Very well. We are indebted to thee, Pinkamena, for engaging in thy obvious talent of slaughter, even if the emblem upon thy haunch says differently."
Pinkamena frowned at this, then half-turned to look back at her cutie mark of gray and black balloons... but then she only shrugged and glanced up, saying mildly: "Funeral's a kind of party too. Gotta be good at getting dead bodies if you're going to be good at funerals."
For a moment, the others stared at her... and then Scrivener Blooms said in an almost-admiring voice: "You're more sick and depraved than Luna."
"I like how you like that." Pinkamena gave him an entertained look, then she turned and strode moodily towards one of the corpses, looking thoughtfully down at this. "Hey, Nightmare Moon. How much of this do you think is pork?"
"Once I jested I would feed a Nibelung to thee, Pinkamena. I am both disgusted and amused to see this jest nearly become reality... but they are corrupted bodies, Nibelung that have been amplified further by Helheim's poisons. Even ignoring the fact thou wishes to eat the dead body of another sentient being, 'twould likely be hazardous to thy health, not just thy already-lacking morals." Luna answered, torn between exasperation and entertainment as Rainbow Dash stuck his tongue out and Pinkie Pie looked a little ill at the thought.
Pinkamena only smiled over her shoulder, however, red-rimmed blue eyes giving a faint gleam as she said softly: "And who's to say I'm not just like them, overexposed to poison already? But I guess we'll find out on the road ahead, won't we?"
And Luna couldn't help but grimace at this thought, even as Twilight Sparkle and her parents finally strode over to join the other ponies and Pinkamena stood alone by the Nibelung corpse, a twisted grin on the features of the twisted pony, fear-made-real who was fighting alongside them for her own alien reasons. |
Starlit Knights | Misery Loves Company | Chapter Eighteen: Misery Loves Company
~BlackRoseRaven
That night, Luna rose the moon and banished the dark clouds that lingered in the wild skies with both magic and help of the Pegasi. Their encampment was protected by simple barricades, several large bonfires, and patrols that would trade shifts during the night... but Luna wanted to take every precaution possible to keep her soldiers safe over the course of the long first night of their journey.
The caravan had pulled off the main road and into an empty stretch of weed-riddled field: Luna had carefully scouted out the spot with the vanguard, checking first for Bitterweaver nests and the presence of other vermin, but they were on a fairly-desolate stretch of land. There were craggy copses of trees here and there from which they gathered plenty of wood, and a few ugly ferns and plenty of weeds... but little else for a few miles ahead. In the far distance, there was a flickering of lights that could be a small city... but it could easily be a thousand other things, a mirage as possible as anything else.
They had made good time despite everything, and Luna had also sent Twilight's parents back to Canterlot with an escort of five Pegasus Guard after treating them with some of Zecora's elixir: the small group of soldiers would attempt to catch up to the caravan sometime tomorrow, and the winged unicorn was pleased with their loyalty and their dedication. She was now officially glad to have their support on the journey, and was glad to watch them working on equal ground with both Starlit Knights and minotaurs.
The wagons were set up in a rough semicircle, forming a protective wall that guarded them from the road, the main encampment set up around this... but Luna had pitched her own tent some forty feet from where the soldiers were grouped, claiming it was because she was being targeted by Ignominious and would prefer his assassins coming straight to her. In reality, it was because she wanted privacy... and because despite everything, despite their loyalty and friendship... it still felt like there was a distinct division in the camp, as many of the Starlit Knights clustered together in the large green troop tents to sleep.
Ponies of the day... and here and she and Scrivener Blooms rested quietly in front of a blue, flickering fire, creatures of the night. The eldritch flames burned low, needing little substance... but Luna threw another log into the fire anyway, shaking her head and murmuring: "It has been a long day, has it not?"
"Yeah." Scrivy said softly, then he glanced quietly over his shoulder towards their tent, at the unused sleeping mats and sheets, before he returned his eyes to Luna... and she smiled a little at him before climbing to her hooves, walking over, and dropping herself beside him, the two curling their bodies close as Luna closed her eyes as the male wrapped his foreleg around her. "Luna..."
"Say it not, Scrivy, 'tis not important now. What is important is that we have made it through, we are together. And we shall always be together... as equals." She emphasized the last word, opening her cyan eyes to gaze towards him quietly, and Scrivy smiled a little before she kissed the side of his neck, then buried her face against his mane. "Thou art always there for me. Even as these other ponies sleep and expect me to protect them with all the powers of the night, thou still art there for me."
"Mind if I join you two, or am I interrupting?" asked a dry voice, and Luna and Scrivy both glanced up with surprise as Pinkamena all-but-materialized out of the shadows, sniffing disdainfully and flopping herself down beside the fire, jerking her head moodily back at the brighter-lit main camp. "Sparkles and her pals are all having a nice time over there, talking and laughing. They were nice to me for all of thirty seconds, then they were ignoring me and all clustering around sissy. Real nice to fit in, ain't it? Real freaking wonderful."
"You're as bitter as me." Scrivy said mildly, and when the female grunted and shrugged, he leaned backwards towards a discarded satchel bag, pulling an apple out of it and tossing it to her, and Pinkamena caught it in her jaws and then chomped down, juice and chunks of apple exploding in all directions as the male winced. "And impatient as Luna."
Pinkamena chewed loudly, then swallowed thickly before spitting out the stem and a few pieces of apple core, saying distastefully: "We need better food. I hate candy and sweets and vegetables. I want some meat, is that really too much to ask? And a little respect would be nice, but good luck getting that from anypony around here."
She stopped, looking moodily into the blue fire before her eyes flicked to the side as Sammy scuttled out of the darkness and looked at her curiously, and then she sighed and rolled onto her side, reaching a hoof out to grab the skeletal beast and yank him close, Scrivy grimacing a bit as his pet squawked... but Pinkamena only began to toy her hooves along his ribs, muttering: "You both know what'll happen after this is all over, right? The freaks like us are going to relegated back into their dungeons... they'll probably lock me up in the asylum, and maybe you two will join me there if you're lucky. We'll have mashed potatoes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and fifteen minutes of time a day in the yard between being locked up in our cells, muzzled and collared.
"Or, hell, maybe Princess Sunshine will just throw you in the dungeon or execute you. She's Queen now, after all, and she can do anything she wants... look how quick ponies are to listen to her, they still believe all the happy stories about her, no matter who or what tells 'em different. What's to stop her from doing whatever the hell she wants?" Pinkamena glanced up moodily, then she shook her head slowly as she sighed and tickled her hoof down Sammy's spine, feeling out the vertebrae. "I'm jealous of this little thing here. I could smash him to bits, and he could probably piece himself back together, just like the Velites. I wish someone would smash me to bits, so I could try and put myself back together, and maybe do it right this time..."
She fell silent for a few moments as the two ponies studied her, then she sat up suddenly and swatted the pseudodragon, making him squeak before he scurried over to Scrivy, jumping up on top of him and glaring distrustfully past his head. "So what did you two see when Ignominious scared you both? It wasn't Nightmare Moon, and it wasn't Celestia... things you should be scared of. But hell, when I think of what scares me most..."
Pinkamena fell silent, then she looked over at the two flatly, waiting impatiently for them to respond as Scrivy and Luna shared a look... and then Luna said softly, slowly: "If thou must know... it was Scrivener Blooms rejecting me. Just as Scrivy saw... what he coined his 'inner weakness.'"
"Yeah, he's a real goddamn terrifying pony for a s-" Pinkamena caught herself at the last moment as Luna's eyes began to narrow, and the dull pink pony held up her hooves, closing her eyes and looking almost serene for a moment, her coat shimmering like dried blood in the light of the unnatural flames. "I didn't say it. Still, goes to show emotions... make no goddamn sense. I hate you two as much as I like you two, for being able to make each other happy. The only thing that makes me happy is wrath and destruction."
She stopped, then dropped back down on her side with a grumble, muttering: "Stupid goddamn parents. I don't get how sissy can still care about them. They threw us out... they never loved us. They called us sick, they were the sick ones..."
She continued in this vein for a little while, then fell quiet before looking up at the night sky... then she made a face over her shoulder at the sound of approaching hooves, saying distastefully: "Oh look, it's little miss popular. What, have your friends gone to bed so now you need to get your fix here?"
"It's good to see you too, Pinkamena." Twilight Sparkle said softly, and she stepped forwards and gently touched her shoulder, adding awkwardly: "Pinkie Pie... wanted you to stop in and say goodnight to her at some point. She's sharing a tent with Rarity so... please be nice."
"God I hate her sometimes. Fine, better go tuck sissy in or she'll have stupid nightmares." Pinkamena grumbled a bit as she stood up, then she frowned at the look Twilight gave her, asking rudely: "Is there something more wrong with my face than there is with yours, X?"
Twilight grimaced at this, self-consciously reaching up to touch at the thin scars over her features... but then she only smiled a little and said quietly: "You make it sound like you were twins, not the same pony... and like you've been doing this for years."
Pinkamena snorted at this, turning and striding into the darkness... and then she halted, her eyes seeming to glow quietly as she looked over her shoulder, blue motes in the shadows beyond the campfire as she said quietly: "Maybe I have been. Mom and Pop lied about watching out for us, angels don't look down at us from Heaven with anything but scorn, and 'friends' only watch out for you as long as you got something you can offer them in return... so someone had to do it. Simple as that."
Then she turned and strode off into the shadows, and Twilight gazed after her quietly for a moment before she shook her head slowly, then smiled a little over at Luna and Scrivener Blooms as they both looked up at her with small smiles of their own, the violet pony quietly making her way around the fire to lay down next to Luna as she dropped her head against her shoulder and murmured: "Thank you for helping me today. For... making sure my parents would get back home safe, and for... I don't know, for everything. It means a lot to me... that you're always there. That you're both... always there."
She quieted, then smiled a little when Luna kissed her forehead gently and said kindly: "Relax now, Twilight Sparkle, and 'twas the least we could do... I am only sorry that the ambush was so... rough upon us both. Ignominious was better prepared than I anticipated, and not even I expected him to stoop so low as to kidnap thy parents to use as bargaining tools... we are only fortunate that Pinkamena was able to disrupt him and free us from the illusions."
"They were horrible." Twilight murmured, shuddering a little as she glanced away... and then she shook her head slowly and rested a little closer against Luna, saying quietly: "The visions I had... I guess that part of me will always... be a little afraid of Celestia. Of what Celestia can do..."
"Thou art not the only one who fears such, Twilight... I believe even Celestia is wary of that proud part of herself." Luna smiled despite herself, nodding slowly before she looked down and said quietly: "Perhaps 'tis why in part she was not as... disturbed, by the thought of dredging through past memories as I was. But fear not, either way... those days are Celestia's past, and the illusions are faded and gone. Ignominious will not attempt the same wicked spell upon us again and we shall be better prepared for him, the next time he moves against us."
Twilight nodded slowly, looking down with a grimace as she murmured: "He must really hate you, Luna... to have crawled up out of Helheim, and... how do we fight him? He seems to be invulnerable... no matter what we do to him, he keeps... coming back."
Luna laughed a little at this, saying softly: "Then we shall only continue to fight him until he must stop. Nothing is invulnerable, Twilight... but pray tell, what truly weighs upon thy mind at this juncture? If thou does not mind me saying so, thou has a look upon thy face that is... awkward and eager all at once."
Twilight blushed a bit at this, shrugging a little and glancing down for a moment, then she looked up with a smile and said finally: "I just feel... a little strange, a little silly. It's hard to describe..." She looked down thoughtfully, nodding to herself as Scrivy and Luna both studied her curiously. "I spent my whole life thinking with my head. Studying books... living in theory. You helped me... live in real life, even when real life was scary, and I'm so thankful for that now, for these experiences you've given me. I lived by the rules of others, and now I feel... free, and like... I'm really doing something to help."
She glanced down quietly and laughed a little as the Element of Magic gave a quiet thrum, Luna looking at this curiously as the purple gemstone glowed before settling... and then Twilight smiled embarrassedly as she snuggled herself a bit closer before murmuring: "No regrets about what wasn't done, right? Better to live and share with others, whatever may come... no matter what happens."
She closed her eyes, and Luna smiled softly, nodding slowly, comfortable between the two ponies she cherished as she curled back against Scrivener Blooms and let one of her forelegs and wings drape gently over Twilight, and there was no more need for words in the comfortable silence that followed.
Scrivy yawned as he emerged from the tent to find Luna humming cheerfully to herself: it was still dark morning, the moon hovering moodily above the horizon and sunrise no longer a distant dream, and the male couldn't help but smile as he watched the winged unicorn set a scorched kettle on some metal netting she had strung across the top of the blue flames, saying quietly: "You actually look comfortable out here. In the kitchen I'm always reminding you not to do this or that."
"Shut up, Scrivy." Luna replied, but it was affectionate as she arranged a few mugs on a nearby rock, bags of tea already resting in each. "Is Twilight still asleep?"
"Yeah, but everything probably caught up to her." Scrivener replied softly, glancing back towards their tent with an awkward smile before he strode over to Luna and kissed her cheek gently, and she laughed quietly before giving him a warm look. "You're a very evil little winged unicorn, you know that?"
"Oh, quiet. Enjoyments must be taken where they can in this life." Luna snorted in amusement all the same, however, glancing towards the campsite meditatively. "Speaking of which, I am tempted to go and rouse the soldiers with the traditional Canterlot voice, or perhaps by permitting Nightmare Moon to have a little fun and freedom. What does thou think?"
"I think you're evil and insane. But I like that. Still, let them sleep until the sun rises, Luna, they did well yesterday and if we keep up a good pace today, by tonight we may reach Charger's Crossing." Scrivener paused meditatively, absently adjusting his glasses and rolling his bare shoulders. "You know, as long as nothing goes sour... we have two cities to pass through on the way, don't we?"
"Thou should know better than I, the last time I strode upon this path was many years ago... and the settlements I knew have fallen into demolished ruins hidden from the eyes of most, while new villages and cities have sprung up in locales more fitting for a race of peace-dwelling ponies." Luna shook her head with a small smile all the same, saying quietly: "In any event, thou knows well what lays ahead... thou art just doing that annoying thing where thou seeks yet again my reassurance that everything will be okay. And Scrivy... everything will be. Thou has my promise on that."
She looked at him softly, reaching up to quietly stroke his face, and Scrivy gave an awkward smile to her before he nodded slowly. Then Luna smiled back, adding easily: "And besides. If we are met with trouble at the end of this path, then we shall simply burn it all down. A simple answer for a simple problem. There is poetry in it, is there not?"
"There's poetry in everything, Luna, but that doesn't mean you should write poems about it." Scrivener replied mildly, shaking his head but smiling wider all the same. "And most people want to read about the normal, not about... well... the kinds of things you enjoy."
"Bah, nonsense. While I may not be boldly praising the open-mindedness of ponies, there's always another who will share thine own view and pleasures, no matter how strange and alien they may seem... and forget not the example of sleeping beauty in the tent, who goes to show that under the right circumstances and duress even a rather... stuffy pony can be encouraged into deeper waters." Luna replied with a wink, and Scrivy snorted in amusement. "Oh, shush. Wretched complainer and tester of patience."
"Arrogant, greedy Nightmare Moon." Scrivener Blooms replied with a slight smile as they leaned towards one another, and they shared a short, gentle kiss for a moment before pulling apart, gazing affectionately into one another's eyes.
Then they both glanced up at the sound of a throat clearing to see Discombobulation standing on the other side of the fire, looking at them moodily with his hands behind his back. "Tell me, when is a door not a door?"
The two simply looked at the Draconequus, and then he leaned forwards and pointed at the tent, saying in a surly voice: "When it's the flap to your tent, which leads into a wretched hive of scum and villainy."
"Wait, wait, wait, I know I know that line." Scrivy said flatly, holding up a hoof, and Discombobulation huffed at this and crossed his arms.
"You are a liar, Luna. I made it up. Just now." he retorted, glancing away, but Scrivener only snorted at this and rolled his eyes.
"No you didn't, you just took a bad riddle and mashed it into some other pop culture reference. But Luna and I are innocent, for a change." Scrivy replied mildly... and then Twilight walked out of the tent, looking blearily up at the Draconequus and frowning a bit at him as Discombobulation leaned slowly down, long neck craning until his nose almost touched Scrivy's as the male cleared his throat. "On a different subject, you seem unnecessarily protective of Twilight Sparkle, but I should let you know that Luna's already taken that job."
"Yes, but this is very entertaining, all the same." Luna said positively, and she glanced towards the kettle, her horn glowing as she lifted it free from the fire and poured hot water into the mugs before setting the kettle aside on one of the rocks around the fire pit. "Will thou join us for tea, Bob?"
Discombobulation looked at Luna distrustfully as Scrivy shot her a glower, but then he shrugged and nodded after a moment, saying meditatively. "Very well." With that, the creature sat back on thin air next to the fire and held up a hand, and a mug of some steaming substance appeared in his grip as he added distastefully: "I suppose it's true what they say. A stallion can be happy with any mare, as long as he does not love her. Bigamy is having one wife too many... monogamy is the same."
Luna and Twilight both glared at him, even as Discombobulation sipped at his mug, which rattled strangely... and as he lowered it, a few tiny, metallic-looking T's dripped down the side, semisolid and watery. For a moment, Scrivy looked at this... and then he replied dryly: "Do you really think it is weakness that yields to temptation? I tell you that there are terrible temptations which it requires strength and courage to yield to."
Discombobulation cleared his throat violently at this, looking awkwardly away, and Scrivener leaned back, giving him a superior look as he said triumphantly: "Ex-Court Poet, Bob. I'm not letting you slip a literary reference or two past me again."
"I'm so proud you're so proud of yourself." Discombobulation sipped from his mug of T's again, looking distastefully down at him before he winced when Twilight walked over and glared up at him. "Oh, now what? You wanted me to protect you, is that not correct? I've watched plenty of sitcoms. This is protectiveness: interfering with other pony's personal affairs, telling them you know what's better than they do often while having bias against any and all such situations. I also have several lectures prepared on drugs, alcohol use, and religion. Would you like to hear them? I'm sure it will help pass the time as the world turns."
"Then where were you when my parents were in danger? I needed your help, Discombobulation... why didn't you come and actually help us?" Twilight snapped, glaring up at him challengingly, but the Draconequus only looked patiently back down at her. "Well?"
"If you had actually needed me, I would have been there, and had I not shown up when needed you and your parents and your friends would be dead: need is necessity, need is not want. You wanted me there, you wanted me to help you, and fight beside you, and while I have to listen to an order you never ordered me, only longed for my aid." Discombobulation sipped at his mug again, looking down at her with strange kindness even as Twilight glared at him. "We often want what we don't need, Twilight Sparkle. If I start giving you what you want on a regular basis, then one day I might not be able to give you what you need, and then we'll all end up somewhere awful, like a dungeon or Helheim or Loki forbid, in that tent together."
Discombobulation shuddered at this, hugging himself for a moment, and Twilight frowned a bit at the Draconequus before she leaned forwards and asked quietly: "Why didn't you help, though, all the same? It wasn't like I wanted help with something small... they could have killed us. If one thing had gone wrong..."
"And my presence could have worsened things as well." Discombobulation shrugged, saying meditatively: "The path not taken may look so much more appealing, Twilight Sparkle, but how do you know what it holds if you didn't walk down it? Rain, rain, go away, come again another day... what if the rain hadn't come today? Maybe children would come out to play. In the dry heat, beneath the sun, they'll laugh and have all kinds of fun, until one of them goes and drops his ball, he chases it into the road without thinking at all." A pause, a sharp, sour smile as he snapped his fingers. "Pop goes the weasel."
Twilight winced, and then she looked moodily up at him when he reached out and patted her gently on the head. "Turn that frown upside down, Twilight Sparkle. Your face may freeze that way, and you're already cold enough as it is."
Twilight grumbled under her breath, then she sighed and took the mug of tea that Luna offered her, catching it with her own telekinesis as it floated towards her before she looked up at Discombobulation and said dryly: "Then let's set some ground rules. One is if we're attacked by something... try and help, okay? Two, please stay out of my... personal life."
"How does one possess a personal life, anyway? How is life a personal thing to a personal person? We share it with everything we meet every day." Discombobulation said meditatively, swirling his cup of T's. "Personally, I can wish for a personal life of my own, but personally only applies to me personally... and the moment I express it, doesn't that affect your person as well? My words, traveling into your mind, meant as a personal opinion or not are no longer personal, but shared. Sharing is caring, and knowing is half the battle, but when do both of those things become too much, too far?"
The ponies looked at him for a few moments, and then Luna sipped slowly at her own tea before saying mildly: "Come, Scrivener Blooms, let us lower the moon. Bob is begging for a beating and my hooves itch to give it to him, but I know my strength is better saved for other matters."
Scrivener nodded, taking a sip of his own mug before he put this aside as he turned to follow Luna, before both ponies glared over their shoulders as Discombobulation called mildly: "Worry not, Scrivener Blooms and Luna. Twilight insists that if you're ambushed, I should hurriedly get in the way and make a nuisance of myself."
Then they both winced as Twilight glared at him and the mug in the Draconequus's hand exploded, splattering him with semi-liquid T's that dripped slowly down his body and face as a surly look spread over his features, glowering moodily down at her. Luna, however, grinned as she turned around, muttering in a strangely-pleased voice: "I think that yet Twilight may learn to do as I do, and simply pummel that which annoys her into cooperation."
"Because I really need two ponies all too eager to beat me into listening to them around." Scrivy remarked dryly, and Luna nodded thoughtfully as the pair quietly made their way a short distance away from the encampment. They sat together, the burning blue fire a hundred feet behind them, tundra and a few ratty trees the only things around them as they both looked up at the moon with matching smiles, their breathing falling in time, their eyes closing, their bodies tensing, then relaxing as they arched their backs...
And as the moon lowered, both of them released sighs in time as strange memories whispered through their minds, of vast fields and valleys, of a proud people that strode through these and coursers that charged forwards, of weapons clashing and earth rumbling... and then their eyes snapped open in time as the sun rose to their backs, and in the golden light, they saw a magnificent hall that laid out before them, glinting gold and beautiful...
Then the memories were gone, as soon as they had come, and Scrivy winced as he looked over at Luna... but she only smiled faintly and shook her head slowly, murmuring: "The strangest things trigger these lapses, my husband... I wonder if it is the same for Celestia... I wonder what it means, and most of all, I fear they are an omen, a warning, for what lays ahead. Ignominious, at least, did not seem aware of this... I know not what to call it, Scrivy. Is it a failing that I do not remember my past as... this 'Brynhild?' Or is it perhaps a secret blessing..."
She shook her head slowly, looking down thoughtfully before gazing up and saying quietly: "Either way, though, it is of no matter. We must awaken the troops who have not yet been roused, and prepare to move out to make the most of today. I believe I will rearrange the vanguard once more as well... I would like to have Pinkamena up front with us, where she will cause the least amount of trouble and be at her most useful. She is an excellent ally to have, after all, even if she is not eager to count herself as 'friend' to us in the same breath."
"I don't know about that, Luna. I think she hates herself a lot more than she hates us, however she acts." Scrivy said softly, and Luna gave him a thoughtful look at this before nodding slowly as their eyes met, sharing thoughts and emotions back and forth before he smiled at her slightly. "But that's all to be figured out later, right? Come on, we better make sure Twilight hasn't murdered Discombobulation yet... besides, it seems like you're eager to ask him a question or two yourself."
"Aye, I am, I only know not how to address the creature." Luna nodded as they both turned to head back towards the campsite... and then both of them winced when Discombobulation's head leaned down out of thin air, neck sticking out of a glowing rip in reality. "Creature!"
"Scrivener Blooms!" Discombobulation retorted, and then he winced when Luna leaned forwards and glared at him, her horn giving a sharp pulse before his head was knocked in reverse through the portal... and in the distance, the tall frame of the Draconequus toppled backwards as his head whiplashed violently, almost falling on top of Twilight.
Luna grumbled under her breath as she and Scrivy quickly headed back to the campsite, arriving to find the chimerical being once more standing and brushing dust off himself as he said disdainfully: "It seems you have little problem addressing me in all sorts of ways, Scrivener Blooms, and even less problem hitting me, dispelling me, attempting to maim me, and otherwise being a monstrous little monster. Twilight Sparkle has lectured me for what feels like years in the space of time you have been gone, however, and I would gladly accept a wicked beating if it would mean an end to her prattling, which may yet turn me to stone even more solidly than the Elements of Harmony did Discord."
Twilight grimaced a little at this as Luna sighed a little, the sapphire winged unicorn looking meditatively up at the creature before she asked quietly: "Tell me, then, Bob of Ginnungagap, as I have come to understand thou art particularly sensitive to the forces that wish to destroy us. Do enemies lay ahead on the path?"
"There is always an enemy in the future, Scrivener Blooms, far and near and in between those great leaps of distance and judgment and time and effort." Discombobulation paused, then he sighed when Twilight gave him a look, reaching up to rub slowly at his temples as if he had a headache. "How poor are they who have not patience! What wound did ever heal but by degrees? Very well, then listen close, clucking ponies: the presence of Helheim and wicked thoughts scream to make themselves known... outward they thrive on chaos, but to say all chaos is the same is to say that all ice cream is simply frozen dairy product. Passion and desire and evil have their own laws, credos, and especial order... fire may burn, but watch it warily, and tell me if there is not something sentient and animal about the way it burns, the way it licks along the wall, the way it crawls and spreads and plods onwards like a virus, and the way it may show the strangest of mercies to the strangest of objects, destroying an entire home... yet leaving a book untouched here, a doll kissed only by smoke there.
"No, for now, I hear no endless scheming on the road ahead of devils, I hear no growls of demons, and smell no ice-roasted meat." Discombobulation paused meditatively, and then he frowned a bit as he looked moodily to the side, adding grumpily: "Well, I see one wicked little demon sprite, but I suppose the creature is on our side, isn't it?"
"Kiss my flank." Pinkamena said grumpily as she approached, rolling her head on her shoulders with a glower at Discombobulation, and the two glared at each other for a few moments edgily before the Draconequus stuck his tongue out childishly and blew a loud raspberry at her, and Pinkamena hissed in return like a cat through her sharp teeth, mane half-falling over her blue eyes as they glowed like gemstones.
Twilight winced a little, but Luna only snorted in amusement, saying dryly: "How wonderful. Discombobulation, thou has my thanks at least, and a request: please alert us should thou detect an ambush from afar... specifically, one led by the creature Ignominious. It would be beneficial for us all, as thou hast seen."
"Yes, do tell us, then go run away and hide, like you keep running away and hiding every time things get even the littlest bit scary for the big bad Draconequus." Pinkamena said mockingly, and Discombobulation glared at her as she glowered challengingly back. "Discord at least stuck around even when the going got tough."
"You're comparing apples and oranges, Pinkamena. Or maybe I should say liver and onions, since that's what you smell like." Discombobulation retorted, leaning down and poking her nose firmly with his eagle talon, and Pinkamena winced, her mane and tail fizzing violently out for a moment as electricity burst across her body. "Oh, I'm so sorry, I meant to keep our relationship static... but it seems our arguments just end up charged. Funny how when you put opposing forces together you sometimes get a bolt out of the blue, even if it seems like they should be on the same wavelength."
Discombobulation straightened, crossing his arms and looking down at her with his derisive calm... and Pinkamena growled as her mane and tail fell back straight, her red-rimmed eyes glowing for a moment as she shook with frustration before suddenly leaning forwards and biting savagely into the Draconequus's leg with a clearly-audible chomp. Even Luna winced at the sound and sight of it, and Discombobulation's head slowly leaned down, for a few moments only inspecting the sharp-toothed earth pony biting deep into his giraffe leg, and then what had just happened seemed to register with the chaotic creature, and he reared suddenly, violently back, howling in horror as he flailed his arms wildly at his sides, kicking his giraffe leg wildly to try and shake her loose. "Oh for the love of all pandemonium, get it off me! Get it off, get it off, get it off!"
Pinkamena dragged her hooves against the ground with a growl as Discombobulation tried to stagger away, flailing as Twilight shouted at the dull pink pony, Scrivener stared incredulously, and Luna looked torn between laughter and horror... and then the Draconequus snapped his fingers wildly, and he vanished from the spot in a puff of smoke, Pinkamena's jaws clacking shut on thin air as she winced before she glared back and forth before huffing even as Twilight shouted in a strangled voice: "You can't just... bite people you don't like!"
"Why not?" Pinkamena asked moodily, looking up and licking her lips slowly and loudly, and even Luna winced at the sound of her slurping before she grinned widely, teeth now tinged slightly scarlet. "It got him to go away."
Twilight shuddered and winced, opening her mouth... but Luna quickly stepped forwards, saying clearly: "Pinkamena, thou must work upon thy social skills. Twilight Sparkle, thou knows well admonishing the creature will do nothing but encourage her to greater depravity. Now, there is much to do... Twilight Sparkle, please awaken those who have not yet been awakened, have them prepare for the march ahead. Pinkamena, thou will be part of the vanguard... I wish for thee to fetch Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Aleksandr as well."
Pinkamena sniffed disdainfully, but she nodded after a moment and asked distastefully: "And equipment? Or should I keep walking around naked as the day I was born? Pinkie Pie's the one with the gear and the Element of Laughter... the only element I understand is the element of slaughter."
"Cowlick and Rarity both have keys to the storage wagons, thou hast my permission to prepare thyself accordingly. Once both I and Scrivener Blooms have finally had our tea and taken down this campsite, we shall come by to check how preparations were going. I wish to be ready within the hour, however." Luna became more serious as she looked from one to the other, but she couldn't hide her slight smile when Pinkamena and Twilight nodded back, unknowingly mirroring each other. "Good. Then be on thy way, my friends."
Pinkamena grumbled a little as Twilight smiled, and the two turned to go about their tasks as Luna picked up her mug of tea, sipping at it slowly and gazing after them towards the main campsite as she murmured thoughtfully: "Scrivener Blooms, let us take a moment to write to Celestia. She did not request it, but... all the same, I wish to keep in contact with sister. Hopefully it will encourage her to do the same and to continue being honest and open with us."
"Good idea, Luna. A little manipulative when you put it like that, but good all the same." Scrivener replied amiably, and Luna gave him a grin and a shrug as the male turned towards the satchel bag to fetch his writing supplies, asking curiously: "Going to dictate or just throw thoughts at me?"
"The latter is so much more effective. Thou writes with flourish, I dictate only with imperial pride." Luna said mildly, then she sipped slowly at her tea again as Scrivy nodded and smiled to her, already feeling the sway of her thoughts, images more than words telling him just what she wanted him to write.
He composed the letter quickly, then clicked his tongue and whistled, and Sammy scuttled out of where he'd been hiding in the tent with a grumpy chirp before the male waggled the rolled up letter back and forth, and the skeletal beast had grumbled at him, but leapt up and caught the parchment in his jaws all the same when Scrivy tossed it lightly, glaring at him through blue flame eyes before incinerating the letter in a swathe of sapphire fire.
But he'd settled down shortly after, curling up on a warm rock in front of the eldritch fire, Luna and Scrivy taking a few more moments to rest as they had both petted the little creature before heading back to their tent. Luna dressed them quickly in armor with a flick of her horn, then left Scrivy to take down their tent and pack it up with the rest of their gear, and the winged unicorn had made her way to the main campsite, looking meditatively through preparations for the day ahead.
Ponies were loitering a little, but that was to be expected: the Starlit Knights were serious, but they didn't have the same rigorous training, didn't understand that as it was they were leaving quite late for a hard day's march... and the only reason Luna didn't feel like scolding or scaring them into better order was because she had already figured on this and prepared accordingly. And it wasn't like all the knights were lazing around... Rainbow Dash looked bleary, but he was dressed in his armor, doing slow but steady pushups as Applejack and Big Mac talked nearby with Fluttershy as they helped pack up tents and equipment.
She paused only to ensure that Pinkamena had delivered the message about the vanguard, and Applejack had nodded with an awkward smile as Rainbow had grumbled about how confusing it was to have the Pink Twins around. Luna had looked at him curiously, and Rainbow had shrugged, saying finally: "Don't look at me, go ask Pinkie Pie. She's the one who started it."
Out of morbid curiosity more than anything else - and despite knowing she should probably spend her time checking on the rest of the Starlit Knights instead of indulging this - Luna made her way around the encampment until she came across Pinkamena and Pinkie Pie standing with Aleksandr as the minotaur surveyed them both moodily.
"Is confusing. Djavol travels with us." Aleksandr said mildly, motioning towards Pinkamena... and Luna couldn't help but smile amusedly as she looked at the dull-gray earth pony, clad in tough, black leather armor fortified with silver plates over her shoulders and back, her hair kept out of her red-rimmed blue eyes by a simple leather headband as she grinned mirthlessly up at the minotaur. "Is not bad. But is not good, either."
"Good, because I don't aim to be good. And will you calm the hell down?" Pinkamena snapped suddenly at Pinkie Pie, glaring at her, and Pinkie halted in mid-bounce, almost freezing in midair as she dropped back to her hooves and pouted at Pinkamena as she leaned slightly away. "That's better. Get your damn hyperactivity back under control or I'll beat you until you do."
"No you won't, you know you need me!" Pinkie said brightly, leaning forwards and pressing her head against Pinkamena's, and the dull-gray pony gritted her sharp teeth and grumbled under her breath. "So what do you think, Luna? I think we're twins!"
"I think thou art both insane." Luna said mildly after a moment, but Pinkie only smiled brightly and Pinkamena sighed and shrugged moodily. Then the winged unicorn drew her eyes slowly along Pinkamena's form, eyeing the three short, hooked daggers belted to one side of her flank and the gleaming, wide-bladed axe on the other before she added mildly: "And it looks as if thou hast decided to be a one-pony army, Pinkamena."
"I am a one-pony army, Nightmare Moon." Pinkamena retorted grumpily, and then she grimaced and firmly checked Pinkie Pie when she began to bounce a little on the spot again, knocking the vest-armored pony sprawling... but she only giggled, and the Element of Laughter gleamed on her neck before she blushed and gazed brightly up at Aleksandr when the minotaur offered her a hand, daintily putting her hoof in it and allowing him to haul her back to a standing position. "Suck-up."
Luna shook her head slowly, then instead turned her focus to the minotaur, asking calmly: "Art thou brethren prepared? I saw that thy kin had set up their own small camp apart from our own."
"Minotaurs have always lived rough, lived by tradition. And is safer: four-hoof camp is large and noisy. Needs watching, like herd of fluffy-grazers." The minotaur paused thoughtfully as he straightened, looking slowly over Luna. "Is not my place to say, but is this good, Yaga Baba? Four-hoofs prepare slow, is loss of daylight. One hour of difference make all difference in world."
"Worry not, Aleksandr... we seek only to reach Charger's Crossing today, a great and enormous bridge that stretches for miles across Northedge Strait... 'tis the greatest bridge in Equestria, and once we cross it, we officially begin the march into rocky north." Luna paused, then added quietly: "But 'twould be folly to attempt to rush across the great bridge today or tonight. 'Tis miles long, and The Stampede or other honorless monsters of the ether would be able to attack at night with great ease. But 'tis the only way across for many miles, and we have no boat and no time to waste."
The minotaur nodded and bowed his head politely, and Luna nodded back before she said kindly: "Assemble at the vanguard, I shall perform one last check around the camp and perhaps inspire the recklessly-slothful into better spirits with my horn."
"See you soon, Nightmare Moon." Pinkamena said mildly, as Pinkie waved a hoof quickly beside her, and Luna gave the two a look that was both exasperated and amused before she headed back towards the main camp.
Thankfully, preparations were almost complete: Twilight was rushing around and ensuring to every little detail, ensuring they stayed on schedule. For once it pleased Luna to see the violet pony taking her job even a little too seriously... just as she was glad as the ponies began to automatically fall into line as the first of the wagons pulled onto the road, taking a bit of initiative as Luna strode quickly through the caravan, nodding and encouraging ponies here and there before she reached the vanguard.
"No speech?" Scrivy asked with a slight smile, and Luna gave him a grin as she fell into pace beside him at the head of the line, Pinkamena, Rainbow Dash and Aleksandr on one side, Twilight Sparkle and Applejack on the other. "I'm almost disappointed."
"Silence, knave. Not every day requires a grandiose speech... some days, 'tis better only to do, not to talk. But then again, thy favorite sport seems to be complaining, so perhaps I shouldn't try and make thee understand this." Luna retorted, nudging him firmly with her side... and then she leaned across and kissed his cheek gently, the male blinking in surprise as she murmured into his ear: "I love thee, Scrivener Blooms."
"I... love you too, Luna. Please tell me you're not saying this because of some feeling of horrible impending doom, though, that was sudden even for you." Scrivy winced a little... but Luna only threw her head back and laughed, shaking it with a wide grin and a warm look in her eyes.
She didn't bother to reply, sharing thoughts and images with him, feelings and flashes of impulse as cyan eyes locked with chestnut irises... and after a moment, Scrivy smiled back at her, saying quietly: "Alright, alright. Silly, cynical me. No wonder you hit me so often."
"Exactly what I've been saying all this time." Luna replied comfortably, and then she stepped closer, pressing their armored sides together for a moment and closing her eyes as she bowed her head forwards, starry locks spilling out from beneath her helm and flickering softly beneath the sunlight above as she murmured: "'Tis no proper time and place to express one's feelings. Feelings come and feelings go: passion has no logic and no leash can hold it for long, no chains bind her down. Thou knows it well thyself, Scrivener Blooms."
"Because you're pretty much living passion, Luna." Scrivy replied with a slight smile to her, and then he laughed as Sammy scampered up his back and onto his head with a loud chirp, looking down at them moodily. "Come on, we're going to make everyone hate us if you keep this up. Besides, I thought you were going to be professional."
Luna snorted at this sentiment with a roll of her eyes, saying amusedly: "Oh, aye, that describes me well. But very well, let us enjoy the scenery and march hard. Already the caravan falls behind us... vanguard, keep thine eyes open, and we shall rejoin with the supply wagons behind us before we reach the city of Pegasus Point."
Rainbow Dash snorted at this, idly hopping into the air and saying amusedly: "Once the Wonderbolts and me did a show there... hey, AJ, I think you were at that one, right? Earth ponies and unicorns live in the village below, but most of it is cloud structure above... ain't what I'd call a bad place... not if you're passing through it, that is."
Idle conversation continued as they strode down the wide dirt road, past fields, through short stretches of forest, and every now and then a cottage or farmhouse here or there. There were few other ponies on this stretch of highway, however, and all of them were plainly headed towards Canterlot, often in shabbily guarded convoys of their own.
Some of these travelers stared at Luna with reverence, others with fear... and some seemed too preoccupied to care about the other ponies, whoever they were, heading in the opposite direction. Once, they even passed a large black, ominous carriage that reminded Luna all too deeply of Sol Seraph, the winged unicorn glowering at the black-uniformed Pegasi and unicorns that stood around this at the side of the road... but although they were obviously from Helios Mutual Holdings, the half-dozen or so security soldiers quickly busied themselves around their ebony wagon, obviously more than a little scared of what the winged unicorn might do if aggravated.
The vanguard came to a halt some two hours later when Pegasus Point finally came within sight, taking a short rest on the shoulder of the road to let the supply caravan catch up. Pinkamena polished her knives, Applejack, Rainbow Dash and Aleksandr talked, and Scrivy and Luna sat with Twilight Sparkle, the violet winged unicorn rubbing at her face with one hoof before she asked quietly: "Is it good or bad that we haven't seen much traffic?"
"Good, for the most part..." Luna said thoughtfully in response, looking towards the small city in the distance: squat buildings below, and clouds that had been formed into homes and structures above, the winged unicorn smiling despite herself after a moment. "Pegasus Point. It seems such towns have not changed much since the old days... Pegasus above, earth ponies below. But perhaps 'tis only my husband's bitterness, and the awareness that the further north we go, the colder ponies become in body and heart."
Twilight grimaced a bit at this thought, nodding slowly as Scrivener gazed moodily up the road. Eventually, the caravan arrived, slowing automatically as Luna stepped out onto the road with the others, the army of ponies that followed them all gazing towards her for leadership, for inspiration, as she announced calmly: "We are now upon the approach to the first town we shall pass. We shall march in formation, we shall keep our ranks close, we shall move forwards and remember the reason for which we march... to reach North Neigh, to stand against darkness. Not for adulation or praise: not to prove anypony wrong or right."
She smiled after a moment, then turned and began to lead onwards, Scrivener Blooms at her side as they strode ahead, feeling her anxieties and worries... but both were unsurprised at the lukewarm reception they received as they strode down the streets, ponies leaning out of windows and looking down from clouds, and a few clustered groups here and there standing on sidewalks dusted with frost, looking strangely wary.
They were a scared village, earth ponies in ramshackle homes - many of which bore scrapes and signs of battle -with only the barest of makeshift defenses. Above, the Pegasi had settled comfortably into cloud homes, watching from the safety of their fluffy balconies, protected by both numbers and the fact that many of their foes preferred to lay waste over the ground and had no real means of attacking those perched in the air. And in their cruel safety, the Pegasi had become complacent, only looking moodily down at the passing Starlit Knights... while the earth ponies seemed to blame them bitterly, held the fact they marched further north against them instead of understanding what they were doing was to try and stop what could be an even greater threat than Nibelung raiders and dark forms of life.
And these ponies had only heard of what had happened at Canterlot... they hadn't seen it, and nor were they likely inclined to believe what a momentous occasion Celestia's speech had been. Luna seemed to expect this, keeping stoic even after someone threw a rotten fruit at them from the safety of a dark alley, the projectile splattering against a carriage as someone else yelled in a hoarse voice: "Go on, go help the unicorns in the north! They're better than us, right?"
It hurt, but they marched on anyway... and at the end of the town, found three Pegasus waiting for them with several large crates of old food, a worker with a clipboard looking distasteful as he said: "This is all we could scrounge up on orders from Princess Celestia... or Queen Celestia, ain't it? Funny, she gets to be Queen and now Nightmare Moon is walking around big as day, called a hero. Some hero."
The Pegasus spat at their hooves as Luna gritted her teeth, but then she nodded and said quietly: "Thou hast my thanks for these supplies. They will benefit us all."
"No, they'll benefit you. They would help a whole lot more here... rubbish earth ponies ain't doing their jobs, keep making excuses about the farms being 'overrun.' But as if that matters to you lot." The Pegasus looked at them with anger and disgust... but they were thin veils that did little to hide the terror in his eyes of the changes throughout Equestria, and the pains of hunger and despair that had settled over this city like toxic mist. "Now, if I can go, your highness, I have to help bury the dead."
With that, the Pegasus leapt upwards and flew into the air, the others following as Luna closed her eyes and lowered her head forwards, then said quietly: "Take two crates, leave the last. We are well-stocked in any event."
Twilight only nodded silently, and Luna could feel the ripples of discontent through the ranks of the Starlit Knights now as they paused only long enough to load the food up before making their way onwards. There were a few more ponies waiting on the road to watch them pass with suspicious and cold eyes. The most they did was mutter to themselves, but it was still enough to add an almost tangible weight over the march of the Starlit Knights, and Luna didn't bother to separate the vanguard from the main caravan for most of the rest of the march, striding in slow, moody silence.
Finally, this was broken as Twilight Sparkle looked up and asked quietly: "Why? Luna, Scrivy... why would they treat us like that? Why do they still..."
"Hate us? Because all who dine upon misery wish to force others to join them in their feast." Luna muttered, shaking her head slowly and looking down as she said softly: "'Tis no great surprise, Twilight Sparkle... the most effective torturers are always the tortured themselves, after all. And not every pony, or every village will believe that I am not Nightmare Moon... even after my return, how long did I spend in Canterlot, being loathed by them? And Canterlot only changed its opinion of us not simply because of Celestia's orders... but because they saw us bow to her, and they saw her entitle us a servant to the land. Pinkamena, thou understands this, does thou not? Evil in obvious power will be loathed; but evil forces used for such an absurd concept as the 'greater good' will be embraced, or at least pointedly ignored."
"She's got a point." Pinkamena said distastefully, shaking her head slowly and snorting in amusement from beside Aleksandr. "Besides, we ponies are a lot more nasty a breed than most would think at first. Ain't that right, bitok?"
"Djavol speaks true in a sense, but is true of all 'societies.' Cities are nothing but stone and wood jungle, full of poison and parasite instead of hungry beast." Aleksandr shrugged a bit, saying quietly: "This was worst part of working for volk. She made us live in four-hoof barracks, in four-hoof city. There was no honor, no way to tell friend from enemy... one moment four-hoof may help, next moment, is telling volk our secrets, and volk would cut horns from ten heads. Decimation: she believed ten should suffer for single crime; those who resist, she kill like nothing more than insect. Is good she is dead."
The others lowered their heads in silent agreement, continuing forwards as Luna looked up quietly, mind lingering for a moment on thoughts of the predatory Pegasus, remembering the terrible philosophies of the hunt-obsessed pony... and then she closed her eyes, leaning her head forwards and wondering for the first time whether or not Sol Seraph's death proved she was wrong... or if it would now serve as a grisly omen that the creature had been right after all. |
Starlit Knights | Bridging Troubled Waters | Chapter Nineteen: Bridging Troubled Waters
~BlackRoseRaven
When Pegasus Point was a good distance behind them, Luna called a halt for lunch. As ponies ate, she and Scrivener Blooms sat together, Sammy half-wrapped around the male's neck as the two talked quietly, reassuring each other about what was yet to come and discussing what was ahead on the road. The next city they had to pass through was Hosston, a bustling metropolis that was only an hour's march from Charger's Crossing. After that, they would set up camp... and tomorrow, cross the bridge and officially reach the cold north once they made their way through Snow Saddle.
The Starlit Knights - and even the stoic Pegasus Guard assigned to aid them - were a little more grim and suspicious when they started back on the road towards Hosston. The landscape here was bleaker, the trees scraggier and here and there visibly warped in unnatural ways, and wild animals eyed the ponies warily, mangy and territorial as they picked at weedy grasses.
Domestication and order had been lost here: even the weather had gone wild, a bitter wind blowing sharply over the fields and making the bony branches of blackened trees clack together. Frost and snow unevenly painted the ground and the road, and even as the sun shone down on them, it brought little warmth as gray clouds spilled across a depressed sky, a cold front moving in with malicious speed to add to the misery of the pony caravan.
The wagons rumbled down the hard dirt road as they marched forwards, slowed by the winds but all too eager to keep moving if only to keep their bodies warm. It was like nature was taking revenge on them for all the years ponies had tried to control her and guide her, and Luna gritted her teeth as flakes of snow swirled past her face before she glared at Scrivy as the earth pony only trod onwards as if unaffected by the sour weather, giving her a wry half-grin. "Guess my body never forgot the cold..."
"No wonder thy body was always so hardy in the face of magic if thou grew up in worse than this..." Luna muttered under her breath, Twilight shivering on her other side as they forged forwards, and she cursed to herself as a thick sweep of snow suddenly gusted by, a white sheet that came out of nowhere and spilled powder over road and ponies... but as they pushed through the snow, the squall ended as suddenly as it had begun, the air going from biting to cold to tender warmth as the winged unicorn looked up in surprise.
Pegasi were in the air above, forcefully pushing back the darker clouds and keeping the skies clear around a city surrounded by immense wooden fencing. The gates were already opened for their approach, only a few hundred yards away, and Luna wondered with surprise how she could have not seen the city before now as she led the caravan past the barrier of battling hot-and-cold... but then she glanced over her shoulder, grimaced at the sight of low gray clouds that hung almost as low as fog, winds so sharp they were almost visible and snow lashing back and forth, and she muttered: "Perhaps 'tis not wholly unbelievable after all."
"Your ladyship!" called a voice, and Luna looked up in surprise, turning back around and coming to a halt as a unicorn hurriedly approached with two aides, Scrivener Blooms and Luna both calling the order to stop down the line to stunned ponies passing through the weather barrier so they didn't crash into each other.
The unicorn smiled at her brightly from behind his monocle, his fluffy white moustache almost as remarkable as the large top hat on the small pony's head as he looked up at her with relief. "We're so glad you made it through the fields... the weather's been completely erratic! But come, come, let's not keep you waiting... I know you have much to do."
Luna looked surprised at this, nodding awkwardly as the unicorn bustled quickly in a circle, his aides following with clipboards as the winged unicorn signaled to begin the march forwards again, and Scrivy and Twilight quickly strode up to either of Luna's sides as she said slowly: "Considering the last welcome I received when we passed through a town, this... is a rather surprising turn of events, sir. I expect thou art the mayor of this city, Hosston?"
"Yes, oh, and no need for formality, Champion Luna! We heard all about everything, we're so glad you're here, so glad, so glad indeed!" the mayor continued to ramble, puttering onwards towards the open gates in an awkward zigzag, and Luna grimaced a little, moving carefully to avoid stepping on him. "We have some supplies all ready for you at the other end of town, and the route is all planned out, easiest route through Hosston I swear, well maybe one little detour around the bend but that road's no good anyway, no good at all! Do you want to rest? We have lodgings for you all if you want to rest, too!"
"That will not be necessary, we wish to reach Charger's Crossing before nightfall... while my soldiers camp there, I have plans to scout the bridge." Luna replied courteously, and the mayor nodded a few times as he pranced onwards, Luna's eyes drawing over the tiny, tan pony and settling on the symbol on his flank: a large black top hat with a purple sash tied around it. "I appreciate your kindness."
"Oh, no, no kindness at all, just doing our job, for Equestria, for Queen Celestia... oh, such an honor to have the former princess here, a hero to ponies, isn't that right? Why, leading this mighty army, why, isn't that just something amazing?" the mayor rambled on cheerfully, looking over his shoulder at her and nodding rapidly a few times as they passed through the city gates... and then Luna winced a bit as cheers erupted from either side of the street, where ponies had gathered to watch, many of them holding up signs as confetti and ribbons hailed down around them and somewhere in the distance, a band began to loudly play.
Scrivy winced as Twilight looked around in dumb shock, the caravan behind them stuttering as Aleksandr's face puckered like the minotaur had just bitten into a lemon, but the mayor only laughed as he called clearly over the roars of the crowd: "Don't worry, worry not one bit, they're just here to watch, that's all, it's a celebration, we're having a little celebration, a little get-together across the town since it's really just a big small town!"
Luna gritted her teeth slowly, hating this almost more than she had hated the revilement in Pegasus Point, leading her soldiers forwards as Starlit Knights gaped at the sight of ponies cheering them on and waving ecstatically at them from the sides of the road. Rainbow Dash grinned as he took the air, leaping up and waving back as a few of the other Pegasi did the same... while Fluttershy hid behind Big Mac as the earth pony walked on, looking unfazed as ever as Pinkamena growled under her breath.
It took them more than an hour to walk through Hosston: the mayor led them through a maze of streets, 'coincidentally' took them past City Hall, and acted like he was the one who had brought them himself as he rambled away the entire time, his aides constantly making notes and checking schedules. Luna tried her best to smile, tried her best to look good despite knowing at the same time how bad this could reflect on her: here she was, leading a military brigade on a time-wasting little march through a city for what looked like flank-pats... but if she suddenly turned and pummeled the mayor, that could obviously have bad effects of its own.
Finally, the crowds began to thin out as they came to a halt on the other side of Hosston. Pegasi were more lazing than resting here, the weather much calmer on this side of the city, and a few unicorns had assembled several large crates of food at the side of the road, the mayor bouncing over to these before he did a sudden about-face as Luna signaled the caravan to halt before approaching him with a glare in her eye, even as he said knowingly: "You know, we have a lot more where all this came from, too... maybe we can work out a deal, you stay here, you protect our city, you watch out for Hosston and I'll do good things in return for you, give you anything you like... pretty fillies like flowers, right? We got lots of flowers!"
And then the mayor squeaked, his aides staring in horror as Luna seized the tiny pony by the scruff of his neck and slammed him up against the crates, leaning slowly, dangerously down as she said darkly: "I do not appreciate being used. I would rather have stones cast upon me and be called Nightmare Moon than be used in such a manner, knave! Do not soil the dignity of myself or that of my soldiers with thy sniveling machinations!"
"Wait, wait, wait! Okay, I get it, no flowers!" the mayor squawked, and Luna dropped him flat on his rump, the mayor bouncing once with a yelp before he grinned lamely up at her, adjusting his monocle with a hoof before holding the other up and saying quickly: "Look, we're both grown equines, right? Let's work out a deal. Negotiate. I know you can't really be on the way to North Neigh, that place is a dump, way at the edge of Equestrian territory... even if something bad happens up there, it goes poof, who cares? It must be Snow Saddle, right? How much are they paying you, or do they just pay Canterlot directly? Either way, I can make it worth your while to... to stay here, for an indefinite period... to protect my city, precious Hosston, which, by the way, is almost as important as Hoofston and almost as important as Manehatten, which itself is almost as important as Canterlot, so... you see what I'm saying here, right? We're important!"
Luna looked moodily down at him, then she sighed and glanced over her shoulder at Scrivy, saying dourly: "Some days it seems the entire universe is different from the time whence I first lived, Scrivener Blooms. Other days I fear that there has been no change, no progress in any sense at all."
She halted, then looked flatly down at the mayor, saying distastefully: "Mayor of Hosston. I must decline thy... generous... offer. I shall take these supplies thou so kindly has provided as recompense for wasting the time of myself and mine soldiers, but offer no further 'gifts,' and think not any bribery or blackmail will avail thee. I am under orders to march to North Neigh, and that is where I intend to head."
"Wait, here me out!" the mayor pleaded, scrambling up to her and grabbing her front leg, and Luna winced and looked awkwardly down at the little pony even as she glanced at Twilight, who nodded with a blush, her horn glowing as she picked up one of the crates with telekinesis to carry it back to the supply wagons as several other ponies came forwards to help. "It's not just politics, honestly! In the last few days alone, twenty ponies have vanished... twenty! We're walled in, we have lights on all night, and still, ponies... just up and vanished, most of them Pegasi. Heck, there used to be cloud houses all above Hosston but no Pegasus will live in them, they're all too scared they'll be the next to poof out of existence if they do.
"You gotta help, you just gotta help, you gotta!" the mayor pleaded, rubbing his face against her forelimb, and Luna grimaced as she shook him firmly before finally dislodging him with a light punt backwards, the tiny pony wheezing as he bounced once on his back before quickly hopping back to his hooves as his top hat fell from his head. "Come on, you can't ignore this, right?"
"Mayor, they plight pains me, mistake me not... but all this evil stems from the same source, and hacking wildly at its branches will do no good. Great evil has been visited upon a village in the north, and all those who have investigated have vanished... something hides there, under veil of shadow. I must expose this evil... but thou has my word, that upon my return, if such wickedness still prevails in Hoofston, I will linger here and help find its source and remedy it." Luna sighed a little after saying this, regretting it almost instantly even as the mayor looked at her with something like relief. "But do not attempt again to use me or lure me, understood? I am not a trophy upon a mantelpiece, I am not a parade float to be dragged willy-nilly through thy town to boost morale."
"Of course, of course! We'll work out all the details, we'll be waiting, don't forget!" the mayor said quickly, nodding a few times and sweeping his hat up from the ground, bowing to her several times before he dashed quickly away, and his aides winced but followed after the little pony after a moment, grumbling and looking as frustrated with him as Luna felt.
She looked moodily towards Hosston's tall wooden walls, shaking her head slowly as she muttered: "Wretched little ingrate... I wonder if it speaks of better or worse things that politicians now seek to corrupt more often with wealth than they do with threats of violence?"
"I see your point, but who would threaten you, Luna?" Scrivy pointed out, and Luna shrugged a little at this, nodding thoughtfully before the earth pony glanced up as Sammy scuttled quickly onto his head and chirped loudly before he leaned forwards and spat out a letter to the surprise of both ponies, the male asking curiously: "How long have you been holding onto this?"
Sammy mimed a shrug with his bony little shoulders, then he chirped as he snuggled himself back down against the male's neck, Scrivener Blooms glancing automatically towards the letter as it floated into the air and unfurled with a flick of Luna's horn, reading quietly: "'Dearest sister. I am writing you a quick letter to inform you that a message has arrived from North Neigh, denying any need for help and explicitly requesting me to order a retreat. I have already replied that you will not be turning back and you will lodge in North Neigh in order to conduct an investigation into Silver Hoof's destruction, whether or not North Neigh requires aid. I felt it was important to warn you, however, that North Neigh and its citizenry may be more hostile than I first anticipated: I will keep you informed if any diplomatic measures will need to be taken. Love always, Celestia.' 'Diplomatic measures...' somehow, even if she has changed, that phrase doesn't scare me any less."
"Aye, and it should not. A sleeping, tranquil dragon is no less a dragon, even if it dreams of puppies and moonbeams... I am sure that if pushed, sister would be more than happy to push back, should it be required." Luna said distastefully, and then she grimaced and shook her head, muttering: "'Tis worrisome, though. To attempt to deny us entirely... that I did not expect. I expected bigotry, and maliciousness, and to hear the awful term 'slave-hoof' and other wicked slurs thrown around like hay in the wind, and of course, a refusal to be provided lodgings... but to send message to Celestia with what sounds like all-but-orders to keep us away... I do not like what it foreshadows."
Scrivy nodded slowly, then he shook his head as two Pegasus Guards carefully lifted the last supply crate between them, hefting it into the air and flying towards the supply cart as Luna rolled the letter back up, folding it down and tucking it beneath her armor as she said distastefully: "But we shall deal with things as they come, as we always have... for now, Scrivener Blooms, let us return to the road. Barring further meddling or catastrophe, we should still be able to reach Charger's Crossing before nightfall... Twilight Sparkle, I wish for thee to lead the caravan this time, however, and stay back from the vanguard. Should a sudden storm strike, thou may have to use magic to clear the path and locate our position."
"Alright Luna, if... if you're sure." Twilight looked hesitant at the thought of trying to lead the caravan on her own, but Luna only smiled at her soothingly, and it was enough for Twilight to sigh and awkwardly nod, straightening and mumbling: "Okay. But if a storm hits..."
"One shall be quick to find the other, worry not. We shall use Trixie's location spell." Luna softened, glancing to the side as Twilight gazed up with a small smile, and then the two winged unicorns gazed at each other for a few moments before Luna stepped forwards and kissed her cheek gently. "For luck. The rest of thee, assemble forwards... we march on."
Pinkamena, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Aleksandr nodded as Scrivy gave Twilight a smile before he automatically fell into step next to Luna as she turned to stride onwards, smiling as she heard Twilight beginning to call orders to the column of supply wagons behind them. "I am proud of her, Scrivener Blooms. She has come a great distance... they all have, but Twilight... Twilight is special to me."
"Everypony loves Twilight." Pinkamena said flatly, and both Luna and Scrivy glared at her, but the earth pony only sniffed in response. "Well, it's true. Personally, I think she's just a meddler. Messiah complex... better to be a destroyer than a savior, that's what I think. Saviors kill far more people than destroyers can even dream of, even in their darkest imaginings."
Rainbow Dash snorted at this, glancing up as the wind whispered through his mane before he hopped into the air and easily took flight, keeping himself moving low and steady as he said dryly: "You sure that's just not jealousy, Pinkamena? Not that I have to point this out or anything, but you're kind of evil. And so far, all it seems all you like to do is kill stuff."
Pinkamena only rolled her eyes in response, retorting: "Because you know me so well, don't you Dashie? But for once, I'm not holding your self-obsession over your head... we're all here for our own reasons at the end of the day, or worse, because Princess Sunshine asked us to be. Even Twilight's here helping Nightmare Moon because Princess Sunshine put her in charge of the Starlit Knights..."
"Oh, cease thy rabble-rousing, Pinkamena, 'lest I pummel thee and leave thee on the side of the road for the Phookas to gorge on." Luna muttered, and Pinkamena threw her head back and laughed at this, making the winged unicorn look all the more sour. "It is as if thou art trying to test my patience past its limits."
"Just keeping you on your hooves, Nightmare Moon... just seeing how far past the marked lines the real borders begin." Pinkamena grinned slightly at her, her red-rimmed eyes gleaming as she looked back and forth between the others. "We all like to tell ponies where our edges are, after all, without ever knowing ourselves. Most ponies will tell you they can't stand this or that, when they, in fact, can... others say they have so much patience for such-and-such or so-and-so, but they don't, not really. I like knowing where the real lines in the sand are drawn, where friction begins... I like knowing what makes ponies begin to fight."
"I think that's enough, sugar-cube." Applejack said calmly but firmly, and Pinkamena shot her a dour, irritated look. "Listen, I get that you're a little... different from us other ponies, but you do understand you're still a friend, right? Ain't right to try and make friction between the ponies you're supposed to be friends with."
"And you want to be a leader, but you know you're too bullheaded - no offense, bitok - to make as good of one as Twilight. You get hung up on things, and your pride takes over and you feel the need to start doing everything yourself. All your way or the highway... and much as I hate to say it, that doesn't always work." Pinkamena made a face, looking grouchily up towards the sky. "Which is really too bad. Then I could have always done things my way, and there'd never have been any need for sissy."
"At least thou seems to recognize the need for thy twinned side." Luna said moodily, and Pinkamena grumbled under her breath but for once didn't argue, even as the other ponies continued to glower at her. "But do us all a favor, creature, and try to remember that we are all allies here."
"Oh, it's not that I don't recognize that, Nightmare Moon... if I didn't, I would have killed the other ponies in my tent before going to sleep." Pinkamena replied leisurely, and then she grinned slightly, adding easily: "Not that Rarity seemed to sleep very well... I guess I must give ponies bad dreams."
"Calm now, Djavol, enemies need scaring more than ally." Aleksandr said mildly as he shouldered his heavy hammer, and Pinkamena sighed and rolled her eyes, even if she seemed to reluctantly agree. "You are still four-hoof, whether or not Djavol too. You must work with other four-hoofs."
"I wonder whether or not I really am sometimes..." Pinkamena muttered moodily, looking down as her mane fell over her features like a curtain, and Luna gave her a soft look over her shoulder, understanding the sentiment all too well and feeling a sudden burst of sympathy for this strange creature even as the other ponies only continued to regard her warily.
They strode onwards, mostly in silence, facing a bitter wind that hissed across the plains now and then, like cold curses that came at them from between nature's grit teeth. The ground here was frosted and icy, but there was little snow, on the bright side... and it was only a little over an hour before they came to a wide, open field that had obviously been used as a campsite for travelers in happier times.
Chopped, mildewed wood was still piled at one side of the park at the side of the road, near several craggy, rotting trees, and Luna grimaced as she looked up at the overcast, moody gray sky, the air around them getting darker by the moment as the sun began to set before she ordered: "Rainbow Dash, scout the weather above. I wish to know how wicked it is."
"Got it, boss." Rainbow smiled, nodding quickly before he leapt up into the air, wings propelling him skywards even as the wind buffeted his armored body. Luna glanced up after him for a moment, then she returned her eyes to the half-frozen field, relaying quick orders to the rest of the vanguard as another bitter chill drove past.
When Rainbow Dash returned, he shook his head, muttering: "Sea of clouds for miles around, Luna... I could cut a hole in it, but it would only give us... ten minutes, maybe? Sun's almost set, too, but... it feels like more than because of sunset that it's so damn dark, you know what I mean?"
"Aye, I do, and all too well. Does thou feel it, Pinkamena?" Luna asked quietly, glancing towards where the earth pony was stacking loose branches she had gathered from the trees, and the female looked up with a half-grin as she nodded and licked her lips slowly. "'Tis Helheim's energies. 'Tis demonic corruption... and I need not Discombobulation to point it out."
She paused, glancing back and forth and muttering: "And I see not the resident of Ginnungagap despite his promise to aid us. I wonder if he is... oh, wait, no. The creature speaks with Scrivener Blooms."
Applejack and Rainbow Dash both looked surprised to realize the earth pony wasn't with them, glancing back and forth from where they were clearing away debris from the fields, and Luna grinned slightly as she glanced up, saying plainly: "Well, what would be the point of linked souls if I could not send my daydreamer off on adventure every now and then?"
Scrivy could feel Luna's amusement... and her faint anxiety, striding slowly down the dirt road, the male's eyes roving back and forth as he passed scraggy, ugly trees. An unsightly, mottled bear was half-hiding in one of these copses, thin to the point of emaciation, chewing slowly at a rotted stump and foaming a little at the jaws, diseased and not seeming to notice the earth pony as he passed... or Discombobulation, who strode calmly beside Scrivy, the creature's hands behind its back as they both turned their eyes towards the end of the road, where dusty highway met wooden ramp that led onto a goliath stone bridge.
The riverbank was squat and ugly, tattered with weeds and ugly, frozen overgrowth: ice had spread perhaps some ten feet out into the deep, wide strait, the water black and ugly and swirling with both shadows and floating pieces of ice. And looming over it, almost fifty feet wide and perhaps ten miles long, was Charger's Crossing: the largest bridge in all of Equestria, anchored by enormous pillars through the Northedge Strait, which had once likely been a gorge back when this had first been built by unknowable creatures.
The stone was ancient, the gray of volcanoes and ash, but even now smooth and with little wear upon its mighty, thick bulk: the wooden ramp leading up had obviously been broken and repaired countless times, but the bridge itself was mighty and indomitable and ageless, pillars spaced every forty feet or so beneath it on either side of the heavy construction, tall, square ramparts bordering either edge, neatly spaced, with heavy iron chains strung between the on heavy, ancient rings. And all along the sides of the huge bridge, some patient entity had gone through the trouble of carving figures and shapes in the stone, of making one vast story that historians and storytellers had puzzled over for countless years: some said it was prophecy, others said it was only endless imagery from whatever civilization had existed here before and built this magnificent structure...
"Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair! Nothing beside remains. Round the decay of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare, the lone and level sands stretch far away." Discombobulation quoted quietly, gazing at this bridge, the way it curved roughly thirty feet upwards, then simply went straight across the gaping strait. "I suppose I don't have to point this out, Luna, but knowing Twilight, she'll be upset if I don't. There's an awful reek in the air... someone has been preparing a trap here. Helheim's energies corrode the air, and demons and burnt-pork have been here often... and... oh, look, it seems we've disturbed the presence of that miserable wreck of pasted-together souls you hate, and who hates you even more than he does Scrivener Blooms."
Scrivy looked up sharply, gazing back and forth as the darkness around them seemed to grow for a moment... and then he set himself as Ignominious formed in mid-stride on the bridge, black smoke whispering off his body as he calmly walked to the edge of the ramp and then halted, glaring down at the two with disgust as Discombobulation only looked up mildly and Scrivener's eyes glowed with hatred, feeling Luna stiffen back at the campsite, feeling her emotions, her rage, and a whisper of warning. "Back for another beating, Ignominious?"
"We shall see who beats who, slave-hoof." Ignominious said in a disgusted voice, and Scrivy felt Luna's flare of rage before the demonic equine strode slowly down the ramp, stepping onto the cold dirt road as Scrivy felt Luna rushing towards them from the campsite now, and the earth pony gritted his teeth as he met the black, soulless eyes of the demon for a few moments before Ignominious said distastefully: "Disgusting. So filthy, so arrogant... even when I was alive, I was stronger than you are now, Scrivener Blooms. And forget not that once I puppeted you like a toy. You were helpless. If I wanted to, I could have killed you by now."
"Yes, well, you're free to try possessing me again, Ignominious, I promise I got a real surprise in store for you." Scrivy replied moodily, but the dark horse only snorted in loathing, pacing moodily in front of them before his eyes roved to study Discombobulation, as the earth pony asked coldly: "What do you want?"
"What does everypony want? Power and respect." Ignominious halted, looking over the Draconequus with disgust as Discombobulation gazed icily back down, unnaturally tense and serious, his arms crossed and his features emotionless. "You have strange allies, Scrivener Blooms. Nightmare Moon and an incarnation of madness from Ginnungagap, as well as mortal ponies and a few other freaks... what a jolly little band you all make..."
"Silence, wretch!" snarled a voice, and Luna landed a moment later beside Scrivy, Ignominious wincing backwards as the winged unicorn leaned forwards aggressively, her eyes glowing as she asked furiously: "And tell me why I should not peel thee apart in the here and now, monster?"
Ignominious gritted his teeth, glaring at her before he stepped forwards, the two snarling at each other before the dark equine said contemptibly: "Because I haven't yet given you a reason, and you're still bound by the old laws and codes of honor, Luna. So I've come with a proposition: let's settle things, tonight. Here, upon this bridge... you and your precious Scrivener Blooms, in a battle to the death with me. I still remember the old ways, of knights and paladins... it'll be just like old times, Luna. Before you betrayed me. Before you... drove me into turning into this!"
He gestured violently at himself, the screaming faces that made up his body all pushing outwards for a moment against his hide as Luna winced a bit... but then Discombobulation leaned to the side, saying distastefully: "A competent and self-confident person is incapable of jealousy in anything. Jealousy is invariably a symptom of neurotic insecurity."
"Do not speak in my presence, hideous patchwork doll!" Ignominious snapped, snarling up at Discombobulation, and the Draconequus reared back as the demonic horse's horn glowed. "What does your brainless kind know of mine, or of Helheim? Thriving on chaos, nothing but the rats in the garbage heap of the universe, nothing but-"
Discombobulation glared as he clapped his hands twice, and a moment later a great burst of snow fell from the air, crashing on top of the demon and burying him completely before the Draconequus nimbly sprung backwards and high into the air, flipping his body with all the grace of a ballerina before he put his hands out in front of himself and dove into the ground as if it was liquid, solid earth rippling like water as the hell horse buried under snow gave a roar of frustration beneath the heavy ivory drift. It burst apart into steam and water, Luna and Scrivy both grimacing in disgust at the reek that went up as Ignominious snarled back and forth, looking infuriated before Luna said coldly: "We accept your challenge. We meet on Charger's Crossing at midnight. We battle beneath the moon."
Ignominious looked almost surprised at this, glancing towards her before Luna stepped forwards and bowed her head towards him, her horn gleaming... and the demonic equine gritted his teeth, then he stepped slowly towards her as well, lowering his own horn and tapping it twice against Luna's before they straightened and glared at each other for a few long, uneasy moments.
Then, slowly, Ignominious stepped backwards, his body slowly fading to smoke and dust as he said softly: "I'll be waiting, Luna Lightblade, for you and your precious husband... we'll finally prove who's better after all these long years..."
"Aye, Ignominious, that we shall." Luna said quietly, watching the demonic equine fade slowly from reality... and then she closed her eyes and silently turned, dropping her head against Scrivy's neck as he wrapped a foreleg around her, the two silently sitting in front of the bridge, feeling the hidden corruption of Helheim pulsing around them, both anxious for what lay ahead... and with a terrible, dark eagerness pulsing in their mixed soul.
The skies cleared: whether by themselves or because of magic, Luna was unsure... but by the time they'd returned to camp, the sun had set, and the clouds had begun to part... and now, the moon hung in the sky, a gleaming ivory sphere that shone silent white light down over them all, the crisp, still night air letting the faintest whispers of the running water in the distance carry towards where they had set up the encampment.
The wagons were pulled in tight, and tents had been set up... but many of the ponies were wary, staying on guard not just because of whispers in the bushes, but the sense of unease that ran back and forth through the camp. Bonfires had been built all throughout the field they had taken over, and yet the darkness suffocated them, and the ugly, half-frozen wood they had gathered did little to feed the ravenous hunger of the flames. Even magical fire seemed muted... and Luna didn't like what it implied, what it seemed to stand as an omen of.
Minotaurs stood on guard, and Cowlick polished a rifle as she quietly explained the mechanics of a gun to several gathered ponies who wanted to be better outfitted. Pegasus Guard flew short patrols, their golden armor reflecting light of moon and stars as they sailed almost silently through the air and landed regularly to check both numbers and report their sightings. And near the center of the camp, Twilight, Fluttershy, and Scarlet Sage were resting close, with Applejack and Rainbow Dash both still dressed for battle, and even Pinkamena and Pinkie Pie both quiet nearby. Pinkie Pie was out of her armor, but Pinkamena was still ready for battle, not at all tired as the two polished her weapons almost compulsively... and out of the corner of her eye, Luna watched as Pinkamena grimaced and caught Pinkie's hoof, muttering to her: "Don't polish it like that, idiot, you'll cut the rag and your stupid self. Here, like this..."
Luna smiled a little despite herself, glancing towards Scrivy... and the male rolled his shoulders with a grimace, flexing his body against his armor as he asked quietly: "Are we ready?"
"Aye, almost. Come, Scrivener Blooms." The two picked themselves up from beneath the shadows of the wagon that half-concealed them, Luna glancing up towards the shimmering stars overhead before she murmured: "I hate that I look so forwards to the battle ahead. And both myself and Nightmare Moon... how eager we are to finally be given a chance to squash Ignominious back into his place."
Scrivy grunted in agreement, then followed Luna forwards to the edge of the campfire, Twilight glancing up at them with a small smile as Luna leaned down and said quietly: "Listen well. All of thee feel it, I know... the poison in the air, the sense of lurking doom. I do as well, and know that Ignominious may have some scheme in play, to try and distract us. He is not to be trusted... he has always been a coward, and a fool, and thought himself a master of deception when he is far from it.
"I do not fear what he will bring against myself and Scrivener Blooms. His pride means he will doubtlessly first challenge us as promised, with horn and hoof before he plays his dark magic tricks." Luna hesitated, then she said softly: "But the encampment will need to be closely secured, and closer watched. Subtle evils may move in the darkness, brought forth by him to try and distract us or destroy those we hold dear if he cannot kill us. Twilight Sparkle, thou and thy friends... all must do their part. Be wary."
"I will. I promise I'll take care of everyone." Twilight said quietly, then she stood up and leaned forwards, kissing Luna's cheek, then Scrivy's, before she smiled a little and stepped back, murmuring: "For luck."
The two smiled, then Luna bowed her head forwards and said softly: "Thou hast our thanks, Twilight Sparkle... but fear not. We need no luck against Ignominious... our matched skill shall be more than sufficient to fight the creature. Come now, Scrivener Blooms... it is time we go."
"Please be careful." Scarlet Sage whispered, and the two looked at her, then nodded slowly, and the filly smiled faintly up at them before she curled tightly back against Fluttershy as the Pegasus added her own nervous smile to the pair.
Other ponies wished them well as they made their way out to the road, and Luna and Scrivy gazed quietly back and forth before the male glanced down with a laugh as Sammy chirped at him, the earth pony leaning down and saying quietly: "Head back to camp, old friend. This isn't a fight for you."
Sammy huffed a little, glaring up at him with his blue-flame eyes, and Luna smiled as Scrivy leaned down a bit even as they continued to stride slowly down the road, the male murmuring: "I know. I promise I'll come back in one piece... Luna and I both will. Now go on. Besides, you can help keep an eye out for anything that Ignominious might throw that way."
The skeletal pseudodragon chirped quietly after a moment, then it finally leaned forwards, nipping Scrivy's leg before turning and running quickly back towards the encampment, and Luna shook her head slowly as she murmured: "'Tis strange, Scrivener Blooms. When he is there, I do not always remember his presence. And yet when he is gone..."
"I know. That's why he's always been a good friend to have." Scrivy said softly, facing forwards, and the two smiled a little under the stars together as they strode onwards, their breathing moving in time, their thoughts swirling as they prepared themselves for what laid ahead.
Charger's Crossing seemed abandoned as they approached it... but as the two ponies made their way slowly up the ramp, the sense of malevolence grew, and the moment they crested onto the top of the miles-long bridge, their eyes locked on the figure of Ignominious standing some thirty feet away, calmly waiting for them as the demonic horse called coldly: "You're late."
"I think not." Luna replied icily, and the two ponies strode forwards until there was only ten feet or so of space between themselves and the smoky unicorn, the two ponies bowing their heads deeply... and both were almost surprised as Ignominious sighed drolly, but returned the low bow with a look of distaste. "And now, shall we set rules that thou will undoubtedly break? Or shall we simply move into the melee, and act surprised when thou cheats?"
"Do not treat me like some wretched criminal, Luna, I was a paladin, a knight of the highest order. I remember the protocols and laws of the duel... we battle with horn and hoof until the other is dead." Ignominious straightened, looking grimly across at them as he said distastefully: "The old magic shall be permitted, but no telekinesis, no additional tools. And nothing that would threaten our battleground, no calling allies to aid you, either... and no Nightmare Moon. This is not between me and her. This is between me and you, Luna... and your slave-hoof gigolo."
Luna didn't take the bait, however, bowing her head respectfully as the holstered telescopic spear over her back shone and lifted slowly free, spinning once before it expanded to full height, Ignominious wincing... then looking strangely-relieved when it flew backwards and stabbed downwards into the solid stone, burying easily through the ancient, weathered rock of the bridge and standing like a tall marker. "Very well. I accept these terms of the duel. Now tell me, Ignominious, of Ekleíp, of whom thy serves... of what lays beneath the trunk of this tree of evil, of what feeds the roots of darkness."
Ignominious only shook his head slowly, laughing quietly before he looked up at her callously. "And why should I? You already know too much, little Luna. Besides, I'd much rather show you afterwards... after I kill you, and bring you back as my faithful little toy, so we can be together forever and you can understand what a petty mistake you made, but don't worry... of the countless thralls I have, you'll always be my favorite... you'll always have a place in my heart."
"We shall see who kills who yet." Luna said quietly, and she and Scrivy both closed their eyes, the female's starry locks and tail swishing backwards as Scrivy leaned forwards, body tensing, muscles flexing against the armor covering him, feeling their minds, emotions, souls swirling together, linking in indescribable ways before they both looked sharply up as Ignominious charged brashly forwards, lowering his horn and mistaking their concentration for a moment of lowered guard.
Immediately, Luna leapt forwards, lashing her horn down as it glowed blue, and it clashed against Ignominious's own blackly-lit horn as he tried to push forwards against her... and then Luna snarled and flexed, twisting the natural weapon slightly and shoving fiercely forwards to knock the hell-horse staggering with a grunt of shock at her raw strength before Luna dropped flat to the ground as Scrivy leapt overtop her, a front hoof smashing across Ignominious's face and knocking him another step back with a curse of surprise before the earth pony's other hoof slammed into his jaw.
The demonic unicorn howled in frustration more than pain as he reared back and swept his hooves at Scrivy, the earth pony ducking and then wincing as he sidestepped to avoid both a crushing drop of the demon's front hooves as well as a vicious lash of his horn, and then the smoky stallion winced and backstepped when Luna lunged at him, one of her hooves smashing down before she thrusted viciously, the male barely parrying her attack before he lashed his horn sideways when Scrivy pounced towards him to drive him back.
The two attacked savagely, moving in perfect rhythm, Ignominious struggling to keep them from landing blows against his body before he suddenly burst backwards into dark smoke, a terrible pall of smog that rushed some twenty feet back along the bridge before he reformed and lashed his horn downwards with a shout of: "Enough games!"
A black fireball shot towards Scrivy, but the earth pony fearlessly charged forwards as Luna's eyes and horn glowed, a shield of blue light appearing in front of the male that the black fireball harmlessly exploded against in a burst of ashen mist before the barrier vanished a moment later, Scrivener Blooms leaping through the smoke towards the demon... but Ignominious stepped forwards with a snarl, lashing his horn upwards and meeting the earth pony, ripping a narrow gash through his armor along his chest that made him curse and stagger backwards before the demonic stallion tried to press the advantage, headbutting Scrivener Blooms savagely.
It made the earth pony wince and stagger backwards as skull cracked against skull, but then he slammed his own head firmly forwards, forcing back against him as the demonic stallion winced, now unable to bring his horn lashing down... before he gargled when Scrivy's hoof slammed up into his throat, staggering backwards and coughing before a hoof crashed across his face, the demon knocked off balance as he stumbled as if stunned.
Luna rushed forwards before he could recover, her horn lashing down and Ignominious barely managing to get his own in the way, but she struck with such force that his head was knocked towards the ground before she reared back, her hooves slamming in a merciless series of jabs against his features and skull as he howled in pain, half-leaping backwards, horn glowing as he started to prepare some spell... but before he could, Luna leaned forwards, her own horn and eyes releasing a sharp, stunning flash of light straight into the black eyes of the demonic stallion, Ignominious releasing a roar of frustration as he stumbled stupidly and shook his head wildly before Luna nimbly slipped forwards and twisted her head around to slam her horn upwards, burying it into his breast.
White cracks ripped through the demonic horse's body as he shrieked in shock and pain, his back arching and eyes bulging before a blast of force erupted upwards as Luna snarled and shoved forwards, the smoky stallion sent crashing onto his back. And, immediately, Scrivener Blooms shot past Luna, the earth pony half-pouncing over Ignominious before he rained a savage, precise series of blows down into the demon's stomach and ribs with his front hooves, mercilessly smashing down into the undying creature as Ignominious howled in misery.
He spasmed, then slammed both rear hooves into Scrivy's body, knocking him flying backwards... but Luna leapt forwards, her wings flapping open as she leapt upwards and caught Scrivener against her own body, the two gritting their teeth as armor clanged together before he dropped from the air like a stone and bowed deep: a moment later, Luna dropped as well, landing on Scrivy's upper back, body tensing and flexing as she leaned forwards and her wings spread wide as Ignominious began to haul himself upwards, gasping... and then Scrivener threw his body forwards as Luna kicked off him at the same instant, her wings flapping to give her additional momentum that sent her shooting like a missile into Ignominious as she dropped her head forwards, her horn ramming again through his chest and carrying the heavy demonic stallion backwards with a gargle of shock before her wings flapped as she kicked savagely off the ground, snarling in effort as she hefted the heavy body of the demonic unicorn into the air with her, horn staked through the beast's cold heart.
She carried him upwards, twenty, thirty feet, wings flapping, body burning with power and bloodlust and violent exhilaration before she spun once, Ignominious limp and howling, his limbs barely twitching with the shock ripping through his system before she half-flipped and whiplashed him downwards, the creature launched like a meteor towards the bridge... and then the rear hooves of Scrivener Blooms smashed into his spine just before he could strike the ground, snapped almost in half as he was sent crashing down the bridge, hitting the stone and rolling violently several times before he came to a broken halt in a limp pile, the demon shivering and smoking as Luna dropped down beside her husband and the two breathed hard, glaring towards the wrecked hell-horse.
White cracks pulsed throughout the black body of the creature, and corrupt ichors dripped from his jaws as his black eyes fluttered, steam and smoke both hissing up from his body before he groaned quietly as he carefully began to push himself to his intangible hooves, the terrible, ivory wounds slowly pulsing closed as his broken body snapped itself visibly back together, snarling and humiliated as he rasped: "Impossible... absolutely impossible..."
"Thou art the same as thou was in life, Ignominious... overconfident and bold, skilled mayhap... but the moment things ceased to go thy way, the moment a blow was landed, thy will and skill both shattered like cheap glass." Luna said disgustedly, and Ignominious snarled at her, then groaned as he clutched at the white rift in his chest, more corruption leaking from his jaws as he cursed under his breath weakly. "Come, shall we have a second round? Scrivener Blooms and I can keep this up all night. There is no force in this universe that could defeat us together... and even apart, thou art no match for either of us. Nothing but a bully who preys upon the weak, a gullible moron who fails again and again to realize that the creatures he thinks he's being so sly in manipulating are only using him... Ignominious, I would pity thee if I had pity left to spare in my heart."
"And I'm the arrogant one? Very well, Luna... let's see how true your words are." Ignominious said coldly, straightening and snarling in pain as he rose his head, his horn beginning to glow with terrible black light, as the winged unicorn set herself and Scrivener Blooms narrowed his eyes. "This special surprise was meant for Celestia, but I think you deserve it even more... lured by a hundred sacrifices to where Helheim's presence has made reality thin... let's see what 'love' can accomplish against an endless destroyer!"
Ignominious reared back, horn snapping upwards and releasing a terrible pulse of power... and Luna and Scrivy both looked down in shock as the bridge beneath them rumbled, red runes pulsing into reality along its length, the river bubbling as the poisoned water glowed ominously for a few moments before it rapidly began to freeze over as the temperature plummeted terribly, and the demonic unicorn grinned savagely as Luna leaned forwards, shouting: "Fool! Hast thou still not learned caution, that Helheim does not give gifts without cost and peril? What evil hast thou wrought upon us now?"
"I am a demon now, they have no further reason to betray me!" Ignominious shouted in return, then he laughed as cracks tore through the glowing ice that now covered the strait, reality trembling violently before geysers of black smoke erupted upwards here and there, quakes ripping through the bridge and cracking the ancient, weathered stone as Luna and Scrivy fought for balance. "You'll suffer in his coils, Luna, you'll-"
Something massive and thick ripped up out of the ice, lashing upwards and smashing through the bridge as if it was paste, and Scrivy and Luna both winced and leapt backwards as a section of the immense stone structure tore free, listing slightly to the side as a pillar cracked and sank several feet beneath it... and Ignominious, meanwhile, was knocked flying backwards before he scrabbled wildly at the bridge as a large section of the cement he was on was sent rocketing upwards, cursing under his breath in dumb surprise as more thick coils ripped out of the ice here and there, twisting skywards, all doubtlessly part of the same great beast.
Scales of green and blue-purple covered these lengths, armor-like, and a ridge of thick spines spilled along the top of the creature... but each coil was at least as thick as the stone bridge they stood upon, slithering and shimmering beneath the moonlight as chunks of ice and sleet fell from the twisting span. Reality around the awful lengths trembled as Ignominious forced himself to stand, looking down at them imperiously from where the chunk of heavy stone bridge had been knocked into the air... but before he could speak further, it rumbled before collapsing forwards, and the demonic equine snarled as he lunged backwards and burst into black smoke that shot backwards and landed on a still-secure section of bridge further back with another curse of surprise.
The large section of stone toppled downwards as the pillars collapsed beneath it, crushing through the ice... and into not water, but a terrible maelstrom of corruption and poison that swirled violently downwards, Luna snarling at the sight of this immense, awful rip in reality that the coils were slowly pushing their way upwards and through, more of the ice that had layered the top of the river yanked down into this... and then a terrible, snake-like head emerged with a terrible hiss, amber eyes glaring with destructive lust upwards from its thin skull, its jaws opening wide to reveal countless ugly, blade-like teeth, long, shark-like fins standing out of either side of its skull as the immense monstrosity reared upwards. And both memories and stories spilled through Luna's mind as she stared at this thing's alien, horrific features before she snarled, the bridge beneath their feet cracking as the serpentine monster began to wend its way forwards, massive body twisting endlessly outwards through the ice and over the awful black vortex as more coils tore their way upwards both near and far. "Ignominious, idiot! The monster will destroy everything! That is no servant of Helheim, that is Jormungand! Thou must seal the portal!"
Without waiting for a response, Luna spun around with a curse, her horn glowing as she snapped her head upwards... and in the distance, the spear still buried in the cracked bridge rattled before it tore free and shot towards her as Luna's wings spread and she took to the air. And then her eyes widened in disbelief at the sight of Scrivener Blooms, hearing in their mixed mind and soul what he intended to do as he leapt from the stone bridge and ran along the thick, immense length of the serpent's coils to jump to another stone platform, the winged unicorn shooting down towards him-
Jormungand roared as it caught the movement, its enormous head and jaws lashing upwards, and Luna cursed as her wings caught the air and sent her rocketing backwards: the monster's jaws snapped closed a moment later in the space she had been before, and on instinct, Luna snarled, her eyes glowing as the spear shot down with the instinct of a scorpion's tail, ripping once, twice, thrice through the nose of the creature and sending up bursts of greenish blood as the monster hissed in fury more than pain. "Thou will have to try harder than that, monstrosity!"
Scrivy, meanwhile, snarled as he threw himself into a wide leap that carried him onto a half-broken pillar, before jumping onto another of the monster's slippery-but-wide coils, cursing as his hooves skidded slightly before he managed to throw himself forwards, charging along its body as his eyes locked on the demonic equine standing on the broken bridge that was still a good distance away, shouting: "Give it up, slave-hoof, there's no way you can-"
Then he cursed as cracks spread through the bridge as another of Jormungand's coils rose up, smashing against a pillar and knocking it out of place, and behind Ignominious, the stone bridge cracked and tore, concrete crumbling as it listed slowly forwards... and Scrivener Blooms threw himself forwards in a wild leap as the coils beneath him twisted suddenly and the bridge listed towards him, landing on the edge as Ignominious skidded down the now-inclined stone before he winced and spun around, the badly-beaten demonic unicorn cursing as he scrambled upwards and then burst apart into black smoke that shot into the air, then dropped down in an arc onto the next portion of bridge.
Scrivy was right behind him, however, leaping upwards despite his aching muscles and landing in a sprint, barreling towards the demonic unicorn's back as the weakened creature winced before the male tackled him and slammed him down, pinning him as he shouted: "You know Luna and I are soul-bound! I know what she knows... and she knows that horrible thing will kill us all unless you close that damned portal you've opened right now!"
"Liar, Jormungand and gods do not exist! Only demons, only Helheim, only broken ghosts!" Ignominious rolled suddenly, knocking Scrivy loose before he leapt to his hooves and spun around, giving a sloppy slash of his horn... but it was unexpected, and caught Scrivy across the face, making him wince as his cheek was torn open before Ignominious grinned and leapt forwards, overeager... and both of Scrivy's front hooves slammed up into his throat, halting him in midair and making his eyes bulge and the demon gag as he was knocked backwards, clutching at his crushed larynx as he convulsed on the ground.
Luna winced as a cut was torn open on her own cheek, but the terrible serpent was keeping her too busy to see where Scrivener Blooms had chased Ignominious, as she shot around in a wide arc with the spear trailing behind her, the serpent greedily stretching after her: worse, more and more of its coils were emerging through the portal, the essence of Helheim growing worse in the air... and if they couldn't convince Ignominious to close the portal soon, there would be too much power in the air for any of them to stop it.
She spun suddenly around, and the monster opened its jaws too little, too late as she shot forwards, her hooves crashing into her forehead as she stomped viciously down along its skull and down the back of its neck, her spear stabbing in a savage trail behind her as Jormungard howled before it snapped its head back and forth. She was able to harry it, to even wound it... but the serpent was simply too large for her to be effective against it, and it healed unnaturally fast, worsening the odds. They needed to force it back down through the portal... and she snarled as she shot up into the air as it bit wildly at her before descending fast, the snake shooting after her with another roar of outrage and hunger as she worked to distract the beast while looking back and forth for Scrivy and Ignominious.
And, on the bridge, Ignominious leapt at Scrivy, lashing his horn back and forth, black fire ripping through the air with each swathe, and Scrivener cursed as he winced and sidestepped, then tripped on a crack in the stone bridge and cursed as black flames crashed against his staggering form like a tide, knocking him backwards as pain ripped through his form. Ignominious snarled, leaping towards the earth pony, desperate for a fatal attack... and Scrivener dropped low and threw his body against the demon, knocking him staggering backwards with a groan of pain as the white wounds in his body spread wider in a pulse for a moment before sealing slightly again, cursing under his breath. "Even... with Luna's powers, Luna's knowledge, and her strength added to yours, you're... you're nothing but a slave hoof... and Luna's nothing but... selfish, stupid... crowbait! You can't beat me, earth pony!"
Scrivy gritted his teeth as Ignominious glared at him furiously, and then the earth pony stomped his hooves downwards and dropped his head forwards, taking a slow breath... and Ignominious frowned at him darkly, tilting his head before Scrivener opened an eye and said distastefully: "I don't have to beat you. See, unlike you... I'm not alone."
Ignominious frowned... and then he screamed as Luna's spear ripped through his body and pinned him in place, the winged unicorn grinning in savage pleasure from where she was circling some fifty feet away as Jormungand lashed towards her... and then she turned her eyes towards the serpent, electricity crackling over her body as her eyes glowed white and she shouted: "Enough!"
A blast of lightning ripped from the skies, crashing into the monster's snout and knocking its head downwards as it shrieked in surprise, before Luna arched her back, wings flapping powerfully as several more titanic blasts of lightning smashed into the creature's skull, its head twisting back and forth as it howled and roared in misery, scales and features smoking, blinded in the flash of thunder and electricity as Luna propelled herself quickly backwards and half-spun to shoot towards where Ignominious was pinned... but then she suddenly shot downwards, seizing a broken length of iron chain dangling from a shattered rampart in her jaws before arching her back and lashing upwards as the chain glowed blue.
It ripped itself free from the wall before she snapped her head forwards, the chain whipping outwards and violently wrapping around Ignominious's neck several times before locking itself into place, and the demon gagged hard before Luna spat the chain out and shot upwards into the air, glaring over her shoulder and hauling Ignominious upwards with telekinesis. The length of the spear was forcibly ripped through his body, making him howl again in wretchedness and anguish as he was jerked into the sky, form trying to become smoke... but the iron chain around his neck, kept tight by her mental powers that held it high and dragged him violently along beside her stopped him, the male yelling miserably as his limbs flailed and he dangled helplessly: "Put me down, stop it, stop this!"
"Gladly." Luna said grimly, as she circled high in the air... and Ignominious looked down with horror to see not just the blackness of the maelstrom beneath him, but the mighty serpent Jormungand as it snarled up at them, still half-blind from the storm of lightning but sensing the demonic unicorn, hungrily opening its jaws as it began to twist itself towards him. "Not even thou shalt survive eternity in that thing's stomach... so the deal is thus. Close the portal, demon, before Jormungand can drag its scaly coils all the way into our world... or be its first snack. The choice is thine."
Ignominious opened his mouth with a snarl... and then he kicked weakly and looked down in terror at the sight of the snake hissing and beginning to lean up further, its jaws slowly opening wider as its forked tongue tasted the air before he nodded rapidly, rasping: "I'll try, I'll... Luna, mercy, have mercy!"
"Only if thou closes the portal, and does it now!" Luna snarled, and Ignominious rasped and nodded violently before he clenched his eyes shut as he bowed his head forwards, horn sparking before it began to glow darkly... and immediately Jormungand hissed and then shot upwards, but Luna quickly shot upwards, yanking Ignominious on the chain behind her as the male gargled, eyes rolling wildly in his head even as he tried to continue to focus on the spell as he was dragged out of reach of the great serpent as its jaws snapped shut only on air. "Do it!"
"Then help me!" Ignominious shouted in a hoarse voice, and Luna snarled... but then bowed her own head forwards, her horn glowing as she focused on amplifying the dark magic of the demonic unicorn, her wings flapping as she dragged him higher into the air beside her and called out mentally to Scrivener Blooms.
Scrivy gritted his teeth, but then he bowed his head forwards as well, adding his own energies, his own concentration, following in Luna's lead... and geysers of steam and dark mist vomited up around Jormungand as the serpent roared and the maelstrom around it slowly began to shrink, its coils dragged down slowly but surely back into the vortex that had once been water as it snarled and writhed, trying to force itself upwards all the same. Its jaws snapped at the air and it howled in fury as lightning crackled around the beast, shrieking its rage and frustration at being robbed of its meal as it sank downwards, downwards, as its coils vanished, as bit-by-bit it was pulled deeper into the shrinking swirl of shadow...
And then it lashed upwards, shrieking in refusal, its jaws opening wide... and Luna's eyes snapped open, glowing ivory, her teeth sharp barbs as Nightmare Moon said lovingly through her mouth: "Poor, pathetic beast. Your hunger ends."
The vortex slammed shut, even as it lashed upwards... and Jormungard gargled, head launching upwards... but body gone, decapitated by reality sealing sharply closed, body on some other far-flung plane of reality and jaws snapping uselessly, long stump of neck spraying blood like an obscene rocket as its hungry, stupid eyes stared for a moment longer before it fell backwards and splashed down into what was once more only water, floating for a moment as it released a bubbly hiss before sinking slowly into the depths.
Slowly, Ignominious opened his eyes as Scrivy felt a shiver roll through his body, hearing Nightmare Moon's laughter even from the distance they were at before she turned towards him with a smile, flying easily through the air and dragging Ignominious behind her, the demonic unicorn still leashed by the iron chain before she flung him forwards... and he crashed to the ground limply, rolling a few times as the chains tightened for a moment, making smoke burst up from his crushed throat before they loosened suddenly. He gargled, clawing at this, shoving it free from around his neck before he winced and slowly straightened, looking blearily up to see Luna standing beside Scrivy... before the winged unicorn lunged suddenly forwards, spearing her horn into the demon's chest, making him howl in agony before she tore to the side and sent him crashing backwards.
He rolled bonelessly a few times, gasping, gagging, shivering in a broken heap against the ground as Luna's eyes flashed before returning to normal, and she snarled before shouting: "And now get out of my sight, wretched, depraved fool, but only after thou confesses what madness overtook thee to trust whatever beings told thee it would be wise to summon such a monster forth! Was it deluded, self-destructive Ekleíp? Or was it some laughing, maddened devil of Helheim? Idiot and fool!"
"It was all a part of the plan... all part of control, of power... Luna, selfish little Luna, Ekleíp wants you... for things not even I can lie about understanding. The legends of the Black Wolves of Hell, and bringing Ragnarok and all the monsters and darkness that will come with it... they worship and revile you in the same sentence." Ignominious panted hard as he forced himself to his hooves, trembling violently, body covered in white cracks and bleeding black smoke into the air... and most noticeable of all, there were fewer faces of ponies now pressing out against his frame, and they stared mindlessly instead of screaming silently. "Don't you... understand? I did this all for you... killing you will free you... I want you, here, with me... you've always been my favorite, beloved..."
Ignominious rasped quietly for breath... but Luna only shook her head slowly and then said softly: "Sad, pathetic creature. Thou art less than evil... thou art wretched and lost. Not insane... lost. And thou art weakened, and breaking down, more and more... get out of my sight, Ignominious. Go back to Helheim. Go back to whoever holds thy leash, I have killed thee enough times for tonight. But know it is not mercy that compels me... it is cruelty. I wish for thee to face thy masters, thy black idols... and tell them again, thou hast failed to capture or destroy me. Of the death of Jormungand. And bring them a message... tell them that soon, I shall be coming for them. Tell them I do not fear them. Tell them that I will stop them, and save Equestria, and save even my brother from icy Helheim."
The demonic unicorn grinned mirthlessly at this, however, looking up and saying quietly: "Oh, I don't doubt you could, Luna... but even though your brother stands as Helheim's greatest trophy... maybe it would have hurt him more if we'd left him alone, so that he could see what you're becoming."
Luna snarled... but Ignominious burst apart into black smoke that twisted upwards through the air before vanishing, and the winged unicorn clutched her eyes shut as she instead dropped herself against Scrivener Blooms, the male wrapping a foreleg around her as they sat silently on the broken bridge beneath the cold, ruthless light of the moon above |
Starlit Knights | Meddling And Machinations | Chapter Twenty: Meddling And Machinations
~BlackRoseRaven
Scrivener winced a bit as Luna slowly massaged along his bare back, his armor discarded, resting on the sleeping mat in the secluded comfort of the tent. He breathed slowly in and out, head resting down against a pillow, Luna gazing down at him quietly and the wound on her face healed... but a thin scratch still visible over Scrivy's own features, as she said quietly: "Thou did a reckless, stupid, silly thing. And I can feel the aches in thy form... thou hast gone and strained thyself again, just as thou did against Sol Seraph."
"What can I say? I had all your emotions in my dumb body." Scrivy mumbled, closing his eyes, and Luna smiled softly despite herself, her black pearl quietly bouncing against her chest as she worked her hooves slowly along his shoulders: it was the only thing she was wearing now. "You really don't have to do this, you know."
"Oh silence. Besides, thy discomfort is my discomfort..." Luna chastised softly, and Scrivener blushed a little as he buried the side of his face against the pillow. "Thou art brave and a little crazed, Scrivener Blooms. I would have simply given thee wings if I had known thou had the idea in thy head to chase down Ignominious before he could perhaps escape... it would have been the simpler solution."
"Well, you were busy with the giant snake." Scrivy said mildly, glancing over at her with a small smile. "Besides, I made it. Barely, but I made it... I guess that sometimes, my body forgets it can't keep doing what yours does. I'm not as strong as you, and I definitely don't have the endurance you do. Horses of Heaven you seem limitless sometimes, Luna... even now you're on your hooves, and I'm flat on my stomach, feeling like my joints are all frozen-up."
He stopped, then grimaced a bit, adding moodily: "And Charger's Crossing, well... that might lose us some time. Who knows how much of the bridge was damaged... we'll have to be careful travelling tomorrow... or today, rather, and you and Twilight will have to use magic to get us across. If you have the energy, Luna..."
"Aye, I should. We still have some time to rest..." Luna hesitated, then she sighed a little and bowed her head forwards, murmuring quietly: "Scrivener Blooms... I knew that creature. Just by gazing upon its face, and I know thou felt the surge of memories too... am I connected in some awful way to these, most terrible beasts of legend? And worse still... what wicked force would delight in tricking Ignominious into thinking such a monster could be controlled? I say the demons of Helheim, but even they would hesitate... aye, many prey upon us, many terrorize us, but 'tis rare they try to all-and-all destroy us. If there were no mortals upon the world, after all, there would be no creatures for them to feed upon and enjoy the torments of. 'Tis twisted logic, but... logic, all the same, that even they must nod to."
Scrivy closed his eyes, resting his head against the pillow as he sifted quietly through thought and memory... both his own, as well as Luna's. Then he smiled a little as she slid silently downwards, wrapping her forelegs around his neck and pressing her front to his back, curling herself over him as her starry locks tickled past his face and she murmured into his ear: "I love thee, Scrivener Blooms, dearly, direly. And I fear... what I mean for thee."
"Oh, yes, because between the two of us you're the less-useful one." Scrivy said dryly, and Luna grumbled and squeezed him firmly around the neck, the male smiling despite himself before he said softly: "I'd rather live with you like this than anywhere else, Luna. It's all meaningless without you in my life."
Luna smiled back, kissing the side of his neck gently before she looked at him curiously as he murmured thoughtfully: "And well... assuming Brynhild was a Valkyrie... and Valkyries, as the legends say, were the guardians of gods... maybe you fought the creature before. Jormungand... you called it a destroyer of worlds. Not that it'll be destroying anything anytime soon now..."
"Assuming, of course, that its body requires the head to live. We know much of monsters and demons and freaks of the supernatural, but little of gods and their machinations, Scrivener Blooms, they have always been the subject of myth and legend." Luna said quietly, resting down against him and murmuring: "But I suppose, thinking back, I and my siblings have always... leaned towards the old teachings, of Odin. Aye, that would make sense... oh, Scrivy, here I am, rambling about how this makes sense! What madness has come over me?"
"Life." Scrivener said simply, and Luna sighed moodily but nodded slowly, grumbling a bit under her breath as she curled herself closer down against him and nuzzled slowly against the back of his neck, and Scrivener laughed a little, feeling the warmth of the black pearl as it heated between their bodies, the male murmuring after a moment: "But it is... something we can maybe use to our advantage. You knew what the monster was... you seemed to know what it would do, what it could do."
"Aye, true... and that it would feast upon Equestria if freed. But 'twas only a beast at the end of the day... a great, vicious, hungry beast, but a beast all the same. We were fortunate, perhaps, that it lunged upwards even as its prison door closed... the metaphor, 'cutting the head off the serpent' has never proven truer." Luna muttered, shaking her head slowly before she sighed a little as she glanced upwards moodily. "I wonder if Celestia would have lost to the creature in a battle. I wonder if my memories rang true, or if it was only a false shadow, brought upon by stories and the madness Celestia has inspired me with."
"Well, we're all mad here. Discombobulation said that. Probably stole it from something else, but it's fitting." Scrivy shrugged a little, then he pushed his back up against Luna as she ground herself gently downwards, rubbing their bodies together as she huffed and dropped her head beside Scrivener's with a mumble. "And Ignominious..."
She snorted in disgust at this, making a distasteful face. "I hope they drag him back to Helheim and torture him ruthlessly for his failure. But nay, I know well that he will doubtlessly seek us out again... I am only glad that his surprise was not for the encampment, but for us." She stopped, then shook her head and muttered: "I hold nothing but contempt for him. I feel nothing but contempt for that... weak, pathetic creature. And I loathe myself... for knowing that I may have well played a part in making him what he became."
She quieted, and then smiled a little when Scrivener nudged her gently, thoughts and images spilling through their minds in a chaotic flow for a moment, along with emotions, both rampant and controlled... and she laughed a little, murmuring: "We are both tired. As always, our minds are... jarring the images. Visceral, raw: they sting, but soothe, like a needle of remedy. Perhaps we just rest... perhaps we should merge into dreams."
"Every time we dream together it's kind of horrible, Luna. I'm not saying horrible bad, don't get me wrong there, but it's... your memories, my imagination, Nightmare Moon's passions, all that and more." Scrivy said finally, and Luna shrugged amiably before she kissed the back of his head, the male rolling his eyes before he muttered: "We also need to be awake in a few hours. Twilight was worried about us when we got back... was even more worried when you told her we needed some quiet time to rest before you tried to explain things. She's probably outside the tent listening in on us or getting Discombobulation to spy on us or something."
"I would never spy on you, at least not without your consent. Voyeurism is a psychosexual disorder and a form of paraphilia." said the calm, familiar voice of the Draconequus, and both Luna and Scrivener glared upwards to see the chimerical creature lounging calmly against the ceiling of the tent in plain defiance of gravity, but a blindfold with white X's where his eyes were was tightly tied around his head as he sniffed disdainfully. "I don't like it in here. It smells of... desires, and dreams. Of wanting things, and of awful acts... even worse than physical ones, romance and cuteness, which are by far more disgusting things in and of themselves than anything you can do with your tangled bodies."
"What are you doing here, then?" Scrivy asked dryly, and then he winced when Luna pulled him protectively closer against her body, shielding him as she glowered moodily at the Draconequus and settled herself more firmly down against the male possessively. "Uh. Luna. You're squishing me."
"Be silent, Scrivener Blooms, Twilight Sparkle is trying to figure out ways to steal you away from me, and has obviously sent her minion to bait the trap." Luna said loudly, and Discombobulation reached up and slowly pulled one half of his blindfold up as he gave her a sour look. "Thou art evil, Bob. None may have him, not even Twilight. He is mine, all mine, my precious little Scrivy."
For a few moments, Discombobulation only looked at her as the earth pony sighed beneath her, and then the Draconequus said mildly, as if Luna hadn't spoken: "Twilight Sparkle sent me to 'keep an eye on you' as she phrased it. After I informed her that it would be bad manners and rather painful for me to pull someone's eye out of their socket and stick it to one of you, she became rather infuriated, so I decided to understand her metaphor this one time, as a small token of appreciation to her."
"See, I was right." Luna said clearly, straightening slightly as she stroked slowly along Scrivener's head and looked superiorly up at Discombobulation. "I have seen through thy ways and plan. Out with it, where is Twilight hiding?"
"Luna, you're just being creepy right now, not funny, if that's what you're going for." Scrivy said dryly, and Luna grumbled under her breath before the earth pony wiggled a bit, and the winged unicorn sighed as she slipped off him with a huff. "So where's Twilight, then? And when are you going to learn about personal boundaries?"
Discombobulation shrugged moodily, and then he pulled his bandana off, reaching up and unzipping a narrow hole in reality before he stuck his eagle talon through this... and a moment later, dragged a stunned-looking Twilight through the glowing space, dropping her to the ground with a flick of his wrist. "Tada. Two birds with one stone: Twilight Sparkle, Luna is back to being sane and Scrivener Blooms is once more irrational. Luna, here is Twilight Sparkle. And I think this also answers your question about 'personal boundaries,' which can never be personal, because you're always sharing them with someone else. Like everything else that's 'personal.' What a lying word."
"Do you ever listen to me?" Twilight snapped, glaring over her shoulder as Discombobulation dropped from the ceiling to land beside her, the hole in reality sparking shut above their heads as Luna and Scrivy smiled amusedly at each other.
"I listen to everything you say, Twilight Sparkle. For example..." Discombobulation closed one eye, looking as calm as ever before he spoke in a perfect mimic of Twilight's voice: "'I wish I could be as strong as Luna, but I'm not... or as brave as Scrivy. But... I'm not. Everyone thinks so much of me, but if I didn't always have my friends by my side, supporting me, pushing me to greater things... even back at Canterlot, I always had Princess Celestia to follow, and I worked to impress her... but never went beyond what was expected.' Etcetera ad nauseum."
Twilight gaped as Discombobulation cleared his throat, then he said in his own lucid, plain tones: "I'm always listening to you, don't think I'm not... if I wasn't, I could never be there for you when you really needed me. But that doesn't mean I'm going to willy-nilly run around nitpicking every last thing you say. I follow your orders close enough to get the job done, that's what matters at the end of the day... and look, here we all are together. You're a happy little strange family, but... I suppose you're happy, and you're not hurting anyone, and that's what matters."
He paused thoughtfully, studying them as Twilight continued to stare up at him, then the Draconequus turned and strode calmly out of the tent, leaving the violet pony to look after him for a few moments before she sighed and turned her gaze awkwardly to Luna and Scrivy, and the sapphire winged unicorn said seriously: "Thou cannot have my Scrivy. He is mine."
"I... oh, forget it. I'm just glad to see you two are okay." Twilight said softly after a moment, stepping forwards and embracing them both, and the two smiled and hugged her tightly in return before she pulled back, gazing quietly from one to the other. "We heard... a tremendous battle going on. And I felt magic, powerful magic... I guess it must have been Helheim's energies, because Pinkamena got really excited and Discombobulation got really serious. I was scared when... I mean..."
She bit her lip, blushing a bit... and Luna nodded before she said softly: "Worry not, we are alright. Scrivener Blooms merely overexerted himself, and there was a small issue with a large serpent. Ignominious was well-bested, though he may yet return... but he is weakening, I think. Slowly and steadily, we are wearing down the bonds that bind him together, tearing at the seams of his cohesion. Either way, he will not last forever... his benefactors will not generously permit him countless chances to work against us, after all. Either we shall kill him, or they shall."
Twilight nodded slowly at this, looking from one to the other before she smiled a little and leaned forwards, quietly adjusting Scrivener's glasses... and the male laughed a little despite himself, giving her a small smile in return. "You do look pretty messy. And you know, I think at this point, I'd be willing to fight an army of Nibelung just to have a bath..."
"Bah, we are clean enough." Luna said dismissively, waving a hoof airily. "But worry not, once we reach North Neigh, we shall indulge in life's smaller comforts. Besides, thy energies will be better put to use aiding me in temporary repair of Charger's Crossing, rather than battling dwarves for water."
"I... wait, what happened to the bridge?" Twilight asked sharply, frowning and leaning forwards, and Luna looked pointedly at Scrivener Blooms, who blinked, then glared at her.
"Hey, what are you giving me that look for? For one thing, it was Ignominious... for another, it's far more your fault than it is mine, you were the one playing with Jormungand." Scrivener said flatly, and Luna grumbled at him in response as Twilight continued to gape at the two. "It wasn't... entirely destroyed. Like Luna said, it'll just need some repair work."
"That was a national landmark! Couldn't... I... how did that even happen? What did you two do?" Twilight asked in a horrified voice, and Scrivener and Luna both mumbled like children before they winced when the winged unicorn leaned forwards, glaring from one to the other. "If Celestia finds out about this-"
"Oh, threaten us not with my sister's lecturing, thou art much worse." Luna grumbled, and Twilight narrowed her eyes at this, which made the sapphire winged unicorn clear her throat. "By which, of course, I obviously mean thou art far more responsible and I am far more willing to listen to thee than mine sister."
Twilight continued to glower at her, and Luna leaned backwards slightly before she glanced awkwardly over at Scrivener Blooms, asking in a whisper: "Is this how thou feels when I glare at thee? 'Tis not a good feeling, Scrivy. I do not wish to be pummeled."
"I'm not going to pummel you, Luna." Twilight rolled her eyes with a sigh, deflating slightly and looking sourly at the winged unicorn. "But more than a major landmark, that bridge is the only way for a lot of ponies to get across the Northedge Strait. Or was... we can't just... leave it like that, can we?"
Luna softened a little at this, stepping forwards and saying quietly: "I understand thy feelings, Twilight, believe me, I do. All too well... but nor can we afford to take the time and effort to repair such a monumental structure. We are fortunate, in fact, that the cost was no greater, that parts of the bridge still stand... and that we shall be able to cross come the morrow. But we must move onwards... the caravan cannot sit and wait."
"Well, what if we go and repair it now? I repaired a dam once... I can't imagine the process would be much different." Twilight grimaced a little, shaking her head and saying quietly: "I don't want to leave people stranded, Luna. I know we have to push forwards to North Neigh, but... do you really think anything serious will attack us tomorrow? Or that a pause to use our powers would really be so costly?"
The winged unicorn hesitated, then Scrivy reached up and touched her shoulder... and for a moment she was silent before muttering under her breath and reaching up to touch her forehead. "I... we may try. But the damage wrought upon the structure is wide, 'twill be draining. Worse is the composition... 'tis not merely heavy stone, 'tis ancient and 'twas supported upon pillars that stretched down countless feet into the river, many of which have now fallen out of place. I do not know how thou expects to work around this issue."
"We have to try." Twilight said softly, and Luna sighed a little, but nodded grudgingly after a moment with a grumble, and the violet winged unicorn smiled before she glanced to the side and said clearly: "Discombobulation, I may need... I mean, I would like your help with this. Or at least a suggestion."
There was only silence in return, however, and Twilight grumbled a bit to herself before she glanced at Luna, who only shrugged. She still looked pessimistic, but all the same seemed unwilling to refuse Twilight... and Scrivy smiled despite himself, knowing it was because for a moment she had remembered all the times in the past Celestia had turned her down, for better or worse, when she had just wanted to help.
They made their way quietly through the mostly-silent encampment, returning to the bridge... and they were both surprised to find Ross and Cowlick already standing at the riverbank, the earth pony grinning over her shoulder as she said amusedly: "If this is the kind of party you throw, Luna, remind me never to piss you off."
"'Tis perhaps four in the morn, Cowlick, thou should be sleeping with the others. As should thou, Ross." Luna replied dryly, looking from one to the other moodily... but when Cowlick only shrugged, she sighed a bit, looking instead towards Twilight... who was gaping at the sight of the warped, mostly-collapsed visible bridge. Entire large sections had broken away, pillars leaned wildly here and there, and it lay in various states of half-collapse and toppled, shattered glory, an immense, ruined causeway that had been devastated by Jormungand and worsened by the ebb and flow of both river and ice.
"You gotta straighten it out. Straighten it out first." Ross said kindly before anypony could speak, and Luna frowned a bit before glancing at Cowlick curiously as she nodded and smiled a little.
"The colt's right. Straighten it out, assess the damage and the holes, and stop those pillars from listing any further or the bridge from twisting. Looking at the way it's all cracked up, it was probably originally built in sections I'd say... Ross, what do you say?"
"Forty feet by fifty feet by thirty feet, rectangles, but the front rectangles are smaller, those are the middle rectangles, the body rectangles." Ross paused for a long moment, then he glanced towards Cowlick and smiled as she reached up and tenderly brushed a hoof through his mane. "That's why the pillars are spaced like that, I bet. With big spaces and then little spaces."
"See, he knows his hay from his horseapples. Besides, we can't leave this big old bridge like this, right?" Cowlick gave Luna a knowing look, and Luna gave a grumble but then finally nodded moodily. "Good. Ross, you give 'em a hoof too. Let him help, he's not as powerful as you two but he does at least have an idea of what to do."
Luna grunted, but she didn't argue even as Twilight frowned a little... but as Luna lowered her head, Twilight did the same, and Ross smiled, the unicorn lowering his own head forwards as he said quietly: "You gotta straighten them out first. Don't let them freeze that way... let them freeze after they're straightened out."
At first it made no sense... but as Luna and Twilight used their magic to begin moving the pillars - half-following Ross's instincts as the unicorn hummed a little and unknowingly acted as a guide - and straightened them slowly back into place, even as several sections of broken bridge further collapsed into the water, others fell back into place, cracked and damaged but almost miraculously staying upright and firm. Pillars ground into hidden depths and secret bases in the deep, wide strait, and fell into place... and Luna caught quickly on, freezing the water around the pillars they straightened, making stable, floating bases that helped lock the bridge into place as Ross murmured: "Fix what's broken, when I had parents, that's what my parents always said. Fix what's broken Ross, fix what's broken first..."
Ross began to stride forwards... and Luna flicked her horn with a grimace, the icy water hardening further as she and Twilight followed him, Ross frowning with effort as he began to repair small cracks around the pillars and over the bridge... and Twilight smiled faintly despite herself, closing her eyes, using her own magic to seal much larger cracks in the main body of the bridge closed, lifting chunks of fallen stone and locking them back into place like puzzle pieces. Cracks vanished and stone repaired itself as Luna froze the strait further and stretched pillars of ice up to the base of the bridge, hardening it into place as Scrivener Blooms and Cowlick followed behind the three.
The engineer grinned a little, whistling a bit to herself as they walked through the darkness over the ice, Ross half-directing the others as Luna spread ice through the wounds in the bridge, and Twilight gritted her teeth, making the ice crackle and then transform, frozen water turning into solid stone as Cowlick muttered: "Damn unicorns... damn lucky Ross. Look at that, turning water into stone, how the hell does that even work? Bridge ain't gonna look very pretty when it's done but..."
Then she whistled as Luna arched her back, eyes closed, and an entire pillar of ice transformed into blue stone, radiant light sparking off this as Luna grunted and Scrivener winced a little, feeling the length of it expanding downwards as Twilight flicked her own horn... and a pillar that had fallen out of place was dragged forcefully upwards, ripping through the ice in a spray of water as it locked firmly back beneath the bridge to Ross's delighted laughter before ice rapidly formed around it and helped seal it into place.
Scrivy glanced curiously at Cowlick, tilting his head as he asked: "Ross is lucky? The poor guy was used as a thrall by a cult because he's a little..."
"Addled? Sure, but dude's far from retarded, too." Cowlick shrugged, grinning a little as she looked at him. "Handsome, lives in blissful ignorance, doesn't philosophize about it or feel the need to, either, unlike you goddamn smart-types. Real talented, probably better at magic than most would give the poor slob credit for or he even seems to know himself, and now he's got a hot mare looking out for him. To me, that sounds pretty damn lucky at the end of the day."
Scrivener grunted a little, looking meditative before he bowed his head forwards, concentrating, sharing strength and focus with Luna as she bowed her head back, horn glowing brightly as heavy sheets of ice stretched into a large gap between one section of the bridge and another, transforming afterwards into crystalline stone... and then he grimaced a bit and twitched, Cowlick frowning a bit before the male gave an awkward smile. "No, sorry. I'm not disagreeing, but Luna and I were drained from the fight. Rebuilding things... even if she's doing it by making ice, then transforming one object into another... it's a little taxing."
"Well, you two broke it, you gotta fix it, just like Ross said." Cowlick replied easily, nudging him playfully before she frowned a bit as she leaned forwards and inspected him slowly. "Dude, she and you move the moon. How hard can this be compared to that?"
"The moon already exists, it just needs to be moved... guided." Scrivy replied dryly, glancing towards the unicorns with a wince. "Actually making something from nothing, well. That's a little different."
Cowlick nodded thoughtfully, looking ahead and saying musingly: "Never thought of it that way before... I get it, it's already real cold and there's already lots of water, thus, ice. And Luna's good at transforming stuff into other stuff, right? Like Rainbow Dash into Rainbow Dude."
"Like Rainbow Dash into Rainbow Dude." Scrivener gave Cowlick an amused look at this, then he closed his eyes as he heard a mental order from Luna, saying mildly: "Excuse me for a moment."
Scrivy turned forwards, then half-bowed towards the ice beneath his hooves, breathing slowly as he dropped his head, feeling his heart, his mind, his soul falling automatically into time with Luna's as she moved in time with him, mirrored him despite being a good twenty feet away... and then they both arched their backs as one, both releasing slow, easy breaths as their minds worked together, as their spirits worked as a singular force as Luna's horn glowed brighter... before an immense platform of ice and rock exploded upwards from the frozen strait, rumbling into place in the last large gap between either section of the bridge on wide, thick pillars of frost that crackled and rumbled before they rapidly became crystalline. The ice glowed as it hardened and then transformed, becoming blue rock that sealed itself against the rest of the bridge, a little uneven, a little messy in places... but all the same, locking into place as Luna and Scrivy both breathed slowly and straightened, shaking their heads and moving unknowingly in time before they both smiled... and Cowlick stared at the earth pony, flabbergasted, before she asked dumbly: "Did you... did you just do that?"
"Yes, Cowlick, I just..." Scrivener paused, then he only sighed, dropping his head and muttering: "Actually, I'm too tired now to give much of a sarcastic response for once in my life. That's... just what happens when Luna and I work together. It's... more than twice the power, more than twice the energy, more than twice the effect, and it puts half the burden on her and half the strain on me, making it easier to do big feats of magic, too."
"A serious answer from you of all ponies, you must be exhausted. Good news, though, looks like it's repaired, or at least mostly..." Cowlick whistled a bit again to herself, muttering: "God, if only I'd had a few good unicorns on the work crew in Manehatten, could have built a whole damn city block in the time it took them to put together one good shed. Hey, Ross, good work, now come on back here!"
"Okay." Ross said cheerfully, and he turned and trotted peacefully towards the earth ponies with a smile on his face as the winged unicorns dragged themselves behind the male, Luna looking exhausted and Twilight Sparkle smiling even through her own obvious tiredness.
"This is perhaps why Celestia always warned me against being too broad in my desires to help others, in the old days." Luna muttered, and she grimaced as she straightened, starry locks fizzing a bit around her. "Wretched Twilight Sparkle. Wretched Cowlick. I knew that to repair this ridiculous bridge, 'twould be draining and awful. And it was. It was indeed draining and awful, and I swear that should a single pony complain tomorrow about the travel over Charger's Crossing, I shall toss the offender into the strait and they shall swim through the icy water."
"But we did a good thing, Luna. Ponies can cross now... and if there is something up north, it's important we keep the routes open, isn't it?" Twilight looked at questioningly, and Luna groaned loudly but nodded resentfully. "And I... okay, it took a lot more out of me than I'd thought, because we had to create and transfigure so much, but... we might save lives. Isn't that what's important?"
"Oh quiet, thou reminds me of me. And worse yet, that puts me in the position of being Celestia, which I direly do not wish to be in." Luna said grouchily, and Twilight smiled before she stepped up beside the winged unicorn and pressed their sides together, nuzzling her affectionately and making Luna grumble, but smile a little as she half-arched herself away. "Meddlesome creature."
The violet pony only smiled a little, stretching her wings and rolling her head on her shoulders, and they joined the others, the group of five gazing over the bridge for a few moments, the handiwork of patchwork blue and white stone amidst the ashen gray... and then Cowlick smiled at them, saying easily: "Ross and me are gonna wander the bridge a little, you cool with that? Don't worry, we'll come back to camp soon, but I wanted to take a look over this structure, see what I could see, and now I guess there's actually a point to it instead of just wanting to indulge my need to puzzle out every little thing I come across."
Luna grunted and nodded after a moment, replying softly: "Very well, Cowlick, but ensure thou will be rested enough for today. I shall perhaps let the troops linger again, but not as long as before... we must ensure we reach at least Snow Saddle, if not push on into the barrens beyond by nightfall."
Cowlick nodded and saluted, and Ross smiled and nodded brightly, the unicorn saying happily: "It's a pretty bridge. Pretty bridges are always the easiest ones to cross."
Luna looked amusedly at the creature, but she only smiled and nodded before turning and leading the way back towards the camp, as Scrivener Blooms and Twilight Sparkle fell into step on either side of her... and when they reached their tent, Luna flopped down on the bedding and yawned loudly as Twilight and Scrivy both dropped themselves to either side of her, resting close as Luna murmured: "'Tis funny to see Cowlick with such a tender heart. But I suppose she has always been generous, beneath the bits of metal lodged in her body. Tell me, Scrivener Blooms, how would I look with such adornments?"
"I'm not answering that question, because either answer results in me being hit or you purposefully take whatever else I say the wrong way. Which also gets me hit." Scrivy said tiredly, and then he grumbled when Luna elbowed him lightly even as she snuggled back against him. "There, see?"
"Please don't turn into Cowlick, Luna. You're already plenty scary." Twilight added, and then she snorted when Luna huffed and hit her lightly as well before dropping her head forwards against her mane. "Well, sorry, but you and I both know it's kind of true."
"Aye, but there is no need to say it." Luna complained, grumbling as she buried her face against Twilight's dark locks, and Twilight smiled a little, closing her eyes as one of Luna's forelegs wrapped around her and pulled her a bit closer. "I am tired. I am sleeping now. And I shall inflict great pain upon thee both if either of thee moves away before I give my permission."
Twilight nodded as Scrivener grumbled a little against Luna's back, even as he curled himself a bit closer... and for a little while, there was silence, the three dozing together in quiet and comfort as Twilight's mind wandered through dreams and memories, thinking of everywhere she had been, everything she had experienced, the way she had grown and changed and the events that had all helped shape her into who she had become.
Then she yawned a bit as something squeezed her gently, before she winced as a voice that wasn't Luna's whispered quietly into her ear: "I wonder if Celestia watches us at times like this. I wonder how jealous my dear sister gets... but then again, she's never been like me, always a little too... distant. Ponies have always tried to hide their true desires in the darkness, not share them in the light, like they know it's safe to be themselves only in my embrace..."
Twilight looked down, the strong limb wrapped around her more than touched with darkness, but painted with it... and when she gazed over her shoulder, she saw cyan eyes with sharp, slit-like pupils that gazed down at her with both possessiveness and tenderness. The eyes of Nightmare Moon, the face of Nightmare Moon, as Twilight asked hesitantly: "Luna?"
"No, no, Luna's asleep, dear one." Nightmare Moon replied kindly, and then she laughed softly before she slowly rose up to her hooves... and behind her, Scrivener Blooms yawned before his eyes opened... and looked up without fear or surprise at the mighty, dark equine that regally stood and straightened, as grand as Celestia, almost too large for the tent to contain her, as her starry mane floated eerily around her body. "Darling husband."
"So Luna really did exhaust herself, and you've decided to take the chance to slip forwards..." Scrivy yawned a little again as he stood up, and then he smiled a little at her as calmly as if this were any other morning, glancing over her and saying quietly: "We have to lower the moon. We must almost be running late."
"Very well, I suppose I should. If only more ponies could be like you two... admirers of our gorgeous night." She paused thoughtfully, arching her back for a moment, long black horn almost touching the top of the tent before she leaned down and half-lidded her eyes at Twilight, who still gazed nervously upwards. "And you must cease to look at me so, Twilight Sparkle. It's like you forget how important you are to us both... we may not value you as deeply as we do our precious Scrivener Blooms, but you are a treasure we feel great pride for all the same... after all, we were once enemies. To have you so close to us after how we first met... it brings both Luna and myself great pleasure and satisfaction."
Nightmare Moon reached forwards, gently stroking under Twilight's muzzle, and the violet winged unicorn blushed a little before she said apprehensively: "It's not that... it's just... I mean, the others..."
"Oh very well." Nightmare Moon closed her eyes, bowing her head forwards, and her body glowed brightly before it shrank down, taking on Luna's frame and form... but when her eyes opened, they were still the eyes of Nightmare Moon, her expression was still subtly craftier: in a strange way more beautiful, in a hidden way more cruel. "For you, and for Scrivener Blooms, we shall disguise our true nature. But until Luna awakens, I shall retain control and keep things moving forwards, so she may rest her weary mind."
She paused, then gave a kind, tender smile to the earth pony, adding softly: "Worry not, dearest husband... she is fine. Only tired after so many stresses, and she needs time to get her memories in order... I think you feel them, don't you? Ticking quietly away, the pieces rising as if from the depths of the ocean, surfacing slowly, but surfacing all the same. Memories are buoyant: they must always naturally rise up."
Nightmare Moon smiled at him, gazing over him in a way that was hungry, almost predatory, and the male gave her an awkward smile in return before she rolled her head slowly on her shoulders, horn glowing and pieces of her discarded armor rising into the air as she said kindly: "Twilight Sparkle, my sweet. It is time to begin rousing the troops. We shall push them hard today... not for our sake, but their own. Luna forgets that unnecessary kindness can lead all too often to unnecessary weakness."
Twilight grimaced a little, but knew better than to argue as she nodded awkwardly and turned around, heading silently out of the tent, and Nightmare Moon gazed affectionately after her before she began to slowly, regally slip her way into her armor. Scrivy turned to gather up his own, but the female only gave a soft laugh, asking kindly: "No, no, beloved, don't be silly. I shall aid you... I shall always aid my handsome husband."
Scrivy gave her a look that was both entertained and discomfited as he said carefully: "You remember those talks we had before about control, right?"
"And you know that I only mean the best for you. I treat you like a king, do I not?" Nightmare Moon's tone was playful... and as always, far more dangerous than Luna's, as she slipped closer towards him even as her armor continued to gently lock and band itself into place over her body. "I do not understand what is so bad about me wanting to help you with everything... about my offers and my kindness. You call me perverse and dark... and yet you always do it with such a teasing gleam in your eye."
She leaned forwards, looking coy, almost-mocking... but what sometimes scared Scrivener most of all was that Nightmare Moon would never mock him. Even though she seemed to hold ultimate power over him, always doing every last little thing for him, all-but-carrying him gladly along... for all her absolute dominance and control, it was clear that if he wanted to, he could easily pull her strings. And she knew it... and seemed to even enjoy it.
Nightmare Moon, manifestation of Luna's inner darkness... and such deep inner darkness it was, as she gazed at him affectionately as her horn glowed a bit brighter, carefully beginning to slip armor lovingly over Scrivy's body. She was self-serving even when generous, she was proud even when she seemed to humble herself... she was like power and passion channeled into a living, breathing form. She was Luna, and she was not... and Scrivy hesitated for a few moments before he finally asked quietly: "The memories of Brynhild..."
"Such a bloodbath." Nightmare Moon laughed quietly, looking strangely exhilarated as Scrivy winced a bit... but he didn't know if it was because of the thrum of excitement he felt from her, or the interest that flared up in his own body. "Yes, beloved. I have spent much time receded because I have spent much time in the subconscious, twisting and twining amidst these memories, where I have left little Luna to wend her way through. She will awaken more as well, as she explores and accepts her past...
"It is the truth. We know it is the truth, it is just difficult to accept for Luna: a past beyond her already-faded memories of the past, and what hurts her more is that Celestia always knew they were never true siblings. It hurts her almost as much as how even now we cannot bear a foal... but at the same time, it gives us hope. The past is often the key to the future." Nightmare Moon paused as she fitted the last of the armor on, then she leaned forwards and traded a short, gentle kiss with Scrivy, the male feeling a little awkward as always at such contact with this darker part of Luna's soul, much as he found her... terribly alluring, in a way, as well. "Now come. We end glorious night, and let Celestia bring rise to the loneliness of sunlit day."
Scrivy nodded, and Nightmare Moon smiled at him before she glanced down with a quiet laugh as Sammy nervously chirped up at her, the winged unicorn saying kindly: "Do not be silly, thrall Samael. I shall not hurt you. I cannot bear to bring pain to the heart of my precious treasure."
Sammy chirped nervously again, then skittered backwards and quickly climbed up onto Scrivy's back, pawing at the back of his mane apprehensively as Nightmare Moon laughed softly and shook her head, pushing her way out of the tent. The earth pony sighed but followed, and then he winced a bit when Nightmare Moon only flicked her horn, the tent rapidly beginning to collapse as their sleeping mats and other odds and ends from inside rolled themselves up and neatly began to pile themselves, Scrivener saying awkwardly: "I can-"
"You can, yes, but you don't need to, my precious treasure. Allow me... it is but a gesture." Nightmare Moon replied kindly, and then she glanced up at the moon and smiled slightly, her horn giving another faint glow as she only bowed her head slightly... and the ivory sphere responded, seeming to thrum before it slowly sank down and passed beyond the horizon, the winged unicorn's eyes glowing eerily in the shadowy darkness that overcame the world for a few moments before the sun began to slowly rise. "Sister is so eager... she waited every morning to raise her glorious sun. She never liked the fact we were able to raise the moon, either... she is not fond of it. She prefers the stars and the empty night sky... they are like her, distant and cold. The moon is a purifier, a diluter... it takes the sun's poisonous rays, and makes them into calm glory."
Nightmare Moon halted, looking thoughtfully at the ground for a moment before she smiled and glanced up as several ponies approached: Pinkamena, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash, the dull-gray earth pony saying distastefully: "Well, what fresh hell are we up for today Night..."
Her words fell slack as she looked at the winged unicorn, who smiled back, her eyes almost glowing, and Pinkamena seemed to pale a little before she cleared her throat, the others staring at her before Pinkie Pie winced and fidgeted, bouncing on the spot as she seemed to understand while the others only gaped as Pinkamena mumbled: "Sorry. What I meant to say was uh... we... were just curious about what we were doing today."
"Also it's really early." Rainbow Dash said helpfully, and then he winced when both Pinkie and Pinkamena glared at him over their shoulders pointedly. The Pegasus grumbled a bit, then looked up and met Luna's eyes... and his own irises slowly widened as he seemed to understand who he was looking at, wincing a little. "Uh... Luna?"
"No, you know better than that, Rainbow Dash... we've only met once since that fateful day in the Everfree Forest, but I know I left an impression on you." Nightmare Moon said kindly, and Rainbow Dash nodded and bowed his head forwards, leaving Applejack frowning... but then she quickly seemed to put everything together, grimacing and bowing her own head. "I know you and your friends aren't overly fond of me... but Luna needs sleep. So you'll all listen well, won't you, my treasures? But do not fear... the Starlit Knights are mine, after all. I would never harm what is mine... not even those Pegasus Guard who Celestia has sent with us."
She smiled with strange affection, glancing upwards for a moment before looking towards Pinkamena, her voice scintillating, kind: "To answer your question, half-demon, we will be marching over Charger's Crossing, and from there, we will head to Snow Saddle. We will push towards the barrens today... we may push through the awful terrain tonight, after we have time to assess and Luna is more awake. She worries for her treasures... I sometimes forget that not all are as hardy as ponies of the past."
The four nodded ,and Pinkie Pie and Pinkamena shared an awkward look before the bouncy, fluffy pink pony glared pointedly at Pinkamena, who grimaced and glowered at her in response before Pinkie jerked her head several times towards the winged unicorn, who looked curious... and Pinkamena sighed, rolling her eyes before she looked forwards and said moodily: "Sissy swears up and down that she saw Velites last night. I think she's just lying for attention or for a flank-pat because she likes being the center of her own little universe."
"But while I was walkin' around this morning and cleaning up, I found tracks. Hoof tracks, but real light, real clumped-up. Don't think they were from any of our boys because they were back away from the campsite." Applejack added, jerking her head towards the forest. "I can't say for sure, but..."
"You have a suspicion. Yes, it would not surprise me." Nightmare Moon said thoughtfully, looking over the four with a gentle smile, even as her eyes glowed with both affection and dangerousness. "We shall count our soldiers this morning to ensure none are missing, then... if not, they were only scouts, and now long gone. I do not expect them to trouble us... they are weak and without a leader, without the mortar that holds them together, now that Veliuona is gone. The dead walk, but their walk will be aimless... although perhaps I should practice mercy, what do you think, treasures? They must follow a leader. I am a strong leader."
The others winced but stayed silent, and then Scrivy said quietly: "Maybe for now we should just continue on our way. Worry about other things... as the time comes."
"Yes, of course. Applejack, Rainbow Dash, assemble the soldiers and do a head count. Scrivener Blooms and I will be waiting and watching... hurry on your tasks now, my children." Nightmare Moon's voice was soft, loving, but it was also obviously an order... and the four ponies nodded, not even Pinkamena daring to test the patience of the darkness that lurked in Luna's form as she smiled after them. "Good."
Even if only a handful of ponies actually knew what was going on, everypony else seemed to understand that there was a lurking shadow in the air, a pall of seriousness that drove them to working quickly to take down the encampment, store everything away, and prepare to move out. Everypony was accounted for, and within twenty minutes, they were back on the road, Nightmare Moon and Scrivener Blooms walking at the head of the caravan, Twilight Sparkle following a few awkward paces behind with Fluttershy and Scarlet Sage.
The filly glanced nervously up at the others, sensing something in quiet as they strode down the road towards Charger's Crossing... and then she darted ahead, Twilight wincing a bit as Scarlet Sage fell into pace next to Nightmare Moon and looked up at her, the winged unicorn gazing down with her glowing eyes. For a moment, they studied each other, and then Scarlet Sage blushed a little and said hesitantly: "I didn't... realize..."
"It is okay, my sweet little foal. Walk beside me... I enjoy your company. You know that for all the rumors, I would never harm a single hair of your mane..." Nightmare Moon smiled benevolently, and Scarlet Sage nodded and blushed a bit, glancing awkwardly ahead even as she sidled a little closer. "Good girl."
Scarlet Sage had seen and even spent time with Nightmare Moon before, just like any other pony who knew Luna for an extended period of time ended up seeing more than flashes, but eventually meeting this dark part of her personality, and often in full physical form. But Nightmare Moon had never scared her, not since Luna had rescued her... not since understanding the way Nightmare Moon cherished ponies who Luna cared for, and who cared for Luna and her beautiful, vast night.
And even without being connected as he was to Luna, Scrivy knew that in Scarlet Sage, Nightmare Moon saw more than just a little filly Luna cared for... she perhaps saw a student, especially now that they had discovered the Pegasus filly was also a Blood Seer. And, terrible as it was, he didn't know whether it was good or bad... before he glanced up as Nightmare Moon glanced over at him and said tenderly: "Is it good or bad for the wolves to teach their pups to hunt, to use their fangs and claws? Is it good or bad that the basilisk helps its young understand that they are creatures which may petrify with a focused gaze? It merely is. Somepony has to teach her to use these powers, and if Luna continues to shy away, then it will be me... and Scarlet Sage is better off learning about them than shying away from their use, until she begins to accidentally dip into her talent at even the smell of blood in the air."
Scarlet Sage blushed a bit, but then she nodded awkwardly as she looked down, even as Twilight and Fluttershy traded a worried look behind the ponies... but Nightmare Moon only smiled tenderly at the foal, then looked back ahead towards Charger's Crossing as they approached the enormous bridge, saying quietly: "Helheim's essence still tickles here and there, and the temperature is plummeting... the bridge will be cold. Scarlet Sage, head back to the Pegasus wagon and snuggle up inside, we will speak more upon the other side of the Strait."
"Can I walk for a little while longer?" the filly asked quietly, looking up at Nightmare Moon hesitantly... and the winged unicorn gazed down for a moment, then smiled lovingly down at her, looking pleased. "Thanks, I... I like being with you and uncle Scrivy and Twilight and everypony. It feels weird being cooped up in the wagon."
"You are a strange child, but this is good, this is admirable." Nightmare Moon murmured, and then she smiled and gazed ahead as they began to stride up the ramp leading onto the stone bridge, and Scrivener Blooms felt both warmth and suspicion twist through this body as he glanced towards Nightmare Moon... who only slowly turned her head to look back at him with dark-kissed affection, her eyes half-lidding, a smile playing around her lips as she said softly: "Don't worry, husband, you have every right to worry just a little. I cannot deny that I have plans, after all... but know that all is for the better. All is for the future."
And then Nightmare Moon laughed, throwing her head back as they continued along the stone structure, not slowing, not waiting, even as the wagons struggled up the ramping surface behind them, striding ever onwards into the cold winds that hissed along the bridge across the vast, frozen waters below. |
Starlit Knights | Luna's Library | Chapter Twenty One: Luna's Library
~BlackRoseRaven
Scrivener was surprised when they reached the other side of the bridge - and likely in record time, despite how long the bridge was, as well as the fact that a fierce, bitter windstorm had kicked up halfway across the stone pass that had ended only half an hour ago - and Nightmare Moon was still in obvious control of Luna. Usually, she appeared, then gradually faded... but either Luna really was exhausted, or Nightmare Moon was being more tenacious than usual, more eager to get her time 'out in the world,' as she phrased it.
He was even more surprised when the winged unicorn smiled, then had announced in a booming, carrying voice that they would be stopping for a short break and a quick meal once they found a suitable place to pull over. Usually Nightmare Moon was less than understanding of the needs of other ponies, even when she tried to be compassionate. All the same, however, they still ended up marching for almost half an hour even after passing off the bridge: this side of the Northedge Strait was not only powdered in snow and armored in frost, the land had a wilder, almost-alien look to it, trees growing in tight clusters on the other side of brightly-gleaming metal posts that marked the road ahead.
The first chance they had to turn off was onto a side road that looked long undisturbed, and as they pulled onto this, a cluster of exhausted-looking ponies slowly wandered down the main road from the north. They barely seemed to notice the travelers, even as Nightmare Moon strode towards them curiously... and a plodding earth pony wrapped in a heavy jacket looked up at her tiredly before he sighed and called the others to a halt, asking tiredly: "What is it?"
"You seem to be fleeing something... something that has stolen your emotions as well as your livelihood." Nightmare Moon tilted her head, starry mane swirling behind her as she asked curiously: "What lays ahead?"
"A burnt-out wreck of a village, and past that, who cares? We were attacked by... things... several nights ago. We're the last cluster of survivors... we don't want any trouble, and after what we've seen... stories about Nightmare Moon and Champions of Equestria, whether they come in declarations or letters or by messenger, it doesn't matter. Even if every story about you is true, why would you bother to save us? And even if you kill us or torture us, I'd only welcome it." the earth pony replied bitterly, shaking his head slowly, trails of frozen tears gleaming on his cheeks beside patches of frostbite. "I'd rather be dead than like those things."
Nightmare Moon smiled, leaning forwards before she reached a hoof up and gently settled it against the male's forehead, and the earth pony frowned as she lowered her head and murmured soft, alien words under her breath. Her horn gave a quiet hum, and the earth pony grimaced, then staggered backwards as his features flushed, frostbite fading and tears melting on his cheeks as he looked up at her silently and she gazed back, saying kindly: "Go, children. To safety. To Canterlot and beyond."
"Yes, yes..." the earth pony murmured, and his companions frowned as he turned and began to creakily stride forwards before shaking his head, pace limbering out after a few moments, seeming to find new strength as Scrivener Blooms looked meditatively after the others.
"Sister's blessings are only words and hidden elements. I prefer the blessing of the moon to impart a little something onto my new subjects... it is not so cruel, is it, dearest husband? You worry, but they suffer no manipulation... the pony is merely refreshed, and he will remember me and be thankful for it." Nightmare Moon said kindly, and then she turned and added calmly: "But come, let us visit Scarlet Sage. The wagons are off the road, the clouds are listless but the wind is gone, the other ponies are eating. I wish to visit my foal."
"Be nice." Scrivy glanced towards her, and Nightmare Moon only smiled cryptically back at him as she half-lidded her eyes.
"Oh, do not worry. I intend to impart great kindness on her." she said softly, and Scrivener grimaced a little, but nodded slowly and followed her silently towards the golden wagon, at the back of which Aleksandr was sitting and talking calmly with Pinkamena and Rainbow Dash, seeming to act a little like a buffer between the two usually-at-odds ponies.
The minotaur glanced up as they approached, and he eyed them thoughtfully as Nightmare Moon gazed back with entertainment, and Scrivener shrugged awkwardly... and then the bull grunted and said quietly: "In legend, is two sides to Yaga Baba too. Is not always good... is also known for being wicked witch to those who cross her."
"Then do not cross me, Aleksandr, for I enjoy your company." Nightmare Moon replied kindly, and the minotaur nodded with another grunt as the winged unicorn turned towards the steps leading up into the wagon, flicking her horn to open the door for herself and Scrivy, then closing it behind him with a tender smile.
Scarlet Sage glanced up from where she was curled up on some soft bedding at one corner of the room, supply crates securely chained to the wall behind her, smiling hesitantly as Fluttershy and Rarity both looked up towards the two. Fluttershy stepped worriedly forwards, wincing a little but meeting Nightmare Moon's eyes all the same as she said quietly: "Are you sure this is the right time for this? I don't want to... to get in the way, but..."
"Fluttershy, when ponies get between me and those I care for, they are already dead before they have time to speak." Nightmare Moon replied in a tender voice, and the Pegasus winced a little before the winged unicorn stepped forwards and gently stroked under her chin. "I do not hold it against you, worry not. You fear for her for good reason... you care about my precious little girl, and there is no more suitable mare for that job. But Scarlet Sage must be exposed again to what her powers can do, and I have an interesting but safe little adventure for her to go on. Now, you and Rarity should leave. Eat something, find Twilight, relax with friends. And then you may stay with Scarlet Sage when we continue towards Snow Saddle."
Fluttershy hesitated, but then nodded slowly, and Rarity gave a supportive smile before she said quietly: "You haven't been eating much, Fluttershy, a meal sounds like a good idea... and afterwards, maybe you can help Cowlick and I with those dreadful repairs she keeps going on about. It's funny how she thinks I must be an engineer like her now, all because I happen to be as good with stitching uniforms as I am with decoration."
The Pegasus nodded awkwardly, giving Nightmare Moon one last apprehensive look, and then she and Rarity quietly excused themselves and made their way out of the back of the magically-enlarged wagon. Nightmare Moon glanced over her shoulder, then she strode towards the filly, gently embracing her without speaking, then half-curling around her on the bedding, looking both serpentine and protective as Scrivener sat quietly across from them.
There was silence for a few moments, and then Nightmare Moon smiled, saying tenderly as she glanced up towards the male: "Curl up closer, Scrivener Blooms. I know you're worried about little Luna... so I'll take you to see her, to help her understand these memories. Memories that are like dreams, a thousand passing in a fleeting moment... memories that are rising more and more. And you shall help too, Scarlet Sage... but you'll need to do something first. You know what that is, don't you?"
Scarlet Sage winced a little even as Scrivy slid forwards and then carefully curled his body up against the other side of the filly, resting his head down so he could gaze at the foal quietly over his glasses. "I need to... touch your blood, right?"
"No, for this, you'll need just a sip of my blood, of Luna's blood. An art through which you may link yourself to another for a short period... for in the blood resides our energy, our soul, our destiny." Nightmare Moon explained in a soft, gentle voice, and Scarlet Sage shivered a little before she glanced silently up as the dark equine asked kindly: "Don't you want to help little Luna? Don't you want to explore these powers?"
"Nightmare Moon..." Scrivener began quietly, and the darkness-kissed winged unicorn gave him what was almost a hurt look at his tones and tangible-to-her thoughts, although there was still a certain coyness about her features.
But Scarlet Sage only shook her head, whispering: "Will... will Uncle Scrivy be coming too? You said he was coming too or... I think you did."
"Yes, he will. To the sanctum of memories inside Luna's mind... to her Valkyrie soul, which she has gone so long without recognizing." Nightmare Moon replied kindly, and Scrivy gazed quietly down at Scarlet Sage as the filly closed her eyes. "You will all learn much, I promise. Come now. Sip."
Nightmare Moon lowered her horn as she rose a foreleg, slicing a thin slash through her limb and making Scrivy wince a bit, then grimace as she held it up... and Scarlet Sage trembled for a moment before the filly slowly leaned forwards, grimacing in disgust and yet forcing herself to lap up the blood from the wound before she coughed and leaned away, a shudder passing through her system as Nightmare Moon said lovingly, her horn glowing dark blue: "My obedient little girl... excellent."
Scarlet Sage moaned and writhed, leaning forwards, Scrivy feeling her body heating up unnaturally, her eyes glowing bright crimson as pain spread over her features, gasping in shock as she flexed and tensed... and then Scrivener's own eyes clenched shut as vertigo ripped at his senses, seeing Nightmare Moon's eager eyes in his mind before darkness surrounded him, and all he heard was delighted laughter...
He felt himself awkwardly land on his hooves, cursing under his breath as his forelimbs shuddered beneath him before he opened his eyes... and looked blankly back and forth as he realized he was in some monolithic, gray stone room. Moonlight shone in through stretched rectangular windows, and the world was a little uneven, a little distorted, as he gazed back and forth... then his eyes locked on the sight of Scarlet Sage's sprawled body, and he rushed towards her through the shadowy hall, skidding to a halt beside her and shaking her gently as he asked worriedly: "Are you alright? Scarlet Sage?"
The filly moaned weakly... then she shook her head with a shiver, her mane spilling over her face before Scrivy gently brushed this back and looked down at her softly... and she gazed blearily back up with her crimson irises, murmuring faintly: "You and Luna never told me you... really did think of me as your daughter, I never thought Luna really meant it when... that's why I always called you Aunty and Uncle... I thought... it would be too weird if... I mean..."
She quieted, then shook her head quickly, blinking a few times as if she hadn't even realized she'd been speaking before she looked back and forth, asking slowly: "Wait, where... are we? Where is this place?"
"Luna's mind... I think. I hope. This is either Luna or Nightmare Moon... either way, we'd better stay close together and you had probably... well... if I tell you to close your eyes, don't peek." Scrivy grimaced a little, and Scarlet Sage smiled faintly up at him despite herself as he wrapped a foreleg around her, steadying her as she climbed to her hooves. "Are you sure you're alright? This is weird even for me, and I'm used to this kind of thing by now. And you... well..."
"I can still taste it. It's pretty yucky." Scarlet Sage grimaced and shook her head, then she reached up and touched Scrivy's shoulder gently, frowning a little as she said softly: "It feels so real..."
"If it's real to your mind, it can be just as real to your body. Still... these are just memories, I hope. They shouldn't be able to hurt us." Scrivy said quietly, and then he glanced up before his eyes settled on a tall set of oak double doors, engraved with three symbols he recognized all too well: sun, moon, and ash tree. "Either way... we have to move forwards."
"Okay, Scrivy." Scarlet Sage said softly, and Scrivener offered her a smile over his shoulder before he turned forwards, walking quietly towards the doors and carefully pushing them open... and frowning a bit in surprise at what he saw on the other side.
It led into an immense, messy library, rows upon rows of shelves filled with books of all shape and size, and several large tomes rested over the ground along with parchment, stacks of paper, and other odds and ends, adding to the sense of jumbled chaos... before Scrivener looked up in surprise as Luna stormed out from between two shelves, a stack of books floating next to her before she glanced irritably to the side... and gaped at the sight of Scarlet Sage and Scrivener Blooms. "What manner of devilry is this?"
"I could ask the same thing." Scrivener said mildly, walking forwards as Scarlet Sage smiled warmly and broke into a run, heading quickly towards the winged unicorn... and Luna laughed, her eyes brightening as she realized it wasn't some trick of her own mind, tossing the books aside and stepping forwards to catch Scarlet Sage in a fierce embrace, the black pearl necklace the only adornment on body as she covered the filly's faces with kisses and made her laugh.
Then she straightened and grinned, sharing a fierce hug with Scrivener Blooms, burying her face against the side of his neck... and then both of them looked up as Nightmare Moon's voice echoed down around them easily: "I have brought your companions to see that as I have been saying... you are fine. But also, because with Scrivener Blooms present, your mind works faster, your concentration is sharper... and Scarlet Sage must learn about her powers. Give her the memories you have of Blood Seers... show her what they are capable of."
"Wretched creature!" Luna shouted, half-pulling away from Scrivy as she glared upwards... and Scrivy and Scarlet Sage followed her gaze with surprise to see Nightmare Moon leaning over a high walkway that went around the top of the wide room, the black equine gazing down at them with adoration despite Luna's outburst. "Tell me what thou knows, what is hidden here amidst this miserable mess of madness! I have found so little over what feels to me like years and years of searching... if anything, the fragments of memory feel worse in my mind than they did before, like barbs and shrapnel buried in my muscles!"
"That is your problem, Luna, you think with your muscles, not with your brain, even when it comes to problems like these." Nightmare Moon chastened, but her voice was still kind, despite the hint of teasing to it that made Luna glare in frustration. "Besides, we know that when I tell you things, you rarely listen. You always need to know and find out things for yourself... the memories are here, Luna. You would have found them by now if you were trying... and didn't spend so much time looking at memories you already know well."
Luna blushed and grumbled a little at this, and Nightmare Moon smiled down at them before she flicked her horn, a book floating silently out of one of the shelves next to her, gently sailing down through the air to the three ponies before it opened... and light shone up from its pages, forming into a transparent, hovering image of Celestia's upper body as the ivory equine spoke kindly, radiant rainbow mane flowing around her "-honor to pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride."
The images swam... and Luna hurriedly reached forwards and closed the book, clearing her throat as Scarlet Sage smiled up at her. "'Tis. Was just a memory I was searching for, but... demonstrates the idea. Nightmare Moon, I do not suppose..." She glanced up, and then grimaced at the sight of nothing above, muttering: "Oh wonderful, the creature is already gone. Either back to the surface or to wherever her dark abode in my soul is, I know and care not."
Scrivener Blooms and Scarlet Sage looked towards Luna as the winged unicorn fidgeted embarrassedly for a moment before she smiled a little, saying quietly as she stroked the leather front of the book: "These all contain memories. Opened, they reveal a fragment... read, they reveal an entire story, at least to my mind, and like-as-not to thine as well, daydreamer. Scarlet Sage, I know not what effect they may have upon thee, but if thou art here in my mind, thou art... connected, by link forged in blood and backed through Nightmare Moon's magic, then 'tis likely as not you will experience the same. I have... I have discovered several memories so far. I know what we look for, ancient, black, and heavy tomes amidst the rest of these."
Luna leaned back and rapped firmly against one of the shelves, looking distasteful, and when Scrivener turned he realized there was indeed some kind of strange, alien color-coding to them. Blues and greens, bound here in hide, there in leather, another that looked like badly-sewn-together paper... and then he glanced down at the parchment that littered the floor, carefully picking some of these ragged sheets up, and as he read it, snippets of memory flashed in front of his eyes: whispers of small details, words once spoken, archived thoughts. He smiled despite himself, then glanced up as Luna looked at him curiously before he said mildly: "Funny, your memories being organized like this. I would have expected it from Twilight Sparkle. With you, I expected more something like... a giant hall of weapons or something. Or magic arrows of memory."
"Silence, Scrivener Blooms. I blame all this upon thee and thine influence upon me." Luna grumbled, looking moodily at him as behind her, Scarlet Sage curiously pulled a white tome out of the bottom of a shelf, and the winged unicorn frowned as Scrivener looked pointedly past her before she winced and turned around: "Wait, Scarlet Sage, do not-"
The filly had already opened the book, however, looking down at it curiously... and then she winced back in surprise, Luna stepping forwards and closing the book as she cleared her throat awkwardly. "The white tomes are memories of Celestia. This means most of them are either very good or very bad."
"I really wish I didn't understand those words you said to her, but I did." Scarlet Sage said finally, and Luna grinned lamely down at the filly with a bit of a blush before the filly winced and looked hesitantly over the books. "What... should I read, then?"
"Oh, there is organization, worry not. Green tomes are tomes on nature, blue upon thought and philosophy, and quip not at me Scrivener Blooms or I shall brain thee with one of these shelves." Luna shot him a glare, and Scrivy quickly glanced away, clearing his throat. "Purple is Twilight Sparkle, which I shall also ask thee to refrain from reading, as thou shall not read pink, gray, gold, black, white or red tomes... and nor shall thou read any tome with more than one color, or any tome marked with hearts or skulls or feathers."
"What does that even leave in the library?" Scarlet Sage asked incredulously, and Scrivener looked flatly at Luna's back. "And aren't we supposed to look for the black tomes?"
"Aye, you may seek them, but not read them." Luna said stiffly, and then she sighed a little, leaning down and saying in a quieter voice: "Listen to me, Scarlet Sage, foal who is like a daughter to me. This is no mere library, whatever the image... this is my mind. My memories... it is personal to me. I am putting greater trust in thee than I could ever put in myself to allow thee to wander it... and I love thee, dearly, and deeply, and greatly. I wish... I do not wish to ruin thy innocence, or worse, thy images of me and others. I do not wish to further poison thee than... I may already have, force thee to grow up even faster than the fact that thou art a Blood Seer... will force thee to."
She stopped, then straightened and looked quietly down at the Pegasus. "But I do love thee and trust thee, which is why thou art free to read the blue, green, and brown tomes, as long as they are not marked as I have already stated. And why I will... appreciate thy help in finding the black tomes... which thou shalt not read, thou shall instead bring to me, understood? Not the pitch-black tomes, the very large, very old black tomes... they... here, like this."
Luna gestured for them to follow, and Scarlet Sage and Scrivener Blooms both did so, walking down the aisle and turning into an open area towards a table already stacked with heavy, ancient black books, Scrivy whistling a little to himself as Scarlet Sage stared at the thirty or so looming tomes. They looked like weathered dragon scale, metallic studs down the spine, ancient runes over the fronts... and Luna grimaced a little before she sighed and picked up a nearby open tome with telekinesis as her horn glowed blue, saying moodily: "But... I suppose this one is sane enough for thou to look at and understand."
It floated over to Scarlet Sage, who eagerly leaned forwards as Scrivener felt memories of what that book had revealed twisting through his mind only gazing upon it... and then, although the images were strange - a golden throne, an altar, a massive, beautiful hall of stone - the voice that spoke in memory and mind was clear, weathered and bold as it said kindly: Brynhild, to be a Valkyrie, you must be beautiful and dangerous. And apart from Freya, I've never met a Valkyrie who exemplified these qualities more than you.
More scattered memories surfaced... but they were less-crisp, less-clear, and Scarlet Sage looked quietly up, saying softly: "I heard an old stallion's voice..."
"Aye, then thou art able to pick up the same sensations. Which is good and bad, in a library like this... but run along, Scarlet Sage. Nightmare Moon has hinted there is a book of memories here that will bring all these others together, and I wish to be free of this indeterminable purgatory as soon as possible." Luna said quietly, and Scarlet Sage nodded with a hesitant smile before the winged unicorn leaned forwards, adding firmly: "And remember. Let not myself or Scrivener Blooms catch thee attempting to read into my other memories. Or I shall be forced to roundly eject thee from my mind or at least lock thee in some little room I am sure exists around here. Thou art not yet such a talented Blood Seer that thou can trouble me greatly in mine own head, after all."
Scarlet Sage mumbled and blushed a little, but she nodded and then glanced up, asking quietly: "What if I find a tome? Do I bring it back here?"
"Aye, or call myself or Scrivener Blooms. We shall split in three directions, as I have covered the greater part of this library... and Scrivener, I shall pummel thee if thou also goes snooping into memories at this juncture." Luna added threateningly, and Scrivy winced and leaned back a bit. "Find the memories of Brynhild, of Valhalla, and gather them. And look for the master key... I have a feeling it shall be easy enough to tell apart from the rest."
The two nodded, and Luna hesitated only a moment before she ducked down and kissed Scarlet Sage's cheek, then slipped across to Scrivy and met him in another short, gentle kiss for a moment before she pulled back and smiled slightly, flapping her wings and leaping up into the air to fly to the second floor walkways, as she called easily: "And by the way, beware the library... the shelves seem to have the wicked habit of changing contents and positions!"
As she said this, the shelves around them moved, the books in them trembling violently before they all turned different colors as both the Pegasus filly and the earth pony winced, Luna laughing despite the obvious setback, and Scrivy sighed and dropped his head forwards, saying moodily: "I can't believe part of her is enjoying this. Scarlet Sage, maybe we should... Scarlet Sage?"
But the filly was already gone... and Scrivy groaned before he walked over to a shelf and headbutted it, before looking moodily back and forth... but although there were one or two black books, none of them looked like the ancient tomes they were looking for. He wondered moodily what the point of this exercise was, and why Luna's mind was such a chaotic, disordered mess as he looked back and forth, then muttered: "I could use a card catalog."
Then he winced as there was a loud clack behind him, turning around... and staring in dumb surprise to see a large furnishing now standing across from him, a checkerboard of tiny drawers across it. For a few moments, Scrivener wondered dumbly where this had come from... and then he frowned slightly as he strode towards it, leaning forwards and asking hesitantly: "I don't suppose you could just tell me the location of the master memory key, right?"
Immediately, one of the top drawers shot open and smacked into the earth pony's nose, knocking him flat on his back as his glasses flew from his face and he grabbed at his throbbing muzzle, and then he glared upwards as Luna leaned over the railing above and laughed loudly, calling gleefully down to him: "Well done, Scrivener Blooms!"
"Oh, shut up, Luna." Scrivy grumbled under his breath as he rolled over, grabbing at his glasses before he looked up, opening his mouth to call out to the winged unicorn... but she was already leaving, still laughing, and the now-sulky earth pony didn't feel like trying to snag her attention again until he had tested a theory beginning to bubble in his mind. Then he looked up as a single card ejected itself from the drawer, floating through the air and slowly sailing down in front of him, the earth pony catching this... and then wincing as the card catalog snapped shut before the male read the card and murmured: "Section B, Aisle G, Shelf 17."
The male nodded, memorizing this before he put the card carefully on top of the catalog shelf, then he checked awkwardly around for plates and signs. When he failed to find any, he grimaced, then muttered: "Okay, let's try this again. Where is Section B?"
Nothing seemed to happen... but when Scrivy grumbled and turned around, he saw a newly-inscribed golden plate now screwed into the side of the shelf with 'SECTION B' written over it and an arrow pointing down a hall of shelves. He smiled at this, then made his way forwards, wondering curiously if Luna hadn't realized that she might be able to simply control this library of her own mind with orders... or if maybe the only reason it was working now was because they were both here. Both sides of the mixed mind and soul that made them up... and Scrivener mused on this, but resisted from broadcasting the mental thought to Luna on impish impulse.
He glanced down an aisle, then tilted his head curiously as he saw Scarlet Sage reading eagerly into a tome, the male pausing to step towards her and ask: "What'd you find?"
"What? Oh, Scrivy!" Scarlet Sage looked up at him awkwardly, and when Scrivener gave her a flat look, she fidgeted a bit, then said awkwardly: "But... look!"
She tilted the book back so the cover was visible, and Scrivener softened: the book was gold, but the embossed image on the cover was clearly that of Scarlet Sage, the Pegasus blushing as she said quietly: "It just... fell out in front of me. I know what Luna said but... it felt like..."
She halted, and Scrivener sighed a little before he smiled a bit and reached a hoof forwards, stroking through her mane gently. "Yes, and were the situations reversed, I know that Luna would probably be looking at all kinds of memories she shouldn't. That's why she said 'don't get caught' instead of 'don't read anything else...' she expects you to be responsible in... in a very irresponsible way. So... put that book away, and then... don't get caught." He paused, then grimaced a little, rubbing at his own face slowly. "Huh. Luna and I are awful parents."
"I don't think so." Scarlet Sage smiled after a moment, and then she closed the book and blushed a bit as she looked at him. "Don't tell her, okay?"
"Oh, Luna probably already knows. We just aren't supposed to act like we know she knows we know she knows." Scrivener replied mildly, and when the filly looked up at him with confusion, he cleared his throat and said pointedly: "Go back to looking for books, now. The right books."
"Okay, Scrivy." Scarlet Sage smiled up at him, and Scrivener smiled back, watching her turn and leave before he shook his head and turned himself... and walked straight into another shelf, grunting and stumbling backwards before a large charcoal tome fell out of the top, smacking painfully into his skull and knocking him backwards with a wince before it collapsed to the ground in front of him and spilled open.
Scrivener Blooms cursed under his breath, opening his eyes... and then wincing back as the transparent head of a unicorn glared at him before shouting: "Wipe that look off your face, you have no idea how lucky you are!"
Scrivy reached forwards and quickly slammed the book closed, grimacing at the embossed black roses over the front of the charcoal-textured tome... and then he closed his eyes and shook his head slowly as the shelf in front of him slowly slid to the side like a doorway, and he stepped carefully over the tome as he murmured: "So that's why."
"Scrivy?" called a concerned voice, and Scrivener glanced to the side with a small smile as he saw Luna hurrying towards him, the winged unicorn asking quickly: "What happened? I heard a thing I did not expect to hear, felt a sensation..."
She quieted, and they gazed into one another's eyes for a moment, irises locking as they shared thoughts and images... and in this mental world, it made reality flicker around them before Luna nodded slowly, saying softly: "I see then. That shall cut down upon our work... is perhaps why Nightmare Moon was eager to bring thee here to me. Our minds are linked, our souls connected... and when it was I alone in this library, 'twas not so responsive. 'Twas ever-changing, aye, but it did not change where I demanded, and I did try, Scrivener Blooms. But with you here, it changes... but it seems also more memories are added to its shelves."
She paused, then smiled wryly, adding in a quietly-entertained voice: "And well, perhaps my subconscious works in odd ways. Even as my conscious mind speaks, this library, this shifting sea of the subconscious, seems to try and guide us towards and away from our objectives, from truth and lies... but does thou know what we are after, then?"
"Yes, but..." Scrivy grimaced a bit, saying slowly: "The library changes positions. The sections probably change and who knows what else does. Now that we know we can affect this, though, maybe we're going about this the wrong way..."
Scrivy paused, glancing at Luna, and she nodded firmly before the two looked calmly towards the wall as they concentrated, letting their instincts and minds meld as one... and library shelves shuffled back and forth in front of them before forming into a narrow hall that led through into another aisle, Scarlet Sage looking up in dumb surprise from where she was reading a white book, and Luna sighed in exasperation as she threw her head back and her mane swirled around her. "Oh, that is not what I wished to see! Meddlesome subconscious and... diabolical foal!"
"Hey, it... it was already open!" Scarlet Sage blushed all the same as she hurriedly closed the tome, then she hung her head and stepped forwards, awkwardly adding: "And... no matter what, Luna, I... I won't ever think less of you. Not you, not Scrivy... I really mean that. I'm not just saying those words because it's nice... because now, with this awful thing inside me, I can... I can start to see how ponies... I mean..."
She stopped, looking embarrassed, and Luna softened visibly before she said quietly: "Scarlet Sage... of what did thou just read?"
Scarlet Sage glanced down with a blush... and Luna glanced towards the tome, flicking her horn, and it floated into the air before sailing slowly over to them, then it spilled backwards and open, and they both stared up at the cold, callous eyes of Celestia as she loomed, even in transparent memory... and Luna smiled faintly at this image of a thousand years ago, as Celestia said quietly: "I will give thee one last chance to stop, Luna... or Nightmare Moon, if that is the name thou hast chosen now. It is not a mercy I usually afford our enemies, but thou art my sister. Refuse to surrender, however... and I will not hold back."
"And... she did not." Luna glanced down and shook her head slowly, the book quietly closing as she put this aside... then she looked down at Scarlet Sage and said softly: "But as thou has seen for thyself... Celestia and I are... sisters, still. Closer now perhaps than we ever were before. I love her, and I am secure that she loves me, even after all that has happened, after how we have been at one-another's throats. Memories are all biased, Scarlet Sage, and it is why I am scared of showing thee my memories of the Blood Seers... some are very good. Some... are very terrible. I do not wish thee to think that thou art destined to become... what thou does not wish to. For as thou hast seen thyself... ponies, even of the same blood... one may become gentle and tender and kind, and the other... an awful, terrible predator."
Scarlet Sage nodded slowly, looking down and murmuring quietly: "And ever since my parents died, the ponies who looked after me were Luna and Scrivener Blooms. Even if Fluttershy was always helping out and caring for me, it was you who rescued me... you who always came to visit and teach me things, you who were always out there, protecting me. I think that's why... even if I see those other ponies with... powers like mine doing awful things, I know that it doesn't mean I'm going to have to be like that too. That... no matter what, we choose our destinies. That's right, isn't it?"
"Yes, child, even if some things are fated to occur, we still have decisions we can make, choices that will affect the outcome. I could have decided to not permit Scrivener Blooms to live with me in the Everfree Forest, after all, despite his... begging and clinging." Luna smiled slightly, glancing over at the male as he only gazed back at her with entertainment. "But while my life would have been so much the more tranquil... 'twould have been far more boring as well, and I do not think... we would be where we are today."
She halted, then turned slowly around, Scrivener mirroring her before they both lowered their heads forwards, concentrating, as Scarlet Sage watched... and around them, the library shuddered violently, the books trembling in the shelves as the floor of the room quaked... and then the shelves rapidly formed into one long, immense aisle on either side of them, a grand corridor that was color-coded from brightest to darkest, Scarlet Sage gazing back and forth in surprise as Luna smiled softly and Scrivener opened his eyes as the winged unicorn murmured: "We must never, ever forget our own power. Doing so, and running in circles in our own mind leads only to frustration... and perhaps, in not trusting in those I so eagerly have claimed as my beloved, special family, is foolishness. I wish to protect thee... Celestia wished to protect Equestria, for the longest time, and the country was almost suffocated by it."
She quieted, then strode forwards, Scrivener falling into pace beside her and Scarlet Sage hurrying forwards, the filly walking quickly between the two as she marveled at the long corridor, gazing back and forth as the shelves angled to face slightly towards them before Luna paused at a shelf filled with red books... and she smiled faintly before reaching up and pulling one free, studying it silently before she said quietly: "Thou art not perhaps ready for the darker tales of Blood Seers, but I was not lying when I said that there were good as well as evil practitioners, and this is a story of one whom I met, misjudged, swore often at, and then one night got pleasantly drunk beside with my brother Sleipnir. He travelled with us for a time... but read, Scarlet Sage. I cannot teach you to use thy powers more than thou could teach a unicorn to use their horn... but I can share with you my knowledge of the Blood Seers, and what the Blood Seers shared with me. And through instinct... thou will learn the rest."
Scarlet Sage nodded hesitantly, looking silently down at the book as she took it carefully... and then Luna and Scrivener Blooms both turned and strode quietly back into the corridor of memories, heading slowly down it as the male asked quietly: "Should we leave her there?"
"Even in another's world, some things must be discovered on one's own. I... I trust her. I love her. I wish not to go to the other extreme than Celestia, but... I have faith in the foal, and that long string of memories inside that tome will likely keep her occupied for some time." Luna smiled wryly, glancing towards him as she murmured softly: "We instead... must attend to opening memories so ancient they have been all but forgotten."
The two looked up... and they were unsurprised to see Nightmare Moon standing and waiting calmly at the end of the library, where the walls were filled with black books: both ancient tomes and dark-as-night memories. And, in front of the encircling shelves of black tomes, beside where the enormous darkness-kissed equine stood, there was a pedestal upon which rested a single object... not a tome bound in leather or hardcover black book, but a stone tablet, ancient runes engraved across this.
Nightmare Moon smiled at them tenderly as they approached, and she said kindly: "Good, you're here. You will understand when you read this, Luna... but it took you much longer to reach it than I expected. It's strange how helpless you can be without Scrivener Blooms at your side, so used to his presence, to using him to amplify your powers... but I understand. I understand all too well."
She paused, then leaned down and said softly: "Yes, I see it in your eyes. You're truly starting to accept and believe, and this is necessary. This is good... this will give us a great edge in the upcoming battles, and you will understand why once you read the tablet, and break the seal. You understand what it is, don't you?"
Luna glanced towards it... then she nodded slowly, saying quietly: "Aye, I see now. It is the manifestation of a memory seal... thou hast placed us inside here, a visualization of my mind, in order for us to be able to 'access' this ancient and weathered barrier. It is like a mental dam, a false wall... the happy medium between wiping a mind completely and giving all memories free rein. 'Tis designed in such a way that should one know what to look for... it could be easily found and removed. Why did thou not speak of this earlier, Nightmare Moon? From whence has thou known of this? And tell me... why, upon the very lock, is inscribed the runes that doubtlessly form the disenchantment required to shatter this barrier, starting first with mine locked-away name, 'Brynhild?'"
"Because you needed to be ready... you needed to find it yourself, and I needed you to find it yourself. I have tried, and unsuccessfully, to break the seal, you see... but it would not permit itself to be dispelled, and when I read it, there is no reaction. Perhaps it is because of the shards of darkness inside of me, fuelling and empowering me... or perhaps it is built so that only you could break it, or someone from your past." Nightmare Moon paused, and then she said softly: "But now you are here, and all the answers you seek only require a reading of this tablet. Already, look how many memories have slipped up through the crevices of your soul... and I am so very eager to understand more of who we are. Unlock the seal, sweet little Luna... between you and Scrivener Blooms, it should be easy. Between you and Scrivener Blooms, when you worked together, you easily mastered this labyrinth, this library. And if you cannot..."
"Scarlet Sage." Luna said softly, and Nightmare Moon smiled kindly as the winged unicorn narrowed her cyan irises at the dark, enormous equine. "Treacherous monster! Thou would have used her to shatter the seal!"
"Calm yourself, Luna... I said I would teach her to use her powers, if you would not. It would have been a simple first lesson, exerting her powers in the mind of another... and it would not have harmed the filly. The only pony at risk would have been you... but I would never let even our precious little filly willy-nilly lash out with the Blood Seer's abilities." Nightmare Moon continued to look with cunning kindness down at Luna, who glowered and gritted her teeth, but seemed to find it hard to find any real reason to show fury at the creature before her. "You're always so eager to look at what's wrong with my motives, even when you know I'm right... but let's not overlook the fact that now it's not me teaching Scarlet Sage about Blood Seers and their magic, it's you."
Luna narrowed her eyes grimly at this, and then she looked moodily towards the stone tablet, asking distastefully: "Thou risks both my bitterness and my anger, creature. I am now tempted to refuse to unlock and discover these memories simply because thou art so eager to know them."
This made Nightmare Moon frown slightly as her mane swirled backwards... but then she only shook her head slowly and laughed quietly, saying softly: "Always so childish, Luna... always intent on making such trouble, on taking revenge or retribution. Very well, I apologize for my scheming, although it is all for the greater good... and I would ask you, politely, to attempt to open the seal, and let the memories flow upwards."
The winged unicorn was silent, her own starry mane twisting backwards as she apprehensively looked up at Nightmare Moon, who smiled calmly back down at her, their eyes locking before Luna sighed and looked at Scrivy... and when the male nodded hesitantly, she returned her eyes to the equine and murmured: "Very well, creature. But promise me one thing... should a recoil occur, should something happen... protect Scarlet Sage. I know it is within thy powers to pull her back from my mind should something happen. I know that memories are supposed to be harmless, after all, but all too often... they bear great and terrible powers all their own."
Nightmare Moon smiled soothingly and nodded, stepping away from the pedestal and gesturing to it invitingly with one wing... and Luna sighed a bit before she glowered at Scrivy when he started to step away, saying dryly: "I think not, poet. We face this together, as we face all things. Now step forwards, thou makes a serviceable shield from any possible malign magic."
"Oh, good, yes, that sounds like a great idea." Scrivy grumbled under his breath, and then he grimaced a bit as he stepped forwards, looking at the tablet nervously as Luna apprehensively bit the inside of her cheek. "Luna..."
"Silence, daydreamer. This... must be done, one way or another. I must know for sure..." Luna murmured quietly, shaking her head slowly, and then she gazed quietly at the stone tablet, her mane swirling backwards as her cyan irises roved over it, taking a slow, nervous breath as she whispered: "'Brynhild...'"
The runes on the tablet glowed... and Luna gritted her teeth before she read onwards in a clear, sharp voice: "'In slumber, I kept thee: for more than a thousand years and a day, in sleep thou wert sealed, in darkness thou wert locked. And then thou wert cast out of Valhalla, but not for malice, for safety's sake, thy body broken, thy mind bent. Left without memory, to hide thee from our enemies: veiled in shape, body and soul. But no door is without key, no wall of sanctuary or prison impenetrable... and now the time has come to draw back the curtains of time, for the mind to remember all that was lost."
For a moment, there was only silence as the runes glowed blue on the tablet, and Luna and Scrivy traded an awkward look even as Nightmare Moon smiled and drew back... and then cracks spread throughout the stone before the tablet shattered into pieces, the pedestal toppling backwards as the black books shivered in the shelves before beginning to fall forwards, ghostly memories spilling up from them in a cacophony as the two ponies winced backwards and Nightmare Moon only laughed, turning around and watching eagerly as the rear shelf of the library collapsed and revealed starry darkness beyond.
The night sky shone in, constellations glimmering and glowing, lines of blue light tracing themselves back and forth between the stars as the ponies watched in amazement before the moon rose: a glowing, ivory orb that hung in the dark, starlit sky outside. It pulsed and hummed, spilling its radiance into the room before Luna glanced down as she felt something, and she grimaced in surprise as she saw Scarlet Sage, the filly staring in wonderment as the winged unicorn muttered: "'Tis no place for foals. I know not what we are about to see... I know not what I am even about to feel."
"I'm here for you, Mom." Scarlet Sage murmured, not looking up, barely acknowledging what Luna had said as she silently reached out and grasped her hoof... and Luna closed her eyes and locked their hooves together as Scrivener smiled faintly over at the two, as Scarlet Sage whispered: "It doesn't look like Equestria's sky..."
Luna knew that it wasn't, as she looked at the constellations... wolf, pony, and other figures... and then she and Scrivy both gritted their teeth as a voice asked sharply in their minds: Odin, not that I doubt you... but is this such a good idea?
The Frost Giants are no more, the last left was Valthrudnir and his moronic games, and he was no match for me. Nay, we celebrate tonight, war with the Vanir tomorrow. replied a strong, calm voice. We are the Aesir, warrior gods, gods of honor, greater far than silly nature gods and chaos entities.
Scrivy and Luna both lowered their heads forwards as Scarlet Sage looked back and forth between them, opening her mouth... and then she stared outwards at the constellations, whispering: "Look..."
The two ponies frowned... and then watched as the stars shifted, the constellations changing slowly in pulses of light, forming translucent images and shapes of strange creatures that charged at each other, illustrating a battle between them in bursts of light and motion before a figure stood, proud and tall, a spear held in one hand as a voice floated in through the celestial night wall: "You are just a Valkyrie, a guardian... do not question me, Brynhild. We have suffered greater losses than I expected, aye, but would you allow the Vanir disease to grow?"
"But there was no glory in it... no honor. It points to something else." Luna whispered in reply, and then she gritted her teeth and shook her head violently as the constellations swirled and changed, as the moonlight pulsed before they gazed up, and Luna and Scrivy both shuddered as the ivory moon darkened, as blue flames licked along the bottom of the night sky, as constellations of writhing figures formed, yanked along by puppet's strings. "No..."
"Run!" Celestia's voice came hauntingly from the wall, as one of the strange, exotic constellations began to reach up... and then it was yanked upwards by the glowing blue strings and out of the night sky, and there was an awful crunch.
"Friends, warriors!" cried a male, masculine voice, and Luna swallowed thickly, trembling as the echoes of Sleipnir's tones rolled through her head... before another figure was ripped out of sight.
One-by-one, puppets on strings were yanked away, until only a single constellation was left, this one slack and laying broken... but even as the strings slowly began to pull it through the night sky, a constellation slipped out from behind the moon and slashed a sword of starlight downwards, ripping through the threads. There was an animal snarl as the strings of blue light faded slowly, and then the constellation leaned down silently, whispering: "I have wrought evil upon my own family. We were deceived, and unknowing, I was the deceiver. Brynhild... this is not the way for a warrior to die. But you are not just a warrior... you are a Valkyrie. You are the blessed of the Aesir. A quick death now, for a later rebirth, for the worlds filter inevitably downwards... fly, spirit, fly to the world below."
His sword pierced the constellation, and Luna gasped as Scrivener felt coldness spill through their bodies, the two trembling as Scarlet Sage whimpered... and then the constellation shattered in the other's arms before puppet strings snaked forwards, seizing it and yanking it backwards as the sword of starlight flew from its grip, leaving the night sky vast and empty.
And, slowly, the moon darkened, the terrible, black profile of an immense wolf's head passing over it, with glowing red eyes that searched hungrily back and forth. It snarled, then threw its head back and howled... and the walls of the library trembled, more books falling out of place as both Luna and Scrivy dropped their heads forwards, but Nightmare Moon only laughed before the shape faded... and a moment later, they were looking not out at the night sky, but a battered, blue-painted wall with a chipped and scuffed emblem of the moon drawn over it.
Luna stared at this all the same, however, as tears leaked down her cheeks, rasping for breath as she whispered: "Yes... I remember sitting often, gazing at this symbol in the old wing of the fortress. They called me Night Maiden... and I always felt so lucky to be among their ranks, to be one of them. They called me most beautiful, but all that attracted was trouble."
She shivered a little and laughed weakly, then clenched her eyes shut, lowering her head as Scarlet Sage clung to her, and Scrivener Blooms quietly stepped towards her, hugging her fiercely as Nightmare Moon strode slowly in front of the mural, murmuring: "Yes, the memories return. One small, tumbling stone may start an avalanche... one dislodged pebble may topple an entire mountain. Forty Valkyries, led by Freya... and we were her second-in-command. The lower-class Valkyries were jealous of us... the higher class ones wanted to be our friend. And night, back then, was our closest friend... and Thor, simple-minded warrior god Thor, spent too much time at our table. He loved to take his chances with the Valkyries... but he loved more to spend the time laughing, singing, drinking with us."
"Yes, he was a brother even then to us. The other Aesir sometimes saw us only as... beautiful puppets and soldiers to be used, but never Thor." murmured Luna, and she shivered a little, looking down as she rose a hoof slowly in front of her eyes. "It's all true, isn't it? Nightmare Moon, why? Why must we know this? What has been done to us? Why could we not forget, why could we not forgo all this madness..."
"Because we had to know. Because now you better understand why you are the way you are... where your talents came from, why you and Celestia have always been different." Nightmare Moon said softly, raising her head as she turned to gaze lovingly over her shoulder at the mural. "And now we know we live in a godless world. They simply destroyed each other in a quest for power... what a mortal, silly concept! Perhaps the gods did create ponies and other peoples in their image, all the closer than they know... but not that it matters. Now all that are left are shattered remnants, and perhaps a few minor deities who escaped the bloodshed here and there... but we cannot know what occurred. Odin put us to sleep, do you remember?"
"I do. I do, dark creature, speak not of it." Luna whispered, lowering her head and looking away as Scarlet Sage looked up silently and Scrivener squeezed Luna slowly around the shoulders, feeling her emotions rollicking through her body before she clenched her teeth. "I don't wish to be here any longer, creature. Let me loose. Set me free from this awful place. This accursed hall of memories... sometimes I wonder if thou truly are part of me, or if..."
"It would be easier on you if I wasn't, I know." Nightmare Moon said kindly, stepping towards them as her horn glowed, a tender smile on her face as she murmured gently: "Don't forget, darling Luna. All I have ever done is what is necessary. It hurts now... but you'll thank me later."
The three ponies looked up as Nightmare Moon's eyes glowed... and slowly, reality around them faded out before they closed their eyes, instinctively clinging to one another, holding each other tightly as trembles ran through their bodies... and then, slowly, irises opened as cold air assailed forms that were snugly pressed together, Scarlet Sage between them and trembling as Luna and Scrivener clung to each other.
They were silent, laying in the back of the wagon upon the bedding, none of them aware of how much time had passed and yet at the same time understanding it had only been minutes, perhaps seconds, in the strange library of mixed memories... and then Scarlet Sage dropped her head forwards against Luna, and Luna curled herself around the filly as she pushed her face into Scrivy's mane, tears still flowing down her cheeks as she whispered: "Do not move, do not think... only be with me, both of thee. I need thee both."
And Scrivy only pulled Luna closer as Scarlet Sage pushed herself tighter between the bodies of the two ponies, burying her face against the winged unicorn's body as the three lay together in the awful loudness of the silence that followed, punctured only by the pulse of breathing and the occasional whispered sigh. |
Starlit Knights | Waylaid In The Wastes | Chapter Twenty Two: Waylaid In The Wastes
~BlackRoseRaven
Luna and Scrivener strode silently at the head of the caravan, their heads lowered forwards, the female wrapped in a heavy cloak as well as her armor but the male barely noticing the cold, even as they plodded onwards through the several inches of powdery snow that covered the frozen earth. They moved slower now, several more ponies hooked up to each wagon for better control and to drag the heavy wheels forwards through the sticky white powder: occasionally, they would still get stuck in a hidden rut or a particularly-heavy drift of snow, but with ponies pulling and the help of a minotaur or two, they hadn't yet been stalled for more than a few minutes at a time.
Scarlet Sage was curled up and sleeping fitfully in the back of the Pegasus wagon: exhaustion had set in, more likely from stress than the use of her strange powers. Luna and Scrivener had been hesitant to leave her, but they had tucked her quietly in and then quietly made their way out after neatening up a little.
Scrivy could feel Luna's emotions rollicking through his body: that, mixed with the fractals of half-recovered memories and the stress of everything else was making his head ache. And he knew that for how much it pained him, Luna was suffering worse, the male looking at her silently... but she only gave a small smile and shook her head slowly, saying quietly: "Fear not, Scrivener Blooms. 'Tis simply... much to take in, much to think on. Nightmare Moon, at least, has receded deep into the darkness... I understand not how she can delight in these thoughts and memories whilst they cause me nothing but frustration."
"In a way, though, isn't that how it's always been?" Scrivy asked mildly, and Luna gave him a thoughtful look before she smiled wryly and nodded slowly, returning her eyes forwards down the wintry road: the path was long, and the low gray clouds and bitter wind that nipped at them made it hard to see very far into the distance, as did the dead trees that loomed and twisted here and there along the roadside. "Honestly, I'm surprised you were so quick to get back on your hooves, Luna. Anypony else, me included, might still be crying in the back of that wagon."
"Liar. Thou feels what I do, and thou hasn't cried like a filly yet... at least not today." She gave him a wider smile, and Scrivener sighed and rolled his eyes in exasperation, but he couldn't help a small, relieved smile of his own all the same from bridging his lips. "Nay, if anything, I am sorry for the moment that thou must feel all I feel... 'tis unfair to thee. All my personal crises are laid upon thy mind at this juncture... all these memories flood not just my brain, but thine own hollow expanse in thy skull."
She halted, then blushed a bit as she looked forwards, mumbling: "Still, whether I readily admit it or not, I am sure thou knows I... I appreciate thy support. Having another to share both fair and foul with... it does much for me."
"Well, don't worry Luna. You have a habit of eventually getting so worked up you eventually throw a temper tantrum and then promptly forget what made you so upset in the first place. I'm just waiting for you to blow up a tree or something." Scrivy said dryly, and Luna sighed and looked at him flatly before the male added with a grimace: "Besides, our situation will be reversed once we get to North Neigh."
"Nay, it shan't, because if I hear thou called a 'slave-hoof' even once I shall unleash my full wrath upon the offender and reduce them to less than dust upon the wind." Luna grumbled, and Scrivener Blooms rolled his eyes with a look of entertainment towards her, which only made her huff and look pointedly back. "It would be no fault of mine. They would have brought it upon themselves. Or does thou truly wish to defend these cretins that treated thee so badly?"
"I'm not saying that. I'm just pointing out that if you continue to try and explode everything we're supposed to be protecting, it's not going to reflect very well on us." Scrivy paused as Luna grumbled under her breath, and then he asked softly: "Are you warm enough? Do you want me to get a better cloak?"
"Oh, worry about thine own ridiculous self." Luna said moodily, and Scrivener grinned a bit despite himself as she shot him a flat look. "Enjoy it, Scrivener Blooms. Enjoy the fact that the one thing thou canst do that I cannot is... bask in this frigid air. I hope thou enjoys it further when I force thee to sleep outside the tent tonight. Frustrating creature, thou whines all night when there is no blanket for thou to curl up under but then thou walks all day in this frigid foolery with a fool's smile upon thy face!"
"It's different. Besides, it feels invigorating... we never get proper cold in the Everfree Forest, not even during winter." Scrivy replied mildly, glancing over at her, and Luna grumbled a bit. "Anyway, this is just the start. It's winter up here already, but we haven't really started pushing north-north yet... after Snow Saddle and the barrens, we'll be in true northern Equestria. We may end up having to stop along the line to get warm cloaks, blankets, and jackets for our troops."
Luna grumbled a little, looking down moodily before she glanced over her shoulder at the sound of trudging, and both she and Scrivener Blooms smiled a bit at the sight of Twilight, who was breathing hard, a hide-lined cloak over her own body, scarf around her neck, and earmuffs over her head as she muttered: "This is getting ridiculous. The temperature dropped at least another five degrees in the last hour... I hope this is just a freak cold snap."
She shook her head, then shivered as she fell into step beside Luna, adding in a quieter voice: "Rarity and Cowlick handed out the warmer clothing we have but it doesn't amount to much... the minotaurs said they're fine, so have a few other ponies, but I don't know if we can keep up this pace. The cold is draining everyone... we might not be able to make our destination with the snow piling up, too."
"Nay, worry not, Twilight, Snow Saddle cannot be far now. The city will offer easier travels, I hope... and after we pass through, we shall push onwards towards the barrens. They are not far, are they?" Luna cocked her head curiously, glancing towards her husband.
Scrivener shrugged meditatively in response, looking down thoughtfully for a moment before he said slowly: "Forty minutes, perhaps. I don't know if we should push onwards to them, though... they were dangerous territory, even in the old days. When I... when I moved to Trotronto, I was taken through the barrens and Snow Saddle by carriage and dropped off at Charger's Crossing. My benefactor... told me he didn't want to risk losing a young writer on the road."
He smiled for a moment, and Twilight nodded hesitantly before she asked quietly: "What about staying in Snow Saddle? I'm sure there's a place we could stop..."
"Nay, 'tis too uncertain. I fear the reactions of ponies more than I fear the hungers of monsters." Luna grimaced a bit, saying moodily: "I wish to avoid rabble-rousers. Should we stay, we may end up meeting political candidates, puppets of others, and vandals. I will not lose time to begging, wheedling, or destructive ponies: I can think of nothing that would render me more irritated than to sleep comfortably for a night, only to awaken in the morning and find some angry pony has damaged one of our wagons."
Twilight nodded hesitantly, and Luna glanced over her shoulder towards the caravan, saying quietly: "Nay. For now, we stay close to one-another, and we push onwards as we have. We continue to do so until ponies can walk no more... this will ensure that by tomorrow night, we shall reach North Neigh."
Twilight Sparkle nodded slowly, the three walking onwards together in quiet for a few minutes before she finally asked softly: "And about your memories..."
"I... yes. I remember. And before thou can voice it, I shall write to Celestia tonight... but for now, I still require time to think, to accept, to sort through that which rises to the surface." Luna halted, looking down for a moment before she smiled awkwardly over her shoulder, murmuring: "I thank thee for thy concern, Twilight Sparkle but... worry not for me. Thou hast the worries of our caravan to attend to, does thou not?"
Twilight smiled a little and nodded slowly, and Luna seemed appeased by this as she looked ahead: for another hour they trudged onwards through snow and cold, and finally, buildings and walls began to appear in the distance... and as they approached a large, sprawled metropolis, the snow around which was formed into additional dunes and barriers, ice glinting here and there and shaped into fences and walls, the sapphire winged unicorn grimaced beneath her helm and said distastefully: "Oh, wonderful."
Twilight began to open her mouth... and then Pegasi appeared on the clouds above like ghosts, aiming crossbows at them as other ponies leaned over shaped walls of ice, armed with crossbows as the caravan came to a screeching halt. They faced each other warily, Starlit Knights readying themselves apprehensively as a unicorn in a blue uniform strode quickly out from behind another wall of ice, the pony looking over them with a frown before Luna stepped forwards and said calmly: "I must pass through this city. My business is in North Neigh beyond, and I have been sent by mine sister, Queen Celestia."
The blue-uniformed unicorn studied her, frowning slowly as he stepped forwards... and then he nodded brusquely, glancing over his shoulder and shouting: "Stand down! Open the gates and clear the roadways, send message that Champion Luna has arrived!"
The unicorn grimaced a bit, then he turned his attention back to them as the soldiers around him lowered their crossbows nervously, the blue-uniformed unicorn saying quietly: "I don't know what's true or not anymore. I don't know if you're here to save us, or you're really Nightmare Moon, playing a sick game, but either way I'm not stupid enough to think getting in your way will do any good, especially with the new Queen's backing. The south thinks they have it rough? It's nothing compared to here."
"Then will thou walk with me, and speak to me of the plight thou has endured?" Luna asked calmly, and the unicorn looked surprised by this request... but the winged unicorn only smiled and said softly: "The more I know of what I face, the better prepared I shall be to embattle it."
The unicorn nodded slowly, then he stepped politely aside, and Luna walked forwards, Scrivener Blooms and Twilight keeping pace with her as the blue-uniformed unicorn turned. As they approached the slowly-opening metal gates in the distance, he was silent for a few moments, gathering his thoughts before speaking almost abruptly: "My name is Cobalt Frost. I was the head of the police force. When it was decided that we needed more than police, they transferred me and made me head of the 'security division' that protects Snow Saddle from 'outside incursions...'"
As they walked into the city, Cobalt Frost talked... and the more he talked, the more he saw them listening, the calmer he seemed to become, even as groups of ponies nervously watched the supply wagons rumble by down their frosted, cracked streets, muttering and staring at the sight of soldiers walking past, led by Luna. By now, most of Equestria knew that Celestia was named Queen, and her decree that Luna was Champion, but no pony really knew what to believe and most were far more concerned with the problems at hoof than legend and story-time from the complacent central and southern Equestria.
The weather had grown hostile and uncontrollable, made worse by the fact that Pegasus who did attempt to climb to the clouds to batter back the storms were often attacked by a horde of awful, screaming and laughing ghosts that Luna identified immediately as The Stampede, or terrible, cold-breathing demons. And under the cover of the snow storms or darkness, Nibelung and Velites sometimes attempted raids on the city... but these were of little consequence compared to the fact that every night, ponies were vanishing without a trace.
Food would be set out on their tables, lanterns left burning, all manner of sign that they had been in the middle of something... and then they had simply vanished. Mostly around the edges of town, mostly unicorns... and Luna had grimaced at this, feeling that Ekleíp had to be involved instinctively, but unsure if they were using their dark talents or enlisting the aid of other creatures. For a while, Cobalt Frost had lingered on this subject, but Luna had only been able to shake her head and finally tell him quietly: "There is little thou can do but warn ponies to stay together, and to keep themselves as safe as possible. Evil forces lurk inside and outside the walls of thy city... but thou cannot hunt blindly. It will only leave more at risk... thou must be patient."
"Patience is not a virtue of mine." The unicorn shook his head grimly as they strode down the barren, cleared street, other ponies of the metropolis looking helplessly towards them. He looked back, gazing silently over the high stone buildings - many awkwardly fortified, the city looking as if it was preparing for war - before he sighed and lowered his head, muttering: "And it apparently only gets worse the further north you go."
Luna was silent at this, nodding slowly and closing her eyes: she wished she could be surprised by these words, but to the north were the Gray Mountains... where Sleipnir had died, battling an atrocity from beyond this world, from beyond Helheim. She shivered a little as Cobalt continued to speak, and it wasn't from the cold, as Scrivy and Twilight both gazed at her silently: the mountains held the darkest secrets, the mountains towered over the deepest depths.
Cobalt walked them through Snow Saddle, most of which only stared listlessly at them as they past, a few begging for mercy and help, one or two shouting raw, scared insults at them, but the only pony who actually tried to follow along and harass them was quickly shut up when Cobalt threatened to make him patrol the outer walls that night. Luna took it all in stride, however, looking moodily back and forth... but it was more because of the decrepit state of the once-bustling metropolis than anything else. Harsh words, she was used to by now... but the city seemed like it had already given up on life, as did most of the ponies they came across.
It was fifty minutes, from one end of the city to the other, and as the gates opened, Cobalt sighed tiredly and said awkwardly: "I'm sorry we don't... have any supplies for you. We have none to spare... our food is being rationed between the survivors, and... sick as it makes me to say this, if there hadn't already been so many disappearances, so many deaths, we... we probably wouldn't have had enough to go around as it is. If you want to wait, we can dig up other things, though..."
"No, 'tis fine. We should have enough rations to carry us to North Neigh, from there... we shall figure out the rest." Luna replied quietly, and Cobalt smiled a little at her before bowing his head respectfully, and she bowed back. "Good luck, Captain Cobalt Frost."
"Thank you. Good luck, Champion Luna. I had my doubts about you... and I'm glad to see I was wrong." the unicorn replied quietly, and Luna smiled a little before she glanced out at the road beyond, a snowy, wide path that led between two tall, rocky cliffs which were crowned with patches of dead tree and scraggly bush. She paused for only a few moments, studying the terrain ahead, the hoof-prints here and there in the soft powder, the way the weather had calmed and seemed almost to invite them onwards... and then she nodded, more to herself than anyone else, and walked forwards with Scrivy and Twilight following in silence.
The caravan rumbled onwards, Cobalt watching as it passed with a few silent ponies of Snow Saddle, and as late afternoon deepened, they moved slowly onwards. For a little while, it grew colder, even if there was no wicked wind biting at them, digging through cloak and armor and flesh to chill their very bones... but then, the snow began to thin out beneath their hooves, and the smell of sulfur and rotten earth filled their nostrils.
The snow became patchy over brown dirt and black rock as under the light of the setting sun they made their way up a sloped, dusty path, a mottled cliff raising to a high plateau on one side of them, mountains that bit at the sky on the horizon. It was an ugly world they walked into, warm, snow splattered here and there and steam rising from venting cracks in the rigid earth as Luna looked grimly back and forth, muttering: "We push onwards. I do not like the feel of this place... Twilight, go, check over the caravan, and see how the others are holding up."
Twilight Sparkle nodded and slipped backwards, at the same time pulling her cloak off with a grimace... and Luna threw the hood of her own back, gritting her teeth with disgust at the stench that filled her nose as she looked back over her shoulder: the wagons were moving slowly and carefully, minotaurs standing near the backs to help push up the inclines and over the cracks that had spread here and there through the rickety path. "Scrivener Blooms, this place reeks of... malice. Not unnatural powers, simply of... wickedness. 'Tis like standing in nature's spite given vent..."
Scrivy grimaced a little, striding carefully forwards along the path and wincing as it narrowed out slightly, looking to the side to where level ground became a sudden, rocky slope that led jaggedly down into a gorge he didn't want to guess the depth of. "It wasn't as bad when I last passed through here... it looks like entire sections of the mountains have crumbled away or something."
"Tunnels opening up, ancient passageways of wicked things revealed. We must tread warily..." Luna halted, looking quietly ahead as they waited for the wagons and caravan to catch up to them: some fifty meters in the distance, the path began to twist upwards, curling on a narrow pass up the slope of a pyramidal mountain. "Wicked shadows lurk and move ahead."
Scrivener grimaced a little at this, nodding slowly and rolling his shoulders beneath his armor before they continued onwards, staying close to the supply wagons, moving slowly through the treacherous path. They were halted once by a sudden burst of smoke that vented upwards with a terrible hiss, ponies staring in shock as the ground rumbled... but thankfully, it was no sleeping dragon, but only a shifting of the grumbling mountain, Luna shouting down the line to move forwards carefully.
The road leading up the side of the mountain was narrow, but the wagons were small enough to fit in single file, ponies walking in careful line: roughly forty Starlit Knights and twenty Pegasus Guard, even the trained soldiers of Celestia looking apprehensive as they kept in the air with the other Pegasi. Even Twilight looked as if she almost wanted to fly instead of trying to walk along the unguarded mountain road, Scrivy grimacing as he couldn't resist from glancing over the edge of the cliffs every so often and down at the jagged rocks below... before Rainbow Dash suddenly shot forwards over their heads, Luna looking up and opening her mouth before her eyes widened as the male Pegasus pointed and shouted: "We got incoming!"
Luna snarled, looking off into the distance as faint, insane laughter reached her ears... and she snarled at the sight of a shimmering, awful form of white mist eagerly racing towards them, the winged unicorn stepping forwards with her teeth grit. The Stampede was coming, countless awful ghosts that tore greedily through the air as one terrible entity, merged together and seeking to knock ponies flying from high places to force them to join their ranks and their misery... and then Luna glanced over her shoulder, shouting immediately: "Pegasus Guard of Celestia, 'tis time to prove thy loyalty! Aerial double-line formation, shields up! Starlit Knights, I require five sturdy earth ponies with shield at ready, there is no time to waste or argue!"
Golden-armored Pegasus ponies shot forwards, pulling kite shields off their backs and locking them over a forelimb as they assembled into a phalanx of ten: a row of five soldiers just above Luna's head, and a row of five more above these, forming a shield wall that extended from the side of the mountain just past the side of the road. They were joined a moment later by four earth ponies that scrambled into position as other Starlit Knights quickly passed up heavy, reinforced wooden shields to them, before Scrivener Blooms joined the far end, wincing as he stood at the very edge of the road, steadying himself before smiling grimly to Big Mac as the huge earth pony calmly passed him one of the heavy wooden shields before taking his place beside Applejack.
The fifteen ponies formed a solid wall as Luna leaned forwards, her horn glowing slightly, The Stampede a laughing, screaming, crying meteor of misty malice that was shooting towards them as the winged unicorn leaned forwards, shouting over the sound of the incoming cloud of savagery: "Prepare, do not quail... now hold, hold!"
There was a terrible, mighty crash as The Stampede smashed into the wall of shields, forcing them to skid backwards, Scrivy wincing as rocks crumbled off the side of the road and the hovering Pegasi almost gave away under the force of impact, the fifteen ponies struggling as screaming, laughing, shrieking ghosts tore and shoved furiously against them, white mist spilling upwards and around their shields and trying to entangle their limbs before Luna leaned forwards, horn shimmering and Twilight watching with shock and awe as the winged unicorn's eyes glowed as she roared: "Now push!"
Her horn gave an azure flash before blue light filled the air around them, and The Stampede shrieked and screamed as Pegasus Guards and Starlit Knights both shouted furiously, leaning forwards... and then shoving savagely outwards against the wall of ghosts and mist, and a shockwave ripped back through the stalled Stampede, phantasmal, misshapen figures bursting apart and flying out of the awful cloud, terrible specters sent hurtling out of the air with screams as they fell from the sky, exploding into white smoke where they struck against the rock or ground. Ripples passed through the awful gathering as ghostly hooves battered uselessly against shields, trying to push themselves away, before the terrible cloud burst backwards in a sudden wave, ghastly shades of ponies still falling from the white pall of mist even as it zigzagged wildly back and forth and twisted upwards into the air.
The Stampede fled, and Pegasus Guard and Starlit Knight both stared, then shouted their triumph, Luna grinning widely as Scrivener Blooms turned around, breathing hard and features flushed with pleasure and victory... and then he laughed when Big Mac gave him a firm one-armed hug, wheezing a little at the strength of the male's squeeze as he patted him on the chest, and Luna laughed before she called warmly: "Excellently done! Well done, all of thee... The Stampede will not dare threaten us again now! We have stopped the unstoppable, my friends... but come, before we tempt Fate with further evil, let us make haste upwards and find a better place to celebrate and lay camp."
The Pegasus Guard saluted sharply as they replaced their shields, but they looked both elated... and like they were beginning to trust in Luna as a leader, for more reasons than just because Celestia had ordered them to. And the Starlit Knights, meanwhile, were still ecstatic, talking amongst themselves excitedly even as they fell back into formation, and Scrivy smiled a little as Luna gently took his shield and flicked her horn, sending it floating back to settle into one of the supply wagons. "You could have handled it."
"Aye, I could have, but 'twould have been draining... The Stampede had more victims now than when I stopped it last, and 'twas much stronger... and I am not sure I could protect the entire caravan with a barrier." Luna replied softly, smiling slightly across at him as Twilight looked at them curiously. "But I had faith in my allies, and it was justly proven and good for them to learn they do not need me for every little detail."
"We'll just pretend you didn't help at all with that exorcism." Scrivener Blooms replied with a slight smile, and Luna laughed and shook her head slowly as Twilight gazed warmly from one to the other. "And why didn't you help, by the way? Too good for us, Sparkles?"
"I hate you." Twilight glared at him even as she blushed a bit, and when Luna gave her a thoughtful look, she grumbled under her breath and said awkwardly: "I was... I knew you had it under control. Besides, I still don't entirely... understand this whole 'ghosts' thing. The idea that... phantoms can exist, that the dead can rise from their graves and... Helheim and Valhalla..."
Luna nodded slowly, looking down thoughtfully as they made their way onwards in silence for a little while, and finally, she replied quietly: "I can imagine how it would not be easy for thee to comprehend even now... it has been years since thou first heard our tales, since thou has seen for thine own eyes the feats that the old magic is capable of and that... awful things lurk in the darkness, swept beneath the carpet that Celestia spread over Equestria. But one must always remember that even the reasonless have reasons... that even things that seem impossible, must be made possible by something. I do not claim to be able to explain how these things happen, how they came to exist, but I do know all things have... beginnings. And that all things that must begin... must also end."
She quieted, then smiled a little over at Scrivy as he smiled back, their eyes meeting for a few moments as Twilight gazed between them thoughtfully, and for a little while, there was silence. For a little while, in the elation of their victory over The Stampede, as the sun slowly set in the distance, it felt like everything might work out, as they reached a high, stony plateau... and then Luna looked up sharply and shouted: "Halt!"
The caravan rumbled to a halt behind her on the slope, ponies wincing and minotaurs stepping forwards to hold the heavy wagons in place as Luna looked towards a gaping archway leading into an enormous, natural tunnel through the mountain... and both Scrivy and Twilight grimaced at the sight of the purple static that filled the archway, sizzling dangerously and blocking their passage, leaving them stranded outside on the thin plateau.
Then Luna snarled and leaned forwards as a glowing orb blinked into being on the other side of the wall, made of green, rune-covered glass... and beside it, Ignominious appeared in a swirl of shadows, the demonic equine leaning forwards and saying mockingly: "No fillies allowed, Luna. That means you."
"Baseless coward!" Luna snapped, flicking her horn forwards, and a bolt of lightning shot towards the wall... but it only crackled uselessly against the purple barrier, Ignominious looking pleased with himself as he stood safely behind the glowing forcefield. "Does thou already beg for another duel? Do not force me to fly around this mountain and pummel thee into oblivion, or simply bring the entire mountaintop crashing down upon thy cowardly, craven head!"
"Oh, come now, Luna, you wouldn't want to risk that. You've seen how unstable this place is... you could start an avalanche, or accidentally destroy the narrow pass your precious friends are all on." Ignominious replied mockingly, leaning forwards with a cruel, calculating grin. "No, no... I just want to see if your words are true, Luna. If your precious husband really is a match for me... and don't even bother trying anything silly to get through the barrier. It won't like that... and nor will it allow you to send an entire cadre after me. Scrivener Blooms and a few others, to keep it fair. I'll be waiting."
With that, Ignominious laughed and then stepped backwards, both the demon and the glowing orb vanishing into smog as Luna gritted her teeth, then glared moodily towards the sky as the sun set, muttering: "Scrivy. Let's raise the moon."
Twilight looked confused... but Scrivener Blooms only nodded, following Luna as she turned and stormed to the edge of the plateau. They both sat, side-by-side, lowering their heads as Twilight flitted nervously behind them, the violet winged unicorn wincing a little and not knowing what to do or say... but she seemed to understand clearer what was really going on as the faces of the two ponies slowly smoothed out, their minds linking, their hearts beating as one, both calming almost immediately as they arched their backs and rose their heads.
Luna's horn glowed brightly, her starry locks twisting around her body as the moon slowly rose from the horizon behind them, casting its pallid glow over the apprehensive-looking ponies waiting anxiously for them... but when the two looked at each other, they smiled and nodded, Twilight frowning a bit before Scrivener Blooms walked towards the purple, glowing haze as Luna turned towards the pass, saying clearly: "I require volunteers from the Starlit Knights who are willing to go with my husband, Scrivener Blooms. They must be male... for the wretched creature on the other side of that barrier has used a childish gender spell to ensure I cannot pass through it."
Twilight stared in shock at Luna's back, then she asked flatly: "You're kidding me, right? Only males can pass through that barrier?"
"And only a few, most likely, 'tis likely fortified with a multitude of charms." Luna said distastefully over her shoulder, and as Twilight only continued to look at her dumbly, Luna gave a wry, disgusted smile. "As little as I wish to admit it... 'twas a very effective use of a spell meant for childish pranks. I now cannot pass through the barrier, nor thyself, nor Pinkamena, nor most of the other Starlit Knights, including any of our unicorns. With one silly little charm, he has completely blockaded our way forwards."
"I'll go." Big Mac said calmly, striding forwards in his heavy plate armor and rolling his shoulders easily, and he smiled over his shoulder to Applejack as she looked up at him worriedly. "Don't worry. We'll watch out for each other."
"Me too." Rainbow Dash landed next to Big Mac, nodding firmly, and when Applejack grimaced a bit, he blushed a little and looked over his shoulder before facing towards Luna, even as she gave him a meditative look. "I know that... well... I mean, you know. But I can. I know I can."
"Just like guy's night out." Spike said awkwardly, striding forwards in his lightweight gemstone vest, grinning lamely as Twilight's eyes roved to the dragon and her gaze softened considerably, tinged with worry even as Spike drew his short sword and rubbed the back of his head with his other hand. "I... am a dragon and all, right? Better learn to be all fearsome and stuff sometime."
Scrivy smiled at them, and Luna laughed after a moment and stepped back, saying quietly: "Aye, the four of thee should be more than a match for Ignominious... but beware, for he will not play fairly, as thou well knows, Scrivy. He also likely seeks to lure thee away from me... thou must be swift."
"I understand." Scrivener Blooms said softly, and then he turned and headed towards Luna, leaning forwards and sharing a brief, tender kiss with her before he turned back to the barrier, striding towards it and hesitating only a moment in front of the purple forcefield before he grimaced and stepped through.
The earth pony winced, cursing under his breath as electricity shocked over his body, making aches pulse through his muscles before he stumbled to the other side... then turned around and gritted his teeth as white runes flashed into being along the floor of the tunnel, the male feeling static rip at his mind as Luna cursed under her breath and twitched, then looked up sharply and shouted: "Scrivy!"
"I'm okay, but... I think they're like the runes Celestia used in her library." Scrivener called awkwardly back, as the winged unicorn paced quickly in front of the portal... and Luna cursed, the two looking across at one another from the other side of the glowing purple wall, able to see each other, to speak... but not to touch, the link between their mind jammed, filled with static and chaos, leaving them both feeling strange and alone. "Luna..."
"Scrivy..." Luna murmured... and then she shook her head before looking towards the others grimly. She paused for a moment, however, gazing over the group before watching as Spike came forwards next, the dragon grimacing a little as he rubbed at his head-fins. "Be wary, friend. We know not how it will react to others yet."
"Okay... okay." Spike said awkwardly, and he braced himself... before looking up dumbly as a voice called his name, and he half-turned as Rarity walked forwards with an awkward smile, a blue, metallic shield with a dragon's head embossed in gold motif over it. She lowered her head forwards, and the shield floated quietly to him as Spike stared, then blushed and awkwardly took it with a smile... that only grew dumber and wider when the unicorn carefully stood up rested her hooves against his chest so she could kiss his cheek gently.
Then she stepped backwards, and Spike swallowed thickly before he turned and took a deep breath, shield on one arm, sword tightly gripped in his other hand, and he winced as he stepped forwards through the barrier, gritting his teeth at the surge of purple energy that bit over his scales... and he staggered with a wheeze into the wall beyond, leaning against it with a groan and mumbling: "Ow. It... it stings a little to pass through."
Big Mac came next, after trading a fierce hug with Applejack... and then the male strode calmly through, barely wincing even as the neon electricity ripped along his frame, taking a slow breath on the other side of the barrier and shaking himself off... and Rainbow Dash came last, after Cowlick fitted two satchels over his body and Luna nodded briskly to show her approval at their initiative. She sent him on his way with a firm slap to his rump, and Rainbow huffed over his shoulder at her, then almost walked into Applejack, turning dumbly forwards before she kissed him firmly, making him grin before she said quietly: "You and my brother and everyone else better come back alive, or I'm gonna be real mad at you, Dashie, you hear? Don't make me have to make Luna and Twilight bring you back."
"Yeah, don't you worry about me. We got this." Rainbow replied with a wink, and then he walked forwards towards the barrier, swallowing thickly and wincing at the sight of the ponies all watching him before he hesitantly stepped forwards and clenched his eyes shut... and slowly, he passed through the purple wall, electricity sparking over him before he emerged on the other side with a wheeze of relief, even as energy shocked along his body and his legs buckled a bit beneath him. "Oh thank god."
"Wait!" Twilight Sparkle said quickly, and the four looked up before the unicorn closed her eyes, her horn glowing... and a moment later, Discombobulation popped into being beside her, the Draconequus looking moodily up from a newspaper, a pair of small glasses much like Scrivy's own resting across his muzzle. "Discombobulation, can you go with them?"
"I could. But then again, wherever one goes, there one is, isn't that right? So really, I can go anywhere." Discombobulation said calmly, and Twilight glared at him even as the Draconequus started to open his mouth... and then Luna charged into his back and knocked the chimerical creature shooting towards the barrier with a yell of surprise, newspaper scattering apart in all directions and glasses flying from his face before he crashed through the purple wall as the ponies and dragon winced and scattered to the sides of the tunnel, the creature landing and rolling comically head-over-heels several times before he felt flat.
"Congratulations, Bob, thou art officially a male." Luna said drolly, even as the wall of purple energy sparked and sizzled violently, taking on a semi-liquid consistency before the female grimaced as she looked over this and muttered: "But we had best tamper no more with this wicked barrier, and thou had all best be on thy way, there is no more time to tarry or waste. Ignominious was using an orb to ensure the barrier stays in place... seek it out and destroy it. And beware the creature."
"Discombobulation, protect them and stay close to them." Twilight ordered, as the creature slowly picked itself up off the ground and brushed at its limbs, looking distastefully over its shoulder. Twilight looked back, and when he sighed and nodded, she smiled and murmured quietly: "Thank you."
"Don't thank me, I merely do what's required. Come along, children, listen to your babysitter." the Draconequus said moodily, looking forwards and gesturing at the others... and Scrivener Blooms lingered only a moment longer, looking quietly over his shoulder at Luna before he faced ahead, grimacing a little as they began to trek down the long, dark tunnel together.
They were silent, Scrivener wincing a little as he found himself in the lead with Spike on one side, Big Mac on the other, and Rainbow Dash flying slowly along above their heads as Discombobulation strolled calmly behind them with his hands behind his back, looking moodily back and forth. The earth pony didn't like being in the position of leader... and then he glanced up in surprise as Rainbow Dash lowered the satchel bags that had been loosely strapped to him. "Here, you guys take these. Big Mac, this one's got all the gear... Scrivy, this one is a bunch of those magic bomb thingies, you should probably take that one."
Scrivener began to open his mouth to argue, but then Spike sheathed his sword, reaching up and grabbing the bag hanging over Scrivy as he said helpfully: "Here, let me help! Rainbow, you can help Big Mac with the other one."
"Yup." Big Mac said calmly, and the group halted as Scrivener smiled awkwardly at them, letting the dragon quickly strap the satchel bag to his side as Rainbow worked to help fit the other bag over Big Mac, the large earth pony glancing over his shoulder, then looking calmly towards Scrivy as he asked in his soft drawl: "Worried?"
"Yeah, a little." Scrivener replied after a moment, deciding it was probably better not to lie for now as he started forwards with a grimace after Spike finished tightening the straps, the earth pony shaking his head and muttering: "Now that I'm not connected to Luna, well. There goes most of my tricks. Last time we fought him, Ignominious summoned some awful giant monster that... well, you guys heard the stories and saw what he did the bridge."
"Seasons change, friends move away, and life goes on from day-to-day. Flowers fade and streams go dry and many times we wonder why." Discombobulation murmured musingly, and Scrivy gave him a flat look over his shoulder. "You worry too much, Luna. You're still Luna, after all, not Scrivener Blooms."
"Strangely, that actually makes me feel better." Scrivy muttered after a moment, turning forwards and shaking his head with a wry smile, and Discombobulation shrugged as if this explained everything as Big Mac chuckled and Rainbow Dash looked down at him with amusement. "But still. We're going to have to be prepared for anything. And this time I'm more likely to fall on my face than I am to lay a beat-down into him."
"Don't worry, we got your back." Rainbow winked and grinned, flapping his wings easily as he flew along the top of the tunnel, and the Element of Loyalty that hung around his neck and overtop his armor gleamed brightly, the gemstone seeming to shine from within for a moment. "You and Luna really are lucky, though, and I don't just mean because of all the crazy adventures you two have. The way you two get along, it's kind of intense."
"Neither of us have just... ever grown up." Scrivy said finally, shrugging a little... and then his features became more serious as he gestured ahead down the wide, dim tunnel, saying quietly: "Look there."
The others faced ahead, looking towards where the tunnel opened into a wide cavern as they all became more serious: it was filled with moonlight that spilled down through cracks in the thin stone ceiling and natural windows, the cave wide and with rounded walls, the ceiling above held up by crawling ivy and the remains of ancient, rotted stone pillars. Once upon a time it had perhaps been a temple... now it was merely a large, empty room with shallow, faintly-steaming water around the edges of it, a tunnel to the backs of the misfit group that stepped slowly into it and down a natural step, another wide tunnel to their left... and in front of them, the demon horse, Ignominious.
He stood across the room, grinning darkly, his back to what had once likely been another entrance... but although the top of the natural stone archway stared out into empty night sky, the bottom half had long collapsed into a blockade of small rocks overgrown with ugly ivy. Beside the creature, the green orb glowed, as his eyes roved back and forth... and then he frowned darkly from the Pegasus to the Draconequus, saying disgustedly: "Oh, impossible. But it is not important, either way. I have friends to deal with these wretched abominations."
"You might wanna take a look in the mirror before you go around calling people names, pal." Rainbow Dash retorted, and Discombobulation glared at the Pegasus before he added sharply: "So we gonna do this the easy way or the hard way?"
Ignominious only grinned darkly, however, setting himself and leaning forwards as his horn glowed blackly... and the green orb quickly shot upwards, ivy twisting down from the ceiling and grasping the runed glass as the male said coldly: "We'll see how arrogant you are in just a moment, hapless vermin..."
The unicorn tilted his head forwards, his horn giving a flash as the others set themselves, Spike raising his shield and sword gamely with his teeth grit, Rainbow snarling as he dropped to the ground and spread his wings wide, the group watching as black smoke bubbled up on either side of the demonic equine... and then sizzled before twisting violently downwards as ice crystals sparkled and rapidly spread into the shapes of skulls and claws and ribs, cold blue organs pulsing to life as black smoke became semi-liquid flesh and hide that stretched between their blue-ivory ice-bones, slavering jaws that breathed cold mist barking at them as Discombobulation muttered: "Hellhounds. It just had to be Hellhounds."
Soulless light glared out of the sockets in ice-skulls, sharp ice-sickle teeth glinted, and the air around them glimmered with frost as their oversized claws scraped against the ground, freezing it beneath their feet. Their ribs and chests remained horribly exposed, giving a few of their frosty inner workings as that black, rippling watery-hide covered the rest of their frames, ragged black tails flicking back and forth as Ignominious looked up with a cruel grin, his horn giving another flash as black smoke hissed silently downwards through the ceiling, then puffed outwards as other small, floating shapes formed, and the Draconequus winced in disgust as he added moodily: "And Smoke Imps. Truly, the demon must want to kill you, Luna."
The Imps squeaked, their bat-like heads tilting back and forth, long, gangling limbs ending in grubby claws and enormous wings flapping rapidly. Their legs ended in nothing but smoking, unclear points, as did their long, forked tails, the Imps hissing as they floated back and forth restlessly... and then Ignominious threw his head back and laughed as his horn gave a final sizzling burst, and behind him, no less than four Velite earth ponies ripped themselves free from the earth, runes scrawled over their ivory skeletons and eye sockets full of unnatural, undead flame, before the demon snapped his head forwards and whispered: "Oh, you have no idea. I'll get the satisfaction of killing you, and then making Luna mine, all over again, once she's dead. As for the rest of you, well. Nothing personal."
He smiled almost mockingly as Scrivener gritted his teeth, then he leaned forwards and said sharply: "This is between me and you then, put your toys away and let the others go, I'll fight you myself!"
"I think I'd just rather kill everyone, from you to Twilight Sparkle." Ignominious replied mockingly, glancing over his shoulder... and Scrivy snarled before he shrugged the satchel bag forwards, digging into it and yanking an orb out as the black unicorn looked over his shoulder at the cluster of earth pony Velites behind him, laughing: "What do you think friends? What do you think, dogs of war? Maybe I should even ask-"
He began to look forwards again... and one of the glass anti-magic spheres struck square into his face, shattering and then exploding in a blast of light, and Ignominious screamed in agony as he staggered backwards, electricity sparking along his head as howling faces pushed out all along his body, his form rippling and becoming almost solid as he fell backwards on his haunches before one of the Hellhounds charged forwards.
It roared as it leapt towards Scrivener Blooms, leaving a trail of smoke and cold blue mist behind it... and Scrivy winced in shock as a paw booted him firmly in the side, knocking him out of the way as Discombobulation stepped calmly forwards, an enormous glass dome appearing in either hand before he slammed these tightly together over the Hellhound, trapping the stunned creature inside. It smacked loudly into one of the walls of the now-sphere around it, and then screeched as Discombobulation violently shook it back and forth, sending up a storm of snow and smoke as all eyes stared at him before he firmly slammed the sphere down, the glass boulder clunking and the Hellhound laying in a daze on its back as a blizzard of black and white swirled around it, the Draconequus pronouncing calmly: "Snowglobe."
"What... lunatic, pathetic creature! I... well, what are you all waiting for?" Ignominious screamed, looking back and forth... but even the snarling Hellhound seemed hesitant to charge forwards as the Draconequus stood with one hand calmly resting on the glass orb, his other on his hip. "How dare you! What makes you think-"
"You bring the crowns and heads of conquered ponies to this land. You insult my queen. You threaten my ponies with slavery and death! Oh, I've thought about this carefully, demon. Perhaps you should have done the same!" Discombobulation snapped suddenly, leaning forwards, face serious, eyes blazing with anger that made even the Velites stagger backwards at the burst of fury from the chaotic creature.
Ignominious gaped stupidly in response to this, spluttering and shaking his head wildly, still stunned from the anti-magic pulse as shocks travelled over his body before he looked back and forth, asking in disbelief: "Of what madness is this patchwork doll speaking?"
"Madness?" Discombobulation stepped backwards, then he gritted his teeth, leaning forwards and shouting: "This is Equestria!"
And with that, the Draconequus rose his giraffe leg and slammed a mighty kick into the glass sphere, the Hellhound inside shrieking as it was sent rocketing and rolling like a glass boulder towards Ignominious as the other creatures scattered but the demon only stared dumbly before the globe smashed into him and exploded in a blast of snow, smoke, and glass, the demon hurtling backwards with a howl of misery to smash into the collapsed stone barrier as the less fortunate Hellhound was ejected with such violence it shot over the piled-up rocks and was sent hurtling out into the empty night sky.
Scrivener Blooms gritted his teeth, reaching back and ripping the satchel bag free from his body as he looked at Rainbow Dash, shouting over the snarls of the Hellhound and the hisses of the Velites: "Let's see if he can handle a bigger blast!"
Rainbow immediately got the idea as Scrivy threw the satchel to him, the Pegasus grinning as he leapt into the air and snagged the bag, lunging upwards to avoid the snapping jaws of the Hellhound as it pounced towards him, before he grinned widely even as an imp darted towards him, shouting: "Bad move, pal!"
Rainbow nimbly brought both legs up, slamming his rear hooves into the imp's features and launching himself backwards even as the other imp zigzagged through the air and tried to get around his flank... but with surprising grace for his large frame, Rainbow rolled his body and brought three of his legs back as the other tightly cradled the satchel against his armored chest, then he kicked them out at the same time as the demon darted towards him, leaping off it as his wings spread and shooting forwards in a blinding streak of color, corkscrewing his body as he caught the handle of the bag and then threw it straight down the moment he was overtop the demonic unicorn.
Ignominious looked up tiredly as the satchel bag shot down, slamming into his head... and the anti-magic spheres it was filled with all exploded in one massive flash of force and light, the demon howling in misery as massive arcs of energy jolted back and forth over his frame, smoke hissing up from his body as howling faces twisted and contorted along his sides, almost ripping themselves out of his rippling frame as he jittered and convulsed wildly. Rainbow Dash winced, almost blinded by the blast even as he caught himself against the wall before forcing himself to run upwards as his wings flapped hard, charging up the surface and then sprinting upside down for a moment across the ceiling before he grunted and kicked off.
He shot downwards like a meteor, slamming through a Velite and sending bones flying in all directions as he kept sharp count in his head, body tense, wings trembling, muscles flexing... and then he launched himself suddenly upwards with such force that it released a narrow shockwave, knocking the other Velites around him staggering as he shouted: "Come on, let me show you what else I got!"
Spike winced as the Hellhound lunged at him, blocking the snapping jaws and slashing claws with his shield before he grunted as he stepped forwards and shoved hard, knocking the demon-dog backwards before he winced as it vomited out a wave of freezing mist... but on instinct more than anything else, the dragon replied with a blast of his own fiery breath, greenish flames and cold smoke cancelling each other out before he stepped forwards and slashed hard downwards, ripping a crack through the icy skull of the Hellhound and making it shriek in frustration and pain as it staggered backwards, shaking its head wildly.
Then it looked up with a snarl, eyes glowing, and Spike winced and half-hid behind his shield as the demon dog tensed... then shrieked when Big Mac plowed into it despite the Velite clinging uselessly to his back, knocking the Hellhound flying into a wall. It fell limply, and Spike ran forwards, leaping towards it with a yell and plunging his sword down through its frozen ribs and into its icy heart, the demon howling in misery as its body arched... then it burst apart into frosty shrapnel and black smoke, the dragon cursing as he was knocked backwards onto his rear with a wince.
Big Mac grunted as he leaned forwards and bucked the Velite off him, sending it flipping dumbly through the air to crash to the ground in front of him before the heavy, strong pony slammed a hoof down in two hard, crushing stomps that shattered skull and ribs, the undead creature falling still before the red pony shot a glance over his shoulder as a Velite charged towards his back. Immediately, he rose one hind hoof and slammed a fierce kick into it, knocking it flat... and Scrivener Blooms simply trampled over it, crushing it beneath his hooves as the pony charged towards Ignominious with a snarl.
An Imp lunged down at him from the air, seizing his features and succeeding for a moment in knocking him off balance... but before it could even raise its spindly claws, reality ripped open beside the creature and Discombobulation's eagle talon reached through, yanking the Imp off the earth pony and into the portal... which promptly shut the moment his hand was all the way out but the Imp only partway, slicing it almost in half.
It squeaked and exploded into nothing but black smoke as Discombobulation looked moodily down at his talon, absently flicking some dust off as he said distastefully: "Whoops. Silly butterfingers."
He glanced up to watch as the other Imp managed to lash its claws across Rainbow Dash's features, the male cursing as blood splattered from the rips flayed in his cheek but half-grinning even through the pain as he half-twisted his body and brought both rear hooves up to kick into the floating demon, and it was slammed up into the ceiling above hard enough to burst apart into nothing but smog as Rainbow was launched forwards, twisting his body to shoot across the ground as he looked up with a snarl as his eyes linked on Ignominious, as he shot after Scrivener Blooms as the earth pony lunged-
Ignominious looked up, his body still shivering, barely able to remain on his hooves before his eyes widened in dumb surprise... and then the hoof of Scrivener Blooms slammed viciously upwards under his chin, knocking him rearing backwards with a gargle before Rainbow Dash swung his body to slam all four hooves into the demonic equine's body in the same mighty blow, the creature howling in misery as he was slammed backwards... and this time, crashed not against, but tore through the weakened rock wall. He hurtled into the night surrounded by an escort of broken rock and shale and torn ivy, his limbs flailing uselessly as he fell down the steep mountainside before smacking with an audible crunch into the edge of a protruding cliff. bouncing like a rubber ball with a scream of pain and terror before he vanished into the deep darkness of the canyon below, followed only by a stream of falling stone.
Scrivy and Rainbow Dash both stared stupidly out over the edge, as the Pegasus flapped his wings slowly, and then the two turned around to watch as one of the Velites scampered away down the tunnel and Spike managed to slice the head off another before using his shield to smack it firmly in the ribs, sending its bony body collapsing weakly backwards. He winced as it continued to twitch, then the dragon stomped it firmly, crushing in the undead creature beneath one booted foot as he looked up, breathing hard and then grinning widely as he said stupidly: "We did it. Holy horseapples, we actually did it."
"We did." Scrivener smiled a bit, then he looked amusedly at the blue Pegasus as he grinned and rose a hoof, rolling his eyes but then raising his own and punching it lightly. "Maybe you'll earn that title of Captain yet, Dash, if you keep this up."
"Hell yeah, you bet I will." He grinned wider at this, looking pleased and nodding firmly before he looked towards the others, reaching up and awkwardly rubbing at the scratches on his face. "This. I ain't gonna look like you now, right, Scrivy?"
"No, Dash, you're safe from that. Besides, Luna or Twilight can heal you once we rejoin them..." Scrivener glanced up towards the stone ceiling overhead, studying it before he pointed towards the glass orb. "There it is."
"Allow me." Discombobulation stepped forwards and calmly cleared his throat, then he spread his arms and closed his eyes, reciting in his monotone voice: "Do re mi fa so la ti. This is my perfect pitch."
Above, the glass orb shuddered... but nothing else happened, and Discombobulation looked moodily up at the sphere before he leaned down, picked up a large rock, and threw it bad-temperedly at the orb trapped in the vines. It struck it squarely and shattered it in a burst of electricity and light that set the ivy surrounding it on fire for a few moments, and then the Draconequus turned around and spread his arms, looking pointedly at them all.
Spike caught on first, clearing his throat as he sheathed his blade and clapping his hands awkwardly as the ponies only looked up at him, but Discombobulation bowed back and forth before he brushed past, saying moodily: "Come, I must rest my treasured vocal chords. Or smoke a cigarette. Or at least ensure that my dressing room has nineteen leafy six-foot-tall plants, four leafy four foot tall plants, vegetarian catering and no animal by-products anywhere. Otherwise I may not be able to make it to the end of abbey road."
Scrivener Blooms rolled his eyes, opening his mouth to respond... and then he winced and staggered, the others looking at him with concern as the Draconequus only gazed down curiously. "Is that a successful connection to the internet or have you encountered a DNS error? If so, you should contact an experienced technician or your local service provider."
Scrivy wheezed a little, then he shook his head briskly as thoughts, emotions, and memories flooded through his system, sharing in a moment with Luna everything that had happened, once more able to feel Luna's presence inside and outside of himself... and then he looked up and smiled a bit, saying quietly: "The barrier's down. Luna and the others are on their way, nothing happened to them."
"Good, I was kind of worried." Spike smiled a little, the dragon half-hugging his shield against his chest before he cleared his throat, looking from Scrivy to Rainbow Dash before he asked in a hush: "So uh... you guys are married, right?"
"Yes, but that's legal now so you really don't have to whisper." Scrivener Blooms said mildly, and Spike looked dumb for a moment as Rainbow snorted in entertainment and punched the earth pony's shoulder lightly. "But if you can call me being married to Luna a normal marriage then... yes, I am."
"I'd say mine is weirder but all things considered, I think you and Luna take the prize." the Pegasus said agreeably, as Big Mac turned and headed back into the larger cavern from the tunnel, Discombobulation following the red earth pony. "Why? You want me to be your best stallion at your dream wedding with Rarity?"
Rainbow sat back a bit and squeezed his own cheeks together, making kissy faces, and Spike glared at him even as he turned beet-red, grumbling: "Definitely not now, you jerk. But seriously, you guys... what... what should I do?"
Scrivener Blooms and Rainbow Dash traded amused looks, and when the Pegasus gave the male a pointed glare, he sighed and rolled his eyes. "Alright, fine, the poet will take this. 'Love is patient, love is kind,' if you'll allow me to steal from Discombobulation's shtick for a moment and quote other things to sound smart. Which is what we poets do anyway... but I really don't think you need our help, Spike. Just keep moving with the flow, if it's meant to be, you'll know: you'll find yourselves locking into place."
"No, no, no, don't listen to him. You gotta be aggressive, that's what I was." Rainbow Dash said empathetically, leaning forwards and nodding firmly a few times. "Aggressive! Just like a race, you put your eyes on your goal, and you shoot for it as fast as possible."
Rainbow sat back on his haunches, raising his hooves and then pointing them both forwards, and Spike winced as Scrivener glared at the Pegasus... and then they both glanced over their shoulder in surprise at the sound of approaching hooves, looking up to see Twilight Sparkle smiling amusedly at the three, the dragon blushing as he half-hid behind his shield.
"Actually, what he has to do is stop running away from her and talk to her about it, for better or worse. Spike, don't listen to either of them, they're both idiots." Twilight said mildly, and then she leaned forwards and traded a firm hug with Rainbow Dash, then with Scrivener Blooms, lingering a moment or two longer with the male before she pulled back and smiled at him quietly. "Everyone's different, though. For everyone, love is different."
Spike grumbled and covered his ear-fins, and then Twilight Sparkle laughed and shook her head before gazing over her shoulder, smiling as Luna approached, grinning widely, and Applejack smiled and shook her head with entertainment as Rainbow turned and blushed deeply, embarrassedly touching the scratches on his cheek before Luna exclaimed cheerfully: "Scrivener Blooms! Thou aren't nearly as bludgeoned and battered as I expected thee to be!"
"You okay, Dashie? Y'ain't too badly hurt, are you?" Applejack asked kindly, and Rainbow laughed awkwardly before he and Applejack embraced gently and traded a quick nuzzle, as Scrivy and Luna strode towards one another and then lightly headbutted each other before they turned and fell into step, meeting one another's eyes and sharing thoughts, emotions and memories as the blonde earth pony grinned and firmly nudged her husband onwards. "Come on, let's get you fixed up. Twilight, you heal these cuts? I swear Big Mac better be in better shape than you are."
"No problem at all." Twilight said softly, her horn glowing as Dash fidgeted but then turned his head to give the winged unicorn a clear view, and Spike couldn't help but smile as he fell into step beside the ponies as the caravan wagons pulled along behind them. For all their differences, after all... the looks in the eyes of the two couples was still very much the same. |
Starlit Knights | When Laughter Fades Away | Chapter Twenty Three: When Laughter Fades Away
~BlackRoseRaven
They pushed onwards into the night, Luna and Twilight leading the way with their horns glowing, and Ross smiling as he made his own horn glow as well, following in the middle of the caravan with Cowlick, not even seeming aware that he was doing magic. Lanterns hung from the sides of the wagons, burning brightly... but not even Scrivener Blooms complained about the extended march as they made their way through the tunnels of the mountains, past eyes that glared at them from the darkness but didn't dare attack before they finally emerged into a vast, rocky tundra and pushed forwards, away from the shadows of the mountain and the toxic reek of the barren land, finally coming to a halt in the silhouette of an immense pine forest.
They pulled off the road where the land was still clear, setting up the wagons to form a curved wall to the stretch of desolate tundra behind them. It provided some shelter from the bitter wind that nipped across the empty, frozen wastes, and the minotaurs were quick to gather logs and branches from the forest, using them to build both bonfires and barriers at the edge of the encampment.
When questioned by Luna about this, Aleksandr muttered that the forest was watching them... and Scrivener hated to agree, but he could feel the same dark intensity. He thought Luna did, too, but she refused to admit that any creatures of the night could sway her... but for once, Aleksandr had only shaken his head slowly and murmured: "Be wary, Baba Yaga. In story, is always underestimation that leads to downfall of great witch. I do not wish to see folk story become real life."
Luna had taken this to heart, at least, and helped reinforce the defenses around the campsite with magic, muttering moodily to herself... but Scrivy knew it was only because now, on top of everything else, her dominion over the night was being challenged by something the menaced through the shadows. In plain defiance of this, Luna and Scrivy set their tent up nearest to the forest, in a hole in the barriers, daring anything to attack them... but that night, as they laid in front of their tent in front of a blue fire that burned endlessly despite the whipping wind, as the moon shone down from the clear, lucid night sky, they were aware of eyes watching them, but nothing moved against them.
Twilight Sparkle joined them, and so did Pinkamena, as the rest of the ponies - minotaurs included, this time - stayed at the other bonfires. There was a distinct separation that made Pinkamena grin sourly before she muttered in distaste: "This is why killing ponies... or anything, really... is so much better than saving ponies. They say 'please' and 'thank you' as long as they want you around, as long as you're there to serve their purpose, not 'a' purpose, their purpose... and when you don't fit anymore, they make no effort to try and help you or include you. They just leave you to rot. Maybe that's why you and Scrivy have such an exciting marriage, live such an exciting life together that all the flame hasn't gone out of. Maybe it's not because of love... but because you both know you'll always need each other, and not in the sense of any romantic stupid lie, either. You two literally need each other to survive."
Luna glowered a little at this as Scrivener looked moodily across at Pinkamena, and then the male said dryly, as the dull-pink pony's blue eyes gleamed like gemstones: "I always get this awful feeling you're working towards some twisted ultimate end when you talk to us like this."
"Aren't we all, every day of our lives? We're all after something. We're all after things that are very surprisingly very similar, when you get all the semantics and bull out of the way." Pinkamena grinned wider, rolling onto her back and almost on top of the armor she had discarded shortly after joining them. "What do you two taste like? Take that any way you like."
"Then why does thou not step this way and find out for thyself?" Luna asked grouchily, glaring across at Pinkamena challengingly even as Twilight Sparkle winced as she looked up from the female's other side, and the gray earth pony grinned at this as she cocked her head upside down, licking her lips slowly. "I far from fear thee, creature. Whatever evils thou may wish to wrought upon others in battle or in other places."
"Oh yeah, because I obviously have so much luck getting other ponies into tents with me." Pinkamena laughed all the same, then rolled over and half-lidded her eyes as she strode sinuously towards them, slinking her body low across the ground as Scrivy winced to the side and watched as the earth pony slipped past towards the winged unicorn, who glowered... then winced a bit as the female slowly licked up her shoulder before settling her jaws against it almost mockingly.
She bit harder, teeth digging deeper, and Scrivener grimaced as he glanced down at his own shoulder, watching the way indents appeared, became a clear mark of sharp teeth as Luna gritted her own with a growl and Pinkamena's eyes shone with hellish radiance and delight, red-rimmed blue glinting dangerously before she suddenly drew back with a laugh. "I like you! I really like you two!"
Twilight, meanwhile, was only staring, shivering a little as Luna and Pinkamena half-glared at, half-studied each other... and then Luna smiled grimly and nodded, and Pinkamena licked her lips before she turned and strode away, Twilight Sparkle staring from one to the other before she asked sharply: "And what the hell was that?"
"A challenge met." Luna said moodily, shaking her head slowly before she sighed a little and glanced up at the sky, starry mane sizzling quietly around her. "Scrivener Blooms, speaking of devils and promises and horrible things, we must compose a letter to Celestia telling her... of what I have experienced."
Luna quieted, glancing down and nodding slowly, and Scrivy gazed at her softly before he began to climb to his feet... but with only a smile, Luna flicked her head to the side, and a satchel bag of Scrivy's personal belongings floated out of the tent and dropped down beside her, a quill, an ink well and parchment floating out of this... before Sammy poked his head out of the bag as well, chirping and shivering despite his lack of organic life. "Aye, Sammy, I agree, 'tis more than cold enough to chill the bones of the dead. Curl up here with us, then, and not in the musty drudgery of Scrivy's accursed bookery."
"Bookery yourself." Scrivener grumbled, and Twilight sighed, then smiled when Sammy hopped out and scampered over to her, reaching out and quietly stroking along the pseudodragon's back as he curled up on a warm rock in front of the fire. She gazed over at the two as Luna and Scrivy looked at each other, their eyes meeting, their expression the same for a moment before the male nodded, saying quietly: "Still, I think you should compose it. This isn't just a letter to Celestia... this is personal for you."
Luna grumbled under her breath at this, but then she nodded hesitantly and cleared her throat as she sat up straight, saying quietly: "Then I shall dictate, and thou shalt write, but... correct me as always, Scrivy, if I embellish too much here or there."
The male smiled at her as Twilight looked up quietly, and Luna glanced over to the violet winged unicorn, gazing at her affectionately for a few moments before she said softly: "And thou, Twilight Sparkle... shall listen closely to my story. As student, as friend, as... the special pony thou art to me, understood?"
Twilight nodded at this, looking at her tenderly, and Luna laughed and straightened, nodding firmly once before she gazed up at the starry night sky overhead, the wind itself seeming to settle for her story as she murmured: "Dearest sister...
"I write to thee today, to tell thee that I believe thee now in full, and have to come unlock memories of mine own, hidden in the very depths of my soul. I know now that thou spoke the truth... of the Valkyries, of Valhalla, of Asgard, and furthermore, of everything thou didst not speak of, but tactfully avoided. I, however, have not thy tact, nor the pleasure of avoiding the subjects... subjects like Odin, and the betrayal, and the fact that gods may step from higher realms, greater dimensions... but are perhaps as flawed as we ourselves are. 'Tis a strange and sad realization, and one that should have been blatantly obvious... for warrior gods to exist, there must be war. For war to exist, there must be an enemy... and the Aesir were all too glad to find enemies to embattle.
"Heed me, sister: Nightmare Moon led me to a vast library of memories, in which I wandered, finding fragments enough to know thou spoke the truth, to understand... more than I expected to understand from so little." Luna looked down quietly, nodding slowly. "In a fashion, it prepared me, helped brace me, for when Scrivener Blooms and Scarlet Sage were led into this vast library of memories by Nightmare Moon's tampering... and they aided me to discover a seal in my mind. A seal not unlike the ones we have used on occasion to bind the memories of the troublesome who nonetheless were not guilty enough to suffer death for their actions, as well as others whom had earned a second chance... but one without certain temptations. Yet it is no surprise, is it? Our magic... the old magic... resembles all too much that of our hidden idols, it has since the start... our very lifestyle has, from the beginning. Where we diverged from them was only when we began to seek peace... only when thou began to seek harmony, and think not there is any hidden sting in my words this time, my sister, for there is not.
"In thy mind there may also be a seal, but I am aware that also... my death was different. I remember the slaughter of the Vanir, blamed wrongly for actions taken by some other malicious force... and I remember Odin, furious with me. I remember weeks of hunting and reprimands that followed... I remember refusing Odin's orders, and refusing him when he tried to..." Luna halted and cleared her throat, glancing down for a moment before she nodded firmly and continued quietly: "Take me to his chambers. I remember... being put to sleep, and even in my nightmares and dreams, I heard the outrage of thou, then Freya, and a threatened coupe d'etat. I remember infighting... and in my nightmares, I remember the shadows of the Black Wolves of Helheim. And I remember being cradled and soothed as I was quietly put to rest by calloused hands, and pieces of my very soul scattered downwards like ashes... and well, thou knows the rest, I am sure.
"It brings many questions to mind. Are there others like us? But oh, I know there are many worlds... I know that I was not killed on the battlefield, but instead sacrificed by an unknown mercy-killer that sought, in some alien way, to save me from whatever attacked and slaughtered the Aesir. And without gods, where do the spirits of our deserving dead wander? Do mortals rot in the ground, or worse, must all souls now fall towards Helheim... or is Asgard and the Vale of Valhalla but a lonely place of wanting spirits, wandering amidst a purgatory of ruin and graves of the beings they thought so above, deserved such worship?" Luna closed her eyes, shaking her head slowly as she murmured softly: "But I do not despair. For all broken things... can be fixed with time. And unlike most ponies... we have the time to do this, sister. First we cleanse this darkness, then we work towards fixing what is broken, restoring honor to whatever tribe from which we sprung... aye, sister. I do not despair. I refuse to despair."
She fell silent for a few moments, looking down quietly before nodding slowly and murmuring: "I wish thee good luck, my sister, and... I thank thee for thy honesty, for helping arm me against the evils that are on the horizon. For all the loudness that this evil crashes through the night with, there is a subtlety in the darkness as well, that makes me fear what has come to Midgard... to Equestria, to the world of ponies and mortals. But I am ready to face what comes, with Scrivener Blooms and Twilight Sparkle, and thou, my big sister Celestia. I fear not what comes... I shall embrace my past and my future both."
She smiled a little, gazing up slowly and nodding firmly, then she looked towards Scrivener Blooms. "I was Brynhild, and now I am Luna Lightblade. Thou hast my love, Celestia, and all my best wishes. Fondest regards, thy little sister Luna."
"Luna Lightblade. Still gets me every time." Scrivy said softly, as he signed the parchment in a flourish, and Luna laughed as Twilight Sparkle shook her head with a quietly-entertained look. "Luna Lightblade and Celestia the Dragon Slayer... what would are heroic names be, anyway?"
"Well, thou does not get one, thou art just a bard. Bards quote poems about others, not about themselves." Luna replied with a slight smile, and Scrivy snorted in amusement as he rolled his eyes and furled the scroll quietly closed after giving it a quick glance-over, rolling the parchment tightly up before the winged unicorn's horn glowed, and it was gently pulled from his hooves as a royal seal lifted from the bag and bound itself tightly around this. "Samael, send this to my sister."
Sammy looked up from his rock with a disgruntled chirp, obviously not wanting to move, and Luna rolled her eyes before the letter floated easily over to the skeletal pseudodragon, the creature sitting up slightly and breathing a gust of blue flame out once the parchment was close enough. It burst into ashes that swirled upwards into the night sky, and the Sammy flopped back down as Twilight laughed quietly and silently stroked over the creature's back. "I'm... I'm really glad you sound so confident, Luna. That you look so confident, despite everything... doesn't it scare you, though? It... it scares me a little, if I'm allowed to say that."
"Thou art allowed to say anything, Twilight Sparkle, thou has well-earned that privilege." Luna replied softly, giving her a slight smile as she glanced towards the winged unicorn, who blushed a little and fidgeted on the spot, but looked warmly up at the fellow female all the same. "And yes... I cannot lie and say that this does not worry me, for it does, and greatly... but all the same, I do not linger on it. I was; now I am." She stopped, then grinned and reared back, saying pompously: "And, to quote my beloved husband and his poetic nuance... 'it's pretty badass, really.'"
"I. Stop. Go away." Scrivener said finally, and Luna laughed before she gave him a wink and a look, and the male rolled his eyes before he stood up with a sigh, cracking his back absently. "Alright, alright, we'll both go away, then. Are you going to stay here, Twilight? Luna wants to do a patrol of the camp before everyone starts going to sleep."
"Yeah, I think I will. It feels... peaceful right now. I'm well aware there may be eyes watching us and other things in the shadows but... at the same time, it feels... okay." Twilight glanced up with an awkward smile, but Luna only nodded and smiled softly in return, well-understanding with her warrior's instincts. "Just don't take too long, I... I like your company."
"No, really?" Scrivy cocked his head, then snorted in amusement when Luna punched him firmly in the shoulder as Twilight shook her head with an exasperated sigh. "Alright, alright, I'm done for the night, anyway. Come on then, Luna."
The two turned, striding quietly through the shadows towards the tents and bonfires of the camps... but things seemed to be calmer, like the sense of malignancy had left the air as they sat for a few minutes with Aleksandr, his minotaur brethren, and Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Big Mac, then moved on. Luna chatted with the Pegasus Guards, who gazed at her with newfound respect, and Scrivener found himself talking with Ross and Cowlick as the two wandered out of a nearby tent, the former looking dazed and giggling a lot as Cowlick kept smoothing her messy mane out beneath her bandanna, and when Luna had strode over from the guard she had looked for a long time at the engineer, then simply rolled her eyes and said amusedly: "Well, 'tis what I would have done. Come Scrivener, 'lest Cowlick regales us with tales of her conquest."
Scrivy had laughed, and they had made their way slowly through the rows of tents, lit by lanterns that hung from poles placed evenly through the encampment: everything was bathed in dim but comfortable light, keeping a sense of safety and security throughout the campsite... before, as they made their way slowly back, the two found Rarity and Fluttershy standing awkwardly outside a tent, Rarity hopping from hoof-to-hoof before she looked up as they approached, saying urgently: "Help me!"
"Oh no, no, no, we shouldn't, we mustn't!" Fluttershy blushed even as she whispered this quickly, bowing her head a bit as Luna and Scrivy looked dumbly between the two, and Rarity hissed through her teeth loudly as she fidgeted back and forth. "Rarity, it's probably nothing-"
"No, you... idiot! Stop doing that, get on your back!" Pinkamena's voice came through the tent flap, and both Scrivy and Luna stared at the closed tent... before Pinkie Pie giggled loudly, then yelped... then giggled again even harder as Pinkamena's surly tones grumbled: "Don't make me smack you again, now stop laughing and... there. Inch forwards a little more... there. Spread... no, stop that! There, put it there!"
Luna and Scrivy shared a look, then both of them began to giggle childishly as Rarity looked up in frustration, saying in a hurried whisper: "They've been... sounding like that for what seems like hours, at first it was perfectly innocent and I thought that it would be perfectly nice to give them some time alone if they were getting along but-"
She was interrupted by a short clattering, and a smacking sound, followed by a grunt... and then Pinkie Pie mumbled something before Pinkamena grumbled: "Well then stay on your back, stupid. Good thing you're actually... yeah, that's better..."
"We should just. Go." Fluttershy said embarrassedly... and then she winced over her shoulder at the sound of approaching hooves to see Rainbow Dash and Applejack approaching, and she shook her head violently and motioned for them to go away... but that only made Rainbow Dash grin and prance right up to her as the Pegasus winced and leaned away. "No, we... we were just leaving-"
"Pinkamena, don't force it in!" Pinkie Pie giggled as Pinkamena grumbled, and Rainbow Dash stared at the tent, then looked at Luna and Scrivener Blooms, who were both still leaning away, snickering. Then Pinkie squeaked, there was a short, awkward pause... and then the bright voice of the female said: "Well, okay, guess that worked after all."
Luna and Scrivener fell against each other, muffling their laughter into one another's manes as Applejack merely looked at them sourly, then smacked the back of Rainbow Dash's head as he collapsed into giggles himself. The Pegasus only swayed forwards, however, before Applejack said flatly: "Well, Rarity looks like she's been standing out here all night and it's her tent too. So. Rainbow, go in there and see what's going on."
"Oh hell no!" Rainbow blurted, shaking his head wildly as his laughter stopped, then he pointed at Luna, saying hurriedly: "She's the leader, she should do it, she has rank and all that and is the only damn thing in this campsite scarier than Pinkamena!"
Luna immediately stopped giggling at this, then she looked up with a huff and said disgustedly: "Thou art a great craven contemptible coward, Rainbow Dash! How dare thee! But very well, if thou art truly so scared... Scrivener Blooms, go and investigate."
Luna looked at the earth pony pointedly as he looked up at her, his jaw dropping... and Applejack groaned and threw her head back, then simply stormed forwards and yanked the flap open, the other ponies all leaning forwards and staring through to see Pinkamena looking stupidly up from where she was carefully putting together a model of a boat, a horrible blush suffusing her face as Pinkie Pie looked up from where she was laying on her back so she could reach the underside beneath the holders it sat in while Pinkamena put together the top.
The bright pink pony bounced to her hooves with a cheery smile and greeting to them... and accidentally knocked the boat flying from the holders it sat in, the model spilling to the ground and breaking into pieces as Pinkie Pie looked dumbly down at this, then blushed as Pinkamena stared at the wreckage of the model ship. Then the dull-gray pony snarled and leaned forwards with a flurry of grumbled curses, stomping the wreckage wildly with her front hooves and mashing the remains of the model into broken pieces of wood and plastic before her eyes all-but-glowed as she looked up at the ponies and shouted: "Well what the hell are you looking at?"
The group of ponies grinned awkwardly, and then Rarity held up a hoof, saying awkwardly: "I'm... sorry, Pinkamena, I take full responsibility for... well... not just checking and... well... was that a-"
"It was a replica of the Royal Equestria Navy's military freighter AAB-class cruiser, do you have a problem with my hobby?" Pinkamena looked sulkily over them all, muttering under her breath: "Stupid ponies. Come on, sissy, let's go somewhere where these idiots aren't."
"Oh, don't be so upset now, we'll get you another one." Pinkie Pie replied brightly, then she bounced forwards and hugged Pinkamena firmly from behind, almost throttling her as Rarity slipped into the tent and Applejack and Fluttershy hurriedly dragged off Rainbow Dash even as the Pegasus began to giggle again. "Cheer up, Lemon Drop!"
"Dammit, don't call me that." Pinkamena grumbled and threw an elbow back into Pinkie Pie's stomach, making her wheeze for breath and half-fall backwards, then the dull-gray pony stormed forwards to shove past Luna and Scrivy before Pinkie shook her head and quickly scrambled after her, the winged unicorn grinning after them.
Then Luna rose her head, calling mildly: "Please refrain from bashing thy sister too roundly, Pinkamena, the others have begun to think strange, twisted thoughts about thee."
Pinkamena halted at this, looking over her shoulder moodily as Pinkie Pie snorted in amusement, smiling brightly as the Element of Laughter around her neck glowed for a moment... and then Pinkamena shook her head, saying flatly: "That's disgusting, Luna. Pinkie Pie tastes like sugar. I hate sugar."
With that, Pinkamena turned and strode off, and Pinkie bounced along beside her as Luna laughed and shook her head, Scrivener Blooms rolling his eyes in amusement before they both turned and headed through the campsite with amused smiles on their faces, before Scrivy finally asked curiously: "So where do you think Pinkamena managed to her hooves on a model?"
"Upon this subject, I would rather not guess, my daydreamer. 'Tis sometimes better not to know... although it is welcome to see that the creature enjoys things apart from killing, whether she wishes to admit it or not." She paused, then added in a quieter voice: "And I think... that separated, Pinkamena and Pinkie Pie have been in a sense... more stable. Pinkamena seems more willing to work with us... Pinkie Pie seems to bounce and laugh honestly, and not just out of manic madness. They seem to be good company for one-another too, although I had feared it would prove much otherwise."
Scrivener nodded slowly, the earth pony smiling a bit as they began to circle back towards their own campsite, the blue flames glowing like a beacon. "Well, remember what Twilight said? Pinkie Pie has trouble controlling herself, and she gets a little... quiet now and then, but Pinkamena is always there to shove her forwards. Pinkamena gets a little bloodthirsty, insane, and lonely... but... you saw Pinkie."
"I did. They are providing for one-another, even apart. 'Tis strange, but good." Luna nodded meditatively... and then she winked and nudged Scrivener Blooms firmly, the male giving her an amused look. "'Tis not altogether unlike us."
"You just enjoy comparing things to us and then declaring that we're better versions of it." Scrivy replied mildly, and Luna shrugged thoughtfully, giving him a wide grin of agreement. "Should we stop in and visit Scarlet Sage?"
"I would like to but... we should permit the foal to rest. I am sure she sleeps by now... it has been a trying day for the poor filly." Luna glanced up at the night sky overhead, nodding slowly before she grimaced as a cold wind breathed past, stepping quietly closer to Scrivy and pressing their sides together as they approached the campfire and Twilight Sparkle, who was reading slowly by the glowing light of her own horn. "And look at this insolent creature, reading! Have thou not learned more from this journey than thou has from all the books in Equestria?"
"Luna that... you really can't compare those two things..." Twilight said tersely, but when Luna only gave her a glare as she flopped down beside her, she sighed and rolled her eyes. Scrivener Blooms strode past to his saddlebag, pulling out parchment and his quill, and Twilight added moodily: "Besides, I'm the one reading books but you're the one who married and dragged an actual writer along on this trip. From that angle, we're both doing something wrong."
Luna looked stumped at this as Scrivener snorted in amusement, before he winced and ducked when the sapphire winged unicorn flicked her horn towards him and a log flew over the fireplace at his head, saying moodily: "Traitor. I shall pummel thee, even if it means pummeling myself, thou should know by now."
"Temper, Luna. Save your anger issues for North Neigh, you'll be able to pummel plenty of ponies then." Scrivy said mildly as he began to write, and Luna sighed and nodded, grumbling a little before she glared at him, but the male ignored her pointedly... then winced when her horn glowed and he was forcefully dragged over the dirty, half-melted tundra in a semicircle around the campfire, quill and parchment and all, until he came to a halt beside her so she could mumble and shove her face down against his neck and mane as Twilight laughed, then winced when Luna wrapped a foreleg around her and yanked her moodily down against her chest like a stuffed animal.
The night roved onwards in calm: Twilight eventually fell asleep with her book half-held against her face, cradled against the comfort of Luna's body and kept warm by the fire, Sammy curling up under one of the violet pony's wings and snuggled comfortably into her frame as Luna smiled softly into the blue, eldritch flames, seeing old memories, strange images, as Scrivener Blooms quietly wrote. His quill flicked slowly over the paper, rarely pausing, the male's features serene... quill in one hoof, other foreleg around Luna's shoulders as she rested in comfort against him.
"For all thou whining and complaining... there is such discipline in thee." Luna said softly, when Scrivener finally put down his quill and took a break after filling several long sheets of parchment, and the male looked at her curiously even as he grimaced and stretched, cracking his neck and his back loudly. "When thou decides to sit and write, thou... sits and writes, and for hours at a time without pause. It frustrates me, Scrivener Blooms. How dare thee be so good at focusing upon one thing? I am supposed to be the better-than-thou here."
Scrivy only smiled amusedly at this, however, shrugging and saying quietly: "True, Luna, but don't forget... writing has always been my one escape from... everything. I'm driven more than I am skilled, and maybe obsessive more than I am driven: is that really such a good thing to be?"
"It is for me, because thou looks at me with the thought 'the only thing in greater regard than my writing is thee, Luna.'" the winged unicorn replied softly, and the two shared a gentle, slow kiss for a few moments before they pulled apart, gazing affectionately into one-another's eyes, then she winked. "Thou should treat Twilight Sparkle better, though, great unkind lout, for all thou thinks of her."
"Oh, Luna, then you'd be jealous." Scrivener replied kindly, and the female laughed before they both gazed up into the night sky, smiling at the moon above as the male added quietly: "We should probably-"
And then an awful howling filled the night air, and Scrivener and Luna both leapt to their feet, knocking Twilight Sparkle sprawling as she gasped in surprise and flailed wildly for a moment before freezing up and looking skywards at the sound of another howl that ravaged the night, and Scrivener snarled, recognizing the terrible sound from his too-recent encounter with the creatures even before Luna said sharply: "'Tis a Hellhound! And the beasts never hunt alone!"
She began to step forwards, then looked sharply over her shoulder as a terrible, red radiance filled the air behind them through the cloth of the tent, the winged unicorn snarling as she spun around and lashed her horn down. A wall of translucent blue energy sparked into existence in front of them a moment before the red light on the other side of the barrier intensified... and then their tent was all-but-disintegrated by a massive blast of flame that smashed against the sapphire wall like a battering ram, Luna's horn sparking as she cursed and leaned forwards before the stream of fire burst apart, revealing several red-robed, tattooed unicorns that approached through the ashen corridor left behind, one of them saying in a cold, carrying voice: "Destroy them. For Ekleíp. For Ragnarok. For rebirth."
"Fools!" Luna shouted furiously, leaning forwards with a snarl as she flicked her horn upwards... and spikes of stone ripped from the ground, cruelly ripping into the first unicorn in line and killing him instantly, but the other two thralls only continued forwards with only the faintest twitch, their eyes emotionless, smoky tattoos writhing over their faces as Luna's eyes glowed. "Think not I shall hesitate to exterminate thee if I must! 'Tis better to die than remain a servant to the darkness, no one knows this better than I!"
The unicorns both began to lower their horns... but Twilight Sparkle stepped forwards, snapping her own downwards and sending a blast of lightning into one that staggered the thrall before he gargled and fell forwards, convulsing violently as she shouted: "Luna, wait, paralyze them!"
Luna grimaced, then winced when a fireball was sent rocketing towards her from the still-advancing unicorn, stepping forwards as her horn glowed blue before she parried it with an easy flick, the fireball simply puffing out of existence as it was dispelled. Then Twilight leapt forwards, swinging her horn down, and electrical arcs tore around the unicorn's body in a tight checkerboard pattern, netting it in lightning and making it howl as the tattoos over its features writhed before it fell backwards... and Luna cursed under her breath at the sounds of battle rising up behind her, wincing as something exploded before she ordered: "Twilight, secure these creatures and ensure they cannot use magic! Scrivener... oh grand, again?"
Scrivy was already running towards the campsite, knowing Luna and Twilight could handle the situation... and he cursed under his breath at the sight of Nibelung and Velites surging through the camp, engaging with Starlit Knights and Pegasus Guards in various states of shock and readiness. Worse, there were Hellhounds lunging into the fray as well, these terrible, icy demons terrifying the ponies they came across... and the male snarled as a Pegasus Guard was tackled by one that roared and breathed a wave of icy mist over the male, frostbite and ice spreading over the soldier's features as he screamed in pain before it savagely ripped out his throat.
A Velite leapt in front of him, and Scrivener barely slowed as he ducked under a wild claw of the creature before he slammed his shoulder upwards, knocking it flat before the earth pony's hooves stomped down into its skull... and then he snarled, looking up sharply as the emaciated figure of Ignominious climbed onto a wagon, the demonic equine screaming in a voice tinged clearly with insanity and panic: "Go, go, you are all I have left! Kill them, butcher them, but you must destroy Scrivener Blooms and Luna before sunrise, this is my last chance!"
Scrivy snarled as he began to wade through the battlefield towards the creature, weaving past a Nibelung that swung uselessly at Big Mac as the red pony gritted his teeth and deflected the bite of the axe off the buckler on his arm, and then Scrivener winced as a Hellhound looked up from the Pegasus it was savaging to snarl and charge at him... before the demon dog was brought to an unexpected halt as Pinkamena stepped nimbly in from the side and slammed an axe forwards into its features with a vicious grin.
The Hellhound squealed as its icy skull blew apart into fragments of frost, shaking what remained of its head back and forth wildly as dark smog burst up from its neck, and then the dull gray pony yanked the weapon around in a crescent before slamming it down into the Hellhound's spine, and the demon dog exploded into smoke and chunks of frost as she laughed savagely, shooting a dark grin at Scrivener Blooms, no armor over her bruised body but a more terrifying figure in the pallid light with only the axe in one hoof and the knife holstered at her side than even the minotaurs as she shouted: "This is it! This is what I've been waiting for!"
She laughed again, then half-spun as she easily slung the axe around in a wide, upwards slash, slicing the head off a Velite as Pinkie Pie winced and cowered next to her, but Pinkamena only grinned insanely as she stomped savagely down on the twitching skeleton and shattered its bones to dust, calling eagerly: "You wanted to sing a song the whole way marching here, right sissy? Well let's sing, Pinkie Pie! Come on, let's sing a song!"
"Pinkamena, please!" Pinkie winced, then she lunged forwards when a Nibelung began to charge in towards their flank, slamming her hooves into it to knock the dwarf staggering before she spun around and kicked both rear hooves into its face, knocking the wolf-pig senseless as it flopped backwards, prone. "We need to get out of the middle of the battlefield!"
"But I want to be a target! I want to spill blood, and spill their blood! Fine, Pinkie, I'll start, you follow along!" Pinkamena threw her head back and laughed, then she spun the axe rapidly at her side before lunging forwards, burying the axe into the chest of a Nibelung with a twisted grin as, to the horror of those around her, she began to sing in a voice as jagged as the blade of her weapon: "Oh, I'm not like other ponies... I don't like hay or sweets or silly things-"
"Pinkamena oh my god I will do anything if you stop right now!" Pinkie Pie winced in horror as Velites turned towards them, the skeletons drawn by the ghastly song of the dull-pink pony as their rune-engraved bones glimmered, snarling as they began to rush forwards. "Oh god!"
"-and I never have been one for the bright shining sun... or mornings!" Pinkamena added in a chipper voice as she leaned towards another Nibelung that was cowering behind its shield, and then she ripped the axe out of the chest it was currently buried in before swinging it savagely, smashing the shield of the terrified dwarf and knocking it flat on its back before she leapt on top of him, looking down with a grin. "But you know what I've always enjoyed?
"Massacre!" She arched her back, throwing her forelegs wide even as two Velites lunged at her, but with an almost-idle gesture she swatted one to the ground with the axe and Pinkie Pie managed to tackle the other one to the frosted earth with a wince of horror. "Bloody massacre!" Her axe swung down as the Nibelung beneath her shrieked for a moment before the blade buried between its ears. "Filthy massacre! Oh, everything's so much brighter, to this brawling fighter, when there's blood painting life's boring canvas!
"Oh, massacre!" Pinkamena yanked her axe free as she leapt forwards, swinging it around in a wide crescent slash that ripped through another Velite and sent it backwards, before a Hellhound lunged at her... and was met with a hard hoof under the jaw, knocked sprawling stupidly on its back as Pinkie scrambled after the insane, murderous pony. "Bloody massacre! Filthy massacre! Oh, everything has more meaning, it gives me such a warm and fuzzy feeling, when my enemies lay in pieces in the sand!"
She slammed her axe down, burying it through the Hellhound's chest with a savage glint in her eye, the demon dog shrieking as it burst apart, the earth pony barely noticing the frosty shrapnel that bounced off her body and tore small nicks across her frame as she opened her jaws and tilted her head back with a grin to begin another verse of her awful, jaunty song, not hearing the Nibelung charging towards her side with its own axe already brought back, swinging cruelly forwards-
She gasped at the sound of metal burying into flesh as something hard smacked into her spine and knocked her forwards a step, her back stiffening, her straight mane falling over her face as she slowly turned to stare at the Nibelung, which was grinning from beneath its metal helm, both hands locked on the pole of the axe, the head of which had sunk deep into the pink back of a pony... and Pinkie Pie smiled weakly, half-clinging her back, rasping hard as her legs shook beneath her. Blood flowed in a thick river down her body from the gaping wound before the Nibelung unceremoniously yanked its axe back, and Pinkie Pie collapsed on her back as Pinkamena turned around and fell to her knees, staring with disbelief, shaking her head mutely as her red-rimmed blue eyes almost glazed over and she whispered: "Sissy..."
The Nibelung laughed roughly as it began to draw its axe back, grinning mockingly down at her as Pinkamena looked up, mute and stupefied for a moment longer, her mane falling in a curtain over her face... and then she screamed in rage and denial, springing suddenly upwards with the speed and strength of a cheetah and tackling the wolf-pig onto its back, its axe flying from its hands as it gargled in surprise before a hoof slammed down with enough force to knock its head off, then front hooves crashed down again, again and again, Pinkamena shrieking with fury as she brought blow-after-blow crashing down into the dwarf's features until it lay dead and broken.
And when she looked up, breathing hard, she saw Rainbow Dash standing with tears in his eyes next to her, shield raised and roaring challenges that she couldn't hear: it was like she had fallen deaf, only muffled sound making it through, everything around her seeming to sluggishly grind along at half speed. On her other side, Aleksandr was bringing his hammer down into the shield of a Nibelung, and the dwarf was staggering backwards under the blow that hit with such force she was able to watch, in strange, clinical detachment, the way the metal warped, the way the wolf-pig's arm bucked... before slowly - and yet so quickly, it seemed, compared to the others - she climbed off the Nibelung's dead body and turned to silently stride over to where Pinkie Pie was gasping on her back in a pool of her own blood.
Rarity was on her other side with Spike, the unicorn casting the few spells Twilight had taught her into the crowd as the dragon lashed back and forth with his sword even as tears streamed down his face... and slowly, Pinkamena slipped down beside Pinkie Pie, sitting on her haunches and pulling her up and close, whispering: "Why, sissy? You were the better one. You were the pure one. They loved you... they needed you, even. Not me. You should have let me die. They hate me. I deserve to die. I deserve to die instead of you."
"But you're my sister, right? And I love you. You made me do some bad things but you were... just confused. You were scary, but... I knew from the nightmares you have every night, it's not your fault." Pinkie whispered in response, smiling weakly before she coughed quietly, a bit of blood bubbling up between her lips before she whispered: "Take this."
She silently touched the Element of Laughter around her neck, and Pinkamena shook her head mutely, whispering: "No, I... I can't use that. I'm... evil, I'm a monster. I'm not laughter, I... I hate laughter."
"You hate being alone. And we're twins... right?" Pinkie Pie smiled faintly, and Pinkamena swallowed thickly, the two barely aware of the chaos around them even as Hellhounds charged forwards... the two hearing only each other even as there was a massive crack before lightning exploded downwards from the sky, shocking the others with the horror of it as Twilight screamed her fury from where she was charging forwards, looking helpless even as her spell disintegrated the Hellhounds. Everything moved slow, except for them: sisters and opposites, but connected, parallels and reflections of the same thing, one in darkness, the other in light. "I love you. Thanks for being with me... I know... I was a pain sometimes."
"Sissy..." Pinkamena trembled as Pinkie Pie's head fell forwards and her body shivered before falling still... and then the gray-pink pony dropped her head against her chest, shivering violently as she gritted her teeth, a single sob wrenching through her body before she snarled and leapt upwards, yanking the necklace almost cruelly from around Pinkie Pie's neck with one hoof, half-turning as reality, sound, and everything else faded back to normal around her, but her mind tottered on the brink of insanity as she snarled: "Party's over!"
She shoved the Element of Laughter around her neck, and it trembled violently, as if in fear, before Pinkamena grinned darkly even through the tears that painted her cheeks before she leaned down, tensed her body, and then simply rushed forwards, out of the protective circle that had formed. She pounced on top of the closest Velite, crushing it into the ground and leaping immediately towards another, ripping fearlessly into their ranks, a whirlwind of rage and despair that no blade could slow, no shield could stop.
Ignominious cursed under his breath at the sight of the small army he had gathered being pushed back despite their initial, seemingly-assured victory... but Luna had already blown away the thralls sent to distract the winged unicorn, and both her spells and Twilight Sparkle's were rending through the Nibelung and Velites. To his horror, the Hellhounds had not lasted nearly as long as expected: they had done much damage, oh yes, but the ponies had faced them with surprising tenacity and fearlessness, fighting savagely back... and he could even see the beast from Ginnungagap in the distance, throwing chaotic magic into the mix, the situation at hand rapidly worsening as Ignominious cursed before he looked down in surprise to see Scrivener Blooms charging headlong towards the wagon, a few cuts and bruises over his frame but the earth pony heedless of his scrapes in his fury.
Ignominious cursed and half-turned with a wince over his shoulder... but the tundra beyond was barren and empty, all his soldiers having moved into play. There would be no retreat for them... but no victory, either, not unless Luna was killed. And he couldn't risk overexerting the little power he had left... his body was still visibly battered from the terrible fall down the mountain, cracks still shone weakly in the darkness of his smoldering frame, and there were only a few faces struggling vainly to push through the blackness of his body.
He half-turned and ran along the top of the wagon instead, and Scrivener skidded to a surprised halt before turning to run parallel to him as Ignominious leapt to the next wagon in line, the earth pony shouting: "Come down here and fight me like a stallion, coward!"
Ignominious snarled, leaping towards the third wagon... and then a lasso shot up and wrapped around his neck, the demon's eyes bulging before Applejack yanked hard back on it, and the creature gargled as he was yanked out of midair and slammed face-first into the ground. The female grinned, beginning to step forwards... and then only staring in surprise at the violence with which Scrivener Blooms smashed into Ignominious, knocking him backwards against the wagon as the charcoal earth pony rose up with a snarl of fury as his front hooves crashed in a vicious tattoo up along the demon's chest and into his features, every blow carrying enough force to knock his head back against the wood of the wagon as he shouted: "Do you know how many lives you've ruined? How much pain you've inflicted?"
Ignominious hissed in pain, then he burst into black smoke, the rope falling through his incorporeal body as Scrivy's hoof slammed into the wall of the wagon and tore through the wooden paneling, wincing in pain as he collided with the stud below as Ignominious reformed and lunged towards him... before he screamed in agony as three spears of blue light tore through his frame in midair, solid and glowing brightly, pinning him to the side of the wagon as he flailed weakly and Luna approached slowly, her horn and eyes glowing as she said quietly: "Coward... nay. Thou art worse than a coward. Worse than scum... and now, as the last of thine army falls into oblivion, as those who haven't already fled are killed... now thou shalt die, Ignominious, demon. Thou attacks us, honorless wretch, and... thou hast killed somepony... who was..."
She halted, glancing towards Twilight Sparkle as the winged unicorn approached, tears falling down her cheeks, shaking her head mutely as Rainbow Dash walked towards Applejack, who frowned... then her face fell in horror at the sight of Aleksandr silently cradling Pinkie Pie's body, the minotaur's head bowed quietly forwards as Pinkamena walked beside him, staring emotionlessly forwards, bloody trails of tears dripping from her eyes. There was silence as the last of the sounds of battle faded, as the last Nibelung fled towards the forest... and left behind a terrible battleground, the tundra scarred, the frost and wind howling in misery over the corpses of dwarves, broken pieces of Velite... and maybe a dozen dead ponies and several fallen minotaurs.
All eyes turned towards the demon on the wall, and he chuckled weakly... then screamed and threw his head back, black corruption bursting from his jaws, as Luna's eyes flashed and the spears of blue light buried through his body became enormous, twisting screws, bucking violently before he threw his head back and shrieked: "Hólmgongulog!"
There was silence at this strange, alien word, as Scrivener dropped his head forwards and Luna's eyes flashed... and then she grinned slowly, cruelly, leaning forwards and asking in a dangerous voice: "And what madness compels thee to think that I will give thee a chance to escape again? That I have any reason to obey things thou mouths and whines in the hopes that others will show him the mercy he does not deserve, that that thou has no true concept of thyself?"
Ignominious rasped violently as all eyes looked towards him, the demon horse trembling violently and shivering as the blue, screwed spears buried through his body glinted dangerously... and then he gave a twisted, broken grin as he turned towards Luna, his eyes desperate and maddened and miserable as he whispered: "Because you are so desperate to show... you're better than me. Because I know you won't risk your honor... because I know your bloodlust, L-Luna... and that you would relish the chance to battle and kill me, one final time, no tricks, no magic... and because it doesn't matter if I survive. Unless I kill you... unless I... s-succeed in the mission I was given... Ekleíp, and worse, those they serve... are going to come for me at sunrise, and they will destroy me."
He laughed weakly, rasping: "You were right, Luna... oh... you were r-r-right as always... it was always too good to be true. So honor me, my beloved favorite, with one last duel... one last death, just me and you..."
Luna was silent... and then she looked over her shoulder at Twilight Sparkle, but the violet pony only hung her head and closed her eyes, whispering: "He's a monster. And yet he's so... pathetic. I'm not saying he shouldn't be stopped... that he shouldn't suffer for everything he's done. But you're better than him... and I know you'll make the choice that shows that."
The sapphire winged unicorn slowly gazed to the other side, looking towards where Pinkamena was sitting silently beside Aleksandr and Rainbow Dash... and the dull-pink, listless pony looked up and blinked slowly, then she reached up and silently touched the Element of Laughter hanging around her neck as the Pegasus reached a hoof up to rest on her shoulder... and for the first time, she didn't try and shrug it off, push contact away, as she whispered: "Sissy wouldn't want me to take revenge. Besides... he's killed me, but he's killed you, too. He's killed half of me... but he's killed a lot more of you. You deserve to make this choice. I never deserved anything. After all... in the past, I would have done the same, before you and Twilight and... sissy... helped me see..."
"I understand, Luna. And for once, I don't think he's lying." Scrivener Blooms said softly, reaching out and wrapping a foreleg around her silently... and Luna nodded silently as she looked forwards before her horn gave a faint pulse, the spears of blue light shattering and making the demon horse gargle as he fell to the ground with a loud thud, convulsing once on his side before slowly forcing himself to his hooves.
The black unicorn grinned callously over them all, bitterness and loathing and misery warring over his face... but the faces of ponies that pushed out against his body moved slowly, swimming through his hide, gazing with silent, almost-recognition outwards. And slowly, Ignominious began to stride forwards, the group parting for him as Luna turned and fell into step beside him, neither looking at the other even as the demon rasped: "Horns and hoof only. This is a duel to the death, and neither of us shall flee, nor seek better ground... is this acceptable?"
"I am the offended party, I shall set the rules. But these are acceptable, yes... and it shall be one-on-one. Scrivener Blooms shall not participate. This is between us, to settle things." Luna said quietly, as the survivors of the battle followed them to the road. Ignominious and Luna halted here, beneath the light of the setting moon and the twinkling stars... and then the winged unicorn glanced up as her horn glowed, before she lowered her head forwards... and the moon rumbled silently downwards, vanishing from sight, leaving them in a sunless dawn with only the light of the stars shining over them.
And yet all could see, as the group formed one large, loose circle around the two on instinct, Scrivener Blooms sitting at the front of the encircling ponies behind Luna, Ignominious snarling as gray light spilled through the air, pre-dawn's radiance beginning to spill from the horizon... and then Ignominious set himself, breathing hard as he leaned forwards, and he whispered: "I am ready, Luna Lightblade. Ignominious, Paladin of Equestria, Second Order of the Holy Skies. One of us dies here... and if you knew the truth behind the veil, you would let me kill you, my sweet. I just want us to be together, after all... is that so much to ask?"
"It was not the question that I had problems with, Ignominious... it was how thou went about seeking the answer. Thou has violated, maimed, and murdered my friends and family. Thou poisoned me with darkness, seeking to convert me to thy ways, using a wretched demon that was far stronger than thou could have ever been and that I all the same overcame with the help of friends, of family, of love..." Luna closed her eyes, bowing her head forwards and saying quietly: "Thou hast been nothing but a disappointment."
Ignominious snarled, then he ran forwards, his horn glowing blackly before he lunged... and even with her eyes closed, starry locks sweeping backwards and sizzling around her, Luna easily parried the attack, horn glowing blue as it swept to the side and elegantly knocked the strike away before she leaned forwards, almost bowing as she lashed her horn outwards and ripped a deep, white-glowing wound down the male's chest.
The demon staggered backwards with a gargle, and then Luna's eyes opened, midnight-cyan irises cold and focused... and it was worse than anger, worse than despair, worse than emptiness, as she stepped forwards into another slash. It ripped a second wound across the demon's chest, and he cursed before stabbing downwards in retaliation... but Luna easily twisted herself out of the way, then swept her foreleg forwards and wrapped it around the black unicorn's neck, forcing his head down as she slammed a hoof into his kidney and then yanked him hard to the side, throwing him easily down to the dirt and sending him skidding over the frosted tundra of the road.
He rasped in pain and snarled as he tried to roll onto his stomach... and instead raised his head directly into a savage volley of blows from Luna's front hooves that smashed back and forth against his features, sending white cracks spreading through the demon's face as he howled in agony before she swung a hoof into his horn, knocking his head back as she dropped her body low, then arched her back and stabbed upwards in a lethal swing of her horn that tore through the underside of his jaw and pierced out the back of his head, and Ignominious's eyes bulged in horror... before he yanked himself backwards, gagging and bleeding corruption, the white cracks over his body pulsing violently as a face of a pony pushed out against his hide with a gasp... then sparked out of existence.
The demon staggered drunkenly on the spot, beaten, broken, barely able to keep to his hooves before he looked up as Luna ran towards him... and he cursed and staggered to the side, then fell heavily with a loud grunt of pain when the winged unicorn swung at him, inadvertently dodging her attack. Luna stumbled past, and Ignominious scrambled to his hooves, putting on a sudden burst of speed as he looked over his shoulder and tried to scamper to a distance... then looked up and screamed as his eyes locked on Scrivener Blooms: "This is all your fault!"
Scrivy's eyes widened as Luna spun around... and then the demon horse burst apart into black smoke that zigzagged violently forwards and surrounded the earth pony, Scrivy cursing as he felt it flooding into him, back arching, body spasming as Twilight Sparkle screamed and Luna skidded to a halt... but then she only grinned savagely as she closed her eyes, saying coldly: "And as thou has never learned... cheaters never prosper."
Scrivener Blooms glanced calmly up inside his own mind, surrounded by darkness, as Ignominious loomed over him, still wounded but now titanic as a mountain, looking down at him with fury as he leaned down and roared: "Before you, her heart was mine! Oh, miserable little slave-hoof, you made her weak, you made her pathetic, and now I'll kill you, kill her, and get her back, back where she belongs, back belonging to me!"
He rose a hoof, grinning insanely... but then faltered as blue mist twisted along the ground and formed into Luna, the winged unicorn looking coldy up as she stood beside Scrivener Blooms and said quietly: "This breaks the rules of honor, Ignominious. Thou forfeits the duel, and thine life... some would say, thy very soul. But then again, thy soul was never thine to give, was it? Thou gave that away to Helheim long ago."
"So what? The odds inside here are far greater than the odds outside... I may have to battle you both at once but I am inside you, Scrivener Blooms, there is a demon in your mind!" Ignominious leaned forwards, slamming his hoof down in front of the two ponies... but they barely flinched, and the demon frowned as Luna smiled grimly and Scrivy only looked up at him with disgust and pity.
"You're right, Iggy. There's a demon in my mind." Scrivy said softly... and Ignominious frowned before a shadow fell over him, a chill racing through the dark unicorn's body before he slowly looked over his shoulder... and stared in horror up at the sight of Nightmare Moon: for even as gargantuan as he was, she still towered over him, making him but a toy in comparison to her dark glory, her eyes glowing and her fanged maw grinning savagely.
The demon stumbled... and then his body glowed dark blue as Nightmare Moon's horn flashed, lifted into the air even as he struggled as the dark winged unicorn leaned forwards and said almost tenderly: "Ignominious... shouldn't you be more eager to meet me, to know me? You're responsible, in a way, for letting me manifest after all... without that creature you sent to us, I would have always remained buried deep in Luna's subconscious, nothing but bloodlust and passion... not what I am today in the here and now. Not sentient; not alive as I am."
She reached a hoof up, stroking it gently under the demon's chin, forcing his eyes up to stare into hers as she whispered in a loving voice: "Why don't I give you a demonstration of what I can do, shall I? Let's compare notes... the demon and Nightmare Moon. It's rare that I get a playmate, after all... lovely Luna and sweet Scrivener Blooms both think I'm too rough."
Ignominious's eyes widened... and in reality, Scrivener Blooms twitched, then he reared back, gritting his teeth, before he leaned forwards with a snarl of pain as a mass of black smog burst from his body and jaws, rapidly twisting in on itself into the shivering, half-melted body of the demon. Ignominious staggered drunkenly away from the earth pony, gargling and drooling corruption, giving a wracked, miserable sob from unknowable time spent in unknowable tortures despite the fact only mere seconds had passed in reality... and Luna's horn crashed into his chest before she butted him upwards, her front hooves slamming into his body in a rapid volley before he could even become entirely physical.
He was half-flung, half-stumbled in the other direction... and Scrivener's own hooves smashed across his face and jaw, ripping back and forth before the creature was sent stumbling to the side, the demon looking up with disbelief on its maimed, shattered features as Luna and Scrivy lunged at the same time. A front hoof from each pony crashed into his face, shattering his muzzle, smoke bursting up with a flash of terrible light as Ignominious was sent crashing backwards to roll several times before the last screaming face on the demonic equine's side burst upwards into smog.
The demon shivered, laying in a crumpled heap as smoke slowly rolled up off his body... and it shrank slowly before solidifying, little-by-little, as the gathered ponies watched with shock and disgust. Finally, what was left behind was a wretched, emaciated gray unicorn that lay upon the ground, gasping for breath, with no mane, no tail, and a cracked, useless horn. Ignominious shuddered as Luna and Scrivener Blooms approached and looked down at him, as the sun slowly rose behind them and bathed the pathetic creature in its light, the once-terrible demon looking up with half-blind brown eyes as he whispered: "P-Please... Luna..."
"I have had enough of listening to thee, monster." Luna said coldly, shaking her head as she snarled, starry mane twisting vibrantly around her. And all ponies present watched as the winged unicorn leaned slowly down, as Ignominious shivered and looked up pleadingly, brokenly... before she gritted her teeth in disgust and looked up at the sky overhead, ordering loudly: "Clean the campsite, gather the dead and the Velite bones... we can offer no grand funeral, but at least that they shall not be used for evil ends, at least the peace provided in purifying flame! Tend to thy friends and family, tend to the weak and wounded!"
For a moment, ponies lingered... but then they silently went about their jobs as Twilight Sparkle strode forwards, reaching up and resting a hoof on Luna's shoulder as she looked down coldly at the emaciated unicorn before she smiled... and it was a cruel, merciless smile as she said softly: "I shall not kill thee, Ignominious. Oh no, for that would be mercy... and I see for once that thou wert not lying."
Ignominious trembled at this as he looked up... and Scrivener and Twilight both gazed silently upwards to see the terrible shapes in the forest. Black wolves with glowing red eyes that stalked silently, and ghosts that strode beside them, ice crystals glimmering in the air around these shades as mist floated off their bodies, the visible faces of these specters of ponies ruthless and emotionless as Ignominious began to shake his head wildly, reaching a hoof up and begging: "N-No, Luna, Luna, my beloved, oh no... please... please don't leave me... Scrivener Blooms, T-Twilight Sparkle! P-please, I made a mistake!"
"Twilight Sparkle... head to the encampment. Check on Scarlet Sage." Luna said calmly, and Twilight shivered as she looked at the sapphire winged unicorn... but then she nodded slowly, turning away and heading across the battlefield their camp had become. And for only a moment longer, Scrivener Blooms and Luna stood, looking down at Ignominious, before they turned as well... and behind them, the awful, terrible wolves seemed to growl in appreciation as Ignominious shrieked miserably and attempted to crawl after them.
Then, there was an awful crunching... before both ponies halted as Ignominious laughed insanely even through the terrible sounds behind them, screaming: "Fine! I win anyway, Luna... because while all your backs were turned, they took her, and you never even noticed, just like we planned to make sure you would suffer however this battle ended... Ekleíp has your precious little filly now!"
Luna and Scrivener Blooms both whirled around... but they saw nothing behind them now, except for a splatter of blood where Ignominious had once been... and a broken, cracked black horn that lay amidst the crimson, as a shout rose up from the wagons that told them the last words the demon Ignominious had spoken had been the truth. |
Starlit Knights | Against All Odds | Chapter Twenty Four: Against All Odds
~BlackRoseRaven
Luna and Scrivener Blooms were tired and sore in their worn armor, carrying minimal supplies, and pushing through a wild pine forest alone but for one another and Sammy, who hissed every now and then at the snow-covered trees around them. The caravan had moved on, or would be, after seeing to their dozen dead: Pinkie Pie, five Pegasus Guard, two Starlit Knights as well as two minotaurs... but Luna refused to lose Scarlet Sage. No matter what it meant she had to do... she had vowed to find the filly.
Ross was also missing: it was likely that he had been taken along with Scarlet Sage, possibly to be brainwashed once again, and if they could, they would rescue him as well. And again and again, Luna cursed herself in her mind and out loud, as Scrivener strode quickly behind her, the winged unicorn using both a location spell as well as her tracking skills and every ounce of knowledge she had to chase after the creatures that had taken Scarlet Sage.
They were unicorns: they had found the tracks leading into the tundra, and Luna had given Twilight Sparkle hurried orders to take control of the caravan. Twilight had panicked, had given reasons why she couldn't, had tried to dissuade her... and Luna had shouted at her to get under control and told her clearly and sharply she wasn't making requests as a friend... she was giving orders as a superior.
Twilight had relented at this... still scared, Scrivener thought, by the ruthless fury Luna had shown Ignominious. Sometimes, Twilight could forget that just as coldness lurked in Celestia's heart, there was a darkness in Luna's own... and Luna grimaced ahead, halting to examine a set of tracks that seemed to follow a natural path through the forest as she muttered: "Comparing me to Celestia at this juncture is an excellent way to get beaten, Scrivener Blooms."
"I know, I'm sorry. My mind wanders at the worst of times... but Horses of Heaven, Luna, I hope you do worse things to these Ekleíp scumbags than Celestia would do if they've hurt even a hair on Scarlet Sage's head." Scrivener Blooms muttered, and Luna grunted in agreement before she nodded and broke into a light run, the male falling into pace behind her as he opened his mouth... but when she looked over her shoulder sharply, he nodded as Sammy clung quietly to his mane, concentrating and asking mentally: Close?
Close enough. Luna's voice replied in his mind, and he could feel her anger... and self-loathing, too, amidst everything else. Blaming herself for everything that had happened... for not paying closer attention, as the two ran along the path before Luna's eyes flashed and she skidded to a halt, Scrivener immediately looking down as he felt her instincts and nodding sharply as he saw the gleam of a tripwire amidst the shadows cast by the enormous trees around them.
They carefully stepped over this, and Luna narrowed her eyes as she slipped through the trees, the forest unnaturally quiet but for the occasional growl of some far-off predator. It made them both nervous... but then Luna cursed under her breath as she stepped carefully around a high drift of snow and lowered herself, her starry mane layering itself tightly back and down along her frame as she gazed out at a small clearing in front of an ugly, snow-covered hillock... but this small bump of a hill had a deep overhang that shadowed a heavy, reinforced oak door that was further secured by a circle of magical runes glowing eerily over it.
The door wouldn't pose a problem to get through: the problem was the two Phooka that stood sentinel outside it. Smoky, indistinct dark shapes a little larger than a pony and only roughly equine, they had eyes of awful green fire and possessed the ability to hypnotize anything that dared make eye contact with them. Nothing but malicious tricksters in the past, they had nonetheless become a greater threat in recent times: the darkness had influenced them to go from simply taking ponies on wild rides or chases through marsh and bog and forest to hypnotizing their prey and luring them into death traps and to nastier predators of the shadows.
Both of them had collars around their necks of heavy, rune-covered iron, likely used to keep them under control and to force them to obey the commands of whoever called this hovel their home... and Luna shook her head with disgust as she slipped backwards, muttering: "This situation worsens by the moment. If Ekleíp has such powerful old magic at its disposal that it may even bind monsters to its bidding, they may be a greater threat than I had ever anticipated... and their madness and longing for Ragnarok will make them all the more dangerous."
Scrivy grimaced, then Luna closed her eyes as her horn took on a faint blue glow, and Scrivener looked down in surprise as the female smiled grimly. "I wish to wait back and see if there are worse surprises in store for us... and we must be careful. My reserves of strength are not as great as I would like them to be, after the attack on the encampment... therefore it only makes sense that thou, in all thy self-destructive, stubborn glory, plays the role of monster slayer for a change."
Scrivener Blooms glanced meditatively down at his hooves as they burned with blue light... and then he smiled grimly as he glanced up, thinking of Scarlet Sage, of Ignominious, of North Neigh still waiting beyond... and then he grunted and nodded, turning and heading boldly out into the field as the Phooka both looked up dumbly before the earth pony gritted his teeth and leapt forwards, swinging both of his blue-flaming hooves into the face of the first Phooka and crushing it into the ground as he winced away, knowing that the blows of these ephemeral creatures couldn't hurt but any eye contact at all would be dangerous.
The Phooka shrieked, flailing wildly before it exploded into black mist, the iron collar flying away as the other Phooka immediately turned and tried to flee... but it seemed to ram into an invisible barrier at the edge of the field, hissing loudly deep in its throat as it shook its head wildly before scrabbling madly at the collar as Scrivener Blooms approached, before glaring at him over its shoulder... but the male kept his eyes firmly down, keeping on the barest hint of the creature's ephemeral form in his vision before he grimaced a little and held a glowing hoof up, saying distastefully: "I... ugh. Don't hypnotize me, and I'll set you free."
The Phooka hissed distrustfully at this as the male felt Luna's doubt and curiosity in his mind... and Scrivener thought long and hard for a moment before he answered both with a mutter of: "There's... no honor in it."
Sammy, still clinging to his back, rose his head at this and chirped... and, as Scrivy slowly rose his eyes, he saw the Phooka looking at him grouchily, its green-flame eyes glowing before they locked with Scrivy's, and he winced as he felt something, a connection but not outright hypnotism, before it spoke to him in a twisted version of his own voice: "That concept is older than my kind... ponies do not grasp what it means."
"Oh, and you do?" Scrivy hesitantly stepped forwards as the blue glow died out around his hooves, and the Phooka snorted, then hissed and grumbled as it lowered its head, the earth pony reaching up and carefully working the complex clasp on the back of the collar, grimacing a little to himself at the runes that sparked painfully against his hooves before he managed to loosen it and let it fall free.
It clanked to the ground, and the Phooka immediately looked up and met his eyes for a moment with its own... and then it grinned slowly, saying softly: "You feel sorry for our kind? How eccentric. You killed one of us, freed the other... but it's better than those real monsters behind that door. Watch out for their tricks and traps, slave pony. Kindness won't take you very far with them."
With that, the Phooka turned and ran off into the forest, vanishing amidst the trees as Scrivy grumbled under his breath and stepped moodily backwards, rubbing his hooves against the tundra as he approached the door... and Luna quietly slipped out of hiding, frowning at him curiously even as he said moodily: "I feel dirty."
"That was strange indeed, Scrivener Blooms..." She paused, then smiled a little, reaching up and touching his shoulder quietly. "But... I am glad thou has an odd, tender place in thy heart for monsters. Or perhaps it is because thou wishes to see unicorn foals gobbled down by these beasts."
"Well, they're only malicious because of the surging evil, right? Besides, I... I dunno, killing a chained-down guard dog that's whimpering and trying to run away, I don't... like the idea of that." Scrivener grimaced again and muttered as he reached up and hammered his hoof against his head: "Stupid, stupid, stupid."
"Thou art not. But come. I am surprised there seem to be no further defenses, but the beast did whisper in thy mind of traps... we will have to be wary." Luna hesitated, and then she leaned across and kissed his cheek gently, the male looking surprised as she murmured: "We have much to do. And thou must continue to be my conscience when I feel only like destroying."
The earth pony smiled despite himself as they approached the door, Sammy chirping quietly on the charcoal male's back before Scrivy awkwardly glanced towards Luna... but she only grinned slightly, lowering her head forwards as her horn sparked and the runic circle on the door glowed violently, shouting: "Nightmare Moon requests an audience!"
Cracks ripped through the wood, the circle sparking violently before Luna flicked her horn to the side, and the entire door was simply ripped out of place and thrown into the trees, revealing a stone corridor beyond. Immediately, a red-robed unicorn strode quickly around the corner, but Luna flicked her horn forwards, sending a blast of lightning into the tattooed thrall, and it howled as it was knocked crashing backwards into the wall, falling into a stunned heap. Immediately, both she and Scrivener strode into the stone hallway, both grimacing as they passed from biting cold into packed, unnatural humidity, hurrying to the end of the hall before Luna peered around the corner.
Then she winced and leaned sharply back a moment before several crossbow bolts flew past and smacked into the corner wall, their gemstone tips burying deep through solid stone as she muttered: "More thralls. Not unicorn, earth pony and Pegasus, but they are tattooed and wear the same colors of the cult. I wish to kill them but I know that not thou, not Twilight, perhaps no longer even Celestia will approve."
"Barrier me." Scrivener said dryly, and Sammy squeaked before leaping off the earth pony as he readied himself, and Luna grinned widely at this as the male grimaced and muttered: "I never really wanted to be a train growing up."
"Thou were a strange child in a terrible place, though." Luna said kindly, then her horn glowed brightly as she lowered her head forwards, and a blue, angled barrier appeared in front of Scrivy before he gritted his teeth and shot around the corner, charging straight down the hall towards the three thralls that aimed their crossbows at him and fired a useless volley into the semi-translucent sapphire wall the male was pushing ahead of him, bolts bouncing off the energy before Scrivener simply plowed into the three, the barrier plowing them backwards until they loudly crashed into a wall.
The barrier shattered and Scrivy staggered backwards with a wheeze of pain as recoil burst over his body, shaking his head stupidly as the three thralls fell to a battered heap in front of him... and then he cursed in pain as a bolt shot into his shoulder from an adjoining hall, the crystal arrowhead ripping through his armor and Luna wincing as she rounded the corner, feeling the pain herself before Scrivy looked up as he ripped the bolt out just in time to see a unicorn thrall beside the reloading Pegasus.
Then a blast of lightning smashed into him, electrifying his armor and making him hiss in pain as he staggered backwards... then gritted his teeth and shook his head briskly, shrugging the attack off before Luna shot in front of him and flicked her own horn downwards, replying with a much-more-powerful blast of lightning that blew both thralls off their feet and sucked all the fight from their bodies. Then she charged forwards down the hall, Scrivener following after her with a grimace and gladder than usual for his resistance to magic before he winced as doors began to open on either side of them, at least half a dozen cold voices saying in awful synchronization: "Stop the intruders. Capture Nightmare Moon."
"All thee shall catch is pain!" Luna shouted, flicking her horn upwards as they barreled towards the door in front of them, and a blue ball of glowing, liquid light sailed gently into the air before beginning to fall behind them. Immediately, Scrivener instinctively put on a burst of speed, as he lowered his head and charged straight into the door at the end of the hall, smashing through it and diving into a wide room beyond as the unicorn and other thralls looked calmly towards the sphere of slowly-falling light... and Luna grinned as she leapt through the doorway, propelling herself faster with her wings as she half-flipped and her horn glowed, slamming the door a moment before the sphere hit the ground on the other side.
A sonic boom erupted with a flash of blinding blue light, the blast powerful enough to crack the door Luna had had just thrown closed and knock it ajar as well as send both the ponies skidding backwards... while the thralls on the other side were deafened and blinded, the reverberation from Luna's flash-flare spell likely enough to carry into whatever was controlling these thralls as well. Scrivy thought he could faintly hear screams of pain... but as he staggered to his hooves, he could barely hear anything at all, apart from Luna's instincts and thoughts urging him to hurry up as the winged unicorn scrambled up and hurried through the large dining area they had landed in.
The thralls here barely noticed them, grabbing instead at their faces as if they had been hit by the flare as well, twitching violently as Luna yanked Scrivener towards a side door on instinct and they made their way up a long, sloping passage to barrel through another door... and then both ponies skidded to a halt, setting themselves as they entered into a much messier dining area, the tables here crudely repaired many times over and badly-bolted together, the walls ugly stone, a few twitching earth pony thralls throughout the room... but for the most part, they were instead faced with snarling Nibelung dressed in both armor and the strange, ripped garments that likely passed for their casual clothes, their eyes glowing pits of red fury before one in heavier armor leapt up on top of a table, yanking a hatchet out of his belt and pumping it in the air as he screamed: "Kill the intruders!"
The dozen or so Nibelung swarmed to their feet as the thralls began to shake off the last of their trauma, and Scrivy and Luna both winced before the winged unicorn set herself as a wolf-pig charged towards her with a long spear, quickly bringing up her horn and parrying the weapon to knock it to the side and make the dwarf stagger before she stepped forwards and thrusted her horn through his chest, then shoved him savagely back with her hooves as she shouted: "Suggestions, Scrivener Blooms?"
"You're the warrior here!" Scrivy retorted in a strangled voice, then he winced as a Nibelung charged towards him, concentrating and drawing on Luna's memories before he lunged forwards as the wolf-pig drew back its sword, slamming a hoof into the end of its nose and making it squeal as it grabbed the sensitive end of its muzzle with both hands, eyes watering before Scrivener's other hoof slammed into the underside of its jaw, knocking it flat. "Door, door to nine o'clock!"
Luna grimaced and flicked her horn to pick up the fallen sword with telekinesis, flinging it wildly towards the surging crowd, and the Nibelung scattered before several of the dwarf-pigs threw their weapons in return at the ponies as they shot towards the opening. Hatchets and knives slammed into the wall past them and bounced off the ground near their hooves before a Nibelung managed to dive into the way... and Scrivener Blooms winced before simply ducking when Luna flicked her horn downwards, sending a blast of lightning shooting into the dwarf and sending it crashing backwards with a squeal, and the two made it to the archway, followed closely by their skeletal pseudodragon, and charged up the steps beyond towards another doorway.
Without looking, Luna flicked her horn upwards with a curse, and cracks began to tear through the ceiling as the walls around them rumbled and Nibelung began to mount the stairs. The winged unicorn and the earth pony barely managed to reach the door at the top before the cracks in the ceiling turned into jagged, collapsing fractures, the two leaping through and into the room beyond, followed by squeaking Sammy, as heavy chunks of rock and stone and objects from above tore down into the tunnel, Nibelung howling in misery as they were buried and knocked back down the stairs by the avalanche of debris that blockaded the entrance.
The two ponies breathed hard... and then Luna screamed in pain as an anti-magic sphere exploded next to her, shocks ripping along her horn and stunning her as Scrivener looked to the side in horror before a knife plunged through his armor and into his back, making him gasp in shock and pain as he looked to the side in horror to see Ross standing over him... but the unicorn was back in his red robes, his tattooed features calm and cold, his eyes emotionless as Scrivy snarled... before his vision went hazy, gagging weakly and flopping forwards as Sammy whimpered and grabbed at the pony's head.
He groaned, unable to see, objects swimming in front of his eyes in a swirl of disjointed color as a voice that seemed to echo said distastefully: "Incredible. Simply incredible... an army of thralls, Velites, and Nibelung, and still, Nightmare Moon... you live up to your reputation. And yet... while I should be delighted, I am only frustrated. Frustrated that for all this... you continue to defy us."
"Ekleíp..." Luna whispered raggedly, looking up as her own vision swam, feeling the effects of the poisons running their course through her husband's body as well as the pain from the anti-magic pulse still playing hell on her senses. Yet still, she gritted her teeth and shook her head, forcing herself to focus if only for a moment as she slowly looked up and across this cold, miserable room.
The carved hillside was to their back, rocky and forming a wall of jaggedly-chiseled stone, but the only thing that stood between them and the snowy, barren air outside to the front was a row of thick pillars... and the three ponies in red robes. Ross was on one side, dagger still held tightly in a hoof, dripping both blood and poison... and another cultist thrall was on the other, Scarlet Sage held tightly beneath one hoof, the filly trembling and shivering as the unicorn stared with the same emotionless blankness that Ross did.
And in the center, was no thrall, but a Blood Seer. He was a unicorn, with a ragged gray mane and patchy golden coat. His eyes were red, and blue veins pulsed visibly through his worn, ancient features, a pendant that symbolized the lunar eclipse hanging in platinum around his neck. His robes left his limbs bare, and these were all covered in swirling tattoos of runes... runes that glowed here and there, likely amplifying his connection to his thralls. "Nightmare Moon, I wish... I wish I could say this was an honor. You have no idea how much I wish I could honestly say that... but I cannot. Ekleíp has noble aims: why won't you accept that? Why won't you accept us? Ignominious, I understand your revilement of... he went against everypony's wishes. And he couldn't even be trusted with more than a little bit of information... any time we told him something, he would use it to his advantage, even when warned not to. He betrayed Ekleíp, and he betrayed Ekleíp's masters. He deserved to be torn apart by the Hounds of Doom and all the souls that he offended over his life... but you, you..."
The Blood Seer shook his head slowly, muttering: "Perhaps it is our fault. We have relied for too long on outside sources... Sol Seraph turned out to be a disappointment, did not retrieve or kill this foal and challenged you openly, but maybe that, at least, was for the best. We have spent a long time trying to get this girl either killed or into our care, and it was a delight to discover you had begun training her yourself, Nightmare Moon-"
"Aye, I have, so thou will now return her to me and perhaps I shall go about my business, instead of ripping thou and all thy friends into pieces." Luna said coldly, trying to stand... and then cursing as her legs betrayed her, falling forwards again with a grimace of pain.
The Blood Seer, however, only laughed, shaking his head and saying distastefully: "Like I said... things have changed, sadly, and not for the better. Nightmare Moon... the Ekleíp have been around for countless years, countless generations. We have been watching and waiting patiently, for a sign... not just your return, but what occurred now, above Canterlot, to the awe of countless ponies. A lunar eclipse... the moon, obscuring the sun, the most unnatural, spectacular of events that could occur in this world... and you brought it about, and then you felled Celestia. Oh, we were in awe, we knew that the prophecies were true from that day forwards, every word of their strange and twisting verses. And even now, I do not doubt in you. I do not doubt in your power, I do not doubt in what you can and cannot do, Nightmare Moon... but all the same, I feel fear and contempt for you.
"I do not know if it is petty jealousy, or rightful fear, but I look at you, Nightmare Moon... at this... body, you cloak yourself in, at how you have chosen a mud-walker for your husband and how you have come all this way just to save the life of an untrained foal..." The Blood Seer made a face, and Luna snarled in fury, her eyes glowing with rage as electricity sparked through her starry mane. "I wonder what you would do, if you knew the truth. If you had all the power that Ekleíp wants to give you... would you really build a free and peaceful world? Or would you selfishly build a world in your image, catering to your rumored... perverse enjoyments, among other things? A world where rule was determined by who you liked most instead of order, and justice, and most of all, power... no, I will not bow my head to a slave-hoof, Nightmare Moon. I would rather try and kill you and kill your husband than bow my head to a slave hoof."
"Scum!" Luna shouted, and then she shoved herself to her hooves, the Blood Seer stumbling backwards in surprise before Luna flicked her horn outwards, releasing a powerful blast of lightning... but immediately, both thralls leapt in front of this, Ross and the cultist sent flying from the blast, one landing and skidding in a broken heap to the snowy edge of the open-faced room, the other flying into a pillar to crash against it before Ross gasped and fell forwards on the ground, knocked unconscious.
Then Luna's legs wobbled before she fell forwards as the Blood Seer cursed and ducked down, quickly picking up the knife even as Scarlet Sage scampered away and Sammy ran over to her, hissing as the unicorn glared at them balefully... but instead, he only licked the blood off the blade and tossed it away, his eyes beginning to glow eerily even as Luna snarled and tried to force herself to her feet... before Scrivener screamed in agony as the Blood Seer shoved a hoof towards him, and Luna gargled as she felt her own blood beginning to boil in her veins, clogging up in her muscles and becoming too thin beneath her skin, leaking from her nose and mouth as Scrivener convulsed violently and the Blood Seer hissed: "I am no novice, and no thrall. I am a unicorn mage and a Blood Seer of Cimmerian lineage, fully aware of the powers in my blood and immune to the poisons that suck the strength from you even now. And now I have your husband's blood, and through him, a connection that now lets me control your blood, your body, twist your very soul... you will bow your head to me, Nightmare Moon, or I will kill you and your slave-hoof bedroom toy!"
Luna arched her back, screaming in pain as her mane fizzled violently, but all the same, began to force herself to her hooves as Scrivener Blooms gritted his teeth and curled up, even as he continued to shiver and convulse violently, biting back his screams as his eyes rolled in his head... and then the Blood Seer cursed in surprise as Sammy leapt up onto his face, the pseudodragon hissing and clawing wildly at his features and distracting him as the unicorn staggered backwards in surprise before he managed to tear the skeleton off and throw him across the room... then he yelped in pain as Scarlet Sage bit firmly into one of his forelegs, kicking at her angrily and knocking her rolling backwards as he shouted: "Ingrate!"
Scarlet Sage breathed hard, and the Blood Seer snarled, stepping towards her before he looked sharply up as both Luna and Scrivener Blooms began to crawl to their hooves, his eyes glowing as he focused on them... and they both hissed in agony, forced to drop back on their stomachs as he said ruthlessly: "Well, foal, how would you like to watch me torture and maim these two? They seem to care about you... but compassion is the first thing we stomp out in our order. If we want to achieve harmony... we must be willing to show we will sacrifice everything for the greater good of our world."
"You let them go. Now." Scarlet Sage said quietly, as her eyes took on their own crimson glow... and the Blood Seer looked at her with disbelief, then threw his head back and laughed incredulously, sneering at her as she snarled at him. "Last warning."
"Oh please, you're less than a novice! What have you been taught, but to catch indistinct glimpses of the future, and see another's thoughts? What are you going to do with my blood, threaten me with the knowledge that an hour from now, I'll be dining with reeking Nibelung?" The Blood Seer retorted in disgust... and then he frowned and slowly reached up with his extended hoof, losing his concentration as he wiped slowly at a trail of blood dripping from one eye, blinking stupidly down at the sight of this on his hoof.
"Yes, all I could do was read your mind... but that's okay. It taught me everything else I needed to know." Scarlet Sage snarled, and when the Blood Seer stared at her with horror, the Pegasus filly cocked her head, her eyes glowing crimson, a twisted grin spilling over her features. "Time's up."
The Blood Seer opened his mouth... and then his head whiplashed backwards as it seemed to simply explode in a crimson blast, staggering stupidly before his body flopped weakly to the floor, Scarlet Sage breathing hard as blood spilled from her own eyes and nostrils before she trembled, then collapsed with a whimper of pain. Luna and Scrivener could only stare in shock, in horror, at what had just happened... and then Luna clenched her eyes shut, shivering violently, before Nightmare Moon whispered softly into their minds: No, my children. Do not dwell on it, there is time for that later. She saved your lives... and we have done worse, have we not, Luna?
Luna nodded mutely... and then the winged unicorn cursed weakly and shoved herself towards Scrivy, rasping: "I need thee to aid me... put thy... damnable focus to good use, Scrivener Blooms..."
"I'll... try." Scrivy mumbled, even as his head swam, but no longer just from the poison, as he closed his eyes... and shivered as the memory of what had just happened replayed in his mind. Luna grimaced as she caught it too, but then, slowly, it smoothed out as the male pictured the moon, tried to focus in on it, and as the image forced itself slowly to the top of his mind, Luna took a rasping breath and then closed her eyes, finding her own mind clearing, letting herself concentrate enough to focus what reserves of energy she had into her magic.
Her horn glowed faintly as she pressed it against Scrivener's neck... and the male hissed in discomfort as his blood seemed to boil for a moment before his head slowly began to clear, the dizziness and pain fading from his system as he coughed before forcing himself unsteadily to his hooves. Once he was actually standing, however, it was easier... and he looked tiredly down to see Luna shaking her head briskly before she did the same, even as her starry locks flickered quietly around her and she muttered: "And now, thou sees why I detested Blood Seers so."
"Horses of Heaven, let's just get out of here before we have to deal with Nibelung on top of everything else." Scrivy grimaced a bit as he strode quickly towards Scarlet Sage, giving Sammy a faint smile as the skeletal pseudodragon scampered over the floor towards him, looking as stunned as they had been... and then he winced as he shook the filly gently, cursing under his breath as she only lay still.
Luna, however, only shook her head quickly, reaching down and gently picking her up to set her carefully on Scrivener's back, muttering: "'Tis no surprise, she will be extremely weak for some time now..." She halted, then glared at the corpse of the Blood Seer, adding in a disgusted voice: "Serves the fool right..."
She halted at this, then glanced at the thralls before sighing a little as she strode towards Ross, firmly grasping the unicorn by a shoulder and shaking him roughly... and thankfully, Ross's eyes fluttered before he jumped to his hooves, looking back and forth... then screaming at the sight of the Blood Seer's body, trying to hide between two of the pillars that went around the edge of the room as he babbled: "N-No, that's not good, oh no oh no oh no no n-"
Luna slapped him firmly, and Ross blinked stupidly a few times, falling on his haunches as he touched his cheek with a dumb look at her, the winged unicorn leaning down and saying calmly: "Ross. I have not the time to attempt to be kind. I am sore, badly-beaten, and tired, so I shall say this but once, and I expect thou to listen, or I shall leave thee here with the other captured thralls. That was a very bad unicorn, and thou shall not speak of it in front of Scarlet Sage, understood? Now, we must escape this place with all haste and return to our friends, because there are other very bad things here... and unless thou wishes to be their snack or worse, for them to make thou cold again-"
"They made me cold, they made Ross very cold, colder than the snow..." the unicorn muttered, reaching up and touching his other cheek this time, where the tattoos had been... but they had vanished now, likely gone with the unicorn seer's head. "Okay, let's go, get out of here fast, away from the bad."
And with that, Ross turned around, looking quickly back and forth before he simply hopped out of the room, and Luna leaned out of the open wall with surprise that grew even greater when she saw Ross land safely in a snowdrift some twenty feet below, Ross looking up and calling: "I got out."
"Oh for... Scrivener Blooms, go next, I shall take Scarlet Sage down." Luna muttered, and Scrivy nodded as the winged unicorn gently lifted the Pegasus safely from his back, before the earth pony turned and grimaced as he hopped out, followed a moment later by his pet pseudodragon... and they both landed in a puff of white snow next to Ross, the earth pony blinking in surprise as he sat up and the unicorn only gave him a dumb smile.
Luna followed last, carrying Scarlet Sage carefully down in a glide and setting her gently once more on the male's back, before the small group headed quickly down the steep-sloped hillside and across the ugly tundra towards the forest that surrounded this half-natural, half-carved strange temple, the winged unicorn muttering in disgust as she turned them north and said moodily: "Come, we shall walk for a time, then... and if necessary, I shall fly above to get our bearings. With luck, we shall either reach the caravan or North Neigh within a few hours... we will all need... rest."
She quieted, looking silently towards Scrivy as the male gave her a faint smile in return, the Pegasus filly shivering a little on his back as Luna shook her head slowly... and then she looked to the side in surprise as Ross halted and yanked his cloak off, the unicorn smiling awkwardly as he quietly: "I'm okay. She looks hurt."
"Aye Ross. Aye, she is, hurt to the soul... thou has my gratitude." Luna said quietly, taking the red robes with a faint smile and turning to carefully wrap Scarlet Sage in it before she settled the bundled-up Pegasus filly gently back down across Scrivy's back. She hesitated a moment, resting her hoof silently on top of filly... but then she smiled a little as her horn glowed, stroking silently over the red robes and turning them a softer shade of blue as she leaned forwards and kissed the filly's forehead, whispering: "Thou does not need to be reminded of that color right now, Scarlet Sage. Think for now... of softer things, and dream of what fillies should dream... not nightmares, of the illness of power."
Then she drew back as Scrivy gazed over his shoulder softly, smiling faintly before their eyes met as Ross studied them quietly... and then the unicorn gave a small smile of his own, saying kindly: "You guys are real nice parents to your daughter. She's your daughter, that's right, right?"
"Yes. Yes, she is." Luna said softly, not hesitating, only gazing up with a quiet smile towards Ross... and Scrivener smiled wider as well as Sammy hopped up on Luna's back and chirped, burying himself into her starry mane and making her laugh. "And yes, Samael, thou art our loyal pet. Where would we be without thee at our side?"
The group made its way carefully onwards through the pine forest, not talking much, Ross occasionally spouting some seemingly-random fact or mumbling about directions... and then Luna realized that somehow, Ross was actually helping plot the way. He seemed to instinctively know which way to go, and when she asked him curiously for directions, he had smiled and replied seriously: "It was twenty-two degrees north of about where we are now on the map. The map wasn't entirely right, oh no, but it was right enough, right enough, that's what it was."
For a moment, the two had looked at him... and then Scrivener had asked mildly: "Ross, what does Cowlick look like?"
"South-Equestrian descent, saddle-tan coat, blonde mane with yellow color highlights roughly four to six inches long sky blue eyes and eight facial piercings varying in polish from silver to gray-silver but those aren't her only piercings, she also has-" Ross halted as Scrivy held up a hoof and Luna gaped, and the unicorn blushed. "Did I say a bad?"
"No, not at all." Scrivener smiled despite himself, and then he glanced towards Luna as she gaped stupidly at him, saying quietly: "He has a photographic memory, I'm guessing... that, combined with his mathematical ability, means he's kind of... a genius, just like Cowlick said."
"I like Cowlick. She's always real nice to me. She treats me real different from anypony else... makes me feel real different from anypony else." Ross said with a small smile, glancing down and nodding slowly, and the two ponies nodded with soft looks to the unicorn before he asked curiously: "Are we going to see her?"
"Yes, Ross, we're going to meet her in North Neigh... it would help us a little if you could give us directions, though. Luna's never been here before and I haven't been to the town for... quite a few years now." Scrivy said softly, and Ross smiled at them as he nodded firmly before he turned, his horn glowing slightly as the two looked at him curiously.
"Okay, I like to help! Twenty-two degrees... watch out for the nasty rocks." Ross said brightly, and the two traded a look at this before both ponies only shrugged and followed the unicorn carefully as he walked along, humming to himself under his breath and barely seeming aware of the biting cold, even as Luna shivered a little now and then.
The 'nasty rocks' soon made themselves apparent when Ross halted at what looked only like a snow-covered slope, shaking his head violently before he had slapped almost wildly at the snow in front of him as the two had stared... but then the powder and crust had tumbled away to reveal a dangerous perfectly-smooth slide of iced-over stone that was much steeper than it had looked beneath the veil of powder. Ross had led them carefully around these slides... many of which led to cracks in the earth, thin ice, or ugly collections of broken tree and blade-like shale only half-covered by snow.
Some of the slides were natural, others had obviously been sculpted in: and Scrivener grimaced as he glanced up once and saw a Phooka lingering on a fallen tree at the top of the hill above them. It only watched them moodily, however, seeming to understand t was safe at a distance and not daring to risk itself against several ponies, and Luna had glanced up as well, then simply grimaced and looked back down, as Ross only continued cheerfully along.
They passed another trap that a deer had been snared in, laying dead amidst the rocks, mostly-eaten and the remains long frozen, and they had to calm Ross down at the sight of this and help him move carefully past... but it was the worst incident of their trek through the dangerous region that was more than obviously used by Phooka and their kin for hunting prey. And then both Luna and Scrivener were surprised and amazed when Ross easily led them through the last of the trees and they stepped out onto the dusty, half-plowed road that was surrounded on either side by thick forest, Ross saying brightly: "Turn right, head north!"
It had been perhaps an hour, and the unicorn had successfully led them on the shortest route back to the northern highway... and Luna laughed to herself before she turned and reached up to grasp Ross's shoulder lightly, saying quietly: "I am glad thou art here with us, Ross. Thou hast proven to be a rescuer and saved us from what I know would have been a far rougher journey fraught with far-greater risk without thy aid. But then come... these tracks have not yet been smoothed away by the wind, and look fresh to mine eyes in the snow. Perhaps we shall catch up to the caravan before they reach North Neigh."
Ross nodded a few times as they turned, beginning to trudge along the path... and although tired, Scrivy could feel a renewed sense of energy, of hope, all the same. They had rescued Scarlet Sage... and once they were able to make it to the town, even to the caravan, they would be far safer than they were alone, even if Nibelung raiders were tracking them through the snow. Yet Luna doubted they had pursuers: the Blood Seer had obviously been the head of the ugly little base Ekleíp had put together and Scarlet Sage had certainly taken care of that problem.
Luna gazed softly at the little filly on Scrivy's back, and it was not with fear, or revilement, or even anger... only worry, only tender affection. She was just a little girl, after all, a Pegasus filly who had been doing her best to protect her... her mother and father, after losing her real parents to death and fire. And she had been raised not just in Ponyville, but also by the pony that Equestria had called 'Nightmare Moon...' and Luna smiled faintly at this as Scrivener gave her a quiet look, nodding slowly all the same in silent agreement. No matter what came of this... no matter what had happened when Scarlet Sage's powers had manifested with such violence, in such rage... they would remember that she was still their little girl. And that in these dark and savage times especially, none of them were without their own sins.
After two hours of pushing forwards - and keeping Ross entertained by giving him math problems to do that Scrivener Blooms had utterly no clue how the unicorn solved, such as the estimated distance of the wagon and even their current hoof-speed - they caught sight of the back of the caravan in the distance, rumbling slowly up a shallow but long incline through the powdery snow as grey clouds listlessly rumbled through the sky overhead... and Scrivy had smiled a bit, clicking his tongue to Sammy, and the pseudodragon chirped cheerfully before leaping down into the snow and racing ahead, powder bursting up through his body but light enough that he was able to scramble easily over the crust and the packed snow in the shallow trenches left from the wheels of the wagons.
The ponies hurried onwards... and Twilight Sparkle came running back to meet them with Cowlick, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy. Twilight almost plowed into Luna and Scrivy, hugging them fiercely and dropping her head against the female's neck as she closed her eyes in relief, and Cowlick laughed warmly at the sight of Ross, grabbing him and grinning as she planted a firm kiss on his mouth that made him blush and blink a few times with a silly smile. "God, finally, a little bit of good news!"
Fluttershy inspected Scarlet Sage with relief, and Scrivy and Rainbow Dash lightly bumped their hooves together as Applejack explained quietly, as Twilight still half-rested against Luna: "Rarity and Spike are with Pinkamena. She ain't doing too well... but we all talked about this, and we're gonna do everything we can for her. God, losing Pinkie Pie... it hurts to the deep, cuts right down to the bone. But you know what else hurts? Thinking that Pinkamena never really cared about her, and now seeing her more shook up and hurt over this than any of us are. And she's all... we got left of Pinkie Pie now. Don't matter anymore who she is, even what she is... we all agree we gotta take care of her and help her out of this, even if we all want to mourn over what happened, too."
"I can't believe it... and I know you kept warning us about this, but..." Rainbow Dash grimaced and shuddered as Twilight finally stepped away from Luna, nodding silently and glancing down shamefully. "I kept telling myself I was prepared for the worst but... I don't think any of us are. We're all just... glad to have you back here, Luna. Glad you could at least save Scarlet Sage. But... hell..."
He shivered a little as Applejack silently wrapped a foreleg around him, and Luna nodded slowly, saying quietly: "There will be time tonight to speak more of this, but for now, we must head to the caravan. Scarlet Sage requires rest, and North Neigh is but a few kilometers ahead. We still have a job to do... a difficult and painful one, aye, but it is our job all the same, and we must not shirk our responsibility. I know for a fact that if we slow for even a moment, forget why we have come this far, for what reasons our friends... our loved ones... have suffered... we will suffer worse in self-pity than in pushing forwards. The greatest way we can honor their memories is to do what we came here to do. To ensure that monsters like Ignominious can never again rise from Helheim, to destroy the darkness and drive the Nibelung back down into Niflheim."
The others nodded slowly, and the ponies turned quietly, Fluttershy smiling faintly as Luna gently picked up bundled-up Scarlet Sage and passed her to the Pegasus before the group began to walk forwards, trudging towards where the caravan awaited. Twilight Sparkle walked with head lowered, her eyes downcast, before she murmured softly to Luna: "I'm sorry."
"Thou has nothing to be sorry for, Twilight Sparkle... I am sorry, if anything. I know thou art not used to seeing... the rougher side of me, and I apologize, too, for raising my voice to thee in anger that should have been directed towards others." Luna replied quietly, glancing towards her with a faint smile, and Twilight glanced up a little, her violet irises glimmering quietly. "The days ahead will be difficult. I will need thee to listen to me... and I know, too, that I shall need to listen to thee as well. Thou art intelligent and strong... and..."
She halted, then glanced worriedly over her shoulder at Scrivy: the male was silent and expressionless, his eyes distant as they began to make their way up the incline, and Luna looked at him for a few long moments before she shook her head and returned her eyes to Twilight, who frowned quietly. "'Tis... nothing. Only memories... Scrivy will return to us momentarily, but let us not rush him. Twilight Sparkle... I am sorry for many things. I am. If I can help thee in any way, only ask and I shall... if I can give to thee anything, only ask, and I gladly shall."
Twilight smiled faintly at this, and then she stepped a little closer to Luna, lowering her head and murmuring: "Thank you, Luna, honestly. You and Scrivy both have helped me a lot already, though, and... I know this isn't just about me, or even about you. This is about... Equestria, and more than that, about saving the ponies and peoples of this world from... this overwhelming, awful shadow that's spreading across it."
Luna nodded slowly, sighing quietly as she lowered her head forwards and murmured: "Aye, sadly... no matter how big or small our role, 'tis true. It is not merely about us... even if at the same time, much of it seems to be about myself and Nightmare Moon. And I will not lie, Twilight Sparkle... my goal is not noble, to save the world. My goal is to save myself, and the ponies I care for... my goal is to save Scrivener Blooms, and thee, and Scarlet Sage, and my friends. Believe me, glad as I am to have rescued Ross... that was a happy accident more than it was intentional, I will admit that."
"I think you're just trying to convince yourself you're evil still, Luna, when you're not. That you're the darkness but... I see so much more in you." Twilight said quietly, looking ahead and smiling faintly, and Luna looked at her curiously as they approached the back of the supply caravan, but the winged unicorn fell silent as they rejoined the wagons, greeted quietly by the warriors with muted salutes and faint, sad smiles.
The ponies fell back into their places: Fluttershy took Scarlet Sage quietly to the Pegasus Guard wagon, which was scratched and dented but in better shape than the others: they had all taken damage from the battle that had erupted that morning, all of them scuffed, one of them moving on a rickety, cracked wooden wheel that had been hastily patched back together. Rainbow Dash and Applejack trudged with Aleksandr and several other minotaurs that murmured war songs under their breath, exhaling clouds of white into the frozen air as they looked nervously back and forth at the trees and large, ugly jutting chunks of rock on either side of the dirty, frosted road, and Luna, Scrivener Blooms, and Twilight found themselves at the head of the group, leading the caravan forwards as they finally crested the long slope to reach a flat plateau... and in the distance, gazed upon their objective.
North Neigh: a rickety, ugly town surrounded by rickety, ugly fencing, large, gray buildings with snow-patched black rooftops looming over plowed and salted streets. A few large, ancient and dead trees stood in the snow fields around the small city, which rested in the barren shadows of enormous, looming mountains in the distance that stretched towards the sky above like leviathan teeth, snow-covered pyramids of rock that were a maze of passes, cliffs, and gorges... and inside the catacombs of which Luna knew lurked monsters that were far more terrible than in any dark myth.
She shivered as her eyes drew along the mountains and then returned to the city ahead: despite the weak fencing that was strung with sharp wire and tipped with ugly stakes, there were no gates at the road, and only a single creaky, obviously-unused guard tower that stood lonely sentinel. The defenses were minimal, looking as though they had been built by miserable hooves that had already given themselves over to death and doom. Yet the signs of life were there all the same... the plowed and trodden streets, the banks of snow, the lamps that burned quietly along the road... and of course, the gathering ponies that looked out at them with distrust and even disgust.
Scrivener Blooms rose his head, gritting his teeth as he stepped forwards, breathing hard enough to almost fog up his glasses. Sleipnir's helm rested over his head, and his battered armor covered his body, but he faced forwards, not trying to hide his identity as he took the lead... and Luna was all too glad to allow him, stepping up to one side of her husband and nodding firmly as she felt his emotions, felt how hard this was for him... and admired how all the same, he was determined to do this. To stride boldly into the town that had chased him through life and almost ruined him from birth, to even try and save those who saw him as nothing but a slave... and yet it was not all kindness. There was a tinge of bitter humor in it... a twist of sadomasochistic irony that flavored his every thought and action.
Twilight Sparkle strode up to Scrivener's other side, looking at him encouragingly... and the male looked back at her for a moment, then smiled awkwardly and nodded to the winged unicorn before she surprised him by stepping forwards and kissing his cheek, whispering softly into his ear: "You can do this. We're here to help every step of the way, all of us."
Scrivy smiled a little at her, nodding slowly before he faced forwards again, grimacing a little as the caravan approached the entrance even as several unicorns marched into the road and down towards them, halting and glaring at them like they were hated interlopers instead of the knights and champions of Canterlot and Equestria sent to rescue them... and Scrivener Blooms grimaced, the feeling almost like a physical shock as he stepped between the fencing, as he stepped into the city for the first time since he had been a foal, crossing that invisible border from Equestria into North Neigh as the three unicorns in the road looked at him with scorn, with hatred, with contempt, and yes, with a little fear, as Twilight and Luna stepped up on either side of him, both feeling the vibrations in the air, Twilight grim and Luna snarling a challenge.
The silence spiraled out as the caravan halted, no one speaking... and then Scrivener Blooms stepped forwards as he looked over the unicorns in front of him: two he didn't recognize, but the furious unicorn to his left he knew all too well. "On behalf of Queen Celestia, the Starlit Knights, led by Champion Luna, have arrived to investigate the destruction of Silver Hoof and ensure that North Neigh is safe and protected. We will require safe lodgings and supplies and the cooperation of the city." He stopped, then looked squarely at the unicorn to the left, adding in a quieter voice: "After all, family comes first... right, Dad?" |
Starlit Knights | Interlude III: Scraps From A Diary | Interlude III: Scraps From A Diary
~BlackRoseRaven
Dear Diary,
Something really weird happened today. Something I really just absolutely can't explain, but I should probably start at the beginning or you're going to get all confused, and that wouldn't be good, would it?
You remember Pinkamena, right? Well, I know, I know, that's a really dumb question considering how often I write about her and how often I record those... scary dreams with her in them, and the visions that happen now and then. Well, you'll never guess, but Pinkamena's... real! She's really real, and right now... well, I'm not sure where she is. The others were trying their hardest to be nice to her, but they were all staying really close to me, and she was on the far side of the fire, so they just... stopped talking to her. And she just looked at us... and now she's outside of me and everything but I still felt how sad she was. Looking across those flames between us... it hurt. And suddenly... I wasn't the least bit scared of her anymore.
She wandered off somewhere and I went to bed too, thinking maybe I'd catch her in the tent, but she wasn't there. So I decided to write this up. I wanted to think about it, hard as thinking can be for me, and I feel so... so bouncy and energetic sometimes, sure, but I also feel... real sad sometimes still, like now. And I know I should be glad she's not... you know, in my head anymore or whatever, but... I'm not. I feel a little... empty inside. Do you think she feels the same way? No... I... I think she might feel even worse. She always tried to make me do bad things, not because she flat-out hated me... because... she was envious. Everypony loves Pinkie Pie, right? And they were all scared of Pinkamena. That's how it always was; but what if she was right, she's the original, and I was born from the rainbow in the sky...
Wow, big deep scary thoughts there. I better stop writing, or I'll give myself nightmares. Well, see you later alligator, in a while crocodile!
Poor Gummy. I miss him.
Dear Diary,
We passed through a town today, and we're camping near a giant bridge. Everypony's really tense: the town was... was a lot meaner than I'd expected. Pinkamena says I'm a... well. She says a lot of things. I probably shouldn't write some of them down. But I could tell she was hurt too. And she's outside right now... but she doesn't know I saw her. She's sitting out there in the cold, tense and quiet, watching over us, all alone, because there's such static in the air... everypony can feel it. Something bad is going to happen, might already be happening. There's this real jerk, see, and he's kind of the reason Pinkamena is out and about now. I meant to write about him last night but I got all caught up in talking about Pinkamena and then I thought about what a bad idea it would be to write about demons at bedtime, but... I think I'll try tonight anyway.
His name's Ig-something. I talked about him once before... he's the guy who crashed the wedding with poor Trixie, but she was possessed. He's a real jerk, and he challenged Luna and Scrivener to a big fight or something. He hit us with a spell of some kind yesterday and it... it brought Pinkamena out. It made her real. Luna tried to explain it to me but I've been so... manic, lately, but being around Pinkamena... she helps look after me. The others don't see it but I do... suddenly I wonder how much she's always been there for me. Even when she was trying to hurt me... was it just because of jealousy, or was it some twisted way for her to get my attention, or was it something even deeper than that? I don't think she's evil anymore. I think she's in pain... I think there is something terrible inside her, but terrible like a toothache, not like a big creepy evil monster that wants to suck out your spleen.
Last night I asked Twilight on impulse if Pinkamena would come and say goodnight. Well. I phrased it a lot sillier than that. But Pinkamena actually came, and she grumbled and was scary but she tucked me into my bed and then sat down and looked at me for a while, and I looked back at her. Later, in the night, I woke up and I heard her... crying. She was having awful nightmares, so I went over and tucked her into bed and sat with her for a little while like she did for me. She opened her eyes, but I don't think she was actually awake... and I started to wonder what goes on in her head as she quieted down bit-by-bit. It made me... sad. It made me want to make her laugh and smile but well, Pinkamena doesn't do laughter all that much. Still, if I could make her happy... somehow... maybe that would help her a little. I'd... I'd like to help her. She's done terrible things but maybe all those terrible visions didn't come from her... they came from something broken inside her...
And she cares about us. I can't seem to make the others see that, but... she cares. I know she's got a big heart under everything, she's just real sour on the surface, like... like a lemon drop. Yeah, that's what she is, a big old lemon drop! I think I'm going to work harder to try and show her how much I care. I think she just needs a little of the magic of friendship. I know when we're around each other, after all, we seem to 'even out,' so... we must need each other. She's my twin... I kind of like that. I miss my sisters sometimes, but... maybe I'm lucky enough to have another sister who'll always be by my side now. I like that. I like that a lot...
Well, off to try and rest a little before my turn on guard duty. Nighty-night, diary.
Dear Diary,
It's been a long, long day. We ran into that jerk again, and he set up a gender barrier magic thingy! Can you believe that? No girls allowed, well, Scrivener and Spike and Big Mac and R.D. and D-(A smear where a word was erased repeatedly) Bob really fixed his little red wagon. You know, if everypony really did have a little red wagon, there would probably be a lot more fixing and a lot less violence in the world, though. Just saying.
I've been spending most of my time with Lemon Drop, and now that I'm not scared of her anymore... she's really funny, and crazy, and weird. She really just does need friends, and to know that they aren't going to hurt her or betray her. She's got such dark ideas in her head and it's not all her fault, not after what Mom and Pop did to us, not after how she was always treated, not after maybe... what I did to her. Forcing her 'into the mirror,' like she says, where she got worse and worse having to deal with those nightmares, those bad visions, those memories all alone. I remember yesterday when I heard Luna talking about those angry ponies at Pegasus Point, and she said 'the tortured make the best torturers,' and when I thought about it I realized how much that line made sense. I think when Pinkamena disappears off somewhere, she usually goes and talks to Luna and Scrivy... but I'm glad. I'm glad she's starting to make friends. I don't think she even realizes she is, or what it means... but it's a big huge step for her and I really want to help her.
She really likes models, which is kind of funny, isn't it? But she likes a lot of things that don't seem to make sense until you really look at her. Alexander, the big minotaur, seemed to get it... he calls her 'Dee-jaw-vole' or something like that, and Lemon Drop seems to get along with him okay. I think it's because he's not scared of her. I think it's because he talks to her as calmly and rationally as he does everyone else. Those minotaurs, they're big weird guys, but I really like them. Just like I like Bob... and much as she acts like she hates him, I think Lemon Drop likes Bob too. I think she likes a lot of ponies. She's just different, and scared.
I'm not going to leave her side, though. I made a big promise, and I'm gonna keep it, even bigger than my promise to take care of myself if the visions come back... but sure, I get real happy, and I get a little sad now and then, but I'm the lucky one. I got all the bounce and pep, and poor Lemon Drop has those terrible nightmares. She pretends she doesn't care but I know she does... and I know she hurts. I wish
(The page is torn and the entry ends abruptly here)
Dear Diary,
I'm sitting here, inside an armored wagon, heading for a town called North Neigh. Every pony around me looks shellshocked: Fluttershy's crying, and Rarity is comforting her. Outside, Applejack and Cowlick are trying to help keep the Starlit Knights motivated and organized and they're doing a pretty bad job of it. Rainbow Dash is in the skies, watching our backs and flanks... and Twilight Sparkle's at the head. Tears are frozen on her face and I don't think she even notices. And me? What a sick joke. I'm sitting here, in an armored wagon, and everypony keeps comforting me over Pinkie Pie's death, but I know they don't really care. They just want something. They all want something. They want to be comforted in return.
I keep reading some of the entries from this diary over and over. She pitied me. She wanted to help me. Even after everything I did to her, she wanted to 'save' me. And she died to protect me. Why? Pinkie Pie, what the hell was wrong with your head? Were you retarded or something? Were you just stupid? Were you that naïve? Or were you that cruel... leaving me here, all alone among strangers, ponies who think of me as the disease that was inside her that managed to crawl outside because demons can't keep their magic to themselves.
Sissy, you were a pain in the ass. You were an invader, who shoved me into the back of my own mind, grinning and gleeful. You were a freak accident of brain-chemical that went haywire and spawned some monstrous transformation, from the flesh-eating caterpillar to the sugar-gargling butterfly. But when we found a way to co-exist... even more, when I got out of that brightly-colored hellhole... you gave me a goddamn hug. You said 'welcome to the world!' and you put a party hat on my head and dragged me into your fun and games. And you... looked up to me. You called me your 'older twin.' You were a masochist, and I'm a sadist, and we were a match made in some twisted comedian's heaven. And I would do anything... anything... to have you back so I could beat the hell out of you, and then maybe... give you a hug for everything you did.
Sissy, I'm... going to miss you. But no one will believe me if I say that. And without your smiles and cheer, without your laughter and understanding... I feel the nightmares inside my skull, and the depression like vines in my brain, crawling out of my eyes, ears, mouth and nose. So I gotta keep being me, and making everypony around me feel as bad as I do, in the hopes they'll maybe crunch this Lemon Drop beneath their hoof.
If I could trade places with you I would. And I hate you for making me feel that way.
(Blood and tears stain the paper. Beyond it, the rest of the pages have been torn out) |
Starlit Knights | A Lesson In Unicorn Tradition | Chapter Twenty Five: A Lesson In Unicorn Tradition
~BlackRoseRaven
There was silence in the air, even as Scrivener Blooms reached up and pulled Sleipnir's helm quietly off, shaking his faintly-glowing white mane out as he fully revealed his charcoal features to take away any doubt at all about who he was, Luna on one side, Twilight Sparkle on the other... and the three unicorns standing across from them shifted in revulsion.
In the center was a mare who was bundled up in heavy furs, a little too much makeup over her face, angry but obviously far-more-terrified than anything else. Her coat was white, her mane done up in a tight blonde bun, her tail ornamented with a diamond... and she grimaced worriedly as her brown eyes flicked towards the unicorn on the right, leaning towards him and whispering hurriedly into his ear.
This unicorn was male and wore both heavy leather boots over his hooves as well as a tight vest lined with metal plates and a thick leather cap over his skull. One side of his face was pockmarked and scarred, his ear missing, an eyepatch covering the socket as he bared teeth that were yellowed on one side and grinding metal on the other. On his exposed flank, there was the emblem of a shield... and he closed his brown eye after a moment as he lowered his head moodily to whatever the mare said, his chestnut coat, shaved-down black mane and cropped tail making him clearly visible against the dirty whiteness of his snowy surroundings.
Then the unicorn to the mare's other side stepped forwards: his coat was pale white, making him seem ghostly amidst the frost and gray light, his horn spired and tall, his mane and tail black with aged streaks of gray. His dark eyes glared from behind small glasses at Scrivener Blooms, looking at him with loathing and disgust as he leaned forwards, the cutie mark of brambles on his flank seeming almost to twist and move as he shouted: "How dare you! Coming crawling back after all these years, acting as if you're better than us, acting as if you're here as some... savior, with a whore on either side?"
Scrivener snarled furiously, stepping forwards as Luna's eyes glowed and Twilight gritted her teeth, before the earth pony shouted back, even as the mare grabbed at the unicorn: "Twilight Sparkle is my friend and Luna is my wife... the former Princess of the Night, now the Champion of Equestria! And I'm not some little helpless foal anymore, Bramblethorn!"
"Slave-hoofs are not permitted to speak the names of unicorns! And no matter how big, how strong, how 'special' you think you are, Scrivener Blooms, you are nothing but a filthy mud-walking, hoof-licking servant!" Bramblethorn snarled in return as he shrugged the mare off, and then the two stormed forwards, glaring furiously at each other as the unicorn's horn glowed vibrantly and Scrivener's body tensed with barely-contained fury.
Luna felt Nightmare Moon writhing inside her as her starry mane sizzled violently and her wings spread and shuddered, barely able to contain her rage and feeling it trebled by Scrivy's own... and at the same time, she was startled by the depth of her husband's anger. But this place, with all these memories... and these hateful ponies pried at the nerves hidden beneath all of the earth pony's layers of armor and sarcasm, as Twilight Sparkle slowly strode ahead and then reached up, touching Scrivy's shoulder, as the mare hurried forwards and grabbed Bramblethorn again, muttering quickly into his ear.
Father and son continued to glare at each other... and then Scrivy leaned back, taking a slow, calming breath before he said quietly: "We're here, and we're not leaving. You and your elitist unicorn friends might not want us here, but there are earth ponies and Pegasi here as well that likely won't feel the same way. Hell, there are probably even unicorns that are happy to have us on board, even in this sick, ancient part of Equestria. Let's just stay out of each other's way, how about that?"
Bramblethorn snarled... and then he leaned forwards and said in a slow, disgusted voice, shoving the mare unicorn away: "I'm glad your mother is dead and can't see this atrocity. After you left, it wasn't long before she died from shame, you know. No, it wasn't enough that she gave birth to a mudwalker, that uppity little mudwalker then turned out to be a runaway and a road-tramp who got the idea in his head that he had a right to a higher station in life. Earth ponies are not 'writers' or 'poets.' Artwork is the realm of the nobles, the unicorns. Pegasus ponies are the soldiers. Your station is carrying my kind through the mud and sludge and sewage that your kind thrives in, filthy upstart vermin crow-"
"Enough." snapped the scarred unicorn, and Bramblethorn grumbled and dropped his head moodily as Luna and Twilight now only stared with horrified shock at the venomous unicorn, and Scrivener Blooms simply shook his head slowly, unsurprised and disgusted.
The scarred unicorn looked at Scrivener Blooms with contempt and distaste, but he at least kept his tone civil, saying coldly: "There are several abandoned apartments and a ruined storage silo at the eastern end of town. Your lot is free to set up there. Mayor?"
"Oh, yes, yes." The mare glanced up with an awkward flush, nodding a few times as she said hurriedly: "I... I'm very busy today, but tomorrow morning I really wish to speak to... Champion Luna."
Luna stepped forwards at this, tossing an ugly look at Bramblethorn as he only looked back with disgust, then she turned her eyes to the mayor, saying distastefully: "And thou cannot speak now? For I am here. With my husband. Our soldiers are cold and hungry, but I believe they are as anxious as I am to hear whatever thou has to say."
"N-No, no, no, I really... must be going. Commander Scutum, please assist our new... friends... in finding their lodging. Chancellor Bramblethorn, let's head back to town hall, there's... business to attend to." the mayor mumbled, lowering her head and scuttling quickly off down the road without waiting for a goodbye, and Luna grimaced before she looked up and met the male unicorn's eyes.
They glared at each other, and then Bramblethorn shot one last, contemptible look at Scrivy as the earth pony picked up his helm and placed it back over his head, before the unicorn turned and stormed off down the path as Scutum grimaced after them, then made a face at the ponies as he said moodily: "Please. Follow me."
The others were silent, the supply wagons rumbling creakily through the plowed streets as he led them past decrepit buildings of brick and gray wood, lanterns burning in many of the shuttered windows as ponies looked apprehensively out at them. Earth ponies glanced tiredly up from the sides of the street, some in rags, many in nothing at all, while unicorns glared at them, usually in pairs, most of them in heavy coats or furs. It was like they had stepped into the past, and Luna shuddered as she felt Scrivener's anger... and the hostility in the very air around them, as the minotaurs looked moodily back and forth and ponies gazed with equal distrust around themselves, staying in tighter grouping than they had even passing through the treacherous barrens.
They arrived at a block of half-collapsed buildings on the far end of town and what the unicorn had called a 'storage silo,' which certainly living up to its descriptor of 'ruined:' it was broken in half, the roof laying in a shattered pile to one side of the building and most of the rest imploded on itself as if some great giant had attempted to squeeze the top of it inside the bottom half of the building, and Luna looked back and forth with disgust as Commander Scutum said distastefully: "These were the old servant quarters for the unicorn district, to the north, but they recently fell into disrepair and were vacated several months ago. They're what we're offering."
"I appreciate that thou aren't lying, at least, and saying 'the best we could have offered.'" Luna muttered, and Scutum looked at her grouchily before the winged unicorn glanced back and forth with a sigh: on the bright side, there were at least three of the large, ramshackle buildings, and the road dead-ended not very far past the ruins of the storage silo at an enormous pile of snow. They were at the eastern edge of the town, the fencing here even uglier than it had been to the south, and Luna knew they would have to fortify the defenses here... possibly from both the town itself as well as the outside. "Cowlick, I require thy expertise... and bring Ross!"
The earth pony was already moodily approaching, and the Commander snorted at the sight of her and the unicorn, looking distasteful as she shot a glare at him, then grinned and said sweetly: "Thanks, Commander Balls, but I don't think we need your help here anymore."
"Scutum. My name means shield." the unicorn narrowed his eyes at her, leaning forwards... but Cowlick only glared back at the scarred soldier, undaunted as Luna grinned despite herself.
"I know what it means, pretty pony. And I know exactly what I said, too." Cowlick retorted, and then she grunted to Ross and motioned towards one of the buildings. "Give me an estimate of these things' dimensions and what needs to be repaired, handsome."
"I'm not going to like you, am I?" Scutum said slowly, and when Cowlick gave him a flat look, he rolled his eye, then looked moodily at Luna and Scrivener Blooms as Twilight lingered in the background and studied them silently. "Fine. I don't have time for this. Let's get an understanding though, before I leave... whatever my personal feelings, I still know my loyalties and know my place. But Scrivener Blooms... you cannot go around, starting trouble. Stay away from Bramblethorn and his new wife, Mayor Caprice."
"Oh hell, that's just wonderful." Scrivener Blooms said disgustedly, and Scutum looked at him for a moment... and then, surprisingly, he grinned bitterly in concurrence.
"You know, whether you're a slave-hoof or not, I can't help but agree." Scutum shook his head slowly, lowering his head moodily... a unicorn, obviously settled in the old ways, obviously a believer in superiority... and yet he looked disgusted all the same with the subject of Scrivener's father, as both Luna and the earth pony looked at him curiously. But then he only looked up and nodded grimly. "Tomorrow morning I'll be in the mayor's chambers to discuss what's been going on. Be wary at night... the problem here isn't Nibelung raiders as much as it is... other things. I'll see you tomorrow."
With that, Scutum turned and headed past the wagons, and they watched him leave silently, not knowing quite what to think of the scarred unicorn yet. Then Scrivener sighed a little, looking from Luna to Twilight before he said quietly: "I'm sorry."
"No, do not be. Thou has seen me far worse, for far less reason." Luna said quietly, and she leaned forwards and embraced him tightly before glancing up with a faint smile as Cowlick approached, looking grim. "The news is never good, is it?"
"Not at all. With your permission, I want to rip apart the remains of that silo, use the pieces we can salvage for repairs, and set that up as a yard for the wagons and where we can put up a few tents, too." Cowlick shook her head in disgust. "Floors are rotted, there's... some kind of weird fungal growth over the walls despite the cold, and joists look badly damaged in this building here. Personal opinion? I'd demo it, too, rip out what can be used for repairs and burn the rest, and hope for the best with those other two apartment sections."
Luna sighed a little... then she glanced at Twilight Sparkle as Scrivener silently gazed towards the city, the sapphire winged unicorn asking quietly: "Can thou hold down base here, and help organize operations? I am sure that between them, Cowlick and Ross will do the brunt of the work... but 'tis better if a leader figure such as thyself is still here, to help guide the others. Thou art strong and... they look to thee, I think, even more than they look to me, which I am glad for."
"Of course... but where are you two going?" Twilight asked quietly, looking from one to the other with concern, and when Scrivener Blooms only smiled a little and shrugged a bit, she nodded slowly before stepping forwards and trading a fierce hug with him. "Take care of yourself. Without you, after all, we won't have Luna around, and we kind of need her."
They shared a bit of a laugh at this, their eyes meeting for a moment before they both smiled hesitantly as Luna drew her eyes over them softly... and then the three nodded slowly before Scrivy and the sapphire winged unicorn fell in quiet step with one-another, heading silently past the stopped wagons and their soldiers, their allies, their friends, on a quiet trek into North Neigh. Around them, houses loomed, and the gray skies ground down oppressively... only mid-afternoon, but it looked like evening and felt like so much later than that, as the wind hissed around them, as unwelcoming as the eyes that glared balefully from windows and the sides of the road.
They walked slowly through the streets, Scrivener quietly gazing back and forth as they strode in silence, and Luna felt memories rising, stirring through their mixed mind, playing silently on the strings of her heart and soul. It was strange, the memories that came back to the earth pony, that stood out in his mind with odd emotions attached to them; like this old shop, with the beaten dumpsters behind it the young pony had scavenged through on a regular basis for paper and broken quills and had once found a whole inkwell sitting on top of, as if left as a present for him by some kind soul. He remembered not only the inkwell, but how the shop had been faded yellow back then... and now the paint was simply faded.
His eyes roved towards a lamppost, under which he remembered, with strange clarity, being shoved around by unicorns and Pegasi; as they strode onwards, he looked down a side road, remembered watching other earth ponies playing their games, children of servants to unicorn families that at least had each other. They continued through the small town, looking back and forth at the dilapidated structures as more memories surfaced, and Luna did her best to remember the layout... even though Scrivener's memories were what drew most of her attention.
Then the earth pony grunted as a snowball smacked into his face, twitching to the side in surprise as Luna snarled... and then stared in shock at the sight of several unicorn foals scurrying away down the alley, one of them shouting angrily over his shoulder: "Slave-hoof! Go away, slave-hoof!"
"I... even the foals..." Luna murmured, gritting her teeth... and then she shook her head violently as her mane sizzled and Scrivy wiped snow distastefully off his features. "Oh, Scrivy..."
"Well, of course the unicorns start teaching them, as soon as they can... if you want to control somepony's life, really lock in their beliefs, you... get to them when they're young." Scrivener grimaced a little, looking down at the frosted road silently before he glanced up with a tired sigh. "Because believe me. Then no matter what happens, no matter who tells you different... there's always some part of you that believes whatever you were told again and again and again and again..."
Luna looked at him silently, then she leaned forwards and nuzzled him quietly, and the male smiled a little before he glanced up towards the end of the street: just a little further down, there was a ramshackle storefront... and Scrivener shuddered a little bit as he looked at this. Without realizing it, he had just led them to the old shop... except it looked like now, instead of gardening supplies and other odds and ends, Bramblethorn had sold it off, likely after the death of his mother, Tia Belle. "I'd... like to step inside there for a moment."
The winged unicorn nodded slowly, then she pressed their sides together as they walked forwards, Scrivener giving her a faint smile as they headed quietly across the road and to the rickety steps. For a moment, Scrivy hesitated as he looked up silently... and then the door at the top opened, and the male had a moment where he expected only to see Bramblethorn again, glaring down at him, just like the old days...
But instead, it was an old unicorn who frowned down at them curiously, adjusting the glasses at the end of his wrinkled muzzle before he smiled a bit and stepped backwards, keeping the door open as his horn shimmered faint white. "Well, please, come inside."
Luna and Scrivy traded a surprised look, but Scrivener nodded and hesitantly walked up the steps, glancing quietly at the new sign that hung over the ancient exterior, which read: 'Allsorts Emporium.'
The layout was surprisingly similar as they entered and closed the door tight behind them: short, stocky shelves still stood in file in the center of the single room store, and a staircase led up to the second floor and what had used to be sleeping quarters... and the old unicorn smiled over his shoulder at them as he strode towards the counter, picking up a cloth in hoof and polishing the scarred wood slowly as he said softly: "Sir Scrivener Blooms and Princess Luna... Champion Luna, I suppose I should say. It's a real honor... although I'm guessing your reception here hasn't been the warmest."
Scrivy smiled despite himself at this, glancing back and forth along the racks of coats and jackets and other odds and ends that now lined the walls, looking in fascination at the shelves that were full of toys and building blocks and books and other things as Luna strode forwards, asking curiously: "And who art thou, who welcomes us so? Surely thou are no native of this place."
"I'm a native of Equestria, and this whole country is my home. Even the rocky bits." the old unicorn smiled over his shoulder, gray-blue body and faded white mane almost glimmering as he bowed his head politely towards her. "But I grew up in Canterlot, yes. I was a historian there, or rather... a silly old stallion who's always been interested in fairy tales. Ten years ago, I moved up here... North Neigh accepted me readily enough, and I was able to buy this place from Bramblethorn for a little more than it's actually worth... but I had the money to spare. They liked that about me: I wasn't just a unicorn, but one with money. And listen to me ramble on without answering your question... you'll excuse me. Old age."
He chuckled quietly, then pushed the rag aside and slowly turned back around, letting them clearly see for a moment the cutie mark of an open red book before he faced them, gazing at them with his warm silver eyes. "My name is William Isehorse. I came here ten years ago to study the mountains and the legends that surround them. There's always been a lot of talk about prophecy and predictions in this part of Equestria, after all... but I think all of us here believe we shape our own destinies, isn't that right, Champion Luna?"
"Luna is fine, and we are well-met... and apparently, well-understood, which I am glad for." the winged unicorn replied with a slight smile, studying him curiously. "Strange to see such a soul as thee in dark times as this, however."
"Dark times make the best stories, and I'm old anyway. Besides, I've spent years and years studying predictions and legends and now all of it is coming true around me. It's scary, yes. And it is tragic... but it is also incredible, as I'm sure you understand yourself." Isehorse replied quietly, nodding slowly and solemnly. "But I am also an optimist... and seeing you here, seeing you working, striving, to fight against the darkness and willing to save even the unicorns that... if you'll pardon the term... revile you... well, it gives me great hope, that at the end of this tunnel... there's a bright future waiting for our younger generations."
Luna smiled broader at this, and even Scrivy relaxed a little before Isehorse leaned forwards on his hooves, asking kindly: "And now, as you've been so generous to listen to an old pony's ramblings... is there anything I can get you? And while I'm sure that the unicorns have refused to give you much in the way of aid, I'm very glad to part with some cloaks and other odds and ends if you would like. What you're doing is a great service for our nation, for ponies everywhere... and believe me, there are others who welcome you here with even greater fervor than I do. I know that North Neigh is dark and treacherous, but... you have friends even here, Luna, and you too, Scrivener Blooms."
They both smiled at this, and then Scrivy hesitated for a moment before he said quietly: "You know, a lot of ponies know who Luna is... but they usually don't recognize me. I'm curious... how do you know who I am? You seem to know a lot about us."
But the old unicorn only chuckled and gazed at him with entertainment. "Then obviously, you haven't heard what a stir your return has made in the city chambers. It doesn't help that Bramblethorn is now a Chancellor as well as the mayor's husband, despite the obvious conflict of interest... but many unicorns are very upset. Normally, earth ponies who quote-unquote 'abandon' North Neigh never, ever return... and not only did you march back into this town, you did it with Champion Luna... and the gossip mills said you had another winged unicorn on you other side. If your goal was to upset as many unicorns as possible in the shortest space of time you could, I think you just accomplished that with flying colors."
Scrivener smiled despite himself at this as Luna gave a nasty little grin of pleasure as she replied easily: "Oh, William, worry not... our goal is far more heinous than that. Perhaps tonight after setting up camp we shall envision further ways to make mischief that will poison the senses of these elitist snobs. There are few lows I would not stoop to."
The old unicorn chuckled quietly, and then he gazed from one to the other, saying softly: "And strangely, I take relief in this fact. But come, there must be something I can offer you, in means of supplies... or perhaps at least a distraction or two from the tires of the battlefield."
Scrivy began to open his mouth to politely decline, but Luna nudged him firmly as she glanced around the room, saying pointedly: "'Twould be folly to say no in such dire times and dark places to such a generous offer. And furthermore, I am indeed curious to see the sorts of things thou has in thy shop."
The old unicorn smiled at this warmly as Scrivener Blooms gave Luna a half-amused, half-exasperated look... and some ten minutes later, the two made their way out of the store, Scrivy now with a simple pack strapped to his back as he looked over his shoulder with entertainment at Luna, who was now wearing a heavy black cloak over her body, made of some thick, fluffy material. "You know, you really need to stop taking advantage of ponies."
"When ponies ask to be taken advantage of, Scrivener Blooms, 'tis a very rude thing indeed to refuse them." Luna replied mildly, and Scrivy rolled his eyes as they strode quietly down the streets, before the winged unicorn smiled a little and added quietly: "And besides. As well as a few trinkets for Scarlet Sage and others... we have gathered some very interesting information, have we not? William Isehorse is a veritable wellspring of knowledge... we shall have to make good on our promise to visit him again soon and see what else he knows."
Scrivy nodded slowly at this, grimacing a little as he said quietly: "It bothers me that Bramblethorn managed to get into a seat on city council... and from there, marry another politician and help her establish herself as mayor. And it all happened only six months ago, too... it's like something wanted to throw as many roadblocks in our way as possible, if we ever got here."
"Aye, but it may also be merely coincidence, disgusted as I am to say. Bramblethorn was always looking to spread his influence, was he not?" asked Luna quietly, and Scrivy nodded moodily, making a face. "I am sorry, Scrivener Blooms. I wish that we had known more before coming here... and this will require another letter to Celestia. Strange, though, that she hasn't yet replied to my previous one... but perhaps she has been ensnared in memories of her own. For now, I will trust in her instead of suspecting her plotting some new grand scheme."
"Then I'll do my best to do the same." Scrivener said softly, and they continued on in quiet through the darkening streets, getting glares and strange looks from the ponies they passed, but no one dared challenge them this time.
They returned to what was slowly becoming the Starlit Knights' base, and Luna gave a grimace as she looked moodily out at the ramshackle buildings, wagons parked in front of these and around the edges, a few tents set up in the distance. For a moment, both ponies thought briefly of Sol Seraph, of how quickly and efficiently she had set up her base with her countless soldiers and minotaurs... and then the two traded a grim look before their eyes were drawn to Twilight Sparkle as the pony trotted towards them, looking tired and flushed.
"I'm glad you're back, it's been... ugh." Twilight dropped her head forwards, shaking it quickly before she looked up and said moodily: "We had some unicorns stop by, harassing everyone... they called Rainbow Dash a... I don't know, I never heard the term before, it was something like..."
"They called him a shorn-wing." Scrivener stated more than asked, and Twilight glanced up in surprise even as she nodded quickly. "And I'm guessing they probably called you a variety of derogatory names and eventually worked the courage up to say you were a splinter-horn or split-hoof."
"And I'll kill them all for it." Luna grumbled, even as Twilight only continued to look a little confused despite nodding slowly. "Vicious miscreants. Let's see them be bold enough to call me such mocking names... I'll break their bones with sticks and stones, for words may only enrage me."
"I like your version of that little saying, but please keep in mind that we are here to save most of them." Scrivener Blooms replied dryly, and Luna made a face even as she nodded moodily, before the earth pony sighed and shook his head. "Shorn-wing means a Pegasus who has 'lowered' themselves to the level of an earth pony and 'splinter-horn' means an earth pony who's essentially glued a fake unicorn horn to their head. Split-hoof means half-breed. They're old names... meant to insult the dignity of an entire pony's family. Very nasty sayings that you don't hear a lot of in the south."
"Well, I've heard split-hoof before, but not those other names, so let them say what they want, I really could care less. However, it's been a little chaotic... ponies are still upset and Pinkamena... well. She got herself beaten up by Applejack. Big Mac and Rainbow Dash had to pull her off." Twilight grimaced and shook her head slowly, rubbing at her face with a sigh as the two ponies frowned. "I dunno. Applejack saw her, went over to talk to her, was being really nice and Pinkamena said... something about Pinkie Pie, and then something about all that... you know, that stuff that went on before with... you know, her and..." She cleared her throat pointedly, and the two ponies nodded, Luna giving a faint smile. "Anyway, it was more than enough to be the straw that broke the pony's back. She's under a lot of stress and Pinkamena-"
"Knows just what buttons to press, aye. Poor, pathetic creature..." Luna shook her head slowly and Twilight Sparkle glanced up with a frown, and the winged unicorn only smiled faintly. "Oh, be not naïve, my beloved friend. Applejack is a fine knight, strong companion, and cherished friend... but Pinkamena kills Nibelung with her bare hooves and laughs at the sport of it. From thy words, Applejack is mostly unharmed... Scrivener Blooms and I shall go and speak to her. See if we may help her."
"I... okay." Twilight Sparkle said slowly, and she sighed before half-turning and gesturing towards a lonely tent in the far distance. "She set up far away from everyone, and she just trudged back over there after I scolded her for a little while. Refused to get her wounds tended to or anything, just... laughed and walked away. I..."
She fell silent, reaching up and touching the Element of Magic hanging around her neck, and she shook her head slowly as she murmured: "The Elements of Harmony were supposed to protect us, Luna. I thought... I thought they made us special, and different, in my heart. I never wanted to admit it, it feels so egotistical, but... I... I don't know. Pinkie Pie, losing her... it... it hurts more than I ever imagined it could. Losing Trixie was horrible... losing Pinkie, I can see it in everyone's faces, it's..."
"I know." Luna said softly, stepping forwards and reaching a hoof up to rest quietly on her shoulder. "Thou art special, Twilight, but it is no mere... gemstone that makes thou special. It is what is inside thee that does that. I know the pain is great, but thou must remember one thing as well: if we do not continue forwards, if we do not combat this darkness, if we falter in our path... then not only will Pinkie Pie have died for nothing... then one-by-one, everything else will begin to fall into shadow as well. I cannot guarantee that we shall all survive. In fact, sadly, I can only guarantee the opposite: more of those we care for, sadly but surely, will die by the end of this quest. But our quest to here has taken us on a journey that has helped us begin to unravel what lays at the heart of this spreading shadow... and I have faith that as we continue to fight, we will uncover the truth of where the tide of evil rises... and we will be given a chance to stop it."
"And I plan to, Luna. I plan to, to fight with all my heart, to never, ever stop until we put an end to this." Twilight said quietly but firmly, looking up and nodding as she smiled faintly. "I'm going to put every last ounce of strength into that, for Pinkie Pie, for... everypony in Equestria who's suffered or died... for my friends... for you and Scrivy." She halted, glancing slowly back and forth between them before she laughed a little, looking down embarrassedly and shuffling a hoof at the road. "Thank you. For understanding."
Luna only shook her head at this, however, laughing quietly as she murmured: "Nay, worry not, Twilight. My thanks instead go to thee and thy friends for understanding what we have all become a part of."
For a moment, the three looked at each other... and then Twilight blushed a bit and stepped out of the way, and Luna and Scrivener made their way onwards, heading quietly down the road towards Pinkamena's lonely tent. It sat in the snowy fields, unprotected, a fire made from reeking debris pried off the half-collapsed, unstable apartment building Cowlick had condemned sitting in front of it, and Pinkamena herself was sitting in her armor on a rock, an ugly bruise around one eye and a bit of dried blood over her gray-pink features as she grinned up at them from behind the straight curtain of her mane, the Element of Laughter dangling from one hoof. "Well, look who it is. My two favorite ponies in the encampment."
Scrivy sat down and shrugged his pack off, and Luna gazed quietly across at Pinkamena as her starry mane floated silently around her, the fire flickering between them as the dull-pink pony looked darkly down and said softly: "You know, I should be happy. Sissy is dead. No more sugar, no more laughter, no more whining, no more needing to tuck her in at night, no more needing to protect her from every goddamn thing, no more getting my models broken and no more hyperactive, happy-happy giggle-girl messing everything up. She was such a pain in the ass... nothing but a worthless slave-hoof. Just like me. Just like you, Scrivy, another filthy mud-walker... but oh, look who I'm talking to, right? You're connected to Luna, that's right... princess better-than-everyone, who almost killed her own sister... 'cept your sister almost killed you, too. Funny, how that works. You two love each other and you almost murdered one another. Me? I hated sissy. And she died for me. Ain't that a laugh?"
She gave a dry chuckle, but Luna only shook her head slowly, saying quietly: "Poor, lost creature. Why do you seek pain, when Pinkie Pie fought to save you from it?"
"What the hell do you know?" Pinkamena leapt up to her hooves, snarling at her she shook the Element of Laughter violently. "Maybe she was just psychotic and crueler than me, leaving me, worthless stupid bloody Pinkamena, alive! What kind of insane stunt did she pull, leaving me all alone, saving my sorry, pathetic, sick life when she should have lived! She should have lived and I should have died, but no, no, she jumped in front of the goddamn axe that would have killed me... why? Why? It doesn't make any sense! None of this makes any sense! I would do anything, trade anything, give anything to make it all in reverse... and then the ponies could laugh on my grave and I'd be at peace and this would all be so different... but Pinkie Pie-"
"She loved thee." Luna said softly, as if this explained everything, and Pinkamena clenched her red-rimmed eyes shut, opening her mouth... but Luna stepped forwards around the fire and shoved her hoof against her lips, silencing her as she said quietly: "And she is not gone, Pinkamena. She will not leave thee alone... and thou art not alone anyway. We are here. We are thy friends."
Pinkamena swatted her foreleg away with a snarl, then she held up the Element of Laughter: the crystal had started to blacken, had lost its shine and radiance as she said disgustedly: "Romantic notions have no place in real life, Luna. Look, I kill, I corrupt, I goddamn ruin everything I touch, and you, like everyone else, just wants to use me. You don't give a handful of horseapples about anything but your precious little Twilight Sparkle who slavers all over you two like the lapdog she is but hey, better you and Scrivy than Celestia, right? Just like how you want the best for your slave-hoof husband... yeah, you love him just the way he is, that's why he looks so different from the little nerdy loser I remember first meeting way back when I was still trapped inside Pinkie Pie's hellhole mind. Always with me? Then why isn't she here now? Oh Pinkie Pie, come out, come out, Pinkie Pie, oh right, that's right, she can't because she's dead and nothing but ashes scattered to the unforgiving wind!"
Luna snarled and turned away, but sadness gleamed in her eyes as she said quietly: "Foolish creature. Pinkie Pie granted thee a gift of life and love. Destroy thyself if thou wants but do not think it will grant thee peace... it makes thee a coward and it savages the memory of the sister that I understand truly now you cherished perhaps more than I do mine own."
Pinkamena began to open her mouth... and then Scrivy stepped forwards past Luna and smiled as he held out a box to her, and the dull-pink earth pony was struck silent as she looked dumbly down at this, the male saying quietly: "We got this for you."
Slowly, Pinkamena frowned, as if she didn't understand... and then she reached both hooves forwards, the Element of Laughter jingling and flickering quietly as she took the box and then sat back on her haunches, looking down at it. On the front was a picture of a train, and Scrivener Blooms said quietly, as he gently reached a hoof up to rest on Luna's shoulder: "I didn't know if you only liked boats or not, but this one's a replica of the Canterlot Southwest Line. Isehorse... didn't have military models or anything. Still, I hope you like it. Anyway, Luna, we should go."
Pinkamena looked up, tears forming in her eyes as she opened her mouth, and Scrivener smiled faintly as Luna gazed quietly up and past her, before the male said softly: "It's not that. We both understand lashing out in anger, but... you have another visitor. I think she probably heard you calling her name... the veil between our world and the next has gotten pretty thin these days, after all."
And Pinkamena looked slowly over her shoulder as red-tinged tears slid down her cheeks, trembling a little as the Element of Laughter gave a brief shimmer, the darkness fading from the crystal as she stared at a smiling earth pony Pale. It shimmered indistinctly in the air, gazing down at her... but despite the way it gleamed with misty cold and ice crystals, it all the same radiated warmth and kindness, from soft expression to fluffy mane and tail.
Luna turned, picking the backpack up with a flick of her horn and tossing it onto her own back as Scrivener nodded to Pinkamena and the Pale of Pinkie Pie, and the two made their way quietly back towards the road as the ghost smiled to her sister and reached up to gently touch her shoulder, and Pinkamena gazed up, whispering: "Sissy... I... I'm sorry..."
The sapphire winged unicorn glanced back over her shoulder only once, but it was with a faint smile at the sight of sisters, their bond so tight that not even death could part them... and she laughed a little as she glanced back forwards, keeping her eyes front as they headed silently towards where Cowlick was loudly giving instructions to a group of ponies, sounds of hammering and other construction noises coming up from the building. "Sometimes, poet, thou does speak as if thou really had earned thy place at Canterlot instead of just getting lucky and catching Celestia's fancy."
"Thanks, Luna. I'm glad you think that the only reason I seem to get anywhere in life is because of the impulsive decisions of others." Scrivy said mildly, and Luna laughed despite herself and checked him firmly, the male smiling a little as well, feeling strangely... elated, as he added quietly: "I didn't expect that... well..."
"Well, Scrivy, should one of us die and the other somehow live, know that I would force my way back to this world one way or another to walk at thy side as a Pale... and I wholeheartedly expect thou to do the same." Luna replied with a faint smile, and then she shook her head slowly and murmured: "Nay. Pinkie Pie died to save Pinkamena... but if she truly wishes to save her sister, there is much still to be done. I do not doubt that when Pinkamena needs guidance... Pinkie Pie will do her best to stretch as best she can into this reality from wherever her spirit has wandered."
Scrivener Blooms smiled a little at this... and then they turned their eyes forwards as they halted near Cowlick as the earth pony leaned forwards and ordered the crew of ponies in front of her: "Now go in there and get the job done, fillies and colts! I want that sleeping area ready by tonight, you hear me?"
The ponies grumbled but saluted as Ross smiled and waved in return, Cowlick giving the unicorn an affectionate but exasperated look before she said kindly: "Honey, do me a favor and go check on the pretty ponies by the wagon, okay? Ask them how Scarlet Sage is doing."
"Okay, Cowlick." Ross nodded to her, then he turned and almost ran into Scrivener, blushing a bit as he stumbled awkwardly around him before heading quickly on his way past the apartments. Cowlick shook her head with a sigh, but she gazed at him with tenderness all the same before she turned her eyes to the two ponies as they gazed back at her with entertainment.
"Well, good to see you two looking a little better... so did you kill and skin one of those unicorns to make that cloak? I won't tell anyone if you did." Cowlick said moodily, glancing over her shoulder as she added with a grumble: "The part that really annoys me is that we're going to have to put out guards tonight around these buildings, and probably keep better watch than we kept out in the wilderness... I don't doubt we'll have some angry unicorn visits, though. Aleksandr already said he and his friends will be staying outside, at least, and I think Pinkamena prefers being out on her own, too... so at least we got a few very scary guards on duty with that."
She halted, then shook her head and said in a more serious voice: "But I'm sure what you two are interested in are the specs for what we got set up here, right? Ain't too grand, but ain't too shabby either, and if all goes according to plan, we'll have two floors of this building in fit condition for habitation by tonight. Won't be comfy, gonna be cold, but it'll be a little better than our tents and I'm gonna figure out a way to rig up some heating ducts come Helheim or high water. Then I'm going to figure out how to get running water. No offense, Luna, but not all of us like to smell like sweat and blood all the time."
"Oh, silence, knave. Believe me, I shall enjoy a bath as much as the next pony, but until that point 'tis better to smell like hard work than reek of the courts of Canterlot." Luna retorted, rolling her eyes as Cowlick gave her an amused look. "So these buildings are... habitable?"
"To a point, like I said. Tonight won't be fun: you and Twilight will probably have to work some magic or something to give us some warmth for the night and help ensure nopony dies of exposure." Cowlick made a face as she shook her head slowly. "Yeah, these buildings have decayed severely in recent times, but... even before, they weren't very fit. God, Scrivener, what was it like living in the servant quarters?"
But Scrivy only smiled faintly, shaking his head and glancing down as he replied softly: "I never lived in servant quarters, Cowlick. I wasn't born to earth ponies, I was born to unicorns." He halted awkwardly, not wanting to bring up the kennel he had spent much of his childhood in, and instead cleared his throat, asking curiously: "How do you plan to get all this up and running, anyway? You're only one pony."
Cowlick reared back at this as if offended, then glared at him and said grouchily: "Hey, if that psycho nut Sol Seraph could get a 'security team' made up mostly of minotaurs, dropouts and ex-criminals to build her a high-tech base of operations, Ross and I can handle getting a building back in serviceable condition. Especially if you two are ready to shut up and help instead of preening over us normal little mortal ponies all day long."
Luna rolled her eyes at this, but then she grinned and leaned forwards, saying amusedly: "Cowlick, if I did not enjoy thy company so much, I would currently be turning thee inside-out, starting with thy flapping tongue. But very well. What would thou have us do?"
The earth pony engineer grinned a little at this, blushing awkwardly even as she turned towards the building and gestured for them to follow her inside. They did so, and Cowlick put Scrivy to work with the crews that were currently clearing debris from the first level apartments and working to restore them to livable condition. Luna, meanwhile, she had use her magic to repair broken windows and fortify the roof and second floor.
The engineer had a floor plan already in mind, rambling about putting everything they had to good use and resources and all sorts of other things that Luna knew she should care about but couldn't quite bring herself to: what mattered to her at the end of the day was that the Starlit Knights would have a place to stay in relative safety, and that they would be able to tend to their needs, like food and water. While it was admittedly nice to have an actual roof over their heads instead of a tent, and to be in a town instead of the vast wilderness, Luna would gladly go back to camping in the wasteland if it meant they would be safe and able to locate supplies.
After only a few hours of work, however, she was surprised to find that Cowlick had been right: a little polish, the right ponies in the right places, and some hard work, and the servants quarters went from relatively inhospitable, rotting rooms to monk-like cells that weren't exactly friendly, but far from unappealing after so many nights in the wild. There was a chill that had settled through the apartments, but even tired and sore, Luna had only required a moment of concentration, then flicked her horn upwards, and a pulse of heat had spread through the entire structure, banishing the chill from the still icy air.
Luna had then loudly claimed one of the larger corner rooms for herself, Scrivener Blooms, Twilight Sparkle and Scarlet Sage, and Scrivy had rolled his eyes: the other ponies would be setting up from four to six per small room, but Luna only grumbled that they had earned a little special privilege and glared challengingly at Cowlick when the female had opened her mouth... and the earth pony engineer had hurriedly agreed with her and instead run outside to begin setting up lamps around the vicinity.
Luna and Scrivener made their way into the cold night air themselves after dropping off their things and finally shedding their armor, the winged unicorn looking both more and less relaxed as she strode quietly with only her ivy necklace on, the black pearl glinting quietly in the flickering light of hanging lanterns as they strode into the middle of the road.
They gazed up at the dark sky overhead, both smiling, knowing they were a little late as Luna slowly gestured to the side with her horn... and the clouds above rumbled but parted, splitting to reveal the shadowy night sky above before both Scrivy and Luna lowered their heads forwards as her horn glowed quietly, burning brighter and brighter as they arched their backs in slow time, moving in silence, in wonder, in front of the eyes of ponies that watched this usually -kept-secret ritual in surprise as the moon rose slowly into the air, casting its ivory light over the village of North Neigh... and then they both relaxed and smiled at one another, only seeing each other for a few moments as their gazes locked lovingly before they both glanced to the side, moving in perfect rhythm still as Fluttershy approached and said softly: "Scarlet Sage wants to see you..." She paused and blushed, then added with a small smile: "I'm glad... to see her calling you mother and father now."
"Aye, Fluttershy. Because she is our daughter, she is." Luna said softly, glancing down with a warm smile before her eyes roved upwards and she nodded firmly once. "Then let us go, Scrivener Blooms, to our little filly. And Fluttershy... think not that thou art any less to her, nor any less valuable to us."
"Believe me, I feel... good. She's scared right now, and I know something awful... must have happened... but the fact she has you two to trust in, to turn to, I know it'll make a world of difference." Fluttershy replied softly, the Pegasus smiling faintly as she turned around, striding quietly in step with the two as they began to pace towards where the Pegasus wagon was parked. "I'm glad she has someone... to call mother and father. I know how important that can be... and I think it's amazing that you can both be such good parents, if it's not too bold for me to say. I mean... neither of you, well..."
She blushed a little, and Scrivy laughed a bit as Luna gazed affectionately across at Fluttershy. "And what of thine own upbringing? Thou had it far worse than either of us, and this chills me to the core to think and admit... so perhaps fortune smiled upon us all, or nature overwhelmed nurture, I know not. I only know we are blessed to have you as a friend. And I am sorry, Fluttershy, terribly sorry for how high the cost of this journey has been upon thee and thine."
"It's not your fault, Luna... we all chose to come of our own free will." Fluttershy closed her eyes as they approached the carriage, bowing her head as she smiled faintly, her bandaged wings twitching weakly once before she looked up as she halted and reached up to touch the Element of Kindness hanging from her neck, gazing softly across at Luna. "But I'm not as sad as the others are, either, about Pinkie Pie. Because I believe in Pinkamena... and because sometimes I think I see her still, and hear her whispering to us, encouraging us, telling us not to mourn her loss... but to take care of each other, to laugh every day and be glad for the life we shared with her... and that she was smiling even when she died. Because we were there for her, friends until the very end... and I can't express how proud of her I am. How much I admire her courage... as sad as I want to be, at the same time... I know she wouldn't want us to be. I know even now she'd want us to laugh."
"I agree." murmured a soft voice, and the ponies glanced up as Rarity emerged from the carriage, a cloak around her body but the Element of Generosity visible around her neck, smiling lovingly as Spike strode with her, the dragon's hand quietly resting on her back, his emerald eyes warm and sad at the same time. "We were only just speaking of that a little while ago, were we not, dear Spike? And we came to much the same conclusion... but come, don't let us get in the way. Scarlet Sage is eager to see you both."
Luna and Scrivener Blooms both nodded... but before Rarity and Spike could even step down the stairs, the Pegasus filly shot out from the doorway, squeezing between them and almost knocking the two staggering before she leapt towards them, and Luna reached out and caught the filly with a grunt, almost toppling backwards as she squeezed her close and gazed down at her with surprise as she nestled immediately against her, clinging fiercely to her body as she shivered a little. "Mommy..."
"I have thee, thou art safe." Luna said comfortingly, and she smiled a little as she kissed the filly's forehead gently before slowly putting her down as Sammy scampered out of the doorway next, Spike wincing as the pseudodragon clambered up his back with ease before hopping off his head to the snow, the dragon huffing and the skeletal creature giving a cheery chirp in return. "Now come, Scarlet Sage. Spike, Rarity, Fluttershy, excuse us... we have a room already in the apartments, so we shall not further disturb thee."
"No disturbance at all, we were glad to help look after Scarlet Sage." Rarity said kindly, smiling as the Element of Generosity around her neck gave a quiet gleam, and Spike nodded firmly. "Let us know if we can do anything more... we're all more than happy to help."
"Thanks." Scrivener Blooms smiled over his shoulder at them as he turned away with Luna and the Pegasus filly, and the strange little family of ponies quietly made their way back towards the cleared apartments. They were surprised when they entered their room and found Twilight laying and reading on some warm bedding and blankets she had set up, with another, smaller set of bedding in the corner of the room... and the violet winged unicorn had also already taken the time to hang a brightly-burning lantern from the ceiling and neaten things a little, looking at them softly as Luna closed the door with a quiet laugh.
Scarlet Sage gazed quietly at Twilight, blushing a little... but she was soothed by only a gentle stroke through her mane from Luna, as she said softly: "Now, young one. Thou knows that Twilight can be trusted... even in matters such as these. And she is strong, and compassionate, and intelligent... and will not judge thee. She never judged me, after all... and child, in the eyes of many... including, sadly, my own... I have done far worse things than thee."
The filly blushed and lowered her head, swallowing thickly as Twilight closed her book and slid carefully back to allow Luna and Scrivener to rest on the bedding, Scarlet Sage automatically pushing herself between them and snuggling herself close as she murmured: "But... it was... I know it's not just what happened... it's that... part of me enjoyed it. It felt so wrong and yet... at the same time..."
She shivered a little, shaking her head mutely, and Luna soothingly rubbed along her spine, saying softly: "I understand all too well, child. Such things... have an allure that is hard to understand. And 'tis all too easy to begin doing wrong, and all too difficult to stop. But thou wert not thyself, either: thou were trying to save us, and thou had read the mind, and likely taken on the emotions of a wicked thing, a wicked creature. Yes, thou hast killed... and I will not lie, Scarlet Sage. Thou art a Blood Seer: thy powers are a terrible weapon, and thou art now armed with terrible knowledge, reaped from a terrible mind. But all these things are only things... thou art the one who shall make the decisions at the end of the day. I am Nightmare Moon; thou art a Blood Seer; and all here are ponies, who can all decide their own fates. And I will never, ever turn my back to thee, or give up on thee. We shall force through this, together, and thou shalt write thine own fate, thy own destiny... just as I have decided to write my own, and save the very ponies who once reviled me, not in hopes that they will love me... but in the knowledge that it will save those who already care for me, and will provide a safe future for all ponies across this land."
Scarlet Sage smiled faintly at this, glancing quietly up at Luna as she looked back, before she closed her eyes and bowed her head forwards, curling tightly against the winged unicorn as Scrivener silently massaged along the filly's back. For a little while, they rested in silence, and then Twilight Sparkle bowed her head and said softly: "We've... all killed, Scarlet Sage, and it makes me sad to think about this. But I've killed Nibelung, who walk and talk and have feelings, even if many of them are barbaric. And I was terribly, awfully glad when Sol Seraph died. I've learned that death... sometimes is unavoidable. That it's terrible, yes, but sometimes... there's nothing else that can be done."
"And you didn't just kill, Scarlet Sage... you also saved two lives. Well... one life." Scrivy smiled a little at Luna, who gazed back at him softly, her eyes tender before the male leaned down and hugged the filly tightly, murmuring softly: "I'm sorry that it had to come to what it did, and you were dragged into things... but thank you for saving us."
"I'd do anything for you two... you've taken me in, taken care of me, saved me now again and again..." Scarlet Sage smiled faintly up at him, and Luna and Scrivener both smiled back before the filly nestled herself quietly against Luna's back, murmuring: "I don't ever want to be without either of you."
"If I have my way, child, thou never shall. Not even when thou art old and infirm." Luna smiled warmly and winked over her shoulder as her starry locks swept downwards, stroking tenderly along Scarlet Sage's form, and the filly laughed a little and fidgeted against her before the winged unicorn rose her head, her horn glowing and pulling a backpack across the room towards the bedding. "But before I forget, Scarlet Sage, we have for thee a few things."
Scarlet Sage straightened curiously at this as the backpack quietly settled in front of Luna, and she opened it to root through it, absently tossing a book towards Twilight Sparkle, who blushed even as she spun it around to look curiously down at the title... and then she glowered up at Luna, saying flatly: "This is a book on massage therapy."
"Aye, thou art so inclined to read all the time thou might as well read something that will make thee more useful." Luna quipped, and Twilight glared at her before she flicked her horn, a pillow flying up to bounce off Luna's face and making the winged unicorn sneeze, then shake her head and sniff loudly, otherwise unfettered as Scarlet Sage covered her muzzle and giggled. Then the filly looked delighted as the dark sapphire pony lifted a doll from the backpack, saying quietly: "It reminded Scrivener and I of thee."
It was true: the doll had black button eyes, with a white, plush body and a vibrant scarlet mane and tail. Scarlet Sage smiled delightedly as she took it, then she buried her face against it, hugging it close as she murmured softly: "It feels so soft and warm... thank you, Luna! Thank you, Scrivy, I... I mean... we never..."
"Much of thy childhood has been robbed from thee, Scarlet Sage, but that does not mean I will encourage thee to grow up too fast. Nay, play with other foals, color in books, build forts from boxes and play with thy dolls while thou still can... before thou art old and creepy like Scrivener Blooms, living in a fantasy world and trying in vain to hide thy collection of foal's toys from thy better half." Luna said with a wink, and Scrivy rolled his eyes in entertainment as Scarlet Sage laughed and nodded a little, blushing a bit before she smiled when Luna pulled out an ink well, a quill, and a notebook next. "And this, too, is for thee... to write down thy thoughts, and keep track of anything that might... spill through thy mind. Thou understands?"
"I do..." Scarlet Sage nodded slowly, becoming a bit serious once more as she gazed up at her softly. "Because of my powers... I have to be responsible. I can be a kid, but... I also need to always remember to be responsible, too, and careful."
"That is correct." Luna said softly, reaching up and stroking her mane gently... and Scarlet Sage smiled as Scrivener gazed at her quietly and Twilight looked over the three with quiet affection in her eyes. The filly was still exhausted after her ordeal, however, and wasn't awake for long before they quietly tucked her into her own bedding, Luna awkwardly fussing over her sleeping body before she finally quietly tromped back towards where Twilight and Scrivener were now resting side-by-side, and then they both winced when the winged unicorn's horn glowed and she lifted both the ponies and the bedding, guiding them away from where Scarlet Sage was sleeping and dropping them nearer towards the middle of the room, giving them a clear view out the glass window.
Sammy looked grouchily up from where he was curled up amidst their packs and cloaks and discarded armor, then he chirped at them before snuggling back into his little burrow of gear as Luna flopped herself down beside Scrivy and then winked at them as the two ponies glared at her. "Oh, shush. I merely wished to get a better view of the sky... and so that if any prying eyes watch, they may clearly see us through the window."
"Oh, that's a brilliant idea, Luna." Scrivy said flatly, but Luna only shrugged agreeably before she quietly pulled him down as she yanked the blankets up, and Scrivener cleared his throat awkwardly as both Luna and Twilight rolled towards him and studied him curiously. "Not that I'm complaining..."
"Then shut up and sleep, Scrivener Blooms. This is more than just mischief... this is defiance. Let the unicorns gaze in and see that which will horrify their senses: perhaps I cannot take their lives, but there are better ways to torment them for now." Luna muttered as she curled up close... and Twilight smiled slightly as she slid her own body a little closer with a bit of a blush, Scrivener giving her an embarrassed look for a moment at Luna's sense of impishness but smiling all the same as he closed his own eyes, and within minutes, found himself slipping down into a deep and comfortable sleep. |
Starlit Knights | A Pale, Coldhearted Village | Chapter Twenty Six: A Pale, Coldhearted Village
~BlackRoseRaven
Scrivener yawned quietly, rolling his shoulders and smiling to himself, enjoying the familiar feeling of Luna's head buried against his chest as her starry locks hummed softly against his body like a blanket of starlight... and to his back, the sensation of Twilight, who had naturally curled up against him over the night. He knew instinctively she was still in slumber, just like he could half-feel, half-see Luna's dreams murmuring quietly through their mixed mind... before he frowned a bit as soft breath tickled against his face and he realized that the pressure at his waist was someone straddling his body, sitting on top of the blankets, and those hooves pressing lightly down against his shoulder weren't from either Luna or Twilight.
His eyes slowly opened as he turned his head to gaze dumbly upwards... and then he winced back into his pillow at the sight of Pinkamena grinning down at him, the dull-pink earth pony's mane falling half-over her face like a curtain, red-rimmed eyes shining in the semi-darkness with entertainment. "Hi."
For a few long moments, Scrivener only stared up at her dumbly as Luna grimaced in her sleep and yawned a little, curling herself a bit closer... and then Pinkamena sat back a bit and slowly drew her eyes over them, settling herself a bit firmer into position as she cocked her head and asked kindly: "Did you have nightmares, Scrivy? I suppose for you nightmares must be good dreams and good dreams are the worse ones, just like me. But you and I are more than a little strange, more than a little damned, isn't that right? Although personally... that's just the way I like it, myself."
Scrivener blinked dumbly at her... and then he tilted his head as she brushed her mane back and he realized the Element of Laughter was hanging around her neck, as well as a silver locket. Pinkamena only continued to grin down at him, obviously waiting for some kind of response, and then Scrivy finally sighed a little as he grabbed Luna's head and shook her a few times, mumbling: "Pinkamena, how did you even get inside?"
"Easy, I walked in. You think anypony's going to stop me from doing what I want?" Pinkamena gave a derisive snort before she reached down and slapped Scrivener Blooms firmly, the male wincing to the side in surprise more than pain... but Luna's eyes immediately snapped open as she felt the blow, snarling and leaping to her hooves as her horn glowed sharply, pointed at the intruder's neck, before she blinked in surprise as Pinkamena only laughed quietly, hooves raised as if in mocking surrender, head tilted back as Luna's horn almost tickled the Element of Laughter and the little bit of exposed throat above this. "Not a morning pony, huh?"
"Just be glad the nasty little ponies were in a fit state to be seen." muttered another voice, and Luna and Scrivener Blooms both glanced towards the far corner of the room, where Discombobulation was calmly leaning, his arms crossed and a grouchy look on his face. "Scrivener Blooms, why are you such a physical creature? Why are you so greedy? Why can't you be happy with what you have? Shouldn't you just let God into your life and submit yourself to your husband's desires? The very fact there's a half-demon in your bed clearly shows you're doing something wrong."
Pinkamena snorted in entertainment at this, licking her lips as she looked over her shoulder at the Draconequus and said mockingly: "Then maybe you should join us, Bob, and I'll show you how the devils stay hot in Helheim."
Discombobulation rolled his eyes at this, then he stepped forwards as he held up a hand, a large, square box appearing above it as he flicked his eagle talon, and a tight, dirty uniform appeared a moment later over his body as he said in a deep rumble, even as glared at them sarcastically: "Excuse me, but did you order the large sausage?"
Pinkamena opened her mouth with a wide grin... and then Luna leaned forwards and hissed: "If either of thee awaken my daughter before dawn's light kisses the horizon I shall bash thee both through the mountains!"
Both Pinkamena and Discombobulation looked at Luna for a few moments as static sizzled through her starry mane, her eye twitching as she glared furiously at them... and then Discombobulation carefully edged backwards until he was pressing against the wall, clearing his throat and mumbling: "Wrong house."
With that, the wall rippled and he vanished through it, and Pinkamena winced a little when Luna turned her glare to her, muttering moodily: "Fine, fine, Nightmare Moon."
She crawled off the bedding and made her way grouchily towards the door, casting a glance at Scarlet Sage as she passed... and even her eyes seemed to soften at the sight of the curled-up Pegasus filly, laying on her little bed with her doll clutched against her body, blankets strewn over her and skeletal Sammy curled up half-over the child protectively, the blue flames burning low in the creature's sockets as it snoozed. Then Pinkamena only grumbled to herself as she exited through the ajar door, and Scrivy rolled his eyes before he kissed Luna's forehead as she mumbled under her breath, and carefully made his way to the door after the gray-pink pony, knowing Luna would follow once a little more awake.
He yawned a bit, then shook his head out quickly as he glanced up and smiled slightly: Pinkamena was waiting grouchily by the doors leading out of the building, watching him as he approached. "Your wife is a little overprotective of that filly you've kidnapped."
"We found her being led off by a Phooka, for one thing, Pinkamena. Which you already know." Scrivener said mildly, and then he paused and stepped past her, glancing out the window towards the dark sky as he murmured: "The nights here are long and cold. How did you sleep?"
There was no answer... and then Scrivy winced when Pinkamena bit firmly into his shoulder, twitching back in pain as she growled for a moment before drawing back as suddenly as she'd bitten him, and the male stared at her with horror before she grinned widely at him, her sharp teeth glinting. "Not quite the same as Luna. Very interesting."
"What... what the hell!" Scrivy rubbed for a moment at his shoulder, then glared at the dull-pink pony, but she only shrugged and licked her lips slowly as she leaned forwards him with a wide, half-mocking grin. "Why do you keep doing that?"
"Luna invited me to. And I like to know how things taste." Pinkamena opened her mouth slowly, sliding her tongue gently along her sharp teeth, her red-rimmed blue eyes gleaming dangerously. "It can answer a lot of questions about ponies and I have so, so, so many questions about you and Luna..."
Pinkamena's eyes half-lidded as she slunk slowly forwards, Scrivener leaning slowly back against the door with a wince as she pressed almost nose-to-nose with him, then laughed quietly as she slipped past, lips almost brushing together as she whispered quietly in his ear: "Tell me, Scrivener Blooms. Are you Luna's better half? Or is she the better one, and you're just hiding the fact that on the inside, you might be as twisted as me..."
She grinned, leaning back, stroking her hooves almost tantalizingly down the male's breast... and then Luna cleared her throat loudly as she approached in her heavy, fluffy cloak, and Pinkamena shot her a sour look as the winged unicorn said clearly: "That is quite enough of that, Pinkamena, I will not have thee molesting my husband any further. Thou must ask politely before thou plays with my favorite possession."
"Thank you, L... hey!" Scrivy shot her a glare, and Pinkamena threw her head back and laughed before she turned and shoved the door open with a wide grin, as Scrivener grumbled under his breath but Luna only smiled slightly at him. "Horses of Heaven I think I hate you both. And everything else, too. It's too early for this."
"There's no such thing as too early or too late when you never sleep." Pinkamena said moodily, glancing up towards the gray, dark skies overhead as she added distastefully: "Five in the morning. What's to do around here? What can we set on fire?"
"Well, there's a whole lick of work that I want to get started on as soon as possible." grumbled another voice, and the ponies glanced up curiously to see Cowlick resting beside Ross: the unicorn looked as cheerful as ever, but Cowlick was bundled up in a heavy jacket and scarf, sitting back against a wagon at the side of the road and a cup of coffee held between her hooves. She sipped from this slowly, then added disgustedly: "Unicorns came last night and busted the axle on one of the wagons, pissed me right off, going to be a pain to repair. Walking around town this morning made me even angrier. Went to bed early so I could be sure to get up, thought I'd be out and about before all the unicorns were, but lo and behold there's a whole bunch of them milling around already. What the hell do ponies do around here, Scrivy?"
Luna and Pinkamena both glanced curiously towards the earth pony, even as he felt Luna tickling through his mind, searching out memories, and the male smiled as he answered quietly: "Mining and greenhouse agriculture. The earth ponies do most of the rough work, although there were always a good few Pegasus as well. Usually a higher rank or two than the earth ponies but... 'shorn-wings' are treated with as much disdain as 'slave-hoofs' around here.
"The mines were always the big industry. Deep excavation, there's a lot of gemstones, silver, other precious metals to the north. Bedrock Valley is only a klick or two away: it used to be a natural tunnel system they mined out almost completely, but because of the natural heat that comes from underground magma floes, the unicorns used magic to install some sun-mimicking lanterns in the enlarged caves and started growing food. Winterberry crops, hardy things like that. We never... had many sweets here."
Scrivy halted, glancing down, and then he looked up and continued quietly: "I imagine it's much the same now, if not bigger. It's why North Neigh may look dilapidated, but the unicorns are still obviously keeping their bellies full. Bramblethorn... used to have access to Bedrock Valley... in fact, for the business, he had a small plot in the cave systems rented out where he could grow more expensive plants and flowers for the higher-class customers, while everything else we grew in greenhouses that used to be in the southwest. Some of the 'lower class' food supply is grown in Bedrock Valley too, but... back then, it was mostly roots and mushrooms. I doubt it's much better now."
Cowlick grimaced and shook her head slowly, saying disgustedly: "God. I don't get it, Scrivy. This place seems more and more like it belongs to a unicorn-worshipping cult than Equestria. How could they be so backwards-ass after all this time?"
"They're isolated, they grow their own food, most of their contact with other communities was with places like Silver Hoof and Snow Saddle... and even for a big city, Snow Saddle is still a little sunken into the old ways." Scrivener replied with a shrug, smiling faintly. "The unicorns have always had power, and there's never been any reason for them to change, any challenge to them. They hold all the cards, control all the resources, own all the important property here in North Neigh, and earth ponies are still essentially slaves, whatever the law might say different... but usually, Canterlot and the Royal Courts don't stretch this far, and I don't think any of us can say there's never been a little elitism even there."
"Yeah, well, that's different. That's unicorns being snobs, which I'm okay with. I can be a jerk too about being better than everypony else at my designs and stuff." Cowlick shook her head with a grimace, saying moodily: "But I couldn't even get a damn coffee. And they called poor Ross a damn splinter-horn and threatened to beat him just because his head's a little silly, even if they at least let him into the shop. These guys are barbarians and we should burn the whole town down."
"Suddenly I like you a lot more." Pinkamena remarked dryly, and then she glanced at Luna as the winged unicorn grunted in agreement. "Can we kill some unicorns now? I'd really enjoy that. I think these guys even piss sissy off."
Cowlick glanced with sudden sympathy towards Pinkamena, as Luna glanced towards the dull-pink pony musingly before she muttered: "No, we shall not glory in destruction. But we shall take a walk into this town, see what there is to see. Cowlick, where was this coffee shop?"
"Just keep going straight, you'll hit it eventually. Careful, though... half the earth ponies I came across have been brainwashed by all their time cooped up in this crazy place, seem to think that their natural place really is beneath the unicorns." She halted, then grimaced and shook her head, looking down and adding in a mutter: "What really scared me, though? I thought... I thought some of them still had blank-flanks even though they were adults. That's... not possible, right?"
But Scrivener only shook his head slowly, and Luna smiled faintly, sadly, towards Cowlick, as she said quietly: "In a natural world, nay... but the earth ponies are only permitted to serve the unicorns here. If thou had never been permitted to explore thyself, to engage in what drew thy attention..."
Cowlick grimaced in disgust at this and looked silently down as Ross gazed over the group, and then the unicorn said softly: "These ponies don't think right."
Luna smiled faintly at this, nodding slowly and grimly, and then she took the lead, and Scrivener fell into pace beside her as Pinkamena trailed behind them and moodily looked back and forth, as the winged unicorn said quietly: "North Neigh... this place would be better named desolation, or purgatory... or perhaps even Hell."
"It's cold, dark, miserable, and ponies suffer beneath the hooves of self-proclaimed superiors... ain't a bad comparison." Pinkamena agreed distastefully, and Scrivener grunted in agreement as he kept his head down, a faint, cold breeze whispering past their bodies. "At least I believe there should always be enough suffering to go around..."
They walked onwards in silence for roughly ten minutes, passing earth ponies that were shoveling snow and spreading salt over the road. Others were dragging covered, rickety wagons, keeping their heads lowered, bands glinting quietly around their forelimbs and tags hanging from their ears like they were domesticated cattle... and Luna gritted her teeth in anger at this as they approached a well-lit, octagonal coffee shop.
Two Pegasi stood outside this, one of them smoking, both dressed in lightweight armor... and when the three approached, the smoker stepped forwards and held up a hoof, saying disgustedly: "Don't think so. There's a law against letting slave-hoofs on the premises that applies to everyone in this town, even fairytale monsters."
His companion sniggered as Luna growled... and then Pinkamena stepped forwards and slammed her hoof into the laughing officer's face, sending him crashing back against the wide, rectangular window hard enough to crack it before he fell in a stunned, prone heap, and the smoking Pegasus stumbled backwards in shock as Pinkamena only grinned at him callously. "What about now?"
The Pegasus swallowed thickly... and then he yelped when Luna's horn glowed and the door to the shop flew open, smashing into his face with enough force to send his cigarette mashing back into his own jaws. He coughed and gagged violently as the trio made their way inside, Luna letting the door swing closed behind her before she looked slowly back and forth over the rustic interior: round wooden tables, comfy little chairs, tiled floor and earth ponies in uniform behind the counter that were staring in shock, wearing bands around their forelimbs and tags on their breast.
The trio calmly approached the counter even as all eyes present glared at them: Pegasus soldiers that nonetheless didn't seem overanxious to press their luck, and a few furious-looking unicorns in regal, fur-lined coats, Luna leaning forwards before she paused, then smiled at Scrivener Blooms, saying kindly: "Thou should pick for me, husband. Thou art so much the better than me, after all."
Scrivener looked amusedly back at Luna, feeling a smile quirk at his mouth even as a unicorn leapt to his feet and stormed out of the store, before one of the earth ponies behind the counter mumbled: "We... we can't... I mean..."
"What's going on here?" shouted a voice, and a Pegasus stormed out of the back of the store... then he snarled at the sight of Scrivener Blooms, leaning forwards and saying disgustedly: "Oh, so the rumors are true! You're back... the runaway slave-hoof."
Scrivener frowned, looking across at the Pegasus as his eyes flicked to his name tag... and then he gritted his teeth as he compared it to the ones the earth ponies were wearing: while the Pegasus's name was actually written across the tag with the title of manager, the only thing written on the golden tags on the earth pony's breasts was: 'Servant.' "I know you. You and your friends used to beat me up when I was a foal."
The Pegasus opened his mouth... and then Scrivener Blooms rose a hoof and brought it down on the solid oak counter, sending cracks spiraling through the wood with the force of the blow, and the Pegasus went from snarling to staring down at this as Scrivy asked mildly: "Up for a rematch?"
On the other side of the counter, the manager of the coffee shop looked up, gritting his teeth, meeting Scrivy's calm, cold gaze... and then he cursed under his breath in disgust, turning around and muttering as he stormed into the back. Scrivener smiled a little at this as Luna wrapped a foreleg around him and visibly burned with pride, her head thrown back, her eyes glowing as the earth pony said calmly: "Two double-double coffees, and... Pinkamena, I'm guessing you like yours black?"
"As my heart, just not nearly as cold." Pinkamena replied, and then she turned around and strode towards the nearest table, grinning at the unicorn who was sitting there, and the look on the mare's face went from baleful to terrified as the earth pony said kindly: "Get lost."
"We won't be in-intimidated by..." the unicorn began... and then Pinkamena growled in her throat as she leaned forwards, her eyes flashing, and the mare let out a short screech, then scrambled quickly out of her chair and away from the dull pink earth pony as Pinkamena threw her head back and laughed.
She spun the chair around, then sat on it and draped her forelegs across the back, ignoring the crowd that was staring at her with anger and frustration as Scrivener rolled his eyes but Luna only grinned, her starry mane sparking as she turned around and said clearly: "Heed my words, unicorns and Pegasi, and heed them well. I am here to investigate Silver Hoof and halt whatever evil machinations I may find... but I do not have any plans to be anything less than troublesome to all thee and thine. I am Luna... I am Nightmare Moon. And as thou and thine have no respect for anything but thy own selves, I have lost the little patience I once possessed and have instead decided that while yes, I must save thee... I can also bully thee, harass thee, and generally make all of thee utterly miserable. Thou consider thyselves masters and tyrants over others? Nay, I shall teach thee the true meaning of that word, and perhaps in suffering thou will all find some common ground and get along... but I doubt it. Mostly, my goal is simply to make all of thee as miserable as possible until all thee and thine simply stay out of my way, and away from my encampment, my soldiers, and my friends."
There were mutters of resentment as several more ponies stood up and left, even as the earth ponies behind the counter nervously passed up several cups of coffee... but before Scrivy could even reach for them, Luna flicked her horn and picked them up with telekinesis, saying kindly: "Thou hast my thanks for thy generous... gift. Come, Scrivener, Pinkamena. Let's go somewhere more hospitable."
They left, and a unicorn shouted some vulgarity at them through the window, but the trio simply ignored this as they made their way out into the streets and back down the road to the apartments. It looked as if the Starlit Knights were all beginning to awaken despite how early it still was, although that could certainly in part be the fault of Cowlick: she already had the minotaurs at work on one of the wagons, and other ponies were moving in and out of the second apartment building, Ross curiously wandering around it and likely making measurements of some kind or another for the engineer.
The trio instead made their way to Pinkamena's campsite... and Luna passed their coffee out, then flicked her horn, and blue flames burst into life in the firepit Pinkamena had dug in front of her tent, the dull gray pony grunting as she pulled the top off her coffee and then took a deep guzzle of it, steam and heat rising around her features but not seeming to bother her before she lowered the cup... then said abruptly: "Lemon Drop."
The two ponies looked at her curiously... and Pinkamena shrugged a bit, continuing in a moody voice: "Sissy... always called me Lemon Drop. Said it was candy, but sour candy. Said it was like me... bitter and almost painful on the outside but then you get to the inside and there's a little soft mush and sugar or something. Said that she knew that no matter how spiky something is on the outside, I taught her that most of us... well, we're all a little... gooshy on the inside. Don't think she meant guts, either. I wish she did... oh, no I don't. I'm glad I never made her anything like me..."
She stopped, then shook her head with a sigh, looking up at the dark, cloudy sky overhead. "You feel it, right, Luna? Like reality's just a curtain you could brush aside, if you really wanted to... if you really tried. But who knows what you'd see staring back at you if you did? Sissy was bad enough: I don't want to think about what else might be lurking just past the fabric of thin air. Last night, though... last night was the first night I slept without nightmares, all the same. Sissy always had those fits of energy, and I always had... such freakish, awful dreams. I see things in the shadows I know aren't there... I see you, Nightmare Moon, sitting there, with your glowing eyes and your black coat... I see beneath the skin of ponies. It drives me absolutely insane."
Pinkamena halted again, then she reached up and rubbed at her face with disgust. "Why am I telling you two this? I don't even know... I just know I want to talk and you two seem to always listen. Not that I know why you care or why you bother... but still, I like you both. Maybe Twilight, too... but she's not yet as dark as us, oh no... except she is on her way. Same with that little girl of yours, she's tinged, tainted, shadowed... but hey, don't look at me like that. She's not broken, like me... she's... polished, by the darkness. She's strong enough to handle it. I was never strong enough to handle it... to handle being alone, to handle being in pain. God I hate you two and I like you two. I want to make out with you both and stab you and lick the wounds and cry and bite and claw and have you both beat me senseless while I laugh and bask in the glory of it. Do you think you could break me, Nightmare Moon? I'd welcome it. Break me mentally, break me physically, break me into pieces and put me back together, just like one of my models... because the idiot who made me put all my parts in the wrong place, put all my emotions in the wrong order."
Luna and Scrivener Blooms both gazed quietly at the gray-pink pony as she grimaced a little in disgust, rubbing slowly at her face... and then she sighed and shook her head slowly, saying distastefully: "Don't pity me. I'll come over there and break your faces." She stopped, then moodily reached up and touched the Element of Laughter, adding quietly: "Sissy said to thank you, though. That's... that's from her, not from me, you understand me? I obviously don't care but... thanks for helping me along. Even if I know it's just because you don't want me murdering everyone in the encampment and fighting by your side."
"No, obviously it was because we really want to sleep with you." Scrivener Blooms replied dryly, and Luna snorted in entertainment as Pinkamena looked across at them flatly. "You know us. Attracted to things that will end horribly."
"Well you only ever had to ask." Pinkamena replied in a saccharine voice, and then she threw her cup of half-full coffee at Scrivy, the earth pony wincing and scrambling out of the way to avoid being splattered with the still hot liquid as he fumbled to balance his own cup, Luna glaring across at Pinkamena. "Go back to your concubine."
"The royal palaces used to have concubines, both male and female. Those were good days." Luna mused, and both Pinkamena and Scrivener Blooms stared at her for a moment before she straightened and snorted in amusement. "To do the work of kings and Barons was not always disagreeable, there were always benefits to a stay inside a castle, however stuffy. But come, Scrivener Blooms. Even Nightmare Moon tires of this endless, drudging night now... it is not beautiful, it is cloudy and dark and leering. Let us lower the moon, and hope Celestia is eager to bring about the day."
Scrivy nodded, and Pinkamena sat back, watching curiously as the two put their coffee aside before they took a slow breath, their eyes closing, leaning forwards slightly as Luna's horn began to glow... and then they both arched their backs slowly, eyes remaining closed, and there was an almost tangible rumble as behind the veil of clouds, the moon descended, and the air around them grew darker... and in the moment of pure darkness that followed, past the moon setting, before the sun rose, the stars obscured by the clouds, Luna and Scrivener both opened their eyes and gazed around in shock at what they saw.
Pales surrounded them: they did not glow, but their bodies were lustrous, standing like white cutouts against the backing of almost-complete blackness, many of them still, others pacing restlessly, frost glimmering around their bodies. They were of all shape and size, and many of them seemed strangely confused, as if lost, as if they did not know where they were, or perhaps even who they were... and the moment the clouds above began to lighten with dawn's first rays, their flickering forms vanished, invisible or maybe gone, hidden by the coming day.
The two looked towards Pinkamena... but she only grinned and said softly: "Like I said. Reality is thin here... now maybe this is just me, but I don't think that's natural in any sense of the word. Something seems to be drawing the dead out of their graves... and I'm pleased as punch to be able to say it's not me, since I'm usually the one who puts them in there in the first place."
Scrivener grimaced a bit as he looked towards Luna, and she shook her head slowly, murmuring: "Aye, perhaps thou art correct, Pinkamena. Either way, this will require thought and investigation... but come, Scrivener Blooms. Let us... see what else there is to be done here, as we muse upon this subject. And let us try again to write a short letter to Celestia... gladdened as I am to see the sun rise, her continued silence worries me."
Scrivy nodded after a moment, and Pinkamena rose a hoof to their backs as she called half-mockingly: "Don't forget about me, Nightmare Moon... I'm looking forwards to when I can sneak another taste."
"Twisted creature." Luna muttered, but it was not without a wry grin as they strode towards the apartments, the female shaking her head slowly as her cloak fluttered around her, starry mane twisting quietly backwards as Scrivener smiled amusedly. "And yet all the same, I find that I enjoy her presence, and I know thou takes a very twisted pleasure as well. Shall we invite her to our bed, Scrivener Blooms? 'Twould be hilarious to see the look on Twilight's face, although I'm sure that instead of debauchery we would all simply engage in smacking one another and taunting Twilight Sparkle."
"Maybe for your birthday, then." Scrivener said dryly, and Luna snorted laughter at this as they pushed through the doors and headed back towards their room, before they both smiled when they found Scarlet Sage awake and lovingly stroking the mane of her doll. "Good morning, Scarlet."
"Good morning, Scrivy, Luna... Mom and Dad." Scarlet Sage smiled up at them after a moment, and then she yawned a little as she sat up shaking her head briskly as Twilight gazed up from where she was laying on the bedding, already with a book out in front of her and smiling softly across at them. "Kilby Kwolek was by already, she woke us up and said they were going to be setting up a breakfast tent soon."
"Dratted infernal Cowlick." Luna grumbled, and Scrivener nudged her gently, making her huff before she walked over to the bedding and flopped down on it, saying grouchily: "Scrivener Blooms, fetch thy things and prepare a letter."
Scrivy only shook his head with entertainment as he headed to his satchel bag, and Luna grumbled and childishly flailed at the blankets, her cloak fluttering around her as Scarlet Sage giggled a little. The sapphire winged unicorn settled slowly as Scrivy laid out parchment and an ink well, quill in hoof as Sammy scampered out from beneath their scattered gear to leap onto the male's shoulder and perch himself precariously, peering down as Scrivener glanced up only once before starting to write.
The earth pony composed a short, simple letter as Luna lay with her eyes closed, sending thoughts and images and emotions to the male, his own mind responding in quiet kind as he glanced up at her tenderly every so often. Scarlet Sage gazed between her adopted parents with adoration as Twilight half-read her book, half-studied them as well, sensing the connection between them even in the silence... and then Scrivy rolled the letter up and tossed it into the air, and Sammy chirped as he leapt upwards and breathed a swathe of blue flame over it, turning it to ashes that sailed quickly towards the window before the skeletal pseudodragon landed neatly, and pranced around in a circle, making Scrivy and Scarlet Sage laugh as Twilight smiled and nudged Luna, who only grumbled, eyes still closed. "Circus tricks. Apparently 'tis not so adorable when I do such feats, though."
"Well, Luna, you're plenty spry, but you're a little bigger than Sammy. So when you use me as a springboard it's less funny to me." Scrivy replied meditatively. Luna only looked up moodily at this, however, before sighing when the earth pony shrugged. "Anyway, hopefully we'll get a response shortly. I'm worried myself... but this could be anything from letter-tampering to just... bad luck."
"Or Celestia's evil at work." Luna said immediately, raising her head, but Scrivener only smiled amusedly and glanced up towards the ceiling as Scarlet Sage and Twilight looked at the sapphire winged unicorn with entertainment. "Underestimate not my sister, I warn thee all. She is capable of terrible schemes."
"Luna, the harder you work to deny you like Celestia, the more obvious it becomes." Scrivy said mildly... and then Luna glared at him, her horn glowing as her cloak flapped upwards and pulled off her body before launching itself at the earth pony, smacking him firmly in the face and knocking him backwards as Scarlet Sage covered her mouth and giggled, and Scrivener grumbled as he sat back up, looking flatly across at Luna as she glared at him challengingly.
Then they both glanced to the side in surprise as Twilight twitched, before she leaned forwards with a wince of pain... and a moment later, blinked stupidly as she rose her head, her horn glowing brightly as she said dumbly: "I... well, that's weird, but... okay."
Her eyes flashed, then glowed faintly, strangely, as she gazed kindly towards Luna... who immediately shoved herself to her hooves, scampering backwards and shouting as she pointed at Twilight Sparkle. "Celestia thou dirty, filthy, evil creature, I command that thee immediately vacates Twilight Sparkle's body!"
"Sister, stop it, I can't send letters to you so using my bond through Twilight is the next best thing, uncomfortable as it is." Celestia's voice spoke eerily from Twilight's mouth, the violet winged unicorn smiling placidly as Scrivener's jaw dropped and Scarlet Sage gasped in surprise, while Luna only continued to look ruffled and grouchy. "Somepony or something is working to block all my letters to you... and sister, I... I wanted to thank you, for being so clear and kind in what you shared with me. It meant a world to see you trusting in me so deeply..."
Twilight glanced down, softening, reflecting Celestia's emotions, and then she gazed back up with a soft smile. "Come though, I will not permit myself to put too much strain on Twilight Sparkle, and this is more difficult than I thought it would be for myself. We are bonded, we share a pact, but the connection is only so strong, especially at this distance. I must be brief. But I have made several interesting discoveries I look eagerly forwards to sharing with you, about our past, about... histories that I barely believe. And I have found the thing we have been searching for these last few years, Luna... the location of the Black Baroque, where Ekleíp claims to be stationed, the fortress that stands as a terrible link between our Midgard and Niflheim. But be careful... you know there are other tunnels that burrow beneath Equestria, that stretch down into terrible darkness, and other things that I can only hope still sleep, still lay dormant. And if you need me... call. Call, and I shall hurry to your side. No distance is too great."
"Thou hast my thanks, beloved sister... but think not that I shall allow thee to sweep up my glory, either." Luna smiled slightly, her eyes soft as she said quietly: "But I have a question for thee, if thou can linger a moment... this place, North Neigh. We have seen signs that... reality here is... 'thin,' there is no better word for it than this. What would cause this?"
Twilight looked down thoughtfully, her eyes glowing with Celestia's knowledge... and then she looked up, saying in the ivory equine's voice: "As you know... the Mountains are a terrible place, cursed, dark, full of evil... full of wrongness. The Black Baroque is in the Gray Mountains... I shall tell you more when we are able to meet truly face-to-face, however, because on this adventure... I won't have my little sister running off alone without me."
She smiled softly... and Luna laughed and shook her head, saying quietly: "Much like old times... aye, I suppose even I can find no fault in it. Or rather, wish not to point out the fact that there are a thousand faults in thou leaving Canterlot on an epic quest alongside me and mine, Queen Celestia... and instead only focus on how right it shall feel to conquer our enemies side-by-side once more. Aye, I like this."
Luna paused meditatively, then looked up quietly as Celestia gazed lovingly back through Twilight's eyes. Celestia hesitated for a moment... then said softly: "But as to your question... I do not believe it is because reality has simply... always been corrupted, almost different, there. I believe it is because... whatever is blocking my letters, whatever has helped destroy Silver Hoof and meddled with the darkness and the Black Baroque, it is purposefully straining our reality. It seeks something, something to do with Ekleíp... you must be careful. You must be wary."
"I shall be both, sister." Luna bowed her head quietly forwards... and Celestia smiled through Twilight's mouth for a moment before the violet winged unicorn clenched her teeth and shuddered, rearing back and cursing in pain as the glow faded from her eyes and horns before she slumped forwards, rasping for breath as Luna stepped towards her and asked quietly: "Art thou alright?"
"I just... I heard Celestia's voice in my head, asking me if she could speak to you for a moment, and then... I... it felt like she wore me like a suit of clothes." Twilight mumbled, reaching up and resting a hoof against her head as she grimaced, and then she smiled awkwardly as the three ponies gazed worriedly at her and Sammy chirped nervously. "It's... it's okay. I'm okay, I am. I just... didn't expect that. I feel... stretched."
Luna snorted in entertainment at this, giving an entertained look over to Scrivener Blooms before she opened her mouth... but then Scrivy looked pointedly towards Scarlet Sage, and Luna sulked and refrained from making any further comments. Instead, she turned her eyes back to Twilight Sparkle, who was rubbing slowly at her eyes before she finally looked up with a small laugh. "Sorry. I just... I feel drained now."
"Aye, 'tis understandable. Thou were perverted by Celestia." Luna said mildly, and Twilight sighed and rolled her eyes before Luna softened and gazed towards Scrivener Blooms, saying quietly: "Come, let us go find if food is prepared. Twilight, Scarlet Sage, stay and rest... we shall return anon."
They both smiled up at the two at this as Scrivy climbed to his hooves and strode over to Luna, the two making their way out. They didn't speak much, but their thoughts rolled together, their emotions mixed and mingled, as they went about the simple task of finding a meal for their friend and their filly.
When they returned, they found Twilight helping Scarlet Sage write down a few notes... and Luna and Scrivy laid down on Scarlet Sage's other side as they passed her the small plate of food they had assembled, of a few apples and dried goods. Their supplies would need to be replenished, but Luna didn't foresee this being a problem: either North Neigh would cooperate with them, or they would simply take the supplies they needed by intimidation, guile, and cunning.
They passed a few hours in comfort, Twilight recovering her strength quickly after the meal, before Cowlick hesitantly knocked at their door and announced a unicorn messenger was here with a summons for Luna alone to City Hall... and Luna had grinned, then said calmly: "Excellent. Scrivener Blooms, Twilight Sparkle, let us make all required haste, and Scrivy, thou shalt once more take the lead. Cowlick, where is Fluttershy?"
"Already on the way, and Ross will stick around, too. He's a friendly guy." Cowlick smiled slightly as Luna threw on her cloak and Twilight slipped into her own, as Scrivener grimaced a bit and adjusted his glasses on his muzzle. "You sure ticking these guys off is the best way to go about things? Okay, yes. I got a big silly-filly giggle out of Pinkamena gloating about the coffee shop, but all the same. Ain't we supposed to save 'em?"
"We are here to save the elements of this town worth saving, Cowlick. The wretched ones, however, are better filtered out." Luna grimaced a little, then she leaned down and kissed Scarlet Sage's forehead, gazing at the young filly as she said gently: "Be good for me, young one. And do me a favor and continue working upon thy notes."
"I will, Mom. You and Dad and Twilight take care, okay?" she gazed up at them softly, and Luna smiled as she stroked the filly's cheek tenderly as Scrivener looked affectionately down at the filly, his own heart bolstering with courage.
Cowlick smiled and gestured for them to go on, and the trio made their way out of the single room apartment they had claimed and out of the building, stepping onto the road as Luna grinned and weaved quickly to Scrivener's right so that he stood between her and Twilight... and the unicorn messenger waiting on the road groaned and glared at them as they approached, leaning forwards and snapping: "Champion Luna only! What's not clear about that?"
Luna glared at him, her mane sparking as it twisted backwards, and the messenger immediately winced and scuttled around in a circle, lowering his head and mumbling to himself as Luna said distastefully: "Far better. Lead on to thy master's palace. I am eager to speak with the mayor."
It was somehow no surprise to find that despite the dilapidated look of many of the buildings, town hall was majestic: ancient, well-worn steps of stone led up past enormous statues of armored, rearing unicorns with a shield on one foreleg, and swords sheathed over their backs. The steps then curled around a dais upon which stood a massive, majestic statue of a winged unicorn in full battle regalia, an emotionless helm shrouding her features... and Luna smiled bitterly at the sight of it. The ancient, runic inscription declared it was Goddess Sol... but that was only a name for the Celestia who had been... instead of the Celestia that now was.
At the top of the sets, to the back of the statue of Sol, was a pair of enormous metal doors guarded by Pegasus in full armor who glared at the three as the messenger stepped aside and gestured rudely at the doors... and Luna opened them with only a glance, smiling coldly as she glanced to Scrivener Blooms. The earth pony strode boldly forwards, the first to step over the threshold with the winged unicorns to either side of him, entering into the enormous lobby beyond and immediately receiving snarls and stares of absolute disbelief from the unicorns clustered around the open, spacious front.
The Pegasus soldiers around the room seemed uncertain of what to do, looking back and forth as the doors slammed behind the three... and then there was a shout of rage from above, and the three looked up, Scrivener's face darkening immediately as Bramblethorn stormed down a curling set of stairs in ceremonial robes, several unicorns hurrying after him with winces as he shouted: "No, no, no! You worthless little mudwalking stain upon my name and honor, now you dare pervert these halls with your presence? The splinter-horn ground-kissers are bad enough but it has been a century since these halls were tarnished with the presence of an earth pony!"
"Except at night, when the earth ponies clean up all the messes the unicorns make because they're too stupid to do it themselves. Just like back at the shop, right, Dad?" Scrivener retorted, his voice acerbic but his eyes enraged as he stepped forwards, Luna feeling raw fury pulsing through her body as Twilight gritted her teeth.
Bramblethorn looked furious at this, stomping forwards, the two snarling at each other, their eyes glaring, their bodies tensing as Bramblethorn's horn glowed and Scrivener's chest heaved with his breaths, his eyes almost glowing... and then the unicorn leaned forwards and said in a disgusted voice: "I wish I had disowned you sooner. In fact, I wish you had never been born. As a matter of fact, I wish your mother had died before I had a chance to meet her, so that there's no way you ever could have come into this world, to me or to another. You are a blot. A stain. A shame. A failure. You're a tapeworm that's burrowed into the gut of that whore you call a wife and-"
Scrivener lunged forwards and punched Bramblethorn across the face, and immediately Bramblethorn snarled like an animal, his eyes blazing, more infuriated than hurt as he slammed his own hooves back against Scrivy and the two broke into a savage, senseless, unskilled brawl, Luna shouting and yelling encouragement and horrible curses as Twilight winced and watched with shock, the unicorns on the other side yelling and shouting at Bramblethorn with mixed pride and recriminations.
They dragged each other down, neither thinking in the haze of fury, neither fighting with any skill, just trying to hurt each other as much as possible: Scrivener's glasses were shattered, pieces of glass dotting his muzzle, and one of Bramblethorn's eyes had swollen shut... before the unicorn gagged when a lucky blow caught him in the throat, falling backwards, Scrivy shoving him down, snarling as he felt darkness writhing inside him, bringing a hoof back... and Luna winced, going from furious to pale in a moment as she leapt forwards and seized his foreleg, and Twilight quickly took it as a sign to jump in as well, shocked as Scrivy tried to shake Luna off, the male shouting: "No, no, I'll kill him! You hear me, Bramblethorn, I'll kill you!"
"You don't have the guts, slave-hoof!" Bramblethorn howled back, shoving himself up to his hooves... and unicorns winced and grabbed the Chancellor now, hauling him back: restraining him even as he shook violently back and forth, father and son snarling at one-another, blood dripping from Bramblethorn's nose and a nasty cut above his swollen eye, Scrivener's lip split, the scarred side of his face scraped, broken glass glinting here and there where it was embedded in his features. "Take your hookers and-"
"What the hell is going on here?" shouted a voice, and all eyes turned upwards, Bramblethorn snarling and shaking the other unicorns off as Commander Scutum strode down the steps, the mayor staring down with horror from the top of the stairs before she winced and scuttled quickly away as Scutum strode fearlessly towards the crowd, looking back and forth with a curse. "What is this? What the hell is this?"
"The slave-hoof is inside our town hall! The slave hoof started the fight, him and his pieces of meat!" Bramblethorn snapped, and he pointed furiously at Scrivener. "Arrest him, I order you!"
Scutum shot a dark look at Scrivener Blooms when he began to open his mouth, and the unicorn said disgustedly: "No. Do not speak, slave-hoof, I have not addressed you and I will have order." Then, before Scrivener could talk anyway or Luna could snap, Scutum surprisingly rounded on Bramblethorn, leaning forwards and saying in a deadly, cold voice: "And you do not give me orders, Chancellor. You never, ever give me orders. Ever. So here's my suggestion: even though a slave hoof who assaults a unicorn faces life imprisonment, which is just a nice little term for 'slow death in the prison caves,' we did invite him here. And he is a representative of Queen Celestia, no less, whatever the hell else his blood status. Which means that if we do punish him, I do not doubt Queen Celestia herself will come looking to see what's happened. We have enough problems to deal with: therefore, I'm going to judge this was a mutual assault. Why don't you go back to work, Bramblethorn? Just... get out. Just a friendly suggestion. Not an order. On a side note, if you talk back to me, I'm going to turn around, wait until I hear a body hit the ground, and then deal with the winner as I see fit. I wouldn't suggest starting a fight, though, unless you're sure you can win."
Bramblethorn opened his mouth, trembling with fury, his jaw working... and then he clenched it slowly shut and spun, snarling as he stormed off towards a side hall with his aides scrambling after them as Scutum glared in disgust after the small procession, and then he looked with irritation towards Scrivy as Luna and Twilight finally let go of him, the earth pony flushed deeply as he bowed his head forwards and Luna quietly leaned her own down, beginning to heal his wounds with magic as her own face pulsed with pain and faintly-visible bruises. "And you, slave-hoof. Heaven's Horses I told you not to start fights, and I've already got a whole hoof-full of public disturbance complaints and now this. What were you thinking?"
Twilight began to open her mouth, but Scrivy shook his head silently as Luna repaired his glasses next and they settled themselves gently back on his face, and the winged unicorn frowned at the weary look on the earth pony's face as he glanced embarrassedly up and said finally: "I guess I wasn't. Bramblethorn just... sets something off in me. No, more than that, this whole place... I guess... it makes me..."
He glanced down in humiliation, and Luna silently kissed his cheek as the glow faded out, sorrow glowing in her eyes... and shame. Shame that she had egged him on, blaming herself for influencing his passions, feeling like she was to blame as inside her, Nightmare Moon only questioned softly why it would have been wrong to allow Scrivener Blooms to do what he had almost done... struck squarely down into Bramblethorn's horn, likely fracturing his skull and sending the unicorn's very source of power plunging back into his brain.
Scutum sighed, and then the earth pony glanced up and added awkwardly: "And... Unicorn Commander Scutum... thank you for... well..."
"I only did my job and do not wish to speak further of it. Now please, head up the stairs and speak to the Mayor, and try and not start any more conflicts today, I'm going to be busy enough as it is." Scutum said tiredly, rubbing slowly at his own face with one hoof before he added moodily: "Please stay out of my way."
With that, the unicorn turned and strode off, and Scrivener smiled a little before he headed towards the stairs, but Luna shook her head, falling into the lead and saying quietly over her shoulder: "We have done enough damage and mischief for now, Scrivener Blooms and... I am sorry. The consequences... well... I have never been much good at imagining consequences. It is something I shall have to learn to remedy."
"It's not your fault Luna, it's mine. Don't worry." Scrivy said softly, and then he laughed a bit as Twilight looked at him with concern, stepping a bit closer. "What, you want to get us in more trouble?"
"Scrivy, it's okay." Twilight said quietly as they ascended... and Scrivener blushed a little as he lowered his head and nodded hesitantly, the female giving him a faint smile. "It's just... usually you just deflect everything with your stupid sense of humor. It's weird to see you... angry and lashing out like Luna."
"Too much like me, I think." Luna murmured softly, but she shook her head quietly as her starry mane fizzled, glancing embarrassedly over her shoulder as the two gazed up at her before she stepped out onto the second floor. "We are all such wretched creatures. But... there, at least it isn't a far pace away."
Luna led them towards the mayor's door - made obvious from both the decorated archway, the plaque over the front, and the glaring unicorn guards that stood outside it - and then these sentinels stepped quickly into their path, one of them saying curtly: "No slave-hoof is permitted audience with the mayor."
"Permit me make this clear. If I hear my husband called 'slave-hoof' again, and if thou do not get out of my way, I will kill thee." Luna said simply, tilting her head forwards as her eyes gave a faint, brief glow... and she could feel something worse than rage flex inside her, something worse than simple anger... something like contempt, like dark and desolate despair, like the idea that even if they could save these ponies from the growing evil... they could never save them from themselves and the pain they would inflict upon others for generations to come. "Now move."
The unicorn guards both leaned forwards for a moment, and Luna's eyes began to narrow as she felt Nightmare Moon rising eagerly to the surface, even as Scrivener winced and Twilight frowned... but then the door flew open, Mayor Caprice grinning weakly at them as she said hurriedly: "L-Let them in, now, there's no need for all this! They're delegates and... we have special rules for delegates, do we not?"
The unicorns mumbled and parted, and Luna grimaced as Nightmare Moon settled in what was almost disappointment before the three strode into the mayor's plush office. It was carpeted in spongy material that felt warm and soft and horribly unfamiliar and neon red; it clashed terribly with the light hazel of her desk, and even worse with the yellow-painted shelves filled with book and documents and yellow-dyed chairs.
The mayor sat in her own: large and leather-backed and big enough it almost seemed to swallow the unicorn up as she gestured to them to sit at the two chairs provided... and Luna only flicked her head to the side to slam the door before she stepped forwards and leaned on the desk, the mayor swallowing and leaning back before her horn glowed and opened a small metal box, lifting this quickly towards Luna. "Cigar? Or a drink, perhaps, I have malts and wines, or, or I can have a servant polish your horn or-"
"Answers." Luna said coldly, leaning down towards the mayor, and Caprice winced and nodded as she dropped the metal box with a loud clank. "Does thou understand why we are here, first off?"
"To help, yes, that's... what Celestia said, we trust our Q-Queen here, hail the Queen and all that." Caprice babbled, and then she winced a little as Luna leaned away, breathing a sigh of relief before she straightened and looked awkwardly towards Scrivy. "Be... that as it may... we have traditions we respect very deeply, and that we must uphold. Tradition is important-"
"Aye, 'tis, I agree." Luna said calmly, glancing towards Caprice, and the unicorn began to smile before she instead paled when Luna continued quietly: "In some parts of Equestria in the old, old days, it was tradition for the Baron to only pass on his rule to his son when his son could best him in combat. Then said son would kill his father as a sacrifice to the war gods. It was done with great feasts and smiles and often parts of the body were consumed, 'for strength.' This is one of the tamer traditions I can think of.
"Tradition, like all things, can be good and can be bad. For example, if thou art without a foal... and I can tell by looking at thee, thou likely has barely felt the touch of a male, much less borne a foal for one..." Luna gave a derisive grin as Caprice leaned back with a flush, looking both disgusted and humiliated. "Then worry not, all the same, thou has an heir. Scrivener Blooms was disowned by his father, aye... but then this sick family chased him all the way to Canterlot, trying to claim what was 'rightfully theirs.' In doing so, they renewed the link, made him 'one of their own,' and I use those words with the greatest of contempt. So tell me, Caprice, if he murders thee and thou art so big on tradition, what parts of thy body shall we consume? Because surely thou hast not great intellect, nor great courage, nor great fertility. Perhaps, then, we shall pickle thy hooves: thou seems to flee with great haste, after all."
Caprice looked a little ill, shivering as she leaned back a bit, and Luna shook her head slowly before asking curtly: "Why is Scutum not present? Yesterday he said he would join us here, and today he seemed to have been sent away."
"Commander Scutum has... has a job. At... somewhere." Caprice mumbled awkwardly, looking away... and when Luna glared at her, she winced and held up her hooves. "Commander Scutum is checking on the security forces around the unicorn district!"
"Aye, as I thought, so it is no wonder thy defenses look so forlorn... all the security is around the homes of the upper class, is it not?" Luna asked sharply, and Caprice mumbled but nodded, rubbing nervously at her face and smearing her packed-on makeup. "Tell me, of what threats does North Neigh face? And what does thou know about Silver Hoof?"
"I am the mayor here and I'll be..." The mare began to look up, saw the look on Luna's face, and swallowed before lowering her head and shrinking pitifully. "I'll be answering questions. Yes. I... I'm sorry, what did you ask?"
The winged unicorn sighed in disgust, throwing her head back... and Twilight Sparkle stepped forwards, saying quietly: "Mayor, we are here to help, whatever you might think of us and whatever we... might think of you. But we do have to work together and it'll help everyone to know what's going on here... why it's so... dark, here."
The mayor looked moodily at Twilight Sparkle, then she mumbled for a moment before leaning forwards and saying tiredly: "Velites and Nibelung are not as big a threat to us as you might think. We have security systems bought from a company, Helios Mutual Holdings-" She didn't notice the way all three ponies leaned forwards sharply at this. "-and our Pegasus troops are very strong and well trained.
"But there's ghosts, whether you believe it or not. Everywhere, every night... they scare ponies, some have even gone insane from them. And..." Caprice hesitated, looking up at them with sudden childishness, sudden pleading. "Dead ponies that come... sometimes alone, sometimes with... with music. Oh god, why am I telling you this..."
Caprice dropped her head forwards on the desk, shivering... but Luna was leaning forwards, listening intently, as the unicorn continued to whisper: "I saw my mother among them, and she's been gone for years. She was cremated... but... she was there. I saw Tia Belle, Scrivener Blooms, your mother, too... Bramblethorn said he didn't see them but I did..."
She looked up at him, her hooves on the desk, staring across at the earth pony desperately as the male looked at her with surprise, Caprice's eyes filling with tears. "Did you do this? Are you a sorcerer? Is it all your fault that these... these things are here, are you here to laugh at us now and mock us? If so then just please have mercy, have mercy, and we'll change! We'll do anything you want, just... p-p-please..."
And then the unicorn collapsed forwards onto her forelegs, falling into harsh sobs as Scrivy could only stare, throat dry, as Luna leaned back in shock and Twilight shook her head in disbelief, none of them knowing whether to try and comfort the unicorn... or simply revile her all the more for trying to lay all the blame for this evil squarely upon the head of the earth pony that had escaped so many years ago from North Neigh. |
Starlit Knights | Aggressive Education | Chapter Twenty Seven: Aggressive Education
~BlackRoseRaven
Scrivener sighed a little as they walked down the street, feeling tired, in a single word: Twilight was on one side, Luna on the other, and they had only a few minutes ago finished their chat with the mayor, City Hall now at their back. After Caprice's crying fit, Luna had played a little nicer, talked to her a little more, and even gotten a promise that supplies of food would be dropped off by earth pony servants... and in return, they would try and deal with the parade of spirits that haunted North Neigh every few nights.
It took several calm reassurances and one frustrated threat to make Caprice understand that no, Scrivener Blooms had not laid some awful curse over them and it was not his fault that evil had spread over their town. Somehow, amidst all this, Scrivy had found the strength to add quietly that he wouldn't curse North Neigh anyway... he just wanted to forget the past, and move on with his life, but he had been dragged back here by responsibility... not to his home, not to the unicorns, but to Equestria and to his wife, Luna.
Caprice was obviously uncomfortable being addressed by a disowned slave hoof, but at the same time she allowed herself to be grudgingly put to ease by the male's words. Honest, a little bitter, but still tactful... and Caprice had settled a little and gone into greater detail about what had been going on.
The sightings of the parade of phantasms was growing more frequent, always occurring in the deep of night when the moon was completely obscured by heavy clouds. They came from the north, spread through the town like they were searching... and then they left. Anyone who followed the dead vanished... and the only time they were ever seen again was when the ghostly parade made its back through the town, now a member of that awful congregation.
Luna also asked about Silver Hoof, but Caprice had only shrugged. A team of Pegasus Guard had passed through weeks ago, then they had gone on their way and... that had been that. Commander Scutum, worried about the proximity of Silver Hoof, had long ago sent a team of his own to investigate the ruins and then report back... but they had never found anything themselves, and so life had continued as usual until the group of phantasms had begun to appear.
Caprice did note one other strange thing, however: despite all the stories of ghosts and Pales, these odd specters went around barriers, made sounds as they walked through the snow and dragged their hooves against the walls of homes, and seemed to disdain light. It was why North Neigh was kept well-lit by lamps at night, and part of the reason everyone rose early, to turn the lights on and hopefully dispel any lurking terrors of the night.
But the mayor hadn't been much help: she was still a proud unicorn, still resentful of their presence, and most of all, still a mix of cowardly and less-than-smart. She had hurried them out of her office as fast as possible after promising as little as she could safely get away with, without Luna pummeling her, but at least they had found out some answers to their question... and Scrivener couldn't help but smile sourly, saying distastefully: "I wonder if Bramblethorn started that rumor about me. Highly doubt he'd ever believe it himself, but..."
Luna only shrugged, however, looking softly towards the earth pony as Twilight smiled faintly at his other side...before Commander Scutum strode calmly into the road in front of them, a Pegasus on either side of the unicorn as he said ordered clearly but tiredly: "Halt."
The three stopped and frowned, and the armored Pegasus to either side of Scutum both drew weapons off their backs: lever-action rifles, which they aimed with pleased grins on their faces. "By order of Mayor Caprice, for acts of aggression, intimidation, mayhem, and violence, I hereby place you all under arrest. Resistance will be met with deadly force."
Luna snarled as Scrivy set himself and Twilight leaned forwards in shock, the female shaking her head and blurting: "But we just met with the mayor! When... how..."
"Chancellor Bramblethorn produced a signed legal document authorizing this." Scutum said calmly, but his single eye shone with contempt for his own words, and he stepped slowly backwards. "If there has been a... mistake... it will likely take some time for it to be rectified and discovered. But please do not attempt to flee... even though these are the only two guards I was able to scrounge up on short notice, these guns pack a very powerful punch."
Scutum's tone was cold, but Scrivener leaned forwards at what his words hinted, even as unicorns and Pegasus and a few earth ponies watched from the sides of the road, Luna beginning to grin slowly... before a voice called from above: "I'll handle this!"
Discombobulation crashed to the ground from the skies in a kneel in front of Scutum as a red cape fanned out behind him, the male staggering backwards with a gape of shock as the Pegasus ponies both looked in horror and surprise at the Draconequus, before the chimerical creature's hands reached up and seized the rifles by their barrels, pointing them skywards with a wince as they both fired with echoing bangs that sent ponies scattering in instinctive terror. Then, before the Pegasi could either let go of the weapons or even try to yank them free, Discombobulation's body flexed, and electricity exploded down both rifles, the Pegasi howling in pain as they convulsed violently for a few moments before they both toppled slowly sideways, smoldering but very much alive as they wheezed for breath and drooled on the snow.
Discombobulation stood calmly up, and the Draconequus absently removed his cape with a flourish to simply toss it away as he strode towards the side of the road, stroking the underside of his muzzle absently as he studied a picture of a unicorn... and even as Twilight gaped and Scrivener and Luna only looked flatly at the chimerical creature, Scutum stared, scarred features twitching, his jaw working wildly before he asked stupidly: "What... what the hell is this?"
Slowly, Discombobulation's head turned to look over his shoulder thoughtfully, his hand still under his chin... and then he stretched it suddenly to the side, snapping his fingers, and a long-bladed dagger appeared in it as he spun around and bowed deeply and politely, one hand behind his back, the other with the dagger making a graceful, wide gesture before he straightened and announced: "Dear friend! In depth, a humble discordant disciple, cast decidedly as both damning and damned by the dubious disorder of Destiny. This disguise, no mere disillusion of display most narcissistic, is a dedication of the vox Dei, now defamed, disappeared. However, this determined descent-down-upon of a by-gone displeasure, stands delightedly discomposed and has declared to demolish these disgusting and diseased double-dealers directing degeneracy and defending the destructive destroyers and decadent decay of decision." With this, he suddenly spun, slashing viciously outwards at the sign behind him with the dagger in two swift strokes, leaving a marred D-shape, before he spun back around and continued calmly: "The only decree is doom; a dispute, held as a desire, not in disillusion, for the dues and dogma of such shall one day disculpate the discreet and the dedicated. Definitely, this decoction of dialogue digresses most diffuse, so let me simply add that it is my very good honor to meet you and you may call me D."
Commander Scutum's jaw worked stupidly as he tried to process all this as Discombobulation gave another short bow, and then he tossed the dagger away and it vanished before he straightened and cracked his back, adding moodily: "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go and read more comic books and get plot spoilers for whatever's coming next. Nothing personal, Two-Face, you were just never one of my favorite villains."
And with that, Discombobulation twiddled his fingers before he snapped them and vanished completely from sight, and Scutum paced backwards before he glared back and forth, then looked sharply at Luna, Twilight, and Scrivy... but Twilight only glanced hurriedly away with a blush and a dumb giggle as the sapphire winged unicorn stepped forwards and grinned challengingly. "Worry not, Scutum... if thou steps kindly aside and ensures thou art kept too busy to be bothered hunting high-and-low for myself and mine, the creature shan't trouble thee or thy town and I shall not pummel thee. 'Tis that simple."
"I... know my loyalties." Scutum sighed and dropped his head forwards, muttering to himself: "Hurry up and move on, before too many unicorns see us. I understand that you are all here for a reason and I have no wish to interfere with that. My pride demands respect for the unicorn race... my fealty, however, is sworn to Equestria, and the sovereigns of the nation. Champion Luna, you were the Princess of the Night. So said now-Queen Celestia... and if she still trusts in you, then I shall trust in you. Whatever else I think of you, your habits, and your... travelling companions."
Scutum grimaced in distaste, but Luna looked both impressed and touched, tilting her head towards the unicorn for a moment... but then nodding once more, saying quietly as she led Scrivener Blooms and Twilight Sparkle onwards: "Honor and loyalty in all things, yes?"
"There is nothing in life without honor, and honor stems from loyalty. My duty is to serve in the best interests of Equestria... even when that conflicts with my own beliefs." Scutum replied quietly, keeping his eye calmly ahead as they passed... and without looking back, he began to walk towards city hall, Luna smiling slightly to herself as Scrivener glanced over his shoulder at the strange, scarred unicorn.
The trio made their way back towards the encampment, quiet and thoughtful... but they stopped on the road outside the buildings, Twilight Sparkle hesitating as she looked quietly down at the Element of Magic hanging around her neck before she glanced up and asked softly: "Everypony... I think everypony has an Element of Harmony inside them, unless they spend their whole lifetime trying to destroy that part of themselves. I've researched so much into these and studied them so much, and... I have to wonder. If I gave my Element of Harmony away... would that pony be able to use it? Celestia said that she couldn't, and that you can't..."
"Aye, but for good reason... I am Nightmare Moon, and Celestia misused the Elements, and more than once. They are linked to thou and thine friends now, and the bond of friendship that exists between thee..." Luna softened, glancing down as she reached a hoof up to rest it quietly on Twilight's shoulder. "It is only my fondest hope that the Element of Laughter truly recognizes Pinkamena, as it did Pinkie Pie... but I think what is required most is that the others recognize and accept her as well. They are strange things, with strange powers... more than against Discord we tested their abilities, after all. And I am sure thou art aware that thine own does more than offset thy pretty eyes, it amplifies thy already-potent magic."
Twilight blushed at this, and Scrivener smiled despite himself as the violet winged unicorn shuffled backwards and rubbed at her own face for a moment, then glanced up and said quietly: "Thank you, Luna. But... do you think that-"
"I think thou thinks and worries too much about events that have yet to pass." Luna said softly, leaning forwards with a small smile, and Twilight blushed a bit before she nodded slowly. "There is much to be done, today, Twilight Sparkle. Go now, off with thee to organize the Knights. Scrivener Blooms and I must take an hour or so to plan and perhaps consult with Nightmare Moon. The spirits she spoke of... they sound like Draugar that are swarming in great number, and I shudder to think of what could call upon such a malicious band."
"But you think you know." Twilight Sparkle said quietly, meeting her eyes... and Luna grimaced but nodded, and the violet pony persisted: "What is it, Luna? What do you think is out there, sending... waves of ghosts at us? Ekleíp?"
"Nay, Blood Seers are not as powerful as this, to summon Draugar into the physical world... not without making a great mess, anyway." Luna grimaced a little, looking distasteful. "In all likelihood, 'tis a Dracolich... an undead dragon, versed deep in magic and lore, using magic to keep itself in a state of living death. It shall be troublesome to destroy, and it will guard itself with Draugar and other abominations... but it will not be impossible."
Yet all the same, Luna was frowning a little, and Scrivener gazed at her quietly, knowing why. Twilight seemed to pick up that she wasn't as certain or as confident as she sounded, but she only nodded hesitantly, not pressing the subject any further as she studied the sapphire winged unicorn for a few moments before stepping forwards and hugging her tightly, saying softly: "Okay, Luna. I'll be around if you need me, probably... probably helping Cowlick with the repairs and everything. Don't hesitate if you do, alright?"
Twilight smiled supportively... and Luna smiled a little in return, gazing at her with thankfulness in her eyes before the violet pony turned and headed quietly towards the other building, where ponies and minotaurs were both doing their best to follow Cowlick's yelled orders. Then Luna glanced over her shoulder towards Scrivy, and the male only nodded slowly, hearing her thoughts all too well and clearly as he turned and followed her quietly into the apartments, to think, to plan, and to muddle over everything that had happened.
Caprice, at least, was unexpectedly true to her word: several crates of food - hay, roots, and some bruised fruits and vegetables - were delivered by earth ponies, as well as a letter of apology stating that a 'clerical error had resulted in a minor miscommunication to the security department' and there wouldn't be any further attempts to arrest any of the Starlit Knights.
A few earth ponies had wandered over to see what was going on, curious to see if there were really Pegasus and unicorns who were working alongside earth ponies... and likely even more startled by the fact that working with these three different creeds was also a dragon and a handful of minotaurs... not to mention rumors that they had a Draconequus chaos entity providing guardianship as well.
They were beginning to draw the interest of others, too: now that the unicorns had taken their pot-shots at the Starlit Knights and failed to drive them out of town, others who had suffered for being 'ground-kissers' or 'shorn-wings' or 'splinter-horns' were coming to see if they could lend a hoof. The embers of hope were being kindled, and it did everypony's morale a world of good to see that even this decrepit place had a few positive ponies in it... that even amidst the near-tyranny of the unicorns, there were vestiges of the Equestria they had all come from, that they all knew and loved.
Commander Scutum had shown up as well, the unicorn grumbling and looking uncomfortable as he'd walked into the encampment, glaring around at everyone, but Luna and Scrivener Blooms had welcomed him cordially enough and he'd seemed to relax after a little while. He didn't like being seen there, and liked even less that Mayor Caprice - although it was obviously Bramblethorn pulling her strings - had sent a long list of 'requests' and 'owed expenditures' for them to take a look at... and when Luna had simply glared at the pieces of parchment and they had burst into blue flames, Scutum had stepped backwards with a grimace and then shrugged, saying dourly: "I'll tell them that negotiations didn't go as planned."
Scutum had wanted to leave, but Luna had instead grilled him on the ghosts she called Draugar and asked him repeatedly if he had seen anypony amidst them he recognized, until finally the unicorn had admitted that he had seen his father, and his brother... and that he thought he recognized the music that sometimes seemed to drift out of the crowd of specters. "A lullaby from when I was child... it was a slave... I mean, it was an earth pony folk song, I think. The nanny sang it to me."
He stopped, looking down with a frown, then the unicorn laughed sourly and looked up at Scrivener Blooms. "I never thought about that before. We treat you slave-hoofs as inferior... and make you wash our clothes, plow our roads, prepare our food, and take care of our foals. If you all weren't so beaten down and convinced that you were all inferior you could probably kill us all twenty times in the passage of a single day, if you could figure out a way to work together."
"'Twas not since the old days since I have heard the term 'earth pony this' or 'unicorn that.' It gives a faint ringing of when I awoke some fifteen hundred years ago... 'tis disturbing and a little deplorable that ponies still have yet to push past this gulf." Luna muttered, shaking her head slowly, but Scutum only looked at her distastefully. "What was the prose?"
Scutum looked down quietly at the snowy ground again, sitting on the back of a wagon as Luna and Scrivy stood calmly across from him... and then he glanced up and recited slowly, even as he grimaced a little: "The Skalds sing, and the burrows cry, but you shall not fear these things... lay down your head, clothed safe in bed, resting until the morning..."
"That is not a lullaby." Scrivener Blooms made a face, looking away, and Scutum frowned a bit towards the earth pony before he looked back at him with a dry smile. "It's not 'earth pony' folklore, either. It was written about twelve hundred years ago..."
"Battle Hymn of the Nibelung." Luna said moodily, and Scutum grimaced as he leaned back in surprise. "I expect thee only knew a verse or two, though, so worry not. Perhaps thy nanny was only trying to be comforting, repeating the little poetry she knew. Or perhaps 'twas her way of subtly cursing the family she was forced to work for."
Scutum sighed at this, and then he stood up and strode past the two moodily before Luna glanced over her shoulder, calling firmly: "Wait, Commander Scutum. I am curious... and while I respect thee, I have to say I have yet to truly like thee. What happened to thy face to scar it so?"
Scutum was silent... and then he slowly turned around, saying calmly even as his eye flicked away shamefully: "Cave-in at the mines. Under orders from Caprice, Bramblethorn, and the others who run this city, I was overseeing excavation operations about four years ago. I went inside to patrol the mines and ensure none of the earth ponies or Pegasus workers were trying to steal ore or gemstones. I didn't know that the unicorn engineers had set up an earth pony demolition team... see, since the engineers only build the bombs, they don't plant them, they have a bad habit of skimping on materials, particularly on the detonators. Oh, they always make sure the earth ponies will get in okay. They just don't care whether or not the earth ponies get out.
"Explosives went off prematurely, no one knew I was inside too, they kept telling me. That's why they didn't sound the 'all clear' warning, they kept telling me. So the earth ponies are blown to bits halfway down the tunnel and about thirty feet away from me, and the shoring and supports give out. Shale and gemstones come down and skin half my face off, some timbers fall across me and pin me, I'm laying in broken pieces of rock for forty minutes." Scutum grinned disgustedly. "And then I'm dragged out by some slave-hoofs, to rub it in."
He fell quiet, then looked down with disgust, shaking his head slowly as he muttered: "Humiliating. But it taught me to be loyal to the ponies who deserve it, and that if someone betrays you, screw 'em. So far, you two have walked that thin line between listening to me and ignoring me when it comes to most things... but if there is one thing I can appreciate, Champion Luna, it's that you actually seem to be here to do your job, and you actually do seem like you mean it when you say you're going to save those that you can... and you'll just smash everyone else who gets in your way. I like that."
Luna and Scrivener Blooms exchanged a look, thoughts and emotions swirling between them... and then Scrivy looked towards the unicorn and said quietly: "Thanks, Scutum. I think Luna and I have decided you're okay."
"Slave-hoofs aren't supposed to address a unicorn by name... Scrivener Blooms." Scutum smiled after a moment, an awkward expression on his maimed features before he turned and strode away, and Luna looked after him with both entertainment and sourness as she leaned forwards, horn beginning to glow... but Scrivy only sighed and reached up, gently touching her humming, glowing horn and pushing it carefully back to point towards the sky.
"Leave him alone, Luna, he's just set in his ways." Scrivy said flatly, and Luna grumbled under her breath before she looked towards him quietly, and he gazed back tenderly, the two leaning forwards and touching nose-to-nose as the male added softly: "I keep... meaning to say this, too, but thank you for stopping me earlier. For not letting me do something that... would have made it awful for all of us."
Luna only smiled at him, however... and then they both looked up in surprise as a disgusted voice said: "Oh how wonderful."
Scrivy gritted his teeth, glaring towards the center of the road as Luna snarled and stepped forwards towards where Bramblethorn was now standing, with a bevy of unicorn and Pegasus soldiers at his back... but even as Scutum hurried back towards them, looking frustrated, the Chancellor looked up and snapped: "You've had enough time fraternizing with the enemy, splinter-horn! Go back to town hall and see Mayor Caprice, she wants to have a word with you immediately on... this developing situation."
"Thou wretched, bold fiend, thou dares to enter here?" Luna stepped another pace forwards, her eyes glowing, her mane sparking as it swayed backwards, lengthening slightly as she felt Nightmare Moon forcing upwards, desperate to be released, begging for it... and it was all Luna could do to keep that dark part of herself in check as Bramblethorn looked at her only with contempt.
"Don't speak to me, abomination. Winged unicorns like yourself and your sister are not pure, are not penultimate... they just bring new meaning to terms like 'split-hoof,' hybrid, mutant wench! What, could you and your sister Celestia not find suitors who would dare touch your deformed bodies among the pure-blooded unicorns, you had to stoop to licking the hoof of your mudwalker servant-"
"Silence!" Luna roared, the power of her voice enough to make Bramblethorn stagger backwards as the winged unicorn stepped forwards with a snarl, her mane a swirl of not blue starlight, but eldritch fire as her eyes glowed white, her body expanding beneath the cloak as her coat turned pitch-black... and then she snarled, sharpened white fangs glinted as Nightmare Moon said coldly: "We love all our subjects. We love all our ponies. We want them to enjoy the glory of our beautiful night and be safe in darkness as well as daylight... but we are not Celestia, who has grown wiser and learned mercy. We are Nightmare Moon, who is very willing to forgo Celestia's lessons of harmony and we do not mind the idea of a few less prideful unicorns being around to worship our night."
Trembles raced through the Pegasi and unicorns present as they dropped in front of her in terror: to see Luna was one thing, for even as imposing and fierce as she was, rumored to be Nightmare Moon of legend old and new... ponies didn't always believe what they had heard. Ponies would put stock not in what others warned them, or their instincts whispered... but they only looked, and saw Celestia's little sister, a Princess of the Night who they likely thought had really just run away, not actually felled Celestia from the skies. Here, Canterlot was far away, just a fairy-tale land, and even their Queen was little more than an icon, an idea, a figment to them, her champion a tall pony who nonetheless walked alongside what they all called a 'slave hoof...' but now, all the stories had just become real.
Nightmare Moon's eyes slowly lost their ivory glow, instead becoming cold dark cyan, her reptilian pupils flicking back and forth before she smiled coldly, then pointed at Bramblethorn as the unicorn shivered and pressed himself down against the ground in terror as Scrivy stepped calmly up to Nightmare Moon's side... and he could feel her thoughts, sweet images, slipping through his mind, as Starlit Knights stared at what was going on, as Nightmare Moon asked softly: "Shall we execute him, beloved husband? He continues to make a nuisance of himself, and he continues to try and hurt you, to hurt us. We should make an example of him..."
Scrivener looked across at Bramblethorn, who was shivering on the ground, finally looking at him not with hate, not with fury, not with disgust and contempt, but fear... and slowly, the earth pony licked his dry lips as he breathed a little harder, remembering. Remembering all the times he'd been shoved around, beaten down, left laying on the street. The times as a foal he'd been forced to sleep in the rusty, broken doghouse in the back alley behind the garden shop. Being thrown out and disowned, but forced to continue to work at the store, a slave-hoof, with parents who didn't love him, who only looked down at him with contempt and hatred and disgust.
He closed his eyes... and then glanced to the side with a frown as he heard hooves, slowly opening them and seeing Twilight Sparkle looking at him pleadingly, and beside her, Scarlet Sage, the little filly trembling. His cloudy brown eyes cleared slightly as he looked from violet to ruby irises... and then he closed his own as he bowed his head forwards, gritting his teeth before he murmured: "He's already dead to me, Nightmare Moon. He's not my father... he's just a unicorn who can't seem to let things go or learn his lesson. He throws words at us, but they're only words... maybe in the past ponies would kill each other over that and less, but we're civilized now. We're better than that, and I don't believe he can stain my honor with words he speaks more often than he breathes. There is no greater revenge... than living well.
"But Bramblethorn..." Scrivener slowly stepped forwards into the center of the road, looking silently down through his glasses. "Understand this. I am not afraid of you. Yes, maybe I was when I first came here... but now I'm not. Stay away from me. Stay away from my family... Luna, Twilight Sparkle, and Scarlet Sage. Stay away from my friends. We are not slave-hoofs and shorn-wings and splinter-horns... we are Equestrians. We are free ponies. Keep your beliefs to yourself, and keep yourself far away from us."
Nightmare Moon looked softly at Scrivener Blooms, and then she smiled tenderly, reaching a hoof up and stroking lovingly down his spine as Bramblethorn looked up at them with an expression of mixed rage, fear, and despair. "Wonderful husband, so kind, so tender. You humble us, and we are glad, so as always we bow gladly to you..." Nightmare Moon accented this with a slight bow of her head, eyes half-lidding even as they slid towards Bramblethorn. "But the unicorn must apologize... and we think it only fitting he learn this same humility. Go ahead, Chancellor Bramblethorn. Apologize to our beloved... admit that you were wrong. And kiss his hoof."
Scrivener Blooms grimaced a bit, but Nightmare Moon only looked calmly back as Bramblethorn gritted his teeth and began to look away... but then Nightmare Moon leaned forwards, adding in a soft, dangerous voice: "Because we will be very offended if you do not... we will in fact take personal offence if you refuse this chance at reconciliation we are so generously giving you. And not even Scrivener Blooms will save you from our wrath if you throw this back in our face."
There was silence from all around... and then, slowly, Bramblethorn crawled up to a kneel, head bowed, features flushed as he clenched his eyes shut... and Scrivener Blooms slowly stepped forwards when Nightmare Moon pushed him gently with a tender smile. "Good. All you understand right now is power and intimidation and false purity... and we will teach you humility, Bramblethorn. It is a lesson worth learning, even if it must be taught through pain and fear."
Scrivener rose his front hoof... and Bramblethorn opened his eyes, looking up with a snarl and embarrassment before he finally lowered his head forwards and whispered something weakly... and immediately, Nightmare Moon loomed in from the side, asking mockingly, even as Twilight winced and pulled Scarlet Sage quietly back: "I'm sorry, none of us could hear... speak up. Speak with meaning."
"I... I'm sorry." Bramblethorn rasped, as he was choking on broken glass... and then he gritted his teeth before he leaned down and kissed Scrivener's extended hoof, a shudder rolling through the unicorn before he pushed himself to his hooves and spun around, almost screaming at his soldiers: "Back into North Neigh, now!"
"Do not forget what you have learned, Bramblethorn... and do not forget that this was our kindness." Nightmare Moon called mockingly, and then she grinned when Bramblethorn shot a horrified and furious look over his shoulder as he stumbled down the road after the soldiers that were awkwardly hurrying away, whispering loudly between one another already. "You do not want to experience our cruelty."
The unicorn cursed under his breath, staggering with tears in his eyes as he faced back forwards and stormed off, and Scrivy looked silently down at his hoof before he glanced embarrassedly towards Scarlet Sage and Twilight Sparkle... but they were both quietly looking past him, up to Nightmare Moon as she half-turned and lovingly nuzzled against Scrivy's neck. "Enlightening, was that not? It was a good lesson for us all... that sometimes force must be applied. How quickly they quailed before me, before us!"
Nightmare Moon threw her head back and laughed... and then she slowly rolled her head on her shoulders before she gazed down at Scarlet Sage, opening her mouth... but when Scrivener Blooms gave her a silent, half-imploring look, she nodded slowly but ruefully, saying quietly: "Very well, very well. But my beloved foal, do not look so scared... we do not bring evil upon ponies unless they deserve it, and even then, we are generous... the unicorn brought this ruin upon himself."
"Where's Mommy?" Scarlet Sage asked quietly, closing her eyes and bowing her head... and Nightmare Moon looked strangely hurt before she leaned slowly back, then sighed softly and closed her eyes, her body glowing faintly before it shrank slowly down and returned to Luna's normal shape and colors. She stepped quietly around Scrivy as she gave him an awkward smile, then leaned down silently... and when Scarlet Sage opened her eyes, she gazed silently at her for a few moments, then stepped forwards and hugged Luna fiercely around the neck.
"I am sorry child... I'm here, worry not." Luna murmured, embracing the foal quietly in return and squeezing her fiercely against her body as ponies began to awkwardly go about their business, a few murmuring nervously among themselves as the sapphire winged unicorn closed her eyes with a flush, even as Nightmare Moon shifted and rumbled inside of her, still too close to the surface despite receding. "Thou knows I would never hurt thee... that Nightmare Moon would never hurt thee, does thee not, my daughter? But I do not seek to defend myself..."
She laughed a little, but Scarlet Sage only pressed closer, not speaking, as Luna looked quietly up towards Twilight Sparkle... and the violet pony only smiled faintly as Scrivener stood with his head bowed, feeling a little fuzzy, a little strange. "It's okay, Luna, but... I mean, I know Nightmare Moon means well, but this kind of thing... it could have dire consequences for us. If Bramblethorn is pushed too far, it could be even worse than letting him walk all over us..."
Luna grimaced, even though she knew the fellow winged unicorn was right, and inside her, Nightmare Moon twisted as if betrayed... but then Scarlet Sage whispered: "I don't wanna talk about that, though, or think about that. Because all I could think of when I saw Nightmare Moon doing that was... that Bramblethorn was trying to hurt my Mommy and Daddy, and... I... I got so confused. I know it was bad but at the same time I thought it was good, what happened... I'm scared, Mommy. I'm scared that I'm growing up to be a bad pony after all..."
Adopted mother looked silently down at adopted daughter as Scrivener stepped in and quietly wrapped his own limb around Scarlet Sage, curling her tightly between them... before the ponies looked up in surprise as Aleksandr approached, the minotaur kneeling and looking down with his calm, serious gaze as Scarlet Sage glanced at the enormous male. "Little one, you are being silly. You are daughter of Baba Yaga. Is going to be many trials, but like mother, like daughter. You will grow up to be strong, and others not understand you. You will grow up to be fierce, and others will be scared of you. You will grow up to be brave, and others will look to you for guidance. But little four-hoof, you will not grow up to be evil. Evil grows in weak and wretched hearts, and takes root in arrogant and wicked mind. Is not for kind little four-hoof fillies."
Aleksandr reached a hand up, gently mussing Scarlet Sage's mane, and she smiled briefly at him, flushing a bit but lowering her head in both respect and praise as Aleksandr stood, Luna and Scrivener both smiling faintly up at him as the minotaur added brusquely: "But Baba Yaga, remember. Yest' chelovek, yest' problema. Net cheloveka, net problemy. Except without people, we have problem too, yes? Then we have no one to run faster than if great medved comes after us."
Luna laughed at this, grinning despite herself as she nodded and replied kindly: "Aleksandr, were I still a Princess, then thou would most certainly be in the role of mine advisor. Aye, thou knows when to speak, and it is admired and enjoyed... brutish minotaur."
"You are good leader, Baba Yaga. But sometimes you need reminder, and good warriors do not simply sit back and drool like servants, waiting to be told what to do. Good warriors think, and remember to help even strongest of leader when time is called for it. Now, I must return and help my brothers continue to fix wagon for obnoxious four-hoof with metal in face." Aleksandr nodded and bowed slightly, then he turned and headed back towards the wagon, shouting in his own language to the other minotaurs and gesturing at them, and they shouted back even as they managed to heft the heavy wagon between them... making Cowlick, who was perched on top and snapping her own orders, yelp and nearly fall off before she began to rant loudly at the approaching Aleksandr.
Luna smiled at this warmly, shaking her head in amusement before Scarlet Sage finally stepped away from her, blushing a bit as she gazed up, and Scrivener Blooms and the sapphire winged unicorn looked quietly back down before Twilight Sparkle said softly: "I'll take her, if you want..."
"Nay, nay. We have... planned and thought out much. Scrivener Blooms and I shall take Scarlet Sage and instruct her upon her... powers. 'Twould be better for her to continue learning of them and to control them, so she does not make the same slips that I still do, even these days." Luna replied softly, gazing with a small smile across at Twilight. "I shall pass her instruction to thee afterwards, however: thou can teach her of things that Scrivener and I lack knowledge in. Pursuits of knowledge that neither of us were ever taught, but since thou has spent all thy life with thy head buried into books..."
"Alright, alright. I get it." Twilight smiled despite herself, nodding, and then she glanced over her shoulder as Rainbow Dash called her name, the Pegasus approaching with Applejack and Rarity. "Looks like I'm needed somewhere anyway. If you need me though, well... just call."
Twilight blushed a bit, then she turned and headed quickly away... and Scrivy and Luna traded a curious look before they both glanced back down at Scarlet Sage as she asked nervously: "How... how are we going to train me?"
"Simple, Scarlet Sage. Come, let us go inside, and I shall explain the rest and we shall get to work." Luna replied softly, gazing down at the filly affectionately, and Scarlet Sage blushed but nodded, looking up at her with unwavering trust even now, and it made the winged unicorn smile tenderly... and inside her, even Nightmare Moon calm grouchily.
There was really only one way to train Scarlet Sage... and that was by exposing her to blood. Scrivener Blooms had grumbled as Luna had cut his forelimb open and poured a small amount of his blood into a bowl, while the winged unicorn had related quietly and calmly to Scarlet Sage more of her stories about Blood Seers and what she knew of their magic... which did not just allow them to see the future, but the more a Blood Seer trained in it, allowed them to affect a person... and not just through their blood.
Blood was a symbol, was the focus point that helped form a link... but a Blood Seer could do more than read a person's mind or torture them with their blood. They could heal wounds - both their own and those of others - and they could imitate many of the effects of powerful unicorn magic. Most Blood Seers specialized only in the darker talents of their craft, however... catching glimpses of the future, cursing their opponents, using their magic to kill and torture. The temptations of such a power were great, after all, even to the noble: with contact with the blood of any creature, they could bind it, battle its will, and control or destroy it. Who knew how many in the past had started off, studying these strange dark arts, intent to use their powers to battle dragons and protect friends and family... before they had discovered that their path of good intentions had taken them straight into Helheim, when they found themselves enslaving the very ponies they had meant to protect.
It made Scarlet Sage nervous... but Luna didn't want to lie to her, knew that the only thing that could truly protect her was the honest truth, was preparing her for the awful allure that the darkness could have. She had to learn that evil and wrongness were not like in so many stories and plays, done by bad ponies and monsters and usually simple and brutal... it was subtle, often elegant, with a terrible charisma and a chilling power of seduction. And she had to be prepared to face that and to fight against temptation... because whether or not she wanted these powers, she had been born with them... and such powers refused to stay suppressed and quiet.
Therefore, the first thing they had to teach her was control: to be able to make contact with blood without falling into a trance state or letting her primal instincts and emotions take over and drive her to lashing out violently. Scarlet Sage had shivered a bit, remembering all too clearly the Blood Seer she had stolen the knowledge of and then struck out at with the full, tyrannical force of primal emotion... but Luna and Scrivener had both comforted her, soothed her, and eventually she had calmed and gone forwards with the exercise.
They spent two hours working with her, helping her understand her powers, comforting her every now and then, but Luna was truly proud of the filly for pushing forwards despite her anxieties, her fears, and everything else that obviously bothered her about the powers she possessed. And at the end of the session, Scarlet Sage was too tired to do anything but slump on her bedding, so Luna tucked her gently in, kissed her forehead, and then said quietly over her shoulder: "Come, Scrivener Blooms, let us leave her in peace, here."
Scrivy smiled a bit, pausing only to pick up Scarlet Sage's doll and gaze over it, flicking the crimson mane before he gently slipped it into the filly's grip... and she had curled up instinctively against it while half-asleep, smiling a little. The earth pony looked down at her softly, then followed Luna out of the apartment, letting her close the door as her cloak quietly draped itself around her body. "Daydreamer, let's head into town, and pay another visit to our new acquaintance there. I wish to see if he knows anything about this throng of ghosts haunting this wretched city... and I also have a desire to look into the unicorn's upper-class district, and not merely for want of making mischief."
"You think they have something to do with this?" Scrivener asked quietly, looking at her curiously, and Luna hesitated, then half-turned towards him as their eyes met, thoughts running back and forth between their minds before he smiled a bit and murmured: "Paranoid Brynhild."
"Call me not that!" Luna blushed deeply and reached up to smack his shoulder firmly... and then she smiled hesitantly, the two studying one-another for a few moments before she stepped forwards him and buried her face against his mane, murmuring: "'Tis no wonder I swept thee up, Scrivener Blooms. But I swear, one day thou shall finally push thy luck too far and I shall bash thy leaky brains."
"I know, I know. But this is all linked somehow, right? We need to investigate that afterwards, too... or it might come after us. I know you remember much of your past now... much of the fall, and I can see your memories... I know you've even been sneaking them into my mind." Scrivener smiled despite himself, and Luna mumbled and shrugged a little even as she smiled a bit up at him. "You can just tell me if you want to talk about it instead of acting like such a manipulative little creature."
"Aye, but where would be the fun in that, Scrivener Blooms? Besides, whether I believe it or not, 'tis still insane and hard to put into words." Luna paused, then she turned and shoved through the door leading out of the building, and Scrivy rolled his eyes in amusement as he followed the winged unicorn as she glanced back and forth, then shouted down the road: "Twilight Sparkle! We leave to visit a possible ally and investigate the town, check in on Scarlet Sage, waken her not but teach her should she desire and we have not yet returned!"
Twilight waved at them grouchily with one hoof, her horn glowing and attention on the wagon she was currently holding in the air with telekinesis as Pegasi worked quickly to replace the wheels... and Luna looked meditative for a moment before she quickly leaned down, sweeping up wet snow and packing it quickly before throwing the snowball hard at Twilight's half-turned away face. It smacked into her cheek and startled her, the violet winged unicorn staggering to the side as she winced backwards... and accidentally half-flung the wagon forwards, Pegasi and ponies yelling and scattering before Twilight cursed in frustration and hurriedly straightened it back out in midair before it could crash to the ground, shouting: "Luna I'm going to drop this on your silly head!"
"Just ensuring thou wert listening!" Luna replied cheerfully, and then she turned as Scrivy shook his own head and laughed, the two falling into place as the winged unicorn rolled her shoulders and glanced up towards the gray skies overhead with a bit of a smile, striding side-by-side along the road, warm thoughtfulness in her eyes as she murmured: "Yes... yes, I like this Scrivener Blooms. I have decided once more that it is in the best interests of all concerned if I simply push forwards, despite all that has happened... if I continue to smile, despite the darkness, despite the sadness and intrigue and evil. I still have Twilight Sparkle, do I not? I still have Scarlet Sage, and I still have Celestia, perhaps closer than ever before, in fact... as I have friends and family. And most important of all... I still have thee."
Scrivener gazed at her softly, drawing his eyes over her features, her ephemeral mane, taking in the familiar details that he never tired of gazing upon... and then he smiled warmly, leaning across to her and kissing her cheek, the winged unicorn looking surprised as they paused in the middle of the street with the encampment to their backs as he said simply: "I love you."
"I love thee too, Scrivener Blooms. My sweet, silly daydreamer." Luna gazed at him with a quiet laugh of surprise, then she cocked her head as the male continued onwards, quickly striding to pace at his side as she asked curiously: "What? What does thou find so interesting, what is this that tickles through thy mind?"
But Scrivy only shook his head as he tossed her a wink over his shoulder, feeling their minds and souls twisting together... and Luna smiled after a moment, only nodding slowly before she stepped closer, the two pressing their sides together, half-curling against one another even as they walked through the desolate streets of the gray town that reviled their very presence. |
Starlit Knights | Gathering Information | Chapter Twenty Eight: Gathering Information
~BlackRoseRaven
The front window of the Allsorts Emporium was broken and covered only by a few pieces of cardboard, and Luna and Scrivy both felt more than a fleeting concern as they pushed into the shop... but they found William Isehorse calmly sweeping up the last of some broken glass, the unicorn glancing up at them with a tired smile as he said kindly: "It's good to see you back... excuse me while I take care of this."
"Thou art injured." Luna said softly, and Isehorse looked surprised... then glanced down at his forelimb embarrassedly, eyes settling on a bloodied cloth bandage. "What happened here? Who attacked thee?"
"Oh, now, don't worry. It wasn't an attack... it was one of those prideful young unicorns, that's all." Isehorse shook his head with a bit of a chuckle as his horn glowed faint ivory, lifting both dustpan and brush. "Threw a rock through my window and ran away... and well, I'm old and a little clumsy, and I cut myself on the glass, that's all."
Isehorse turned away, and he strode slowly towards the counter as Scrivener glanced towards the broken window. Then he looked at Luna, and she nodded to him before the two stepped up to the cardboard patching, pulling it down as Isehorse dumped the glass out into a garbage bin and put the brush and dustpan down, then turned around with a tilt of his head before Luna flicked her horn as it gleamed brightly, and sparkling motes filled the space between the window before forming back into gleaming, crystalline glass as Scrivener Blooms placed the pieces of cardboard aside. "Oh, now, you didn't need to do that, really... much as an old unicorn like me appreciates the help."
"'Tis not any trouble at all, we are glad to help as thou has so graciously aided us." Luna smiled a little, glancing over at the elderly unicorn and bowing her head politely. "Although perhaps our motives are not entirely pure, all the same, for my husband and I have come seeking information on two things... a rumor of a parade of ghosts that passes through this town some nights, as well as information on the unicorn district and how we could perhaps enter it."
Isehorse looked at them thoughtfully for a few moments... and then he nodded slowly and smiled a little, calmly walking around the counter and approaching a small bookshelf mounted on the wall. He carefully stood back on his hind hooves, paging through this as Luna and Scrivener approached curiously, before the unicorn carefully pulled an old tome from the shelves and placed it gently down on the counter, saying quietly: "Yes, I've heard the rumors myself... and, as I have always been a curious investigator of fairy tales and folklore, I even took an interest in exploring what it could mean."
He spun the book around and pushed it towards them, and Luna glanced at Scrivener as the male leaned down and read slowly: "'Wyrd and Wonderful: Myths of Old Equestria.' I had a copy of this myself at Canterlot, except yours looks much older... I'd say... maybe even a third edition, five centuries old?"
"Second edition, five-hundred and fifty. Impressive eye, Scrivener Blooms." Isehorse smiled slightly, then he opened the book, carefully paging through it as he said softly: "What got my attention is that I myself have never seen this... procession of the dead, among other things... ah, here it is."
He pushed the book towards them, and Scrivener and Luna gazed down at an ancient illustration of a cracked open gate, through which countless wraith-like ponies were slowly walking. And Scrivener grimaced as he read the title of the chapter: "'The Gatherers: Omens of Doom.' You don't think it's just... a host of Draugar, as Luna thought?"
"Draugar is simply a word referring to tainted spirits... they may certainly be Draugar, but I believe that like The Stampede, they have a hive mind, a hive presence, and the fact that only certain ponies see and hear and react to this vast parade suggests this." Isehorse said softly, reaching up and tapping the illustration quietly as Luna shivered a bit and shook her head slowly. "It's not pleasant to think of, no. The implications posed by such creatures is terrible... for throughout history, even in the most convoluted of myths, they have only ever appeared before times of mass death and suffering. It is interesting to remark upon the fact that they are thought to mark those who will die by appearing before them, or luring them off to do... who knows what to them... and the way many stories speak of it, the Gatherers come from Helheim, to purge evil and wicked souls, and drag them back down to Helheim with them."
Isehorse paused, then he leaned forwards, saying quietly: "In the last thousand years, they have only been thought to have appeared once. But the pony who saw them was silenced and locked away in an asylum, thought to be driven insane by whatever had transpired before his eyes. However, upon investigation into his claims, it was found that the town he'd come from had been completely demolished and destroyed. Perhaps they are what destroyed Silver Hoof. Perhaps they have now come to North Neigh to do the same... but this is all speculation from an old pony who spent his entire long life buried in fairy tales and folklore."
"I spent most of my life at Canterlot reading nothing but myths and poems, and I ended up suddenly being the most knowledgeable earth pony around on what to do about this darkness." Scrivener Blooms replied with a wry smile, and Isehorse chuckled a bit at this before the male glanced quietly towards Luna as she looked moodily at the book. "We'll need to keep a sharp eye out tonight."
"And every night, from now on, aye. If only we knew more of what had happened at Silver Hoof... it frustrates me. The enemy moves against us, Scrivener Blooms, and cloaks itself far too efficiently in shadow and darkness." Luna gritted her teeth and shook her head, and Isehorse gazed at them with soft sympathy as Scrivener reached up and rested a hoof on her shoulder. "But... one step at a time. Thou has my thanks for thy help and the information, friend... but tell me, of what does thou know of the unicorn's district? I fear that there may be somepony who works against us for reasons foul or worse, and 'twould be the best hideout for a unicorn mage."
Isehorse grimaced a little at this, shaking his head ruefully. "It's an awful place. They don't even permit earth ponies to approach... I heard a rumor that one was actually killed, just for trying to deliver a message from his Pegasus superior to one of the unicorns inside. In fact, I hear that the unicorn pride there is so great, they keep track of both bloodlines as well as social status... I was invited in only once, and even I had to wear a... a kind of pass, I suppose it was."
He stopped, then shook his head as he leaned on the counter, murmuring: "Excuse my rambling, but... it angers me. Many of Equestria's greatest heroes were not unicorns, after all... and those unicorns that have risen to heights of great magic and strength have always relied heavily upon the guardianship, not enslavement, of their brethren. It is part of the reason why I admire you two, if I may be so bold... one of the rarest, most powerful beings in existence, married to a humble earth pony whom the unicorns called a 'slave hoof,' who started out with so little here from what I've been told... and now look at you."
Isehorse smiled kindly, and Scrivy laughed awkwardly, shuffling a bit as Luna gave a warm, affectionate look to her husband and a firm nod. "I agree, my friend. 'Tis not our race nor creed nor anything else that makes us who we are... 'tis our decisions in life, and the choices we make, the paths we boldly stride upon. But that is why I wish to know what awaits us there... and how, perchance, we could slip into this district."
"I am sure that between you two, you have the guile and cunning to find entry... but that is not the problem. The problem, really, is that it's a community all its own, only a few blocks in total. The houses are not large, but they're very expensive... the unicorns refer to them as 'noble cottages,' I believe. It's walled in, and protected by gates and awful mechanical traps bought from and installed by mercenaries. It's to the far north... past city hall, the Pegasus barracks, and the bourgeois storefronts."
"Helios Mutual Holdings. They have proven difficult in the past." Luna muttered, then she nodded and smiled a little, leaning forwards and asking quietly: "Isehorse, may I heal thy wound? 'Twould be a simple task."
The unicorn looked surprised at this, glancing down at his forelimb, but then he only laughed a little and shook his head, saying softly: "No, no, there's no need to trouble yourself over that, Luna... it's very generous of you, and I do deeply appreciate the offer, but don't worry about this old unicorn. Your powers can go to better use than mending an old stallion's shallow cuts."
Luna hesitated, but then she only nodded and said softly: "Then very well, but we are here to aid if we can, and gladly. Perhaps, however, Scrivener Blooms and I shall take our leave and head to investigate the Unicorn District... I am eager to see if there are any hints to what we are up against laying in wait there."
"Then good luck to you both. I believe I'll have a cup of tea myself and settle down." Isehorse replied quietly, nodding in return as he slowly stood and headed around the counter. Scrivy and Luna smiled at him as he walked them politely to the door, then opened it with a tilt of his horn, adding quietly: "If I may offer a word of advice, though... be careful. I am not sure what the future will bring, but I've read enough stories to know that you and Scrivener Blooms likely have quite a part left to play... so it's all rather important you make it back in one piece."
"Aye, worry not. I do not intend to start much further havoc, at least not today." Luna winked over her shoulder as she and Scrivy made their way out into the street, and Isehorse chuckled before he bowed politely, then slipped backwards and quietly closed the door. For a moment, the two lingered... and then Luna glanced irritably across the street at two unicorns that were staring at them, before she asked challengingly: "Does thou not know 'tis rude to stare? And furthermore, 'tis like issuing a duel... does thou wish to battle me?"
The two unicorns winced and scurried away, and Luna huffed a little as Scrivy rolled his eyes with entertainment. "Well, congratulations Luna. You kept your promise not to stir up trouble for all of five seconds. That's a new record."
"Oh silence, despicable, wretched beetle." Luna grumbled and headbutted him firmly, and Scrivener winced as he staggered to the side before the winged unicorn gestured forwards and started down the street, the earth pony glowering as he fell into pace beside her. "In any event, I have a simple plan that will, with fortune's favor, permit us entry into the unicorn district. I shall polymorph us both, and we shall boldly stride in through the front gates."
There was an awkward silence for a few moments as Luna looked calmly ahead and Scrivener stared at her, waiting for another part to the plan that never came... and then he leaned towards her, saying flatly: "I want to make it clear that I'm not questioning your plan right now... but I am questioning your sanity. You are aware of how many things that could go wrong with that plan, right? Especially given that we're in a close-knit, closed-minded traditionalist community where everypony knows everypony else and Isehorse said that even he had to go in wearing some kind of identifier. The guards aren't going to let just any unicorn through."
"Very well, then I shall cloak us in the identities of two ponies we know would have access to such a community." Luna grinned over her shoulder at him, and Scrivener Blooms winced immediately as images flashed through his mind. "And then we shall hope for the very best, and should we be discovered... pummel our way out, hide, and deny all knowledge of said events when they come looking for us."
"Oh. Wonderful." Scrivy looked moodily at the winged unicorn for a few moments, and when she winked at him, he said finally: "I'm going to ask you to do something in the future, Luna. Something you probably won't like. And I'll remind you of this. And you'll do that thing for me. Understood?"
Luna only rolled her eyes, but then she nodded and said distastefully: "I only wish thou ordered me to do interesting things I didn't like, not boring ones. But thou can be remarkably boring, Scrivener Blooms. Thou art stuffy. Like-"
"Like Celestia, like Canterlot, yes, yes, yes." Scrivy said tiredly, and then he halted, and Luna paused and glanced over her shoulder as the male looked aside down an alley, saying quietly: "We shouldn't risk getting too close. The unicorns and Pegasi will be more alert the closer we draw to their little sanctuary."
The winged unicorn smiled briefly at this, then she quietly followed Scrivy into the dirty alley between a run-down house and the remains of an abandoned store. They both checked over their shoulders, but the only ponies passing by were earth ponies that pointedly had their heads lowered as they dragged heavy wagons loaded with supplies behind themselves, and Luna shot a glance up towards the sky before she looked at Scrivy and said softly: "Prepare thyself."
Scrivy grimaced and gritted his teeth... and Luna's horn glowed as she concentrated before the male winced, staggering backwards and then cursing under his breath as he felt the distinct pain of a horn growing into place over his skull, his frame shrinking and thinning, his mane lengthening... and then he opened his eyes with a wince, loose glasses almost dangling down to the end of his muzzle before he pushed them quickly back up and looked moodily across at Luna. "Well?"
Luna smiled awkwardly, nodding slowly: Scrivener Blooms now looked exactly like Bramblethorn, down to the last detail... and the winged unicorn took a slow breath as she stepped backwards, arching her back as her horn glowed, light pulsing over her body as she shrank slightly and her frame rippled... and a moment later, it was no longer Luna standing across from him, but Mayor Caprice, the unicorn looking moodily down at her ivy necklace before it flickered and vanished from view. "I now regret my idea. Greatly. Scrivener Blooms, tell me I am an idiot."
"You're an idiot." Scrivy said in surly imitation of his father's voice, and Luna looked at him for a moment... then she snorted laughter and shook her head even as Scrivener shuddered in disgust. "This is my worst nightmare come true, you know. And yet I almost want to laugh at the ridiculousness of it myself. You're lucky I'm so self-destructive."
"Aye, I am. But come, thou shall lead and do the talking for us, should it be required. Thankfully, as Caprice, I need merely whimper and stammer." Luna mumbled in response, and the two carefully made their way back to the head of the alley before slipping out onto the street, and they hurried side-by-side north, taking a small detour along the side streets around city hall and glancing nervously at what was obviously the huge, stone keep of the Pegasus barracks as they passed, soldiers standing in the frost-covered yard in front of this firing at targets with both crossbows and carbine rifles as a unicorn captain shouted orders.
The Unicorn District was past a row of restaurants and expensive-looking storefronts being maintained and polished by earth ponies, as Pegasus soldiers patrolled grimly... and both Luna and Scrivy grimaced at the sight of the high iron gates, locked securely tight and closed: they were ornate but obviously there for more than show, and every thick bar was tipped with a deadly spike to keep anything from climbing over. The walls were sleek, heavy brick, and barbed wire ran along the top like it was a military zone... but the roads beyond were almost sparkling with how clean they were kept, the asphalt glinting, the snow melted away from yards, the homes small but made of stone and polished wood. It looked like paradise inside... paradise, that was guarded by Pegasus soldiers in full body armor, with crosshatch blades over their forelegs and rifles over their backs, teams patrolling the skies above like vultures and standing on platforms made from clouds to keep constant surveillance.
And turrets, too, gleamed dangerously: three sat on either side, large, square, and blocky, their barrels aimed towards the road... and Scrivy couldn't help but make a face in disgust at the sight of blood splattered in the snow and several broken bolts that lay near this. Then he glanced sharply up as a Pegasus in white armor, obviously an officer of some sort, stepped forwards and asked: "Problem, sir?"
"Of course there's a problem. You call this neat? You call this ordered?" The words came by themselves: all Scrivy had to do was remember how his father had always talked to him, and he hated how naturally his mouth seemed to do the rest. "Why the hell hasn't that been cleaned up yet? The last thing we need is another filthy slave-hoof stain on our town."
"S-Sorry, sir, won't happen again." The Pegasus officer stepped backwards, wincing, and then he asked hesitantly: "Password, sir? You know that-"
"What? Who the hell do you think you're talking to?" Scrivy leaned forwards, snarling beneath the mask of Bramblethorn as he reached a hoof up and shoved the Pegasus officer backwards, who grit his teeth but didn't dare respond. "Open the gates, and don't make me repeat myself, do you understand me?"
"Yes sir." the Pegasus muttered moodily, stepping backwards and glancing over his shoulder as he snapped at the guards: "All clear!"
The other Pegasus nodded as two of them flew up the center of the heavy iron gates, each grasping a handle and then yanking slowly back, the gates rumbling before slowly beginning to swing backwards and open. Impatiently, Scrivy shoved forwards, Luna trying to keep herself low and slink along behind him, difficult as it was for her to imitate the cowardly skittering of Caprice... but without further problems, the two stepped through the half-opened gates and entered into the Unicorn District beyond, both surprised at the warmth that washed over them as Scrivy leaned back and closed his eyes, breathing deeply for a moment as Luna looked at him quietly... and then he smiled grimly and nodded, murmuring: "Let's not give them any suspicions. Come on."
They strode slowly down the heated street, looking apprehensively back and forth: the so-called noble cottages really were exquisite and pretty, and horribly, reminded both Scrivy and Luna of their own wonderful little home... which just made Scrivener feel grouchy, and Luna want to burn them down. They each had their own small yard, and unicorns were the only presence here as they strutted around, adorned in finery and speaking in dulcet tones, each striving to outdo the other.
The two simply let their hooves carry them forwards, before a unicorn with her mane pushed back into a beehive and a dress made of red ribbons strode over to them, saying charmingly: "Chancellor Bramblethorn and Mayor Caprice, my, so rare to see you here this time of day... and... my... darling, what a... pretty cloak."
She eyed the fuzzy cloak for a few moments, face forming a moue of distaste, and then she shook her head as she reached up and absently stroked the four or so gold necklaces hanging around her neck. Scrivener looked at her for a moment, and she frowned curiously at him... and then the male shook his head and gave an exasperated sigh, asking in as rude a voice as he could manage on a hunch: "What do you want now?"
"Oh, Bramblethorn, always so businesslike, it's not like that at all!" She flipped a hoof and laughed awkwardly, and Scrivener scowled: his memory had served him right. The unicorn standing in front of them with her big bright eyes and pretty red coat was Glitzy Gem, daughter of Dilly-Dallies, one of the unicorn friends of Bramblethorn. "In all honesty, it's not at all what I want. It's what Mother wants... perhaps you could stop by for tea tomorrow? We would dearly enjoy the company of you and your wife, and... maybe that friend of yours from town?"
Scrivener grumbled and turned, pushing onwards, and Luna gave a giggle and a dumb smile to Glitzy before she turned and hurried after him, and the unicorn glared after the two before she called sweetly: "I'll tell mother to expect you! Please, bring your rich friend!"
"Oh, this reminds me all too much of politics and Canterlot now. Let us hope our search is rewarded quickly... but so far, the only magic I feel in the air comes from the heated street." Luna muttered, and Scrivy grimaced a bit before they both halted on the road and gazed at a large, elongated single-floor home, stylized almost like an enlarged ranch house. It was elegant, posh, and refined... and as they looked, two unicorns came hurrying out of the front door towards them, both wearing red and black uniforms, and Luna winced backwards a bit as Scrivener only glowered.
"Sir, Bramblethorn, sir, and mayor, ma'am, forgive us, we didn't expect you home so early!" One of the servants bowed deep, the other continuing to speak in a rushed, half-terrified voice as he sat back and rubbed his hooves together. "That is to say not... not everything is done and... I mean, I... well... we mean, what we mean to say is that-"
"Get out of my way." Scrivy ordered, and the servants winced as they scurried back towards the house, the disguised earth pony wincing over his shoulder and shrugging at Luna before he started forwards, and Luna followed, the two feeling a twinge of odd instinct as the servants lingered worriedly by the front doors, half blocking the way in. "What are you idiots doing?"
"N-Nothing, I... nothing!" one of the servants balked, and then he winced when Scrivy shoved him aside rudely and stormed through the door, Luna following as the unicorn servants both fell in behind them... and Scrivener stared as a Pegasus female standing at the back door winced and looked up with a deep flush of horror before one of the servants bawled: "Oh god please have mercy!"
Scrivener stared at the Pegasus, and the female stared back, swallowing slowly... and then the male slowly leaned towards, asking quietly: "Who is this, servant?"
"My... my sister... I... I'm sorry, please, sir, please, please have mercy, please..." babbled one of the servants, pushing past Luna to grovel at disguised Scrivy, as the Pegasus cursed and shook her head, turning towards them with a wince. "Please, the rumors aren't true, she's not a shorn-wing, she wasn't helping the newcomers out, and I lied but please don't think that-"
"Everypony, get out. I require a moment to think." Scrivener Blooms said calmly, and the unicorn servants quailed, the Pegasus wincing before they hurried to the end of the hall and the back door, shoving their way through... and after a moment, Scrivy shook his head, saying distastefully to Luna: "Figures that Bramblethorn would hire unicorn servants. Probably thinks it makes him even more superior. Likely doesn't know about that Pegasus, though... let's see what kind of information we can get out of the servants."
"Aye, Scrivy..." Luna grimaced as she looked back and forth, adding moodily: "But let us not linger long, or search this awful home. The polished floors and walls, the expensiveness of everything here, it disgusts me when the rest of the town lay in such ruination... and I do not wish to further antagonize these creatures, tempting as it is. They will instantly blame us already... should Bramblethorn think that we have invaded his home, perhaps not even the fear of Nightmare Moon I have placed into him will be enough to stop him from lashing back at us."
Scrivy nodded slowly... and then he glanced over his shoulder at Luna as she looked back, eyes meeting, trading worries, thoughts, doubts, before the two strode to the back door as their minds settled on the same decision and the same hoped outcome, pushing through the back door and closing it behind them to find one of the unicorn servants standing aside and twiddling his hooves nervously, the other sitting at a table and hyperventilating, and the Pegasus standing and grimacing, but bowing her head respectfully to him as he and Luna looked at her.
They stood on a burgundy-painted patio, the chairs and table showing Caprice's same horrid lack of color coordination by their green and blue color scheme, and the male looked meditatively at the Pegasus, taking in her coat - the same dull gold as the hyperventilating unicorn - and the simple clothes she was wearing before he asked calmly: "How did you get inside?"
"I flew. Over the wall." the Pegasus lied clearly, glancing away with a flush. Scrivy and Luna traded an amused look at this, and then they both returned their eyes to her, and the Pegasus shook her head before she mumbled defiantly: "I... I won't tell you."
"Oh no, we're dead." the anxiety-riddled unicorn looked up with a wince at her, and then he said quickly: "Come on, just... tell them! Maybe they'll go easy on you-"
"Bramblethorn's a power mad asshole. Yeah, sure, maybe earth ponies are inferior but that doesn't mean you get to stomp on them... and Pegasi and unicorns sure as hell aren't anything less than you are!" the Pegasus snapped suddenly, looking up and glaring at him. "I'd rather work and live beside slave-hoofs as a goddamn shorn-wing than help him!"
Luna and Scrivy exchanged another look... and then the two burst out laughing, and the three other ponies stared in stupefaction at this before Scrivener Blooms smiled slightly as he looked up and Luna tilted her horn towards him with a wide grin... and a moment later, the features of Bramblethorn twisted slightly, becoming Scrivy's own as the other ponies stared in shock before Luna drew back and they once more took on a perfect mask of Bramblethorn's. "We might have more in common than you think."
"We require information." Luna added calmly in the silence, straightening and cracking her neck... and even in Caprice's form, the imperious language of her body made it clearer it wasn't the mayor than even her strong, clear tones. "I believe that we can easily work out an understanding between us... and thou may be a little more forthcoming now in telling how thou managed to move back and forth undetected."
The Pegasus was only continuing to stare, however, before one of the unicorn servants wheezed and dropped his head to the ground, and the other sitting at the table laughed weakly, stuttering: "W-Well, we're d-d-deep in it now, aren't we... Bramblethorn would have killed us to see us letting a Pegasus in his home but now y-you two... oh... oh hell..."
"All the more reason to cooperate." the Pegasus said suddenly, shaking her head and grinning slightly as she nodded firmly before glancing over her shoulder and adding hurriedly: "But... listen, I need to get out of here before the next patrol pass. Why don't you two come with me? I'll show you the way we get in and out and mess with the unicorns every now and then."
Luna and Scrivy smiled at each other at this, and the Pegasus leaned down and traded a quick, tight hug with her brother before she turned and bounded quickly down from the patio, and the two disguised unicorns followed after her, the mare gazing over her shoulder with relief as they headed quickly into the back yard and towards the back wall of the unicorn district in the distance. "Good, you're following. Was worried for a minute... bad enough my half-brother's working there, but I don't want him getting involved in any of this stuff. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad you two aren't Bramblethorn and his useless wife... but if they got caught..."
"I understand." Luna said softly, smiling slightly as she and Scrivener followed close behind the Pegasus mare as she turned, running now alongside the wall... and then, even as Luna opened her mouth to ask another question, the Pegasus jumped forwards into a large bush and simply vanished from sight.
Luna and Scrivy both stared at this in surprise... and then the Pegasus stuck her head out near the bottom with a wink at them, gesturing quickly with her head as she called: "Come on, there's a tunnel here that leads north... be quick, the Pegasus patrols will be by any moment!"
She ducked back down... and for a moment, Scrivy and Luna glanced awkwardly over their shoulders towards the houses behind them... but if the mare spoke the truth, then they would be able to return any time, and as it was, both were aware the only reason they hadn't been caught so far was luck more than it was skill. The moment the real Bramblethorn or Caprice showed up at the gates, it would all be over... and the two hesitated only a second longer before Luna leapt down into the bush, and Scrivener followed her, the ponies landing with awkward grunts of surprise on a pile of hay at the bottom of a dusty, shallow cavern, the Pegasus standing on a ladder at the side of the room and quickly sliding a heavy concealed door into place the moment they were through.
She laughed and grinned, jumping down in front of them as Scrivy and Luna both straightened and brushed themselves off, looking back and forth curiously: the tunnel was well-maintained, shored up with wooden supports and lit by small lanterns filled with magical flame, and the Pegasus smiled as she surveyed them before holding out a hoof as the cutie mark of an extended ivory wing on her flank gleamed. "Swiftly Wing."
"I am Luna, and my husband is Scrivener Blooms." Luna said quietly, and then she paused, glancing at him before winking as her horn glowed, then flashed, and Scrivy winced a bit in pain as he felt his body returning to normal, frame rippling and horn vanishing as Luna's own form restored with slightly-more grace. Swiftly stared at them, and then Luna reached up and politely took her hoof, shaking it once with a nod. "Art thou rebels?"
"I... oh. Wait, rebels?" Swiftly laughed and shook her head, looking at Luna with entertainment as she recovered her senses, gazing from one to the other as she murmured: "There haven't been rebels in North Neigh for a long time, Luna. A long, long time... fifty years, maybe. I'm just an outlaw, a criminal... my mom's a Pegasus. Only met my father a few times... he and mom had the whole 'forbidden romance' thing going until she got pregnant with me, then he panicked and skipped out on her and married a unicorn. I actually have met my dad, talked to him a few times, not a bad guy despite all that... and I met Neville a few years ago. My half-brother... I look out for him and he helps me a lot. They call him a splinter-horn a lot because he doesn't have that same unicorn pride, because... dad told him not make stupid mistakes for other ponies. And there's my whole damn life story, shucks."
She laughed again awkwardly, shaking her head briefly, tan ponytail flicking over one shoulder. "Anyway, I'm not pure-blood Pegasus and other Pegasi know that, so they wouldn't let me in their army. Pure of race or those who fake it really well only. That means I'm a shorn-wing, and that means my only means of making money is running don't-ask deliveries. 'Care' packages... drugs for posh unicorns who act like they're way better than me when they place the order but are usually all but begging and drooling for it by the time I show up, and more honest stuff for the servants in there. Food, drawings, letters... Pegasus and unicorn servants inside the Unicorn District aren't permitted to have their own possessions, or even to leave without proper permission. It's just a goddamn jail with pretty cells, and none of the fancy-pants unicorns in there seem to realize it."
Scrivener grimaced a bit as Luna nodded slowly, Swiftly looking at them awkwardly before she asked quietly: "But that means my entire business is information, is learning who to talk to, when and where. I... I can help you guys out. I'd love to help you guys out. It's not that I just want to crumble the unicorn regime in North Neigh, even if I kind of do... but you were looking for something in there, right? Or wanted something... I can get you that. If it screws with the unicorns, it's a bonus."
"Actually, we are not here to battle unicorns, Swiftly... although that may well end up what happens all the same." Luna grimaced and shook her head slowly, and Swiftly cocked her head curiously. "I was seeking the lair of a possible unicorn mage who is interfering with my ability to contact my sister, and whom I fear may have something to do with other events here, including the apparent horde of ghosts that comes into this town some nights..."
Swiftly grimaced at this, and the two cocked their heads at the same time, making her rear back in surprise before she said quietly: "Yeah, I've seen that. Some... old friends were in the middle of that, other runners I used to work on-and-off beside, who got thrown into the 'prison caves...' and once you're in, you're usually dead. It's... too cold in there for most ponies to survive for long. It's slow... it's painful... and the unicorns do it because then they can say it wasn't their fault."
She shook her head grimly, then looked up with a sigh and a faint, bitter smile. "So, you're actually really here to fight 'evil,' huh? You sure you want to save these unicorns from evil? You sure you want to save these ponies?"
"There is darkness spreading over Equestria... and I intend to save all the ponies I can. Even the unicorns of North Neigh... although I will also be very glad to pummel them once this is all said and done until they learn proper respect." Luna replied moodily, nodding slowly as she looked up with distaste. "Sadly, if I leave, ignoring the disease of darkness here... it will not just annihilate the prideful unicorns. It will kill the innocent ponies as well, and I cannot permit this."
Swiftly nodded a few times, looking down and murmuring: "I wish I could just move away. But where would I go? Snow Saddle, Trotronto? They're all so far away... and even worse, through the barrens. North Neigh is frozen in the past, just like Silver Hoof was, just like all the other little snow-covered settlements along the Gray Mountains. Stuff is wrong up here. It gets into your head..."
She looked away, then gestured for them to follow as she turned, beginning to lead them down the tunnel as the Pegasus continued quietly: "As to your problem, tell you what. Normally I sleep in a junkyard. Let me hang out with your Starlight Knights or whatever they're called at that nice place you're setting up, and I will gladly gather all the information I can, on anything you like. I ain't even asking for food or money... I can get both of those if I want, but it's hard as hell for a shorn-wing runner to find a roof over her head in these parts. I'd sleep in the tunnel, but other runners use 'em every now and then, too... and not all of them are exactly as conscientious as I am, you understand?"
Luna and Scrivy traded a look, and when Scrivener shrugged, the winged unicorn sighed before saying slowly: "Thou... will be welcomed to our encampment, then. When I return, I shall inform those who need to know that thou art endeavoring to aid us. But can thou spare us no information now on any happenings around here?"
"Well... since most of my job is running weird, illegal packages and gathering information to stay on top, and a lot of the other runners are chatty... okay, okay." They halted at the other end of the long, dirt tunnel, a ladder in front of them leading up to a trapdoor... but the mare turned around in front of this and smiled grimly at them. "I was at my usual dive one night, listening in on conversation, when some of Scutum's boys walked in. Weird to see Pegasus soldiers striding into a dirty, filthy bar favored mostly by slave-hooves and shorn-wings like me, but then it got pretty clear why they were here when they ordered Horse Tranquilizers. And I mean the drink, not the drug."
She smiled wryly, and Scrivener grunted as Luna said ruefully: "Sleipnir and I once engaged in a contest using drinks of similar repute. It did not end prettily."
"And they probably woke up feeling like unicorns that just got their horns turned inside-out. But of course, by the third round, they were tipsy enough I was able to sidle over and find out what they were doing here. Only meant to find out the patrol schedule for the next few days, but one Pegasus just grabs me, starts crying and whimpering 'mommy' this and that. But between the sobbing and the whining he mentions stuff I didn't believe at first... stuff I know they wouldn't've said to Scutum. Some of it was pure drunken crazy talk, like a dragon playing solitaire in the mist... but they kept going on and on about... about the ghosts that were everywhere. That their friends couldn't see but for some reason, they could. Ghosts, just staring around at everything, walking through the wreckage, like they were looking for something.
"And his friend kept tracing this symbol on the bar. I watched him, and finally caught it... I think it was a horn, like the instrument kind. I asked him about it after I got momma's boy off of me but... he only shook his head and said something about how that was why Silver Hoof was gone." She stopped, then said quietly: "It all seemed like nonsense, but... two days later, they were gone. Just... gone. Scutum sent out a patrol for them but... no sign of 'em ever again."
She fell quiet, then shook her head and added: "That's all you guys get for now. Come on, it should be safe."
Swiftly turned and hauled herself up the ladder quickly, shoving the trapdoor at the top open and peering back and forth... and then she slipped out and gestured to the two ponies at the bottom. Scrivener's stomach writhed as Luna grimaced darkly, not liking what this piece of the puzzle could mean as they followed quickly up the ladder... and then looked back and forth in surprise as they realized they were on the outside of North Neigh, the northern wall of the city and the unicorn district to their back, and before them empty, lonely ice fields across which breathed a bitter, painful wind. "I'm sure two resourceful ponies like you can pretty easily find your way around and back into North Neigh. Me, I gotta make a short trip up to a little hidey-hole and pick up some packages. Nice meeting you both."
With that, Swiftly hopped into the air, not sparing any further words and flying quickly, smoothly away over the packed snow towards the ominous mountains the distance. Luna and Scrivy both looked after her for a few moments, and then Luna shook her head, glancing over her shoulder and sliding the trapdoor closed as her horn glowed and she murmured: "Odd, talkative, abrupt creature. She told us much and very little at the same time. And somehow I am all too sure there were many mistruths hidden alongside the legitimate in her speech."
Scrivener Blooms nodded slowly, lowering his head with a sigh as he looked moodily towards the stony, jutting bases of the rock and frost that made up the looming peaks, watching as the aptly-named Swiftly Wing dove quickly behind an outcropping. "She's certainly fast. But Luna... do you think..."
"I know not what to think, Scrivener Blooms. All I know is those mountains... are a terrible place. That inside them can be found artifacts of incredible potency and power, such as when sister led us to the Elements of Harmony... and somewhere, I hope still buried beneath the avalanche that my brother brought crashing down upon it, vile monsters such as Fenrir lay in wait, and I hope sleep dreamlessly until Ragnarok comes." Luna halted, then she shuddered and shook her head, murmuring: "Something was either sought or discovered at Silver Hoof, aye, this I believe. Just as my instincts tell me... whatever ravaged Silver Hoof is coming here, if it is not already. When we hunt the Gatherers, we shall learn more."
"That's what I love about you, Luna..." Scrivener smiled a little as the winged unicorn began to stride slowly through the snow towards the northern wall, the male falling into step beside her. "We aren't simply going to wait for the parade of ghosts to appear. We're going to go looking for them, and then smack them around until they tell us what they're doing here."
Luna began to laugh... and then there was a click ahead and a glint of silver as a turret spun on its base towards them, a snowbank bursting apart as the winged unicorn's eyes widened before she instinctively dropped her head forwards, a barrier forming in front of herself and Scrivener Blooms as the short barrels extending from the square turret that had been hidden beneath the snow gave a short series of bangs, half a dozen nail-like bolts bouncing uselessly off the blue barrier.
The camera 'eye' in the center of the turret gleamed, staring at them soullessly as Luna snarled through the sapphire wall, then flicked her horn decisively upwards; static rumbled through the air, and then a blast of lightning shot downwards, smashing into the top of the metal box and making the machinery squeal before it exploded in a burst of light and yellow flame, chunks of shrapnel flying in all directions as Scrivy winced.
Luna stepped backwards, dropping the barrier as within moments, a patrol of Pegasi shot towards them, dropping down on either side of the ruined turret and glaring at them challengingly as one snapped: "What the hell are you doing here, split-hoof? This is a restricted area!"
"Nay, 'tis a field. We were just on our way back from a pleasant walk through the mountains." Luna retorted, sniffing distastefully as she glared back and forth, Scrivener narrowing his eyes: probably an obvious enough lie, but it wasn't exactly like the Pegasus could do anything about it either way. "That damnable box attacked us!"
"You just destroyed private military property." one of the Pegasi replied coldly, and one of the soldiers glanced nervously over his shoulder as the other three members of the patrol stepped forwards threateningly. "You should come with us."
Luna, however, only grinned in reply, electricity crackling along her horn and starry mane as she stepped forwards, her ivy necklace swaying and the black pearl glinting almost in challenge as she asked quietly: "Oh really? Do the four of thee really think that thou art enough to battle the Champion of Equestria and her husband? For whatever thou may call him, he is still larger than thee... little birds may have the advantage of flight, but forget not their bones are hollow... and a falcon caught in the claws of a manticore rarely survives for long."
The Pegasi looked nervously back and forth now... and then the leader cursed and took flight, and the rest of his patrol hurriedly followed him, even as he shouted over his shoulder from the air: "Get out of here, ground-kissers, you're not wanted here!"
"Oh believe me, I wish we could leave and let all thee damnable louts die a horrid death." Luna grumbled under her breath, and then she sat sulkily back on her haunches with a sigh as the glow died out from around her horn, looking moodily over at Scrivener Blooms as the earth pony smiled awkwardly. "Scrivy, this is ridiculous. I have discovered I am so powerful because I am a Valkyrie, rudely thrown to Midgard from Valhalla and reincarnated in this body. We are being pursued by a cult which worships Nightmare Moon because they believe her to be the bringer of Ragnarok and a new, happier world. Our adopted daughter is a Blood Seer, the town we have been sent to save from destruction is filled with preening holier-than-thou unicorns, and every time I pummel or kill something it only leads to something even larger and meaner crawling perhaps out of Helheim itself to complicate the puzzle further! And I will not even start upon the problems of Bob of Ginnungagap, Pinkamena the Lemon Drop, or Celestia the... the... stuffy!"
She dropped her head forwards sulkily, and Scrivener stepped over to her and wrapped a foreleg around her, kissing her temple gently and saying softly: "Well, let's go back to our home, then and remind ourselves a little of what we're fighting for by visiting with family and friends. You can tell me more awkward stories about your past, Luna the Cranky, and maybe we'll consult Nightmare Moon for some ideas before tonight, too."
"Aye, I suppose." Luna said moodily, shifting a bit before she checked him with her shoulder, knocking him back a step as she stood up and nodded once with a mumble. "Still, 'tis... much to deal with all at once, and unlike what I thought, things grow murkier instead of brighter. Still, our answers must lay at some point along this path... I only hope we learn them before it grows too late."
She halted, then shook her head quickly, adding grouchily as Scrivy gazed at her softly: "Nay, enough dark thoughts. Luna the Cranky requires enjoyment... yes, yes, after being responsible. I know there is likely much to tend to at the campsite... I only wish that our welcome here had been warmer, so the Starlit Knights could put themselves to better use without having to worry about angry unicorns."
The two quietly made their way through the snow fields, keeping an eye out around the northern wall for any turrets, but then simply following the dilapidated, broken fencing that surrounded the rest of North Neigh's less-than-posh district. As they walked, Luna wondered silently on the situation they were in and rehashed memories... and Scrivy couldn't help but think of the city, and of Bramblethorn, and wonder how the unicorn had managed to get himself into such an elevated position.
As often happened when they were both thinking hard, their thoughts naturally swam through one another's minds... and then Scrivener found himself curiously thinking of days in Valhalla he hadn't lived, smiling faintly at Luna's memories that surfaced: of a strange life, not a pony, a Valkyrie, fighting and laughing and yet she had been... a little alone in spite of it all. Even back then, different. Luna, on the other hand, thought moodily of Bramblethorn, associating some of what she'd seen with her life more than a thousand years ago and the corrupt Barons... and worse, the viziers and advisors that used the political leaders like puppets. Except Bramblethorn was far too obvious in his puppetry of Caprice... just like he seemed a little too arrogant, a little too cruel, to have ever managed getting into political power by himself.
Then, suddenly, the two ponies looked at each other, realized they'd traded thoughts and memories... and they couldn't help but laugh, both looking a little embarrassed before nuzzling one-another affectionately as they paused, coming to a halt as they studied one another. Then Luna bowed her head towards him, and she murmured softly: "I am fortunate in what I have lived, Scrivy. I see that now... I am fortunate to have lived my years as a Valkyrie, even if I spent most of them alone, a Night Maiden even then... and I am fortunate to have died. I am fortunate to have been dropped to Equestria, and I am fortunate to have awoken as a winged unicorn. I am fortunate for all that happened from that point on, from Nightmare Moon to my return a thousand years later from the cold imprisonment of the moon... because it has all led to me and thee, together."
Scrivener blushed a little, gazing at her tenderly... and then she stepped forwards, and they kissed for a soft, tender moment before pulling apart as they smiled warmly into one another's eyes... before they both glowered upwards as Rainbow Dash said mildly: "That was the corniest thing I have ever heard. Can you hear the sappy music? I can totally hear the sappy music playing right now."
The blue Pegasus was easily hovering in the air, looking down at them with his forelegs crossed, messy mane falling over his face as he grinned widely... and then Luna flicked her horn with a grumble, and a small arc of electricity zapped through the air around Dash, making him yelp and flail wildly as his wings spasmed before he fell from the sky and landed in a puff of snow on the other side of the fence. "What thou shalt be hearing shortly is the sound of being on fire if thou pushes my patience any further."
Rainbow huffed as he scrambled his way out of the snow and leaned overtop the fence, looking grouchily down at them. "Oh, bite me. Like Pinkamena hasn't already tried that already, anyway... I swear, I can't tell if she likes me or she hates me. But anyway, Cowlick wanted me to find you guys and let you know that she has the wagons repaired and most of the other apartment building cleaned out, but she needs help with heating the buildings or something. I don't see why we're doing all this work when we're not even gonna be here that long, though."
He paused, then shook himself out and flapped his wings, sending up a puff of snow as he launched himself back into the air and rolled his shoulders with a grimace. "You know what really bothers me, though? What jerks everypony around here is, and how it's always so... so bleak and gray all the time. I tried talking to some of the Pegasus soldiers and they just called me a shorn-wing and mocked my armor. I tried convincing a few others to help me push away the clouds and most of them just said 'that's not my job, I'm a soldier' or something like that. Apparently their ranks have all gone to their swollen fat heads."
"Welcome to North Neigh." Scrivener Blooms said mildly, and then he shook his head, glancing towards a particularly large drift and beginning: "Anyway, Luna and I will be across the barrier in-"
Then he winced as a sapphire glow enshrouded him, hefting him into the air as he flailed his limbs before Luna simply flicked her horn forwards and sent him flying over the fence to crash down with a puff on the other side, and Rainbow Dash snorted laughter as he flew a few feet backwards, Luna neatly leaping up and flapping her broad wings only once to launch herself over the fence. Her cloak, mane and starry tail fluttered backwards, twisting gently as she landed on top of the powder... and then Scrivener sat moodily up beside her and glared at her as she looked imperiously down at him before sweeping up a hoof-full of snow and shoving this into his face. "Now thou truly are abominable, Scrivener Blooms. But come, enough fun for now. Let us go to Cowlick."
"You guys are the weirdest couple ever." Rainbow said with a grin, propelling himself backwards and spinning around as Scrivy grumbled and hefted himself to his hooves, then he turned and lowered his head before charging towards Luna and attempting to tackle her back... but Luna only grinned, leaping upwards as her wings flapped to propel her high, and Scrivener stared dumbly before he crashed into the ground, leaving a short trench through the powder before he wheezed when Luna landed on his back and squashed him slightly further down into the snow, peering down at him with a teasing smile on her face.
"I said enough fun for now, Scrivy, we can wrestle in the snow together later." Luna admonished kindly, as Rainbow stared... then cackled as he flew backwards through the air, grabbing at his head and stomach with a wide grin.
Scrivener huffed, sending out a puff of snow before Luna stepped off him and strode towards the road in the distance, and he carefully peeled himself up from the ground before grumbling as he quickly jogged to catch up, snow still falling away from his body as Luna tossed him a wink before she rolled her eyes as Rainbow continued to giggle, tilting her horn to the side... and a short, sharp wind blew into the Pegasus as they began to walk past the wreckage of the silo, making him wince and list just enough that he smacked loudly into the wall of the half-collapsed structure, grunting and then falling backwards with a loud thud as Luna called mildly: "There is such a thing as too much enjoyment, handsome Rainbow Dash."
"I'm handsome!" Rainbow thrust a hoof into the air from where he was laying on his back, and Luna rolled her eyes as Scrivener gave her a half-entertained, half-exasperated look. Before he could say anything, however, Twilight strode out of the nearby building, and she let out a sigh of relief, smiling at them as she called something through the still-open doors.
Cowlick's voice yelled back, indistinct as the doors swung closed, and Twilight rolled her eyes before she smiled at the two ponies, saying quietly: "Good to see you both. You'll be glad to know I already took care of the heating issue... I would have done it earlier but I was teaching Scarlet Sage, and Cowlick's apparently afraid of upsetting you by going near her."
"Good." Luna said in a pleased voice, and then she glanced towards Rainbow Dash as the Pegasus strode easily out around the apartments. "Rainbow, as thou art both speedy and a gossip, I shall let thee know that there is going to be a Pegasus staying here, named Swiftly Wing. She is an outlaw of sorts... an information gatherer and smuggler, but I believe we can trust her enough to allow her to stay in the encampment, if only because she greatly dislikes the unicorns for the same reasons we do. Her story is... strange, and has a few obvious alterations and possible holes... but nonetheless, we shall give her a chance."
Rainbow grumbled at this, but then he nodded after a moment, looking grouchily up towards the sky. "Alright, alright, I guess I'll fly around, letting people know. Swiftly Wing, huh? She a good flier?"
"Perhaps better than thou." Luna replied with a grin, and Rainbow leaned back, giving her a horrible, offended look. Then he huffed and turned around, flying off towards the skies as Luna turned her eyes towards Twilight... and then tilting her head curiously as the violet pony only smiled at her softly. "What? No argument? No reprisal? Not even a question? Art thou possessed again, Twilight Sparkle? And if so, it had better be something more pleasant than Celestia."
"Oh stop it." Twilight rolled her eyes, but then she laughed a little all the same, shaking her head and gazing at her softly. "No, it's not that at all. I have... plenty of questions, but after spending so long with Scarlet Sage and helping out and... thinking about a lot of things while I was working... I have something I want to say, Scrivy, Luna. Can we go inside? Fluttershy and Rarity are with Scarlet Sage, trying out Cowlick's heated bath so... we'll have a little privacy."
Luna and Scrivy traded curious looks, but then both nodded and quietly strode after Twilight Sparkle as she smiled awkwardly and turned to head towards the other apartment building, and they followed her inside and to the corner room Luna had claimed as their private domicile. She closed the door behind them as the sapphire winged unicorn threw off her cloak and she and Scrivy stomped their hooves out and brushed snow from one another, and Twilight watched them affectionately before she strode towards the bedding, quietly laying down and turning around to face them, half-on and half-off it.
Scrivener and Luna both stepped forwards and laid down as well, looking at her... and Twilight Sparkle smiled a little, closing her eyes as she said softly: "I've realized... how fleeting life is, with this journey. And I've realized that... nothing is guaranteed. When I look at you two, I think about... everything we've been through together, shared, been a part of, and I look at you both and know that... you're soulmates. I envy that. And I adore you both."
"Oh Horses of Heaven I think she's breaking up with us." Scrivener whispered loudly to Luna, and then Twilight glared at him and a pillow flew up and smacked into his face, knocking his glasses askew.
"God, do you have to ruin everything?" she asked grouchily, and Luna nodded a few times for Scrivy even as the earth pony adjusted his glasses, and Twilight sighed before she cleared her throat, blushed, and said finally in a stumbling, awkward rush: "Once you asked me if I would bear a foal for you if you couldn't do it Luna and I think I'm finally ready to say yes."
Scrivener and Luna both stared, then their jaws dropped at the same time as they blinked in unison as they leaned forwards in surprise, and Twilight dropped her face in her hooves with a deep red flush as she snapped: "You're doing that thing again!"
Luna and Scrivener glanced awkwardly at each other at the same time... then Scrivy cleared his throat as the winged unicorn winced and looked towards Twilight Sparkle, blushing deeply herself as she said in a humbled voice: "Sweet, beloved, wonderful Twilight I... well... we have Scarlet Sage now, and it is so generous and... and kind and... by Odin, I mean... oh talk, Scrivener Blooms!"
"Luna and I are both very deeply touched but... it would be... selfish of us. We wouldn't want to hurt Scarlet Sage and... you... I mean, you really are... I mean..." Scrivener cleared his throat again, then coughed as he glanced away and Luna dropped her head against his mane, her own starry locks cascading over her face.
But then Twilight looked up at them, and she smiled softly, saying quietly: "But that's exactly why I'd want to... do this for you. Seeing you... with her as your daughter, how good you are with her. How supportive and loving... we'd have to... work things out, yes, and talk it over and there are a lot of details, but... I think... I think after all this is said and done, if you do want to consider it... I'd be willing. I know I wasn't before, I was worried and scared... but..." She softened, gazing from one to the other tenderly. "For you two... I'd be honored."
And for a little while, there was only silence as Luna looked almost shyly at Twilight Sparkle, and Scrivener Blooms smiled faintly, his eyes overbright as the two gazed with warmth and affection to the soft, tender violet pony across from them, before Twilight slipped forwards and they gladly both pulled her into a fierce, tight embrace, snuggling her welcomingly into the warmth of their bodies. |
Starlit Knights | I Am Become Death, Destroyer Of Worlds | Chapter Twenty Nine: I Am Become Death, Destroyer Of Worlds
~BlackRoseRaven
Slowly, afternoon settled into evening... and at dusk, Scrivener Blooms and Luna quietly watched as the clouds grew darker and deeper, as the few trembling rays of sunlight that pierced the canopy of thick gray and lurched weakly past the stony mountains in the distance shivered and faded into nothingness. And, as starless, moonless night shrouded them, the Starlit Knights looked back and forth with both awe and sadness at the sight of the Pales that faded into existence all around them, the spirits pacing aimlessly, staring silently, leaving trails of sparkling frost that gleamed in the air around them.
Luna and Scrivener Blooms gazed at these, wondering why they were here, why reality was so thin, and what lured them into this world... and then, after a few long, silent minutes of surveying these strange, shimmering spirits, they had raised the moon. The moment the ivory rays had touched the grim clouds above, the Pales had faded from reality, slipping back into the folded air... but still, their presence could be felt, like the cold, lost spirits hadn't gone very far.
The clouds were heavy tonight, the sense of something coming, something impending, keeping everypony on edge. Luna took the time to visit through the encampment, talking to the Starlit Knights calmly, rearranging the groups, comforting and encouraging those who were still struck by the loss of their compatriots. Scrivener Blooms followed her, admiring her prestige, her dignity, the way she naturally led them so well and brazenly... and, strange as it seemed, he thought one of the most inspiring things she said had been to a nervous Pegasus in Celestia's golden armor: "No, thou art not a Pegasus Guard any longer. Thou art a Starlit Knight, like us."
The minotaurs she also spoke to, but trusted in Aleksandr to order them to do what needed to be done: he was calm, a natural leader, well-versed in war and strategy. In battle, they were fierce and brutal and merciless... but outside of fighting, as they were learning, they had a strong sense of culture all their own, and were dependable and loyal for all their appearance.
Luna told Aleksandr about the rumors of the Gatherers, and asked his thoughts on the subject... and for a while, the minotaur only stood moodily, looking up at the grey clouds above before he had finally nodded slowly and said softly: "We have belief, that those who die... they must stay on this world for forty day as prividyeniye, to finish old business and cleanse self of wrongdoing. Then they leave for other world... but sometimes, prividyeniye get lost. Get confused. Or do not wish to go... they may even become nechistaiasila or polunochnitsa.
"Baba Yaga, I do not know much of the dead, even less of dead four-hoofs. I know that fire purifies, and the sign of Byelobog scares walking dead more than hammer-blow... but also that firm hammer-blow returns walking corpse to state of being properly-dead corpse." Aleksandr hesitated, and then he looked down at Luna, asking quietly: "But if dead were once living, do they seek leaders? Is old saying in minotaur army, I shall tell you: we do not die until after the battle, when the commander tells us we may rest."
Luna twitched visibly at this, and Aleksandr frowned a bit... but the winged unicorn only laughed dryly, saying quietly: "'Tis... fine, my friend. It is only very similar to a saying of my own... and such words have great power. I was merely surprised... but aye, I fear thou art right. Only the evil use the dead as bait and soldiers, however... whether the dead are willing or not."
Luna hesitated, then she shook her head slowly as Aleksandr studied her curiously and Scrivener gazed at her quietly... but she merely smiled a little before moving on, checking on everyone else. Cowlick was serious and calm - and almost sparkling clean, thanks to the bath she had set up in the second building - and running Applejack and others who had shown they could handle one of the carbines through last-minute drills, and Luna stopped to watch this for a few moments with curiosity, listening close as Cowlick explained the way the weapons worked with a strange sort of exhilaration: not for what the guns did, but the way mechanical parts played off one another to make the weapons work.
Then the winged unicorn had moved on as Pegasi shot over their heads, running aerial drills with Rainbow Dash leading them... past Rarity and Spike and Fluttershy as they worked to put last-minute touches on arms and armor... past Pinkamena as she sat quietly polishing weapons with Big Mac, the two silent but less-than-hostile towards each other.
And lastly, they came to Twilight Sparkle, who was talking quietly with the few other unicorns they had who could work magic to appreciable effect, and the violet pony glanced over her shoulder before she smiled a little, saying quietly: "Just give me a minute. I'm almost done here, and I'll join you two."
"Nay, take thy time, they look to be doing well under thy tutelage... I merely wished to check upon the preparations for the Starlit Knights." Luna said softly, gazing at her with a quiet smile in return, and her eyes slid up to the moon-shaped stud in Twilight's ear before she reached a hoof up and quietly rested it on her shoulder. "Thou art all performing admirably. Come, Scrivener Blooms... we have much else to do."
Twilight bowed her head respectfully to the two as they turned and made their way towards the second apartment building, the more-recently renovated structure... and inside, they headed to a room that Luna had claimed, and effectively transformed into a planning and war room, even if they would hopefully only be here another few nights. And, waiting for them and studying the map of North Neigh that laid out on the tabletop, was Swiftly Wing.
She had provided the map, as well as marked out the mountains: hidey-holes, hidden passes, tunnels, everything else she knew around the outskirts. Swiftly had added moodily that even she wasn't stupid enough to go digging too deep in the quasi-mythical place, though... too many ponies said they were going for 'day-hikes,' only for their remains to be discovered a few days later... which often amounted to little more than a few broken bones and rags that looked as if they had been thrown out like garbage from some high peak.
She also provided them with information: the rough position of turrets that were programmed to shoot earth ponies and apparently also Luna, as well as any invaders, and the routines of the Pegasus soldiers and the unicorn elite guard that Scutum directed. Swiftly grumbled a lot about Scutum, but Luna and Scrivy thought it was less because he was a unicorn and more because he was both competent and a hard-ass... apparently he had more than once almost caught her running and smuggling.
More and more, Luna felt that Scutum could be depended on: he was a loyal warrior, and while the Pegasus soldiers of North Neigh simply closed down and fortified their own barracks every night while the unicorn elite guarded their precious unicorn district, Scutum could sometimes be seen wandering the streets by himself, keeping his eye on things. If something happened, they might be able to count on his help... while every other capable soldier in North Neigh would probably only try to shove them into the jaws of whatever evil was lurking around their village and then run away.
Luna had plotted a rough, possible map of where the Draugar, the Gathering, or whatever the parade of ghosts was, apparently entered and exited the city, and it gave her an idea of where they likely headed when they left: the edge of the Gray Mountains weren't a great distance away, and there were two mountain passes within easy reach as well as the maw of what Swiftly said dubiously was just a shallow cave... but Luna had her doubts. She remembered, even now, that Celestia's letter to them so long ago had mentioned tunnels, had mentioned that it looked like there had been tectonic activity around Silver Hoof... and she had only shaken her head slowly, not wanting to rule anything out, scared as that made her of what they could be faced with.
Others came in and out of the strategy room to make reports, to share sightings: a few Pales had been spotted, wandering silently amidst the campsite, and Aleksandr had managed to squeeze his way into the narrow apartments to add that he thought he'd seen a Velite past the fence bordering the edge of North Neigh. But whatever it had been, it had looked almost like it was fleeing from something to the north... and this only made Luna's foreboding worsen. There were many different kinds of living dead and demon, and not all of them worked together... and if she was wrong, if whatever had destroyed Silver Hoof was risen by the darkness, but not working with whatever foul forces had manipulated Ignominious and guided Ekleíp...
These thoughts lurked in her mind the entire night, as she ordered the soldiers to all head to quarters early, leaving only the minotaurs and tireless Pinkamena on watch duty. Cowlick, Twilight Sparkle, and Swiftly Wing also stayed awake to plan with Scrivy and Luna, however, despite the sapphire winged unicorn's half-protests... and Fluttershy and Ross had both volunteered already to take care of Scarlet Sage for the night, and would be keeping her safe in the Pegasus wagon.
Luna was more thankful than she could say for such reliable friends... for having such ponies around her she could depend on. When Rainbow Dash came stomping in, looking to help as well and unable to sleep, she sent him on a scouting mission through the town. It made him grumble at first as he thought they were just kicking him out... before she told him quietly: "It is the most important mission I can give, my friend, and I could entrust it to no other. Intelligence is what will aid us in winning the upcoming battle... and furthermore, I wish for thee to stop in at a shop thou should be able to locate without much trouble. The Allsorts Emporium, there should be an elderly unicorn there, named William Isehorse. Please check on his safety, and if he will deign to join us, we could use his knowledge and company."
Rainbow had puffed up a bit more at this, but nodded seriously as he'd gone on his way... but when he had returned, a little less than an hour later, he had shaken his head slowly and muttered: "There's... god. Twenty Pegasus around that walled-in place north of town alone, and turrets are set up all around the barracks, too, with more Pegasus with guns, some of them doing a bad job of hiding in clouds in sniper position. And I couldn't find your friend Isehorse... the shop was dark but unlocked. I let myself in, looked around a little, but there was no one there. Still... it didn't look like he lived there, you know? No food, no bed or anything. Probably just went home."
"I hope thou art correct, Rainbow Dash." Luna murmured, shaking her head slowly, and then she motioned to him, saying quietly: "Swiftly Wing has been telling us more about the ghostly parade... she spoke of a large hole in the fencing. Did thou see it?"
"Northeast, right? To the uh..." Rainbow Dash rose a hoof and shook it absently as he thought to himself. "Left, yeah. To the left of the walled-in place when you're facing it, I'd say... two blocks away. Road dead-ends past what looks like a burnt-down house and then there's just this big gaping hole in the fence, maybe ten, fifteen feet wide."
Swiftly shook her head slowly, muttering under her breath: "Great. They repair that almost every day and yet somepony keeps tearing it down. Ponies argue whether it's because somepony wants us all dead or they just want wood to burn, but... being around you guys is making me paranoid and think that maybe..."
"Yeah, well, believe me. Apparently those two are magnets for this kind of thing... that's why we're all here helping out." Rainbow Dash said mildly as he gestured towards Luna and Scrivy, and Swiftly snorted before the Pegasus rubbed absently at his armored chest. "You guys need me to do anything else?"
"Aye, Rainbow Dash, look at this map and note what I've plotted already. Tell me if thou has seen any other noticeable security precautions or... anything out of the ordinary, and mark the location. Even if thou just felt... strange... in a place, point it out." Luna said quietly, flicking her horn and lifting a marker from the table to float it over to the male, and he winced a little at the seriousness before he took it and sighed, leaning apprehensively over the map.
There were only two points on the map where Rainbow had felt like something was... wrong. One was near the unicorn district - as close as he dared to go, with the patrolling Pegasi that all seemed eager to attack him with their crosshatch blades glinting on their forelegs - and the other was, strangely enough, near the center of the town, close to an old, frozen-over well where the ruins of some monument sat in ugly disarray. He hadn't been able to say why... only that for some reason, the place had chilled him to the bone.
Rainbow Dash stayed to talk and offer his thoughts, the Element of Loyalty around his neck gleaming every so often, as the night wore on. None of them tired, however, all of them could sense the growing unease in the air, as the darkness outside grew steadily, the clouds thickening above, the moon blocked out and even the light cast by the lanterns seeming faded...
Every Starlit Knight was on their hooves, standing in quiet groups outside on the frost-covered road or apprehensively walking through the dim corridors of the revamped servant quarters, tense, not a single pony able to sleep. Pinkamena and Applejack joined them in the strategy room, Applejack with her teeth grit and lasso on one hip, rifle across her back, and vest securely covering her body as she sat by Rainbow Dash, and Pinkamena licking her teeth compulsively, her breathing a bit hard beneath her heavier medium armor as she polished her knives again and again.
Luna looked back and forth, focused and calm, her voice clear and strong in the silence as Scrivener Blooms gazed at her quietly, the two aware of almost every nerve on their bodies, every gesture, every sound, every chime of the bells in the distance... and Luna frowned slowly at this as the other ponies looked back and forth, as the soft sound rang quietly through the air again, vibrating through their bodies despite being so gentle and soothing, hazy, warm, heavy; at first like a blanket that scratched, was itchy over their minds and bodies but becoming quickly like a heavy fleece comforter, so soft, snuggling so tight...
Slowly, Luna tipped sideways until she half-slipped, half-fell to her stomach, breathing evening out as her eyes fluttered, and Scrivener Blooms drooled as his head hung slackly, swaying weakly on his haunches before his glasses fell off his muzzle. The quiet tink they made against the ground went unnoticed as the other ponies groaned and shook their heads, as all throughout the encampment, the bells chimed in gentle rhythm to soft singing that could now be heard, wordless, sweet, divine...
Rainbow Dash and Applejack collapsed against each other and slid to the ground, the earth pony managing to stay awake a moment longer than her husband before she collapsed and twitched once, Pinkamena rasping, the last awake, holding herself up against the table as her body shivered wildly and her eyes bled from the pain of resisting before she arched her back, trying to scream... but all that came out was a whimper before she fell forwards against the table with a quiet thunk, staring sightlessly before her eyes finally closed.
Outside, Aleksandr's fingers dug into the snow as he lowered his head forwards, looking almost as if he was praying as his muscular body trembled, fought to resist, several minotaurs already laying in unconscious heaps and another clutching his hammer back against his chest as he stared at the sky with grit teeth... but soon, both he and Aleksandr collapsed as well as the chimes rang quietly, as the singing only grew in power, the flames that burned in lanterns turning to eldritch green, spilling dark and poisonous light over the snow and throughout the buildings.
And, as the singing grew, as the chimes rang louder, shapes appeared in the snow fields: around them, snow rippled like water and spilled upwards into steam, leaving a path of only rock and mirror-like ice beneath their hooves as a parade of terrible callous phantasms strode calmly forwards. Ponies, not formless, not glowing, but that were terribly, undeniably dull and dead, their eyes glowing with horrible, unnatural light as manes and tails floated and rippled, their skin ill-white, rubbery and translucent. The congregation strode in several loose columns, walking with strange intent, some grinning, others smiling, others staring, as amongst them the Pegasus ponies sang and the unicorns shook their heads back and forth, their horns glowing with eldritch flame and releasing the soporific ring of the chimes, as the earth ponies breathed steam and white fog.
As they walked towards the fence at the edge of North Neigh, first the snow cleared itself away in a rippling tide... and then the fencing tore itself free from the ground, wood rending itself apart, metal twisting and flying, opening a clean, gaping path for the awful spirits. And they strode onwards, the Pegasi and unicorns continuing their divine and yet soulless music, as the earth ponies strode here and there to the fallen in the street, leaning down and breathing their misty breath over their faces.
The eyes of the ponies snapped open, and they stared upwards with slack jaws, then slowly smiled as if they were dreaming, letting the ghastly ponies pull them almost tenderly to their hooves, joining the parade as they laughed, and cried, and stared back and forth with awe, their eyes blind with white light, tricked into seeing divine shapes, images so pure they went beyond holy, a Pegasus Guard crying as he walked alongside grinning, dead unicorns, whispering: "Angels of the Vale of Valhalla..."
Yet the ghastly spirits could not enter the wagons or the buildings, even as they scratched mournfully at walls and doors and stared in through the windows; they breathed over the glass and sent cracks of frost spiraling through it, but never could even the terrible fog they exhaled slip very far into the buildings... and the unnatural earth ponies did not linger far from the parade, taking instead what victims they could as the congregation of perhaps two dozen unnatural spirits strode calmly onwards into North Neigh.
Luna twitched quietly in her sleep, dreaming a wonderful dream with Scrivener Blooms... a dream of mixed memory and reality and everything she wanted, where they lived in Valhalla, the male a warrior poet, and she was Brynhild, and they fought with Sleipnir and Celestia and none of it made sense in the tangle but all of it was wonderful as they ran together down a mountain path dotted with white lilies and black roses... and then all of a sudden, a massive black wolf leapt down into their path, and Luna twitched with such violence in her sleep that she kicked both her rear hooves into Scrivy's stomach where he lay unconscious.
Pain shot through both of their bodies as Scrivy rolled onto his back with a curse and Luna snapped awake, blinking rapidly... and then she looked dazedly back and forth, her mind slow and stupid, hearing a strange ringing in the distance. It sounded like chimes... and even as she began to smile dazedly through the faint ache in her body, as Scrivener looked weakly up, she forced herself to gaze around... and shock rippled through her system at the sight of the strategy room, and the ponies that lay prone and unconscious.
Scrivy blinked, then gritted his teeth, adrenaline pulsing through his body for a moment... and then a shiver spilled down his spine and seemed to drain the strength from him as he began to topple to his knees, looking weakly back and forth as Luna staggered and cursed under her breath. She shook her head quickly, trying to awaken herself before she clenched her eyes shut... and then she winced, her starry mane sparking as Nightmare Moon whispered in her mind: You must act quickly. This is no time for weakness, little Luna.
Luna gritted her teeth... and then she reared back and snapped her head upwards as her horn glowed vibrantly, her mane fanning backwards as electricity ran through it and she shouted: "Do not call me weak, creature!"
A shockwave of force emitted from her horn, electricity sparking through the air around her as vibrations rippled almost visibly through the air, and the unconscious ponies across the floor snapped awake, static ripping through their minds and shattering their wild dreams as they scrambled to their hooves.
The entire building rumbled with the force of Luna's magic burst, windows cracking and shattering completely, wood breaking and groaning, ponies throughout the structure snapping awake and gasping in shock as the few that had been left in the snow outside staggered stupidly to their hooves... and then Luna snarled, looking back and forth as Scrivy felt her anger - and beneath that thinner-than-it-seemed layer, her fear - radiating through his own mind and body, as the winged unicorn shouted: "Have every capable warrior still standing assemble outside, Twilight Sparkle and ready them for battle! Scrivener Blooms, rally those in the other building and meet me in our apartment, go now! Swiftly, I implore thee to head quickly now to the wagons, ensure that the young filly there and her guardians are alright. I must also prepare for the battle ahead, do not be slow, do not ask questions, hurry, hurry outside!"
The ponies hesitated only a moment before running to their assigned duties, and yet Luna barely saw them, even as she narrowly followed Scrivener Blooms into the apartment building: knowing his task, however, the male turned right instead of left, running down the halls and shouting to stunned ponies who didn't understand what was going on to assemble outside as Luna barreled into the apartments and flicked her horn sharply upwards, her armor lifting from the floor and swirling rapidly over her body, snapping loudly into place as she called to the chirping, panicked pseudodragon half-hiding under their bedding: "Samael, we have an emergency to deal with, I must send a letter to Celestia immediately! This magic, this terrible feeling... quick, gather Scrivy's supplies!"
Sammy whimpered but skittered quickly out from under the bedding to do as asked, running over to Scrivener's saddlebag as Luna looked back and forth... then smiled grimly as her eyes settled on the telescopic spear resting in its sheath. Her horn glowed, lifting this into the air and bringing it quickly back to settle it behind her, the straps tightly binding it into place over her upper back before she looked towards the pseudodragon, who had managed to wriggle most of the supplies out of the bag, and she nodded quickly, lifting a quill and parchment with only a glance as she murmured: "This is good, thou hast my thanks."
Scrivener came in a moment later, looking with surprise to watch as Luna hurriedly wrote a few short sentences of long-forgotten, runic script over a scrap of parchment. Then she rolled this quickly up and tossed it to the pseudodragon, who caught it with a squawk of surprise as Luna flicked her horn towards Scrivener Blooms, and the male winced as his armor lifted from the ground and locked and strapped itself into place over his body as the winged unicorn ordered: "There is no time to waste, send the letter and hope that Celestia is true to her word. Twilight Sparkle is powerful and knowledgeable, and I am strong and our Starlit Knights will fight fiercely... but we require Celestia's power and experience to ensure our victory here. This is not the work of a single entity... this cannot be the work of a single entity."
Scrivener winced, reaching up to adjust his glasses and realizing with surprise they weren't there... but Luna only smiled grimly as she stepped forwards and firmly kissed him, the male looking at her with surprise before she drew her head back and said quietly: "Now come, Scrivy. I am prepared, thou art prepared... and now we must prepare our troops. 'Twill be draining... but it is necessary. Still I hear the chimes in my head... still, even now, I hear them compelling me to sleep."
The male nodded slowly as she turned and headed past, and he followed hurriedly after Luna as Sammy whimpered in the apartment, but then quickly breathed blue flame over the letter to reduce it to ashes before scrambling after them. Scrivy winced a bit as the skeletal pseudodragon leapt up onto his shoulder, but Luna frowned thoughtfully before she looked across at the creature, saying quietly: "Thou will not be affected by the deceitful melodies of the creatures that have taken us by surprise, Samael... I implore thee, run ahead and spy upon their movements for us. Thou do not live, thou do not breathe, as ponies do... they shall not notice thee unless they literally trod upon thee, and even then thou will be almost invisible to their wicked senses. Follow their march. Send up a flare when they begin to leave North Neigh."
Sammy nodded and chirped, before he leaned back and spat a burst of blue fire that shot high into the air: it was small, but the desolate lack of light made it easier to see, and it dissipated slowly into blue motes that continued to mark the sky. The two nodded to the skeleton, and Sammy hesitated for a moment, then he grabbed the back of Scrivy's neck and nibbled at his mane before turning suddenly and leaping away, scampering through the snow, almost invisible amidst the white powder.
Luna shook her head slowly, then she and Scrivy looked grimly up to stride down the side of the road. The Starlit Knights were assembled in armor, many with weapons, but many were having trouble staying on their hooves... even the minotaurs seemed to be having difficulties resisting the echoes of the chimes, as Aleksandr rested in a kneel with his fist pressed into the ground and head bowed, breathing hard as he rumbled away in his own language to himself in either prayer or meditation.
The winged unicorn strode in front of the group, and they all looked blearily up at her, even Pinkamena standing almost docilely in line as she blinked exhaustedly. Then Luna glanced to the side as Twilight Sparkle slowly approached, shaking her head miserably as she whispered: "Thirty-one. That's how many are left, including us... we... we had about sixty when we left Canterlot if you include the Pegasus Guard, we lost twelve on the way, and now we just lost... seventeen more? Nineteen more? I can't remember... the exact numbers, except for the head-count I just did... Luna, what happened? I don't even remember falling asleep."
"It is very powerful, very old magic that was brought against us... these are not simple evil spirits, or a banding-together of malicious ghosts by unnatural means. They are puppets of a much greater force. But there is no time... they will move quickly through the town, and I must prepare all of thee for what is to come next." Luna replied quietly, and then she glanced at Scrivener Blooms, and the male nodded before they both closed their eyes, slowly bowing their heads towards one-another as Luna's horn began to glow.
The glow grew brighter and brighter, bathing them in blue iridescence as Twilight winced back a bit in surprise, the other soldiers looking up and murmuring between themselves, staring in amazement as the light spread. A hum built steadily in the air, washing away the sounds of the chimes that still rang in the minds and memories of the Starlit Knights... and then Luna arched her back and grit her teeth, Scrivener Blooms mirroring her, the two raising slightly onto their rear hooves before Luna's horn released another powerful shockwave that burst over them, tingling blue waves of light spilling over the army, clearing their minds, reviving their bodies before Luna and Scrivy both collapsed against one-another, breathing hard.
Ponies and minotaurs looked down at themselves as their bodies tingled, glowing faintly: the aura faded quickly from around their bodies, and lasted only a few moments longer where it clung to armor and weapons, as Luna looked up tiredly to Twilight and murmured: "I have insulated all present against being enchanted... but 'twill work both ways, understood? They cannot be manipulated by wicked magic or illusion, but likewise, they cannot be shielded or empowered by protective spells. 'Twill only last a few hours... thou will have to focus on most of the spell-casting now."
"Luna, Scrivy, are you two okay?" Twilight asked worriedly, stepping forwards before she bowed her head, her horn glowing... but Scrivener and Luna only winced, and the violet winged unicorn blushed as she felt a faint spark of recoil twist down her horn, murmuring: "Oh, I... see what you mean now."
"Aye, exactly. As I said, magic-proofing will last only for a few hours, but much will be decided in that time... and while pure magical force will be diluted, think not this protects against fireballs and large pieces of rock thrown at great speed." Luna grimaced a little, then she shook her head, straightening as Scrivy felt a wave of vertigo, but it quickly receded as he rubbed slowly at his face. "My strength returns, bit-by-bit now. Now... the truly difficult part."
She quieted, then shook her head before facing the soldiers, clearing her throat as she called: "Starlit Knights, silence and listen to me!"
For a moment, worried murmurs continued... but as Luna stood up and gritted her teeth, mane sparking as it flowed back from beneath her helm, the ponies quieted and fell to attention, looking towards her for leadership, for guidance. Luna looked over them, then drew her eyes to Aleksandr... and the minotaur smiled a little as he nodded to her firmly: the small gesture seemed to help, as the winged unicorn took a slow breath before her cyan eyes focused, gleaming in the darkness as she said calmly: "We have already been ambushed by malign forces... but this battle has yet to truly begin. We must now pursue and destroy the creature that summoned these wicked beings forth and guided them against us: we may engage the creatures themselves as well, but strange as it may seem, they are not important. They are merely arrows, weapons, designed to attack and confuse us... we must not attack the arrows, we must attack and destroy the archer to render them ineffective, and then we shall reap and burn the tattered remnants that remain.
"We march against an opponent that will be sly and fierce, and may be ancient. We now engage the creature that likely destroyed Silver Hoof... and it is imperative that all listen to my orders when they are given." Luna said quietly, but her voice carried easily even to the ponies at the very back of the lines of soldiers. "If I order thee to fight, then even if we face one of the Black Wolves of Hell... charge, and fight. If I order thee to retreat despite a seemingly-assured victory... thou must retreat, with all haste, and keep in mind this: should we retreat, it does not mean we flee. This creature will not be allowed to see the sun rise... not unless Celestia herself arrives to bring the burning sun crashing down upon its head."
Luna halted, looking back and forth as a shiver spread through her body, Scrivener grimacing over his shoulder. "We must march, and march with haste! The creatures have a great lead upon us, and we must not lose their trail... come friends, to do as the Starlit Knights have sworn to do. To push back darkness and destroy this evil, once and for all!"
She spun around as the soldiers stomped and shouted, then dropped quickly into pace after her, naturally sorting themselves into the groups they had been assigned over the course of the day as the minotaurs brought up the rear, Aleksandr adding words of encouragement in his own language to his kin. Yet Luna and Scrivy both gritted their teeth as they looked back and forth in disgust: the trail left by the awful creatures, whatever they had been, was all too clear from the brushed-aside snow and the path of ice.
They passed several collapsed ponies of North Neigh that had been lured out onto the road, as well as ponies that stared in shivering terror from inside their homes... and Luna called the Starlit Knights onwards, shouting: "We have no time to slow, no time to stop! If thou truly wishes to help those in need, then we must catch the monster before it can slither into hiding in the mountains, and destroy it!"
In the distance, they could still hear the echoes of the chimes, which now sounded not divine but terrible, like mocking portents of doom... and every now and then, a sung word would float to their ears through the bitter night air. The only light came from lanterns that shone like eyes out of windows in homes, hung by their scared inhabitants, so Luna, Twilight, and the few unicorns of the Starlit Knights lit the way with their horns... yet even this magical light the darkness ate greedily, seeming intent to block them in, extinguishing light but carrying awful sound.
Near the edge of town, they came across Commander Scutum as he knelt over a body, a cluster of ponies nervously standing behind him... and Luna called a halt to stop and stare down at this as the unicorn looked slowly up, saying quietly: "I was catching a nap... and that awful, horrible music woke me up. When I looked outside... I saw these... these things marching by. Things I couldn't explain... things that looked like ponies, luring real ponies with them. I watched them, and I realized... they were the ghosts from the parade of phantasms that storms through here every few nights, except somehow... they looked like they had been made real.
"This one was straggling, at the back of the pack. It was greedy, tried to do something to the slave-hoof behind me that had just sleepwalked out of his home." Scutum jerked his head towards one of the shivering ponies... and when Luna and Scrivy looked up, they realized the group was mostly earth ponies and a few Pegasi... but ones that the unicorns likely called 'shorn-wings.' "I got out here, fought it. Killed it. And it turned into this."
He looked silently down at the dead body... and Luna shook her head slowly at the sight of the corpse. It was nothing more than a skeleton, with mummified, gray skin pulled too tight over the bones, black stitching holding skin like paper together, eyes missing from staring sockets. A large knife was buried through its chest... and Scutum slowly stood, looking across at them as he flicked his head to the side, the weapon ripping free of the bloodless wound as he said quietly: "I'm coming with you."
"Me too!" added one of the Pegasi, and he stepped forwards, swallowing thickly but looking determined, rusty crosshatch blades glinting dully on his forelegs. "North Neigh's a horrible place but... they took my friend."
"Shorn-wings and slave-hoofs should stay out of this." Scutum said over his shoulder quietly, and the ponies both glared and quailed from him before the unicorn added in a softer voice: "You have nothing worth dying for. But you do have something to live for... hope for a better future for your lot. Let us unicorns handle the dying part."
"You don't give us orders, unicorn." one of the earth ponies said quietly, stepping forwards... but he smiled faintly all the same, bowing his head in honest respect to Scutum. "If we want freedom, it'd be a sick goddamn joke to have you unicorns fight for it for us, after taking everything away from us."
"Well, Champion Luna, I guess you got me and some rag-tag split-hooves who are determined to fight beside you." Scutum shrugged after a moment, looking both rueful and entertained all at once. "At least we'll be cannon fodder."
Luna didn't know whether to grin or to snap at them... but before she could think of what to do or say, both she and Scrivy glanced up as a faint blue streak of fire went up in the distance, and she shook her head quickly, grimacing across at them. "Very well, I do not have the time to argue... but thou must listen to me, understood?"
"Ma'am." Scutum smiled wryly, and Luna snorted before she shouted an order to move forwards over her shoulder as she began to jog over the frosty path, gritting her teeth in disgust as Scrivener Blooms and Twilight ran on either side of her and Scutum let himself follow on the flank, moving with surprising ease into line as he asked clearly over the thudding of hooves: "So what the hell are we up against?"
"These are not evil spirits, these are not ghosts or zombies... they are Dead Dolls." Luna shook her head, snarling in disgust as they followed the path through the hole in the fencing and into the snowy fields, a sharp, bitter wind whispering around them as the music in the distance finally began to fade. "'Tis vile, unholy necromancy... and 'twas usually done only by the most wicked of Blood Seers. Corpses are dried and mummified, and made into hideous dolls... then living ponies are kidnapped, and their life force is drained from their bodies to power them, and that same life force encapsulates them, disguises them as ghosts. Those who gaze for too long upon the Dead Dolls when they are active see lost relatives, and lost friends... and the Dead Dolls feed off emotions, off warmth, off life force.
"And whoever created these, designed them all too well... for the unicorns, they likely fashioned horns of crystal to carry the dark enchantment, hidden in the awful bells. In the wings of the Pegasus, I expect there are concealed instruments, flutes, and musical feathers as well as unholy tampering down with their throats, making them a living orchestra to add power to the phantasmal melody... a melody that lulls the awake to sleep, and wakens those who slumber. To the earth ponies, they have filled with Lethe's perfume, wiping out memory, replacing with illusion. I fear they must be made by Ekleíp but powered by a monster versed almost-too-well in dark powers..." Luna snarled, then glanced up as another blue burst of flame went up in the distance, whispering: "Sammy, thou brave creature, thou does not need to follow them now... thou does thy job too well, and the master of these minions will not be as blind to thee..."
She gritted her teeth as the looming shape of the mountains appeared in the distance... and then her eyes widened as she saw a great congregation. The Dead Dolls were filing down the path into an enormous, cavernous hole in the wall, and a large group of living ponies merely stood calmly before this gaping mouth, slack and dull, some laughing weakly, some crying, but most of them emotionless and all of them confused and dazed... and Luna began to tilt her head forwards, preparing a spell, before a terrible, enormous claw reached out of the shadows of the cave beyond and seized three ponies in its grip, crushing them and yanking them into the darkness beneath the mountains before there was a horrible crunch.
Luna cursed in shock, then she snarled and leaned forwards as the claw appeared again: mottled gold and black scales covered it, ending in massive talons that glinted like metal as a long, guttural hiss floated out of the cave... and Luna felt a terrible shiver roll down her spine, felt like something was terribly wrong even as she shouted: "Hide not in the shadows, and release yon ponies, foul monster, and I shall make thy death a swift one!"
The claw halted... then slowly lowered to the ground even as Luna looked over her shoulder and snapped: "Everypony, first rescue those trapped in a daze! Smite them, drag them back, do whatever thou must to get them away from the battlefield and restore the sense to their minds!"
Starlit Knights shouted in confirmation as Pegasus leapt up and took to the air, the earth ponies breaking formation to head into the throng of dazed ponies before Luna stumbled to a halt with a curse of surprise, glancing down to see that there was not frozen ice under-hoof... but mud and mire. Swampland, warm and pulsing and disgusting, that stood in a fifty foot wide, rotten-smelling waste in front of the cavern... and then Luna's eyes widened as she looked up and a quiet chuckle emerged from the cave, Scrivener staggering to a halt and looking over his shoulder at her with disbelief even as Luna leaned forwards and screamed: "Retreat! Retreat immediately, grab who thou can and retreat!"
Ponies looked up in dumb surprise... and then the grinning head of the golden, draconic monster leaned out of the cavern as the monster pulled itself eagerly forwards, blue smog hissing up from its nostrils and jaws as it licked its lips with a long black tongue. Golden scales marred with terrible blotches and streaks of both black and white covered its face and armored its body, its eyes sunken back into its skull and lacking pupil, white-rimmed azure in its sockets. Its teeth were stained black and red in oozing gums, and a crown of six immense, gnarled horns twisted back from the monster's head.
It looked like a dragon... but it couldn't be, even as its long neck twisted downwards, as its crocodilian features contorted with a horrible grin. There was something too monstrous about it... and as it pulled itself forwards so half its body leaned out of the cave, six immense spikes of bone that jutted cruelly out on its back in place of wings gleamed, almost pulsing with energy as they shifted and moved like pistons as the monster leaned down, its thick, squat forelegs pushing against the ground as ponies stared up at this horrible thing with shock, before Discombobulation popped into being next to Twilight with a snarl, seizing her around the body and vanishing from the spot with her as the monster's jaws lulled open.
"Shallok cra' tels talos..." The monster's voice was calm, mocking, terrible... and the ponies who heard it stared up at its words, as vibrations rumbled through the air around the monstrosity as it leaned down over them, continuing to speak as its alien language ripped into the minds of ponies near and far before they even realized what was happening, like hooked claws that punctured their thoughts, swirled down into their very souls. "Shallok rai baskaa..."
The ponies nearest began to scream, and yet they could barely hear one another's cries of agony, Scrivener staggering backwards in horror as tears spilled down Luna's face as she howled, but none heard her: none heard, as the ponies nearest the monster clutched their chests and their faces as blood flowed from their eyes and ears in rivers with their shrieks of torment, as they staggered and collapsed to the ground to convulse senselessly. "Shallok hez'raa tor..."
Then Luna snarled and lashed her horn upwards, and a blast of lightning erupted from the skies, smashing into the creature's face and making it flinch backwards with a snarl... but that was all, immediately glaring down at her as Luna threw herself into the air and flicked her horn as it glowed brightly, spear ripping free of her holster and spinning to its full length beside her as she shouted furiously, even as her tears froze on her cheeks in the cold: "Silence, Tyrant Wyrm! I know not how thy wretched, heinous, godless self could have survived for a thousand years alone in shadow... but today, thy kind shall be driven to extinction!"
The Tyrant Wyrm grinned at this, its eyes glowing as it seemed to understand her, Scrivener staring in horror as the ponies that still had some sense in their minds scattered, retreating... and those that were too broken, too damaged by the awful recitation of the monster's awful words, only lay on the ground. One was dead... and then the draconic monster rose a claw and slammed it down savagely on top of a cluster of crying ponies, crushing them like they were nothing more than paper and tin as Luna's eyes blazed before she snarled and lunged forwards, driving her spear in front of her-
"Shallok talos, shallock, baskaa!" The monster reared back as it roared these words, punctuated by a laugh, and Luna shrieked in pain as the waves of sound rippled past her, knocking her off balance as the awful words tore through her mind, before the monster's claw lashed out with horrible speed and infuriating disdain, slapping her out of the air and making Scrivener stagger to the side as ponies fled past him in terror. "Tallos baskaa!"
He swayed weakly on the spot as Luna crashed down past the swamps into the snow, cursing and more humiliated than pained, even as her insides and mind twisted, as the Tyrant Wyrm leaned forwards and greedily scooped up several ponies that had been too damaged to flee, tossing them upwards and into its jaws. It crunched them loudly between its teeth, ignoring clothes and armor and weapons, slurping loudly as blood and acidic drool dripped down its chin. And Scrivener could only stare, standing stupidly alone, some forty feet away just in the beginning of the bog, as behind him, ponies panicked, Twilight Sparkle reappearing in a horrified daze with Discombobulation, Cowlick shouting uselessly as she tried to marshal soldiers and others fled, Scutum roaring orders of his own...
The Wyrm leaned forwards, and then it said in an almost mocking voice, ignoring Scrivener as it gazed instead at the horde of ponies: "Loka...shallock... tantrass..."
Luna snarled, hauling herself to her hooves and shaking herself out, shouting at Scrivener Blooms as behind him, ponies froze up, grabbing at themselves, some firing wildly, uselessly with guns, with crossbows, with anything they could find at the gigantic dragon-monster and others simply trying to run away... and then Scrivener whispered: "There's a pattern, I... I can understand it. I can almost understand it... the formation of words, the placement of the letters, no, no, the sounds, it's all about the rhythm... it's the rhythm!"
The monster began to open its mouth, began to speak its cursed language again as Luna took to the air and swept in towards it with a snarl, but its eyes flicked to the side, opening its jaws... and then Scrivener stepped forwards, yelling desperately: "Shallock!"
Immediately, the Tyrant Wyrm twitched violently, rounding completely on Scrivener Blooms, looking down at him with fury, with hate, with rage, like he was a sinner who had just howled some unforgivable, bastardizing blasphemy in the holiest of sanctuaries... and then Luna crashed into the side of the dragon's skull.
She smashed straight through its head, shattering through the cheekbones and making it howl in what sounded horribly like frustration and rage, not pain, even as she executed a sharp, twisting dive that sent her ramming through the underside of its jaw and out the top of its skull, leaving awful wounds behind. Terrible, not just because of their size, but because that for all the same they were bloodless, even as splinters of bone and scale flew around her as she spun around in midair and crashed viciously through its enormous head again, smashing through the temple with the spear thrusted out in front of her but crashing her entire body through the monstrosity with every movement, as unholy, sapphire-tinged light pulsed out of the enormous holes.
Luna began to spin around, and then the Tyrant Wyrm threw back its head and roared, the raw waves of sound enough to send Luna hurtling backwards with a wince, launched through the air like a catapult as the mountains quaked and rumbled, the swamps beneath them pulsed and hardened... but all around Scrivener Blooms, ponies surged forwards, Cowlick shouting: "Come on, give her support! This is no place for cowards!"
"No!" Luna shouted desperately, even as she spun around to recover her balance... and then she looked up in shock as a formation of Pegasus ponies shot towards the monster at head level, Rainbow Dash at the head of the group. "Thou do not understand what we face, halt!"
But they couldn't hear her: they could only hear each other, could only hear the call to arms, could only see that the monster had been wounded and they had become too eager for revenge, too confident despite Luna's warnings, Luna's yells. Bullets and bolts peppered the monster's front from a distance as Pegasi slammed into the creature's surprised face, the Tyrant Wyrm's head twisting backwards with a grunt of shock as all five collided at once before kicking savagely off, sending cracks through the brittle, metal-like scales covering its muzzle as four of the Pegasi launched themselves backwards and Rainbow Dash instead sprang upwards, shooting high into the air...
And at the creature's feet, ponies swung in weapons, attempted to drive spear and sword into the thickly-armored, low-to-the-ground underbelly, hacked at its claws as a minotaur leapt upwards and slammed an axe into a knee, knocking a leg out from beneath it and making it drop forwards with a hiss of frustration as it rose its other limb, the soldiers swarming it not seeing this, not hearing Luna's shout of warning before it slammed its claw down into the ground, crushing several soldiers underfoot as a wave of black, horrible mud exploded upwards and splattered over ponies, driving them backwards and to the ground before it hauled itself to its feet and viciously stomped both claws downwards, crushing ponies and minotaurs like bugs beneath it.
Luna shouted in denial, then looked up in shock as Rainbow Dash dropped like a meteor towards the creature, testing the speed barrier, likely meaning to hammer it with the full force of a sonic rainboom... and then the monster's head snapped upwards, the terrible holes throughout its skull making its glare all the more baleful before it exhaled a blast of poisonous blue smog like a geyser, buffeting Rainbow Dash backwards through the air as one of his wings bent painfully and he winced before one of the monster's wagon-sized claws slammed into him.
He was sent rocketing bonelessly downwards, crashing into the hard ice at the edge of the bog as chunks of armor flew of his body, skidding forwards as there was an awful crack... and Applejack dropped her rifle with a shriek from beside Cowlick as Scrivener Blooms cursed and Luna dropped her face in a hoof for a moment, hovering silently in the air as Rainbow Dash lay dead and broken, skin showing through a blue coat that had been half-scalded off by the monster's toxic breath, his head twisted almost all the way around on his shattered neck, feathers silently settling around his corpse from his shattered wings.
"No!" Twilight shrieked, and then she snarled, glaring at the monster as the Tyrant Wyrm growled out at them, its eyes glowing before the violet pony broke into a charge, a bright glow forming around her horn as Discombobulation sprinted along at her side. Above, Luna snarled, then she shot down towards the monster, only wanting to make it suffer, only wanting to kill it, no matter what sanity and reason said.
The monster began to open its jaws, to chant its foul language... and even as Scrivener felt Luna's rage, his own horror, and the terrible sense of doom that ripped like static through the skies around them as Cowlick shouted for order at their backs, as ponies still forced forwards even with tears of blood and terror in their eyes, he also felt something else. He felt cold, awful knowledge in his mind, coming from a mix of Luna's memories and his own talents, letting him understand this monster... letting him maybe open a way for them to make it suffer, even as its words rolled over the charging ponies and made them twitch with agony: "Bow to us, powerless ones..."
"We are not powerless! We are not slaves!" Scrivener Blooms shouted, and he didn't know if he spoke in his language, or the monster's, as the Tyrant Wyrm's eyes flicked to him, its terrible, resonating voice somehow blocked, somehow halted, as Scrivener stepped forwards and snarled with a voice he didn't know he had, in a language he didn't know he knew: "Tyrant slave, filth of darkness, rot-eater, crawl back into the Void!"
The monster snarled, its eyes blazing, attention once more drawn to Scrivener Blooms... before Luna slammed into its skull, her spear sinking through its forehead as her hooves crashed between its eyes, making its head snap backwards as it bit savagely up at her, blue smog bursting out of its jaws... but the winged unicorn fled quickly, and its raised head gave Twilight an opportunity to snap her horn upwards with a snarled spell, a blast of red flame crashing into the underside of its jaws with a powerful enough explosion to send its head snapping backwards and cracking painfully and loudly off the top of the cavernous archway.
It roared in fury, sweeping a claw forwards, and a massive wave of terrible black muck surged upwards, washing towards her as she winced... but Discombobulation stepped smoothly in front of Twilight, snapping his fingers and turning the tidal wave of goo in front of them into nothing but harmless smoke before he seized her by the back of the mane as the monster's head snapped downwards, and both he and Twilight vanished from the spot a moment before its jaws crashed into the earth. It yanked its head back, and Scrivener began to open its mouth before its blue eyes flashed as it hissed: "We will show you the true meaning of the Black Verses."
Scrivener winced as a spark went off in his mind... and then he screamed in agony, trembles running through his body as horrible, inexplicable, awful knowledge entered his head, of torture and violence and war, blood running from his eyes as he fell to the ground with shrieks of torment, beginning to convulse as Luna howled and arched her back, electricity sparking along her body as she felt Scrivy's mental pain bursting wildly through her mind. And the Tyrant Wyrm only grinned, leaning forwards, beginning to open its jaws as in Scrivener's mind, its voice whispered with unfathomable tenderness: Know all of us. See all of us. You dare quote our Verses to us? See the meaning behind them. Experience the countless eons of Hell we have inflicted as we consumed race after race, world after world. And now become part of us...
The monster's jaws opened as its head leaned down, and Luna was helpless, barely able to keep herself from plummeting from the air as she screamed Scrivy's name, as in the distance, Twilight and Discombobulation reappeared too far away, too late to help, as ponies stared at this unstoppable abomination even as a glow began to spill through the sky...
And then the monster's head rose slightly as shimmering light shone over its features, snarling in shocked surprise before a massive golden meteor slammed down into its head, and its skull simply exploded into fragments that dissolved amidst an echoing wave of holy, glowing flame, the monster's jaws shrieking as it staggered backwards... and then the shape that had crashed into its skull leapt backwards, enormous white wings propelling the ivory equine away before Celestia landed beside Scrivener Blooms' prone form, straightening slowly in her glorious, golden full plate armor as her radiant rainbow mane sparked with electricity.
The Tyrant Wyrm gargled, the only thing left of its broken, now violently-burning skull its jaws and part of its crocodilian muzzle. Its mouth snapped open and closed spasmodically, holy fire mixing with unholy blue light and arcs of energy that twisted back and forth as it half-slithered back into the cavern, then it fell forwards on its stomach in what seemed like a dead collapse. Celestia, however, only grimaced in disgust before she tilted her head downwards, her horn glowing as she touched it gently to Scrivy's skull as he continued to sob helplessly and convulse on the ground... and a moment later, a shudder tore through his body before his back arched with a hiss, and he blinked stupidly as he sat quickly up, breathing hard as the ivory equine said calmly: "It is not dead, but stunned. Scrivener Blooms, can you stand?"
"Celestia!" Luna shot towards them, twisting just past her sister to land beside Scrivener Blooms, gritting her teeth as she looked over him worriedly... but he smiled weakly as he slowly forced himself to his hooves, shivering violently. Luna winced, then she looked up at her sister as Celestia spared a brief, faint smile, and the smaller winged unicorn whispered: "Thou has my thanks from the bottom of my heart, for... for coming here. For saving us."
"No one is saved yet." Celestia said quietly, looking ahead as the Tyrant Wyrm twitched on the ground as the last of the golden flames slowly died out... and the monster snarled as its head lolled to the side, grinding against the ground as mud and diseased soil from the bog spread upwards, transforming into bone matter as the white winged unicorn gritted her teeth. "Faster than I'd hoped, but I saw what happened... I saw what it did. Scrivener Blooms, Luna, will you listen to me?"
"We're at your command!" Twilight Sparkle's voice shouted, and Celestia looked over her shoulder to see the violet pony standing with Discombobulation as the chaotic creature rested a hand silently on her back, Spike snarling as he wiped at his eyes with the back of his wrist, Cowlick standing with her rifle at the ready and the soldiers that still survived gathered and prepared... including Applejack, even as tears flowed down her face.
"Nothing but slaves and toys..." rasped the awful voice of the monstrosity, and Scrivener snarled, wincing backwards even as he tried to swallow his terror, as the monster rose its head slowly, the mud of the bog forming a grisly, ugly mask that jutted rudely from its shattered head, with empty sockets through which unholy light shone before its wrinkled jaws curled in a twisted grin. "Mortals obey death. We welcome it. We command it."
The Tyrant Wyrm lowered its head, and Scrivener cried out in disgust, in horror, as Celestia and Luna both set themselves, snarling as the monster breathed blue, awful smog out over the mangled corpses in front of it... and, to the horror of those gathered against this awful, seemingly-invulnerable monstrosity, the dead ponies began to rise, their eyes filling with horrible, soulless life as black drool dripped from their jaws, hauling themselves upwards as Celestia shouted over her shoulder: "Do not allow the monster's minions to make contact with you! They are not your friends or your loved ones! Hack them apart, and purge them with fire!" Then she halted, clenched her eyes shut... and whispered: "Sister... I do not wish to ask this of you, and I know you are weakened. But they will spread their disease, and their numbers will quickly overwhelm these ponies here... unless..."
Luna trembled, looking up, watching as the Tyrant Wyrm laughed at them, watching as the living dead made from their former companions reaches down, and with only a firm press of their hooves and a rasp of breath over a corpse's face, dead bodies convulsed, and began to rise... and there were many dead. The explosive wave of muck it had thrown at Twilight had hurled maybe a dozen corpses over the battlefield, maybe more... and Luna clenched her eyes shut, trembling violently, before she leaned forwards and shouted as her eyes glowed white, as her horn took on a terrible black sheen: "My friends, I am sorry... but as thy commander, I have not yet said thou may rest... now do thy duty!"
She snapped her horn upwards, and black lightning erupted from the skies, ripping over the ground, sending shocks through the bog as the Tyrant Wyrm snarled in surprise... and then corpses twitched as a faint blue glow surrounded them, before a dead earth pony slowly sat up as it rasped in shock before gritting its teeth as it pushed to its hooves... and others followed.
They looked silently over their shoulders with sadness and with understanding at the ponies behind them as they formed into battle lines... and Luna shivered as she dropped her head forwards, whispering a silent apology as Twilight moaned weakly, but Celestia only looked ahead, saying quietly: "When the Tyrant Wyrm dies, the thralls will die. And you too, shall be laid to rest. Luna, we have no time. Scrivener Blooms, I think you know what to do. Take wing."
Celestia leapt into the air, and the Tyrant Wyrm snarled an order, the corrupted, puppeted zombies in front of it charging with animal howls towards the line of cold revenants as dead ponies stood in a wall in front of their friends... before Cowlick ran forwards, shouting angrily over her shoulder: "I am not sitting back and watching them die again to save my sorry ass!"
She dropped to a kneel between two revenants, raising her rifle and firing a round that smashed into the skull of a charging Tyrant thrall... and it screamed in pain, collapsing forwards on its face. And like a call to battle, Pegasi shot into the air as Twilight lunged forwards and swept her horn out with a snarled spell, a massive wall of flame slicing the battlefield in two, the thralls howling in agony even as they forced themselves to keep charging forwards through this, burning zombies hungrily reaching forwards... only to be met with silent revenants they couldn't infect, couldn't destroy, couldn't stop.
The Tyrant Wyrm began to speak its awful, terrible language... and even as Scrivener Blooms winced and flinched at the awful images the words sent tearing through his mind, he yelled back at it, interrupting its verses with other lines, making it stagger in mid-speech as it snarled at him... then hissed when Luna shot past its head, distracted for a moment by the winged unicorn before Celestia flicked her horn, eyes cold. A blast of lightning erupted from the sky, smashing into the back of the monster's neck and then chaining off it to hammer into the cavern mouth overtop it, the monster snarling... and then arching its back with a gargle, head tilting backwards, as several large, broken chunks of rock crashed down into its back, snapping one of the strange, piston-like bones standing out of its shoulder blades.
It began to turn towards Celestia... and Luna darted across its throat with a snarl as she lashed her spear out with a flick of her own horn, ripping through its throat and cutting it off before it could begin to roar, the draconic monster learning forwards with a hiss as it grasped at its neck, the evil light glowing out of its shattered head intensifying with its rage as the sisters harried it savagely with attacks.
In the melee, Scrivener winced as a zombie tore past a revenant to lunge towards him, sensing living flesh... and then an axe flew past Scrivy's head to smash into the revenant's, the monster staggering backwards with a shriek before Pinkamena charged forwards. She leapt up at the last moment, seizing the handle of her weapon as she grinned savagely and kicked both rear hooves into the monster's body, yanking the axe free as she sent it crashing backwards and howling in misery as it landed in the firewall Twilight had created across the battlefield.
Applejack cursed under her breath as she fired a rifle round into the head of another zombie, but more were swarming up out of the caves past the Tyrant Wyrm now, coming over the battlefield eagerly, victims of who knew how many rampages this monster had gone on... and then she cursed and sent a rear hoof slamming into the face of a zombie behind her as it lunged, knocking it backwards, before she looked up too late as another jumped at her... only to collide with an armored Pegasus that slipped quickly in front of her. It bit savagely down into its neck, but the revenant didn't even twitch as he yanked the zombie free and then launched into the air with it still held tightly by his front hooves, kicking it roughly backwards into the wall of fire before he flipped and neatly dropped back down... and then Rainbow Dash smiled over his shoulder at Applejack as she stumbled towards him, but he held up a hoof, shaking it quickly... then giving a single wink as he mouthed: 'I love you, AJ.'
"Rainbow!" Applejack shouted, but the Pegasus was already gone, lunging back into the crowd, towards the monsters... and the earth pony clenched her eyes shut before she howled in longing and misery as she rose her rifle, snarling as she fired almost wildly in the direction of the Tyrant Wyrm and the undead thralls, tears flowing down her cheeks. "Why, goddammit? Why?"
The Tyrant Wyrm roared, and reality almost shuddered with the force of it as both Celestia and Luna were blown backwards in midair, driven away from the monster... and then Twilight Sparkle shot between the two with a snarl, her wings spread, flying for the first time on her own without hesitation, without fear, as she lashed her horn forwards and sent a fireball shooting into the monster's jaws.
It struck the back of its throat and exploded in a tremendous blast that knocked Twilight zigzagging towards the ground with a curse... but a moment later, Discombobulation winced as he appeared in midair and stomped a heel into the folds of reality, shattering it like glass and forming a green portal that the winged unicorn fell through before leaping in himself. The portal blinked out of existence as the Tyrant Wyrm howled and shook its head wildly back and forth, jaws shattered, smoke pouring up around its features as Celestia looked at Luna and shouted: "Now, while we have a chance! The chest!"
Luna nodded curtly, dropping into a steep dive as Celestia flapped her wings and flew backwards, her horn beginning to glow bright gold as Luna dove down and skimmed along the surface of the bog, whipping past zombies that had forgotten everything but how to run and claw and bite, that lunged uselessly at her as she shot past, her spear clutched tightly in her forelegs and aimed out in front of her as her horn began to glow blue, her starry mane sparking and falling out behind her as Scrivener dropped his head forwards on instinct, adding his concentration and power as he stood filled with desperation amidst a battlefield of the dead and living. Then Luna snarled, her eyes glowing, twisting herself violently to corkscrew her body as she became nothing but terrible, sapphire blue mist wrapped around a blackly-glowing spear.
She slammed into the monster's chest, spinning savagely and ripping upwards, tearing its chest open... and the monster's breast shattered like it was nothing more than a shell of porcelain as Luna reformed in a crouch against its body before kicking hard off as the monster howled. Its back arched, its head snapped back and forth, and its shattered chest left open a clear view of not gore or blood or flesh, but a terrible, enormous crimson eye that stared wildly back and forth, surrounded by thick, pinkish tendrils that writhed in surprise and horror, seeing too late Celestia shooting down as she flicked her horn forwards, a golden fireball erupting from the tip.
The sphere of flame and light smashed into the hideous, staring red eye... and then it exploded in a terrible burst, an awful, shrieking cry rising up as the Tyrant Wyrm staggered backwards and the zombies throughout the battlefield all wailed in agony, collapsing as their bodies steamed before exploding into flames. And the Tyrant Wyrm, the hideous, draconic monster, howled as the eye was consumed, as its body toppled forwards and it stared blankly from the sockets of a mask of mud-bog-made-ivory... before, hideously, the creature grinned, rasping: "My death is all part of the Wise Horse's plans. You're too late. Ekleíp has won."
The Tyrant Wyrm chuckled quietly... and then the gruesome beast finally fell still as its body broke apart into pieces, collapsing into dust and brittle clay as it lost all color, all density, and Scrivener Blooms could only stare in horror even as behind him, faint, weak cries of the agony of victory rose up through the bitter air. |
Starlit Knights | Poisoned Triumph | Chapter Thirty: Poisoned Triumph
~BlackRoseRaven
The lie of victory lasted only ten minutes. Ten minutes during which Scrivener Blooms and Luna had never run harder or faster, pushing through pain and exhaustion. Ten minutes in which they crossed an entire town to reach their encampment. Ten minutes too long... ten minutes too late.
The door of the Pegasus wagon was open, creaking quietly in the faint wind, and Ross was a crying, sobbing mess in the corner, clutching the Element of Kindness in shivering hooves and shaking his head wildly as he rambled wildly... and Fluttershy hung from one of the rafters, her eyes closed, her features almost peaceful, her neck bruised from the noose she dangled silently by. And Scarlet Sage, their little filly, was gone... all that was left was her doll.
Scrivener and Luna stared at Fluttershy's dead body, shaking their heads in disbelief, and then Ross looked up from his corner and shrieked: "She made her do it! But it wasn't her, because she was always a good girl... but she cut her and made her do it and I don't know why I don't know why oh god..."
"Scarlet Sage..." Luna whispered, tears forming in her eyes... and then she looked silently towards the bedding where their filly had stayed, before she frowned at the sight of her doll. Slowly, she stepped towards this... and then she picked it up, staring at the mane and tail, her mouth going dry.
They had turned almost completely white, except for a single red dot that was clearly blood. But it tinged the mane scarlet where it touched... and Luna snarled slowly as Scrivener stared over at her with horror, before the earth pony turned and scrambled out of the wagon as Luna followed a moment later, the two shooting back into the street, charging back into the town as Scrivener thought in what felt like lunatic delirium: Wise Horse's plans... Wise Horse... William Isehorse... he got to Scarlet Sage through blood somehow...
Luna snarled, breathing steam, her eyes glowing as Nightmare Moon screamed inside of her for vengeance... and without slowing, without stopping even as they reached the juncture, Luna leapt up the stairs and smashed through the door of the emporium, roaring in a voice that shook the shop: "Old unicorn, come out... Nightmare Moon wants to ask a question!"
Scrivener Blooms gritted his teeth as he followed her into the shop, looking back and forth as Luna glared around the room, breathing hard... then immediately headed for the stairs, the earth pony following her up to the room above, Luna cursing as she shoved her way past shelves of boxes and stock before Scrivener frowned a bit as he walked past her, pushing his hooves against the far wall. Wait... I remember this room being much bigger years ago...
Luna glanced at him sharply as he gave her a look, their eyes glowing as they traded thoughts and memories... and then she and Scrivy positioned themselves several feet away from the wall, before they lowered their shoulders and leapt forwards at the same time, smashing into it and ripping a hole through a thin, fake wall and staggering into a hidden office beyond that was lit by a single lantern in the far corner. It was long abandoned... but there was a letter sitting on the desk, and a red robe hung from a hat-rack, along with a glimmering platinum amulet that symbolized the eclipse.
Luna snarled in fury as Scrivener stepped forwards, looking down at the letter with grit teeth... and then he shuddered, clenching his eyes shut, dropping his head forwards as Luna looked up, pain and despair ripping through their bodies before she closed her eyes and whispered: "Read it, husband. Read it, my beloved... it hurts so badly, but... we cannot run from this. And we must save her if we can... we must."
Scrivener Blooms looked down silently, and then he closed his eyes before forcing them to return to the letter, hating how much had happened, so fast, so suddenly: how they suddenly had answers, they had done what they had been ordered to do... and had been left with a Pyrrhic victory against a terrible monster that had now become nothing more than a brutal failure.
Then Luna stepped up to his side, pressing silently against him... and Scrivy swallowed thickly before he looked down at the parchment, reading in the faint light of the lantern: "'Luna and Scrivener Blooms, I have faith that you'll find this. Just as I have faith that even though what Ekleíp excavated in Silver Hoof proved to be a Tyrant Wyrm, that even though it almost eradicated the entire cult before we could finally force the bloodless beast to succumb and negotiate, you will destroy it. I know it will not be without cost, and I know that even more than losing your friends... what I will be forced to do to ensure that you come to me, to ensure that you will help us, Luna, will hurt even more than making the Dead Dolls, and purposefully misleading you and your husband, confusing you just enough to send you on that wild goose chase after ghosts that don't exist, looking for answers in all the wrong places. It hurt as much as pretending to be one of these 'proud' unicorns, and supporting ponies like Bramblethorn to ensure I could live here in the privacy my aims required. And I cannot tell you how much what I have done hurts me... how much I know it must hurt you... but this only makes this betrayal sting all the harsher, does it not?
"'I am sorry I had to resort to these methods. That you felt the way you did about us... but I also understand. Ekleíp has not done a good job of coming across as anything less than hostile. In part this is because we did not know what to expect... in part, because many Blood Seers think the only way to get through to another is power. They did not understand that I was not interested in Nightmare Moon to use as a chained monster, as we have so many other creatures... I determined these prophecies may hold a rare truth because of your mind.
"'Luna, Scrivener Blooms... come to me, come to the Black Baroque. I have left a map for you... but come alone. We cannot tolerate any interference at this juncture, and time runs short for us both. That is why I was forced to lower myself to this despicable act of kidnapping your daughter. That is why I have been forced to act as I have. Rest for the night if you must, but leave. Leave before the sun's rise, leave before you set the moon. Leave alone... the Black Baroque is well-defended, and I do not want more pointless death. Please, I beg of you. Help Ekleíp. Help bring this corrupt and shrouded world around to rebirth. I will be waiting, with all your answers. I am Wisehorse, Blood Bishop of Ekleíp... and I know that one way or another, you will come to terms with what must be done. It is all for the greater good.'"
Scrivener Blooms closed his eyes, lowering his head silently as Luna shivered a bit, looking at him for a few moments... and then she dropped her face against the side of his neck, whispering: "We must save Scarlet Sage... we must not allow another pointless death to occur. Scrivener Blooms, oh... has all this been in vain? We have tried to do good and... and we have killed most of our friends. We are the cause... and Scrivy, thy mind..."
"My mind is fine..." Scrivener closed his eyes with a weak laugh, even as Luna drew back with a tremble and a worried look. "Besides, the... the dead have far more importance than my mind. Heaven's Horses, Luna... that... that was a Tyrant Wyrm?"
"Yes, that was a Tyrant Wyrm. If memory serves me correctly, it was a Dictator. Very powerful, with many of the capabilities of its terrible kind, but thankfully not a Brood Vizier... we were underprepared as it was." Celestia's voice said calmly, as if she had always been there, and Luna and Scrivener Blooms both gazed miserably towards the majestic ivory equine as she stood quietly on the other side of the hole they had knocked in the wall, gazing silently in at them. "Friends have died... and your daughter was taken. I'm sorry, sister. Let me help. Let me come with you."
"Sister, there... are other things to be done, Canterlot will be in chaos without thee, and... we have been asked to go alone." Luna looked down silently, and then Celestia shook her head slowly, the sapphire winged unicorn snarling a bit as she looked up at her with teary eyes. "We must, though! We cannot risk Scarlet Sage being-"
"And if you go alone, you two will be at the mercy of Ekleíp. I will not allow that. I won't lose my entire family to Blood Seers." Celestia said quietly, leaning forwards silently, and Luna and Scrivener Blooms both closed their eyes, bowing their heads forwards, trembling like children in their despair. "Besides... if you go alone, and he is able to coerce even one of you into a trap or chains or get a touch of your blood, it's all over. He could simply kill Scarlet Sage out of hoof if he wished. He won't dare hurt the foal if there's more than yourselves present... and Equestria... doesn't need me to be a pretty Queen, sitting uselessly on the throne. What's in the best interests of Equestria is halting Ekleíp... if their presence is aiding in any way to bring monsters like Tyrant Wyrms back towards the surface, then they must be stopped at any cost."
Celestia stopped, lowering her head and closing her eyes as she smiled faintly. "I also already promised that I would go with you to the Black Baroque... and this is not just about you, my little sister, even if you are at the center of these events. We must... let the others decide for themselves. My first instinct is to tell Twilight Sparkle to stay here, to hold down this place... but... I cannot. Not even to keep her safe. It would destroy her, after everything she's lost, if I told her to stay out of this war now."
"I... I know, sister. Do not forget, I too was a Valkyrie..." Luna laughed a little... and then she grimaced as Scrivy twitched beside her, feeling the sting of his mental pain. "And there is no point in trying to sneak out, not... not with us in such a foul state. I am weakened, and my husband is still... poisoned with knowledge, however thou has soothed his mind. And... I thank thee for it."
"Scrivener Blooms showed a remarkable ability... he threw the beast's own words back at it, saving one of us from having to recite the Verses ourselves. Your link with him is truly powerful... more than that, Scrivener Blooms... you are truly powerful." Celestia halted, looking down into his eyes quietly, studying him as she added softly: "Do not feel weakness for what happened. Knowledge can be terrible... and the Tyrant Wyrms feed off sadism, pain, and destruction. They... they are not simple 'evil.' They are 'wrongness,' embodied."
Scrivener Blooms only closed his eyes tightly, however, hanging his head, and Luna looked silently at him as Celestia hesitated... but then allowed the subject to drop as instead she said softly: "Come now. Twilight Sparkle... I believe she needs you, and that you two need her company as well."
The two nodded, but Luna first turned around, heading back to quietly roll up the letter, looking silently for a moment at the map beneath this: hand-illustrated, tracing a careful route through the Gray Mountains... into the terrible place three adventurers had once trekked... and only two had come out, wounded and weary, with objects that had ended up being far more curse than they were blessing.
She shook her head slowly, rolling this up as well as her horn glowed and tucking both silently beneath her armor as she turned around. The three made their way slowly back outside to find Scutum waiting for them, the male bowing his head respectfully before he hesitated and silently held up a glittering necklace with a ruby, lightning-bolt shaped gemstone inset into solid gold metal backing: the Element of Loyalty. "One of those... revenants, before they all just... laid themselves down... it gave me this. A Pegasus. Why would the hell would he give me this?"
"Because the Elements of Harmony cannot lay dormant at this juncture... and Rainbow Dash saw something in you, or the Element of Loyalty reacted strong enough to you... that he decided to put faith in you, to wear it, Scutum. But it will only work if the others accept you in their heart as rightful inheritor... and the bonds of friendship these six ponies had... they were very special. Very deep." Celestia replied quietly, closing her eyes and nodding slowly. "To be accepted by them... it would prove a daunting, difficult task."
Scutum frowned a bit at this, looking silently down at the necklace before he began to shake his head... but then Luna stepped forwards and said quietly: "I am no bearer of any Element of Harmony, but Scutum... I accept thee. Rainbow Dash was bolder than thou can imagine, stronger than thou can ever know, and a true friend. None can replace him, and there were none more loyal in all of Equestria, from sea to mountain to all that lay between. But if he chose thee, Scutum, gave this to thee before... laying down to go back to sleep, as he well-deserved... then I accept thee. I would not defile Rainbow Dash's last wishes out of my own pain, and the pointless wish to have him back once more... when already I unfairly awoke him once from the grave to stop the vile thralls of the Tyrant Wyrm."
She stopped... then looked silently at Scutum as the unicorn bowed his head and closed his eyes, squeezing the end of the Element of Loyalty tightly. "Scutum. Thou art better than North Neigh. Celestia and I, and possibly others, will be journeying to settle the score with the monsters that have killed our friends, desecrated our country, and spilled blood in the name of a foolish, insane goal of 'salvation.' Will thou join us?"
Scutum bowed deeply to them, closing his eyes as he murmured: "Champion Luna... your honored ladyship, Queen Celestia... if you will have me, then I will gladly follow you, to Helheim and beyond if it's required. There's... no point, no honor in staying here, not anymore, not after everything that's happened. I live to serve."
"I am glad to hear it. But we must return to camp... and Luna, I will set the moon when it is required. You and Scrivener must rest... I have not needed to exert myself nearly as much as you two did." Celestia said softly, gazing at them with compassion, and the two gazed up at her with faint smiles before Scrivy twitched and Luna grimaced a little, looking at him worriedly.
The four made their way silently back to camp... and found Rainbow Dash's body laid out beside Fluttershy's, Rarity, Spike and Twilight silently gazing over their dead friends as Applejack quietly cried on Rainbow Dash's chest, his armor damaged and cracked, but looking at peace... as serene as Fluttershy looked despite the bruises around her neck.
The bodies of other Starlit Knights were laid out as well, here and there... and in the distance, Aleksandr and the surviving minotaurs stood in the snowy fields, singing a solemn, rumbling song as they burned the bodies of their fallen brethren in one enormous pyre. And around this funerary fire also stood several ponies... and discarded weapons and armor, and Luna realized silently that as well as foreign minotaurs, Equestrians burned in those flames... as brothers, as honored friend, as the minotaurs sang for their dead.
Then Applejack looked up... and she snarled before storming forwards, shoving Scutum roughly and shouting: "You, you grave-robbing bastard, that thing there is Rainbow's! And you... Luna... god, how could you? How could you? We trusted you... and then, ain't enough Rainbow Dash died, you... you made him walk and dance just like a p-puppet for... for..."
She clenched her teeth, shivering... then she straightened suddenly and slammed a hoof into Luna's face, making her wince to the side and stagger as Scrivener hissed in pain, all eyes watching silently... before Luna slowly looked into Applejack's eyes, then stepped forwards and hugged her tightly, whispering: "I am sorry, Applejack. Thy rage is well-deserved, and thou may have all the blows thou wishes at me later. But there is still much to do."
Applejack shook her off, shoving her backwards, opening her mouth... and then Big Mac silently stepped forwards and touched her shoulder, shaking his head slowly, and AJ shivered before she dropped her head against his chest and whispered: "God... it just... it ain't fair..."
"Nope." Big Mac said quietly, wrapping a foreleg around her and squeezing her gently close, and then he tenderly kissed his forehead and murmured softly: "Come on, little sister. Let's go and talk a little, okay?"
Applejack looked up at him wordlessly, and Big Mac gave her another gentle squeeze before he quietly began to lead her away, not looking back over his shoulder, as sure and confident as ever despite the minute trembles that ran through his frame, despite bowed head and sorrow that radiated from his body... and Applejack followed after him silently, breathing hard, trembling as her cowboy hat threw deep shadows over her face.
Luna watched her go... and then she winced as Scrivener Blooms twitched again before the male cursed weakly and grabbed at his face, half-turning to the side... and gritting his teeth as he saw Pinkamena leaning by the doors, studying him silently. Yet he saw more than just the pony there... he thought he could see a transparent outline next to her, something that flickered in and out of reality... and Pinkamena herself, it was like looking at somepony in a costume, like he knew that if he grabbed, he ripped, he tore, he pulled, there would be something else there, staring at him from beneath the surface...
Pinkamena grinned at him... and he saw the mask of it: saw instead the way her glowing blue eyes, framed in unshed crimson tears, sparkled with pain for him even as she said softly: "Just like me now, huh? I don't know whether to laugh or cry for you, Scrivener Blooms. Don't worry... you get used to the evil eyes. Being a Djavol isn't the worst thing in the world."
Scrivener only managed a short, broken laugh in return, his voice a little high-pitched, a shiver running through his body as Twilight looked at him worriedly... but then Luna reached up and squeezed his shoulder gently with a hoof, calming him before the winged unicorn gazed across at Pinkamena and said quietly: "My husband requires rest, so do not excite him tonight... please. And Pinkamena... we must... tend to our dead. Will thou join us? They were thy friends as well."
Pinkamena quieted at this, and then she walked slowly forwards as Ross snuffled weakly by Cowlick, half-collapsed on the ground beside her as he stared miserably down at Fluttershy, the Element of Kindness clutched tight in his hooves as Cowlick rubbed soothingly up and down his back. The dull-pink pony's eyes slid to this, and then she strode over to him, Cowlick wincing and Ross looking up with a whimper at the terrifying earth pony... but she only reached down and quietly touched the necklace before asking in a surprisingly-gentle voice: "Why do you have this?"
"F-Fluttershy... after... after she... did the bad thing, she... she took it off... she gave it to me. The other Pegasus ran but I didn't run, I tried to tell her no, not to do it, but Scarlet Sage told her to do it and she couldn't stop... she said she couldn't stop... the... the rope was around her neck and she got up and she..." Ross shivered violently, dropping his head forwards as Rarity clenched her eyes shut, tears leaking down her cheeks as Spike hugged her fiercely around the neck and buried his face against her with a weak sob of his own. "But she took it off. She wanted down when the filly was gone, but I couldn't get her down, but she took it off and gave it to me and looked at me and closed her eyes and oh g-g-god..."
He trembled wildly, breathing hard in and out, hugging himself fiercely, and Pinkamena studied him for a few moments... then she gave a brief nod before glancing over her shoulder, saying softly: "Well ,why the hell not? Makes more sense than me... Princess Sunshine, Nightmare Moon, what do you two think?"
Luna only shook her head slowly, saying quietly: "I am no judge, and not worthy to guess. Celestia, sister... thou and Twilight Sparkle are the most knowledgeable upon this subject. But if my hoof is forced and my opinion must be given... then aye. In her last moments, Fluttershy gave Ross the Element of Kindness. Coincidence? Accident? Destiny? What pony can know?"
"Everypony can use the Elements of Harmony. Everypony." Twilight murmured softly, and then she trembled a bit and rubbed at her face, whispering: "We're not special because of some gemstones. We're special because of the bonds between us... because of the choices we make. No one can replace our friends, but if our friends... chose others to help us... we have to respect their wishes."
"We've lost... oh, Twilight..." Rarity whispered, looking across at her with a shiver as Spike looked up, rubbing compulsively at his face as his emerald eyes stuttered. "The Starlit Knights have fallen apart. Three... three of us, half of our group of friends... are gone. What are we going to do now? Are there more monsters like that? What... what will become of this place?"
"Those are questions best saved for after tonight, Rarity... what you must attend to first is saying your goodbyes to your friends." Celestia said gently, and the ponies looked silently up at her as Luna hung her head and Scrivener closed his own eyes, even as another shudder ran through his body. "If you will allow me the honor, then please... permit me to help. They are not just my subjects, who I chose for this mission... they are friends. And for giving their lives to help Equestria... to help me... to help my sister... I would like to honor them. Not as a Queen... as an equal. As the warrior I once was."
Twilight Sparkle bowed her head, trembling a little as Rarity gazed silently up at her and Pinkamena nodded slowly, before the dull pink pony turned and headed into the wagon. She returned a moment later with several sheets, head bowed as she said quietly: "Come on, everypony. Just follow along with me and I'll show you what to do... and Princess Sunshine and Nightmare Moon can handle all the rest."
For a moment, the others could only watch silently as Pinkamena draped one of the sheets out before stepping carefully over to Fluttershy's body... and then Twilight Sparkle stepped forwards, shivering even as she did so, reaching down to silently grasp the Pegasus as she whispered, as tears ran down her cheeks: "My poor little girl..."
They wrapped the dead in sheets, as the remaining, shellshocked Starlit Knights gathered to watch, Celestia lowering her head and murmuring prayers that Luna mouthed the words to, feeling old and older memories blending together. She thought of Sleipnir, and even of Ignominious, and so many others lost and dead... all because of the lunatic, cruel ideas of ponies who had become obsessed with impossible shadows.
The minotaurs came to them, without needing to be asked... and Applejack and Big Mac rejoined them to watch as Aleksandr gently, respectfully picked up Rainbow Dash. He cradled the Pegasus's body gingerly, as if he was asleep instead of dead, the minotaur's head high, singing what sounded like a low, rusty lullaby in his own language as behind him, another minotaur carried Fluttershy. Applejack, Rarity, Twilight Sparkle, Spike, Ross and Cowlick all came next... Scrivener Blooms and Luna strode side-by-side after them... and following last, Celestia strode silently. The end of the procession... but not the last pony by far to follow, Scutum and others striding silently into the fields and watching at a respectful distance as the minotaurs quietly laid the bodies down in a wide circle of glimmering ashes spread through the melted frost. Then the warriors stepped back, and dropped to kneels, reaching one hand forwards into the ashen circle to rest it amidst still-warm embers, whispering quiet prayers not to any god, not to nature... but gentle pleas to the spirits of the departed themselves, to find their way to rest and comfort they had well-earned.
The clouds had parted overhead, leaving them bathed in ivory moonlight, the sheet-wrapped shapes pallid and dull amidst the almost-shimmering living... and the few silent Pales that stood almost unnoticed here and there. Ghosts that joined the congregation, and yet even as Celestia stepped forwards and turned around to gaze silently over the crowd, she only accepted them with sorrow in her eyes, as she said quietly: "This is the time to say your final goodbyes. To see their faces, one last time."
Pinkamena stepped quietly forwards, not needing to be told, walking silently into the ashen circle... and she gently brushed the sheets back from the features of one Pegasus, and then the other. For a few moments, she stood between the bodies, gazing at them both... and then she smiled faintly, flicking her straight mane to the side as she whispered: "Take care of yourselves, huh? Too bad we won't be going to the same place... but for once I'm not jealous. Keep each other company in the Vale of Valhalla or paradise or... or whatever, okay? And... keep an eye out for sissy for me."
She leaned down, kissing Fluttershy's forehead tenderly, before she straightened and glanced over at Rainbow Dash, adding softly: "And... it's a little late but... you were a good guy. I liked you, a lot." She halted, then reached out and gently patted his cheek before she flicked her mane back again, turning around and striding slowly out of the circle even as she murmured: "Don't come talking to me as often as sissy does though, huh? And try and keep her out of my hair."
Pinkamena quietly brushed through the crowd, striding silently away... and for a moment, there was a lull before Applejack stepped forwards, striding to Fluttershy first, trembling as she reached down and touched her chest. "Honey... you were brave. I... I can't imagine how brave you must have been. They all think the world of me but I've always had Big Mac to fall back on, and so much to protect, so much to fight for. I can't imagine what it must have been like for you... I can't imagine all that strength, despite how shy you acted. Thank you, so much... for being my friend. For showing me there's more to strength than... attitude and pride and trying to make everypony do what you say.
"And... Rainbow Dash..." Applejack rubbed at her face, trembling as she strode carefully around to the other body, leaning down and gazing at his silent, still features. "I loved you. I still love you... I'll always, always love you. I can't believe... you did what you did for me. I can't believe that we... got married, that we were together for what felt like so long and so short all at once, that... we... we were thinking of so much. That you and I... that time... that time I'll always treasure. I'll never, ever forget you... I'll never, ever stop loving you... and I'm... I'm so p-proud... of you..."
She clenched her eyes shut, dropping her head against his chest, giving a single harsh sob... but then she forced herself slowly to straighten despite her shivers, before she smiled weakly as she reached up and pulled her hat off, silently placing it against Rainbow's chest as she whispered: "Y'always liked this, didn't you? Always... bothered me about it, wanting to wear it, and I always told you to go get your own even after we were married. Well... take it, Rainbow Dash. You earned it... and you... you wait for me. Don't... don't you go getting in any trouble until we're together again, you hear?"
She laughed weakly, even as tears fell from her eyes, dripping, sparkling over Rainbow Dash's features as she leaned back, looking down at him... and then she dropped, impulsively hugging him, pressing her face down against his neck for a moment before she slowly forced herself to straighten again. She clenched her eyes shut as she walked slowly back to Big Mac, who quietly wrapped his foreleg around her and squeezed her compassionately close, the earth pony trembling as she leaned against her older brother... and next, Rarity and Spike approached.
They looked down at Fluttershy, and Rarity smiled weakly, lowering her head, coiled mane falling over her face before she whispered: "Never, ever, did I meet a pony who had such grace. Such beauty... and all so natural. And I see why... like everything else, the greatest things come from harsh tempering. The most beautiful, worthwhile treasures are forged under pressure, under flame... I'm only so glad to see that you never... were broken or marred by it. I was so... so honored to have known you."
"We both were... I... remember that first day in Ponyville. You were too shy to talk to Twilight but... you saw me, and wanted to know all about me." Spike laughed a little at this, smiling faintly as he gazed down at the silent body. "You were asking all kinds of questions and... you were so interested... and... no pony had ever really been... interested in me before. It meant... it meant so much to me. It meant so much..."
He closed his eyes tightly, and then shook his head briefly before carefully making his way around to Rainbow Dash, Rarity following slowly as the dragon gazed down at the Pegasus and murmured softly: "And you were always one of the guys to me, Rainbow. You were always someone I could... talk to, and who understood me. Who was there to make me laugh, or back me up when things went wrong. I admired you... I still do. You charged headlong into that monster, fearless, reckless, courageous and... I... I just hope... I can be half as brave as you. Help everyone... half as well as you. I think... you were my best friend."
He shivered and lowered his head... and Rarity smiled weakly, shaking her head slowly as she murmured: "I think you helped us all more than you'll ever realize, Rainbow Dash. With everything you did... with everything you were. Loyalty... that word... can never describe enough who you were, what you really were: you went beyond loyalty. You went beyond honor. Thank you... so much."
Rarity leaned down, kissing his pallid cheek quietly... and then she slowly straightened, trading a silent look with Spike before they quietly made their way out of the circle of ashes. And finally, Twilight Sparkle walked slowly forwards, looking from one body to the other before she bowed to them, tears leaking from her eyes, trembles rolling through her form.
"I'm sorry it all came to this... I'm sorry I... couldn't save you." she murmured, shaking her head weakly as she looked slowly from Fluttershy to Rainbow Dash. "I'm sorry... but I won't... I promise I won't cheapen your memories by making this about me, or what could or couldn't be done. Instead, I'll remember you both... I'll always, always remember you both... Rainbow Dash, brave and strong... Fluttershy, loving and wonderful and beautiful, so... so beautiful. So good to me... so much better to me than I deserved."
She closed her eyes tightly, laughing weakly. "Friendship... even now, though, I feel... like you're still there. I don't know how... or where... or why. I don't. I wish I did... I wish I knew what to believe in. But I know that no matter what... you'll both always be there." She lowered her body slowly, laying in the ashes as she rose her head, gazing silently from one corpse to the other as she whispered: "I can't give up. I want to, so badly... I don't think anyone ever really understands that. That I'm not... some inexhaustible well of wisdom, that I'm not nearly as strong as... either of you ever were. It's not myself that's ever kept me going... it's other ponies. Other people. My friends... and even now, I feel you both supporting me, telling me to keep going. To see this through... maybe it's wishful thinking but I look at you both and I know... what you'd both want. To see this through until the very end... for the people we love, and cherish. To help others who deserve it... kindness and loyalty. You... were the best of us."
She closed her eyes... then slowly, forced herself to her hooves, trembling as if it was a monumental task before she turned around, stained with ashes from the circle as she slowly strode towards Luna and Celestia, before gazing silently from one to the other... and then closing her eyes as she turned around and sat between them, Luna and Celestia gazing quietly down at her as she whispered: "Life ends so suddenly, so fast. So painfully, too... life's too short for grudges, or for regrets. You never know what could happen next... I just..."
She lowered her head forwards, trembling, as Celestia gently wrapped a foreleg around her... and Cowlick quietly walked into the circle before them, the female smiling faintly down at Dash's body as she sat down with a quiet grunt beside him. For a few moments, she only looked at him... and then the pierced earth pony shook her head slowly and leaned down, kissing his forehead quietly. "Isn't usually like me to be all girly... hell, most ponies think I play for the other team when they take a look at me. But we always got each other, didn't we? I always knew you were just you and you... you knew that I was just me. I liked that... I liked that we could say things to each other that other ponies would murder one-another over. I liked that... a lot."
She closed her eyes, then slowly rose her head to look towards Fluttershy, adding in a soft murmur: "Fluttershy, I didn't know you... near as long or well as I did Dash. But I know he had nothing but respect and admiration for you. I know everypony here adored you... I know I wish I'd gotten to know you better, and I know... you always treated Ross right. I appreciate that. So... I hope wherever you are... you're safe and sound and comfortable, and you don't have to worry anymore about... all those anxieties that bothered you in life. Be safe. Be well. The both of you."
Cowlick looked down at Dash, lingering for a moment... and then she slowly turned away and strode out of the ashen circle. A few other ponies came forwards, but they had little to say, paying their respects, a few leaving tokens of affection: the rare flower that could be found, small trinkets, in one case an autographed Wonderbolts poster from a Pegasus that smiled weakly at Rainbow Dash's body before moving silently on.
Luna, finally, strode forwards into the ashes, Scrivener Blooms beside her... and they looked quietly at the bodies for a few long moments, before the winged unicorn glanced toward her husband... and Scrivy nodded slowly before he said quietly: "Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash... thank you for being there. For being this awkward poet's friend through thick and thin... for helping Luna, and never, ever giving up. Death is hard, but... there's always hope. Whether we rise to Paradise, or lay sleeping in the earth... it can bring peace to us. And you both deserve peace... you both deserve to know that your deaths will not be in vain. You will not be forgotten, never, ever, by us... what we'll always remember is that you laughed beside us, and comforted us... you were always there for us when we needed you, you helped... watch out for us, and for our daughter. For our friends, and our families both... that's what we'll remember. Death can't take away your stories. Death can't steal away the meaning of what you did.
"And I want you both to know... we'll respect your wishes. We'll push forwards, and end this, for your sakes' as much as Equestria. And I know what you'd both want to hear isn't that we'll seek vengeance for you both... but that we'll save everyone else we can save." Scrivener halted, closing his eyes and bowing his head forwards... and Luna nodded silently, before she straightened slowly.
"For thou, Rainbow Dash, we will do it with honor and integrity. And in thy memory, Fluttershy... we shall do it with compassion, and grace." Luna said softly, looking from one to the other... and then she smiled faintly and nodded once, whispering: "And know I am sorry that this has come to pass, and that I could not... save either of thee from the menaces that have occurred. I wish that I had fought harder, and done better for thee. I wish that I had been wiser... and that the cost had not been so high. But know that even now, thou give me faith... and thou have humbled me, and Nightmare Moon inside me. We bow our heads in respect to thee... in our hearts and minds, thou shalt always be loved."
Slowly, Luna and Scrivener both knelt... and behind her, the rest of the gathered bowed deep as well, even Celestia kneeling low. Finally, Luna and Scrivener withdrew quietly, and Celestia strode forwards, standing at the edge of the ashen circle and closing her eyes, her prayers, her last words to them silent as she breathed slowly... and then lowered her horn forwards.
It glowed faintly, silently pulling the sheets back over the faces of the departed, sealing them both inside their cloth cocoons... and then she stepped slowly backwards as her horn continued to glow, golden and radiant beneath the light of the moon as she said softly: "And now, we release these souls, we sanctify their bodies, we wash them in cleansing, purifying fire. May they sleep well... may they find their path to the Vale of Valhalla unbarred and unblocked. May they rest forever, in eternal slumber, in comfort and peace. May they never again know hunger, or be left wanting, or feel sorrow's cruel sting..."
Celestia slowly arched her back, raising her head high... and the circle of ashes glowed quietly before golden flames spread upwards in a swirl, spiraling slowly inwards, spilling over the bodies and blanketing them from sight as they crackled quietly in the bitterly-cold air, spreading warmth and heat and radiance that mixed mellifluously with the rays of moonlight washing down from above like a melody of sight. "May your dreams come true... may you all be welcomed and rewarded in the Vale of Valhalla for everything you have done for our world, our country... our friends and family."
The golden flames built higher, burning, iridescent, holy; their light illuminated the faces of the living ponies, bringing beauty even in sorrow, and lit the Pales that stood here and there standing silently amongst their number like they were made of luminous crystal, making them all-but-glow with beauteous, virtuous light. They stood, living and dead, around the pyre of the fallen... and as they gazed into those terrible and beautiful flames, all were forced to reflect on the cost of the battle... and how even their triumph would not come without a terrible price.
Scrivener Blooms shivered and pressed his face down against the bedding in their apartment, a blanket over his body, Luna silently, slowly massaging his back as Twilight and Celestia sat and looked down at him: one with compassion, the other with a tremble of fear as Luna grimaced a little every now and then. Their armor lay discarded, and Celestia had even thrown off her crown, leaving her standing in only her peytral plate as the violet pony asked quietly: "Is he going to be okay, Luna? I... I mean... you're..."
"We are connected in mind, body and soul, Twilight Sparkle... and we feel one another's pain, one another's emotions... but this is not just about that. This is deeper... and the corruption from the Tyrant Wyrm preys specifically upon Scrivener Blooms. It has spread into him... not like infection, but more subtle than that... like a sentient shadow, that no matter how you run from, or where you turn, always follows. Always blankets... always stays in thy mind and covers thy gaze." Luna whispered, continuing to slowly, soothingly rub up and down Scrivy's back as the male twitched a bit and closed his eyes tightly, looking humiliated as he trembled weakly. "Celestia, art thou sure..."
"I could soothe his mind, sister, yes... I could calm him through magic, but it would only delay the effects, and possibly worsen them." She stopped, then looked quietly at Luna, softening as the sapphire winged unicorn clenched her eyes shut. "Let the mental battle run its course. None of us here doubt in him... and you have nothing to be ashamed of, Scrivener Blooms."
"Crying like a child... rollicking in misery after others have died... no shame there at all..." Scrivener mumbled weakly, and then he grimaced as Sammy skittered in front of him, wincing visibly at the sight of the pseudodragon: just like with Pinkamena, he could see... something else. Not just a skeleton... but a shade of the blue-eyed, red-scaled little pet that had once been, as Sammy chirped worriedly at him. "It's... oh my head..."
Scrivy reached up and grabbed at his skull with a quiet curse of pain, and Twilight shook her head slowly before she silently stepped forwards and laid down, curling herself on one side of Scrivener Blooms... and he closed his eyes, feeling her body through the blankets, shivering a bit again. When he looked at her now, he saw a strange glow about her, and her eyes were so deep, like entire worlds... and he twitched violently before burying his face against the bedding with a curse as terrible images and shadows ripped through his mind, as he heard whispers of the Black Verses in his head... but beneath it all, he could still feel Luna's love, Luna's dedication, Luna's touch... and it was all that kept him sane, as he murmured: "The Tyrant Wyrm..."
"Strange, the subject thou seeks answers for, the stories thou wishes to hear, when thou art already suffering enough. Scrivener Blooms, thou art an awful, horrible masochist." Luna chastised quietly, even as she pressed down against his back gently... and then she nodded with a soft sigh as she glanced across at Celestia, saying quietly: "'Twas not what I had expected. Had I understood what we faced, I would have gone to battle it alone. Had I understood..."
She shook her head slowly as Sammy whimpered and skittered across the floor, then murmured: "The Tyrant Wyrms... came in many shapes, but all were awful. All could match the fiercest dragon... and all knew the Black Verses. It is not simple magic... they are words of a lost, forbidden language, prayers and sick praises to that which they glorify in. Words of awful power... words that let them attack the minds of their victims, and exert influence and control over even the strongest-willed. That allow them to summon up emotions, feelings, images, memories so vivid, so painful that... thou saw for thyself what they did."
Luna closed her eyes, and Twilight shivered, whispering: "Even from far away, I... my mind was filled with... awful things. It felt like pressure, like... pain... like... endless malice. But... Scrivy... then..."
"Because he is a poet." Luna smiled a little, glancing up, and Twilight frowned at this as Scrivener laughed dryly against the bedding. "Sister and I... to a point, are immune to the Black Verses. We have been... exposed to them. We have spoken them, and understood... a little of them. My immunity must have been passed on to Scrivener Blooms by our mixed souls... but moreover, was enhanced by two things. One, Scrivener's grasp of words... his respect for them. That words have great power... that spoken or written, words can have devastating, terrible effects, and the knowledge that one does not always need to understand a word... to know its meaning. Two, was another thing I have always admired about him... his ability to acknowledge that in pain, and in darkness... there can still be beauty, and there can still be... lessons worth taking from even the worst of evils. That even evil... can be understood, and even guided."
"I'm evil." Scrivener Blooms mumbled, and Twilight looked at him softly as Celestia gazed down at him quietly, Scrivy raising his head and laughing weakly as he looked up at the ivory equine quietly. "I'm... sorry. I... this isn't from Luna, I want you to know that. This is from me... from... whatever's inside me. I always had myself convinced, arrogantly, that I was just better able to process things at a distance than everyone else... but now I see the truth. I'm evil. I'm sadistic. I'm even worse than Pinkamena... because the reason that these horrible images of torture, gore, and mutilation haven't driven me insane is because some... awful, corrupt, dark part of me... almost..."
He clenched his eyes shut, dropping his face forwards against the bedding as Twilight gazed at him silently, trembling a little, before Celestia leaned down and said softly: "Calm yourself, Scrivener Blooms. There is no need to be so sad... there is no need to suffer over this. Your mind is confused and filled with shattered images and broken feelings. The only thing the Tyrant Wyrms hold as sacred is their Black Verses, which tell the stories of their kind, of their 'beliefs,' if a lust for destruction, for consuming and corrupting everything around them to their image, can be called belief... and with courage, you used that against them. As my sister fought death with death... you blasted evil with evil, countering its words, using the very knowledge it tried to torture and destroy you with to interrupt and confuse its own speech. Without your aid, Scrivener Blooms... more would have died. More would have fallen."
Scrivener Blooms was silent as Celestia gazed down at him quietly, saying softly: "We all make mistakes. We all do awful things... but it is our choice what we do with the powers we are given, is it not? I am supposed to be the ultimate icon of good in Equestria, and there is more innocent blood on my hooves than most Equestrians would believe. And my little sister is supposed to be evil... but she has saved more lives than I ever did, and likely ever will. Scrivener Blooms, do not lay in self-doubt and self-inflicted misery... angst does not suit you."
Scrivy smiled a little at this, and Luna laughed quietly as she slowly rubbed up along her back, Twilight closing her eyes before the winged unicorn leaned in and kissed his cheek softly. "She's right, you know. But I... I have to ask... did... you learn anything from its mind? Did you understand what it said, was that how you knew that..."
She fell quiet, and Scrivener closed his eyes as Luna lowered her head, before the sapphire winged unicorn cleared her throat and forced herself to look up, saying quietly: "The Tyrant Wyrm forced countless years of knowledge of torture, pain, desire, and destruction in its own memories into Scrivener's mind... filling up that thankfully-empty space." Luna smiled faintly down at him, knocking quietly on the back of the equine's skull, and Scrivener couldn't help but laugh weakly... but weak or not, all the same it helped drive back the awful shadows in his mind, helped neutralize some of the corruption wreaking havoc through his brain with enough force to make even Luna twitch now and then. "Scrivener learned much... enough to understand when it spoke to us. Enough to know..."
She shook her head slowly, then glanced up as there was a quiet knock at the door before it opened, Cowlick hesitantly leaning in and smiling faintly as she said softly: "Sorry to disturb you all... but... I know you wanted to hear right away if we found anything. We... like you asked, Luna, we checked out that place on the map, the fountain that... Rainbow Dash..." Cowlick closed her eyes and took a steadying breath. "That was marked on the map. Me and Aleksandr and his boys. I didn't think anything was wrong - except for the fact those unicorn assholes are still hiding away in their goddamn houses instead of coming out to at least thank us for everything we did for their sorry, undeserving selves - and then Aleksandr started smashing the fountain up with his hammer. I thought he was just going crazy, and I wasn't about to stop him either way, but then he broke the ice apart and started hauling it up and..."
She shivered, shaking her head, and Luna said softly, unsurprised: "How many dead ponies did thou find?"
"I'm not even surprised you're not surprised." Cowlick looked up grimly, shaking her head slowly as Celestia's eyes darkened. "No less than a dozen of them, frozen, obviously ritual sacrifices from the symbols carved into their bodies. Aleksandr found something he referred to as ereticheskie is'ma on these weird-carved gemstones he smashed up... he made me remember those words when I was coming to tell you. Very serious guy, but way smarter than I gave him credit for at first, I'll tell you that. And a lot... a hell of a lot... of respect for Rainbow Dash."
She stopped, looking down... then she glanced up as Luna murmured: "Then the pieces fall into place. The Dead Dolls were given to the Tyrant Wyrm by Wisehorse to ensure that it could feed upon the souls of those lured by them... and the Tyrant Wyrm was guided here by a sacrificial beacon. In this dark and awful place, after all, who would notice one more black spot amidst the decay?"
She shook her head, then grimaced and asked distastefully: "And Swiftly Wing, the outlaw? Was there any sign of her?"
"Fled and gone. Ross said that the moment Scarlet Sage went..." Cowlick grimaced a little, but Luna only shook her head and gestured for her to go on, despite the pain it brought her and Scrivy. "The moment she got... strange... Swiftly got scared and ran away, abandoned them both. And Ross... Ross didn't know what to do. One moment she was a harmless little filly, the next... Fluttershy is..."
She shivered, and Luna looked down as Twilight closed her eyes, a shudder going through her body before Cowlick looked up and asked finally: "Don't take this the wrong way, but... if... Scarlet... I mean..."
"She was controlled, Cowlick, 'twas not her fault!" Luna said forcefully, and Cowlick winced back before Celestia reached a hoof up to touch Luna's shoulder, the starry-maned winged unicorn gritting her teeth before she sighed and murmured: "'Twas not her fault. Wisehorse must be ancient and powerful, and is far, far more cunning than I had ever anticipated... he dyed the mane of the doll he gave us with his own blood. He used his own blood to poison Scarlet Sage, to taint her emotions and force her to do his bidding... while he probably waited in a safe place, knowing that we were engaged with the Tyrant Wyrm."
"If he and his Blood Seers were able to battle and suppress the monster, we cannot underestimate them... we have never fought a Tyrant Wyrm that willingly worked alongside another race before. The few rumors of alliances we heard were always short-lasted and quickly-broken... all the Tyrant Wyrms crave is destruction, after all." Celestia added softly, and then she nodded to Cowlick as the earth pony quietly excused herself, leaving the four in silence.
Finally, Twilight leaned against Scrivener Blooms as she gazed at Luna and Celestia, asking softly: "But... what... was it? Discombobulation was terrified of it, I've never seen him so... serious, so scared. He kept saying to stay out of the fight, and that his powers would be useless against it... said that you two were our only hope to stop it."
Celestia smiled faintly at this, Luna lowering her head... and then Scrivener Blooms sighed softly as he whispered: "Who knows? Even with all the knowledge in my mind... most of it is just horrible, scattered images of terrible things. There's... the emotions are alien. Aren't even emotions, really... they're just hunger, and anger, and the Black Verses..." He clenched his eyes shut, shuddering a little, and Luna laid her body slowly down overtop his, embracing him silently, fiercely around the neck before the earth pony murmured: "They're like machines. Like those gun turrets... programmed to destroy everything in their path. And that makes me think that... the only reason a Tyrant Wyrm would work with Wisehorse... is if he really did intend to bring Ragnarok. Really did want to bring that chance to destroy the entire world... to burn and purge it all into nothingness..."
Scrivy clenched his eyes shut, a shudder rolling through his frame as more terrible images sparked through his mind, smelling charring meat, hearing the clank of chains and rumble of earth and awful screams... and then he opened his eyes and shook his head briefly, shivering for a moment before he looked quietly towards Twilight Sparkle... and smiled faintly despite himself as she reached up and touched his cheek quietly. "This is what Pinkamena meant by seeing beneath things... Horses of Heaven, I don't blame her for being such a jerk all the time. Everything... seeing what lurks beneath..."
"It's okay, Scrivy." Twilight said softly: simple words, but they were soothing all the same, and Scrivener closed his eyes, resting his head down against the bedding before Twilight looked quietly towards Luna and Celestia, asking quietly: "And about tomorrow... about... going. To end all this..."
"The Black Baroque is not a great distance from here... if we leave in the morning, we should arrive before nightfall... assuming there are not too many threats upon the road. I see now why thou did not wish to risk telling me its location, sister..." Luna glanced towards Celestia, smiling faintly. "'Tis not so deep in the mountains I would have been hesitant in the pursuit. And like as not... had I gone chasing..."
She shook her head slowly, then glanced up with a frown as there was another knock at their door, before Cowlick once more stuck her head in grimaced, muttering: "Sorry to disturb you again, and... even sorrier to tell you this, but... Queen Celestia, Champion Luna... Twilight and Scrivy... North Neigh's leaders are here. They... want to have a word."
Luna gritted her teeth at this, but Celestia only nodded calmly, saying quietly: "Tell them we will be a moment..." She paused, glancing towards the open window with a frown, looking out at a small cluster of unicorns standing nervously outside in the pale light cast from the streetlamps. "Sister, shall I attend to this alone?"
"No, no..." Scrivener Blooms murmured, and Luna sighed quietly as he fidgeted beneath her before she winced and stepped aside, Twilight Sparkle apprehensively climbing to her own hooves as Scrivy stood... then nodded and lowered his head, saying softly: "Luna and I... should be there too. But afterwards... a little sleep is in order. I'm... at least I'm too exhausted to get into another brawl with Brambles."
Celestia nodded slowly... and she led the way outside, Luna following quietly and tossing nervous glances to her husband, as Twilight brought up the rear behind Scrivener's dragging hooves. They were all tired, all exhausted, all beaten, and when Scrivy looked up at Celestia, he could see flares of red amidst the glowing white shape that seemed to both be above and below the immense winged unicorn's body... and he shook his head sharply, trying to dispel his nervous thoughts as they stepped outside and into the road.
Celestia and Luna both stepped forwards, gazing silently, imperiously down at Bramblethorn, Caprice, and a few other unicorns, as Scutum stood off to the side... and when Celestia glanced towards him, he saluted her sharply before saying in a crisp, calm voice: "Queen Celestia, Chancellor Bramblethorn and Mayor Caprice wish to extend their condolences and congratulations. I have already officially resigned my post, however, so I cannot speak further for them. Which they should both know, as well as the rest of the council."
He glared at them, and then, near the back, Glitzy Gem leaned to the side, waving a hoof and calling eagerly: "Scrivener, Scrivener Blooms! You remember me, right? Tell your beautiful friends you remember me, we were foals together and-"
"Shut up." Bramblethorn said moodily over his shoulder, and immediately the unicorn petered to a halt and flushed, hiding back amongst the congregation before Bramblethorn swallowed as he looked forwards, gritting his teeth and grinding them loudly together as he looked over the four, Luna gazing at him coldly and Celestia looking down with imperial expressionless. "Your... highness... it was brought to our attention that you arrived earlier. It was also brought to our attention - the unicorn council's, that is - that... you and your... your... subjects-"
"They are not my subjects. They are my friends... they are my family." Celestia said softly, meeting Bramblethorn's eyes... and he quailed back a bit from her: her stance hid no malice, her tone was cordial... and yet all the same, the feeling in the air was clear: the winged unicorn was not to be trifled with. "I was not the one who saved you... yes, I aided them, but that was all it was. Assistance. They have suffered for you... and they have also suffered under what you have done to them. If you are here to thank anypony, thank them... or leave."
"W-Well, it's just an honor, a real, a true... honor... to see you..." Caprice said quickly, stepping forwards as Bramblethorn looked down in dull disbelief. "I mean... Queen of Equestria, in our little town! I... the moment we heard, of course... and... a-and if we had known, really, that there was... violence... going on, well, you know, you can be sure that we would have-"
"Do not lie, worm." Luna said coldly, narrowing her eyes and silencing Caprice with a squeak. "Thou, in mania, accused Scrivener Bloom of being a sorcerer and... casting some dubious hex upon thy fetid little speck of a town! And thou hast done nothing but protect thyself... in fact, we know the vile machines thou has equipped thy elitist little snobbery microcosm of a unicorn village with were programmed to fire at anything not unicorn nor Pegasus, including myself!"
"Is this true?" Celestia asked quietly, and when Caprice only whimpered and shrank back, the other unicorns that were with her shuffling awkwardly, the ivory equine said softly: "I want those machines dismantled and destroyed by the time I return. I believe we will be making a special detour through this village after we have taken care of business in the mountains tomorrow... just as I believe that when I return, you will all be working in conjunction with the earth ponies, not enslaving them to your will."
"But why?" Bramblethorn burst out, stepping forwards and looking up at her... and what made it more terrible was that it wasn't anger, or hatred... it was honest confusion, tinged with despair, as he looked towards Scrivener and said sharply: "They're... weaker than us! They are less than us... we can do anything, anything, their kind can do... but better, faster, and with even greater ease! This is only natural order!"
Celestia looked at him quietly... and then she stepped forwards and tilted her horn downwards only slightly, the faintest of glows surrounding it... and surrounding Bramblethorn, hefting him into the air as he began to flail weakly, gargling quietly as bands of pressure encircled his body as she said softly: "Then I am superior to you. Do you not see the flaw in your reasoning? You can lift a rock... but I?" Celestia glanced with distaste towards the abandoned building, and it rumbled, windows cracking, wood shattering, as the entire structure shook and then began to slowly rise visibly upwards, boards tearing as it ripped free from the ground. "I can move mountains if I wish to. You can light a candle? I can move the sun, and cover an entire world with its glow. You can speak harsh words and kick around those who believe themselves beneath you... but I can speak calmly, and intelligently, and in the past bent even dragons to my will through soft conversation and unstoppable strategy."
Celestia's eyes flashed, and the rumbling, floating abandoned building was dropped, crashing down and half-collapsing in on itself in a burst of snow and dust, chunks of glass and broken board falling down the front of it as the roof caved in slightly and Celestia flicked her horn downwards, tossing Bramblethorn down to the frozen road. He bounced once with a grunt of pain, flopping stupidly onto all fours, then stared up with horror as she stepped slowly forwards. He skittered backwards, rasping weakly, the unicorns staring up at her with terror as she shook her head and gazed over them with disappointment and contempt. "I did not expect things to be so bad here. To be so isolated, so trapped in old, barbaric ways... the earth ponies, the Pegasi, and the unicorns need each other. They have always needed each other and will always need each other... because despite our differences, we are still all only ponies. Working together is essential to our survival... proving that we are superior because some are blessed with powers others do not is pointless.
"You all remind me... of the pony I once was. Perhaps that is why I feel such contempt for you... but if I was able to change, perhaps it means there is hope." Celestia said softly, looking slowly back and forth over the unicorns, and Luna glanced at this admission with surprise... but Celestia only gave a faint smile to her sister before she returned her eyes to the unicorns. "There will be soldiers, weary, and wounded staying here. It would reflect well upon North Neigh if they received aid while staying here and recovering from what they just survived. It would also be beneficial if you would leave us in peace for the rest of the night: I understand having questions and desiring answers, but I believe you will afford us this courtesy, won't you?"
"I..." Caprice glanced nervously at Bramblethorn, and he only nodded tiredly, the mayor swallowing a bit before she bowed quickly to Celestia and turned, quickly trotting away with a wince.
The other unicorns followed... all except Bramblethorn, who stood and looked silently at Scrivener Blooms as Scrivy looked quietly back. Celestia excused herself with a silent nod, and Twilight hesitated before following her, Luna and Scrivy standing in the cold, frost-covered road across from Bramblethorn before the unicorn strode suddenly forwards, halting in front of him, looking down at the earth pony with misery in his eyes as he whispered: "Why didn't you just stay gone, slave hoof? I would have preferred to have died than see this day come, after I gained so much, so fast..."
"Wisehorse. William Isehorse... he helped you get into power here, didn't he?" Scrivener Blooms looked quietly at the unicorn, and Bramblethorn nodded with a snort of disgust. "What did you do for him?"
"I don't have to answer to you. I'll never, ever answer or bow my head to you again..." Bramblethorn hesitated all the same, however, and it wasn't just at the glare Luna favored him with. Nor was it remorse... it was something else, before Bramblethorn muttered in a half-prideful voice: "Fine, you want to know? Helped him set up his shop. Introduced him to other unicorns, and showed him around town. Then, once I was elected, I got him the deeds for a few landmarks he was interested in, like the old fountain. In return, he told me I'd never have to worry, that he'd always watch out for me. And unicorns, unlike slave-hoofs, keep their word."
Scrivener Blooms looked silently at his father... and then he shook his head slowly, and without another word, he turned and left, Luna following after him, leaving Bramblethorn standing abandoned by all on the cold road, not even seeming to understand how alone he was. |
Starlit Knights | One Last Journey | Chapter Thirty One: One Last Journey
~BlackRoseRaven
When Scrivener Blooms and Luna awoke, they were still in darkness... but Celestia was gone, and Twilight was sitting at the window, staring quietly out into the shadows. She paused, then glanced quietly over her shoulder at them as Scrivy sat up on the bedding and Luna gazed softly up after him, the male rubbing slowly at his forehead as Twilight asked quietly: "How are you feeling?"
"Better... calmer. I'm still seeing... things... but it's not as bad now. Luna..." Scrivener softened as he glanced at her, remembering vivid dreams in darkness... and Luna, always there at his side, fighting beside him through thick and thin. He smiled at her faintly, and she smiled back... then climbed quietly to her hooves, and the two traded a short, quiet kiss before the male shook his head and glanced awkwardly towards Twilight as she surveyed them silently. "What time is it?"
"Early morning. The clouds are moving back in, we could be walking into a storm... Celestia said she was going to take a walk around to check it out, then raise the sun." Twilight hesitated, then she said in a quiet voice: "You two were... talking a little in your sleep. I... well. I don't really want to repeat some of what you said, but it was... well..."
"Then repeat it not, and we shall not speak of it either, and all shall be well." Luna replied softly, but she was smiling all the same... and Twilight Sparkle hesitated only for a moment before she nodded slowly, and the two winged unicorns gazed quietly at each other before Luna flicked her starry mane, the ephemeral locks floating softly of their own accord for a moment before settling gently back down. "But how art thou, Twilight Sparkle? Thou... has suffered much tragedy these last few days... and thou... art not like me, hardened by battle. And when I lost Sleipnir... I can say that I handled it with far less grace than thou art handling what has transpired here."
"Well... we are different, Luna." Twilight smiled faintly over at her, lowering her head for a moment before she murmured: "I can't... really grasp what's happened, to be honest. The enormity of it... and I know it'll be days, weeks... months... before I understand entirely what's happened. Just like I know... I was hit with a bitter truth. If I do survive this... I'm going to watch them all... age and die, aren't I? This isn't just a blessing, letting me stay beside you and Celestia and Scrivy forever... it's... a bit of a curse, isn't it?"
"Yes, it is." Luna said quietly, straightening, but her eyes were tender as she looked softly towards Twilight, who smiled a little more in appreciation of her unhesitant honesty. "It will... be hard, Twilight Sparkle, and thinking of it now... it makes sense why sister can be so... distant at times, even when she means not to. I watched five hundred years of friends live and die before me upon this world... she has seen seventeen hundred years worth of allies, friends, and foes live, fight, fall, and die before her. And so many of those years, without any companions..."
Twilight glanced down, nodding slowly... and then Scrivener shook his head a bit as he stood up and the three gazed towards the window, as the darkness grew for a moment... and then was washed away by the light of the slowly-rising sun as the violet pony murmured softly: "Baptized in fire, kissed by the sun, held in night's embrace... a child made to grow up in times of war... magic that glimmers most in the evening."
Scrivener blushed awkwardly as he glanced away, but Twilight only smiled softly over her shoulder at him, saying quietly: "Remember when Luna harangued you into writing those poems about us? I remember those lines most from mine... and I remember the one you wrote about yourself was made mostly of words that no pony should ever speak."
"What can I say, I'm a little self-deprecating. It's all in good fun, though." Scrivy smiled a little, and then he shook his head a bit as he walked towards his armor, digging in it quietly... and laughing a little as he found Sammy curled up inside his breastplate, the skeletal pseudodragon sticking his head out and giving a chirp that sounded distinctly relieved at the sight of Scrivener Blooms, leaping out and scampering quietly up his limb to curl around his shoulders, nipping softly at the back of his neck. "It's good to see you too, old friend. But Luna... I suppose... we should get ready."
"Aye, no time like the present..." Luna paused, then glanced towards where her own armor was piled as Scrivener curiously picked up the polished-looking helm of Sleipnir, tilting it back and forth. "Twilight Sparkle, didst thou..."
"Celestia and I... you were both deep asleep, and Celestia was cleaning her own armor, so I decided to touch yours up a little." Twilight shrugged a bit and laughed quietly. "I hope that's okay. Celestia told me a little about... repair spells, and taught me a little. We... talked a lot last night. We were both afraid of disturbing you both at first but... you were so deep asleep for these last few hours, I don't think a dragon would have woken you up."
Luna smiled a little, trading a look with Scrivener Blooms... and then the three winced as the door was knocked open, Sammy squeaking and leaping off Scrivy to hide in the blankets over the bedding as Pinkamena came striding in, her armor clinging over her body and straight mane neatly falling in a waterfall over one side of her face. For a moment she looked over them meditatively... and then she simply sat down in the doorway and asked distastefully: "So what the hell are you lazy jerks doing in here? I've been packed up since an hour ago, and the others are almost done, too. And hey, Twilight..."
Pinkamena glanced over at her meditatively, and then she smiled a little, saying quietly: "Sissy says that Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash... both say thank you. If you don't believe me, I don't give a crowbait's flank. Besides... Scrivy, you might be able to see 'em now. Now you see like I do, after all, ain't that right? But you'd see better if you stop fighting it and concentrate a little... go ahead, try it."
Twilight was sitting back, obviously not knowing how to take what Pinkamena had just said as Luna frowned towards Scrivener, who shrugged a bit as he reached up and rubbed slowly at his face... and then Pinkamena rolled her eyes, leaning forwards and half-ordering, half-mocking: "Start by relaxing, and then just open your goddamn eyes."
Scrivy glared at her, but then he sighed as Luna now looked more inquisitive then irritated, and the male grumbled under his breath as he closed his eyes, taking a slow breath, letting himself relax and not fighting even as corrupt images, like dark water, flowed through his mind; disconcerting, but as he had learned now that he had adjusted to them, only harmful if he concentrated on them for too long.
Then he opened his eyes, wincing a bit... and stared as Pinkamena grinned at him: he wasn't just seeing the lurking colors now, the hints of what were below... when he looked at Pinkamena, he saw a grinning, sleek creature he couldn't entirely identify. It was mostly pony, but distorted, with broken stumps of wings he knew weren't really there, and he staggered backwards, blinking a few times... and suddenly, it was just Pinkamena again, and she threw her head back and laughed loudly... but there was a hint of bitterness there as well, even as she exclaimed: "Welcome to the madhouse! Now I really want to take another bite of you..."
Slowly, she licked her lips... and Scrivy shook his head violently as Luna winced and Twilight stepped forwards, but the male rose his hoof and said in a mutter: "No, no. I'm... I'm fine. Just a little... startled... Pinkamena is that really..."
"How the world looks, or how I see?" Pinkamena cocked her head, licking her lips again, eyes eager and shining as she stepped forwards and whispered: "What the hell does it matter, Scrivy? That's a joke, get it? Hell. Hell is everywhere, hidden beneath everypony's faces... hidden in the depths of everypony's mind... and now you see. Now you see! I'm not the crazy one, they all are, the ones who deny the fact that we're all nothing but lying false faces but not you now, not you anymore... now you're going to be forced to see. Did the Tyrant Wyrm corrupt you? Or did it purify you?"
Pinkamena stomped her hooves and laughed, and Luna and Twilight both winced away as Scrivener only stared at her, shivers rolling down his spine before he shook his head violently and muttered: "Pinkamena, you're scaring... everypony here."
"No, I'm scaring Luna and Twilight." Pinkamena said sharply, stamping her hooves down as her red-rimmed eyes flashed, suddenly calm and serious again as she straightened back up, and Luna frowned as she shot a sharp look to Scrivener, who met her eyes quietly as thoughts and emotions spilled between them, while Twilight only looked confused... and Pinkamena's lip curled in a grin. "Cheater. But maybe it's a good thing. Yes, you and Luna, one in the same, both soaked in darkness... but can you blame me for being so excited? You tried to understand me before, but you never could... and now, now you can."
"How do you know we even see the same things, Pinkamena? How were you like this even back as Pinkie Pie, even before you were further tainted or... amplified or... whatever happened with the demons?" Scrivener asked, gesturing at her almost violently... and Pinkamena studied him for a few moments as he shouted almost desperately: "How the hell do you know I'm like... you?"
She was quiet... and then she smiled softly, reaching back to silently brush her mane back and shaking her head out slowly. It was an elegant, easy, beautiful gesture... and when she gazed at him, despite her sharp teeth and grayed, barbaric features, she looked kind... gentle even, as she said quietly: "Because, silly. When you're insane, you see everything that no one else does anyway."
She paused, then strode up to him and reached a hoof up, gently bopping him on the nose with a teasing grin before she simply spun around and tilted her head backwards, calling easily as she strode towards the door: "Besides, maybe I was crazy back then but the demons made me sane and opened my eyes... or maybe I was sane back then and the demons made me crazy and tried to close my eyes. Who knows? Who cares? You know what I care about?" She stopped halfway through the doorway, glancing moodily over her shoulder. "You two getting the hell ready and getting out here so we can leave this hellhole. We'll talk more on the way."
She turned, then half-shoved past Celestia despite the ivory equine's much larger size, adding mildly: "Hey Princess Sunshine. Don't expect to win so easy this time when we play 'kill the most' on the battlefield again, okay sweetheart?"
Celestia looked moodily after the dull-pink pony, pursing her lips but not speaking... and then she sighed a little as she pushed into the room and made a face at the expressions on the faces of the other ponies, her golden full plate mail glinting over her strong frame. "I see Pinkamena has already started a ruckus. Well, I hope the news that a good few ponies seem to wish to travel with us doesn't worsen your moods."
Luna grumbled a bit under her breath, but Twilight only smiled faintly... and Celestia smiled herself at these reactions, saying quietly: "Applejack, Rarity, Spike, Big Macintosh, Commander Scutum, Ross and Kilby Kwolek are all intent to journey with us... as are Aleksandr and his surviving brothers, and I suppose Pinkamena has made it clear she will be coming as well. I... did not think I had any right to deny them this. To be entirely honest... I think that I will in truth be glad for their company. They are all good people from what I have seen. There are a few others as well who wished to join us, but I asked them to stay here, and guard North Neigh. I purified the bog and burned the bodies and the caves... but I do not wish to leave even these ponies to the claws of Nibelung or Velite or whatever other horrors may lurk nearby."
Luna nodded hesitantly, looking down and frowning a bit as she murmured: "'Tis a larger party than I expected myself... but of good ponies. I only fear what the cost may be, sister... and I fear what Ekleíp has in store, in wait for us."
"And they have all chosen, with full knowledge that pain and tragedy may lay in the road ahead, that we venture now into the place the Tyrant Wyrms and other horrors first crawled out of, and the understanding of the terrible cost of our war that can only come from fighting... and winning our victories at the awful prices we have." Celestia said gently, gazing down towards Luna with sympathy... before she smiled faintly and added softly: "But we are two Valkyrie, my sister, with memories of Valhalla reviving in our minds, ready to do whatever must be done to stop Ekleíp... between us, the Elements of Harmony, a chaos spirit of Ginnungagap and the strength of friends... we will prevail. I know we will."
"So nice to be included." Discombobulation drawled, and the ponies glanced up with only half-surprise to see him leaning calmly against the far wall, cocking his head towards them as crossed one arm over his chest and flicked his eagle talon almost distastefully as he cocked his head. "So you do understand we're very likely all going to die, yes? There's not going to be a morning after, we don't get to ride off into the sunset, some lucky devil - and I honestly hope it's not the actual devil amongst us, if we all have to die I'm going to be throwing her to the wolves first to make sure I get to laugh at her before someone cuts off my damn fool head - is going to be claiming our life insurance for a very pretty penny. Also, if I die while on duty, you owe me worker's compensation, Twilight Sparkle. Not to mention I'll sue your flank off for misrepresenting this as a 'golden opportunity to get in on the bottom floor of a surefire investment.'"
For a moment Twilight only looked at him... and then she said softly: "Discombobulation, I release you from your services. I won't stop you if you want to go... you don't have to come with us. Just don't cause too much trouble across Equestria, okay?"
The Draconequus looked stunned at this, a visible pulse echoing through the air as the other ponies gazed with surprise from Twilight to the Draconequus... and then Discombobulation slowly looked down at his hands before he snapped his fingers, and a water balloon appeared above Twilight's head before dropping down and splattering over her, soaking her mane and making her twitch and glare at him.
But nothing else happened... and the Draconequus looked at her silently before he shook his head slowly as a smile spread over his lips, saying quietly: "So, not good enough for you anymore, huh? Well, I won't stand for it, Twilight Sparkle. How dare you think yourself better than me, fit to go off and die, and I should just go away and live happily ever after in this darkness-besotted world like the craven coward I am? I will not stand for it, absolutely not. Why, the only sensible thing to do is nonsense: Twilight Sparkle, Scrivener Blooms, Luna and Celestia, I have every intention of dogging your heels all the way to the Black Baroque... and whether you like it or not, Twilight Sparkle, there's nothing you can do to stop me."
He leaned down, crossing his arms and looking smug as he blew towards her, and Twilight's mane fluffed out as a burst of hot air flew up around her and instantly dried her out, making her blink and rear back stupidly, blushing in surprise as well as from the burst of heat before she lowered her head forwards and murmured: "Thank you."
"Shut up, Twilight Sparkle, your reverse psychology already worked and I'm ready to wrestle a giant monkey wearing a tie into submission for his banana hoard." Discombobulation beat his fists against his chest gamely, and Scrivener Blooms snorted in amusement as he shoved his helmet onto his head. The Draconequus glanced towards him, and then he gave a slight smile, holding up his talon... and with a puff, Scrivy's glasses appeared in them, the male looking up with surprise as the Draconequus said kindly: "Did they ever call you Piggy, Luna? If so, it's a good thing we're not near any islands. That, and the fact that Scrivener Bloom will obviously beat the snot out of anything that threatens her precious little Squishy. I wish I had a Squishy."
Discombobulation paused, then he snapped his fingers, the glasses vanishing and Sammy squawking as he appeared out of thin air at head level with the Draconequus, flailing in midair before the chimerical creature grabbed him and squeezed him painfully-tight into his body, saying tenderly: "I shall call him Squishy and he shall be mine and he shall be my Squishy."
Luna was already ignoring the creature as she pulled on her armor, and Scrivener Blooms grumbled as he did the same, rolling his eyes and beginning to pull his own armor on over his frame as he said flatly: "Just... please give me them back at some point then, will you? I don't even remember when I dropped them... but... they are important."
"Our important things are always easily forgotten." Discombobulation said mildly, and then he glanced towards the window before absently tossing Sammy to the bedding, the pseudodragon squawking and scrambling beneath the blankets as the Draconequus strode towards the wall past Twilight, ignoring her completely... and without hesitating, he calmly rose his hands, and reality around him rippled as he passed through the solid surface like it was liquid, the walls trembling before solidifying the moment his long, velvet kangaroo tail passed entirely through.
Celestia grimaced, looking towards Twilight Sparkle and asking hesitantly: "Not that I doubt your judgment, my friend... but... do you really think it was a good idea to free the creature Discombobulation from service? He is a chaos spirit from Ginnungagap, thriving on confusion... and now freed..."
"I don't think he was lying. In fact, I know he wasn't... but... it just seemed like the right thing to do, Celestia." Twilight smiled awkwardly towards the ivory equine, bowing her head quietly towards her. "I don't... want to force him to come with us on this if he doesn't want to. We all need to be in this together, all doing this of our own free will... and I don't think he'll cause too much trouble."
She nodded firmly... then winced at the sound of a loud bang outside, turning around to stare out the window before grumbling and storming towards the doorway, and Celestia sighed and shook her head slowly even as Luna grinned a bit, her horn glowing as she fitted the last of her armor quickly over her body. "Worry not, sister... Twilight Sparkle is of good instinct, and strange as it is, I will be gladder to have the creature fighting at our side, capable of its own thought and decisions than it was fighting under Twilight Sparkle's orders. Discombobulation... 'tis a friend. And here, Scrivener Blooms, permit me."
Scrivy winced as Luna flicked her horn, the last of his gear flying up and quickly strapping and clanking into place over his form, his body flexing against his black and silver, polished armor. He gave her a flat look, but Luna only smiled, saying quietly: "Let us dilly-dally no more, daydreamer. Celestia, little Samael, Scrivy... let us be on our way. Away from this town... the road will give us time enough for the last discussions we must share."
"Kind of funny." Scrivener murmured quietly, as Sammy scampered quickly out of the bedding to hop up onto his back, running quickly forwards to sit comfortably on his armored shoulder. "I never thought we'd actually be heading out of North Neigh to somewhere worse... but I guess the really weird thing is that I'm almost looking forwards to it."
Luna smiled a little over her shoulder at him as she headed towards the door, saying softly: "Aye, Scrivener Blooms... but worry not. 'Tis natural... and there is much to hope for in the future, strange as it may sound. There is hope that we may save our daughter, and hope that we may stop this darkness from spilling over Equestria... aye, insufferable black optimism tells me that everything that can still be saved, unlike thy preferred friends realism and her rich and successful cousin pessimism."
"And I'm the poet." Scrivy said softly as he followed her, and Celestia shook her head slowly behind them, but she was smiling faintly all the same herself as the three headed out of the apartments, Luna rolling her shoulder absently and making the spear holstered on her back seem to thrum with only her movement alone. Scrivener's eyes locked on this, kept safe just above the joint of her wing, wondering silently about Luna's old days and how that knowledge would all come into play... but he only felt a tickle through his mind that slid slowly like a hoof down his spine, and he closed his eyes at Luna's soothing, more-felt-than-heard thought.
The three stepped outside and found Bob standing with his arms crossed moodily on top of a wagon, looking flatly down at Twilight Sparkle before Luna ordered calmly but clearly: "All who are to come with us to the Black Baroque, fall immediately into line. Three to each row... face us, as we face thee."
Celestia and Scrivener stood to either side of Luna, and she blushed a bit even as she glanced towards her older sister even as Celestia bowed her head in respectful deference, and the sapphire winged unicorn closed her eyes, murmuring a soft 'thank you.' Then she gazed back forwards... and smiled faintly at the sight before her, saying quietly: "Silly fools. Even now, the Starlit Knights are not true soldiers, are we?"
Twilight stood at the head of the group with Pinkamena beside her, the winged unicorn blushing and the dull-pink earth pony only grinning darkly... and behind her, Cowlick, Ross, Applejack and Big Mac formed a line, and behind them stood Rarity and Spike, leaning quietly against one-another as Scutum stood calmly to Spike's other side, white armor embossed with profiles of unicorns in deepest obsidian protecting his strong frame and deadly silver crosshatch blades glinting over his forelimbs, with a short sword additionally holstered over his back. And at the back of the group, Aleksandr stood with his hammer resting on his shoulder, as calm and confident as ever, the two surviving minotaurs standing to either side of him.
And yet, in spite of it... Luna smiled, even as they awkwardly tried to shuffle themselves into better grouping, Discombobulation looking down at them moodily from his wagon before he said dryly: "You know, if things keep going this badly, you can say goodbye to Poland."
"Silence, Bob. They are not soldiers. They are warriors, and there is a difference." Luna replied calmly, glancing up towards the Draconequus before she returned her eyes to the group, saying quietly: "I shall keep this short. We leave immediately. Gather the few things thou all will require... require, do not take anything extra for this journey ahead. We shall carry minimal supplies with us, and if thou has not yet eaten, then thou shall be eating on the walk. We march hard into the Gray Mountains, under the light of the sun, before the clouds move heavily in. The mountains, like the Everfree Forest, have always had a wildness, a will of their own... even should a storm strike North Neigh hard, when we are in the mountains, I guarantee the weather shall be vastly strange and different.
"Our goal is the Black Baroque. The veteran Nibelung swarm from here... Ignominious came through there... and Ekleíp is said to have made their base there, in that twisted fortress that stands as a shortcut between our beautiful Equestria and the cold, icy pits of Helheim." Luna closed her eyes, bowing her head forwards and saying softly: "We must be wary. There will be terrible enemies laying in wait ahead... and Ekleíp itself is not a foe we can risk underestimating. Thou must take caution to avoid at all costs being cut, to avoid shedding any blood in the presence of the cultists. But as we make our way forwards, I shall speak more of this... for now, I am eager to depart and hurry upon our way."
"Wait, though... what about... what about us? About the Elements of Harmony?" Applejack asked quietly, looking up with a frown... but her eyes were distant, and her voice had no venom, even as she murmured: "Not that they've done any good so far... but even if the... even if Fluttershy and... R... my...."
She closed her eyes tightly, bowing her head forwards, and Luna and Twilight both gazed quietly at Celestia, who bowed her head and said softly: "The Elements of Harmony are not a lie, are not without their use... but too late, I realized what they actually were. What they actually are. They look cute and harmless, don't they? Childish. Pretty gemstones, reacting to such 'positive' emotions, meant to do 'good.' But by forcing 'order' or 'harmony' or 'peace' upon something... you all saw what they did to Discord. Order and peace forced upon a person is only another form of tyranny, a lobotomy of the very soul."
Celestia halted, then looked up and said quietly: "The Elements of Harmony have a purpose. They may yet have a part to play... but to use them, you must understand and accept one another, and accept the Elements themselves, and their true purpose: that they are not a deus ex machina, here to save all of us from this chaos with one smile and a happy speech. They are a tool, and like any tool, they can be used for good, such as when they flushed the corruption from Nightmare Moon and returned my sister to me..." Celestia smiled a little towards Luna, glancing at her quietly as she bowed her head. "Or evil, when they neutralized the chaos of Discord and turned him to stone.
"But for them to work... you must all understand each other. This is most important: I do not question that each of you, even Scutum, even Ross, even Pinkamena, has inside what it will take to power them. You are no longer six friends... but you can at least recognize each other as six Equestrians, and more than that, six ponies, standing up for a united belief. The connections are tenuous and yielding, but they are still there... you must merely find the right way, the right words, the right amount of understanding for each other, and they will work. They must work..." Celestia closed her eyes and bowed her head forwards, murmuring: "Or all that I sacrificed in my foolish quest for a quick, childish, 'be-all, end-all' answer will come to mean nothing."
There was silence for a few long moments... and then Applejack sighed quietly, looking towards Big Mac, and he simply nodded slowly. She nodded silently back, then returned her eyes forwards, hesitating only a moment longer before she murmured: "Okay. I... okay. God... I wish Dashie was here. He'd make some stupid joke and... everything would be okay..."
She closed her eyes, bowing her head forwards, and there was silence for a moment before Luna took a slow breath. She felt suddenly nervous as she gazed up at the sky... then she gritted her teeth before straightening, throwing away her apprehension, her worries, her fears for what had not yet passed as she called clearly: "Aleksandr! I shall require thy presence momentarily! To all others... gather thy belongings, and then meet back here, thou hast no more than five minutes! Understood?"
Ponies stomped their hooves and shouted as Aleksandr leaned towards one of his minotaur brethren, giving a short order as the minotaur nodded quickly before running off. Luna smiled a little over the group, watching the ponies heading on their way almost as if dazed, half-hurrying and half-stumbling as Pinkamena simply lounged and rolled her shoulders, while Twilight walked quickly up to them.
She hesitated, looking over Celestia, Luna, and Scrivener... and then she blushed a bit and bowed her head before murmuring: "I'll go and... gather things up from our room. Is there anything..."
"We have all that we need." Luna said softly, glancing towards Scrivy tenderly as the male smiled a little despite himself... and then her eyes roved slowly up to Discombobulation, adding mildly: "Except, of course, for Scrivener's glasses. I would dearly like for thou to give those back, Bob of Ginnungagap... they have an especial meaning to my husband and I both."
"Gay pop singer or Austrian killing machine?" Discombobulation asked dryly, flicking his wrists to either side: in his left hand, star-shaped frames with pink-tinted lenses, in his right, sleek black shades. Both Scrivener and Luna glared at him, and the Draconequus sighed before he glanced indecisively from one set of glasses to the other... then tossed both of them aside and instead put his forefingers and thumbs together as her rose his hands to his face and peered through the circles of his fingers. "Hey, hey, hey, what do you say?"
With that, he wriggled his nose... and Scrivener flinched backwards in surprise as a burst of multicolored smoke puffed over his face, leaving his glasses resting quietly atop his muzzle as if they'd never been lost. Then Discombobulation hopped backwards, vanishing behind the cart... before slowly, awkwardly peering over the top of it, his hands still formed into glasses around his eyes. "For all intents and purposes, I'm not here. It just happens to be far calmer in reality than outside it right now... you've all seen the Pales. They've filled up the spaces between spaces in this awful place... I dislike trying to read clop-fiction online while there are ghosts bizarrely hovering all around."
With that, Discombobulation ducked back behind the carriage, and Scrivener gave a grimace of distaste as Luna only looked meditative, before she glanced towards Scrivy and muttered: "Crazed, deluded and insane or not, the beast does have a habit of lightening the mood that I do appreciate. Celestia... does thou know the way?"
"Of course, sister. You know it never takes me long to memorize a map." Celestia replied softly, glancing towards Luna with a small smile on her face. "While we walk... I wish to speak to you of Valhalla. I remember that as Freya, I was... a mix of the selves I have been over my life here. I feel... I do not know if I am purified after all my years lived and the experiences I have had, or if I am instead diluted... but either way, it feels for the better, do you understand? Funny... to feel that as this worldly winged unicorn, I have transcended what I was as a Valkyrie."
She smiled despite herself, glancing down and nodding thoughtfully... but Luna only smiled a little, glancing towards her and saying quietly: "But 'twas lonely in Asgard, was it not? We all claimed we were superior while looking down at Midgard, ever-peering over its inhabitants here, studying them, enjoying their stories, some few of us even claiming worship from them in the ancient days. Odin made us from the remains of the Jotnar... that, and primordial energies. Or were we born, and only told these legends? I no longer remember."
"Nor do I, sister... it was a long time ago. Perhaps before I was given the name Freya and you were called Brynhild... not everything can be explained. Not everything will be clear." Celestia paused, then she lowered her head, saying quietly: "But what bothers me... is that the more I think, the more I reflect upon who we once were... the more I feel like I recognize what brings this darkness. The presence..."
"The puppet-master..." Luna murmured, shaking her head with a shiver as she heard the howl of wolves in memory... but before they could speak further, Twilight returned with a pair of saddlebags over her body, an awkward smile on her face as the others began to filter back as well. But Luna didn't question her, and Scrivy stepped forwards with a small smile, taking one of the bags from her to throw over his own back as Sammy chirped softly and peered apprehensively towards the mountains.
The others gathered, and understood to follow without being told, as Aleksandr found his way to the front of the group and strode silently behind them. Gradually, they naturally formed into strange but workable ranks: spearheaded by their strongest, with minotaurs at their rear, Ross keeping nervously to the middle but comforted by Cowlick as the Element of Kindness gleamed softly around his neck and a lightweight, armored vest glinted over his body. But none doubted him, any more than they allowed themselves to doubt Scutum, or any other member of their strange group: they knew that they all had a job to do, and all had to work together to get it done... to save what was left to be saved.
They strode calmly through town, unicorns, earth ponies, and Pegasi standing on the streets, watching silently as the procession passed. Behind them, a trail of ponies followed... not soldiers, not those who sought to fight... only those who were being drawn onwards for one reason or another. Among them, blank-flanked earth ponies who had never been allowed to discover their special talent walked next to unicorns dressed in heavy, expensive furs, and Pegasus soldier and Pegasus outlaw... following, barely aware of why, walking in the hoof-prints of the ponies they had reviled, and who had all the same saved their lives.
They strode to where the hole in the fencing at the northern edge of town was, striding towards the battlefield beyond from which still rose smoke, which smelt even from this distance of burnt offerings and charred death... and Luna looked only once over her shoulder, with pity, past the ponies and minotaurs that strode behind her at the gathering that now stood at the edge of town. The ponies no longer followed them, trapped inside the borders of their own city, staring with strange helplessness after the group... and Luna shook her head slowly before she faced back ahead, saying quietly: "Odin was never much for giving peace, but may he spare a little sympathy for these pathetic wretches all the same."
"None of the Aesir were ever much for party games, though. It was all killing and drinking and acting all tough all the time." Discombobulation remarked calmly, from where he walked easily at the flank of the group... and Luna smiled a little, nodding a bit at this sentiment. "And depravity, too. Freya's passions were legendary. Apparently on and off the battlefield she was quite... aggressive. But I'm sure you don't know anything about that, do you, Celestia?"
Celestia sighed... but then, to the surprise of the others, she smiled over her shoulder at the chaotic entity, asking quietly: "And what if I said that I did? What if I said that I accept every part of my past, every part of who I was, and that is how I've come to find this... this inner peace in myself? First I embraced passion and power, without trying to temper it, and it led to me doing awful things for selfish motives. Then I tried to make myself passionless, and I became nothing but a machine of arrogant strategy and contempt for the world around me. Either extreme led me to believing that I was somehow... better... than everyone around me. Wildfire or clockwork... one is beautiful and destructive, the other is intricate and logical but without emotion, without sympathy.
"Now I understand that harmony is not simply purely good, purely benevolence, purely one thing. It is a thousand different things, all at once... it is balance." Celestia looked ahead, saying softly: "I no longer feel a need to strive to be... perfect. Perfection... is a flaw in and of itself. Perfection is distant and ruthless, and a single flaw, a single change, shatters and distorts it forever. Perfection seeks to impose... I am flawed. I accept that, and I accept myself. I accept my past, who I was, and have hopes for who I will become, even now; even now, I look to evolve, to be better than I am... but never to be perfect. To be wiser, to be more compassionate, to rip down the golden clockwork, smother the flames, and find a median. To be less like the sun... and more like the moon."
She gazed affectionately down at Luna, who laughed quietly and blushed, looking humbled as her eyes roved awkwardly ahead... and then becoming more solemn as they began to silently cross the frozen mire of the battleground, broken pieces of armor and charred bones still laying here and there, foul-smelling smoke spilling silently into the air from the mostly-collapsed maw of the cavern as ponies gazed silently towards this... and then Aleksandr calmly interrupted Luna's thoughts, asking softly: "I do not wish to rush... but you asked for me before, Yaga Baba?"
"Oh, I... yes, yes, Aleksandr, I am sorry. Amidst everything else... I suppose I must have misplaced thy hulking presence." Luna smiled a little towards him, then she shook her head and said softly: "We venture into the Gray Mountains, my friend... I do not know what we face ahead, but I know there are terrible things there. The Black Baroque itself is a place of great evil, and Ekleíp will have fortified the ancient structure further and who knows what monsters they have enlisted to aid them? The Nibelung seem to bow willingly to their aid, we have seen Phooka captured and used as sentinels, they have golems and Dead Dolls and even Velites... and if their goal truly is Ragnarok, they have already proven they will stoop to any low to achieve their aims, from the terrible Tyrant Wyrm and what they have done... to our friends. To Scarlet Sage."
Luna shook her head slowly, then she looked up and said quietly: "Thou and thy brothers already seem to do it naturally, but I implore thee to guard our back: I trust in thy combat ability and expertise for this task, and know thou will not fail."
"Then I shall, and we watch for evil eyes in the mountains. Is not good, though..." Aleksandr grimaced a bit, glancing apprehensively towards the tall, ominous peaks. "Is dark and terrible place, like where Alklha-illych once dwelled. I do not wish to deal again with such things... or worse, with those who hunt such monsters."
"Worry not, Aleksandr... Sol Seraph was too cruel and monstrous for there to have existed more than one of her kind." Luna said distastefully, and Aleksandr grunted in agreement before the minotaur lightly tapped his hammer against one of his large, bovine horns in a short salute before he turned and headed to the back of the group.
They strode along the base of the mountains until they came to a gently-sloped, icy pass... and Scrivener grimaced a little, twitching a bit as Pinkamena murmured behind him: "Yes... it's exciting and terrifying all at once, isn't it? And the fear... the fear only makes me more eager. You'll understand soon..."
Scrivener shook his head weakly as Twilight looked at him worriedly... but he knew that while the others could perhaps sense it, could perhaps see vague outlines... they couldn't see the Pales, and the awful, darker things that stood amongst them. There were no less than thirty ghosts to either side of the mountains, all staring sadly out at him, faces of the recently-dead he recognized amidst strangers... as well as the tall, black-winged creatures, like enormous birds with hooves instead of talons, and dark hoods that hid their heads completely from view. And Scrivener could feel Luna's thoughts twisting with his, could feel her accessing his senses, seeing what he saw... and she grimaced a bit even as they continued forwards, the winged unicorn looking slowly back and forth as she murmured: "Celestia... we are being watched by Pales... and Grimm. This means..."
"Yes, sister. We saw them watching, perched over Sleipnir as he slept, the night before he died. They gather upon battlefields before a massacre. They haunt cities before they are destroyed. It means that in all likelihood, death is in the future." Celestia said softly, but she only looked calmly ahead as she led them fearlessly up the mountain path. "I do not believe they will leave disappointed, either... but let us hope that what gluts their desire for carnage is the enemy's death, and not our own."
Luna nodded silently, shivering a bit as Scrivener closed his eyes, bowing his head forwards. He tried to keep his gaze down as they strode in silence into the mountains, whispers going up and down through the group as the ponies banded together... and even as the clouds above parted, the sun shining down over them silently, there was a distinct air of malice, of unease, of terror, as they strode down a rocky, natural road and into a gorge between tusk-like juts of rock... and whenever Scrivener looked up, he saw Pales and ghosts of other creatures, other races, striding calmly along with them... and other things. Other ghastly omens he had not words for, like when the world around them seemed to become nothing but ice, the ground beneath bone, and he staggered, Luna turning to catch him as the others stopped, the equine shivering as he looked back and forth as everything returned to normal... but Pinkamena chuckled as she lowered her head and whispered: "Reality is getting thinner. We should all sing a song. It'll help."
Applejack and Scutum both simply stared at Pinkamena, and Twilight frowned over her shoulder as Luna gave a wry grin... and then, at the back of the group, Aleksandr threw his head back and began to sing a war song in a brazen, defiant voice in his own language, the other minotaurs slamming the flats of their weapons against their broad chests before beginning to chant as well.
Pinkamena threw her head back and laughed... and Celestia only shook her head and turned, beginning to walk forwards, Luna and Scrivener falling into pace behind her after a moment as Twilight ran up to the male's other side... before he smiled dryly as he looked down, adjusting his glasses and mumbling: "You know what the worst part is? I think Pinkamena was actually telling the truth."
The minotaurs continued in their strong, powerful voices, as they strode through the gorge, fearlessly striding between the stony ribs of rock that jutted along either side of them, even as snow fell here and there from the peaks above... and Applejack strode with her head lowered, braided hair flying back in the faint wind, as Big Mac kept himself focused, kept himself striding calmly ahead, and Rarity and Spike stayed close together, striding side-by-side, the dragon carrying his shield in one hand and the other resting silently on the unicorn's back.
Luna's eyes flicked up, spotting a glint in the distance... and a shape that moved quickly along a cliff-top. Without having to ask, however, Celestia replied quietly, clear even over the voices of the minotaurs: "Nibelung. They conceal themselves well... they are not bandits, nor raiders. These are likely those chosen by the Blood Seers to protect them... but why they have not attacked us, I am unsure. There may be something up ahead... or perhaps Wisehorse knew that we would all come together. I do not wish to risk underestimating the Blood Seer who is likely in charge of Ekleíp, and behind this monstrosity."
"Aye, sister, and nor do I." Luna agreed quietly, and then she looked ahead towards the end of the gorge, saying softly: "And of Valhalla, what did thou wish to speak? Of our old life?"
Celestia smiled a little at this, looking ahead silently as Twilight and Scrivener Blooms walked quietly to either side of the siblings... and then the ivory equine said softly: "In a sense. It is a difficult question to answer, sister... because I wish to speak of many things, most of which are not important in the grand scheme of everything. But I have come to believe... to think, at least... that we were placed here, in this world, for a reason. That we did not simply fall so much as we were... thrown from Asgard, before whatever it was that destroyed the world above... could harm us further. I believe we were killed... but as we died, we were saved in the same breath."
She stopped, then murmured softly: "You were put to sleep by Odin and spent years in silent coma, because you refused his advances... and because you argued with him about what the Aesir did to the Vanir. We were turned against one another, and we almost destroyed one another, over what ended up being a wild misunderstanding... but you were angry with Odin. With his callousness towards the Vanir, the nature gods, whom he detested, whom he saw as our one surviving enemy, after the Jotnar were destroyed. The Vanir were all but wiped out... the Aesir too, were devastated. And whatever had led us against one-another... did not prey on us right away. It was smarter and crueler... it knew what would happen. You were put to sleep... and infighting began. Infighting that lasted more than a century, resulting in feuds, battles, a loss of soldiers, a rupturing of Valhalla, the shattering of our alliances with other races and other worlds as gods killed one another and simply vanished... and then we were attacked at our weakest and most desperate by Helheim's forces. I do not know what led them against us, I do not remember much apart from demons, fighting fiercely but always another, another, another to take its place until I could fight no more..."
She closed her eyes and smiled faintly, murmuring: "My last thoughts were not of Odin. To me, he had betrayed us, and I fought as Valkyrie not to protect him, but to protect my home, and the honor we had once all had. They were of my allies... my warriors, my family. And they were of you, Brynhild... you were special to me even back then."
She quieted, gazing forwards as Luna blushed a bit, looking to the skies and murmuring: "'Tis strange, sister, but... I do not miss it as much as I thought I would. Aye, 'twas paradise, but... there is so much more to enjoy in this world. There is so much more meaning, with fewer rules and laws and searching, judging eyes... and those who do search and judge can be ignored, just as I often ignored thee." Luna smiled over at Celestia, and the ivory equine laughed quietly and shook her head slowly. "Or perhaps I just enjoy being a pony, and a winged unicorn at that... or perhaps it is because now I can look at thee, and say thou art my sister, as Sleipnir was my brother... and Scrivener Blooms is my soulmate. My soulmate, who even now despite his addled mind and damaged body, still follows me along incessantly, no matter what plight seems to befall us."
She gazed over her shoulder at him softly, and Scrivener smiled faintly at her with a bit of a shrug, then he glanced quietly to the side, gazing quietly at the Pales that had taken to walking with the group, studying them, half-recognizable as they glimmered on the edge of reality. "Well, there's no place else I'd rather be than your side, Luna. Without you, life doesn't have any meaning. It's selfishness, really... and besides, like Pinkamena says. We need each other now, right?"
"Somehow, when thou says it, I understand now what she meant, and for more reasons than merely our linked mind." Luna said softly, gazing thoughtfully ahead as she nodded slowly. "Aye, for it is not just that we need each other... it is that we loved, trusted, desired one-another enough in the first place to form this codependency. And I will be the first to admit that it does have its negatives... but to say these outweigh the positives would be the inordinate grumbling of the bitter cynic. Judge me not based upon thine own experiences and rules... I do not bow to either category."
Twilight smiled despite herself at this, glancing quietly at the winged unicorn as she said softly: "Always looking for a fight when it comes to that, aren't you? You always say that and it always seems like you want us to disagree with you... or like you think that any of us here would be dumb enough to try and make fun of you for how clingy you are."
"Memories of the old life, perhaps... and perhaps... awkwardness for the fact that before Scrivener Blooms... I had Celestia and Sleipnir. In the old days there were admirers and other friends, aye, but..." Luna shook her head slowly. "Well, thou saw Ignominious. And of others, well... I attracted darkness. I have always attracted darkness, as I am the night... as the mark splattered over my flank gleams black instead of Celestia's gold."
"But our emblems are deeper than that... all pony's emblems go deeper than they realize. Because all ponies earn their cutie marks... their emblems... not when they first find out what their hidden talent is... but instead when they discover something a little deeper. How often, Twilight Sparkle, did you practice magic before you received your emblem?" Celestia smiled a little over her shoulder, gazing tenderly at the violet pony as she looked back up at her softly, for a fleeting moment once more affectionate student to her beloved teacher. "Just as Scrivener Blooms, I know you wrote and were drawn to writing before your own mark appeared. It is not a talent, or acceptance of destiny... it is a metaphor. It is about acceptance of self, and discovering confidence, and a thousand other things that can never be broken down into simple, easy sentences, much as I wish they could be."
The ponies nodded slowly... and for a little while, they journeyed on with these thoughts in mind, beneath the cloudy skies as the sun watched over them like a vast golden eye, following the ponies as they made their way quietly forwards past the rocky, jutting cliffs along the frozen, natural stone road. And behind them, minotaurs sang war songs with voices that all-but-shook the mountains, knowing that all around them lurked darkness: Nibelung in rawhide and leather armor, carrying axes and shields and with glaring, soulless eyes, and Grimm that silently, invisibly circled, flapped, and slithered through the cliffs, unseen eyes peering eagerly out from beneath their hoods.
The Starlit Knights, the group of warriors, the Equestrians strode onwards over shale and frost and rock, as the darkness swirled and danced all around them, half-hidden in the folds of reality, under the veil of disguising light cast from the sun... and far in the distance, the Black Baroque awaited, not knowing that it was merely another stage awaiting the arrival of the last of the players so one final, merciless carnival show could begin. |
Starlit Knights | Dulce Et Decorum Est Pro Patria Mori | Chapter Thirty Two: Dulce Et Decorum Est Pro Patria Mori
~BlackRoseRaven
The sun still lingered in the air, closer to the other end of the horizon now... but they had made good time. The mountains around them were frosty and cold, vicious winds whipping back and forth through the peaks, and as they had walked, several Nibelung had fallen from their high perches and crashed to the ground around them, startling them... but the dwarves were dead, and mangled horribly from something other than the fall. Something was watching them, something apart from the wolf-pigs... and whether it was hunting them, or had some unknown reason to help them, none of them knew. But something wanted them to reach the Black Baroque... although none of the warriors were foolish enough to think that whatever it was had good intent for them, either way.
They had stopped for a brief meal, but it had been quick: the longer they stayed in one place, the slower they moved... the greater the sense of being stalked, the closer things that hid and lurked around them tried to slide and slink. Shadows often flitted over the ground where there should be no shapes at all, and more and more, both Scrivener Blooms and Pinkamena were catching ghastly visions, of intolerable worlds... like these mountains, like this place, was merely a mask laying overtop a frozen, terrible countenance eager to be revealed.
The Nibelung no longer tried to conceal themselves here: they stood on high plateaus, watching, snarling down at them, many with bows over their backs. Yet they did not attack... and nor did the Velites that stood with them, of all shape and size. Not only skeletal ponies, but other creatures had been seized in Velite power, too; here, for instance, a drake's skeleton stood, hissing down at them balefully as the runes covering its enormous skeleton glowed... but it dared not move down against them, for whatever reason.
Now, the group was on the last approach, striding silently through a wide valley, the mountains to either side curved as if some enormous ship had passed through here, with a tremendous, crushing bow that had ground the stone on either side remorselessly into the elongated, jagged half-pipe it now was... and at the very end of this gravel-and-frost-bottomed vale, there stood an immense, flat-topped mountain with a twisted bulge out of one side horribly shaped like the head of a great wolf. But in front of this mountain of gray and brown stone, the front of an enormous black castle had been built and melded into the mountainside, flanked by two tall towers spaced perhaps a hundred and fifty feet apart, a dark stone walkway leading from one battlement-fortified tower to the other, the space between filled with a wall of windowless, chiseled stone.
The Black Baroque: it lived up to its name, with the only color coming from the polished stone of the blood-red doors. Bands of heavy, dark steel crisscrossed over these, and a circle of ominous runes had been carved in the center of the crimson gates, glowing with dark violet radiance. As the ponies fearlessly strode forwards, the Nibelung and Velites lurking on the cliffs and mountains to either side opened their mouths and roared, in eagerness, in outrage, in hatred, the sound echoing back and forth through the rocky vale.
Ross shivered fearfully as he scampered backwards a bit, shrinking down as Spike drew his sword and kept close to Rarity, the unicorn gritting her teeth as her horn glowed. The minotaurs glared back and forth, then Aleksandr and his kin roared their challenge back at the Nibelung, fearless, undaunted as they raised their own weapons... and Applejack drew her rifle off her back, stepping to one side with Scutum setting himself beside her, while Cowlick quickly put herself in front of cowering, scared Ross as she rose her own lever action rifle, shouting: "Come on down here if you're so damn tough!"
Celestia was as calm as ever, even as Luna snarled back and forth, Nightmare Moon twisting slowly inside her... and the darkness in her was not grinning, was not laughing, was not mocking. It was cold... it was wrathful. Nightmare Moon's passions and anger were one thing... but this, Luna felt... this was the part of Nightmare Moon the legends only hinted at; the part that came crashing down on enemies who pushed her too far, where mercy was forgotten and the slaughter began.
Scrivener breathed hard in and out, looking back and forth, trembling a little as Pinkamena stepped up beside him... and he stared as she offered him a knife, Twilight Sparkle shooting a wince towards them as the dull-pink pony leaned in and said softly: "Word of advice. Don't fight it... because I know that's not fear, is it? Not with Luna riled up too... my. You have that Tyrant Wyrm's bloodlust mixing with Nightmare Moon's wrath, and everything Luna has striven to teach you about being a warrior, all her abilities at your hooves... you're going to be a better killing machine than me."
"I won't lose myself to that. I won't... I don't need your knife." Scrivener whispered, looking down with horror even as he realized it was true, feeling his heart pounding as he shot a look towards Luna... and she glanced towards him, then closed her eyes, giving him a silent apology... and a quiet, gentle order, and the male gritted his teeth as he lowered his head forwards as Pinkamena licked her teeth slowly. "How do you..."
And surprisingly, Pinkamena hugged him around the neck, Sammy whimpering and skittering off Scrivy's back to hide in the snow before the dull-pink pony drew her mouth to his ear, whispering: "Don't worry. It's coming back from the rage that's the hard part, but you... have something to come back to. And now I do too... so don't worry about any of that. Just worry about staying alive."
Twilight Sparkle glanced nervously towards the two as Scrivener nodded slowly, breathing hard as he steadied himself, and then she looked towards Discombobulation as the Draconequus glanced slowly back and forth before he laced his hands together and cracked his fingers, saying calmly: "Outnumbered, outgunned, undeterred. I would say the odds are ten to one, but that would make me an optimist... not that I could ever be a realist, you understand. But I'm glad I came along, because this right here... this is the heart of confusion and chaos, in one destructive, organized, terrible and final exclamation. This is the Alamo. This is everything worth dying for, that we'll never get to live and experience ourselves. Twilight Sparkle... no matter what happens, shine on, you crazy diamond."
Twilight laughed despite herself as Discombobulation smiled and rolled his shoulders, losing some of his strange seriousness as he gazed up and said quietly: "I understand now what Discord wanted me to see and experience here, why he chose me instead of someone stronger, closer to his level. Oh Ginnungagap, wait for me! This world doesn't need our chaos, and that's why it fascinates us... this place is layered in a thick sludge of order, but in everyone here, there's that crazy spark of creative madness... there's that moment, blink, of unpredictability... and it's so much better, because when chaos is always chaos, like in primordial, oozing, trash-pit Ginnungagap... isn't that just another form of stable, dependable, expectable order?"
"Then wouldn't living through this be the most chaotic, craziest thing of all, Discombobulation?" Twilight set herself, her horn glowing, her wings spreading and flapping once as she anchored herself, and the Draconequus looked down at her thoughtfully. "Everyone expects to die... even you. So wouldn't living..."
"You're silly and naïve, Twilight Sparkle... but I like those qualities about you. Then let's see if we can bring a little more madness into the world..." Discombobulation said softly, spreading his arms, before he gazed ahead and added meditatively: "At this point, though, it sounds like you don't want me leaving your side."
"I don't." Twilight replied with a smile, and Discombobulation looked surprised... but then he smiled slowly, not speaking, not saying anything, as his eyes returned ahead but his body thrummed with vibrancy, as if given new strength, new reason, new life.
Then all looked towards the Black Baroque as the roaring monsters fell silent and still, gazing up towards the walkway stretching between the towers, as a figure in red robes stepped quietly out from behind a massive, distorted statue of some horrible monster frozen in stone and metal. The pony looked down at them, and Luna and Scrivener Blooms both snarled at William Isehorse. "What hast thou done with our daughter?"
"She is alive and well, inside... but I told you to come alone. Did you think I would betray you, Luna? Not at this juncture..." Wisehorse shook his head slowly, gazing down at them silently, sadness on the old unicorn's features. His golden-edged red robes swayed around his body as he leaned forwards, the red ruby pendant around his neck glinting as he said soothingly: "Come now. There's no need for this. Come inside, Luna and Scrivener Blooms, and I'll let your friends go. You two are all that I want. All that I need... and all that I can risk. You have a strange group, after all... minotaurs, a dragon, ponies of every shape and size, a Draconequus even... and containing even the might of a single Valkyrie and her soul-bound beloved, well... I don't have many resources left. Everything will be alright."
"We will kill you." Nightmare Moon's voice echoed from Luna's jaws as her body flexed, as her eyes glowed white, electricity streaking through her ephemeral mane. "We hold you accountable for murdering our friends. Awakening a monster. Destroying our home. Kidnapping and hurting our daughter... and poisoning our most precious, most beloved. You will die for these things... but it will not be fast."
"We are not leaving, Wisehorse. And I can tear my way into the Black Baroque far faster than you can send your hordes of monsters down after us." Celestia said quietly and calmly, her eyes cold as she gazed up at the Blood Seer fearlessly. "I will seal us inside... and once you are dead, I do not foresee your soldiers staying outside the Black Baroque for very long. There are worse things in the Gray Mountains than Nibelung and Velites. Veliuona herself never travelled deep into this place for good reason."
Wisehorse sighed quietly, closing his eyes and bowing his head forwards... and then he silently patted the distorted arm of the statue, murmuring: "Then I am truly sorry it has come to this. Fafnir, remember our deal. Do not kill Luna or Scrivener Blooms... dispose of the others as you see fit. And then you may have back your magic ring."
With that, the Blood Seer turned and strode out of sight towards the back of the walkway as Luna snarled... but before she could lunge into the air, the monstrous statue twisted violently, its surface rippling like liquid as it shed snow and frost and chunks of pale rock, a horrible, shrieking cackle tearing up from the monstrosity as four arms ripped upwards and it launched itself off the top of the Black Baroque, dropping to the ground as the rest of the thin stone shell covering the monstrosity shattered into nothing but brittle porcelain fragments, the beast rising up with a hissing snarl and a wide grin on horrible, insect-like features.
Mandibles clicked around jaws filled with a bear trap of metal teeth, its eyes enormous, crystalline and glowing with insane light, a helm shrouding the head that was a mix of ant and serpent. Its body was strange, not armored, but chunks of stone and what looked like chain and cable stuck from its torso, twisting and fused along it as its four gangly, long arms flexed and trembled out at its sides. It thinned sharply at the waist, giving it a shape like a top with the ridiculous narrowness of its body, and a heavy, rectangular and flat tail dragged on the ground after it, covered with thick plates of ugly, metallic carapace as large claws ticked against the frozen earth at the end of thick legs, the creature leaning forwards and screaming: "Hello, my little ponies!"
The monster dropped forwards, and as it did so, two more thin arms ripped out of its sides, ending in narrow hooks as its legs twisted upwards like smoke, vanishing into the rectangular tail as the horrible entity sprouted countless ticking legs that violently propelled it forwards... but Celestia snarled, flicking her horn and sending a wave of golden fire ripping into being in front of them, shielding the shocked warriors from the shape-shifting monstrosity and sending it staggering backwards with a screech as it hurled itself away from the golden flames, Celestia shouting: "Defensive positions! Stay back from the monster!"
Her shouts of warning were almost lost in the fervent, excited yells of the Nibelung and Velites as they stayed back from the battle but urged Fafnir on, the monster snarling before it made a violent sweeping gesture with one hand, and the wall of golden flames turned to solid ice then shattered into frosty shrapnel... before the creature howled in misery as several rifle rounds smashed into its body, Cowlick grinning as she worked the lever of the rifle rapidly and pounded slug after slug up the creature's chest before the last round smashed into its skull, as Twilight, Luna, and Celestia rushed towards the creature.
But its wounds were eerie, unnatural: there was no blood, and instead it looked more like liquid metal that had been splashed upwards before hardening... and then the monster hissed as it turned and seized Luna and Twilight both by the horn as they lunged, the winged unicorns both staring in surprise as its three-fingered claws sealed with crushing force against the horns before it flung them both backwards into Celestia with a mere flick of its wrists. They crashed and fell backwards as Fafnir snarled towards Cowlick as she cursed and broke open her rifle to reload, the monster ignoring the bullets that sailed around it from Applejack's weapon before it grinned insanely as it shrieked: "So you like piercings?"
And the monster simply vanished from the spot before reappearing in front of Cowlick, grinning, insane, arms stretched out and no longer ending in hands, but horrible, curving, crescent scythe blades, its eyes glowing with victory and outrage and hatred before it lashed all four savagely down as Cowlick could only stare... before gagging violently, her body convulsing as the blades tore through her from four different, horrible angles before they ripped backwards.
Cowlick staggered as Ross shrieked behind her, the engineer somehow still alive despite the awful wounds as voices of friend and foe howled, even as a minotaur ran forwards... and over it all, Fafnir only laughed as the scythe-blades transformed back into hands that now clutched long, thin bladed swords, the monster leaning over her as it stabbed all four weapons brutally downwards, Cowlick vomiting blood as she half-fell forwards and the monster mocked horribly: "Now you're pierced! Now you're pierced!"
It stepped backwards as it flicked its wrists, grinning savagely as it held its arms out, three-fingered hands flexing as Cowlick collapsed to the ground with the swords buried through her body, a look of horror the last thing to pass over her bloodstained face as she died... and then Fafnir's eyes flicked to the approaching minotaur, and its heavy, steely tail snapped up and around itself as it transformed, elongated, the ending turning into a terrible stinger that thrust with lightning speed once, twice, thrice through the bull's form and sent him staggering backwards with a gargle, clutching at the fatal wounds in his crushed chest as the monster's head turned, time seeming to slow as its insane, glowing eyes locked on Twilight Sparkle.
The winged unicorn could only stare, Celestia behind her, shouting a denial as Luna picked herself off the ground... but one moment, Fafnir was in front of Cowlick and the collapsing minotaur, and the next it was in front of Twilight Sparkle, leaning forwards as its tail coiled behind its back, greedy, eager, inches away-
Discombobulation's hands seized the back of the monster's head as he appeared in midair above it, snarling, and then the Draconequus firmly shoved Fafnir downwards, smashing the monster face-first into the ground as Twilight Sparkle leapt backwards and almost stumbled into Celestia. The chimerical creature landed beside the monstrous shapeshifter as it screamed and flailed almost comically, and then Discombobulation calmly snapped his fingers, and the solid ground became a springboard that launched upwards and sent Fafnir hurtling on a screaming arc into the mountainside, crashing with a loud thud and enough force to shatter the ancient stone.
The creature gargled, then peeled off the rock and fell to the black stone walkway as Discombobulation glared up at it with disgust and said calmly, coldly: "That entity is a chaos spirit, a shapeshifter... but of much darker regions than Ginnungagap. It is a demigod of rampant destruction..."
"And you..." Fafnir's voice hissed, the creature yanking itself up as it changed shape again, rippling like water as it took on a form more akin to a dragon's, tail ending in a spiked ball that swished back and forth as enormous, insect-like wings ripped from its back, buzzing violently as it crawled forwards over the edge, sticking to the walls of the Black Baroque like some hideous dragon-fly. "Patchwork doll! Little boy spirit! Prankster-jester-fool! What's the point of your pretty little parlor tricks, of a monster that can't kill?"
"Oh, I never said my kind could not kill. I just said we didn't like to." Discombobulation replied calmly, and then he snapped his fingers, and a black cloud formed in the air above Fafnir before a bolt of electricity shot down, making the creature hiss, then shriek as the cloud rained not water, but sharp shards of broken glass that clung unnaturally to the monster as he clawed at himself before another bolt of lightning erupted downwards and knocked Fafnir from the wall to topple to the ground with a loud thud as the glass shrapnel exploded into painful diamond dust.
Then the Draconequus smiled faintly, glancing over his shoulder and saying softly: "But he's half-right. I won't be able to kill him with my powers. Still, I'll annoy him and distract him, which is what my kind does best, and it will-"
"Be more than sufficient." Celestia interrupted quietly, stepping forwards as her horn glowed gold, as Fafnir snarled and leapt forwards, wings vanishing, body morphing into something centipede-like... but with a flick of her horn, the earth in front of the monster exploded upwards in a wall of rock, and Fafnir crashed headlong into this before she tilted her head forwards and the column of stone toppled back on top of the creature, crushing it with a shriek as its limbs scrabbled wildly at the air for a moment. "We will destroy it together. Luna?"
"Scrivener Blooms, circle around to its back. We shall make the most use of our powers and see every angle of this creature at once." Luna ordered, and she hesitated even as the male nodded before adding quietly: "Now is not the time for questioning or mercy. Do not deny the warrior instincts I have given thee... use the corruption of the Tyrant Wyrm to thy advantage."
Scrivy gritted his teeth, but then he nodded as he turned to sprint off to the side, even as Fafnir leapt upwards with a snarl and ripped through the stone pillar, his eyes turning for a moment to follow Scrivy... and then several bullets smashed into his body, Applejack and Big Mac both kneeling with rifles near Cowlick's fallen corpse, Ross crying and cowering behind them as the blonde earth pony shouted: "Over here, right here!"
Behind them, Aleksandr and the surviving minotaur stood, ready and snarling, and Spike and Rarity had themselves anchored into place, Spike with shield raised and sword at the ready, Rarity's horn glowing brightly as she breathed hard, and Fafnir snarled towards this knot of warriors, launching himself forwards as he became centipede-like and the hands of his upper arms transformed into sickle-like blades... before Discombobulation leapt with sudden, strange grace towards the monster, landing on the beast's back before he swung his hands down, ropes appearing around the creature's forelimbs and rawhide reins snapping into being around its face, Discombobulation yanking hard back on these as he ground his hoof into the monster's lower spine, making Fafnir howl in fury and arch his back in rage and humiliation. "Hi ho, Silver, a-"
Fafnir's head suddenly tore upwards and twisted violently around as hideously, a second torso seemed to instantly spring from his neck, new arms ripping into being and ending in sharp, wild arrangements of blades that he shoved forwards with a snarl. They tore through Discombobulation's chest, the Draconequus gagging as the ropes and reins vanished before he shoved himself backwards, vanishing in a burst of black ooze and smoke to reappear a few feet away, staggering as Fafnir twisted around with an eager laugh, lower torso rubbing its scythe-blade hands together as the upper torso rose the blades gleaming with blood hissing: "Let me fix you, broken patchwork doll... you're sewn together all wrong... you need to be cut back into pieces!"
It laughed wildly... and then a blast of golden light smashed into its side and its upper arm, and the creature shrieked in horror as this shivered before hardening into brittle, gray rock... and a moment later, Luna crashed through the limb, lashing her horn downwards and shattering it into fragments before she twisted herself in midair and slammed all four legs into its features and chest, knocking it crashing onto its back and it writhed wildly on the ground, body flowing like liquid as its two torsos collapsed together and one of its other arms fell off, transforming back towards its original distorted state as it howled in wordless fury.
"As I thought." Celestia said coldly, and then she glanced at Twilight Sparkle, saying over the jeers and yells of the Nibelung and Velite still watching eagerly: "Gather the Elements of Harmony, Discombobulation spoke true: this is a chaos entity. A blast from the Elements will neutralize it long enough for us to... to stop it."
"To kill it." Twilight's eyes flicked calmly towards the creature, even as she shuddered... and then she gritted her teeth and nodded, shooting quickly towards the group of ponies as Celestia turned her eyes back towards Fafnir, watching as Luna lunged at it with a snarl, fencing gracefully with her horn even as the chaos monster created swords from the air, deflecting her blows, returning with wild and sometimes lucky slashes that tore against her armor, fighting viciously even as Discombobulation battled destructive chaos with discord and unpredictability.
Fafnir threw a foot into Luna's chest, knocking her skidding backwards as he laughed, raising his two swords to deal a rending blow... and Discombobulation snarled and made a violent rising gesture, and a massive, circular magnet appeared above the crazed demigod, Fafnir looking stupidly up before he squealed as not only his weapons, but his metallic, inorganic body was dragged violently into this. He struck with a loud clang, vibrating against the magnet before Discombobulation leaned forwards and swept his arms outwards like he was conducting an orchestra, and the enormous magnet transformed into a massive, metal weight that dropped with the creature still glued to the bottom of it, crushing Fafnir into the hard ground with a sickening crunch.
Discombobulation dropped forwards, breathing hard, his body beginning to turn dull white from overexerting his control on reality... and then he winced as the weight was torn upwards, Fafnir lifting it with all four arms and a snarl of fury, his legs vanished and an enormous serpent's tail that coiled beneath him like a spring, before he sprung forwards and hurled the pyramid of metal towards the Draconequus as he winced and created a tiny umbrella, popping it open and half-hiding beneath this.
Then Luna dove in front of him, her eyes glowing white and her horn sparking with energy as shot just pas the pyramid as she caught it with telekinesis fuelled further by raw rage, roaring as her wings flapped and a sapphire aura enshrouded the enormous weight as she spun in midair in a circle, dragging the pyramid around in a wide arc that just missed Discombobulation before it shot violently back at Fafnir, the beast shrieking before the meteor of metal smashed it backwards and into the frozen earth.
Steel shattered, chunks of pyramid, Fafnir, and rocky earth flying in all directions as the demigod bounced backwards with a howl, and Luna dropped to the ground in front of Discombobulation with a grin as the Draconequus stared stupidly at her, still hiding beneath his tiny umbrella as the sapphire winged unicorn said coldly: "Do not take this the wrong way, Discombobulation... but this is not a comedy skit."
"Comedies have the worst deaths, though, Scrivener Blooms, didn't you know that?" Discombobulation replied tiredly... and then he grimaced as Fafnir lurched upwards, legs rippling out of his tail as he staggered and snarled, the creature's mandibles clacking as it hissed at them furiously. "You still don't understand what you're dealing with, do you? Perfect organism. Its structural perfection is matched only by its hostility."
Fafnir twisted one of its arms out to the side, hand bursting apart like liquid and reforming into a deadly scythe as it ran forwards... but Discombobulation only rose a hand and calmly twiddled his fingers even as Luna leaned forwards with a snarl... and then stared when Celestia smashed bodily into the monster's sides, her body radiating golden flame, and Fafnir squealed in agony as it was knocked staggering before spinning around towards her, lashing downwards with the scythe-hand as its other arms clawed at her... only to find its passage blocked by bursts of golden fire that twisted in the air and formed into three gleaming, solid golden swords, the monster's metallic limbs sparking as they ricocheted off the long, elegant weapons before Celestia gave a slight smile... and with only a tilt of her head, the swords spun violently as they lashed in a tight, concentric circle through the air, tearing through three of the demigod's limbs and knocking it backwards as it howled in misery.
Luna's eyes widened in shock... and then Celestia winced backwards, swords flicking down in front of her as five terrible new limbs tore out of the shapeshifter's body and clawed at her wildly, Celestia staggering backwards and parrying blows with flicks and lashes of her swords as Fafnir howled furiously: "Order is meaningless! Light-bringers bring only their own death! Oath-makers are hypocrites!"
It leaned forwards, growling and distracted... and Scrivener Blooms jumped onto its back, running up its spine as the creature hissed at the feeling of hooves, arching its body as it began to raise its limbs... before shrieking as Celestia took the moment of lapsed concentration to plunge all three swords through its body, shouting furiously: "I would rather break a vow and risk death and damnation for myself today than give up all hope of tomorrow for my people!"
Scrivener leapt upwards, stomping both hooves down savagely and crushing in the creature's skull, launching himself off it and over Celestia as the winged unicorn half-dropped, concentrating, before she arched her back and twisted her head around in a graceful movement, horn glowing and electricity sparking through her rainbow mane as the swords ripped themselves through Fafnir's body in the same elegant, curving gesture, sending the demigod hurtling backwards with a miserable howl to crash on its back. But again, it began to regenerate: again, it began to shapeshift, changing its form, adapting, mutating with a snarl, with a seemingly endless supply of energy backing it as it twisted its way rapidly up to its feet as its long tail lashed outwards around it and swept up dust and rocks, forcing the ponies and Discombobulation to retreat as it rose its hands and weapons of every shape and size appeared, screaming: "You can't destroy destruction, silly insane ponies! You can't have my magic ring, it's mine, mine, all mine!"
In the distance, Twilight cursed under her breath, shaking Ross firmly as Applejack shouted: "This is pointless, it's not like the Elements have helped us anyway... like we can do anything with them anyway! That's not Rainbow Dash, that's not Fluttershy, that's not Pinkie Pie... Twilight, you know you're my friend but-"
"Then trust me!" Twilight retorted sharply, and Applejack winced a bit as Rarity looked away and Scutum continued to coldly survey the battle in the distance, studying the fight as the ponies battled the monster... but no matter what they did, it got back up, as the Nibelung and Velites watching eagerly screamed and laughed and shouted at them from their safe balconies on the mountains. "Ross, please, Cowlick... you know she..."
Ross whimpered as he shook violently, swaying on the spot, staring weakly back and forth and trying not to look at Cowlick's corpse as the Element of Kindness glowed like a flame around his neck... and then Twilight stepped backwards, gritting her teeth. Something was missing, something important, they couldn't channel the Elements of Harmony... and then Pinkamena snarled and looked over her shoulder, her own Element glowing brightly as she shouted: "What the hell are we supposed to do now?"
Twilight opened her mouth... then her eyes roved down, staring at Pinkamena's necklace. The gemstone was glowing, reacting... it was reacting in Ross's, in her own, in Pinkamena's, in Rarity's... but not in Applejack's. And she looked sharply towards Applejack, as the female snarled, trembling, before tears formed in her eyes and she shouted and pointed at Scutum: "He's not Rainbow Dash! Rainbow Dash died protecting those unicorns, and they didn't even thank us!"
"No, he's not. And he ain't replacing him." Big Mac said quietly, not looking up even as he reloaded his carbine rifle calmly, and Applejack winced at this and glanced towards him as he said softly: "And he is here, isn't he? Or do you want Rainbow Dash disappointed in you for not accepting this one last gift?"
Applejack trembled at this, and Scutum glanced towards her, saying quietly: "I'm sorry. But he didn't die for us, you know... he died for those who it was worth being loyal to. He died for ponies like you."
The earth pony clenched her eyes shut and lowered her head... and she trembled once before her Element began to glow. Twilight Sparkle felt that connection: how transitory it was, however brief it would last, she didn't know... but the glow grew, and she could feel it between the six of them, gritting her teeth as she felt it amplifying her magic and thrumming through her body, tickling and burning through her nerves and bones as she stepped forwards and shouted: "Friends or not, we are all connected, we are all here today, and we're all fighting for the same reason, do you all understand? We are all connected by this... we are all tried and tested by this, and we need to stop that thing, that monster! Channel it!"
The six ponies stepped forwards as one, Ross gasping as his horn sparked, Scutum gritting his teeth as his body flexed beneath his uniform, Pinkamena grinning as her eyes all-but-glowed... and Twilight gasped, lowering her head forwards, hissing in pain. It wasn't like before... the connection wasn't as pure, wasn't as strong, and she had faith in every one of them but she could feel their doubts, could feel the power being diminished, knew that the link could be broken any second...
But then it began to grow. Something happened... and Twilight gasped as she arched her back and opened her eyes as they began to glow ivory, staring back and forth as an aura grew brighter and brighter around her horn, as the five other ponies lowered their heads in unison, shivering as that same power began to pulse through their frames... and standing amongst them, tall, proud, glowing with ivory light, she saw the shades: Rainbow Dash, roaring silently, and Pinkie Pie with her teeth grit beside her sister, and Fluttershy, leaning forwards, more confident than she had ever seen. She almost resembled Sol Seraph in that look... but without the brutality, the maliciousness, the monstrosity.
Fafnir snarled as he looked towards the shimmering light that was building steadily around the ponies, as their gemstones glowed, as the Pales glared at him... and the demigod hissed as he half-spun and lashed out, slashing Scrivener Blooms across the face and sending him crashing backwards with a howl of pain as Luna cursed and dropped forwards with a wince, a large gash appearing over her cheek before she let out a shout of frustration and pain when Fafnir booted her hard in the skull and knocked her rolling backwards. Then the creature leapt upwards, its long tail snapping up behind it as it sprouted draconic wings that launched it further into the air, sailing towards the ponies as it shrieked: "Do you think I'll just stand still?"
It dropped out of the air, landing on all eight limbs, propelling itself violently forwards as its tail balled up, becoming something like a giant, metallic spider as it launched itself at Twilight Sparkle... and Discombobulation appeared in front of the creature with a baseball bat already cocked back, stepping forwards and slamming this into the destruction entity's face, knocking it hurtling backwards with a howl before Celestia flicked her horn and launched a fireball into it, blasting the monster backwards into the red doors.
The runes sparked as Fafnir bounced against them, body distorting and warping, two pairs of limbs collapsing into thick, ugly legs and tail uncurling into a long, scorpion stinger, his upper four arms flexing as he snarled and began to drop forwards... and then Discombobulation vanished from the spot before reappearing in front of Fafnir, slamming him back into the wall with a snarl, then cursing in pain as the monster screamed in his face as its lower limbs turned into hooks that tore up into his body, but the Draconequuus pinned the demigod backwards gamely, refusing to let go, refusing to give in as he roared over his shoulder: "Do it! Do it now! I'll hold him in place! Freeze us, and then take that one chance you'll have and shatter him!"
And even as the others began to slowly arch their backs, unable to control themselves, unable to stop, Twilight Sparkle struggled against the power racing, building savagely through her as she shrieked: "No! You'll be neutralized as well, you'll die too!"
But even as Fafnir began to shriek and slash and try and shove viciously backwards, Discombobulation only smiled over his shoulder, as Luna, Scrivener Blooms, and Celestia stared in shock at the Draconequus, even as his body began to pale, as he struggled to keep the demigod pinned back against the wall as Fafnir's deadly tail coiled around him, and he said in a voice that was strangely gentle, quietly chiding: "We all die, Twilight Sparkle. But only a rare few of us get a chance to die nobly."
Then he turned back towards Fafnir, slamming a savage headbutt into the creature's face as he shoved it back against the doors, holding it in position as Twilight Sparkle screamed even as she arched her back, even as a fearsome pulse ripped through the valley, Nibelung and Velite both shrieking in terror instead of eagerness now as rays of colored light ripped up from the bodies of the six ponies before twisting together, coalescing into a rainbow-colored beam that arced upwards... then shot downwards with hurricane forwards towards Ginnungagap Draconequus and chaotic, destructive demigod.
Fafnir screamed as he tore away from Discombobulation and shoved him backwards before trying to yank himself around the creature by his own thick, metallic coils... but Discombobulation spun around with a snarl, grabbing the monster around the neck, yanking him rearwards even as Fafnir tried to dislodge the creature by slamming his back against the doors... and then the blast of radiant, rainbow light struck, and Fafnir shrieked in agony and misery as Discombobulation gritted his teeth and clenched his eyes shut, determined, brave, courageous, as the demigod's lunatic eyes filled with terror, his limbs flailing uselessly before locking into place as they became hard marble, his shrieking cutting off into gargles as even the ruby doors were petrified by the concentrated blast of Harmony; of Order made into a powerful, neutralizing force.
Another pulse echoed through the valley... and behind Twilight, the Pales whiffed out and the five ponies collapsed, Scutum almost cutting himself open on his crosshatch blades, Ross twitching a bit as he whimpered weakly, Pinkamena chuckling tiredly into the ground... and only the violet pony managed to stay on her hooves, staggering forwards as the light faded from her eyes, staring, like the others, at the frozen statue... of Discombobulation and Fafnir, half-melted back into the rock of the doors.
A tremble went through Twilight Sparkle... and then she stepped forwards, screaming as her back arched, her horn giving a sharp glow and a pulse as the statue of Fafnir shivered in reality or imagination... and there was a short flare of light before a massive blast of force ripped through the air and shattered the statues and the doors beyond into nothing but fragments of porcelain and shrapnel, Fafnir and Discombobulation all but dissolving from the blast as lightning and energy ripped through the space where they had been, a last, tortured, sobbing scream tearing through reality... followed by a soft, wordless whisper of relief as amongst the pattering debris of stone and rock and shale, dove-white feathers swirled silently upwards, revealing the way into the Black Baroque through the torn-apart stone doors.
Twilight stumbled forwards, collapsing to a kneel with a gasp... and then she looked up with a weak curse as Nibelung and Velite shrieked in outrage, in fear, in frustration... but many of them began to make their way down the cliffs, charging in towards them, snarling with bloodlust and likely thinking their foes were exhausted, seeing a chance for revenge. And then Aleksandr reached down and grasped Twilight's shoulder, yanking her back to her hooves as he shouldered his hammer and shouted calmly to Celestia, Luna, and Scrivener Blooms: "Aleksandr will buy four-hoofs all time that minotaur warriors can... you must all go now, though!"
"I'll join you." Scutum rasped, and Twilight began to shake her head weakly, but the unicorn only grinned wryly and glanced up at the minotaur as he shook himself off. "You don't mind fighting beside scum looking for last minute redemption, do you?"
"Is always room for redemption." Aleksandr smiled calmly as Twilight stared back and forth, the others slowly picking themselves up from the ground as they looked back and forth in confusion, before staring as the minotaur pointed towards the Black Baroque, leaning down and ordering: "Go now, four-hoofs! Do not keep Yaga Baba waiting! Go!"
There was no room, no time for argument, as Twilight staggered backwards, and Applejack hauled Ross to his hooves, pulling him forwards even as she looked with shock, with despair, and with late-found respect over her shoulder at Scutum, who only smiled faintly back. Rarity ran ahead as Spike grabbed Twilight, almost pulling her along as Celestia called to them from where she and Luna and Scrivener Blooms stood at the mouth of the Black Baroque, and the violet winged unicorn gave a useless yell, seeing the minotaurs and Scutum; seeing her living friends, watched over by the three Pales of those who had already died, who stood proudly and smiled sadly at Twilight Sparkle even as she half-pulled, half-stumbled through the shattered doors of the dark castle front.
Celestia stepped forwards, her swords glimmering as they rested over her armored back as if locked there, bowing her head and concentrating, and a wall of golden light filled the doorway even as Twilight clenched her eyes shut. It spread back and forth, solidifying here and there into strings of twisting blonde rope that supported the semisolid barrier, and then the ivory equine straightened with a grimace as she murmured: "It will not buy us much time. The Nibelung may not have the magic to get past this, but the Velites do."
"Then let us make haste. And Aleksandr... thou will always have my gratitude. I'll see thee in the Vale of Valhalla, my friend." Luna looked silently towards the barrier for a moment, a shiver going through her body... and then she gritted her teeth and turned around, glaring back and forth at the walls of red stone, the floor tiled in black obsidian, a raised silver portcullis leading from this short entranceway and into a long, dark corridor, torches that burned with red, poisonous flames casting grim light over the empty, desolate hall.
There were heavy, barred metal doors to either side, but Luna and Celestia led them onwards, even as Twilight breathed hard and closed her eyes as Scrivener gazed at her silently, his skeletal pet running between them and making quiet tacks against the floor with his tiny claws, Pinkamena, Spike and Rarity following, Applejack, Big Mac and Ross last in line. The blonde earth pony shook her head mutely, opening her mouth as she looked up... but before she could speak, both Celestia and Luna drew to a halt with snarls.
At the end of the hall, on either side of a set of open, crimson double doors, two sets of gothic black full-plate armor stood, designed for a large earth pony, both posed rearing back. And as the others set themselves, both of these suits of armor trembled before terrible crimson light filled their sockets, and the obsidian golems dropped to their hooves... and now the horrible design of the armor, with frilled plates, sharp, over-exaggerated edges, and curled spikes made sense: they were living weapons, and even as they clanked and gears and other mechanical parts began to click away inside them, they moved with more elegance, more speed than the other golems they had encountered so far.
Luna stepped forwards, swinging her horn down with a snarl as it sparked, a blast of electricity shooting outwards and smashing into the chest of one, but it was barely fazed by it, only stumbling a bit before it began to launch forwards. Celestia, however, flicked her own horn quickly with a glare of disgust, and the solid ground beneath the two golems shattered, both mechanical constructs toppling into the shallow pit that ripped open in the earth as the ivory equine said coldly: "We have no time, sister! Every moment we delay, Wisehorse may be preparing a ritual, Scarlet Sage may be further endangered!"
The sapphire winged unicorn snarled at this, her eyes flashing as she leaned forwards, horn glowing as she inwardly fought with herself... then she snapped her horn to the side, and it gave a brief pulse as thick ice rapidly spread over the top of the pit, sealing the golems inside their earthen prison and bridging the gap even as the constructs both began to hammer at the thick, solid barrier, Luna running forwards as she said quickly over her shoulder: "Then come, and let me take my bloodlust out on a creature with actual blood!"
Celestia and the others followed, charging over the ice and through the crimson doors into a wide, circular room beyond, the bottom floor of a massive, cylindrical library. They ran past tables and chairs, shooting looks of shock upwards at the countless rings of walkways above, shelves layering the walls and strange gemstones floating through the air, providing light... and then Luna snarled as she skidded to a halt, the others immediately dropping to ready positions as black, twisting smog burst through the air around them, forming into snarling, ice-breathing Hellhounds that barked and hissed at the ponies, glaring from where they stood ready on tabletops and across the floor.
Luna cursed as Scrivener immediately looked towards the archway they were being instinctively drawn towards, that he could almost feel Scarlet Sage's presence beyond: it was a heavy gate, a lever to one side of it that likely controlled raising and lowering it, and he shouted: "If we can get through, then maybe-"
He winced, looking up as he was cut off by chittering from above, staring at the sight of countless Smoke Imps beginning to gather on the railing around the lowest walkway... and then Big Mac closed his eyes for a moment before he said in his soft, calm drawl: "Here's what I suggest. We run for it... but you others keep going. I'll close the gate."
"I won't leave you! I won't lose you like I lost Dashie!" Applejack shouted at this, tears filling her eyes as she snarled and shook her head... and then she gritted her teeth, adding sharply: "But he's right! You have to go on, Luna, I know it has to be you... and Celestia, Twilight, you gotta take care of them, you gotta watch out for them, you gotta make sure-"
There was a crackle in the distance, enough to distract the Hellhounds for a moment as they glanced towards the sound of ice shattering as the golems began to haul themselves up from their imprisonment in the other room... and then Celestia snarled as she spun around and flicked her horn upwards, two long lines of fire erupting through the library, holy, pure flames that made the Hellhounds shriek and rear back: the walls of fire formed a widening hallway to the portcullis and the switch, and Celestia sprinted down this, shouting over her shoulder to the others: "Run!"
Twilight turned, sprinting down the corridor, closing her eyes and dropping her head forwards as Luna ran beside her and Scrivener shot onwards with a snarl before he looked in surprise at Pinkamena as she ran up beside him, grinning and leaning forwards to shout: "When you and Luna get to Helheim, I promise I'll give you the greatest welcome party you can ever imagine!"
And then Pinkamena spun around, laughing, twisting almost majestically in the air as she reached back to draw one of her knives in the same liquid movement, throwing it in a deadly practiced flick that sent it rocketing into the face of a Hellhound chasing the others, the dull-pink pony crashing to the ground and laughing even as the ponies shot past and the golden flames began to die down, yanking her axe free and shouting with delirious, fearsome joy: "Come and get me!"
The Hellhounds were all too glad to oblige, charging towards her as Imps leapt down, and even as Pinkamena laughed, even as her axe hacked and tore and ripped back and forth, there were too many even for her, biting, clawing, ripping... and even as Celestia, Twilight Sparkle, Scrivener Blooms and Luna ran through the gate, followed by Ross, Rarity and Spike, the group skidded to a halt as they heard a horrified yell.
Big Mac had almost reached the switch... and then a Hellhound had appeared almost out of nowhere, seizing him by the throat, ripping, crushing, killing. He lay choking in a pool of his own spreading blood as the Hellhound staggered backwards, Applejack yelling furiously as she fired rifle round after rifle round into it before snarling, tears flung from her face as she looked sharply over her shoulder at the sound of another beast.
She half-twisted and slammed the butt of the rifle into its features, shattering bone and knocking it flat before bringing both her strong rear legs back and slamming a crushing kick into its body, sending it flopping backwards... and then the bullet-riddled Hellhound tackled her, Applejack cursing as she was knocked on her back, barely able to get the rifle between them before its jaws bit down and crushed the gun into a mangled mess. She slammed both rear hooves into it, throwing the useless gun away at the same time to send it flying away, but another Hellhound descended on her, biting into her shoulder, freezing her blood in her veins as she screamed...
"Go!" Spike shouted desperately, even as terror filled his eyes... and then he spun around, yelling wordlessly, charging back through the portcullis as Rarity shrieked before following, and Ross staggered after them: out of a desire to help, out of confusion, it was impossible to say as Twilight screamed a denial and Scrivener leapt forwards, catching her by the shoulders and hauling her back before she could run into the death trap of the library, as Celestia clenched her eyes shut and forced herself to turn away, as Luna yelled in rage and desperation as the horde of demon-dogs and imps were drawn towards their friends instead of into giving chase.
Spike ran for the switch... and an Imp collided with his face, scratching and clawing and tearing, making him cry out in agony as he grabbed wildly at it before it was blasted away by a bolt of energy. He looked in shock to see Rarity standing there, breathing hard as her horn glowed, as her eyes looked back and forth with desperation as Hellhounds turned towards them, snarling and fierce; they had mangled the bodies of the others, and there were still eight of the terrible, fearsome monsters left, and countless Imps swarming the air greedily above... and now, the unstoppable, calm golems. And they were blocked off from the switch, as the Hellhounds swarmed in around them and the Imps settled, the two forced backwards towards the center of the library back-to-back, as Spike whispered: "You should have gone on without me..."
"I won't leave you." Rarity replied quietly, smiling faintly as she bowed her head forwards, and Spike swallowed thickly as he held up sword and shield as Rarity trembled and readied herself, breathing hard... and then they risked a look at each other, their eyes locking for a moment before they both leaned impulsively forwards and stole a single quick, firm kiss before pulling away and standing back to back, as Rarity repeated, shouted, not knowing what else to say or do: "I won't leave you!"
The Hellhounds snarled... and then an Imp shrieked in surprise as it was knocked off the gate switch by the unicorn that had snuck quietly around the side, Ross seizing this and yanking it back, the chains falling slack and unwinding rapidly to send the gate crashing down and locking into place. And for a moment Ross smiled, looking across at the dragon and unicorn... and then, snarling, Imps shot down towards him, swarming him, descending on him, and as he screamed the Hellhounds roared in bloodlust and leapt towards Spike and Rarity as they stood back-to-back and met their aggressors with desperation, but without fear.
The sounds echoed down the sloping tunnel to the survivors, Luna snarling, electricity sparking through her mane and darkness boiling around her body, Celestia's eyes glowing and radiance giving dangerous, turbulent pulses through her frame as Twilight and Scrivener followed to either side. Rage and sorrow and hate and pain tore through their bodies as they forced onwards, until the downwards-sloped, red tunnel evened out, barred at the end by two enormous black doors... and without stopping, both Luna and Celestia leaned forwards with matching snarls, their horns glowing as fireballs of blue and gold erupted towards the doors and smashed into them, exploding with enough force to blow them forwards in a hurricane of shrapnel into the long, immense room beyond.
The four skidded to a halt in the debris, and Wisehorse calmly gazed at them from where he stood near the center of the enormous corridor, beside a raised black pedestal. Upon a crimson pillow lay Scarlet Sage, unconscious and trembling... and Luna leaned forwards, roaring in a furious mix of her voice and Nightmare Moon's: "Give us back our daughter!"
"Please calm down, Luna. Everything will be okay." Wisehorse said soothingly... and then he tapped a hoof gently against the ground, and the red-robed equines to either side stepped forwards: none of these four were thralls, they were all Blood Seers... and they all set themselves, bowing their heads forwards, as the four warriors faced them coldly, ready to do anything they had to. "The time is now."
And the four red robes all rose their heads proudly, then dropped them forwards, lowering themselves to deep bows at the same time. At first, nothing seemed to happen... and then, slowly they collapsed in silence, one-by-one, dead. It seemed inexplicable, impossible, as Wisehorse only looked calmly at them... and then Celestia staggered forwards, coughing blood and falling to her knees as Twilight shuddered violently, crimson fluid running from her eyes before they rolled up in her head as she fell forwards under a sudden, inexplicable barrage of mental anguish, and Luna and Scrivener both howled in pain as they were seized by invisible claws, as they were slowly dragged forwards over the stone floor despite their protesting hooves towards Wisehorse as he said calmly: "A Blood Seer can triumph even over death... at least for a little while. By sacrificing our bodies, we can allow our spirits the strength to tear free from our frail forms and carry out any task we see fit. Of course, this only lasts for a short period before we become Pales... but it's usually more than enough to take one last revenge. Or, as in this case... see out the one last task we were dedicated to in life."
Scrivener cursed, pain assaulting his eyes before he looked to the side... and stared in horror at the sight of some pony-faced demon looming over him: it had the features of one of the Blood Seers, but its body was warped and hideous, without hooves but instead enormous claws, leathery wings stretching from its back before he gritted his teeth as it flickered back out reality... and then he cursed as the invisible Blood-Seer-made-demon shoved him down and pinned him to the ground, Luna snarling in fury as she struggled uselessly against her own invisible assailant. "Monster!"
"I am not a monster... but we are in the presence of monsters. Monsters that will bring an end to this world..." Wisehorse silently reached out, stroking through Scarlet Sage's mane, making Luna tremble in fury before the Blood Seer glanced to the side.
And now, Scrivener and Luna looked around the hall, let themselves truly see where they were... and they stared in horror. The walls were black, covered in runes and sprawling, archaic designs, and pillars stood here and there... and near the back of this enormous hall of mixed black-and-red stone, there were immense, silver chains that hooked into the walls, the pillar, and the floor by means of massive silver stakes... and attached to collars and shackles around awful, horrendous things.
They were impossible to describe: no fur covered their bodies, but it was instead like slowly-charring fire, like smoke and ash that was forced to form a horrible outer layering over their enormous, rippling flames. Gazing upon them was painful, brought images of war and destruction and hatred... and one of them, awful, terrible memories. This last had raw flesh showing through the darkness here and there, twisted blues and reds that fused together in some depraved mockery of the living. They were claws, and jaws, and black fire... they were the four Black Wolves of Hell.
And beyond them... at the end of the hall now, Luna felt her eyes drawn towards a pair of immense crimson stone doors. Doors she realized now did not lead to some hidden temple, or inner sanctum... ugly, ancient stone gates that were cracked here and there, dark smoke and steam hissing softly out of the wounds in the heavy rock. Doors bound shut by enormous black chains and bands of rune-covered iron, and she shook her head weakly as she whispered: "By Odin... thou meddles in awful things here, Wisehorse. Thou does not realize what a fool thou art being."
"No, you don't understand, Luna... this is all necessary." Wisehorse said quietly, gazing silently over his shoulder towards the looming Gates of Helheim: as tall and as wide as the corridor they were in, they were vast and terrible... and now, now Luna and Scrivy both thought they could hear screams echoing in from beyond, as Wisehorse began softly: "You see-"
He paused, then glanced down to see Sammy silently inching his way forwards... and with only a grimace and a tilt of his horn, Wisehorse fired a blast of electricity into the skeleton, sending him skittering backwards, shrieking. The arcs built over his body, twisting back and forth as Scrivener tried to crawl forwards with a yell of denial, before Sammy arched his spine with a scream... and then simply exploded, fragments of bone flying in every direction as Wisehorse rubbed at his face and murmured softly: "Where was I now? My memory isn't quite as it used to be... I really can't handle distractions at this juncture."
"Why? Odin damn thy eyes, why art thou doing this?" Luna shouted furiously, but her voice was tinged now with desperation, with anguish, and not just rage, even as Nightmare Moon snarled and burned inside of her. "Thou hast killed so much, so many! And those monsters... thou tampers with abominations that could destroy us all!"
"They will destroy us all. They will bring Ragnarok... but then we will all be reborn." Wisehorse said quietly, silently striding towards the side of the corridor, along the dark, cobbled stone and then reaching a hoof out to stroke gently along one of the muzzles of the gigantic dark demons... and Luna shivered and drew back with a wince as Scrivener only stared in horror. "And Luna, you will do this. You will save us all..."
"Thou art mad. Thou art insane. I... stop this, Wisehorse. Stop this. Can't thou see... all of this, is lies? There is no such thing as prophecy." Luna whispered, her voice almost gentle... and Wisehorse smiled faintly at her, shaking his head slowly. "Please... look at these monsters. Aye, bringers of Ragnarok they may be... but Skoll, Hati, Garm and... and terrible Fenrir... they are not agents of anything but destruction and hatred and evil. Please..."
"Yes, they are... but they are an evil that will burn the world away, then burn itself out, like a cleansing fire. And they will not be without direction..." Wisehorse gestured silently upwards, and Luna and Scrivy both looked helplessly up, staring towards the ceiling... and what looked like an enormous, complex system of interlocking chains and rods, holding inside it patterns of runes and celestial shapes, with sunlight shining down from a well in the dead center, casting a dimly-visible spotlight around the pedestal that Scarlet Sage laid upon. "We have all the components now to awaken them, you see. And I am not relying merely on the misinterpretations of ancient mages, Luna... I have seen for myself why this must be done.
"Haven't you seen the Pales? Haven't you wondered how there are so many ghosts, and why they're all crowded here?" Wisehorse looked at her silently, and Luna gazed weakly back as the red-robed unicorn said quietly: "I know who you are. Who you and your sister both are, which is why I would prefer... not to kill her. Valkyries, is that not right? But inside you, shards of darkness, fed by the nightmares you have lived through and the battle and war and rage. You have grown powerful, Luna... Nightmare Moon has grown and grown and grown inside you. Nightmare Moon is the key that will unlock the Gates of Hell and awaken the Black Wolves... and to reshaping a better world. Celestia is a ruler, Celestia brings order... but you are a shaper. A designer. A law-maker."
Luna began to shake her head, but she had no words, no response, as Scrivener only breathed hard in and out, staring weakly... and Wisehorse smiled at them, saying softly: "The Pales are here, so frequent, so great in number... because the Vale of Valhalla has long been destroyed. Helheim destroyed it, burned it all, took many souls prisoner... and ruined the rest. Paradise is gone, and there are countless innocent souls in Hell, suffering and freezing... and countless more souls now roam this world, lost and confused, drawn here by the inexorable pull of otherworldly energies, not knowing they are entering a place much closer to Hell than it is to Heaven."
He paused for a moment, then shook his head slowly, saying quietly: "We must open the Gates of Helheim. We will free the lost souls trapped inside... and the Black Wolves must burn this world, purging it, destroying it. And then, Nightmare Moon... then you can reshape it. Not just Equestria... the entire world will be like clay in your hooves. I will even leave your sister and your dear friend alone... if you can control the Black Wolves, you can make them ignore them. You can start this life with Scrivener Blooms and your family... you can build a world of paradise to stand in parallel to Helheim, where all lost souls will be reborn..."
"Deluded fool, thy ramblings make no sense! That is not how creation works, that is not how life works... what has maddened thy mind so? Nightmare Moon cannot build a world!" Luna shouted desperately... and now she seemed more afraid than angry, as Wisehorse only looked at her pityingly. "Wretched creature, let us go, let us leave with Scarlet Sage, and let this all end!"
"Yes, it will all end. I have ensured that..." Wisehorse said calmly, sighing softly as he strode towards the pedestal. "My benefactor warned me you might be... resistant. That I might have to take further measures... and I am sorry I do. But I have done too much, and either way, I do deserve to die. I had the Tyrant Wyrm slaughter Silver Hoof, after all, just so I could get this..."
He closed his eyes, raising his head as his horn glowed... and from behind the pedestal, a strange shape rose: it was vaguely crescent-shaped, thickening at one end, made of bone, so simple and yet so distinct... and Luna's eyes widened as she whispered: "Heimdall's horn..."
"Yes, you remember. It was carried by the watcher god, said to sound at Ragnarok... but as he is dead, we will have to make it roar a different way." Wisehorse said calmly, his horn glowing, and a metallic holder rose up behind the pedestal. The equine turned, leaning down and gently fitting the battle-horn into this, and then he quietly touched the back of Scarlet Sage's head, saying softly: "I cannot play the horn... but an innocent child, on the other hand..."
Scarlet Sage's eyes snapped open, and she moaned weakly as the pendant around Wisehorse's neck glowed, the filly shuddering as she slowly rose up, as Luna and Scrivener both yelled at her, both called her name, both struggled uselessly against the spirits binding them as Wisehorse stepped quietly backwards and Scarlet Sage's head bowed forwards...
Her lips met the horn, her eyes faintly glowing, trembling ,unable to halt herself as she shivered... and then leaned forwards and blew, and the horn gave a terrible, echoing rumble that shook the halls, reverberating violently, Celestia and Twilight both snapping awake and looking up with shock even as the invisible demons held them down, and Scrivener and Luna both howled wordlessly... and then Scarlet Sage threw her head back, gasping in horror as Wisehorse only looked at the filly sadly: the horn's vibrations tore back through the child's body, leaving no mark outside but ripping through her insides, tearing apart her very mind, cutting her to the soul as she toppled backwards... and Luna screamed as Scarlet Sage's dead body hit the ground and stared sightlessly towards her adopted mother, a single tear dripping slowly down her cheek.
Luna's back arched, howling in misery, in torment, in rage, in fury, as the Gates of Helheim cracked and shattered, as the Black Wolves of Helheim snarled as their terrible, glowing eyes opened... and then Luna leapt to her hooves, arching her back as a pulse of force emanated from her body to knock the demon trying to bind her down flying as it expanded, tearing and stretching her armor as her mane and tail sparked with electricity and became like blue fire, as her eyes glowed white and teeth grew sharp and coat burned obsidian.
Nightmare Moon leaned forwards, snarling in rage towards Wisehorse as he only calmly stood... and then she looked up with a growl, Scrivener's eyes widening as he realized the only thing holding him down now were the vibrations: Luna's rage and transformation had either driven the monsters back, or the terrible, malicious force ripping from the Gates of Helheim as they cracked apart had done it... and he leapt to his own hooves as Celestia and Twilight staggered upwards, as Nightmare Moon threw herself in the air... then caught herself and halted as the Black Wolves of Hell rose up and joined the echoing chorus of vibrations with terrible howls that made reality tremble and tear.
Their bonds shattered, metal exploding into fragments as more cracks ripped through the terrible crimson doors at the end of the corridor... and then they too exploded outwards, blown off their hinges as the feeble chains and locks burst apart like paper... and beyond, a tunnel made of flesh and bone pulsed, ghostly ivory equines calmly striding out of this, along with darting black spirits and hideous shapes that streaked through the air around them, screaming and laughing and crying and howling. Nightmare Moon snarled, uncaring of these, only glaring furiously down at Wisehorse... and over the vibrations, the howls, the snarls of the Black Wolves of Hell as they began to step forwards as reality continued to tremble around them, he shouted to her: "If you want to stop these monsters, your only choice is to control them, as I know you can! They can only be controlled by the one who brings the eclipse!"
The Black Wolves of Hell snarled, as Celestia and Twilight ran forwards... and Nightmare Moon's eyes widened as they set themselves alongside Scrivener Blooms, the three anchoring themselves. And for a moment, Luna and Nightmare Moon warred, at the sight of Scarlet Sage's corpse, at the spectacle of the Black Wolves, at the words of Wisehorse... and knowing, terribly knowing, that every second the Black Wolves of Hell grew stronger, grew more aware, and they would destroy all of reality... knowing that despite her own rage, if she did not try... her family, her friends, her beloved, would die.
Nightmare Moon swooped down as the four wolves began to prowl forwards, drooling, snarling, animal and leaving the ground beneath their paws rotten and shattered, dark flames licking up the walls from their very malicious presence as they were drawn immediately towards the ponies... and then they all looked towards Nightmare Moon as she arched her back, horn glowing as she gazed with a snarl towards the patterned ceiling, tears leaking down her face. "Then let darkness reign supreme... may Hell itself bow to me!"
A tremble ripped through the air, the Black Wolves snarling, scarred and awful Fenrir stepping forwards and barking at her, sending dark drool splattering through the air... before the light in the cavern changed as sunlight above was slowly cancelled out, covered, by a disc of darkness. As in the skies above the Gray Mountains, all its terrible residents gazed upwards, as did much of Equestria, with shock, with fear, with horror... as the moon rumbled into the sky, as the sun was concealed, as red, terrible light filled the air.
Nightmare Moon snarled down at them, her body glowing as the radiance filled the corridor through the well... and then Wisehorse laughed, turning around to watch in amazement as Celestia, and Twilight, and even Scrivener Blooms stared in awe and shock as the Black Wolves of Hell suddenly staggered backwards, as they dropped their heads, whimpering like scared mongrels for all their titanic size and fearsomeness, and Nightmare Moon grinned, her eyes beginning to glow, a feeling of ultimate, unstoppable power ripping through her body...
Then Scrivy grunted as something shoved him aside... and he looked stupidly up, mind barely able to process what he was seeing. Surreal and terrible, an enormous, bipedal dragon in a pristine suit walked calmly past him with an enormous golden birdcage hanging from one hand, smiling to himself as he reached up and grabbed Nightmare Moon in midair like she was nothing more than a low-hanging fruit, and he yanked her down and threw her hard into the ground, the darkness-touched equine grunting in shock as her eyes bulged... before the dragon slammed a fist into her back, and Nightmare Moon screamed, her body glowing before it shattered, armor flying in all directions and leaving Luna standing on shivering legs, broken pieces of body armor and her ivy necklace hanging over her body, her telescopic spear falling uselessly to roll silently along the ground as she rasped for breath before Scrivener arched his back and howled in agony when the dragon smashed a foot into her side, sending her flying and crashing into a wall.
Then he turned as Twilight and Celestia both stepped forwards, and he only smiled before snapping his fingers, and both equines cried out in surprise and pain as a blast of anti-magic ripped over their bodies, driving them to the ground as they convulsed in agony and Wisehorse shouted in disbelief: "No, no, no! What are you doing?"
But the dragon didn't respond, only stepping forwards, humming absently to himself as he reached towards Scrivener Blooms as Celestia tried to haul herself forwards with a snarl... but like she was a helpless, harmless pest, and the dragon only slapped her easily across the face to send her crashing backwards in a sprawl before he seized Scrivy in his large free hand. He easily lifted the pony up in front of his eyes as he said in a mocking, mellifluous voice: "How fascinating."
Luna snarled as she shoved herself up to her hooves, then launched herself into the air, wings flapping as the dragon grinned over his shoulder at her... and just as she began to cross the room, to veer towards him, he squeezed Scrivener Blooms in his grip, and the pony howled in agony, blood bursting from his jaws as electricity tore along his body, and Luna screamed in midair, feeling Scrivener's pain, her eyes bulging as the shocks ripped over her frame as well before the dragon half-turned and swung easily out with the golden cage.
Luna passed harmlessly inside it through the bars... then crashed against the opposite wall as sapphire energy glowed between the latticework of gold, the dragon laughing as he held this up mockingly in front of himself and looked gleefully at the shivering, gargling winged unicorn now laying at the bottom of the cage, saying warmly: "Perfect! Exactly as I planned..."
And, without another word, he turned, beginning to stride calmly towards the open Gates of Hell, the cage containing Luna dangling from one hand, Scrivener Blooms dazed and broken in the other, Twilight staring helplessly at his back and Celestia uselessly trying to drag herself forwards even as Wisehorse scrambled in front of the dragon, looking up at him with horror as he shouted: "What are you doing? You said we were going to save the world! I did everything you asked!"
"And you did wonderfully." The dragon smiled calmly down at Wisehorse... and then he simply rose one large foot, and the unicorn only had a moment to stare weakly before the enormous creature stomped down on him, crushing him like he was nothing more than an insect, continuing to smile as he twisted his heel, slowly grinding the corpse down into the floor before he began to whistle to himself as he strode forwards.
Then he paused in front of the Gates, glancing over his shoulder and clicking his tongue as he looked back at Celestia and Twilight, saying mildly: "Almost forgot, right. Silly me. Dogs, be good... clean up the mess."
He grinned, clicking his tongue before turning to stride calmly into the tunnel beyond... and in the sky, the moon began to move slowly out of position, the eclipse ending. And as it ended, as light spilled into the air, the Black Wolves of Hell snarled, raising themselves up, freed once more before Fenrir strode forwards with a growl as Twilight looked up tiredly, brokenly... and then it roared before its jaws snapped down over her head and there was a sickening, horrible crunch.
Celestia howled in misery and denial as Twilight's corpse fell to the ground, and then the winged unicorn lunged forwards, charging at Fenrir as her body glowed, as her rainbow mane sparked and her horn burned with radiance before she leapt upwards with a scream, burying it into the Black Wolf's chest as her swords tore off her back to stab forwards again, again, again, Fenrir howling and shrieking as he staggered backwards beneath the savage hail... and then one of the other Black Wolves leapt forwards, tackling Celestia's side as another's jaws settled on her wing. They tore and bit, even as she fought to her last breath, even as she fought past when she should have been dead, driven by rage, and passion, and a need to protect and avenge and destroy... but it was too little against them. Everything they had was too little against them.
And the Black Wolves of Hell began to do the only thing they knew how to do, and what they did best: to destroy everything around them, starting with the Black Baroque... and soon, all of Equestria would follow. The Starlit Knights had failed, and Ragnarok had come to pass. |
Starlit Knights | The Poet And The Puppetmaster | Chapter Thirty Three: The Poet And The Puppetmaster
~BlackRoseRaven
Scrivener Blooms coughed weakly, and then his eyes slowly, tiredly opened. He was aware of agony, and despair, and defeat. He wished he couldn't remember anything... but he'd dreamed of it, over and over and over again. Now, he wondered if he was still dreaming, almost too tired to raise his head as he looked slowly back and forth... but he was apparently sitting at a simple wooden table, in an uncomfortable, high-backed wooden chair... and all around him was whiteness.
Then he frowned as he slowly forced himself to look up, hearing a quiet, slick sound he half-recognized... and he watched lethargically as the dragon that had taken them all by ambush calmly played some strange game of solitaire with a set of simple playing cards. He was resting back in an oak throne, and beside him was a tall metal stand, hanging from which was a golden cage wrapped in blue energy... inside which lay Luna, broken and unconscious, trembling weakly.
Scrivener gritted his teeth... and the dragon didn't bother to look up from his game as he smiled slightly, saying softly: "So you're finally awake, Scrivener Blooms. Good, good. I want to play a game. I want to get to know you a little. You fascinate me... well, more aptly, the way you and Brynhild have bound your souls together fascinates me... but that in and of itself, I suppose, stems from one and the other. They parallel. They cycle. They feed; it makes them perpetual."
He laughed a little to himself... then swept up his cards with an easy gesture and gazed calmly up at the earth pony, smiling. He was smaller than Scrivener had remembered, maybe only twice his size now instead of a giant... and the dragon leaned back, spreading his arms as he asked curiously: "Do you like it here? This is... or rather, this was, Alfheim. The world of the Light Elves... close to the divine, friends of the Aesir, guardians of the just. In other words, very difficult for me, so I exterminated them first. A simple task when there are Dark Elves... turn them against each other, invite Helheim in for some carnage, and then sweep up the remains."
"Who are you?" Scrivener asked quietly, looking over the dragon, finally able to take him in: he wore a tight, expensive white suit with golden buttons down the front, and rings both gold and platinum glinted on several of his fingers. Cufflinks of silver detailed with ancient myths glinted over his wrists, and a bolo tie made of a diamond shaped carefully into the head of a wolf was tightly done up over the collar of his expensive-looking silk shirt.
His features were handsome, but cruel and childlike: lidded amber eyes, smooth white scales, two long black horns that stretched back from the sides of his skull in slight J-curves, and frilled ridges that followed the back of his cheeks to his jaw-line. He seemed to enjoy the question Scrivy had asked as he tucked the playing cards away in a pocket of his suit jacket, only to reach inside and pull out another set... one that looked somehow much more ominous as he began to calmly shuffle them.
"My name is Valthrudnir. I am a Jotnar... what the gods called 'Frost Giants' because we lived in Niflheim, at the center of which is Helheim." the dragon replied calmly, looking at him with patronizing malevolence. "The Gods came from us... all things came from us. Some say that Ymir even planted Yggdrasil... but Ymir was nothing more than an old goat and an old fool. He deserved Odin's slaughter, for never allowing me the leadership role I deserved... all the Jotnar were little better than the barbarian Aesir. Idiots, glorifying in violence and stupidity and contests of masculine bravado. None of them ever used their minds... that is why I survived. That is why now, I reign supreme."
Valthrudnir smiled coldly as he leaned forwards, reaching up to tap his own temple for a moment as Scrivener Blooms gritted his teeth, shivering a bit... and then the dragon chuckled quietly before once more shuffling his cards, surveying him slowly... like he was prey that was already caught in a remorseless trap. "You see, you should feel lucky... blessed, privileged even. I've personally killed dozens of gods... hundreds of their consorts and guardians... and thousands upon thousands of demon, angel, and all their kin. And I've slaughtered millions of mortal lives, in one way or another... but oh, it's so rare that I take my time anymore these days to sit down, and have a nice little chat and play a final, lethal game with one of your kind."
He paused meditatively, studying Scrivener Blooms, his eyes glowing with eagerness and arrogant triumph as he murmured softly: "It's been so long since I've felt the urge... nay, the compulsion, to completely and utterly destroy an opponent in a one-on-one challenge, pitting wit against wit, strength against strength. Not brutality, oh no... for if I wanted, little mortal, I could crush you and your sweet like nothing more than the hulls of oats beneath my foot, that is how insignificant you two are to me.
"But that would be a waste of effort on my part, and furthermore, it does me not good nor honor nor proves my superiority. It's like you..." He halted again, then flicked a wrist dismissively. "Well, there is no real comparison, because we're too different. Because, between us? Even the meanest thing in comparison to you, is more of a threat to you than you will ever be to me, and we are going to play a game that proves that."
For a moment, he halted again, once more studying the earth pony as he only stared in horror and disgust... and slowly Valthrudnir's lips curled in a grin, his eyes lidding knowingly as he said softly: "You don't believe me? Oh, but what if I told you that I was the one who destroyed the Aesir... who laid Odin low?" He laughed at this, and Scrivener Blooms reared back, gritting his teeth in disgust... and admittedly, fear. Fear at the undeniable truth and pride in those awful words. "Oh yes... I did not kill him, oh no. No, that would have been merciful... and I did not want to show him mercy. No, we played a contest of wits, and I defeated and humiliated him, for all he tried to cheat, for how hard he tried to best me. And then I made him watch, as I stole everything he loved, everything he held near and dear, and he was forced to scramble in terror to try and conserve all that which meant most to him... while at the same time, struggling to bear the weight of his broken crown; his godhood stolen, his family turning against him. His pride, you see... that was what made it so delightful. So easy. His pride... telling everyone that no, he defeated me, and trying to cover up his sudden weakness with every pathetic machismo stunt he could think of... not knowing all he was doing was playing further into my hands."
The dragon paused, then he absently split the deck before riffling the cards together, spilling them over one-another as he brought his hands in closer and then began to calmly shuffle again, as he continued in a peaceful voice: "First, I dealt with Loki, the infamous prankster... and he took very little to deal with. It was just a matter of having him show up at the right time in the wrong place, and the gods blamed him for what they saw there, another god laying dead at the hands of a little purposeful collateral damage. They did the rest for me while I stood back and watched with a grin in the shadows, as they chained him up in Ginnungagap with his own son's entrails and then ripped his stomach open so the Grimm could have a banquet for good measure. Even now he screams... and even now I find this absurdly hilarious!" He laughed, cruel, cold, awful. "Maybe one day I'll free him from his torment... when I finally grow tired of the music of his screams, when the endless murders have finally gorged themselves full.
"Thor was next, now that Loki was gone: no matter what, after all, Thor always tried to take care of little Loki... but Loki, see, he was always the brains between the two, for all his maliciousness. So I intercepted him on the way to Ginnungagap in a nice little out of the way place on the road, and challenged him to a game. I called up a champion I had dredged out of Helheim's pits and told Thor that they would play strike-for-strike, and he would be allowed the first blow: if he won, he could do whatever he pleased with me as revenge for my brilliance in defeating Odin and Loki, the two people he loved most in all the world. But if my champion won, his own life would be forfeit. He was eager to play, and with a single blow he blasted my champion's head from his shoulders with his hammer..." The dragon shook his head slowly, clucking his tongue. "Silly, silly Thor, not looking before he leapt. The poor damned, undead soul bashed him back in the head twice as hard, and mighty Thor was crumpled like a toy, far from dead, far from conscious, too. He lasted a surprisingly long time in my torture chambers, even for such a hardy warrior god... long enough that I taught him just a little of my wisdom before I had him quartered on the rack.
"Oh yes. And others, too, I laid low... countless others, so many, the result of such genius and well-played schemes that not even the most foolhardy god would dare to try and fight me, would accept playing one of my delightful little games... but you mortals are different. Foolish. And brave... which I would admire if it weren't so incredibly, pathetically stupid." Valthrudnir leaned forwards, sneering across the table at Scrivener Blooms as he slammed the deck of cards down in the middle of the table. "I can tell you that I was the one who arranged for the Vanir and the Aesir to have a misunderstanding once Odin started acting out of brash fear. I can tell you that I was the one who sent in Helheim to mop up the remains of the Aesir after I had weakened them enough. I can tell you that I made Odin flee like a coward, like a crying little girl... and even if his cheating has now caused a small delay in my plans, all that is about to end. Really, I should thank him... he gave me a very entertaining little adventure, a nice little way to occupy my time while I planned out what I'm going to do now that I am in control... now that there is no one left to get in my way."
"You really like the sound of your own voice, don't you?" Scrivener Blooms asked sourly despite his fear, and Valthrudnir looked up with surprise before he snarled slowly as the earth pony added quietly: "Sounds like Odin might have been smarter than you after all."
The dragon glared at him... and then he smiled suddenly, and Scrivener Blooms frowned before the Jotnar rose his fingers and said softly: "Perhaps a small demonstration."
He snapped his fingers, and Scrivy's eyes bulged before he howled in agony, clutching at his stomach as his body began to steam violently, the dragon looking at him calmly and coldly as dark, horrible burns began to spread slowly along the male's frame. "Do you feel that? That's your body oxidizing. That was me, altering your chemical makeup, so that in oxygen you will dissolve. I can do that. I can do anything: I am Jotnar, and we made the gods by accident. Do you want to push me further, mortal?"
Scrivy screamed, back arching as his eyes began to go cataract white, as his body burned and hissed and rot-reeking fumes twisted up from his frame... and then Valthrudnir snapped his fingers again, and the earth pony collapsed forwards as his wounds healed instantly but the pain faded slowly, gargling weakly, foaming out of his jaws as the dragon said softly: "But that's not how I want to destroy you. How I've already decided I am going to destroy you... no. You see, I have never come across something like this before... Brynhild, or rather, the remains of the Valkyrie that Odin saved and threw to that mud-speck dimension in an effort to hide her from me... she tied her soul with yours. Knowing full well, she was a greater, superior being, even if she did not know at the time the extent of it... she still willingly bonded herself to you. As a soulmate. I believe mortals call this notion 'romantic.' I wish to test its strength against my own.
"And more than this, you met the mind of one of my pets, what you call a Tyrant Wyrm, and you survived. No mortal has ever done that... is this because of your link with Brynhild? Or is this because you are an alien and unique specimen, Scrivener Blooms... at least, the only one so far who has had the chance to meet and embattle a Tyrant Wyrm on such a level, as most others are simply consumed immediately." The dragon smiled at him callously, as Scrivy slowly, tiredly looked up... and then he laughed quietly, saying mockingly: "Oh, that question in your eyes... don't worry, there's no need to struggle to speak it. I understand what you want to know."
He leaned forwards, his eyes burning with cold pride as he answered the unspoken question: "Yes, the Tyrant Wyrms are my creation... parasites of destruction intended to perform one very simple task: extermination. They worked spectacularly-well in the other layers of this reality... but that just leads to another question, doesn't it?
"You see, Odin was slyer than I thought. Not smarter, not more cunning... but slyer, like... like a fox that has learned to dig under the fencing to reach the chickens. Nothing to be proud of... disgusting, in fact. A use of intelligence for debased ends." Valthrudnir made a disgusted face, flicking his wrist disdainfully as he leaned forwards on one elbow, Scrivener Blooms grimacing as he pushed himself slowly back to a sitting position with a shiver, hating the talkativeness of the Jotnar but not stupid enough to interrupt. "He was arrogant as well. It didn't take much prodding to get him to wager his very godhood... all his powers, all his abilities, which have come in very useful and amplified mine greatly."
The dragon closed one fist, cracking his knuckles with a cruel grin... but when Scrivener only looked at him tiredly, unimpressed, he gave a snort of derision before continuing icily: "But Odin cheated. Even after I won, even after I sapped his strength, he still had a little bit of power left, and enough knowledge of old rituals to make a nuisance of himself. He was so proud of these worlds he created. Of the developing of existence, whatever strange forms they were taking on... and he wanted to protect the Aesir above everything else, even though his fanaticism and brashness is really what ended up destroying them all.
"But when the Aesir began to be overwhelmed, Odin slunk off, coward that he was. From somewhere hidden in Asgard, he used the last of his strength and borrowed powers to replicate reality. To layer it... and Odin has always been fond of nines." Valthrudnir snorted in distaste. "Ninety-nine worlds of Midgard, ninety-nine layers of reality... and for years, I have been forced to wade through these myriad mortal worlds, all distorted reflections of the single real world. The anchor world. The world that these ninety-nine layers protect and enshroud and hide from my eyes, because if I can finally reach true Midgard... if I can finally destroy his little utopia for pretty pathetic ponies, this realm of mortal reality will shatter, and I will be able to create the universe that I have always imagined and deserved.
"Of course, this was not the end of Odin's treachery, oh no. To further frustrate me, he tossed the few shreds of gods he could find into these various worlds." Valthrudnir paused, then he smiled coldly, extending a hand... and a blue sphere appeared in his palm, burning sapphire. A moment later, eight more spheres appeared, the same size, the same shape, but each subtly different as they revolved slowly around this central sphere. "While every world is a reflection of the center world... things exist in some that do not exist in others. Your friends for example, who I have watched die miserably with great joy now more times than I can count, exist in almost all of them. In the anchor world... the perfect world... they are happy. They know little pain. They would not survive 'evil' or true 'darkness' if it ever arrived at their doorstep, and it is not even linked to Helheim or Asgard. This, I must respectfully admit, was ingenious upon Odin's part: the anchor was placed on a world where it can never, ever be threatened from within. Where even Ginnungagap beasts are driven to greater complacency if they crawl their way through reality's folds to reach it."
He paused for a moment, then closed his fist, and the spheres vanished as the dragon drew his hand back, saying softly: "The effects of these pieces of gods, as they came down, was like... replacing chess pieces, taking what would otherwise be mere pawns and replacing them with rooks and bishops and even queens. And to Brynhild... special to Odin, cherished by him more than most would realize... he also granted special guards. Sleipnir and Celestia... Thor, fragments of his soul saved from my torture machines after his demise, and Freya, whom he must have gathered the remaining essence of from the battlefield after Helheim had torn through and begun burning Valhalla and Asgard.
"Allowed time to grow... they all could have become a threat. I cannot be killed by mortals, but those infused with pieces of gods and their disciples, well. They were powerful enough to slay even my machinations, and through treachery and cowardice they may have been able to injure me. So I have exterminated entire worlds with extreme prejudice as I wended my way inwards... and now, here we are. I'm only a few worlds away from the anchor world now... and after this, there are no more reincarnations to threaten me." The dragon's eyes flashed as he leaned his head forwards, saying softly: "And that is why I am taking the time to explain this away. I want you to understand my mastery. That you cannot destroy or defeat me... that I am superior to you in every single way, Scrivener Blooms. I would test your precious wife, but she needs to remain incapacitated for now... I have special plans for Brynhild. Victory plans."
He grinned widely, reaching a claw up to pick at his sharp teeth as Scrivy snarled and leaned forwards, and the Jotnar laughed before he leaned eagerly forwards as well. "Yes, good, good! This is what I love about mortals... even now, you think you can take me on? You think that you can fight me? You think you stand a chance of winning even with me stacking the odds in your favor for sport? I engineered the death of all your friends and oh, by the way, destroyed your entire worthless world. It took a few tries, I'll admit... Freya was a little more resistant to my words of advice than I expected her to be, but once I figured out what to say, she all too eagerly sent you and Brynhild off on your cute little fairytale adventure... and the moment she touched the bark of Yggdrasil I had painstakingly poisoned, she became a dark reflection of herself. Ignominious? He never even realized it, but who he begged for dark powers from? That was me. Just like Veliuona, when she was nothing but a poor mortal, I found crying and alone... praying to her primitive gods to give her tribe the gift of life. I answered for them, and gladly."
Valthrudnir snapped his fingers, and a black apple appeared in his hand, holding it out teasingly to Scrivener Blooms before he crushed it into ashes. "It was just a... small joke on my part. Likewise, as Odin replicated the worlds, I replicated Discord throughout the worlds. Except he was not a useable ally, and the idiots of Ginnungagap never even realized there were suddenly countless variations of Discord running around... but all they like is chaos. To them, it was just more of the same. Have I made my point yet? Have I made it clear that you cannot beat me?"
"And what if I can? What if I do beat you?" Scrivener Blooms asked quietly... and Valthrudnir smiled slowly at this, leaning back as he crossed his arms as the earth pony snarled at him. "You've taken away everything... you've killed gods... you think you're so much better than anything and anyone else but so what? Valthrudnir, I'll play your sick game but if I win, you leave me and Luna alone. You put us down somewhere, I don't care where, and then you go and play out your psychotic little games. But know that Luna and I will come for you one day. And we'll kill you."
"Oh, I'm so scared, mortal." Valthrudnir mocked, and then he snapped his fingers... and Scrivener cursed in pain, leaning backwards as visions filled his mind, of fire, of hell, of destruction as lava and ice warred and ripped across what had once been a beautiful... no... "Equestria, yes. In the space of the single week I've kept you and your precious lovely comatose, to ensure no further interruptions, the Black Wolves of Hell tore your country to pieces. Soon, the rest of the world will follow... and do you know what shattering the Gates of Helheim really did? It broke the link between the worlds. All this is, is a dead world, floating silently through empty space, breaking slowly apart. A dead world, full of ghosts who can't go to Heaven and were thrown out of Hell, and the only soul left in Helheim from your version of layered reality is handsome little Thor, frozen forever as a trophy, as a testament to my success."
Scrivener Blooms trembled and clenched his eyes shut, and then the dragon leaned down and murmured in terrible, alluring tones: "But I'm generous. I'm strong... and I'm willing to give you the exact same offer I gave the mightiest of gods who played my game, mortal. You're a writer, are you not? That's your 'special talent,' correct, pony? So here's the basics of the game."
Valthrudnir grinned, picking up his deck of cards and shuffling them before he swept the top nine cards up and fanned them out in one easy gesture, the black backings facing towards the earth pony as he forced himself to look up at the Jotnar. "I have two decks, of fifty cards each. Each of us will take a deck, and we will shuffle them, and draw the top nine cards. You may discard as many cards from your hand as you like and draw new cards, but only once. And then we will use the cards to tell a story based on the genre that I give you. The stories will be scored out of a hundred, based on the story arrangement and the meaning. For example..."
Valthrudnir placed a card down, and Scrivener stared in shock as he saw Ponyville... and the next card had a portrait of Twilight Sparkle, smiling faintly outwards, and the next Pinkie Pie, the image laughing and smiling. "Once upon a time there were two friends from Ponyville who took a trip..." The next card had an image of Canterlot; the next a swirling darkness; the next, grinning and hungry and somehow-sad Pinkamena. "They went to Canterlot so one friend could get help. But instead, she got a demon, who awoke inside her the other part of her personality. It was awful..."
But the dragon grinned cruelly, as he laid down his last three cards in short succession: one had a squad of Pegasus Guard standing at the ready, the next showed both Pinkamena and Pinkie Pie, sitting back to back, strange and serious, the last was a portrait of Celestia... of the old, cold Celestia. "She bashed and battled her way through the soldiers on a rampage, even as inside her, two halves fought, until she reached the castle gates... but she didn't know that Queen was a fearsome warrior in her own right. She didn't understand that she was biting off more than she could chew... and the Queen killed the two ponies in one without hesitation. The end."
Scrivener Blooms grimaced, looking up and saying quietly: "You left a lot out. And you never used... the friend, again."
"It was just an example, Scrivener Blooms, that's all. Don't start thinking too hard already." Valthrudnir replied patronizingly, then he swept his hand over the nine cards, flipping them all onto their fronts before he easily scooped them up in another simple gesture, picking up the deck and beginning to shuffle as he looked with a cold grin across at the earth pony. "You see, the greatest battles are not fought with swords, or guns, or fists, or other brutal, barbarian means. They are fought with words, and in our games. This competition will determine truly who is the better... you, a soul linked with Brynhild, resistant to my reality-corrupting parasite's eons of evil... or me. I believe the answer is obvious."
"Me too." Scrivy said quietly, and smile faded from Valthrudnir's face as he paused in his shuffling, looking coldly at the earth pony as he breathed hard and looked calmly back. "But you haven't told me what I'm playing for."
"Persistent." Valthrudnir said distastefully, and then he shook his head slowly before putting the deck down and reaching into his suit jacket. He pulled out three more cards, but these were strange and ivory, covered in runes... and the Jotnar closed his eyes as he murmured a quiet incantation, pressing the cards to his forehead. Scrivy frowned a bit at the gesture, and then the dragon placed these cards gently down on his side of the table as they glowed, the creature saying calmly: "We will play three rounds. What I am playing for has no value to me... your life. If you lose a round, I will kill you. Brynhild, trapped in the cage, will die as well... but her soul will not be able to go far. It won't be hard to put back into one form or another for later."
The dragon grinned as he reached a hand up and knocked on the enormous, blue-glowing cage, and Scrivener snarled as he felt a buzz go through his skull. "Oh, don't look so angry, mortal. It's an honor, really... filthy as you lower life-forms are. You'll be pleased to know, at least, she can't feel anything right now... for my convenience, as well as the fact I do not wish you both trying to conspire against me, the cage will keep her numb. But don't worry. I'll be sure to give her every last detail of your useless struggle against my might."
He laughed, and Scrivener ground his hooves against the tabletop before the dragon calmed and continued softly: "I will not lose to you, so I have gone ahead and made the stakes high to encourage you to struggle your hardest. Each round you win will drain some of my strength into cards, some of my godlike power. Therefore, if you do defeat me... I'll be killed. Everything that makes me, me, will be absorbed into these three cards... and with them, you can make three wishes. One for each..." Valthrudnir leaned forwards, smiling coldly. "Appetizing, isn't it? If you've ever longed for power, then this is the ultimate chance. You could wish yourself a god. You could wish your world back. You could even wish Brynhild away... or for anyone else you wanted to see you the way she does. And there are plenty of worlds out there, still... do you know what I'd do with ultimate power?"
"Squander it away, since I thought you said you already had it." Scrivener retorted, and Valthrudnir narrowed his eyes dangerously, snarling as he leaned forwards... and then he smiled ruthlessly, shaking his head in disgust.
"Fine, dog. Bark away. But keep in mind I've already won." Valthrudnir reached into one of his pockets, removing another deck of cards, and he began to shuffle them quickly as he said quietly: "All I have to do is beat you once. You have to outdo me three times, mortal. And no god, no Jotnar, no nothing has never defeated me. Once the enormous, idiot bully Ymir was dead and hacked-up so Odin could glue his kindergarten projects together from his mottled flesh, I was in charge, I was ultimate."
"Odin, who did beat you? Who it sounds like still eludes you, whatever the hell a god becomes when he's stripped of most of his strength?" Scrivener asked calmly, glancing down... and then he gargled when Valthrudnir reached across the table and seized him by the neck, crushing his throat and forcing him to stare up at him as he wheezed and shoved uselessly at the dragon's wrist.
"You will silence yourself or I will curb your tongue by cutting it out of your skull!" Valthrudnir snarled, and then he shoved Scrivener Blooms backwards, making him rock in the chair before he fell forwards, choking and clutching at his bruised throat as the dragon sat back and calmly went back to shuffling for a moment, before he leaned forwards and slammed it down on Scrivy's side of the table. "Our first topic is comedy."
The earth pony grimaced across at the dragon, then carefully drew nine cards from the pile, shuddering at some of the images as he arranged them in his hoof. Valthrudnir, meanwhile, was glowering moodily as he drew his own cards, then laid three down in quick succession before growling as he discarded the rest of his cards... and among them, Scrivener saw an image of Valthrudnir himself, an upper profile shot of the dragon smiling arrogantly out of the card. "Not much of a comedy person?"
"Be silent, mortal, unless you are ready to admit defeat." Valthrudnir retorted disgustedly, picking up another few cards as he glared darkly across at Scrivener Blooms, who only calmly began to lay out his own... and the dragon frowned as he looked down at the images, which started with Pinkamena. "What... what are you doing?"
"You told me to do a comedy. I'm giving you a comedy." Scrivener replied grimly, and the dragon snorted in contempt as he hurriedly drew six more cards and then quickly laid them out, now only looking disgusted.
"Very well, I shall go first, since you already seem to have snapped under the pressure, pathetic mortal. And here, I was even being kind." Valthrudnir flicked his hand over the cards: one illustrated earth ponies, the next unicorns, the next a farmhouse, and so on. "Classic comedy. Servants of a rich family, living on a farm. The servants do all the work and the unicorns are not very bright and lord over the others." The next cards had images of Rarity, Big Mac, and the Apple Family ranch. "The country hick loves the pretty idiot. They want to have stupid babies together. They sneak out often." The last three cards were Applejack, fire, and an image of Rarity's boutique. "The sister finds out, and in anger burns down the farm. Everyone gets out okay, the sister is sent to jail, brother and ditz move to town and live happily ever after."
Scrivener looked quietly at the cards, studying them, studying their faces, and Valthrudnir smiled coldly, snapping his fingers... and in smoke, the number 'fifty' puffed up from the cards. "Simple, silly story, and it's better than anything you could do, isn't-"
"I knew this girl once, Pinkamena. She enjoyed building models and murdering ponies." Scrivener interrupted quietly, looking down at his own spread of cards: Pinkamena, Pinkie Pie, Ponyville, an empty-looking farm, earth ponies, North Neigh, an image of a snarling Hellhound, a grave, and a boat. "She always acted like she hated her sister, but she always watched out for her. They had all kinds of fun together... when Pinkamena, you know, wasn't killing people or shoving meat down her face. They lived in Ponyville, a quiet little town, and they tried to run a candy store together, but it didn't work too well. Pinkamena liked biting ponies. Then one day, the sisters went on a trip together, to see their old home. Pinkamena didn't want to go. Pinkie Pie, though, she insisted, and they went. They met a lot of ponies along the way, and talked about their family... who had thrown them out. Pinkamena hated them, grumbled about killing them a lot. Pinkie Pie still loved them, wanted to have parties and hugs all around. But when they got to a desolate town, they found out their parents had died. Killed, by monsters. Sending them away... was what saved the lives of the Pink Twins. Pinkamena's all in a fuss and Pinkie Pie is spazzing out and they go through town, yelling at each other, not really knowing what they're doing or arguing about, and then they end up at the docks. Pinkamena loved models, and this was the first time she got to see a real big boat. So she decided, impulsively, they were going to get on it. They were going to sail away together. They were going to ride on the real version of the models she'd always been building. And they did, off into the sunset, Pinkamena causing mayhem, Pinkie Pie toddling along behind her and trying to clean up after her, both sisters closer than ever despite everything they had gone through."
"That story makes no sense!" Valthrudnir snarled, and then he snapped his fingers... and stared in shock as a sixty puffed upwards, written in black smoke. "What?"
"What, do they not have satire in god-town? Too good for a little gallows humor?" Scrivener asked quietly, and Valthrudnir narrowed his eyes dangerously as Scrivener looked calmly back. "When you make something bad enough, you can't help but laugh at it. Besides, send those two off on an adventure together and no matter how serious it is you're going to end up laughing your flank off at something they do. Better than predictable classical-era comedy you ripped off and just made worse."
The dragon only continued to look at him coldly... and then he reached down and picked up his deck, closing his eyes as he swept his other cards up and began to shuffle moodily... and Scrivener's eyes flicked towards the ivory, pallid cards at the edge of the table as they began to glow quietly. He smiled a little to himself... and then Valthrudnir said softly: "You cheated. I won't allow that, Scrivener Blooms... we are going to play fair and square. And I am going to prove that I am better than you. Now shuffle your cards."
Scrivy gritted his teeth, opening his mouth... and without looking, Valthrudnir closed one hand into a fist and slammed it backwards into the cage Luna was suspended in, making it swing and rattle violently. Immediately, Scrivy's body jerked, the male cursing as agony ripped through his form and Luna convulsed inside the cage, gasping, her body twitching in shock as her locks - not starry and ephemeral, but velvety, light blue from her powers being so heavily repressed - swirled around her, almost fighting to wakefulness before she slumped weakly at the bottom of the cage.
The back of Valthrudnir's hand slammed against it twice, thrice... and Scrivener shivered as he fell forwards, breathing hard, drool and blood leaking from his gasping jaws as the Jotnar said coldly: "Shuffle your cards."
Scrivy gritted his teeth... and then he swept his cards up and slowly began to shuffle them, hooves trembling a bit, struggling to do the simple task as he cursed under his breath. Valthrudnir watched him, eyes icy, irises glowing... and then he said softly: "Romance is our next topic."
Scrivener Blooms grinned wryly at this as he put down his deck of cards... and then he stared in surprise as Valthrudnir rose a hand and several cards yanked themselves out of the deck, floating upwards before dropping to the table, and Valthrudnir smiled frostily. "Since you seem so confident, why don't we see what happens when I limit your hand and force you to work around several cards of my choosing?"
The earth pony cursed as he looked down, gritting his teeth at the sight of the cards: Ignominious snarled up from one of the cards, Helheim burned out of another, and an anonymous Blood Seer was on the last, standing in red robes and with a pendant glowing around his neck. Scrivener Blooms looked up as Valthrudnir glared at him furiously... and then he only grunted and quickly drew six cards, looking over them and grimacing a bit.
He discarded two: a Hellhound and Big Mac, drawing two more as Valthrudnir studied him while he drew his own cards... and the earth pony paused only long enough to glare at the Jotnar when he saw the dragon's frown, asking coldly: "What, now are you looking to forfeit?"
"Arrogant insect." Nonetheless, the dragon returned his eyes to his own cards, arranging them quickly and muttering under his breath before his eyes flicked up... and he frowned in surprise at the arrangement Scrivener had made. "What..."
Scrivy looked in distaste down at his own cards: Ignominious, Luna, the Blood Seer, Canterlot, a card depicting several unicorns, Helheim, Spike standing ready in his armor, the Black Baroque, and roaring Fenrir. "He loved her. I hate to admit it, I hate to see it, and I hate to think about it... but he loved her. He wanted to be special to her. He wanted what he thought was best for her. He really did think that he could make her all his... and once, she cared for him. Loved him even... but after he went to dark places, to study dark powers... they grew distant. And there was no turning back when he began to murder families in Canterlot for power... other unicorns, but all ponies, all people. And Helheim... they dragged him down. They made him a slave. They ripped him apart, just like you know, don't you? And when he came back... he found himself a monster, faced against good ponies. Good people." Scrivener looked silently down at Spike's brave image, then he closed his eyes. "And he was evil. But he still loved her... he would do anything to make her love him back. He gave up more than his soul and the souls of innocents... he gave the world, to the Black Baroque. He helped open that evil place... and he helped free Fenrir. All for love."
Scrivener Blooms smiled bitterly, looking coldly up at the dragon as Valthrudnir stared at him with cold rage. "Go ahead and tally the score. But you just made this even easier for me. Nothing is blacker, darker, and more evil... than romance. Not when you look at what love can make you do for people. Not when I think about the things I would gladly do for Luna. And how bitterly, sickeningly happy I am that she's still alive, even if everyone else is dead. I miss them. I want them back. But Luna's still here. And on my own... you would beat me. But I can't fail her. I can't give in. I can't give up. So tell me your story, Valthrudnir. Tally your points. Let's play your stupid little game. But it's almost game over."
Valthrudnir breathed hard... and then he snarled and snapped his fingers, and smoke rose from the cards, forming into numbers:'75' on Valthrudnir's side, '90' on Scrivener's. The dragon looked incredulous, leaning back for a moment... and then as Scrivener smiled and reached for his cards, the Jotnar reached into his suit jacket with a growl before he yanked a silver dagger free, the earth pony looking up in dumb surprise before he howled in agony as Valthrudnir shoved this into his body just beneath the collarbone, cutting into him just above the lung and tearing through to rip into the wood backing of the chair, leaving him pinned like a bug.
The Jotnar twisted slowly, and Scrivy hissed as he grit his teeth, tears forming in his eyes even as he fought against crying out, as he snarled at the dragon... and then Valthrudnir leaned back, sweeping Scrivy's cards up as he grinned darkly, his eyes glowing with hate and wrath as he hissed: "You cheated again. You stupid, animal mortals always cheat... just like gods. Just like the other Jotnar. That's fine, though... you can cheat, I can cheat too!"
He laughed as he began to deal the cards out, one after the other with a flick of his wrist, and they landed neatly in front of Scrivener Blooms, the earth pony helpless to do anything as he sat against the back of the chair and the Jotnar, the pedantic, childish dragon, shouting angrily and accenting the words he dealt out cards for: "How will you work around this then? Our theme is tragedy, and here's your story this round! Once upon a time, Brynhild and Scrivener Blooms lived happily in the Everfree Forest, outside Ponyville. They sometimes got visits from a friendly slut named Twilight Sparkle and all their other worthless mortal friends! They knew nothing of Helheim, or of darkness, and Celestia loved them very much and helped take care of them, and all of Equestria was happy and peaceful!"
Then the dragon held up Scrivener's deck of cards, and it burst into flames in his hand as he snarled furiously at the earth pony, the cards rapidly charring away to nothing. He flicked his fingers dismissively, and then as suddenly as it had gone, his arrogant demeanor returned as he smiled cruelly, saying coldly as he sat back and held his hand over his own deck: "And here's my story."
The cards began to lay themselves out as he spoke: Valthrudnir himself, Odin, Loki, Thor, Freya, Brynhild, a card illustrating beautiful, peaceful Midgard, Helheim, and Yggdrasil, the ancient ash tree standing with its roots twined around nine different worlds. "I've already told it once, though. How I defeated Odin. Trapped Loki. Mutilated Thor. Destroyed the Valkyries and everything else in Asgard. Settled my eyes on these pathetic worlds, and brought Helheim against them, and soon all the layers of reality will shatter, I will uproot Yggdrasil, and the entire universe will be at my fingertips, at my command. And how many points do we have here?" He mocked, snapping his fingers, and a '95' rose up. "Oh, it looks like we've determined who the better storyteller is after all. Oh, no, wait, Scrivener Blooms, that's right, go ahead and pick your last card."
Valthrudnir grinned... then he laughed and snapped his fingers, and Scrivener winced as cards rained down around him, images of friends, of places he'd been, of experiences he'd had, as the dragon leapt up and leaned forwards over the table, grinning wider as he shouted mockingly: "Go ahead! Pick a card, any card! Show me how strong and worthy mortals are! Tell me how you're going to beat me now!"
He laughed, sweeping up his cards and grinning violently as he threw his deck in Scrivy's face, the earth pony cursing as the cards bounced off his features... and then he howled as Valthrudnir reached across the table and seized the knife, yanking it back and free to toss it away as he snarled down at him: "Exactly. You know you cannot win. You know you've lost. Once again, I have proven that I am superior in every way to filthy, worthless mortals. What do they call your kind? Slave-hoof. How fitting. Well, slave, don't keep me waiting. Give me one last bit of entertainment. Pick any card you like and give me one last smile before I annihilate you, worthless little insect... because no one, nothing in this universe, can outwit me."
He leaned down over him, snarling, as Scrivener breathed hard in and out, head lowered, eyes dazed as he shivered... and then he slowly forced himself to look up, teeth grit. Past the line of eight cards that sat, almost sparking on the table, surrounded but never disturbed by the cards that lay all around him... looking up, up, up to meet the dragon's eyes as he breathed hard: "Any card? Fine."
Slowly, Scrivener leaned down, gasping, as Valthrudnir grinned... and then the dragon's grin faded slightly as the earth pony dug in the cards beside him, gritting his teeth as pain ran through him from the hole in his shoulder, clutching his limb close against his body as it trembled, barely able to move. Then he scooped up a single card in his hoof, looking up at him as tears slid down his cheeks, saying coldly: "No one can beat your plans, Valthrudnir. Immutable, unstoppable. You brought destruction to a world, tragedy to everyone who lived in it, for what? For what sounds like nothing more than amusement and pride and to prove you're the best. Yeah, you're the best, Valthrudnir. You're perfect."
Scrivener slammed the card down, and Valthrudnir stared in shock at the image of himself, falling backwards into his own seat as he looked stupidly at the line of nine cards as they sizzled, and then smoke poured up from them, forming a flawless '100,' as Scrivener glared across at him. "Perfect plan. Perfect tragedy. Perfect destruction. The greatest tragedy ever told for us, for this planet, for me and Luna, because you separated us and killed everything that ever meant anything to us. Congratulations on being the best, on being so perfect. Too bad perfection never lasts long."
The dragon shook his head stupidly, and then he gargled and grabbed at his own chest as the ivory cards on the table glowed brightly and cracks, like rips in the reality of the dragon, spread through his form... and then the giant snarled as Scrivener sat back in his chair, rasping quietly as he grinned even through his pain. "To summarize, Valthrudnir, in the words of a great poet: fuck you."
"You... arrogant... worthless animal!" the dragon roared in outrage, seizing the table and lurching to his feet, and then he half-turned and threw it hard to the side, the table shattering apart as it bounced through the whiteness and Scrivener was knocked backwards and out of his chair with a wince of pain and a mental shock as one of Valthrudnir's arms swung backwards and struck the cage, knocking both it and the rack it hung on over. The blue energy sparked out as the golden bars shattered like glass against the ground, Luna gasping as she was ejected... but the dragon paid this no heed as he staggered towards Scrivy with his hands extended like a zombie, as the earth pony winced and dragged himself backwards. "You think you're better than me? You think that you and your kind are worth anything, or that... that I'll let a cheater like you escape? No! Never! We're going to play another game, mortal, and this time-"
Then Valthrudnir cursed as something ripped across the back of his leg, falling to his knees and catching himself on his hands as he twisted his head around... and Luna's horn plunged forwards, ripping through his eye as the dragon screamed in horror, grabbing immediately at his face as the other hand clawed uselessly at her... but Luna yanked backwards, leaping away with a snarl to join Scrivener Blooms as the earth pony slowly forced himself up to his hooves, watching as the dragon cursed... and then slowly drew his hand back, staring at the silvery, liquid light filling his palm.
He shook his head wildly, then stared at them as he gargled, more cracks forming through his body... and his face broken almost in half, cheek shattered into misshapen puzzle pieces, socket leaking more of that silvery liquid and golden and white light shining out of it, a spiderweb of fractures spreading slowly through his head as he began to crawl towards them. "W-Wait! Please! One more game, Brynhild, Scrivener Blooms, one... one more game, fair and square! Let's just p-play one more game! Please!"
He gritted his teeth... then looked over his shoulder in horror as he tried to crawl forwards, and instead his lower leg shattered like porcelain that melted quickly away into silvery light, shaking his head wildly as he looked desperately towards them... but Scrivener Blooms and Luna only looked at him silently, shaking their heads slowly as Valthrudnir reached for them... and his entire arm fell off, shattering apart like fragile glass, melting away as he tried to smile, his face half-melted, distorted, the cracks pulsing and growing wider as he whispered: "Please?"
Then his remaining eye rolled up in his head, and he collapsed forwards, shattering apart like brittle ice as Scrivy and Luna both winced backwards, several flashes of light bursting up from the larger pieces of his remains before they cracked and fell further apart, melting quickly away into nothing but silvery liquid that boiled, spilled outwards, and rapidly vanished. For a few moments, the two only stood, silently surveying the ruins where Valthrudnir had once been... and then they slowly gazed at one another, their eyes meeting as Luna smiled weakly and Scrivener swallowed thickly, then dropped his head against the side of her neck, feeling her solid blue mane tickling against his face as he whispered: "I'm sorry."
Luna wrapped her forelegs around him and hugged him fiercely, and she curled her head down against his neck as she murmured: "For what, Scrivener Blooms? There is nothing to be sorry for. We... survived. 'Tis... 'tis awful, but... as I said before... thou has a way of making everything better. We... we shall fix all this. We shall find a way to fix all this... we shall always have each other, even if..."
She fell silent... and then the two slowly looked up at the sound of quiet clapping, both staring as a figure appeared in the distance and walked slowly towards them. It was rough and calm, perhaps as tall as the minotaurs had been, with heavy rawhide moccasins and thick leggings, a jacket made of patched-together wolf furs covering much of a frame that looked tired and feeble. Leather-gloved hands continued to clap as he approached slowly, not making any sudden moves as he finally came to a halt... and gazed down at them with a faint smile on his features.
He was no pony: rather, his head was that of a falcon's, one eye missing and a scar tearing down this side of his face, beak cracked and short, feathers dirty blonde and black. His other eye was silver, and he grunted quietly as he slowly squatted in front of them... before Luna leapt forwards and slammed a headbutt into the newcomer, and he cursed as he fell backwards before wincing away as she lowered her glowing horn towards him, snarling: "Odin, do not think I cannot see through such a pathetic guise!"
"And you look different but you're acting just the same as ever, Brynhild. Maybe being a pony suits you." Odin replied tiredly, and Scrivener stared in shock before he winced as he caught sight of something beneath this shape, something that had once been... something that no longer was. "I'm not here to threaten you. I'm done... being a god. Being Aesir. Being... an old, prideful fool."
Luna frowned a bit as she slowly stepped backwards and sat on her haunches, and Odin sighed quietly as he sat slowly up, rubbing at his face for a moment and muttering: "Wretched woman. Beautiful, sure. As beautiful and dangerous as a bitch-wolf."
"I care not for who or what I once was. Besides, thou art no longer a broad-chested brute anymore, art thou?" Luna asked shortly, and Odin looked at her distastefully. "Thou should not speak badly of me when thou looks much the worse off."
For a few moments, the ancient once-god surveyed her... and then he only shook his head before looking towards Scrivener Blooms, saying quietly: "And you. My Brynhild's... soulmate. I think... I owe you an apology, as well as my gratitude. You killed Valthrudnir together... now the way to the Vale of Valhalla can be opened again. And you... saved my darling Brynhild. She was always prettier than my wife, and nicer too... well. A lot of things were."
He chuckled rustily, and Luna sighed a little... but she seemed to soften as she glanced towards him, then grimaced as he reached up and gently stroked through her mane. "I am not a riding horse. Touch me not, old lecher. Thy pride-"
"Yes, my pride destroyed the Aesir. My pride destroyed everything... even after I lost most of my powers, I was able to hide it with... magic tricks and by acting like a vicious mongrel. Valthrudnir maddened me..." Odin closed his eyes and lowered his head forwards, saying quietly: "And I doomed us all. But I'm not here about that, Brynhild... I'm here to apologize to you. To you both... and to give what little I can. I am not as powerful as Valthrudnir became, but he gave you something, didn't he?"
Odin smiled a bit as Scrivener and Luna shared a sharp look... and then the once-god held up the three ivory cards in one gloved hand. Luna began to snarl... but Odin offered them calmly enough, and Scrivener took them hesitantly as the once-god said quietly: "I'm not foolish enough to try and steal from you, Brynhild. And I have no wish to be powerful again... no, not anymore. It's been... ten thousand years? A hundred thousand years? I do not know. Gods do not keep track of time... time keeps track of gods.
"But over all these years... I've wandered the worlds I've built. I've seen destruction and joy. I've... enjoyed these little spaces, these places, these strange sights. Always keeping out of sight... hidden, in this permanent, ugly disguise." Odin gestured at himself with a sigh. "I loved horses, you know. Even back before I became the mighty Warrior King of the Aesir. Oh, we saw many worlds, did we not, Brynhild? In many places we are known by many names. Gods are worse gossips than Ginnungagap's creatures, after all... and just as there are layers to our worlds, there are layers to Asgard, and layers to Helheim, and everywhere else. Things exist differently in different times and places, that's all I know... but... I don't think... as clearly anymore. It's old age, finally settling in: I'm no god any more, after all. Immortal? Perhaps. Or perhaps... even immortals must die. So before I do die... I want to fix what I can.
"The point is... I didn't want to see my world, my visions... destroyed. The only way to save you, Brynhild... was to kill you." Odin looked silently towards the white sky, shaking his head slowly. "And I wanted to apologize for that. I wanted to tell you, I plan to fix Asgard as much as possible, and Valhalla... so at least, there will be a place of peace for our nobly-lost to gather, so that the dead do not choke the world. And I wanted again, to offer to do what I can. Ask anything of me... and I will do it. You can do much with those miracles given to you by Valthrudnir... but a little more help never hurts, even from a doddering relic who... whose warrior days are now long since past."
Luna and Scrivener glanced towards one another... and Scrivener smiled faintly after a moment, looking down at the three ivory cards in his hoof as he asked quietly: "With these cards then... we can... bring everything back?"
"No. Valthrudnir was not that powerful, my friend..." Odin looked sympathetically towards Scrivy, and then he smiled faintly as the earth pony closed his eyes and Luna gritted her teeth. "But do you remember the Pales? The lost souls, looking for a home... well, you cannot take this and wish: 'I want all my friends back, exactly as they once were.' No magic can do that. But perhaps you can wish for their vessels... a body is only a breathing hunk of meat without a soul, there's not much complicated there. And the Pales, with the right guidance..."
"A soul for a vessel, to bring them to life... to let them live again. Rebirth." Luna murmured, looking with surprise at Odin. "But the process..."
"Would be long and difficult. And the Black Wolves of Hell have claimed your world, Brynhild, and destroyed it." Odin smiled a bit. "But maybe there's another world. A world... where ponies don't exist, blank and empty. I'll help you find it... if you agree to help me guard the anchor world. The precious world... the tie that binds it all together."
"I will not leave Scrivener Blooms." Luna said sharply, and Odin chuckled quietly, shaking his head, and the female frowned as she tilted her own. "Then... what does thou mean?"
"Only that your world will be... through the looking glass. On the other side of the anchor world... one of a thousand reflections, yes, but one of the closer reflections. It will not be like the Equestria you knew... it's a bit more chaotic, maybe... like the old days a little, as well." Odin rubbed thoughtfully at the underside of his beak. "You'll need to be on guard."
Scrivener and Luna traded a look... and then they both smiled to one-another before nodding slowly, and Odin chuckled quietly, before Luna asked softly: "Then... what of my brother, Sleipnir? Thine own son, Thor... will... is it within thy power to rescue him from Helheim?"
"That is your request?" Odin looked surprised, and when Luna nodded firmly, the falcon looked down... then shook his head slowly and murmured: "I am... humbled, Brynhild. Humbled, and almost insulted, which humbles me all the more. Yes, I shall free him from Helheim, I'm strong enough and have friends who will be glad to aid even this old wretch... and when he returns to Valhalla, Sleipnir shall be among my most honored, as he always was as Thor. Is this acceptable?"
Luna smiled faintly and nodded... and then they watched in surprise as Odin slowly stood, brushing himself off and saying quietly: "I'll take you both out of Alfheim, before we part ways... but first, before I forget... I have one other thing I meant to give you. Something that I kept in jealousy. Something that I didn't want... well..."
Odin chuckled quietly, and then he reached up and beneath his fur jacket, before he pulled out a single blue apple... and he smiled a bit as he tossed this to Luna, who frowned as she caught it... and then her eyes widened, leaning back slightly as she whispered: "This is..."
"Inside it is the piece of you I always kept. The part that makes a woman complete, if you'll allow me the anachronism without hitting me again." Odin looked at her softly, saying quietly: "My pride... my jealousy... trying to prove that I was still top god even though I was no longer any kind of god... it all drove me to doing wicked, awful things, and for that I am sorry, Brynhild. I saved you and took your ability to bear a child, saying it was a fair price... and it was not. I had already put you to sleep, and taken your life like a coward... and then, out of vanity and spite and anger, well... but enough of that."
Luna looked silently at the apple... and then she leaned down and bit into it slowly, and shuddered as a spark rolled down her spine, wings fluttering as her mane sizzled before swaying backwards as it went from solid blue locks to ephemeral, beautiful starlit darkness once again... and she leaned forwards and breathed hard as inside her, Nightmare Moon whispered: We are whole... yes, I feel it...
"Odin..." Luna glanced up towards him as the apple turned red in her hoof, smiling faintly at him... but the falcon only shook his head and smiled tiredly, waving a hand before he turned and strode calmly away.
Scrivener Blooms and Luna looked quietly at one another... and then Luna smiled a little as she slowly took a bite out of the apple, chewing thoughtfully before swallowing and saying softly: "We have much to do. Capturing spirits, ensuring a once-god keeps his bargain, rebuilding all that is lost."
"But we have time. We have hope now. We should make the best of both those things, and not rush." Scrivy replied softly... and Luna smiled softly at him before they leaned in, sharing a soft kiss for a moment before pulling away... and the male smiled a little as he wiped at his mouth and murmured: "Apple."
Luna laughed quietly, shaking her head slowly... and then the two faced forwards, towards where Odin calmly awaited in the whiteness, as the male carefully tucked the ivory cards beneath his armored vest and Luna tossed the last of the apple away, the black pearl hanging from the worn ivy around her neck all but glowing, her broken armor still clinging to her proud warrior's frame as they walked side-by-side towards the future. |
Starlit Knights | Epilogue: Refracted And Reflected | Epilogue: Refracted And Reflected
~BlackRoseRaven
Ponyville sat at the edge of the Everfree Forest: it was scenic and perfect, beautiful mountains in the distance to the north, with calm, smooth slopes... and to the south, a massive, intricately detailed statue of a massive wolf, frozen in mid-pounce, petrified and covered in clinging vines. Water spilled from its jaws, filling the pool it rested in: it served as a strange, natural fountain, and foals liked to tell spooky stories about how Garm came alive during Nightmare Night and gobbled down all the ponies he could find, before the dawn's light froze him solid again along with his three brothers, who stood at other points across Equestria.
Nature was wild, but Ponyville was well-protected: Pegasi maintained the weather when necessary, but otherwise let things go their course. They were blessed with fertile soil and wonderful crops, and it was a friendly, lively, happy town. The ponies were joyful, proud Equestrians, part of a country that was barely aware of their existence. In the distance, there was majestic Canterlot... but most of the city was ruins, although the castle was in a state of repair, and was the ruling seat of the local Baroness. She, along with a series of others, controlled and maintained Equestria and the surrounding lands... but more often than not, the Baroness could be found in Ponyville, what she called her 'true home.' She was in love with the small village... and the fact that she was treated like a normal pony there.
The door in the ancient, enormous tree opened, and Celestia emerged, no crown on her head, golden peytral plate over the winged unicorn's chest inscribed with the symbol of Equestria instead of inset with a gemstone... and she smiled over her shoulder as Twilight Sparkle followed her out with a blush, flapping her black-edged wings, her own dark peytral plate gleaming as a dozen or so books floated behind her as she struggled to organize them into her open saddlebags. "I... I know, I'm trying, I am!"
"Twilight, please." Celestia shook her head with a quiet laugh, saying kindly: "Now you know it's not that big a deal, I just need to go away for a few days to check on the repairs at Charger's Crossing. It's our only link to the northern baronies after all... and besides, Spike will be there for you, won't you Spike?"
"Yes ma'am." Spike poked his head out with a grin, waving at them, then the dragon adolescent blushed a bit as Rarity's hoof gently grabbed his shoulder and pulled him backwards. "I'll. Be right back."
"I'm going to get a squirt bottle!" Twilight shouted at the doorway, but Celestia only laughed and shook her head before she glanced up with a smile as Twilight turned and grumbled under her breath... and then she softened, glancing up at Celestia and asking quietly: "So do you remember..."
But Celestia only shook her head slowly, saying quietly: "I remember I had a sister once. A sister... who was very, very important to you, and to me. It's why I thought we ourselves were siblings... but you're much more like a daughter to me, I know now." She stepped forwards, hugging Twilight for a short, firm moment, and the violet pony blushed but smiled radiantly as she returned the hug. "You should talk more with your friends about it. Please remember to spend some time with them and not just doing errands for me."
"I always do." Twilight glanced over her shoulder, smiling a little as in the distance, she gazed towards the market where Applejack had several carts of apples and other goods set up, Rainbow Dash lounging back and eating their food more than helping sell it, as Apple Bloom giggled and Scootaloo rambled excitedly to her hero as he smiled indulgently down at her. "I'm actually going to go see Zecora shortly, I think."
Celestia nodded, and then the two looked up at a pair of arguing voices to see the Pink Twins approaching, Fluttershy trailing behind them: Pinkamena and Pinkie Pie, the latter with a colorful umbrella hat on her head and the former with several piercings in her ears, glaring from beneath her straight mane as she snapped: "Well then stay the hell out of my way! And... oh look. Princess Sunshine and Sparkles."
Twilight sighed, then she looked towards Fluttershy as the quiet Pegasus slipped forwards with a soft smile, her eyes tender as she leaned forwards and traded a tight hug with the winged unicorn. "What are they arguing about now?"
But Fluttershy only smiled and shrugged, indicating it was the same as always, as Celestia looked curiously down towards Pinkamena. "You still haven't told me why you call me that, Pinkamena. I'm not a Princess."
"Because I've always called you that." Pinkamena said moodily, and then she grumbled when Pinkie Pie wrapped a foreleg around her and threw the other in the air.
"Just like I've always called her Lemon Drop!" she declared... and then she winced and fell over when Pinkamena quickly stepped away, glaring up at her before skittering to her hooves with a wince when Pinkamena attempted to sit on her head. "Well, you kind of are."
"Well you're kind of shut the hell up." Pinkamena retorted, and then she shook her head moodily before seeming to calm a little as she glanced towards Twilight Sparkle curiously. "You going into the Everfree Forest?"
Twilight frowned a bit... and Pinkamena grinned slightly, leaning forwards as she said teasingly: "Don't you remember all the stories I've been telling you, about Nightmare Moon? Keep an eye out, Twilight Sparkle... you never know who you might see. You just gotta keep your eyes open."
Twilight sighed and shook her head slowly, before smiling as the conversation lapsed into other things and other ponies came to see Celestia off... but an hour later, as she strode quietly through the forest, she frowned a bit as she heard voices on the road ahead.
"Luna, stop being crazy. You're crazy." said a voice she recognized and yet didn't at the same time, like somepony from the distant past... and Twilight frowned a bit as she peered around a corner apprehensively, trying to remain quiet... and she gazed in surprise at the sight of a charcoal earth pony standing at one side of the road: he looked like he might be even larger than Big Mac, scars over his body and features, and standing beside him was a young Pegasus with a metallic-white coat, giggling: a little larger than a filly, with a cutie mark of a red mirror on her flank, her mane and tail and eyes all vibrant scarlet.
And across from them was a tall winged unicorn... and the sight of her made Twilight's breath catch in her throat. Beautiful, with a mane that flowed like starlight, an ivy necklace hanging around her neck from which a black pearl dangled as she stomped her hooves aggressively, glaring at the male as she snapped: "Scrivener Blooms, thou art insufferable. We spent a decade, a decade, fixing the problems presented by Ragnarok, and allowed them to find themselves, without rushing the process, 'lest their minds and emotions be harmed by a sudden influx of memories! We spent a decade gathering souls, and then gave those souls bodies, only able to hope for the best and that they would awaken to new life as if from a long sleep... and then we have had to hide out here in the forest, watching and protecting them as they awoke and slowly adjusted to life for yet two years more, convinced themselves they have always lived like this and we were forgotten! We do not wish to be forgotten, we wish to join them once more... we are happy our friends are alive and well, and will do anything it takes to protect them, but I know that thou wishes as strongly as I do to rejoin our friends... to fill in the gaps in their memories and reunite with them! 'Tis a crazed joke that only Pinkamena and Zecora know of us, and only Pinkamena has ever wandered out to visit us in our little sanctuary!"
"Luna, it's. My problem isn't that you want to go and introduce yourself to everyone in Ponyville, and see if... they're ready for things." Scrivener Blooms said flatly, looking at her mildly. "My problem is that your 'sane and logical' reasoning behind doing this is so you can declare: 'Hey, Twilight Sparkle and Celestia, look at me, I'm super-pregnant!'"
Scrivener sat back a bit, flailing his hooves at the air as Twilight stared in surprise, then couldn't help but giggle... and then Luna glowered at Scrivy and stepped forwards before she slammed a headbutt into his face, knocking him flat on his back with a wheeze, and Twilight covered her mouth to repress her laughter... before her eyes widened as memories, as emotions, as wild thoughts swirled through her head, and she slowly straightened, staring at them and trembling a bit. She couldn't place how... she could barely remember much, apart from a draw she could barely explain towards these ponies, that told her to go out, to speak to them, to see them... but before she could, another figure stepped into the road.
"Would you two please keep it down? You're louder than a drunken circus clown." Zecora said flatly, the zebra glaring from Luna to Scrivener, and the male mumbled a bit as Luna only grumbled and sat back on her haunches with a moody look to the zebra. "And since I have heard the conversation, please allow me to add this observation: I don't know if the ponies are ready yet, to learn of the fate that in the past they met."
"Zecora, I have waited two years. 'Tis two years too long on top of the decade I have already endured..." Luna retorted, and then she stood up and added briskly: "Now, thou may be a prophetess or shaman. Thou may be powerful and wise, and demonstrated thou knew in some way, shape or form what was to befall our beloved world. But I am a pregnant, frustrated Valkyrie. Can thou predict what will happen if I do not get my way shortly?"
Zecora didn't seem to have a response for this, the zebra leaning backwards slightly as Luna leaned forwards... and then Twilight Sparkle strode out from around the corner and into the road, the three ponies and the zebra all looking at her sharply as she stared at them, and then she smiled awkwardly and said quietly: "I don't... remember exactly who you are. But I think... you were very important to me. You all were... and I... I'd really like to know more."
For a few moments, they only studied her... and then the zebra shrugged a bit with a smile, stepping carefully aside as Luna and Scrivener strode forwards, Scarlet Sage blushing as she half-shyly followed and gazed over the violet unicorn slowly as Luna and Scrivy both smiled, then glanced towards one another before they stepped forwards and hugged her fiercely around the neck, Twilight blushing in surprise... but then slowly settling her head forwards with a soft smile as the winged unicorn said softly: "Then come with us, Twilight Sparkle. We have a strange and terrible and wonderful story to tell thee. I shall begin it now, though, and perhaps our names will help... I am Luna Brynhild, and this is my husband, Scrivener Blooms... and our daughter, Scarlet Sage."
And Twilight Sparkle smiled softly as she gazed warmly at the three ponies, blushing a bit... but gladly following into the darkness of the Everfree Forest, somehow feeling more at home now than she had ever been, even in the comforts of Ponyville.
Falling down is the best way to appreciate the value in getting back up.
November 26th, 2011 - January 5th, 2012 |
The Lie of Living | pre | "Seemed like a good idea at the time." I replied.
"Well thank you kindly, for helping me out anyway, both of you." Applejack said. "But if you don't mind me asking; how are you so out of shape? All the Pegasi I know are fit as a fiddle." she asked.
"If that's true, then perhaps I should have been born a unicorn. The practical applications for magic in one's daily life alone would be immeasurably helpful." I said, coming to a stop in a clearing alongside the girls. "To answer your question, I've just never really been all that physically active. I even kept flying to a minimum because it served little purpose beyond reaching high places. I didn't get the enjoyment other Pegasi seem to get when they start flying. That's why my flying skills are virtually non-existent. I had no drive to improve my technique, and it wasn't dependent on my survival."
The pair took in my lie with genuine interest. Why they were so curious was beyond me. "So, you're more into books and learning stuff than flying? Is that why you live with Twilight at the Library?" she asked. 'Ah, so that's what she was after. Clever girl.' I smiled at her in response.
"You're thinking I live with her because I've fallen head over hooves for her, aren't you?" I asked, to which Applejack just responded with a guilty chuckle. Busted. Twilight, for her part, just laughed at the topic being discussed. "Sadly, love has nothing to do with it. Princess Celestia asked me to live with Twilight. She was rather vague about the details. I accepted her request mainly because I had no lodgings at the time, and she's agreed to pay me for my services." I said.
This earned a confused look from Applejack. "What kinda services are those?" she asked.
"I'm not allowed to say, but suffice it to say; it involves all of us." I said.
...One week ago - After Nightmare Moon's defeat...
"That explains why you're so cautious of me... But not why you're scared of me." Was it magic that made me feel as though a blade was pressed against my throat just now? Or was I sensing her intent to kill? I almost wished I had Maou's power, if only to hear what she was thinking... if she was thinking at all. She hadn't said a word.
Upon closer inspection, I realised that she was no longer looking me in the eye, but rather at my flank. As to why, I couldn't fathom... Oh.
Of course. She was watching the entire time. 'She saw me use my geass on Nightmare Moon.' My eyes widened at this realisation, I was discovered. And from the way I'd used it, she no doubt had a good idea of what my power could do. And just like that, my geass was no longer a last resort; It was damning evidence. And she was afraid I might lash out and use it on her, like a smoking gun which could go off again. My mind froze. I couldn't think of a way out of this situation, I'd lost the war before it even started. Usually, it was the other way around.
Then a thought appeared at the forefront of my mind. What exactly had I lost? The question gave me pause, and allowed me to think once more. What had I lost? Before, my war was personal, a means to an end in which victory would assure a better and safer world for Nunnally. That was my life's goal, and I'd achieved it, ironically, with my death. But this time around, what was my goal? I had none. This life I'd been given was a second chance to live a peaceful and quiet life. Then I met Twilight, and peaceful and quiet didn't factor into the equation. In all honesty, I hadn't expected a second chance at life. I should be dead, so what does it matter if Celestia is afraid of me. The worst she could do is kill me or exile me.
With my fear suppressed, I began to wonder how I could alleviate Celestia's. I turned to look her in the eye, the motion cutting off her gaze at my flank. When her eyes made contact with mine, I saw her visibly flinch. She could see I wasn't afraid anymore, and that scared her all the more. I then decided on a rather dangerous tactic. I closed my eyes, effectively blinding myself from her presence.
"What do you wish to know?" I asked her, straight and simple. As my eyes were closed, I couldn't read her at all. There was a pregnant pause as I waited for her to respond. Five seconds, ten seconds, fifteen seconds. By the twentieth second, I heard her begin to speak, only to hesitate. Five more seconds.
"Your special ability is unlike anything I've seen before. Your intelligence is on par with my own and your ability to read others is so advanced, you could tell I had plans for Twilight that stemmed beyond this one event. You're right, Lelouch; I am scared of you. I'm scared not just for my safety, but for the safety of my friends, family and my subjects. You're completely unknown. I scouted Ponyville some time before sending Twilight here, and you weren't here back then. That alone was enough to make me suspicious of you." I could tell by the sound of her voice, she was trying to sound threatening. But it wouldn't work.
"When you met Twilight, I saw you practically latch onto her when you found out she was connected to me in some way. Like any politician, you created a connection to her in order to access me." 'Ooh, busted.' "Every action you've taken since then has been to solidify your friendship with Twilight in the hopes of eventually meeting me. So let me save you the trouble, Lelouch Vi Britannia, and let me ask you just three questions. And the answers you give had better be honest."
I opened my eyes and made eye contact with her once more. As expected, her terrified expression was drastically reduced and she seemed to adopt an aura of determination. I'd given her the high ground, and she knew it. "Ask away." I offered.
"First question: Do you seek to take Equestria for yourself with that power of yours?"
I thought about how I should answer. Of course when a question is asked, they want a truthful answer, but there was only so much I could be truthful about. Celestia had figured out what kind of individual I was, but there was no way she could figure out my origins without my telling her.
"To be honest, Princess. The answer to that question was dependent on you." I said. She raised a quizzical brow. "When I woke up in Ponyville, I had absolutely no knowledge of Equestria. I didn't even know about you until the nurse gave me a brief overview. She said that Equestria was kind and fair to all. She had nothing but praises to sing when discussing you. But the words of a monarch's subjects can be ignorant at times. I've seen nobles, politicians, and royals lie through their teeth with the most sincere faces. Most would believe those lies. But I couldn't believe the purity of Equestria until I met you in person." Celestia seemed to be studying my response carefully, taking in each word and analyzing it.
"To sum up: after having met you, I have no desire to try and take Equestria from you. I know good rulers and bad rulers. And I can see that you're a good ruler. You make mistakes and you own up to them, even take advantage of them to some extent. But above all, you care about your subjects." This seemed to catch Celestia off guard. She clearly wasn't expecting to be praised for her work by me.
Celestia cleared her throat. "Second question: Do you seek to interfere with my plans for Twilight in any way?"
"Not at all, I like Twilight. Actually, I'd like to help, if you'd let me." I offered. Celestia blinked a couple of times in disbelief. Perhaps she was expecting a more extravagant answer?
"Third question: What exactly do you want?"
Ah, the ultimate question. "My life has been chaos and strife since I was very young. I've lost loved ones, friends and family both to a war I was determined to win, no matter the cost. Equestria is a second chance for me, a chance to live life the way it was meant to be lived; free, happy and surrounded by loved ones. I know I wasn't a part of your plans for Twilight and her friends, but I've come to like them. I'd like to continue to have them in my life, if possible." I replied.
Celestia studied me for a little while, checking for any deceit in my words or body language. Eventually, her whole demeanor seemed to relax and a smile once again dorned her features. It was that genuine smile too. I was suddenly very scared again.
"In that case, I have an assignment for you. I'll happily pay you for your work."
...Present Day...
Our conversation was interrupted by Spike suddenly belching out a green flame, which magically transformed into a scroll with the royal wax seal holding it closed. "It's a letter from Princess Celestia." Twilight pointed out. 'Obviously.' I thought.
Spike cleared his throat before reading it out. "Hear ye, hear ye. Her grand royal highness, Princess Celestia of Equestria," 'bit of a mouthful.' "is pleased to announce the Grand Galloping Gala to be held in the magnificent capitol city of Canterlot on the twenty-first day of... yada yada yada... cordially extends an invitation to Twilight Sparkle plus one guest." Spike finished.
A gala; a formal event akin to a high class party, only more grandeur. The last gala I went to was as Zero. Brittania was celebrating the engagement of my older brother Odysseus and the Chinese Federation's Empress Tianzi. My thoughts were torn away from me as the girls gasped with excitement before reciting the name of the event. 'The Grand Galloping Gala'. What a sickeningly sweet name for such a pompous affair. Nevertheless, the girls seemed excited about it, if the amount of bouncing around was anything to go by. Though, I had to wonder where their apple baskets went.
It seemed as though Spike was just as repulsed by the gala as myself as he made a gagging motion before seeming genuinely sick. Less than a second later, he belched flames once more, revealing two golden tickets. I'd expected the letter inviting Twilight plus one to serve as admittance in place of tickets, but it would seem Canterlot's nobility had other ideas. "Look, two tickets." Spike exclaimed.
"Wow, great!" Twilight responded. "I've never been to the gala. Have you, Spike?" Surprising, given that as Celestia's student, Twilight was almost always in or around the castle. It's hard to believe she'd never been to a gala. Then again...
"No, and I plan to keep it that way. I don't want any of that girly, frilly, froufrou nonsense." Spike replied.
"Aw, come on, Spike. A dance would be nice." Twilight argued. I was about to weigh in on the topic.
However, Applejack beat me to it. "Nice? It's a heap good more than just nice. I'd love to go." Now that was surprising.
"You don't strike me as the type to be interested in this sort of thing, Applejack. I always thought you as the practical type. Frivolous affairs like this gala, it just doesn't add up." I said.
Fortunately, she saw fit to explain why she wanted to go. "I don't wanna go for the dancing, Lelouch. I wanna go for the business. Lots of folks come to the gala. If I had an apple stand set up, ponies would be chawing our tasty vittles till the cows came home. Do you have any idea how much business I could drum up for Sweet Apple Acres? Why, with all that money, we could do a heap of fixin' up 'round here. We could replace that saggy, old roof. And Big Mackintosh could replace that saggy, old plow. And Granny Smith could replace that saggy, old hip. Why, I'd give my left hind leg to go to that gala." I bit my tongue, tempted as I was to crack a joke and ask if she would use the money to replace her saggy, old leg.
"Oh. Well, in that case, would you like to -." Twilight began, only to be interrupted by a certain flying pegasus. Or a certain crashing pegasus, depending on one's perspective.
"Are we talking about the Grand Galoping Gala?" Rainbow Dash asked as her form lay splayed atop both Twilight and Applejack. Her question remained unanswered however, as Applejack forced herself up from the ground and stared crossly at the offending pegasus.
"Rainbow Dash! You told me you were too busy to help me harvest apples. What were you busy doing? Spying?" Applejack accused.
Rainbow Dash turned away from the cross farmer. "No. I was busy... napping." she directed our attention to a pillow and blanket resting on a tree branch above. How'd we miss that?
"Pink blankets, Rainbow? How girly of you." I teased. Rainbow just fixed me with a grumpy scowl before turning to Twilight.
"And I just happened to hear that you have an extra ticket?"
"Yeah, but -."
"Yes! This is so awesome. The Wonderbolts perform at the Grand Galloping Gala every year! I can see it now. Everyone would be watching the sky, their eyes riveted on the wonderbolts. But then, in would fly... Rainbow Dash! I would draw their attention with my super-speed strut. Then I would mesmerize them with my fantastic filly flash! And for my grand finale, the Buccaneer Blaze. The ponies would go wild! The wonderbolts would insist that my signature moves be incorporated into their routine and then... welcome me as their newest member." Rainbow seemed so excited. Too bad her plan was unrealistic. Chances were the crowd would go wild because she interrupted a wonderbolts performance, and then they'd chase her out.
"Don't you see, Twilight? This could be my one chance to show 'em my stuff. You've got to take me!" Technically, she wasn't wrong. While she could just enroll like anypony else, it would be more difficult for her to set herself apart from the other recruits. The potential for other candidates could equal or even surpass her own. In that regard, the gala would be an ideal time to advertise herself as wonderbolt material. However, her execution might need revising.
"Hold on just one pony-pickin' minute here." Applejack interrupted, grabbing Rainbow Dash by the tail. One would assume being grabbed by the tail would be extremely painful, but by the look on Rainbow's face, she just seemed surprised. Then Applejack spat the tail out and Rainbow's face grew offended. "I asked for that ticket first." she argued.
Rainbow Dash turned to face the farmer. "So? That doesn't mean you own it." Rainbow retorted. She wasn't wrong. Though, Applejack seemed to disagree.
"Oh, yeah? Well, I challenge you to a hoof wrestle. Winner gets the ticket." Once the challenge was made, both mares made their way to a conveniently placed tree stump that would serve as the counter top on which their wrestle would be helf. As the two mares interlocked hooves, Twilight and I looked at each other in disbelief before she went to break them up.
"Girls! These are my tickets. I'll decide who gets it, thank you very much. Whoever has the best reason to go should get the ticket, don't you think?" she offered. I made my way to Spike's side and took a seat.
"I can see where this is going." I said, sighing. Spike just chuckled at me.
Applejack went first. "Drumming up business for the farm?" How pragmatic.
"A chance to audition for the wonderbolts?" How idealistic.
"Money to fix Granny's hip." A selfless gesture.
"Living the dream!" a self-fulfilling plea.
Twilight's jaw hung from her face slightly. She wasn't expecting such compelling arguments. "Oh, my. Those are all pretty good reasons, aren't they?" Suddenly, a grumbling sound emerged from the mare's stomach. Someone was hungry. Saved by the stomach. Twilight laughed nervously. "Listen to that. I am starving. I don't know about you, but I can't make important decisions on an empty stomach. So, I'll, uh, think about it over lunch and get back to you two, okay? Coming Lelouch?" she asked.
"I could eat." I replied, falling in line beside her. As we left, I began to wonder just what happened to the barrels of apples We'd been carrying on our backs.
We made our way into town. It was a quiet trek at first, but Spike seemed curious about the fate of the tickets. "So, who are you going to give the tickets to, Twilight?"
"I don't know, Spike, but I really can't think straight when I'm hungry." she replied. We came towards the entrance to Sugarcube Corner. "So, where should we eat?" she asked. No sooner had she asked, than a pink blur shot out through the now opened half door, striking Twilight who was then sent straight into me.
"I hear the hospital food has gotten better lately." I groaned in pain.
"AAH! BATS! BATS ON MY FACE! HELP! Wait! These arent..." Oh no. "Tickets to the Grand Galloping Gala?!" There was an absolutely frightening sparkle in Pinkie's eyes. "It's the most amazing, incredible, tremendous, super, wonderful, teriffically humongous party in all of Equestria! I've always, always, always wanted to go!"
Somebody save me!
♪Oh, the grand galloping galla is the best place for me♪
♪Oh, the grand galloping galla is the best place for me♪
♪hip, hip, hooray♪
♪It's the best place for me♪
♪For Pinkie♪
"With decorations like streamers and fairy lights and pinwheels and pinatas and pincussions? With goodies like sugar cubes and sugarcanes and sundaes and sunbeams and sasparilla? And I get to play my favouritist of favourite fantabulous games like 'pin the tail on the pony'!"
♪Oh the grand galloping gala is the best place for me♪
♪Oh the grand galloping gala is the best place for me♪
♪'Cause it's the most gala-riffic♪
♪Superly terrific gala ever in the whole galaxy♪
"Whee!"
All my dead enemies are laughing in their grave at me now. Here stands Lelouch Brittania, 99th Emperor of Brittania and former ruler of the world, now doomed to endure sickeningly sweet pink pony whose music is surpassed only by her grammar in terms of irritation.
"Oh, thank you, Twilight! It's the most wonderfullest gift ever." Pinkie said, bouncing around us before coming to a stop right in Twilight's face. Twilight looked as disturbed as I felt. She quickly backed away from the uncomfortable proximity.
"Um, actually..." Spike went to pick up the tickets as Twilight tried to explain things to Pinkie.
"*gasp* Are these what I think they are?" came a voice that, after hearing that song, was quite welcome.
"Uh..." Twilight went to reply.
"Yes! Yes! Yes! Twilight's taking me to the grand galloping gala in Canterlot!" Pinkie chimed in.
Rarity's eyes grew wide. "The gala?" then her expression grew solemn. " I design ensembles for the gala every year. But I've never had the opportinuty to attend. Oh, the society, the culture, the glamour. It's where I truly belong." Perhaps in the lower echelons of Canterlot, in business class. I smiled, keeping that thought to myself. " And where I'm destined to meet him!" Rarity concluded.
"Him!" Pinkie parroted. "Who?"
"Him. I would stroll through the gala, and everyone would wonder, 'who is that mysterious mare?' They would never guess that I was just a simple pony from little old Ponyville. Why, I would cause such a sensation that I would be invited for an audience with Princess Celestia herself. And the princess would be so taken with the style and elegance that she would introduce me to him! Her nephew..." 'Nephew?' I thought. 'Does Celestia have another sister that I don't know about? Or is she married, and this is her husband's nephew Rarity is talking about? He couldn't be Princess Luna's son, Even rabbits don't work that quickly.' "The most handsome, eligible unicorn stallion in Canterlot! Our eyes would meet. Our hearts would melt. Our courtship would be magnificent. He would ask for my hoof in marriage. And, of course, I would say, 'Yes!!'."
'Rabbits may not work that quickly, but apparently, Rarity does.' I thought to myself. "We would have a royal wedding, befitting a princess, which is *giggles* what I would become upon marrying him, the stallion of my dreams!" 'And Spike's nightmare if his expression is anything to go by.'
"Twilight! I simply cannot believe you would invite Pinkie Pie so she can party and prevent me from meeting my true love. How could you? Hmph!" Rarity whined, stomping her hoof as she turned away from the now confused lavender mare.
"Uh, listen, guys, I haven't decided who to give the extra ticket to." Twilight addressed. Never before had I seen someone move as fast as Pinkie and Rarity did when they turned to face Twilight.
"You haven't?!"
"You haven't?!"
"Um, excuse me, Twilight, I would just like to ask... I mean, if it would be alright, If you haven't given it to someone else..." the timid voice of Fluttershy interrupted. We were all equally surprised to hear that Fluttershy wanted to go as well. But it was Rarity who voiced her surprise, and perhaps not in the nicest way.
"You?! You want to go to the gala?"
"Oh, no." Fluttershy surrendered. The little bunny holding the source of Twilight's dilemma in his mouth - 'how'd he get those?' - began thumping his hind leg against Fluttershy's own leg. As if he were urging her to stand up for herself. That bunny was a good friend. "I-I mean, yes." she smiled. I couldn't help but smile with her. "Or, actually, kind of. You see, it's not so much the grand galloping gala as it is the wondorous private gated garden that surrounds the dance. The flowers are said to be the most beautiful and fragrant in all of Equestria. For the night of the gala and that night alone will they all be in bloom. And that's just the flora! Don't get me started on the fauna. There's loons and toucans and bitterns, oh, my! Hummingbirds that can really hum and buzzards that can really buzz! Blue jays and red jays and green jays, pink jays and pink flamingoes."
As Fluttershy listed off all those animals, I thought to myself; 'I must remember to introduce her to origami. I'm sure she would love making little animals with folded paper.'
"Gee, Fluttershy, it sounds... beautiful?" said Twilight. But before she could go on, another voice interrupted.
"Wait just a minute!" all eyes were on Rainbow Dash as she stood on the roof of a house.
"Rainbow Dash! Were you following me?" Twilight demanded.
"You have to ask?" I chipped in.
Rainbow Dash glided down to land in front of Twilight and myself. "No. I mean, yes. I mean, maybe. Look, it doesn't matter. I couldn't risk a goody-four-shoes like you giving that ticket away to just anybody!" 'Way to ingratiate yourself with her, Rainbow Dash.'
"Wait just another minute." Applejack appeared. This was beginning to feel like that time during the school festival when I had to hide C.C. amongst the tomatoes and stop Shirley from tearing off Kallen's mascot cosume. In summation, this was a mess.
"Applejack? Were you following me too?" Twilight asked.
"No, I was following this one to make sure she didn't try any funny business. Still trying to take my ticket."
"Your ticket?!" Rainbow protested. And like that, the arguing commenced all around. I could do nothing but watch as Twilight seemingly crumbled under the pressure of the girls' arguments. Until...
"QUIET!!" Twilight yelled. All except for Pinkie shut up. Judging from the dialogue, she had trailed off onto some tangent. She quickly stopped after a few seconds, realising nopony else was talking. "Girls, there's no use in arguing."
"But Twilight-" Rarity went to complain, but Twilight stuck her hoof out to cut her off.
"Eh! This is my decision. And I'm gonna make it on my own. And I certainly can't think straight with all this noise." a grumbling sound interrupted her and she looked down to her stomach. "Not to mention hunger." she added.
"Perhaps we should adjourn this meeting and pick it up after lunch. Shall we go, Twilight?" I offered. She smiled at me and nodded before turning to the others.
"Now go on! Shoo!" she demanded. As the girls dispersed, each of them grumbling. I watched Twilight as her sad expression showed the struggle she was dealing with. I could sympathize. At first, she was only left with a choice between two friends, now she had to choose between five. "And don't worry! I'll figure this out! ...Somehow."
Twilight, Spike and myself sat at an outside table at the Three Clovers Restaurant. Spike was happily looking through the menu, while Twilight slouched straddled atop the hay bale that was her seat.
"Aw, guys, what am I gonna do? All five of my best rfiends have really good reasons to go to the gala. Applejack or Rainbow Dash? Pinkie Pie or Fluttershy? Rarity? Oh, who should go with me?" As she recited the girls' names, she plucked a petal from one of the flowers atop our table. Each petal landed on the surface, but quickly found their way onto Twilight's tongue as her stomach grumbled.
"Have you made your decision?" asked our waiter. Poor timing, as Twilight exploded in frustration.
"I can't decide!" she screamed, drawing the attention of our fellow patrons.
"Twilight, he just wants to take your order." Spike explained.
"Oh. I would love a daffodil and daisy sandwich." she said.
While I was becoming used to the dietary habits of ponies, I still couldn't bring myself to eat flowers. "I'll have a lettuce, tomato and cheese sandwich, please." I ordered.
"Do you have any rubies?" Spike asked, only to receive a stare from the waiter. "No? Okay. I'll have the hay fries." He tossed the menu away, much to the waiter's annoyance. "Extra crispy!"
"What do you think, Lelouch?" Twilight asked, looking to me with pleading eyes. I pondered what I might be able to say to Twilight without straight out giving her the answer. According to Celestia's plan, the situation Twilight had found herself in would be an ideal learning experience.
"Just so we're on the same page, the source of your turmoil is as follows. You only have two tickets to this gala of yours, and five friends who want to go. Whomever you give the ticket to, four upset ponies remain. You could give away your ticket so two of your friends could go, but that would still leave you with three upset friends. Or you could go the opposite extreme and not give the ticket to anypony. Just go yourself and leave all your friends upset." I took a moment to guage her reaction. The last suggestion left her looking mortified.
"Either way, at least three ponies go without. But that's not your real dilemma." Her ears perked up at that. "Your real dilemma is that you're afraid that whomever you don't choose will resent you for it." Her ears went back down and she nodded.
"I don't want them to hate me because I chose one over the others." she admitted. "And even if they say they don't hate me, how can I believe them?" she asked, her eyes pleading me for an answer.
"Trust, Twilight. You have to trust that when they say they harbor no ill will towards you, they mean it. Trust is the foundation of friendship. You demonstrated your trust in them when we went through the Everfree forest to combat Nightmare Moon." Her eyes lit up a little as I reminded her of that detail.
"But my decision will affect our friendship." she argued.
"You're such a pessimist." I grumbled, earning a frown. "Alright, look. A friend of mine once said 'If my reputation goes down for doing what's right, I don't need it.' In the end, you and you alone must decide who deserves to go more. Upsetting the others is inevitable, but it's up to them to decide if they'll let it ruin their friendship with you and if they decide that's the case, then you don't need them." Twilight's ears dropped again. "I know it's not what you wanted to hear, but circumstances where you have to choose between friends is rarely easy."
"Ah, your food." the waiter interrupted, placing our dishes in front of us.
"Oh, thank you. This looks so good. I'm sure everything will be much clearer once I eat." Twilight said, lifting the sandwich with her magic.
"Did you not hear a word I just said?" I asked before noticing ponies running indoors.
"Um, Madam, monsieur? Are you going to eat your food in the rain?" the waiter asked as he held the door open for patrons to enter. 'Rain?' I thought, looking up. 'Oh no.'
"It's not raining." Twilight commented. The thunder rumbling begged to differ. "What's going on?"
"Two words: Kiss. Ass." I replied, pointing to the hole in the clouds.
Rainbow Dash's head peaked out from the edge of the ring. "Hi there, best friend forever I've ever, ever had. Enjoying the sunny weather?" she asked.
"Rainbow Dash, what are you doing?" Twilight asked.
"What do you mean? I just saw the smartest, most generous pony about to get rained on, so I thought I'd kick a hole in the clouds to keep her dry so she could dine in peace, that's all."
"Rainbow, you're not trying to get extra consideration for the extra ticket by doing me extra-special favors, are you?" Twilight asked.
"Me? No, no, no. Of course not."
"Uh-huh." Twilight said.
"Seriously, I'd do it for anypony." Rainbow added. We looked around at the scurrying ponies outside.
"Uh-huh." I parroted.
Rainbow Dash audibly swallowed before chuckling nervously. "Rainbow, I am not comfortable accepting unwanted favors, so I'd appreciate it if you'd close up that rain cloud right now." Twilight demanded.
"Uh-oh!" I said, suddenly rushing my meal.
"Ugh! Fine!" Rainbow replied, closing the hole in the clouds.
"That's better." Twilight said. As I swallowed my last mouthful and Twilight raised her sandwich to her mouth, the rain came crashing down on us. Twilight dropped the now soggy sandwich, an expression of great irritation on her face.
A groan escaped her lips. "You've got no-one to blame but yourself for this one." I said, equal irritation on my face. Spike was just covering his mouth, trying to stifle the laughter.
"What was I supposed to do, accept her favour?" she demanded.
"Of course. Twilight, the definition of a favour is to do something for someone else without thought of reward or gratutide. It's synonymous with a good deed. Rainbow Dash might not have known that, but you should. It doesn't matter how many favours she does you, it's up to you whether you would let them weigh in on your decision." I replied.
"But it wouldn't be fair to the other girls if Rainbow Dash's favour brought more weight to her whilst the other girls waited patiently." Twilight protested.
"You really think the others aren't going to try and win you over? You really think Applejack, the hard-working family mare who wants to earn enough money for her family won't try to buy her ticket with a favour or two? Or Rarity, the businessmare who dreams of marrying a prince would let something as simple as fair play come between her and happily-ever-after?" As I spoke, I saw Twilight's expression change to one of realisation.
As if on cue, Rarity appeared with an umbrella saddle on her back. "Twilight! It's raining."
"We hadn't noticed." I deadpanned. Seeming to have ignored my comment, Rarity wrapped her hooves around Twilight's midsection and pulled her away.
"Come with me before you catch a cold." she said.
Twilight and I shook the water from our bodies, however, most of it managed to get all over Rarity. "Oops. Sorry." Twilight said.
The alabaster mare wore an unamused look on her face, but quickly discarded it. "Oh, no! It's quite alright. After all, we are the best of friends, are we not?" I knew where this was going. "And you know what the best of friends do. MAKEOVER!" she cheered. Using her magic, she slid a room divider in front of them. The sounds that followed were bizarre and did not belong to the situation at hand. Drilling and hammering sounded in the background of Twilight's protests. I even thought I heard a cat shriek, but that could have been Twilight.
Finally, the divider was remived and Twilight stood wearing some strange frilly blue frock with what appeared to be the ends of blonde pigtails dangling from the side. "There! Oh, you're simply darling!" Rarity stated.
"Uh... yeah, it is kind of pretty, isn't it? What do you think, Lelouch?" she asked, turning to me.
'You look like you've just escaped the carousel.' I thought. However, I simply wore a fake smile. "You look lovely, Twilight."
Rarity made her way over to Spike. "And you! Oh, Spike, I have a dandy little outfit for the dashing gent." And out came the divider once again. Seconds later, Spike emerged, looking something akin to the love child of a dashing prince and the dragon he was destined to slay. "Oh, Spike. Now, you just need a hat." Rarity added, putting some kind of dark grey embroidered U.F.O looking thing on his head, with a yellow feather sticking out.
"Ugh! I told you, I don't want any part of this girly gala gunk. See you back at the library." And like that, he was out of here.
Rarity chuckled nervously. "Oh, who needs him anyway? Last but not least, Lelouch." I could see the magic aura around the wall divider. 'Oh crap!'
"Spike, wait for me- gah!" Too late, she had me. To this day, I have no idea what went on behind that divider. Although, from what I remember, her hooves might have gone places I'm pretty sure I could sue her for. The divider disappeared again, and I was left in a surprisingly familiar bit of clothing.
A smile made it's way to my lips as I saw myself in the mirror. My zero suit, munis the cape and hemlet, but fitted for pony biology. It was like some sick joke. I couldn't help but laugh at this uncanny coincidence. "Rarity, you truly are gifted." I said, turning to her.
"You like it?" she asked. I nodded, keeping my smile.
"Indeed I do. This suit is definitely me." I replied.
"I agree. You look very handsome, Lelouch." Twilight commented. I bowed towards her, the smile still on my face. It had been a while since I'd genuinely smiled this long.
"I'm glad you both like your clothes. Just think how fabulous you'll look at the grand galloping gala?" As Rarity spoke, I watched the realisation come to Twilight's eyes as our earlier conversation came to mind.
"Called it." I said, knowing she knew what I meant.
Rarity made her way to a mannequin sporting an identical dress to Twilight's. "And, oh, my goodness. What a coincidence. I happen to have an ensemble of my own that matches yours to a 'T'. We would be the belles of the ball, you and I. Everyone would be clamoring for our attention. All eyes would be on us. And then everyone would finally know the most beautiful, most talented, most sophisticated pony in all of Equestria is Rarity the Unicorn!" And I thought Rainbow Dash had an inflated ego.
A pregnant pause gave Rarity enough time to come back to reality. She giggled nervously before adding. "And Twilight Sparkle, of course." I had to hold back my mirth at seeing her add insult to injury by patting Twilight on the head.
"I see what's going on. You're just buttering me up so I give you the extra ticket. Well, it's not gonna work. You're going to have to wait for my decision, just like everyone else." Twilight tossed the dress towards Rarity, the necklace that came with the ensemble dangling from the seamstress' horn. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I've been trying all day, just to get some lunch!"
"Did somepony say 'lunch'?" Applejack appeared out of nowhere and tore Twilight through the front door. With a sigh, I removed my suit and handed it to Rarity.
"Put this on hold for me, would you?" I asked. She smiled gently at me as she took the suit. "Thank you." I concluded before following the smoke trail that was Twilight being flung across town.
I arrived just in time for Twilight to start laying into Applejack. "No. No! I don't know who I'm giving the ticket to! And all these favours aren't making it easier to decide. In fact, I'm less sure now than I was this morning! Ugh!" Twilight stormed off, angry and unfed.
"So, that's a 'maybe'?" Applejack asked. I stopped just beside her.
"You don't get it, do you?" I asked.
Applejack turned to me. "Get what?"
"Twilight is struggling to decide who she should take with her. She wants to make you all happy, but she doesn't have enough tickets for that, so she's left with an incredibly difficult choice. Who does she take, and who does she leave behind. Ask yourself; what if you had to choose?"
Applejack's ears fell flat. "You're right, Lelouch. I feel awful for having put Twilight through that. What do I do?" she asked.
"You should talk to the others. Make them aware of the problem if they aren't already, and then discuss the best course of action from there. I'd suggest letting Twilight know that none of you will be mad at her for choosing one over the other. That you understand it is a difficult choice to make." I replied. Applejack smiled and nodded. With a plan set in motion, we walked together in search of the other girls.
Having discussed the issue with the girls, each of them seemed to comprehend the strain they'd been putting on Twilight. Each of them agreed that they'd lay off of her and let her decide who to take with no hard feelings from the rest. No sooner had we concluded the meeting Twilight and Spike suddenly teleported into the library. 'I wasn't aware she could do that.' Apparently, neither was she. Having not noticed us, Twilight and Spike began barricading the library, turning off all the lights. For a brief second, they thought they were alone.
Then on came the light. As soon as Twilight saw us, the day's events caught up with her, and she exploded. Not to my surprise. "YAH!!! I can't decide! I just can't decide!" The girls adopted shocked faces. "It's important to all of you, and I just can't stand to disappoint any of you. And giving me gifts and doing me favours won't make any difference because you're all my friends, and I want to make you all happy, and I can't! I just can't!" Her meltdown ended in poor Twilight curled up on the ground with her hooves over her head, wanting to hide from the world.
Applejack was the first to respond, walking right up to her. "Twilight, sugar, I-I didn't mean to put so much pressure on you. Lelouch explained to us that what we were doing was only hurting you. He helped us see things from your perspective and realize our mistake. So if it will help you any, I don't want the ticket anymore. You can give it to somepony else. I won't feel bad, I promise." she said. I smiled, glad that things seemed to be going smoothly.
Fluttershy glided in. "Me too. I feel just aweful that I made you feel so awful."
"And me too! It's no fun upsetting your friends." Pinkie added, followed by Rarity.
"Twilight, it was unfair of me to try to force you as I did."
Finally, Rainbow decided to add her two cents, though not how we discussed. "Yes! That means the ticket is mine! ♪I've got the ticket, I've got the ticket♪" she paused to look at the group, seeing their judging stares. How quickly, peer pressure forced her to backpedal. "You know, I haven't perfected my signature moves for the wonderbolts, anyway. I don't need that ticket, either." she said.
"Sit down!" I ordered, giving her a stern glare.
Rainbow Dash stopped flapping her wings and let gravity plant her on the ground. "Yes sir!" she squeaked. I'd learned early on that my lecture during the welcoming party on the eve of the Summer Sun Celebration had left a traumatic impression on the usually carefree pegasus. As such, I didn't even need Geass to reel her in.
"We all got so gung ho about going to the gala that we couldn't see how un-gung ho we were making you." Applejack resumed.
"We're sorry. Twilight." the girls all said together.
Twilight seemed to come out of her proverbial shell as soon as they apologized. "Spike, take down a note." she said, Spike grabbed a piece of parchment and a quill from seemingly out of nowhere and prepared to transcribe Twilight's words.
"Dear Princess Celestia,
I've learned that one of the joys of friendship is sharing your blessings. But when there's not enough blessings to go around, having more than your friends can make you feel pretty awful. So, though I appreciate the invitation, I will be returning both tickets to the grand galloping gala."
"WHAT?!" the girls exclaimed.
"If my friends can't all go, I don't want to go, either." Twilight added.
"Twilight, you don't have to do that." Applejack argued.
But Twilight was adamant. "Nope. I've made up my mind. Spike, you can send the letter now." Spike rolled up the letter and moved to the nearest window, opening it. With a deep breath, he held up the scroll and flew green flames at it. The scroll disolved into smoke and flew out the window.
"Now you won't get to go to the gala, either." Fluttershy stated. Twilight just smiled.
"It's okay, girls. I couldn't possibly enjoy myself without my best friends there with me." The girls all gathered around Twilight to give her a group hug. "So I would rather not go at all." I smiled at the group of friends before turning to see Spike struggling to not vomit.
"Well, wallop my withers, Spike. Isn't that just like a boy? Can't handle the least bit of sentiment." Her complaint was interrupted by a large flaming belch from the baby dragon. "Woah, nelly! The flames spun around and compacted into a small ball before exploding, revealing a scroll with a golden seal on it.
"A letter from the Princess? That was fast." Twilight commented. 'Indeed, looks like my prediction was correct. This was a teaching moment for Twilight. And for the others, it seems.' I thought.
Spike grabbed the scroll and began reading. "My faithful student Twilight, why didn't you just say so in the first place?" Then Spike revealed a number of tickets. "Six tickets to the grand galloping gala!" he exclaimed.
All the girls cheered in excitement. I myself was pleased. 'Excellent. That means I don't have a ticket and I won't have to go.' I smiled contently.
"Now we can all go!" Twilight commented, earning further cheers from the girls. Then her stomach continued to rumble. She chuckled nervously.
"Allow us to treat you to dinner." Rarity said.
"I already made reservations for us at The Three Clovers." I said. The girls all began chatting excitedly as they stepped out. As each mare stepped out, Twilight used her magic to snag a ticket from Spike's claws. As soon as Applejack stepped out, the last ticket was gone. Despite his protests about the gala, Spike seemed disheartened that he didn't get to go. My suspissions were proven right as he voiced such disappointment.
"How come I don't get a ticket to the gala?" he asked. I went to try and cheer him up, but another belch of flame interrupted me. Another scroll landed in his hands. "And one for you Spike." he read, revealing another ticket. "P.S. Lelouch's participation is mandatory." Yet another ticket revealed itself. 'What?! I went along with your plan, why am I being punished?' I thought, taking my ticket and following the now giggling Spike outside where Applejack was waiting for us. Upon realising that he was busted, Spike stopped giggling whilst Applejack just smiled with one hoof crossed over the other.
Best 'Busted!' pose ever. Spike tried to save face, by pretending he was disgusted by the invitation, but it was no use. He zipped away, laughing, with Applejack and myself chuckling right behind him.
Dear Princess Celestia,
As I'm sure you're aware, Twilight's test regarding the tickets resulted in a successful lesson learned. As per our contract, I shall help guide Twilight towards her destiny by serving as your right hoof. However, since I do not know your ultimate goal regarding said destiny, I shall continue to aid her in the study of friendship, and provide you with weekly reports.
I wish to take this opportunity to thank you for the 'mandatory' invitation to the gala. I hope that the affair will present us with an opportunity to further discuss Twilight's future and my role in guiding her. Until then, I hope you are in good health.
Sincerely,
Lelouch Vi Brittania.
P.S: Please give Princess Luna my regards. |
TiM: A life Lived for Others | pre | "WE ARE SENDING THAT TO EVERYONE!"
"Already taken care of." Twilight had several letters made out in the time it took Rainbow to catch her breath. She had expected this reaction and made copies of the photo while coming down the stairs to send to all their friends and family.
Rainbow got up and put on her serious face before yelling out. "DAYSPRING! COME HERE, NOW!"
A little unicorn colt came walking into the room, his head down and tail between his legs. "Yes, mother?."
"Get over here."
He shyly walked over to Rainbow, not knowing what to expect.
Rainbow whispered into his ear. "Next time, add a little purple and orange, ok?"
He looked up at Rainbow with a grin on his face. "I was going to! But... then I got caught."
"Well, now you know what you did wrong." Rainbow scooped up her son and started messing up his mane.
Twilight glared at Rainbow, "He's being punished, not encouraged!"
"Oh yeah champ, what did you get?"
"Mother took away our study sessions for a week."
Rainbow whistled. "Seems like punishment enough for me."
"But mother!"
"No buts Dayspring, you and your mom agreed to a set of rules, you broke them, now you have to face the consequences."
Softly she whispered into his ear, "Even if it was hilarious."
He smirked back at her and squirmed his way out of her hooves. He went back to the kitchen table with a little spring in his step that was not there before.
Rainbow turned back to her daughter. "And you young lady, how many times are you going to let your brother cast spells on you."
"He gave me cookies."
Rainbow turned to Twilight. "There were more cookies left?"
"He found our emergency stash."
"I told you that was not a good hiding place."
"Ya, Ya."
"We got to do something about your cookie addiction one day little one."
Aurora smiled brightly at Rainbow and took of upstairs. Into whatever trouble she could find.
Rainbow watched her go with a smile; she noticed Twilight was also watching their daughter, so she surprised the mare with a kiss.
"What was that for Rainbow?"
"Who needs a reason when I have you?"
"That's sweet; you're still not getting out of helping."
"But..."
"No buts!"
Rainbow and Twilight both headed into the kitchen, carrying the bags Rainbow brought back with her from the market. After a few minutes, Twilight noticed something was missing. "Rainbow, where's the milk?"
Rainbow hung her head in shame. 'Buck me.'
..................
After her second trip back to the market, once for milk and now for bread. Rainbow was beginning to change her mind about checklists. As usual, Twilight was right, why did she even doubt her wife after all this time? Twilight was always right. 'You think in six years of marriage I would've learned that lesson by now.'
Rainbow looked down, spotting a particular mare walking by with a red bow on in her hair and a hammer and nails cutie mark on her flank. Zooming in, Rainbow landed right in front of the mare hoping to startle her a little.
To her credit, Applebloom did not even jump.
"Hey Rainbow, what'd you break now?"
"What? You think every time I come see you it's because something's broken?
Applebloom just stared at her.
"Fine, a lamp was knocked over. But it wasn't my fault."
"Aurora?"
"Aurora."
"Well I'm still blaming you, that little filly is too cute to take any blame."
"Yeah, she is..." If Rainbow's smile were any bigger it would split her face in half.
"I'll swing by tomorrow and take a look at it. In the meantime, do not let your wife try to fix it. PLEASE!"
"Don't worry about that AB; she learned that lesson once already. Wait... why can't you swing by today?"
"I'm busy, Sweetie Belle is back in town and putting on a performance tomorrow. I have to get the stage ready in town hall for her to play on."
"Sweetie Belle is performing here?! Why am I just now hearing about this?"
"Cause it has nothing to do with Twilight for one. The only thing you seem to keep up to date on is your family, and Daring Do."
"Can you blame me?"
"No. The way your family is, if anything I'm jealous. Just promise me you won't mess it up, I'll kick your flank all around Equestria if you do something stupid."
"Trust me AB; I know how lucky I am. If I mess this up you wont have to. I'd kick my own flank around the world for being that stupid." Rainbow said with a smile.
Soo... you got any extra tickets?"
Applebloom just shook her head.
"Ahh, I want to take the family to go see it too."
"Then go ask Sweetie Belle, I'm sure SHE could get all ya' in to HER performance."
"Where is she?"
"Where else? Town Hall."
"Thanks, AB!"
Rainbow flew over to Town Hall, noticing for the first time the signs that had been posted all around it, they all had Sweetie Belle on them. She burst through the doors in a heartbeat, startling all the ponies in the room until they realized who it was.
"Hey Rainbow Dash! What's going on?"
"Sweetie Belle! How is our world-famous singer doing?"
Sweet Belle walked up to Rainbow, followed closely by Pinkie Pie.
"C'mon, I'm not that famous."
"How many albums have you released?
"Twelve."
"How many continents have you NOT been too?" "..."
"That's what I thought, now come over here and give me a hug."
"When did you get so sappy?"
"When you have kids of your own, you'll understand."
Sweetie Belle went and hugged Rainbow, earning an 'Awe' from Pinkie Pie.
"You guys are soo cute! Almost as cute as Aurora, almost."
Rainbow just laughed, "So if Pinkie Pie knows, how am I just learning about this today?"
"Oh, there was a last minute change of plans, one of my shows in Manehattan was canceled, something about a sonic boom making the building structurally unsound, I don't know all the details but since I couldn't go there I decided to come back for a few days, then Rarity talked me into doing a performance tomorrow. As soon as she said that, Pinkie just popped up out of nowhere and offered her assistance."
"So, I take it your invitation for us was lost or something?"
"Nope, got them right here!"
Pinkie pulled out several letters and dropped one in Rainbow's hooves.
"Pinkie, I told you to drop those off!" Sweetie shouted.
"I did, I dropped them off into my bag!"
"No... go deliver them!"
"Oh, that makes much more sense!"
In the blink of an eye she was gone, Rainbow laughed at the frustration that was evident of Sweetie Belle's face. "Now you know how the rest of us feel."
"Ha, ha."
"Alright, well I'm going to go home, I'll see you later!"
"Wait, did you hear Scoots is coming back today?!"
Rainbow paused mid-flight, "Scoots is coming back to town?"
"Yep, her train gets in at 11."
"What the buck you girls! How am I just hearing about all this?"
"Don't ask me, I just found out earlier myself, I would go pick her up but..." Sweetie looked back at all the work she still had left to do.
"Alright, don't worry about it. I'll go greet my sister. It's the least I can do."
"Well you better hurry, you got about two minutes to get to the train station."
Rainbow looked back at the clock, which was stubbornly reading ten fifty-eight, "Oh, horseapples!"
.....................
Scootaloo looked around the train as it pulled up to her hometown; she had the first class train car all to herself. Being a successful dancer had many privileges, looking back she never would have guessed that this would be her special talent in life. She had accepted that she would never be able to fly, but she had some real moves on the ground. Moves that nopony else could hope to match.
Her wings gave her an advantage over any earth pony or unicorn. Other pegasus were too incline to take flight instead of staying on the ground. Her disability made her the perfect dancer. Giving her grace and strength that nopony else could hope to match. She owed it all to Rainbow Dash. She would always be grateful to her sister for all the help and support she gave her over the years.
As if thinking about her was enough to cause her to appear, Scootaloo's vision soon encompassed a sonic rainboom as a rainbow streak made its way right to her.
"Hey Rainbow!"
"Hey scoots!"
Rainbow picked up the mare in a bear hug and lifted the two off the ground, her golden wings easily allowed her to carry both their weight without difficulty.
"Yeah, I'm happy to be back too."
"What the hell Scoots! Why am I just learning about this today?"
"Well, somepony ended up damaging my dance studio in Manehattan, Something like FIVE sonic rainbooms or something. Sound familiar?"
Rainbow placed Scoots back on the ground and looked sheepishly at her hooves, "Yeah, that..."
"Don't worry about it, I got the picture. Totally worth it by the way. Where's the little firecracker anyway?"
"Oh she is back at the house, you want to come see her?"
"Try and stop me!"
The two sisters spent the time walking back to the house. Happily catching up on all the events that they missed. Rainbow could not stop gushing over her daughter and knowing her personally, Scootaloo could not get enough of the stories.
"Wait, so she was green and pink today?"
"I wasn't there to see it myself but Twilight took pictures, it's the cutest thing I've ever seen."
"I want a copy!"
"Don't worry, we have your letter ready to go, but as you're already here, we can just give to you now."
"Thanks sis!"
"No problem."
"RAINBOW DASH!"
'Buck me' Rainbow thought, Twilight only called her by her first name if it was something bad. "Yes, Twilight?"
"Where have you been? We should've left for Rarity's half an hour ago."
"What? We weren't going to leave until eleven-thirty."
"What time is it?"
Rainbow glanced up at the clock tower, which stubbornly read noon.
"Horseapples, sorry Twi, found out Scoots was back in town and we must have gotten sidetracked on the way here."
"Did you at least get the bread?"
Rainbow silence told her the answer.
"Well, we're running behind. So let's get going. You can get the bread on the way back."
"Sorry sis." Rainbow said to Scootaloo.
"No problem, hey, can I get that picture real quick?
"Sure." Twilight levitated Scootaloo's letter over to her.
"Thanks!"
"Will I see you later?"
"I'm sure you will. Thanks Rainbow, thanks Twilight."
Twilight forced open Rainbow's wing to acquire her normal spot, "C'mon we're already late."
"Hey Sweetie Belle is performing tomorrow, she got us all tickets."
"Don't change the subject. I'm still mad at you."
"Sorry Twi."
"I forgive you, but there is someone else to you need to apologize to."
"Sigh... sorry Dayspring." "..."
Aurora looked at him "You mad bro?"
Dayspring let out a loud "Hmm." As he walked past his family.
Rainbow watched him walk by. "Ahh, he mad. Twi, little help."
Twilight lifted up the stubborn unicorn with her magic and placed him on Rainbow's back. Knowing what was coming next, Dayspring held onto Rainbow's body for dear life as she shot straight up in the air. Twilight and Aurora just sat back and watch the two as Rainbow performed barrel roll after barrel roll for the mad unicorn.
"You think it will work this time?"
"Of course, it works every time."
"I'm glad you guys can't cheer me up that easy."
"Really, want a cookie?"
"Cookie!!! Where, where?"
Twilight smirked as she teleported a cookie from the freshly stocked cookie jar for the pegasus to enjoy. 'And you kids think we don't know how to cheer you up.' As Aurora devoured the tasty treat, Twilight lifted her daughter up and placed her on her back. The two made their way down the street towards Rarity's boutique. Earning a plethora of 'ahhs' from passer-bys. Twilight could not help but think that when Aurora stopped being this cute she was going to get in REAL trouble, but that was a problem for later. As of now, Aurora could kill somepony and Celestia herself would let her off with a slap on the hooves. Then again, so would Twilight.
As they arrived at the Boutique, a loud 'WOOSH' sound soon accompanied them as Rainbow and Dayspring landed. The little unicorn definitely looked worse for wear. His rainbow mane was sticking up at all angles, every fiber of hair on his coat was frazzled. Twilight would have been concerned. She would have been, if it were not for the huge smile that covered his face.
Twilight lifted the little unicorn off Rainbow's back and placed him on the ground. It took three tries but after the third, he was able to stand without her magic.
"Well Day, How'd you like it." Aurora flew up to her brother; she always enjoyed seeing his reaction after Rainbow took him on a flight.
"That. Was. Totally. Awesome!!! First we were like wooosshhh, then we went and woosshed." He began bouncing around and doing his best to demonstrate the moves Rainbow had taken him through, suffice to say, he was just running around in circles. For her part, Aurora simply hovered in the air with a big smile on her face as she watched the little colt run around.
"You're an amazing mom, Rainbow."
"You're not too bad yourself, Twi."
"Twilight, Rainbow! Glad you two could finally make it!"
"Hey Spike! How's your better half?" Rainbow teased.
"Rarity's inside, readying the picnic basket."
"Picnic basket?"
"Yeah, Twilight sent a letter earlier today that you guys were coming, so Rarity decided to do lunch outside, is that ok?"
"Of course, Spike."
"Come inside for a minute."
The five made their way into the boutique, from the looks of things a tornado had beaten them inside.
Twilight commented, "Is it always this bad?"
"Not going to lie, yes. Little Ataxia is quite the handful."
"Where is the little one anyway?"
"I'm sure she's destroying something upstairs." Spoke Rarity.
Rarity walked in with a picnic basket levitated in front of her.
"Hey Auntie Rarity! Can I have a cookie?"
"I don't know, Aurora, How many have you had today?"
She stared down at her hooves, running them along the carpet. "I don't know."
"One hundred thirty-two" Twilight spoke.
Rarity's jaw hit the ground. "One hundred thirty-two... well, I guess one more won't make a difference."
She levitated a cookie out of the basket towards Aurora, who snatched it out of the air and started chowing down.
Rarity smiled at the cute filly before turning back to Twilight with a serious expression on her face, "Rainbow?"
"Rainbow."
Rainbow was not even paying attention, to enamored watching her daughter enjoy the tasty treat.
"Well, we should get going. I'll go grab Ataxia, and we can be on the way."
Spike reached out and kissed his wife before she headed up the stairs.
"Oh, Spike can you send these letters out? The cutest thing happened today and I want to make sure all our friends have a copy."
"Sure thing Twilight." Spike took the letters from Twilight and sent them all to their intended receivers in one fell swoop. He long ago mastered the ability to send letters to anyone in Equestria, however, only alicorns could send back.
Twilight watched Spike with pride in her eyes. She was always so proud of Spike, and now that he had his own family, her feelings for the dragon doubled. Sure, he was still walking around as a pony, but he knew the truth. So did everypony else. His purple coat was a match for her own, however, his light green mane stood out in any crowd. Spike's cutie mark was a scroll in the middle of a green fire. Twilight had taught Rarity how to turn him back into a dragon on her own. Something Twilight had insisted he do once a week. To go back to a pony required Twilight's help though. She did not mind, his happiness was her only concern.
A little bundle of trouble came bouncing down the stairs soon interrupted her reminiscing. Ataxia looked like a normal unicorn filly, but looks could be deceiving. Ataxia had a dark blue mane, and could use magic, much like her mother. She had a purple coat and could breathe fire, much like her dad. What troubles, well, everyone who knew her was her magic. She could perform the strangest spells. High-level stuff that she had no business knowing existed at her age. Much less be able to cast, it was almost as if the only limit this pony had was her imagination.
Fortunately, it was nothing Twilight could not undo and after several months tutoring Rarity, it was nothing she could not undo now either. However, Ataxia was only getting more powerful and soon Rarity's magic would not be able to fix it. To make matters worse, Ataxia only seemed to be happy when things were NOT where they should be.
"Hey Aurora! I learned a new trick! Want to see?"
"Sure!"
"No."
"But mooommmmm!"
"No buts Aurora! Your mom said no." Rainbow replied.
A glance at Rarity's face confirmed what Twilight already suspected, Rarity had not taught her any new tricks. Spike's stomach soon got the whole groups attention.
"Well that's one way to say let's get going." Twilight nodded to her wife's comment as the group made their way out the door and up to the top of the hill. It was soon obvious that Spike had been the one who cooked this lunch. He was easily the best cook Twilight had ever known. She missed his cooking, she missed him. Such is life, eventually everyone grows up and leaves the nest, not that it ever came easy for those who stayed behind. It happened with Spike, and one day, she knew it would also happen with Dayspring and Aurora. She did not regret any of it, as of now, it was not as if she was lonely or anything, hell with the twins she did not even feel the gap he left, well, at least not all the time anyway.
Rainbow looked over and saw the expression change on her wife's face; she knew what was going through her mind. It was the same every time they went out with Spike and Rarity. She had to act fast. Reaching over she wrapped her hooves around Twilight and rolled on top of her. Planting kisses up and down Twilight's body.
"Rainbow! What the hay?"
"You want me to stop?"
"I didn't say that." The two were starting to giggle now.
Rarity and Spike just smiled at each other. They were happy for their friends. The relationship Twilight and Rainbow had was definitely one for the history books. They could not recall one real fight they ever had. It seemed as if they both knew just how lucky they were just to have the other in their life. Given how it had begun for them, that might be pretty close to the truth.
Aurora let out a loud "Eww." As her mom's started making out on the grass. Spike soon stopped her from digging that hole any deeper. "Why don't you kids go play?"
"Ok, Tag your it!" Aurora tagged Dayspring and took off in a flash, straight up.
"No fair, you can't fly in a game of tag!"
"Says the two magic users!"
"Don't worry, I got this." Ataxia concentrated her magic on the spunky little pegasus and Aurora's wings suddenly tripled in weight. She started falling toward the ground like a rock.
Thinking quickly, Dayspring caught her in a magic field seconds before she hit the ground. He dispelled the enchantment on her wings before turning to glare at Ataxia. "No Ataxia, we do not use magic on other ponies! Ok? New rule, no magic, and no wings!" the other two nodded and the game began in earnest. With Dayspring still 'it.'
Twilight and Rainbow watched the display with a smile on their faces. Twilight was ready to act, of course. However, she had given Dayspring the chance to rescue his sister himself. They had both seen Aurora fall from much greater heights and be fine, still they were proud of their son. "Hmm, maybe a week without study sessions was a bit much. What do you think, Rainbow?"
"I would say that qualifies as good behavior, as long as he doesn't screw it up, make it three days."
"Sounds good to me."
She resumed kissing her wife as Rainbow became increasingly distracted watching the kids play. Twilight knew what she wanted. "Go, join them."
"You sure?"
"Yes, I love watching all of my favorite ponies have fun. Take Spike and go, enjoy." A slap on her flank told Rainbow to hop to it.
"Thanks Twi. Yo, Spike, let's see if we can show these kids something new!"
"You're on, Rainbow!"
Twilight stood up and watched Rainbow leave with Spike after the kids, it always amazed her just how much she missed the mare's touch. It was unrealistic to expect Rainbow to always be by her side. However, that was Twilight's only true wish right now. She had everything she could possibly want. Except for more time to spend with Rainbow. 'We're going on a vacation, just the two of us.' It was as good as done. Once Twilight made such a decision, you might as well write it into law. Speaking of things written into law, she turned to Rarity.
"Next group get together still at your house?"
"Actually no, we can't do it at the boutique."
"Rarity?"
"Hey I'm not trying to get out of it or anything. Last time that happen royal guards showed up at my door."
Twilight just smirked, true to her word she had indeed ensured they all got together at least once a week. Just to make it official there was a decree dictating that anyone who tried to get out of it would be escorted by the royal guard. They had all laughed at it; at first, thinking that it was a joke. Until two years ago when Rarity had 'too big an order.' Then they all found out how serious Twilight had been. It had become a running gag with her friends afterwards, even Rarity was able to laugh about it, but the decree still stands. What had Luna said? There are benefits to being a princess.
"Well we can always move it to Sweet Apple Acres. I'm sure that Applejack won't mind."
"Speaking of Sweet Apple Acres, Applebloom stopped by the other day, said something about taking Ataxia over there around four. Not sure why though, she seemed to beat around the bush on that one."
"Four o'clock, Huh? That's odd, Dayspring has something scheduled for that time too, he seemed adamant that it was important to him. Something about a CMCINC..."
"CMCINC? What could that be?"
"I asked, he said he pinky promised, Aurora too."
"Strange..."
A white pegasus flying down from the sky wearing shining gold armor soon interrupted the two.
"Excuse me Princess Twilight Sparkle; Princess Luna and Princess Celestia request you and Princess Rainbow Dash to report to the castle."
"I think we officially have too many princesses."
Twilight playfully stuck her tongue out at her friend before turning back to the guard. "What is this about?"
"Trade negotiations with the Griffon Emperor, apparently he will not talk with anypony save you and Princess Dash anymore. I'm sorry I don't know any more than that."
Twilight smiled, Siros could be difficult at times, and this was not the first time they had to be called in to negotiate a pact between their two lands. "Very well, I will need to find a foal sitter then we will be on the way."
"That's why he got me first, Twilight."
Twilight looked at the yellow pegasus that had just landed and laughed a little. "Celestia thinks of everything, doesn't she." It was not a question.
"RAINBOW!" The golden wing pegasus flew over to her wife. Noticing for the first time the royal guard standing by her side. "What now?"
"We have to get to the castle."
"What, why?"
"Siros."
"...Fine."
Rainbow looked down at Fluttershy and Rarity, "You girls ok if we leave them with you."
"Darling, I'm sure with Fluttershy's help we will be able to deal with any issues that might arise."
Rainbow had heard that statement before, it was not true then, and she doubted it would be true now. Sadly, they had no real choice. She landed and walked up to her wife. "Ready?"
"Ready."
In a flash, Twilight teleported them both straight to Canterlot, leaving Rarity, Spike, and Fluttershy to deal with the three little foals. Somehow, Rarity had the sinking feeling that they were still outnumbered.
Rarity turned to the Royal Guard and batted her eyelashes, "You have to get back right away?"
"Yes, I'm required to report back as soon as my task is complete."
Rarity nodded at that then let out a call, "Aurora! Come here for a second."
The cute little pegasus came bounding over the slop and jumped into Rarity's hooves. Rarity proceeded to whisper something into her ear.
Aurora turned and looked daintily at the guard. "Excuse me, mister guard. I was wondering if you would like to play with us."
He would not make it back to Canterlot until morning.
.............................................
Canterlot
Rainbow banged her head on the table yet again, much to the chagrin of the negotiators on both sides. She did not care what they thought of her actions. If they were worth a buck, she would not have had her family outing ruined by this crap. Ok, yes, it was important, yes, the trade negotiations would ensure Equestria's prosperity and that its ponies were fed during the next winter. However, that did not mean she had to like it.
Her saving grace came from the last place she expected, Emperor Siros placed a claw to his beak and cleared his throat, grabbing the attention of the whole room. "I think a few minutes recess is in order." Rainbow looked up at her rescuer and mouthed a silent "Thank you" before Twilight led her out of the room. The two were soon joined by Siros himself as they walked into the gardens.
"Nice to see some things never change, Princess Dash."
"You mean like how I keep telling you not to call me that?"
"Yes, that too."
Dash sighed; they seemed to go through this every time they got together. Formalities were such a bore. "So, what's this really about?"
He smiled at that, Siros liked Dash, she was blunt, but honest. Never afraid to speak her mind or charge into any situation headfirst. He was a little jealous that Twilight had stolen her heart before he got a chance to know her. "To the point as always, I'm afraid some of my more 'esteemed' councilors feel I'm letting Celestia walk all over me. Therefore, they came up with a new list of demands for our yearly trade negotiations. I know its rubbish but..."
"If you don't at least make a show of it, it'll cause trouble back home."
"You are correct Princess Sparkle. I'm sorry I dragged you two into this; I figured that with the savors of the world sitting opposite of us, they might be a little more flexible. I'm afraid once again our pride gets in the way."
Twilight thought about this for a while, "So, it's just an appearance issue."
Siros nodded.
"I think I have an idea." Rainbow smiled at that comment, she loved watching her wife work over ponies that thought they were smarter than she was.
As Rainbow expected, Twilight's plain was masterful. She walked back into the negotiating table and gave away the farm in pretty words, calming that her conversation with Siros convinced her of the error of her ways... Rainbow did not understand half of what she said. The negotiators on both sides of the table were too shocked to fully catch on to the subtext of the conversation. Yes, they would pay more bits, to be negotiated at a later date, in private between Twilight and Siros. Yes, they would increase food production, to be delivered to Equestria, not to the empire. On and on it went. All of it, carefully hidden in plain sight.
The Equestrian negotiators were silenced with a glare by Rainbow. The griffon negotiators were all too quick to sign on the dotted line. Only Rainbow, Twilight, and Siros knew the truth. The original deal would be honored, the rest swept under the rug. However, now the griffons could head back and claimed they scored a victory over the savors of the world. Rubbish of course, but it never hurt to let the other side save face.
Siros was the last of his delegation to leave. He took Rainbow and Twilight hooves in turn and shook them each. "Thank you my friends, this will eliminate any doubt left, and next time it shouldn't even be an issue."
"Happy to help." Rainbow replied.
"Anything else we can do for you while you're here?" Twilight asked.
"Now that you mention it, before we sent for you Celestia got a picture delivered to her from you two in a letter, it had the cutest little green and pink pegasus filly I've ever seen... Do you have a copy I could take back?"
Twilight and Rainbow both looked at each other and smiled, Rainbow replied. "I think we can manage that."
Before they could leave, Twilight and Rainbow were called before Celestia, apparently the equestrian negotiators had given her an earful about what had occurred. For her part, Twilight simply listened to the allegations noting each one in a mental checklist, when finally she could speak, Twilight addressed every allegation in turn, pointing out exactly what it meant and where that was shown in the contract. They were all left speechless at the masterful play Twilight had pulled off. When she finished, Celestia just looked at the alicorn with a big smile on her face. She turned to the Negotiation team and addressed them. "I told you, Princess Sparkle doesn't make mistakes, didn't I."
For her part, Rainbow just looked bored throughout this process.
"Yes, your highness. We're sorry for doubting you."
"Oh it is not me you have to apologize to."
"Sorry, Princess Sparkle."
Rainbow chimed in, more on reflex than anything else.
"What exactly are you sorry for?"
"We're sorry for doubting you during the negotiations."
It was Twilight's turn to add something.
"And?."
The leader cleared his throat before continuing.
"And bringing such unjust claims before Celestia without talking to you first."
"Very good, I forgive you, now go to your room and think about what you did."
Rainbow glared up at Twilight with eyes as big as dinner plates, 'Twilight did not just say that.'
The negotiation team just hung their heads low and proceeded home to their rooms to think about what they did.
Twilight just sit there with a normal look on her face, not aware of exactly what had just occurred.
When the last of them left, Celestia could no longer hold it in any more. The white alicorn broke down in a fit of laughter. Rainbow Dash soon joined her.
"What is so funny?" Twilight asked.
It was five minutes before anypony could answer.
Celestia was the first to recover, "Twilight, you just sent them to their rooms."
A look of horror crossed Twilight's face. "No I didn't! Did I?"
Rainbow just nodded, "You told them to go to their rooms and think about what they just did."
Twilight's entire face turned beat red before she spoke, "I can never come back here again." She shrunk down, making herself as small as possible.
"Look at it this way my student; I doubt they will ever make that mistake again."
"Yeah Twi, she's right. You did a great job here. So what if they got sent to their rooms, least you didn't have to spank them." Rainbow went back into her fit of laughter.
The mental image of holding the negotiating team over her knee and punishing them soon caused Twilight to join in. Not even Celestia was able to hold back for long.
"Oh, I have quite the story to tell Luna tonight."
"Send her my best, will you."
"Of course, Rainbow Dash."
Twilight got up and nuzzled Rainbow, "We should get going, Rainbow, I'm sure they are missing us."
"Well I was missing them as soon as we left, seems only fair to me."
Celestia smiled at the two, "Twilight, I know I have told you this before, but for what it's worth, I'm glad you proved me wrong. You two make a very cute couple."
"Thanks, princess."
"Next time you come, bring the kids. I always look forward to seeing them."
Rainbow got up and stood by her wife. "We will."
Twilight brushed up next to her wife and cast the return teleportation spell.
.....................
Ponyville
The first thing the two noticed upon teleporting to Rarity's boutique as the complete and utter mess the outside had become. Glancing up at the clock tower that read three fifty, Twilight realized that this had all happened in the last three hours. Rainbow and Twilight rushed inside to find out what happened to their family and friends.
If outside was a complete and utter mess, inside was a disaster area. The living room looked like it had been pulled out of the house, shaken up, and then put back. Clothes and dresses were thrown everywhere. The only sign of life was a medium size dragon lying on his back in the center of the room.
"SPIKE! What happened?"
Spike lifted his head and stared at Twilight, "The horror, Twilight, you have to save Rarity..."
"Where is she spike?" Rainbow asked.
"Upstairs, she bolted herself in the bathroom."
Rainbow and Twilight ran upstairs, taking in the full horror of the destruction around the house. When they arrived at the bedroom, the first thing Twilight noticed was the royal guard lying on his side. From the looks of things, he had been defeated while guarding the bathroom door.
"Rarity! Are you in there?"
"Twilight, is... is that you?"
"It's us Fluttershy! You can come out now."
Fluttershy unlocked the door, checking one last time to make sure it was safe. Her worried expression changed to one of joy when she saw Rainbow and Twilight standing outside.
"Rarity, we can come out now, it's them, they've come back."
The white mare ran out of the bathroom and hugged the two tightly. "It was the WORST THING EVER!"
"What happened, Rarity?"
"I'm afraid, the kids were given soda."
Rainbow and Twilight both looked at each other; they knew what happened last time that occurred. Nopony in this town was stupid enough to give those kids soda; Everypony in this town had learned that lesson the hard way. If that was the case Rarity had gotten off lucky.
"Who would be that stupid?" Rainbow asked.
Rarity just looked at the fallen pegasus guard. "It wasn't his fault, he didn't know better and I didn't see what he was doing until it was too late. He sacrificed himself to save us."
"Where are they?" Twilight finally asked the sixty-four million-bit question.
"Applebloom came over and got them, I don't know how she did it but they seemed to calm down immediately after she reminded them of some induction ceremony today. We... we didn't believe it so we stayed in here and kept the door locked."
Something triggered in Twilight as her mind put the pieces together. 'Induction ceremony... INC...'
"RAINBOW WE HAVE TO GET TO SWEET APPLE ACRES, NOW!!!!"
"What Twi?"
The clock started chiming four in the distance, "UGG NO TIME."
Twilight wrapped a wing around Rainbow and teleported them both to Sweet Apple Acres. The sound they heard coming from the barn caused them both to freeze faster than any Windigo could ever hope to achieve.
"CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS INDUCTION CEREMONY COMPLETE!!!"
Rainbow flew up and threw open the barn to find Dayspring, Aurora, and Ataxia all high hoofing each other wearing those dreaded red cloaks with the lion seal on the back. Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo where behind them, each with a proud look in their eyes.
Falling from the sky, Rainbow sank back on her hind legs, her voice barely a whisper. "How could you betray us like that?"
Twilight walked up and hugged her wife; she let Rainbow cry into her chest. It was too late, their twins were now Cutie Mark Crusaders, and there was nothing they could do about it. After a few minutes, Scootaloo approached the two.
"Hey Sis, don't worry about it, it'll be ok we'll teach them the right way to be a Cutie Mark Crusader!"
"That's what I'm worried about."
Scootaloo ignored the jab and hugged her sister. When they broke off Rainbow had one condition for her.
"Promise me Scoots, promise me, NO EXPLOSIVES!"
"I'll do you one better, I will pinkie promise. Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye."
Twilight just nodded at that, she helped her wife get to her feet and lead them away; back to Rarity's. Someone had to break the news to her. Glancing back, she called out "Bring them back by six, ok?"
"Ok." Scootaloo watched as the two-limped back, utterly defeated. She smiled to herself, a wicked, evil smile. 'After all, when are fireworks considered explosives?'
...............
In Sugarcube Corner, Pinkie suddenly sit up; her expression went from super happy to very mad back to super happy. "Silly, of course fireworks aren't explosives." She proceeded to go back to planning her 'Welcome to the CMC' Party.
...............
It took Twilight the better part of an hour working at full power to get the boutique presentable again. During this time the rest were told to stay outside and not come in for any reason. Rainbow swore she saw a few dimensional portals open up through the broken windows. That ended any discussion that might have occurred about helping. Whatever was going on was far too dangerous for any of them to be around. As such, they decided to go out for coffee instead.
Sipping coffee, it finally dawned on Rainbow why Twilight had gone to such extremes to keep them from helping. Rainbow now had to tell Rarity about Ataxia joining the CMC. 'Clever Twilight, I'll have to get you back for that one.'
Clearing her throat, Rainbow did her best to approach the subject as tactfully as possible. "You should know, Ataxia just joined the CMC." In other words, with no tact once so ever.
Rarity spit her coffee across the table. "She did WHAT???"
Rainbow did her best to wipe her face off, luckily, it was not that hot. "Yeah, apparently AB, Scoots, and Sweetie Belle had a meeting planned with them at Sweet Apple Acres, they inducted them there."
"My... own... sister... I'll kill her! C'mon Spike!" Rarity grabbed the dragon by the ear and with a strength Rainbow did not believe she possessed, pulled him out of the coffee shop. Rainbow just laughed as she mounted him and they took off in the air, looking for somepony to hurt. She laughed until she realized one small fact.
"They stuck me with the bill."
..................
Half an hour later Rainbow was getting done with her shower, she heard someone walking in the house. "Hello?"
"Hey Rainbow, it's just me."
"Hey Twi, how'd things go?"
"Well the boutique is back in order, Rarity's pretty mad though, she wasn't able to find where they took the kids."
"Did she honestly expect to?"
"I don't think so, I just think she wanted someone to vent to."
"Uh Hu."
"What are you doing, anyway?"
"Oh, just getting out of the shower."
"Really, why were you taking a shower?"
"When I told Rarity what happen she spit her coffee all over me."
"Really?"
"Yep"
"Need some help getting those hard to reach spots?"
"No, I just got done."
Suddenly the bathroom door opened up and a purple alicorn walked in, in her most seductive voice Twilight asked, "You sure?"
Rainbow blushed intently, "Well, now that you mention it."
Twilight pushed the pegasus back into the shower and cranked up the steam. She smiled as she remember Rainbow baulking at the amount of bits she wanted to spend on this shower, ever since it was installed Dash had never complained once about it and she never would again.
'BEST INVESTMENT EVER!'
..................
It dawned on Rainbow that maybe the steam shower option was a waste of bits after all; she doubted it was really doing anything at this point when she heard the door open downstairs and the very familiar sound of the twins running around. Rainbow looked down to Twilight and sighed, "I cannot catch a break today." Twilight worked her way back up Rainbow's chest to her muzzle and kissed her on the lips.
"Don't worry; I'll make it up to you tonight."
"You already told me that once today, Twi."
"Did I?"
"Yes... My cider, remember?"
"Oh Yeah... Guess I better double up my surprise then."
Rainbow smiled at that soft tone, "This better be one hell of a surprise."
Twilight stared at her wife, her hoof wandered up and down Rainbow chest. "Trust me, you'll love it."
"I trust I love you."
"I love you too, Rainbow."
"Do you."
"Yes."
"Enough to finish?"
"Tonight Rainbow."
"Ahh C'mon!"
"We got maybe a minute before the twins get in."
"I can finish in ten seconds flat."
"I know, but what's the fun in that?"
Twilight left the shower and began drying herself off. A VERY horny Rainbow followed, upset that she had be left unsatisfied. Seeing this, Twilight wrapped a towel around her wife and brought her in for a long sloppy kiss. "Don't be so grumpy, I told you it will be worth it."
"Yeah?"
"Yes ma'am."
"Ok."
They finished drying each other off; taking a little more time than was actually needed. Just in time for the twins to burst in. shouts of "mom" and "mother" following in their wake. Scootaloo stood outside the door with a smile on her face. "Sorry, I tried to keep them out for as long as I could."
"It's fine Scootaloo, we had just finished."
Rainbow added. "Well, one of us had."
Hearing that comment in front of the kids, Twilight grabbed a wet towel with her magic and slapped it upside Rainbow's flank. Earning a loud "Oww!" for her troubles. Twilight glared at her wife as Rainbow rubbed her tender flank.
Scoots just laughed, "Alright, I said I would have them back by six, so I will leave you love birds alone for tonight."
Rainbow and Twilight just sighed at the fresh bruises covering their foals. This was going to be something they would just have to accept from now on.
Twilight reached down and picked up Dayspring, "Alright, who's hungry?"
"Me."
"Me."
"Tell you what Rainbow, why don't you get started on dinner, and I'll get these two cleaned up for supper."
As a way of reply, Rainbow leaned in and stole one last kiss from her wife. She then took wing and flew downstairs. Twilight watched her go in wonder, how a pegasus with a twenty-seven hoof wingspan could fly around in this house was a mystery she had yet to solve after five years of trying. It baffled her sense of logic and amazed her all the same. Watching her leave, Twilight added 're-measure Rainbow's wingspan' to her mental checklist, they looked even bigger than last time she measured them,
She dismissed the idea and turned back to the two foals, they both needed a bath. "Alright, who wants a bath!"
She was quickly greeted with dual shouts of "NO!" as they took off in the other direction.
Twilight sighed... 'It's going to be one of those nights.' Tonight she was not in the mood for hide and seek, she reached out with her magic sense and after a while found the two foals. Briefly, she reflected on how much easier it would have been if she could still see into the magic plane, but she quickly dismissed that idea. Twilight had made her choice and never once did she regret it. All at once Twilight readied the bath water, cast an anti-escape bubble on the tub, and teleported a filly and a colt that actually thought they could get away from her directly into the tub.
"Hey, no fair!"
"Funny, that's what I said when you joined the CMC today without telling me."
Aurora looked at Dayspring, "Told you they would be upset."
"AB said they wouldn't let us join if we told."
Twilight stuck her hoof in and started washing behind the unicorns ears, "I wasn't upset that you wanted to join the CMC, I was upset that you felt you had to keep a secret."
Aurora looked up at her mom, "You mean you wouldn't have stopped us?"
"Well, I can't speak for Rainbow, but no, if it's something you wanted to do. I would never stand in the way of that."
Dayspring started crying, "I'm sorry mom. AB just thought it would be best if we didn't say anything."
Twilight was taken aback by that; it had been ages since Dayspring had called her anything but mother. "It's ok honey. Just know, you never have to keep secrets from me, or Rainbow for that matter. I want you guys to be able to tell me anything, ok?" She scooped up the little colt and gave him a big hug. One in which he returned with all the enthusiasm he could muster. "I love you, mommy."
"I love you too, Dayspring."
Aurora started pouting in the corner of the tub. She was the one who usually got the attention, why was she feeling jealous like this? Twilight noticed this and quickly scooped her up too. "What, you think I would forget about my little princess?"
"Mommy, we're getting you all wet."
"Right this second Aurora, I couldn't care less."
Twilight held the two in her hooves for a few minutes before deciding to just join them in the tub.
.....................
Rainbow laughed as her three favorite ponies in the world all came down the stairs with towels wrapped around them. "So, you decided to join them then."
"It seemed easier."
She nodded at that, it was a lot easier if you just join in whatever they were doing at the time.
"Well c'mon you three, I got dinner ready!"
"What are we having, mom?"
"Daffodil sandwiches!"
Aurora shot into the air "My fav!! Thanks mom!"
"No problem honey."
Aurora quickly flew over to her spot and began inhaling her sandwich, Dash turned to Dayspring, "You better hurry, or she'll get yours too." The little unicorn took his moms warning to heart and ran to his spot. Just in time to beat Aurora to his sandwich. Rainbow and Twilight just giggled to each other at that display and set down to join their family at dinner.
Dinner conversation included several new spells that little Ataxia showed Dayspring that he wanted to learn. Twilight could not help but be impressed. Some of those were VERY advanced spells she knew Rarity did not know. She made a mental note to get Rarity back in for another round of studying. If Ataxia started casting those around the house, Rarity and Spike could be in serious trouble. She also made a note to add a few more drills on Ponyville's early warning system. They might be needed very soon.
When Aurora started talking about their CMC adventures today, Twilight realized she might have made a slight error in judgment upstairs. While she wanted them to feel comfortable talking with her about anything, there were some things she would prefer not to know. Like Dayspring's adventures with CMC mountain climbers. Luckily, Rainbow swooped in for the rescue before she had to hear the end of that story.
"So, who's excited for Sweetie Belle's concert tomorrow?"
A chorus of "me, me, me" followed that announcement.
"I don't know, Twi, what do you think? They don't seem that excited to me."
"I think you're right, Rainbow, I don't see why we would take little foals that weren't looking forward to it."
"We are too excited!!!"
"I don't know Twi, I am not feeling that level of excitement."
"Yeah, me neither, maybe we should give those tickets back."
"NOOOOOOOO!!!"
"Hmm, maybe they are excited after all. What do you think, Twi?"
"I'm still not sure; I know how we can test it though."
"Oh, how's that?"
Twilight levitated the two tickets over to Rainbow, "Well, if they were really, truly, excited they would be able to get them from you, don't you think so Rainbow?"
"You know what Twi. I think you're right." Rainbow said right before grabbing the tickets.
Dayspring was the first to take the hint, he teleported onto Rainbow's lap and tried to grab the tickets from her mouth.
The poor colt did not stand a chance. Rainbow flipped off the chair tossing him safely on the couch in the other room. Aurora tried next; the little pegasus flew up and dive-bombed Rainbow, hoping such tactics would get her the surprise. Rainbow expertly sidestepped the filly, giving her a little slap on her flank with her wings while she passed. "You two gotta want it more than that!"
With that, the completion was on in earnest. The twins started working together to take on the older mare. They never stood any real chance; sure Rainbow would eventually let them win. However, that was not the point, it was getting close to bedtime and they were much easier to put to sleep if they were exhausted.
After fifteen minutes and three broken picture frames the chase was over, both twins lay on top of Rainbow, panting heavily. They were exhausted to their core, but they were both smiling with tickets in their mouths.
"Good job you two. Time for bed," Twilight spoke.
Dayspring got up and walked over to Twilight giving her one last hug for the day. "Night mommy."
Rainbow looked at Twilight with a jealous glare in her eyes that spoke everything she was thinking 'did he just call you mommy?' Twilight just hugged him back and nodded.
Aurora tried to complain. "But I'mmm nooootttt Sleeeeeeeeppppyyyy." The yawn in her voice gave away the lie way too easily.
"Sure you're not, little one." Rainbow ruffled up Aurora's mane with her hoof. "Tell you what, you go lay in bed and I'll read you two a bedtime story."
"Thanks mom!" Aurora hugged Rainbow before giving an equally big hug to Twilight.
After the two ran upstairs to get ready for bed, Twilight walked over to her wife and plopped down on top of her. She rested her head on Rainbow chest. "Besides, this is my spot."
"Jealous of your own kids, Twi?"
"I'm jealous of anyone who gets to be close to you who's not me.:"
"Hey, I vowed on three separate weddings to be yours forever, and you know what they say. All good things happen in threes."
"Speaking of threes, Rainbow you know that spell I've been working on."
"That's a lot of spells, Twi. Can you be more specific?"
"The one we break out for special occasions only."
"OHH, the sex change one!"
"Rainbow! shh!"
"Relax they can't hear us."
"Yeah, heard that before."
"Relax Twi.... Wait, are we going to try it again tonight?"
"Well... I can cast it on you if you want."
"What, why only me?"
"Because, it worked."
"Wait are you saying what I think you're saying?"
"Yep, Rainbow Dash, you're going to be a mother again. I'm pregnant."
Rainbow stared at her wife before it finally clicked... She lifted Twilight off the ground and flew them around in big circles.
"This. Is. Awesome!"
"I can't wait to tell the twins!"
"Wait..." She landed and gently set Twilight on the ground. " You told me we couldn't get pregnant using that."
"That's just it Rainbow, we shouldn't be able to. The entire math and testing says it is not possible, yet the pregnancy test I got at the hospital said it happened. My weird cravings and sex drive also correspond with that result."
"Do you think it might have something to do with Gaia? "
"Your guess is as good as mine."
Rainbow kissed her wife passionately. "I don't care who gets the credit, as long as I get you."
"You will always have me Rainbow, never forget that."
"As long as I get to wake up next to you, you got a deal."
"Tell you what, go and read Aurora her bed time story, and when you are done I'll be waiting for you in bed."
"You're on, egghead."
"Oh, Rainbow?"
"Yes Twi."
"Two things, don't forget Dayspring's cider."
"Yeah, yeah, what's the second?"
"Don't keep me waiting to long...."
"Never!"
Twilight sighed as the love of her life flew up to their room to grab the cider for her son, in no time at all she flew into the twin's room. Twilight slowly rubbed her stomach, enjoying the thought of being the mom this time around. She made her way up to their room; placing out some candles she put on some soft mood music. Twilight paused next to a picture of her brother on the mantel. "You're right BBBFF, the easiest thing to do in life is to have a life lived for others. Do that, and it's a life well lived."
Ten years later |
Hearts and Hooves Day Hurts | pre | Cheerilee rubbed a forehoof against her forehead. "Don't say that word."
Mac blinked. "What word?"
"The... 'Z' word. Don't say it."
"Well, why not?" Mac asked innocently.
"Because it's ridiculous! They're not even undead!" Cheerilee exclaimed. "Trust me, I know a thing or two about the subject!"
Unfortunately, the horde of ponies at the fence chose that exact moment to begin voicing their frustration. Loud moans and hissing echoed across the pavement like something out of a horror movie. Mac didn't even need to say anything, simply raising an eyebrow at Cheerilee.
Cheerilee raised a single forehoof to point at Mac. "They're not. Don't look at me like that." Her forehoof wavered slightly as a particularly loud growl emitted from the gathered horde.
"Watch," Cheerilee said, and marched over to the gate. Mac observed in barely contained amusement as Cheerilee stuck her forehoof through one of the links in the fence, exposing it to the crowd. "See? Not zombies. Now will you please stop-- Ow! What the hay?!" One of the townsponies had attempted to bite her foreleg. Fortunately, pony teeth were not very sharp, and the action failed to break Cheerilee's skin. Still, her pride had no such protection.
Big Mac had collapsed to his haunches, lost in an uncontrollable laughing fit as Cheerilee stomped back over to him, grumbling curses under her breath the whole way.
She glanced over her hoof one last time as she reached mac, confirming her lack of injury before saying, "Still not zombies though. Trust me."
Mac managed to quiet his laughter enough to reply, "All right then, Miss Expert, what's got everypony acting like... this? Did'ja find out who's behind the love poison, at least?"
Cheerilee nodded. "I found a group of Changelings." Mac sobered up slightly at that, and Cheerilee continued, "It makes sense. Fill everypony up with so much love, and you've got a feast fit for a queen."
"All right," Mac said. "And the zombies?"
"Not zombies," Cheerilee retorted. "And I think it's part of the Changelings' plan. When they were spiking the water, they must have mixed in some sort of Changeling... mind... serum..." She trailed off, her eyes crossing slightly. "Okay, that sounded a lot less silly in my head."
"Wait," Mac muttered. "That works. First they fill everypony up with love, then they mind-control 'em all to one fenced in location at the same time." He shook his head in disgust. "It's a regular pony smorgasbord."
"Yeah!" Cheerilee exclaimed. They had figured it out, and even managed to keep everypony safely out of the plant, free to run away when the Changelings attacked. The day was saved.
Moments later, however, Cheerilee's satisfied smile faded from her face. "Wait, so we locked them all out to keep them safe from the trap, right?"
Mac nodded. "Eeyup."
"...Then that means that we're locked in the trap, doesn't it?"
There was a long pause, before a much quieter, "Eeyup."
"Well, well, well, what have we here?" A new, rather gravelly voice made itself known from somewhere above and behind the two ponies. They both turned around in unison as a cacophonous buzzing joined the background noise.
What they found was a veritable sea of Changeling drones and warriors. Countless pairs of glowing blue eyes stared back at them from innumerable shiney black carapaces. Their insectoid winds held them aloft in a massive cloud of death, dwarfing the entirety of the water plant beneath them. At the very front of the army was a Changeling nearly twice as tall as any of the others. She had long, slender legs covered in black-as-night chiten that was riddled with holes. Unlike a regular Changeling, she possessed a long, flowing mane that resembled perforated seaweed more than anything. Her horn was nearly as long as an alicorn's, but it was sharp as a sword and jagged. Her eyes were not the featureless, multi-faceted blue of the other Changelings, instead possessing slitted, predatory pupils of a luminescent green. The rest of her face wore a smug expression, her mouth curved in a self-assured smile that displayed long and deadly fangs, and the look in her eyes made one thing quite clear: she had already won. It had been decided, checked and mated. The rest was just busy work.
"Ponyfeathers," Cheerilee muttered, cracking her neck and stretching out her limbs. "This is really gonna hurt."
Mac glanced at her nervously. "Are we seriously going to fight an entire army of Changelings?"
Cheerilee appreciated how he said we. She nodded in response. Mac smiled at her. "I'd kiss ya for luck, but, well... Changelings."
Cheerilee nodded in understanding. She wanted to do more, to tell Mac how she felt and how much he meant to her. But it was easy to disregard that and blame it on being in the presence of love-sucking fiends.
They both readied their stances, and prepared to meet the Changeling rush, only for the queen to hold up her hoof suddenly. The army remained motionless as the Changeling leader landed on the grass before Mac and Cheerilee, leaning over them and pressing her height advantage.
"So two little ponies think they can stop my conquest, do they?" Her voice was saccharine, but laced with a dangerous edge. "You think you can stop, I, Queen Maxilla? Well, you're too late. You see, for weeks, I've already had several drones--"
"Hiding in town to do your dirty work," Cheerilee guessed.
The queen paused, but went on. "I ordered them to hide among the populace! They've already--"
"Tainted the water supply with a love poison," Cheerilee cut her off again.
Maxilla sputtered for a moment. "W-what?"
"Yeah," Cheerilee stated simply. "We already figured out that part. A while ago, in fact."
"Oh..." Maxilla mumbled deflating slightly. She quickly brightened up, however, striking a suitably 'evil' pose before declaring. "Ah, but you've made one fatal error! You failed to account for my master stroke, the ace in the hole of my genius strategy!" The queen cackled maniacally before continuing, "There was another ingredient in the poison! And now the simple little ponies of this town--"
"Are being mind-controlled by you, and ordered to this very plant at this very moment to be assimilated in one fell swoop." Cheerilee met the queen's eyes with a deadpan stare, before pointedly gesturing with a forehoof at the townsponies behind her, safely locked outside the fence and unable to assist.
"Wow," the queen muttered. "How did I miss that?"
Cheerilee sighed. "Look, sweetie, I know you're not the original Changeling queen. In fact, I was there when we killed her in Canterlot two centuries ago - one of your drones called me a bloodsucker, so you know who, and what, I am. I've seen a lot in my time and this whole supervillain thing is kind of tired and cliche. Now, why don't you be good and leave town while you've still got all your appendages?"
Maxilla gritted her teeth in defiance. "No matter! We still have numbers!"
There were still hundreds of Changelings behind the queen, and all of them suddenly shared the same eager grin. Wow, Cheerilee thought. How did I miss that?
Changelings may not have been the toughest foe Cheerilee had faced, but they still thrived on numbers. Cheerilee could perhaps take a few dozen by herself, without any weapons, but their strength in numbers went up exponentially, and now she was facing hundreds. She was suddenly struck with the realization that this was a fight she couldn't win.
The queen cackled and buzzed into the air, letting her army move forward. Cheerilee and Mac huddled closer together. "What are we gonna do?" he muttered.
"You keep them busy. Let me handle the queen." Cheerilee spared a glance to look him in the eye, hanging onto his gaze perhaps a moment longer than was tactically wise. Every extra second with him was worth it, though.
There was a buzz in the air, and the Changelings were upon them.
The first few heads Cheerilee busted were easy, but the hivemind of the Changelings quickly led them to change their tactics. They drifted further from her reach, diving and dashing, providing too many targets for her to deal with at once. Their wings put them overhead, where even a superpowered earth pony couldn't reach.
Cheerilee snarled, her fangs out and ready to taste blood. But there was something she needed to do first. While she may not have been carrying any weapons, that didn't mean she had only her hooves to do battle with.
Rearing up, she slapped away another glancing Changeling attack and then sunk her teeth into her own forelegs, one after the other, bringing forth a gush of blood from each. Shaking out her limbs, Cheerilee ignored the pain and focused hard. She was very in tune with her body, over the years gaining control practically down to the cellular level. As she concentrated, the rivulets of blood flowing from her forelegs coalesced into long, tentacular whips that extended her reach and lethality.
There were a few tricks Cheerilee had picked up over the centuries, and rarely did this one fail to impress. The first Changeling to pause in surprise, however, was violently torn in half by the slashing, bloody edge.
Half a dozen more drones had fallen before the Changelings could adapt again. Their new tactics were more hesitant and created a bubble of space around Cheerilee. None of them wanted to get close to her. That made it easier to approach the queen.
As Cheerilee waded off through the blood and guts towards her target, Mac faced down the main force of the Changeling army. One drone got the bright idea to bring the stallion to the ground in order for the swarm to easily descend and finish him off. The Changeling sped towards Mac in a flying tackle, murderous intent shining in its glowing, blue eyes... only to impact Mac's broad chest like a giant car windshield. The bug splatted uselessly against supernaturally strong muscle, and collapsed to the ground in a heap. Mac's expression remained unchanged.
The sight caused the rest of the Changelings a brief moment of pause before the majority of them buzzed towards him with shrieking battle cries. Only then was the look on Mac's face altered. He smirked.
The very first Changeling to get within range was met with a freight train of a right forehoof. The drone sailed backwards in several pieces, not slowing the charge of its comrades in the slightest. Then Mac moved with far more speed than any stallion his size had any right to, leaping aside of several diving bugs at once and seamlessly shifting into a rear hooved buck that punched straight through the chests of two adjacent Changelings. He shook their carcasses off in time to hop backwards out of range of another dive bomb. The would-be attacker hit the ground instead of Mac, dazing the Changeling for a moment. In that spare second of an opportunity, Mac quickly snatched it up by its head. A squeeze of his forehooves and a wet crunch, and the drone's struggles ceased. Mac pivoted quickly and swung the bug's corpse like a club, knocking an incoming Changeling out of the air and into the hard ground.
The Changelings were beginning to realize what a threat they were facing, and stopped mindlessly throwing themselves at the large stallion. While Mac was distracted by a group of drones flying towards him from the front, another Changeling quickly zipped in from behind and slashed at him. A sharp spike of pain went through him as the Changeling's fangs drew a bloody line across one of his rear legs. Mac spun around like lightning before the Changeling could fly away and squashed it beneath both forehooves, leaving craters in the soil inches deep. The Changelings that had served as a distraction chose that moment to attack in earnest,but Mac quickly turned to face them. He tackled the one on his left, pinning it to the ground for a split second before headbutting its face into a bloody pulp. He then swerved right and finished off the last couple Changelings coming at him with a few strikes of his hooves.
As he wiped the green blood off his face, Mac noted that the army surrounding him didn't look very much smaller than it had at the beginning. The cloud of bugs was circling him, preparing for another attack. None of them missed the blood dripping from Mac's minor wound. They knew they could eventually wear him down, and Mac couldn't help but realize it too. Only one thought was in his mind as he awaited the next strike: I hope Cheerilee is all right.
Nearby, Cheerilee was holding her own, but not easily. She ducked and weaved, fighting her way through drones as she charged Queen Maxilla. The little Changelings were only a nuisance, but they slowed her down enough that she couldn't get an easy shot at their leader. It didn't help that the queen was content to lob spells at her from a distance.
Even as an earth pony, Cheerilee knew a lot about magic, having been on the receiving end of it more times than she could count. She could brace for impact and shrug off some of the effects of the spells, but they were wearing her down. Worse still, she had to keep replacing the blood that whipped about her constantly, impaling and slashing the cannon-fodder drones. They may not have been very tough, but there were hundreds.
Every so often, one of them would get a lucky swipe in with their razor-sharp fangs and separate another one of Cheerilee's blood whips from her. She had no time to gather up the spilled blood from each destroyed whip, as even a split-second pause in her ruthless attack would open her up to quick defeat. The only solution was to replace each severed weapon with blood from the wounds on her foreleg. Constantly drawing out more of her lifeblood was draining, but she had to keep going. There was only one way to end this.
Perseverance and relentless slaughter of nameless underlings paid off as Cheerilee finally opened a hole in the Changeling army and got her chance at the queen. Jumping forward with a predatory grin, she brought her bloody weapons to bear.
Her attack landed, wrapping both tentacles of blood around Maxilla's neck. Cheerilee brought her closer, reeling in the Changeling like a struggling fish. She licked her lips as she slowly pulled the queen face to face with her destruction. It was only when her prey's lips twitched in a small smile that Cheerilee realized how easily the queen had been subdued. Too easily.
Before Cheerilee could toss her away, the queen's horn glowed suddenly with a vibrant green light, and a similarly colored wave of force blasted out in all directions. The shockwave threw up grass and dust, and completely vaporized the bindings holding the queen: Cheerilee's only weapons. Cheerilee herself was sent flying due to her close proximity to the blast. She flipped several times through the air before slamming against one wall of the water plant building and sliding to the ground, leaving a smear of blood in her wake.
Maxilla allowed her no respite. "You honestly thought you could stop me?!" the frenzied queen shouted as she lifted Cheerilee in an aura of inescapable magic. She swung the hapless mare through the air like a toy, smashing a stack of heavy crates to splinters with Cheerilee's body.
"I am a Changeling queen!" she roared as if validating herself, easily tossing Cheerilee against another wall. The mare hit the surface with a sickening crunch, leaving a distressingly large splatter of blood.
Maxilla heaved several gulping breaths, calming slightly, though her voice still came out as an enraged shout. "As a queen, my power is second only to the great alicorns, and after feeding off of this entire town, even they won't be able to stop me!" The queen ripped several lengths of rebar from the wall Cheerilee had just impacted, shoving her down with magic and holding her body still.
The queen's next statement came out quiet, eerily calm. "You," she muttered as the rebar spun menacingly behind her. "You never really stood a chance."
"Good thing she ain't alone," rumbled an ominous voice. Cheerilee lifted her head weakly, blinking blood out of her eyes to see Mac standing behind the queen.
Maxilla turned her head, looking at Mac. Dozens of dead Changelings lay behind him and their blood was smeared on his coat. Her eyes narrowed. "And who are you?"
"That's my special somepony you've got there," Mac said. If anything, his voice pitched even deeper and more menacing.
The queen's lips spread in a smile. "Well isn't that just lovely."
Maxilla's voice was sickeningly sweet as she went on. "As much as I'd love to feast on your love for each other, I'm afraid she's too dangerous to let live," she gestured to the still-pinned Cheerilee before turning back to Mac and the pile of dead Changelings behind him. "And, quite frankly, you seem rather annoying. Kill him," she ordered the remaining drones.
Mac lowered his head. He shifted slightly, as if setting a stance. Taking a deep breath, he looked back at Cheerilee and started to change.
She watched, wide-eyed, as Mac's muzzle stretched and grew more pointed, filling with sharp teeth. His ears sharpened to a triangular shape and the rest of his body turned more angular and lithe. Clawed paws formed in place of hooves and his coat roughened and lengthened into shaggy fur. On top of that, he gained a couple of inches in height and the muscles beneath his skin practically popped with definition.
It was one of the more disturbing things Cheerilee had ever seen, and yet it filled her with a sudden rush of hope. The Changelings, on the other hoof, felt quite a bit differently.
"W-What!?" Maxilla sputtered, nearly dropping Cheerilee in her shock. As Mac lifted his head to glare at the queen with predatory green eyes filled with lethal intent, she shouted, "I said kill him! Kill him, kill him, kill him!"
The queen's hysteric commands spurred the Changeling army into action, bringing the full might of hundreds of drones down on Mac in a buzzing swarm. The pony-turned wolf howled as he leapt into the fray with a hideous, toothy grin. He tore through Changelings with glee-filled ease, biting them clean in half or just shredding them with his claws. Still, he soon became lost to Cheerilee's sight in the cloud of blood and writhing drones.
Maxilla spun, grabbing up Cheerilee again with her magic. Her intent was clear, to either use her captive as a bargaining chip or as a shield.
Cheerilee struggled to get free, but in seconds Mac was loose of the swarm, killing several drones and scattering the rest with swipes of his paws and whips of his tail. He skidded to a halt in front of Maxilla, facing her down, his jaws dripping green Changeling blood.
The Changeling queen looked almost impressed, the devious smile on her face treading dangerously close to eagerness. However, in her close proximity to the bug Cheerilee caught a glimpse of the fear masked by her bravado. Maxilla tossed Cheerilee aside dismissively and piled several heavy crates on top of the mare. In her weakened state, Cheerilee had no hope of throwing the crates off herself, and was reduced to a helpless spectator as Maxilla turned to square off with Macintosh.
"Impressive, dog," she sneered condescendingly. "Unfortunately for you, playtime is over. I'm going to have to put you down." With that, the queen stood to her full height, twice as tall as an average pony. She spread her insectoid wings, and set her hooves firmly in a fighting stance, her horn crackling and sparking with immense magical power. All in all, it made for an imposing figure.
Mac, too, poised for a fight. His mouthful of sharp teeth snarled and his claws dug into the earth, rooting him to the spot. Whatever else he might have been, earth ponies still drew their power from the soil, and Ponyville was Mac's home. More importantly than any connection to nature, however, was what - who - he was fighting for.
They faced off, staring each other down. And then it was on. Mac's paws tore chunks of dirt up and he launched himself at the Changeling queen. She lowered her head and her horn flashed with magic, catching Mac just as he reached her. His considerable momentum carried them both past the point of impact and to the ground in a snarling tumble across the blood-stained ground.
Bolts of green magic flew scorchingly close past Mac's face and a few of them even connected. He never gave any indication of feeling the attack, however, forcing himself past Maxilla's defenses. She rolled, trying to get away, to fly, but his grip never slacked. Jaws snatching at anything he could reach, Mac got ahold of one of the gossamer wings that tried desperately to lift the Changeling. He tore it from her body easier than ripping a sheet of paper.
Maxilla shrieked and tried to block Mac, throwing up a hoof to stop his teeth and gouging at his belly with her back legs. He bore the attack without flinching and clamped his maw down on her leg, the exoskeleton collapsing in his grip.
With a jerk of his head, Mac's teeth cut her leg to a stump. Maxilla screamed, trying desperately to swing her sharp horn for one last ditch effort, but Mac buried her under a flurry of claws and savage bites.
In mere seconds, Maxilla's futile cries died out completely. The sounds of crunching and snapping reached Cheerilee's ear for a little longer, almost making her wince in sympathy until she reminded herself just how close to death she'd been at the queen's hooves moments before.
Mac got up, green blood and guts slowly running down his body. For one brief second, his eyes flashed with uncertainty, teetering on the edge of bloodlust as he gazed over his fresh kill, but he glanced at Cheerilee and brought himself out of it quickly.
Taking a step away from the remains of the Changeling queen, Mac took a moment to compose himself, his body shifting back and losing its lupine features. He spared one last glance at the grisly remains and muttered with a shake of his head, "All bark, no bite."
He walked over to Cheerilee, moving the debris off and helping her up. She wobbled a little, but was able to stand. Any drones that survived the battle had already left the area with their tails between their legs. Around the compound, the townsponies who had been affected by the Changeling mind control were slowly snapping out of it.
Cheerilee and Mac stood there together. She wiped a bit of enemy blood off his face and murmured, "This is not what I pictured for a first date."
Mac chuckled, in turn wiping some of Cheerilee's own blood off of herself. "The places I bring you ain't nice enough?"
"Oh, the location is fine. Just a little... overcrowded."
"Well, maybe we can go someplace a little more private next time." Mac leaned in, ever so slowly closing the gap between them--
"What in the name of all things holy is going on!?"
Mac and Cheerilee both turned at the shout, suddenly remembering the townsponies just outside the chain link fence of the plant. Their gazes shifted from the ponies to the mutilated Changeling corpses splattered all over the area, and back again. Several citizens had apparently already lost their lunch at the horrific battlefield before them. The rest were looking on in an unpleasant mixture of terror confusion, and nausea.
"Right," Cheerilee said simply, "them."
"Eeyup."
"Guess we should, uh, help them out, or something."
"Eeyup."
"Okay, let's do it!" Cheerilee's bold proclamation would have been more inspiring if she hadn't wobbled forward for a few steps and fallen flat on her face.
Mac worriedly helped her to her hooves, supporting her with his shoulder as she stood. "You gonna be all right?"
"Yeah, yeah," Cheerilee muttered, looking only slightly woozy. "I just need a bit of a drink, but that can wait."
Mac continued supporting her as they made their way together towards the crowd of ponies at the gate. "If you say so."
Upon reaching the gate, it took several minutes to convince everypony to return to their homes and await the arrival of a crown representative to help with anything they might need. The peeved expressions on a few ponies' faces seemed to indicate that they would likely be asking a lot from the Princesses by way of compensation, but that was outside of Cheerilee's purview. She was just glad when the last couple ponies finally pulled themselves together and quietly returned home.
"So what now?" Mac asked.
"Well, there's a special clean up crew that gets called in. You wouldn't think that'd be a full time job in Equestria, but it really is. They'll take care of the bodies, clean everything up, even get rid of the smell. Then all the witnesses need to be talked to--"
Mac held up a hoof, smiling amusedly. "I meant... y'know." He pointed between himself and Cheerilee.
"Oh..." Suddenly, all thoughts of standard operating procedure seemed vastly unimportant to Cheerilee. She knew her part in what was to come, in regards to the mission. She would talk to the clean up crew, make her after action report to the princess, and even assist in talking to the townsponies if necessary. She'd done it before, but for the first time she had something else to look forward to.
"You know what?" Cheerilee smiled, the blood-soaked mane framing her face providing an odd juxtaposition with her bright expression. "I think they'll be fine without us."
She glanced at the position of the sun, indicating at least a few hours left in the day, and pulled Mac closer to nuzzle. "We've got Hearts and Hooves Day to celebrate." |
Master | pre | Oddly enough, Amphy had remained silent throughout all of this; most times when anyone but Jasmine herself was in the beacon room, the pokemon would keep a watchful eye out for whatever grief they might try to cause them. Not even the pokemon center staff had been spared that treatment - even before this sudden illness, when they'd come around for their regular checkups, Amphy had retained her guarded nature towards strangers, no matter how friendly they appeared to be.
So why isn't she reacting?
Jasmine could tell it wasn't because she was in too much pain or otherwise incapacitated; though it had its back turned to her the yellow pokemon was twitching its ears attentively, clearly aware of what was going on. That ruled out any sort of hypnosis, as well. None of this made any sense, and Jasmine was starting to lose her patience fast.
"I said, come out!"
Much to her surprise, it did. A pair of sky-blue eyes peeked out from just above Amphy's head, and was soon followed by a strange, pale-yellow pokemon that flew over her friend and touched down on the floor just in front of her. Those sky-blue eyes gazed straight into hers, and after a moment they were all she could see.
And then...
"Oh, my. It talks!"
Jasmine could have said the same, were it not for the fact that she was absolutely paralyzed at the moment.
"Goodness, I've never seen anything like you before. That makes two new kinds of critter in a day! Oh my."
Her peripheral vision slowly started returning, as she felt the pokemon break eye contact. Her relief was decidedly short-lived however, when something started wandering across her head and hair; though it was a quite gentle touch, she would've screamed the windows to pieces if she could. She imagined the hypothetical rapist or molester would be fairly gentle as well, had he a victim so completely incapacitated as she was right now.
Slowly, much too slowly, she clawed her muscles free from the crushing grip freezing them in place, trying not to think about anything except getting out of this creature's grasp. As the paralysis finally let go of her she gulped a frantic breath and stumbled away from her assailant, not caring much for direction until she collided with the soft, warm mass of Amphy's fur and realized she was trapped.
"Oh, I'm sorry, did I scare you? It's all right. I'm not going to hurt you."
The pokemon's voice was gentle as a morning breeze, and with one exception its face was as mellow as they come. Had it not been for that paralyzing gaze, it couldn't have scared a fly. As it was Jasmine was panting hard, turning her head this way and that; pressed against Amphy's fur and matting it with her sweat, she struggled as hard as she could to get away from those blue orbs that spelled nothing but certain death for her.
Don't look her in the eyes don't look her in the eyes don't look her in the eyes don't look her in the eyes don't-
She looked.
-/-/-/
"Misdreavus, return!"
The red light enveloped the swirling darkness that made up the most recent addition to his team, and drew it back into its pokeball. Yet like the other ghost-types he'd seen so far, it seemed to stay in the air for a moment even after it was gone. Sure, it wasn't as creepy as the huge grin left by a recalled Haunter, or the outright frightening afterimage of Morty's huge Gengar; but still he doubted he'd ever get used to seeing those piercing eyes remain in the air long after their owner was gone.
"Damn, kiddo, you've got spunk! Those were some tactics you showed off - man, if I'd had those when I went around the world, I'd be drowning in beauties right now, haha!"
To his credit Roberto, the buff sailor he'd just defeated, was taking his downfall in stride. With the lighthouse being the hotbed for fight-hungry Trainers it was, that was probably not a strange thing in and of itself. Still, after all those run-ins with the ever pesky Team Rocket - not to mention that damn thief Silver who always managed to slip away somehow - it felt rather nice to see someone facing defeat like the adults they were. It was as if being defeated by someone younger made people think they had the right to act like children themselves; if so it was not the first time his age had done him disservices he'd never asked for, and it would surely not be the last either.
Ethan adjusted his black-yellow cap slightly, and reattached Misdreavus' pokeball to his belt. "It is a habit of most sailors - like many trainers who use their pokemon for work - to keep pokemon that are well suited for their preferred environment. In your case, that means strong, bulky pokemon that can handle themselves at sea or on deck. Or in other words, fighting-types and water-types, with a preference for physical attacks. Fighting-types can't do anything against a ghost-type like Misdreavus, and alongside its psychic- and ghost-type moves I've taught mine Thunderbolt." He gave the man a slightly apologetic smile, and shook his head. "No offense meant - your tactics weren't bad either - but in terms of strategy, I simply outplayed you."
Roberto scratched his head for a bit with that enormous hand of his, then smiled back. "Looks like I've got a lot to learn yet, huh. Maybe it's time I took another journey - nothing like the sea to harden a man up, and his pokemon with him! What do you think, boy?"
Ethan shrugged back, reflecting for a moment that his own shoulders weren't even half as wide as his opponent's. "Well, I don't know about that - I've never been at sea, myself. To be honest, that's why I'm here in the first place. The gym leader..."
At those words Roberto's face immediately returned to the serious mask it had kept before and during the battle. The huge man nodded, and Ethan trailed off. "The beacon room is right upstairs, and I think I heard the elevator go up a few minutes ago. I wouldn't get my hopes up if I were you, though - Jasmine hasn't accepted any challengers since that Ampharos fell sick, and I don't see that girl changing her mind."
Ethan thanked him briefly again, and finally started climbing the last set of stairs. Whatever else could be said about it, this lighthouse was a tall one.
Half a minute later, he finally took the last steps up to reach the top platform, harsh sea winds buffeting him as he came clear of the building's cover. He made his way toward the beacon room's entrance as fast as he could, and the wind draft sucked it shut the second he let it go. Taking a quick survey of the room he could see the sick Ampharos, sure enough, but not really anything else.
"Jasmine? Are you there?"
-/-/-/
Lookawaylookawaylookawaylookawaylooka-
"Jasmine? Are you there?"
Darkness swam in shimmering flocks across her eyes when she finally drew a gulping breath, coughing and drawing another again like someone who'd just breached the surface after almost drowning. Which was just what it felt like, lack of water aside - someone had apparently taken the saying "drown in her eyes" all too literally. She'd been suffocating, and only the timely appearance of someone had saved her from that fate.
"DON'T LOOK INTO ITS EYES!" she screamed with what air her lungs could hold, squeezing her own eyes shut with all of her might and crawling across the floor towards the voice. She had almost lost it, but whoever it belonged to thankfully spoke up again before she could hesitate another second.
"What- oh shit, are you okay? What are you talking about, what's this about not looking-"
She scrambled blindly towards it as fast as she could, clawing her way forward until she found a decidedly human pair of legs and threw her arms around them. Their owner stumbled to the ground, and she clung to her savior like a baby, crying into the soft fabric of a shirt and panting like she'd run a marathon.
"Man...uh..."
It was a boy, she realized. Not much more than that, going by the fact that he was shorter than she was and retained the bright voice of a pre-teen, but a boy nonetheless. Not that it mattered much, but she couldn't help but feel embarrassed. She wasn't really used to that sort of stuff.
"Um...I'm sorry, but if you don't mind me asking..."
Those words, and the sweet voice delivering them, sent winter into Jasmine's spine. In a panic she scrambled to hide behind the boy, shielding herself from the creature's gaze with his body.
"What's wrong with my eyes?"
The boy stirred. "Uh. Well, I'm not sure, really. But she said not to look at them, and you've obviously scared the crap out of her somehow...wait, give me a second." He shuffled around for a second, and before she could react she felt him putting what she thought was a pair of glasses on her. "Well, they seem to be working. There, it's okay now. You can open your eyes."
Hesitantly, she complied.
The boy was looking at her through a pair of slightly shaded spectacles, which she assumed were the same as the ones he'd put on her; his red shirt was wet with her tears in places, and his cap was hanging on to his head by a strand of his black hair, almost falling off.
Behind him - Jasmine gasped instinctively, but unlike the other times nothing happened - the strange yellow pokemon was hovering in the air, its wings beating slowly. It had a concerned look on its face, and was looking right into her eyes. Or, it would have, had she not been wearing glasses. "What are these things?" Jasmine whispered, still expecting to be frozen in place any moment.
"They're specially modified Blackglasses. Morty's own make. He gave 'em to me when I mentioned I had trouble training my Misdreavus, with her eyes and all. She's the first ghost-type I've raised, and they take a bit...getting used to. I don't need them for that anymore, but it seems there are other times when you need to be careful what you look at."
The yellow pokemon fidgeted slightly at these words, and as though that simple expression had cut off a chain somewhere in her brain, realizations started crashing through her head one by one. "Okay. O-okay. First of all. You," she said with a slightly unsteady finger pointing at the creature, "can talk. Actually talk. I've heard trainers saying certain psychic-types can speak into your mind, but you're talking. That's not possible. Second," she went on with a look at the boy, "how come you don't seem to be very surprised by all this? Who are you, anyway? How did you get up here? Who," she added and deftly stole the cap off the boy's head, "ever taught you to wear a cap like that? Geez," she finished sulkily, planting the cap back on his head with the visor in front where it belonged.
Like many of the young, determined challengers she'd faced, he proved to have a terrible sense of style at the first opportunity he was given. "Hey, stop it!" he cried as she made the necessary adjustments to his headgear, and the moment she let go of it he struggled to put it right back in the wrong direction again. "Keep your grubby girly hands off my cap!" The sound of their little struggle was interrupted by a sound like chiming bells, as the creature let out a small laugh at their antics. The boy huffed, and gently pushed her away before standing up. Just like she'd thought, he wasn't very tall at all.
"I'm Ethan, pokemon trainer from New Bark. Field research assistant to Professor Elm and," he added with a flourish of his arm to show off the device attached to his wrist, "Pokedex user, courtesy of Professor Oak himself. And you know about this thing called stairs? There's more than just the elevator leading up here, y'now. Anyway, I was going to challenge you to a gym battle, Jasmine, but I heard from - well, a guy - that you're otherwise occupied at the moment. That excuse isn't going to let me through Victory Road, though, so I guess I'll have to help you out with your lighthouse problem."
He glanced over his shoulder, and gave the creature a measuring look. "Besides, I've seen weirder things than that, and she seems friendly enough. What sort of pokemon are you, anyway?"
The creature touched down on the floor, and gave her a confused look. "Um. What's a pokemon? Oh, and my name is Fluttershy. I mean, if you wanted to know," she mumbled hesitantly, turning her eyes away and going on in a voice too quiet for anyone to hear as she wandered off aimlessly toward the other end of the room.
Jasmine and Ethan shared a level look through their spectacles, before returning their eyes to the strange creature that called itself Fluttershy. "So tell me, Ethan, what does that beloved machine of yours say about our, friend here?" She tried to keep her voice low, but whispering would just have been rude.
"Not much. The database doesn't have anything, so I had to use my own data. I don't really do that too much, so I'm not all too experienced with the functions..." He shook his head and raised his arm, sliding the device on his wrist open and giving it a look. "I mean, I guess I could capture her and get more accurate readings that way, but..." He raised his eyes again, and adjusted his glasses a bit. "Man, it's one thing if I run into something in the wild, or if I get jumped by someone, but this? Talking with her, like this? It'd be like...capturing you, or something."
He sighed and shook his head, lowering the device again and sliding it shut. After a moment, he looked back at Jasmine. "What happened to you, anyway? What did she do? You were scared shitless, back there."
Jasmine shivered as the memories started to come back, but she pushed them away. "I-I don't know. She...looked at me. And I couldn't move. I couldn't see, feel, hear anything. I couldn't even breathe, I was completely paralyzed. I would've suffocated if you hadn't come around." She wanted to close her eyes again, but she kept them open - if she didn't keep herself distracted, the memories would start rushing in again. So she fixated Ethan with a steely look, and just about managed not to cry out in fear when the creature peered out from behind him.
"Um. Jasmine? I'm, um, sorry. I didn't mean to." Hesitation was clear in both her voice and expression, and was starting to understand what Ethan had meant about capturing her. If she could disregard the fact that she'd almost been killed by this thing only minutes ago, it was as human as can be, aside from its appearance.
Ethan had opened up the pokedex once more, and was quite obviously trying to get what data he could out of the readings. He kept his eyes on the device and its little screen even as he spoke. "Nobody was hurt, Fluttershy. It's fine. That brings us another question, though. What did you mean to do? I suppose you must've flown up here, but where did you come from? There are no records of your species in the pokedex, and this model contains data templates for every known kind of pokemon from the Johto and Kanto regions - and I've got a feeling that I could call up my colleagues in the northern and southern regions without getting anything on you there either."
Fluttershy shook her head, and once again let herself fall down to the floor. "Oh, I didn't fly up here. I'm really not that good at flying, even though I'm a pegasus. I, um, sort of...fell."
-/-/-/
It was a rather relaxing thing to sit down and talk for a while, Fluttershy thought; especially when this morning had been so hectic thus far. She hadn't thought all about it before, but talking it through like this really made her realize how intense things had been. She wasn't used to this, not like Rainbow or Twilight was. "Oh, I do hope they're all okay," she murmured, sending a look toward the door she'd entered through.
It was a bit difficult to deal with. Part of her just wanted to stay here and nurse this - pokemon? - back to health, but before that she knew she had to find her friends and make sure they were alright. Rainbow Dash would never have had problems with conflicting loyalties like this, but Fluttershy was quite literally out of her element in this case.
"Ehum. And then I appeared out there on the balcony and fell to the floor, and when I heard Amphy's cries from in here I just had to go and see what I could do to help her. I can't stand to see poor critters in pain like that. I just can't."
The two humans - as Jasmine and Ethan called themselves - nodded as she finished up her story, and Ethan stretched out with a yawn as he rose from the floor. They were a bit like tiny minotaurs, these humans - Ethan looked a bit like Iron Will's younger and better-dressed cousin. She chuckled at the comparison, but then realized Jasmine had remained sitting and was giving her a questioning look. "Hold on. How did you know Amphy's name? I never told you about that. Can you read minds or something?"
Jasmine's face went from pondering to suspicious, and Fluttershy shook her head vigorously. "Oh, no. I don't have any magic like that. Amphy told me."
The human girl's eyebrows climbed skyward at this statement. "She told you? You can understand other pokemon as well?
Fluttershy felt a bit confused by this - she still didn't know what this pokemon thing they kept talking about was - but nodded nonetheless. "Well, I don't know what a pokemon is, but I can talk with just about any critter there is. I can't imagine how hard it would be to take care of all my animal friends if I couldn't speak to them and understand what say to me. I'm not sure if my house could survive that."
Ethan was fiddling with his machine again. It gave off a few beeps, and he sighed and shook his head. "A pokemon is, well, basically any lifeform we know of that isn't human. What about your eyes, though? You don't seem terribly surprised about being able to petrify someone just by looking at them. You've done this before, I take it?"
Fluttershy shook her head again. "Oh, no. I can't petrify anypony. I'm not a cockatrice. I mean, I have, um, 'the stare', I guess, but it doesn't turn other ponies to stone. Oh, or did you mean that as a metaphor? I'm not very good with those, I'm sorry. But in that case, maybe yes? Oh, um, but I usually have to concentrate really hard, and, um, be a bit angry, for it to work, so I don't really..." She trailed off, unsure what to do with the rant she'd just started.
Ethan's device made a drawn-out beep, and the boy sighed. "That settles it. She's a dragon-type. Flying-type as well, if the wings are any clue."
Fluttershy squeaked. Old memories came rushing up one by one, old memories she did not want to remember. "D-d-d-dragon? Where?" She flung her eyes about this way and that, trying to spot the emerging terror before it could sneak up on her, but she couldn't spot anything.
"You, Fluttershy," Ethan said, pointing a stubby claw at her. "All instances of research done on Dragon-types show evidence of two extraordinary abilities, seemingly completely unrelated to all their other powers. The Dragon's Tongue, which allows them to understand and communicate with other species of pokemon, as well as humans. In a somewhat limited fashion, of course, since they don't have much of a language of their own, but the Blackthorn City files are pretty clear on this."
Ethan raised another claw. "Second, the Dragon's Eye. Depending on the difference in power between any pokemon or human, and a dragon-type, making eye contact can cause a number of symptoms. This is the reason the Dragon Shrine Elders regulate the distribution of dragon-types so strictly, and ensuring that only low-level dragons are allowed outside the control of certified Dragon Masters. Depending on the individual dragon, the symptoms can be different, but fear and petrification are among the more common ones. Powerful trainers and high-level pokemon are less afflicted by this, but the stronger the dragon, the harder it gets to resist. I've even heard that some people who face Lance, the Champion, end up paralyzed when he brings out his Dragonite just by looking at it. What that indicates about your level, being able to stare a gym leader halfway to death... Well, never mind. My point is, Fluttershy, as a dragon-type you must handle your power responsibly."
Fluttershy mouthed words, but couldn't speak. Her memories were shuffling like five decks of cards, and she couldn't make sense of any of them - much less understand what the human had just told her. Everything she had ever known seemed to be careening down a slippery slope of lies, and nothing made any sense to her mind.
I'm...a dragon?
-/-/-/
Jasmine eyed Fluttershy as she yet again wandered off to the side of the room, mumbling to herself. That was a revelation none of them had expected, to be sure. She definitely didn't look anything like a dragon-type, from what she knew of them.
What was more impressive, however, was the little display Ethan had put on. Though Amphy had returned to the top of her mind now that the immediate crisis seemed to be over, she managed to suppress the urge to throw everything aside for the sake of her friend. There were things she just had to know about this boy.
"Well, you've certainly done your work, 'field research assistant'. I didn't expect you to be so knowledgeable, even on obscure things like this. I'm impressed. Well done, Ethan."
The boy blushed slightly, waving the pokedex about. "It's thanks to this thing, really. While she was telling her story I looked up various incidents similar to what you described, and aside from freak incidents with Arboks they all pointed towards dragon-types being involved, and from there on I just kept going. The thing is, the pokedex gives me access to every published research document in the known world, along with just about every piece of League data there is. I can look up trainer behavior statistics, migration patterns, evolution mechanics, anything I want. If the human race has made a paper on it, I can find it in here. There are records of every gym battle you've done. I know people tell me I'm a good trainer regardless, but I would never have gotten half as good as I am without this thing."
The mention of her gym leader duties reminded her of the boy's earlier words, and she shook her head. "I'm sorry, Ethan. I know you want to challenge me, but with Amphy like this... I can't bring myself to battle. I can't focus. I keep thinking about her all the time no matter where I am, and how she's..."
She clenched her eyes shut before the tears could start flowing again, and hid her head in her hands. Much to her surprise, two thin arms wrapped themselves around her, and a small hand ran through her hair soothingly. "Don't worry. That's why I came here, Jasmine. I know what to do."
Jasmine gaped and stumbled backwards for a bit, looking into Ethan's eyes. He'd taken his glasses off, and had a confident, reassuring look on his face. Her first thought was that he'd be in danger if Fluttershy came back, but she quickly shoved that aside. "Wha- there's a cure!? Where? How? The pokemon center doctors couldn't do anything! What are you-"
Ethan interrupted her, placing a finger against her lips, before gesturing toward his device. "Every single research document published by mankind, remember? When I first heard of your problem, I started looking up on rare diseases among pokemon, electric-types specifically. I quickly discovered a series of documents written by one Tua Huo, a pharmacist based in Cianwood. They detail various treatments he's done for different pokemon, as well as the properties of a certain medicine he calls the Secret Potion. I looked up some other files mentioning that name, and there are reports of the Secret Potion curing just about anything. It's very strong, and can only be used on high-level pokemon, from what I can tell - the cases where it's been prescribed to humans or unevolved pokemon invariably end in their deaths - but Ampharos is a fully evolved pokemon, and Amphy is a fairly strong one from what I can tell. Anyway, I can go to Cianwood and get that medicine for you. I can challenge Chuck while I'm there, too, so don't worry about me wasting the journey."
Jasmine was speechless. Time and time again she'd been told this was a hopeless case, that her only friend was only waiting to die and there was nothing anyone could do about it. Day after day that thought had entrenched itself in her mind, spiraling her deeper and deeper into her despair. And now...
Hope.
"I'm... I'm..." She couldn't get the words out, and struggled to keep her tears back. She shook herself, and grabbed Ethan by the shoulders. "Thank you, Ethan. I didn't... I thought it was over. I..." The wetness on her cheeks drew her attention, and she brushed the tears away with her hands, sniveling. "Please. Go to Cianwood for me. I... I'll wait here with Amphy. I have to... take care of her." Her cheeks were matted with tears and red in embarrassment, but she looked Ethan in the eyes. He smiled back, nodding, and she couldn't help but laugh a bit. She couldn't believe any of this. This was a miracle, through and through, and this little boy was its messenger. It was impossible, and she laughed because of it. Impossible or not, she would have her friend back. She had won.
"Um. Ethan? Can I, um, come with you?"
Hearing Fluttershy, the boy struggled to get his glasses back on before turning around to meet her eyes. Jasmine wiped her cheeks and righted her own back in place, but she really wasn't thinking much at the moment.
"I know I can't do anything for poor Amphy on my own, but if you're traveling off to find a medicine for her, I just have to come with you. I must! I, um, if that's okay with you, I mean. Oh, but I'd really, really like to help. Oh, and maybe that machine of yours could help me find my friends? I'd really, really like to go with you."
Ethan smiled, nodding. "Of course you can come, Fluttershy. If nothing else, I'm very interested in you as well, both as a trainer and as a researcher. Besides, I figure it's better if you don't stay with the girl you, well, you know. I'd be happy to have you with me, Fluttershy."
Jasmine heard, but didn't really listen. She walked over to the now sleeping Amphy, and started gently stroking her neck. "Did you hear, Amphy? They're going to get medicine for you. It's going to be alright. Everything is going to be fine again, Amphy."
The snoozing pokemon shifted slightly at her touch, but Jasmine's familiar scent calmed her again. The gentle motions of her breathing, shallow as it was, soothed the turmoil in Jasmine's heart like nothing else. She sat down beside her oldest friend, and gave a look to the boy she thought maybe was her newest. She blushed a bit, but smiled nonetheless. Even if he was just a boy, he was still pretty cute. Besides, she wasn't that much older than him.
Everything is going to be fine.
"Paloo," Amphy murmured in her sleep, and Jasmine could only agree. |
Master | Chapter 6 - Sword, Spear, Seer, Sovereign | Chapter 6 - Sword, Spear, Seer, Sovereign
"Kingdra, Hyper Beam!"
A gout of blinding white energy erupted from the aquatic dragon's snout and washed across the battlefield, striking her opponent's Charmeleon head on. It had already been weakened by her previous attacks and she was fairly sure she could've taken it out with far less effort if she'd wanted to, but that wasn't how she did things. She - and her pokemon - liked to make an impression. A deep impression. Just to make sure nobody else started doubting her position as head of the Johto gym leaders. People had to be reminded once in a while, after all; that much was quite evident from the events of this last week.
"Charmeleon is unable to battle! Challenger Allen is out of pokemon! Gym leader Clair is the victor!"
The announcer's voice boomed through the gym's arena, and cheers echoed from the crowd that, despite the early hour, filled most of the balconies surrounding the central platform. Clair swept her long blue ponytail to the side - it always tended to get in the way, but she hadn't the heart in her to cut it off - and flourished her cape. "Kingdra, return."
Her opponent stepped down from the platform opposite hers, carefully mounting the narrow staircase suspended over the lava lake beneath them, making his way down to the central platform with obvious nervousness in his steps. Clair had no such qualms with her workplace and home, and simply sprung into the air with her cape spreading wide in the air behind her. A few of the first-timers in the crowd, young children and visitors to Blackthorn in particular, gasped in fear as she left the relative safety of her platform to hover above the mass of burning metal and stone, but the regulars didn't bother. She leaped from her own platform to the central one effortlessly, crouching down as she landed with a barely audible grunt escaping her lips.
Flourishing her cape as she rose, she walked up to the defeated challenger hovering over his fainted pokemon. "Well? Do you have anything to say?" By all accounts Clair was a tall woman; she managed to loom over him fairly well.
To his credit Allen didn't fluster or lose his head, all smirk again now that he was safe from any lava pit hazard. Then again, that level of professionalism was the least you could expect from an Ace Trainer, even one with his mediocre level of skill. "Fine, then. Looks like I was wrong about you being a pushover."
The pretty-faced brat had no chance of dodging the right hook she slugged at his smirk, and she stomped up toward him where he lay toppled to the floor. "That's not what I fucking meant, and you know it!" She grabbed him by the collar and pulled him up, eyes alight with rage. "I get the whole ace attitude thing a lot from you shitheads, and I honestly don't really care. But accusing me of cheating? Accusing the elder and even my cousin, who is completely fucking unrelated to this, of bloody nepotism to keep control of the gym? Who the fuck do you think you are!? Well? You imagining a worthless trainer like yourself as the next Blue Motherfucking Oak, are you? Quit dreaming, you rat!"
The cheers had mostly died down, but an air of agreement enveloped the crowd. The beat-up challenger hadn't exactly been subtle in his slander when he came to town, and Blackthorn wasn't exactly rich on people with that sort of sentiments. The Dragon clan had built the city centuries ago, and a good part of its inhabitants were actually members of the clan itself, distant or not. The only people with sentiments against Lance were probably Team Rocket or other shady elements - that in itself said something about what sort of company the shithead lying panting on the floor must be keeping.
He might just be really damn jealous, I suppose. Ace trainers get like that sometimes with people they can't surpass.
"You oughta be thankful we don't deal justice the way your associates do, Allen. I haven't fed the Slugmas in a while." She released her grip, and Allen scurried away from her, rage battling fear in his eyes. She flourished her cape again and walked toward the rear exit, eying the assistant trainer that had been overseeing the match. "Put him on Route 45, Mike. Maybe a nice, long walk can give him some time to rinse that skull of his. And I don't want to see him in the city ever again, you hear?"
Mike gave her a quiet nod and went up to the defeated trainer, hoisting him to his legs without care for his newly acquired hurts. "I hope you've got a few Revives, 'cuz our pokemon center doesn't serve scum like you..."
The rest of his rant was cut off as the gym's back door closed behind her, and after taking a few steps she sunk down to the ground, leaning against the wall and hiding her face in her hands. What the hell am I doing... She shook her head and lowered her fingers a bit, just about revealing the watery path to the Dragon's Den to her eyes. The townsfolk are all and well, but I'll get my gym leader seat revoked if I keep doing stunts like this...and nevermind that, the Elder might even decide I'm not worthy of using Dragon-types anymore! Man, what the fuck am I supposed to do...
The watery blue was suddenly obscured by a mass of spiky red hair leaning down toward her. "Trouble, cousin?"
Clair let out a surprised squeak - much to her embarrassment - and tried to back herself through the wall, struggling to put some distance between her own face and the one belonging to the only person in the world she couldn't keep her calm around. "L-Lance! What are you doing here?" Her cheeks were burning - he was the last person she wished to see her like this - but at least she managed to keep herself from blubbering random nonsense this time. That was an incident she did not wish to repeat.
Thankfully Lance backed off a bit, flourishing his cape - man, he is so much better than me at doing that - as he straightened up. "Well, I was going to investigate some strange rumors over in the Mahogany district, but I stopped by here on the way from Indigo Plateau and heard, well, some even stranger ones..." He scratched his head, growing a concerned frown on his face. "Clair, honestly. Who did you antagonize this time? You know what I've been telling you about making enemies. Why do you keep giving grandfather so many reasons to hold against you?"
Clair scrambled to her legs, all of her cool gone with the wind. "I didn't antagonize anyone! He started it! I have no idea why, but he just waltzed into the city and started behaving like some bloody...dissident! And don't bring the Elder into this!"
Lance burst into laughter, and Clair's face felt like fire again. "A dissident! Really, girl, did you become a politician while I weren't watching? Or," he leaned close, brandishing a conspiratory grin, "is it perhaps you who's been leading the resurrected Team Rocket from the shadows, dear cousin?"
Clair blinked several times, still flushed crimson, before turning her head away with a sniff. "So that's why you're here. Don't you ever get to do anything fun as the Champion?"
She was about to back away when Lance put a finger to her forehead, spinning her head back around to face him. Much to her annoyance, the concerned frown was back. That face doesn't fit him. It makes him look old. Disregarding the fact that he in fact was several years older than herself, her traitorous cheeks flared up again, competing with Lance's hair for colour. She squirmed uncomfortably under his gaze. Those eyes of his are so...so...
She couldn't finish that thought.
"Hey, Clair. Sure, that's why I'm in Johto, but that's not why I'm here. Sure, saving the world is important, but making sure you don't thrust yourself into misery is even more so. If Johto gets taken over, we can just take it back. You, there's only one of."
She felt like she'd fallen into the gym's lava lake.
Later - she couldn't tell how long it had been, her mind had been too busy to keep track of time - Lance spread his cape out on the ground and sat down. "So. What did you do to the guy?"
At some point Clair had sunk down to the ground herself. She still felt like all the dragons in Blackthorn were raging across her skin, but at least she was conscious. I have to do something about this stupid issue, she grumbled to herself. "N-nothing at all!" she said out loud, gesturing. "I mean, well, I-I kind of beat the crap out of him after the match...but that was just now! I didn't do anything to make him start spreading those rumors! Really! And he deserved a good beating - at least! - for those things he said. It wasn't my fault, Lance!"
I need to get a hold of myself. This is embarrassing! What if someone else saw me behaving like this? What if-
Lance grabbed her by the shoulders and leaned close to her, and her mind went blank once again.
An eternity seemed to pass - his face only centimeters from hers, his warm mint-scented breath blowing across her cheeks, his eyes like endless wells of wisdom threatening to drown her - before he spoke up. "I know you're feeling troubled by this, Clair. Don't try to deny it. As a gym leader - as a public person - you'll have to get used to it, but I know it can be tough. It took many years for me to get used to being the Champion, and all that it entitles."
He leaned back a bit, and the Dragonair wrapped around her chest eased up the pressure just a little. "And before it grew on me, I paid frequent visits to the shrine to calm my mind, to find myself. I'm sure Grandfather will be happy to help you with this, as well."
He rose, cape swirling in a sudden gust of wind. "So, shall we?"
He extended a hand toward her, and it was all she could do to nod and follow as he pulled her to her feet. It was all she could do to not faint just because they were holding hands. It was all she could...
I really need to get a hold of myself, Clair thought, barely registering the fact that Lance's Gyarados was carrying them across the water, closing in on the entrance to the Dragon's Den at a modest pace. If this keeps going any longer, I'm really going to lose my mind.
-/-/-/
Princess Flame spread her burning wings to slow her descent, approaching the snow-covered mountain like a solitary flicker of warmth. The round peak had a circular hole in it, much like a volcano's crater, but it was noticeably devoid of any lava. Which honestly was all fine with her. For one she'd made that hole herself to have easy access to her nest, and secondly she'd never really liked that much heat in one place anyway. Paradoxical as it was, Princess Flame had always preferred the cold over the warmth. I get enough of that just from existing, anyway.
Regrettably she hadn't the stamina to stay in the snow forever, and she always felt decidedly weak when she woke after sleeping a night in its welcoming embrace. So while her siblings had established themselves in the very loci of their respective elements, she had struggled to find somewhere that was cold enough to satisfy her, but not so much that it was threatening. Finally, she had found this peak only months ago, with only its silent guardian to possibly bother her - which, much according to his nature, didn't happen - and she had finally settled down after years and years of searching. Thinking back on it made her feel almost grown-up.
The silent guardian remained where he was, only barely acknowledging her presence before resuming his vigil. His red-cheeked companion gave her a slightly longer look, which she answered with one of her own before the mountain swallowed her. A shiver in her spine rose, and she had to fight to force it back down. It is hard to accept, a Dweller like him... That the humans have so much power, even if it is just one of them, does not bode well. Even if he has proven himself worthy.
She'd met the guardian twice previous to taking up residence on this mountain. Once in her old nest in the caves of "Victory Road" as the humans called it, where he'd rudely awoken her from her sleep by straying too far off the usual path. She'd tried to chase him off, but the power of the Beasts serving him had managed to overpower her, and she'd been forced to flee and abandon her nest altogether. The second time had been in the southern islands, when he'd managed to interrupt her sacred meeting with her sister, climbing up the mountain they were on for some reason or other. In a bout of sheer fury at the Dweller's impunity of impeaching on her time with her dear sister, she'd chased him off.
He was a curious creature, to say the least, and Flame thought of him often when she lacked other things to do. What drives a Dweller to wander so in the first place? Is it not against their nature? Her brother had never managed come up with an explanation for that, despite all he'd learned of the humans from observing their machines with his ability. To him it was an insult to his power - like just about everything else - but to her it was a quite worrisome development. After all, if they could not depend on the Dwellers staying in their dwellings, what could they depend on?
In contrast to their earlier encounters, she had simply stumbled upon the guardian by chance two weeks after settling into her new nest. She had been circling the peak, observing the patterns of the wind, when she'd spotted him at one of the outcrops, sitting by a crude construction that was obviously his attempt at building his own dwelling - it was definitely not one of those tent things her brother had described to her. Yet however crude it was, it still meant that this was the guardian's nest. She hadn't been willing to risk her own yet again by trying to chase him off, and evidently neither had he. Since then they'd gone from caution to grudging mutual respect and quiet acceptance, and aside from the implications his presence had, she was not bothered by it anymore. Besides, her duties were far more important than dealing with one single human, even if he was the silent guardian.
Flame flared her wings as her claws touched down on the rocky bottom of her nest. As she landed she felt exhaustion coming on hard, and she shook her head, spraying white-hot sparks all around her. I need to rest. She walked over to a small stream of water and lowered her beak to drink, but had barely swallowed once before she noticed something gravely wrong.
A tiny ball of purple and green that had slipped her notice uncurled itself, revealing a creature unlike anything she'd seen before. That part was not very important, however. By the King's breath, there is a Beast in my nest.
A few moments passed by with her simply staring at the thing, unable to believe what was happening. Then, she snapped. "You insolent creature! How dare you encroach upon the territory of your Sovereign!? You shall feel my wrath, cur!" A gout of flame wide as her wingspan filled the cave, enveloping the Beast in its fiery might. It burned, it fell, it twitched...
And then stood right back up, as if nothing had happened.
Well, that was probably quite an overstatement - it was still quite singed, with several of its scales now charred black, and it was chattering and gesturing in wild panic - but for all intents and purposes, all of her might had not managed to do more than frighten the creature. Of all she knew of the Beasts and their multitude of shapes, only one kind of them could manage to withstand something like this.
A rogue drakechild. Just what I needed.
Luckily, however, an idea quickly sprung up in her mind to replace the obviously bad alternative of pecking it to pieces and having to clean the entire nest out again, not to mention the disgusting taste in her beak such practice always brought with it. With her flaring rage letting her ignore the mounting exhaustion as much as she liked, she flared her wings again and took off, grasping the drakechild in her claws. Paying no heed to its cries and whimpers she ascended, drawing deep on her powers as she neared the exit.
Cresting the peak, she grasped hold of the wind. With a howl matching her own furious screech it ripped the drakechild out of her talons, carrying it toward the northwest.
Somewhere in the back of her mind a nagging thought tried to get her attention, but after all that she was all too tired to think of why she hadn't understood the drakechild's cries. She needed rest, and went down to fulfill that need as soon as the drakechild was out of her sight.
After all, there was no saying when the silent guardian might decide he wanted this mountain for himself, and if that happened she needed to be ready for all of his might, with all of her own.
-/-/-/
Clair had been meditating for several hours when she sensed a disturbance in the immense lake surrounding the underground shrine. She opened her eyes and looked at the Elder who was sitting next to her, like he had for the entire time they'd been there. "I felt something, something strange. It's here."
The Elder frowned at her, and scratched his beard. "Is that so? I did not..." Clair was about to retort, but he shook his head in apology. "No, that was not how I meant. You have been meditating this entire time, so you are likely more in tune with the shrine than I am right now. If it was something, then it is likely something small. Are you sure you wish to interrupt your training for something that may well turn out to be entirely inconsequential, or even impossible to find at all?"
Clair opened her mouth hastily, but closed it again, thinking about how the disturbance had felt to her. Is it worth it? No matter how much she tried to convince herself otherwise, however, she could not reach any other answer. "Yes, Elder. I apologize, but this disturbance is..." She grasped for words for a moment. "It must be important. It cannot possibly not be, with how it felt. I must go now, before I lose track of it. Like you said, the lake is large, and I do not wish it to be impossible to find. Tell Lance he can join me if he wishes."
She almost gasped when those last words came out of her mouth - where did that come from? - but luckily she barely held it back, instead stalking out of the shrine with heavy steps. She just about remembered to not tear the door open with all her force, instead pushing it to the side as gently as she could manage; well out, she raised a hand to her mouth and whistled once. "Dragonair, come!"
Her companion rose quietly from the rippling blue waters of the lake, and she climbed onto its slim back with practiced ease. Whatever it was that had caused this disturbance, she would find it. She had to.
And hopefully she'd manage to do so before Lance caught up to her, and made her start going crazy again. Why the hell did I say that? Why?
Suppressing her stray thoughts she let Dragonair carry her into the murky darkness of the Dragon's Den, and she focused on the strange feeling of direction still ringing in her head, pointing toward the disturbance like a shining arrow that only she could see. Please, let me find it. I have to find it. I have to. |
Master | Chapter 7 - Dragon's Rage | Chapter 7 - Dragon's Rage
Spike was floating.
He wasn't quite sure where he was, how he'd arrived or how long he'd been there. Everything from the last hour or so was...
Just a blur.
Sharp shivers rose from his tail and through his spine; his body's way of telling him he wasn't quite dead yet, but might end up so if he didn't do something drastic. He remembered having those shivers before. Once, when encountering an enraged, giant dragon in the Everfree Forest, all on his own. Another time, when he was falling through the sky with Rarity, plummeting toward the earth together at breakneck speeds.
Both times he had been dead certain that he was about to die; only dumb luck and Twilight's intervention had saved him from the dragon, and dumb luck and Rainbow Dash (with some help from Fluttershy and a purple scarf, but mostly Rainbow) had gotten him alive out of the fall.
He didn't know where he was now, but it sure didn't seem like any ponies were around - this fourth time around, he was on his own.
Wait. Fourth? What happened to the thir-
In an instant, memory flashed by his mind's eye. A fall, fortunately broken by a small spring of water. A cave, lit with strange red light. A bird, much like a monstrous, enormous version of his own phoenix Peewee, roaring like a furnace and spitting fire like a dragon, and his deathly shivers rising like never before. Except its fire wasn't actual dragonfire, so he avoided being roasted completely by virtue of his draconic skin. Then, choking. Blood rising in his head, breath giving, ribcage crackling, vision failing, and then...
I remember wind. The ground rushing by, before vanishing. Clouds... That, at least, stuck out. I must've been sent flying, somehow. I can't even remember landing... I must've lost consciousness before that. That's a long way to fly.
His chest hurt, but the fact that he was perceiving the pain of his - probably - broken ribs meant that he was starting to return to his senses, bit by bit. He tried to gather what wits and sensations he could find, and immediately found something he hadn't been looking for.
Eugh.
The foul taste of soot laid heavy in his mouth, something no dragon could stand. Soot was, to dragons, not much different from excrement. It was an unneeded byproduct of firebreathing and various reactions in their body, it had a foul stench and an even worse taste, it looked worse still, and it always managed to creep in between your scales and your wings and your plates and-
Spike stopped that train of thought, warning bells going off in his head. How did I know that? He coughed up a small ball of black ash and spit it out in an instinctive reaction to the foul substance's presence in his throat, much like he had ever since he'd struck his first sparks. Yes, he had always thought it smelled bad, tasted bad and was annoying in general, but that entire rant had just sounded...
Way too detailed. Like something Twilight would say.
"Twilight," he mouthed.
Immediately his own worries evaporated, and were replaced by an enormous gnawing fear for his surrogate sister and her friends. Something went wrong with Twilight's spell. Something appeared. I saw it. Then everything went bright and everyone disappeared, and I ended up-
He opened his eyes wide. His first thought was that he should not possibly be able to breathe - the way the faint light above him wavered and angled about meant he was without a doubt underwater. He could feel himself floating about, and he was definitely not breaching the surface anywhere; still, he was breathing. Or at least he was pretty sure he had been; the moment he'd realized he was completely submerged, he'd shut his mouth tight and started holding his breath.
At least, he thought he was holding his breath.
But if I've been breathing down here, does that mean...
His claws went to his clenched mouth, and he tried to feel if there was anything different about it. I mean, I might've magically sprouted a pair of gills, that would make sense. Well, okay, about as much sense as Pinkie sense, but at least it's something.
Alas, there were no new body parts or other unfamiliar things to be found on his head, and he let out a sigh before he could stop himself. The next moment, he made a rather shocking observation.
There were no bubbles.
I definitely sighed, but there wasn't a single bubble. I'm underwater, and I don't make bubbles when I sigh.
Huh.
Just to make sure, he opened his mouth, and repeated that last thought out loud.
"Huh."
There were no bubbles this time either.
Spike frowned a bit, before gathering his resolve and trying to think of something he could say to Twilight when he eventually had to explain himself - breathing underwater was probably pretty high on her list of "things that are just stupid and you shouldn't do, and that's that", or whatever name she had for the thing. And surprised himself when he realized there was a perfectly valid reason for him to do what he was about to do.
As a certain magical unicorn would say: For science.
He closed his eyes, and breathed in.
Water rushed down his throat, but he didn't choke - the only real difference he felt from breathing air was that this was significantly slower, really - and as it reached his lungs, he felt a strange feeling of warmth in his chest. Strange, but not uncomfortable. Like the lukewarm heat of a lava lake the sensation ran through his veins, spreading through his body at a leisurely pace.
It reached his legs, and somehow, he felt stronger.
It reached his claws, and he felt muscles in places he'd never thought he had them.
It reached his back, and a sharp, intense vibration spread through his spine, somehow making strange tones ring in his ears; tones that rang in terrible dissonance, of wrongness with itself.
Like the slowest fire he had ever breathed, the feeling reached up to his throat, his neck, his face, his eyes, his head...
The sensation of warmness seeped into his brain, and he saw. He felt. He heard. He knew.
He knew everything; and never before had he felt so lost, so alone, so terribly wrong. Never in his entire life.
-/-/-/
Without warning, the air around her erupted with sound.
Clair cringed as an awful wail echoed through the cave, flattening herself against her Dragonair's body and holding it in a death grip brought on by sheer primal terror. For a number of seconds her mind was blank, every thought of investigating the mysteries of the Den washed away by a horror she could barely imagine.
That death grip did manage to bring her out of her reverie, however. Being the command she normally used to order her mount to submerge, the serpentine dragon-type complied with haste. The result was Clair being swiftly dunked in the frigid waters of the Den's lake - which quickly brought clarity to her senses.
Well underwater, however, she could hear - and sense - the disturbance much more clearly than before. The Elder may not have approved of her mastery yet, but the first thing any dragon trainer was taught was to always be prepared for anything in her taming of the mighty, yet fickle beasts that were dragon-type pokemon.
Sudden underwater excursions included.
Resisting the urge to order her mount back up, she fumbled with one hand inside her suit for a bit before finding the breathing rod. Unclasping it from its holder, she put the device into her mouth, and resumed her breathing.
Clair tapped Dragonair's side with two fingers, and she immediately shone up the orb on her neck with a bluish light. Following the pulses and the sound of the disturbance, the pair navigated their way closer to its source, Clair trying to ignore the biting cold best as she could.
Fortunately, thanks to her speedy mount the search did not take too long. In a far end of one of the Den's underwater cavelets, she spotted a purple-green form; unfamiliar, yet obviously draconic in nature. Its wingless shape had not the serpentine grace of the less evolved dragon-types, but the sturdy bluntness of their final forms. Confusing, seeing as it was not even half her height.
She motioned Dragonair for a cautious approach, and her mount slowed instantly. There was no intermediary period of moderate speed, or even any sensation of being thrown forward as her momentum changed; all she could tell was that the rocky walls of the surrounding cave went from rushing past to sedately flowing by in the blink of an eye. That was simply how things were. Dragons did not always seem to abide by the laws of nature like most other creatures on the planet.
And the same was true for this specimen, apparently. As soon as she came near it, its tail perked up and it spun around, entirely sure-footed despite the fact that there was nothing but water under its clawed, stubby feet. Then, it roared.
Much like the primal, fearsome wail that had cut through the cave before, the sound was both terrifying and deafening; and this time, her mount was not exempt from it effects. Her Dragonair writhed and squirmed between her legs, and it was as much of a battle for Clair to keep control of herself as it was to keep control of her pokemon. She managed to keep the creature in her sight, however, and when the deafening sound eventually faded, she made a troublesome observation.
The tiny dragon was not so tiny anymore, and by the second, it was growing larger. Larger, and different. Wings were sprouting out of its back; its rounded, stubby scales were growing sharp and rough, and its claws were lengthening into enormous sword-like lengths of metal. Its hide turned from soft green to angry red; and anger indeed laid about the beast like a cloudy miasma, almost tangible in its presence.
Clair did not feel much of a need to elaborate her feelings on the subject, but found it quite sufficient with a short and succinct: Oh, fucking shit.
In an instant, the sense of tranquility brought on by her meditation was gone, replaced by a brief panic that she instantly crushed with her well-honed battle sense. Her strange connection to the shrine and its dragons vanished, but was replaced by an instinctive awareness of her surroundings. Suddenly she noticed the small, glimmering light that shone down from above, the strange cracks in the cavern walls around her, and that the water was very quickly becoming uncomfortably warm.
Clair despised cowards, but there was really nothing for her to accomplish here aside from getting slowly cooked to death, or worse. All things considered, it was time to get while the getting was moderate to bad, rather than catastrophic. So, with not much more than few mumbled curses that were quickly swallowed by the howling, writhing waters of the lake, she clung to Dragonair's backside once more and let the serpentine pokemon carry her to safety.
Temporary safety, at least. There was, after all, the matter of an enormous rampaging dragon to take care of.
-/-/-/
Rage broiled within Spike like wildfire.
He did not know why he was angry, or even what he was angry about; and in all honesty, he did not care a smidgen about reason at the moment. He was rage, its avatar and personification. Reason did not matter. Reason was weakness. Knowledge was power, but rage made knowledge irrelevant. Reason or knowledge did not make right. Power did.
So why did he still feel so very, very wrong?
He felt something move in the water behind him. He didn't know how - he didn't care. He spun around to face whatever manner of beast had approached him, and came to face with two. No, not two, his newly acquired knowledge corrected him. One Beast, and one Dweller. He knew these words, knew what they meant, somehow. But he didn't care. For a moment he struggled to grasp just what, exactly, he cared about.
He remembered.
"WHERE IS TWILIGHT!?"
The Beast squirmed under its rider, and the Dweller cowered in - he assumed - fear as well. Neither of them said a word, other than perhaps inarticulate moans that were quickly absorbed by the water around them.
So. He had failed. Even with all his rage, power and right, he had still failed. Even now, he was still wrong.
The roar died in his throat, and rage took its place. Nothing mattered anymore. Rage was everything.
His skin was iron. He didn't care.
His blood was the blood of the mountain. He didn't care.
On his back, two tiny stubs pierced his metal hide and became wings. He didn't care.
Spike the dragon grew, grew and grew, but it was not the same as it had been when he had been consumed by his greed. That time, his desire had turned his entire being into something less than he was, a guttural beast barely capable of remembering who it was, what it was.
This was different. He still knew, he still felt, he still remembered. He felt every difference, and he saw everything he did.
He knew. He just didn't care. Rage was everything.
His rising, metal-plated head reached the tiny dot of light above, the hole he'd made falling down into the lake. With as much subtlety as an erupting volcano, he smashed through the mountain, and kept growing. Meter by meter, rock came crashing down into the swirling waters of the lake around his legs, legs that were the size of a small house and still growing larger. He roared, and the mountain cracked open like a broken toy.
The afternoon sun blinded his eyes. He didn't care.
Stood where he was, half-buried in the mountain and half hidden by the rubble of the peak he had crushed going up, Spike howled his rage at the world like one angry god.
-/-/-/
The Dragon's Den was in uproar, like Lance had never seen it before. Its waters writhed with panicking pokemon of all sizes, and their anguished wails and cries reverberated throughout the normally so peaceful Shrine. Somewhere behind all that noise, though, he swore he could hear something else, too; something louder, deeper and more ominous in nature.
A deep frown creased his face as he regarded the disturbing scene before him. What have you done to this place, Clair? What did you find?
As if summoned by his thoughts, his cousin shot out of the water on her Dragonair like a cannonball riding a javelin. The serpentine pokemon stayed afloat in the air, in the mysterious way that only Dragonairs could; Clair slid off its side and landed on the rock of the Shrine's entrance with a wet sound, and was promptly followed by a small downpour as gravity claimed some of the water that had clung to her hair and clothing.
Well, mostly her hair, to be honest. Clair's outfit really did not allow for much water absorption. He had always thought it a bit promiscuous, but the girl had always been in a slight rebellion against the more conservative elements of the dragon clan. She had always greatly favored the water, as well, so he supposed it made sense for her to have what essentially was a glorified swimsuit with a cape as her everyday wear. It did make sense. But damn her if she didn't look more flamboyant as she was now - drenched to the bone, skin and fabric almost glittering in the cave's flickering torchlight - than she did when dry on land.
Like a fish and its scales, maybe.
Clair did not care much about the soaked state she was in, though; that much he could tell only from her expression. From the very first time she'd been in a battle, using the hatchling Dratini she'd been given by her father on her seventh birthday, she'd always worn that same face. Calm, determined, focused. Lance wished he could have had her composure, sometimes; he occasionally let his emotions get the better of him when faced with a particularly tough opponent. He seldom showed it nowadays - years of being the Champion had trained his poker face to perfection - but the emotions were there. He had control, but she had serenity. For that, he envied her. Sometimes.
"Lance. There's trouble. Big, enormous fucking trouble, and it's gonna bloody well boil the lake if we don't do something about it, and fast."
But the small frown she now wore on her face, the slight flustered blush on her cheeks, the tiny tinge of fear he could hear in her voice when she spoke up, even the foul language she used to try and mask it; all of this made Lance extremely worried, for his cousin did not fear her enemies. Had not, ever before, at least.
And if she did now...
Steel yourself, Champion. Now darker times are coming. Those had been the words of his aging predecessor, when they had spoken just after the Cerulean Incident a couple of years ago. He had doubted him, then - after all, what could possibly top that menace, in terms of sheer fearsomeness? Had they not just managed to defeat and dismantle Team Rocket, the single greatest threat to the safety of the Kanto-Johto region? Had they not just gained not only one, but two young trainers worthy of the Champion's mantle, as their allies?
A massive tremor shook the Shrine, and a wall of sound hit Lance like a fist of air. There was no time to think; he leaped into the air even as his Dragonite was materializing from its ball, and in the corner of his eye he saw Clair mount her own pokemon as well. No words were needed; nor would any that they said be heard. They soared through the vibrating air toward the exit, and took to the open skies.
Well outside, Lance was met by a disturbing sight. Blackthorn City was nested deep in the mountains, surrounded by fells low and high; he knew them all well, from the countless little escapades and adventures he'd made here as a child. Now, one of the peaks to the south - the Javelin - was simply gone, its spindly top torn from the landscape and turned to slag and gravel. In its place was an impossible shape, but one that nevertheless could only be one thing.
An enormous dragon, its shining red and purple scales glinting in the evening sun like a bloodstained dagger, was emerging from the ruins of the broken mountain like an oversized hatchling from its egg. Only its head and shoulders were visible, and they nearly matched the other mountaintops in size.
It was a behemoth. It was an avatar of rage. And out of its smoke-bellowing mouth flowed not red fire, but the scarlet burning iron blood of the planet itself. A volcanic tide, washing toward the fragile walls of the city itself with not so much as a smidgen of mercy.
At that moment, Lance was afraid. More so than he had been during the chaos of the Cerulean Incident; more so than he had been during his first, struggling battles against Team Rocket as a young boy; more so than he had been in his entire life. Terrified, and frozen in place atop the mount he had once thought to be among the mightiest of dragons.
Oh, how wrong he had been.
But I am the Champion, he told himself. Fear or not, the Champion must do what only the Champion can get done. I cannot back down from this, no matter how terrifying it may be.
His fear did not relent. If anything, the inevitability of his duty only made it greater - darker, more ominous, more primal. Sweat beaded on his forehead; his poker face was starting to slip. And that, more than most things in his life, was a slippery slope that was ever hard, near impossible, to climb back up.
Damnit, Lance! Look at Clair. She's almost ten years your junior, and she's taking this way better than you are. She's not even a certified Dragon Master! Never mind being Champion - isn't this exactly the sort of thing you're supposed to be good at? Get over there!
And without giving a single thought to his own building sense of panic, he urged his Dragonite straight toward the still-growing leviathan south of Blackthorn. Unsurprisingly, Clair followed, prompting Lance to let out an inaudible sigh.
Great. Now I have to not only solve the crisis and save the city - I have to do it in style, too.
And then, inexplicably, he smiled. Well. Go big or go home, I suppose.
With a part of him groaning at his newfound - and utterly terrible - sense of humor, the Champion of Indigo Plateau tore through the skies above Blackthorn like a red-streaked lance.
-/-/-/
The iron scales and spikes of his arm tore through the mountain like a knife through hot butter. Sparks flew around his body as he crawled out of the enormous mass of stone and gravel, striking his metal hide like hail. Magma flowed through his body like blood; the lava flows that rolled down toward the valley below was not as hot, but that hardly made much difference to its destructive power. He was a force of nature. He was his rage - and his rage was endless.
It didn't help.
He could feel it all slipping, deep down. The wrongness he had cast aside before was starting to make its presence known again, and he could not shut it out. He could not, because if he did, the storm of fire that was his fury would be swallowed whole by the dark, cold abyss that was churning below it.
It was a sea of despair, and Spike could not, for all his newfound power and strength, outrun his own heart with his mind.
He screamed - a terrible piercing sound, like a thousand eagles howling their wildest while someone was sharpening a hundred swords. He screamed, and found words.
"WHERE IS SHE!?"
And to his surprise, there came a strangely familiar answer.
"Who?"
For a moment Spike shuddered, as rage and despair both struggled to push aside his astonishment. Sure enough, there was a small, flapping figure in the distance, circling a nearby peak. It took him several moments to account for his new greater size, and realize that the figure was not much smaller than most of the full-grown dragons he had seen.
"Who?"
But the dragon did not move its mouth while speaking - instead, a much smaller creature straddling its back did. He could hardly believe he hadn't seen it right away; his depth perception was a bloody ruin. The creature raised its claws, cupping its mouth.
"Where is who?"
Clarity came to him, and immediately he felt his body tugging at him. He clung to his rage instinctively - as if his body knew something about this huge new form that he didn't - while trying to find words. It did not take much searching, however. Only one could possibly come out to answer that question. "TWILIGHT."
He did not scream, this time. Instead, it was a tired, teeth-clenched grumble that shook the air around him like a small earthquake. The smaller dragon struggled to stay aloft, and its rider had obvious difficulties hanging on as well. Eventually, though, the creature regained its balance, and once again raised its hands to shout. "I don't know who that is!"
Resignation bubbled below. Of course it doesn't know. There was no point to any of this. In the end, despite all this I am just as useless as I've always been. There's no point to anything. Desperately, he clung to the last sparks of his anger, fanning them without knowing how, struggling to escape the vast, churning ocean of hopelessness that spread out below him.
It's like flying the balloon, he realized. I'm flying a balloon, there's a hole in the top, and I'm trying to stay in the air by just turning up the fire.
"Listen! I don't know who you're looking for, but these lava flows are going to destroy our city if this goes on! If you don't stop, thousands are going to die!"
The fuel in his balloon went out, and he crashed in the sea of despair.
It was like someone pulling out the plug to a bathtub; he felt the fire in his blood sizzle and die out, while his body writhed and wilted like a burning piece of paper. It was not like the other time he had transformed back - this was, again, something different entirely. Bit by bit, iron became scaly skin, red became green, spikes retracted and every sharp feature on his body became blunt and rounded. All the while, the immense, horrible feeling of being pulled down remained, as his mind kept fighting its futile battle against the depths below it, struggling to the last to keep hold of the power it had only just gained, but already lost.
The churning depths did not care.
A minute later, Spike stood on a small, lonely rock in an enormous pit of gravel, crying like the lone, lost child he was. He felt more useless than ever before, because for a brief moment, he'd had power. For a short few minutes, he'd been strong. And despite that strength - no, because of it, even - all he had managed to accomplish was to threaten the total destruction of a city he'd never seen, while he was throwing a temper tantrum.
But more than anything, he felt small. So, so, small.
For in the end, without Twilight, that was all he was. Spike, the small, weak, useless dragon.
-/-/-/
"Well," Lance finally said to himself as the dragon vanished into the ground, "That was a lot easier than I'd expected."
Fear still bubbled inside him, but it was starting to die down bit by bit as his subconscious realized that yes, the threat was indeed gone. Too bad about the dragon, though. I've never seen any pokemon like that, or even close to that size, for that matter. An entirely new dragon-type would have been an amazing discovery, but if it comes at the price of all of Blackthorn, I think I can live without it.
He turned his mount around, and spotted Clair approaching him. His Dragonite was quite a bit faster than her Dragonair, and he'd had to get fairly close to the beast in order to speak with it. Speaking with a pokemon. No, a pokemon speaking back. The Dragon's Tongue is one thing, but it doesn't help much with the words themselves.
He sighed, shaking his head. Well, no use going further down that hole, now. He raised a hand toward his cousin as she quickly drew close. "Well, that's about it, I think. We should-"
Clair shot past him like a bullet, and it took a few seconds before he had his balance back. Riding a Dragonite was quite a bit harder than doing the same with a Dragonair - Dragon Master or not, there simply wasn't much to hold on to unless you used a saddle, and it was hardly possible to just straddle its enormously wide back like one could do with its pre-evolved form.
As so, Clair was well past him when he turned back around, descending toward the enormous hole in the ground that the dragon had vanished into. He thought for a few seconds about going after her, but only a few moments after she'd gone out of view she came back up, speeding toward him like an arrow of blue light.
Mostly blue, at least. Looking carefully, he could see she was holding something in her arms; something green, purple and...
Oh, bloody fucking hell, Lance thought as he turned his mount around and started off toward the Dragon's Den, with one more dragon than he'd brought with him in tow. |
Master | Chapter 8 - Connect the Dots | Chapter 8 - Connect the dots
Samuel Oak, pokemon professor extraordinaire, was a big fan of sleeping in. His bedroom was in the upper floors of his laboratory, but this was the first time he slept here in quite a while; he had been very busy with his little radio stint recently, and though it was quite fun, he'd started to realize the impact it had on his research. So, he'd kindly told the director of Goldenrod Radio that he'd be heading back to Kanto for a while, and the director, being an understanding man, hadn't had any problems with it. He felt a bit bad for leaving Mary - heavens, that lass was wonderful - alone with the task, but he was quite sure she'd manage. Being a DJ was hardly much compared to her past accomplishments, after all.
His sweet morning sleep was rudely interrupted, however, by the loud beeping noise of the phone downstairs ringing. He was tempted to ignore it, but he was well aware that the only people who had the number to his lab were his fellow researchers and assistants; most likely this would be something rather important.
"I haven't heard from Rowan in a while," he mumbled to himself as he sat up in his bed. "Some news from Sinnoh would be good for me, I think..." He stretched, yawning loudly, before finally getting out of bed and stepping into his slippers. "Kanto has been rather boring lately." He left his sleeping hat on.
By the time he shuffled down the stairs, the call had already terminated, and he stared blearily at the machine, debating if it was worth it to go back to sleep. He didn't have to make that choice, however, as the phone once again sprang to life the next second, and with a tired grunt he accepted the call.
"Hey, Gramps!"
Oak smiled. This was better than Rowan; he hadn't heard from his grandson in quite a while. "Oh, Blue! Been a while since I heard from you! How is life in Viridian? Are you getting used to the responsibilities of a gym leader? Managed to land any nice girl yet?" he added jokingly, very well aware that family building wasn't anywhere near the first thing on Blue's mind. He'd expected some sort of response to the provocation, though, and when his grandson simply ignored it and went ahead he was a fair bit surprised.
"Nevermind that. I think I've discovered a new pokemon species."
Oak's ears perked up. "A new species? Here in Kanto? Well, grandson, this is a surprise. What type is it? Do you have any good images for it, that I can upload into the pokedex database? How about-" He didn't get further than that, though, before his grandson cut him off.
"Geez, gramps! Why do you always get so excited about this kinda thing? I said, I think. I haven't been able to get a clear view of it - it always stays just out of sight, laughing at me from wherever it's hiding. It seems to know exactly where the gym's security cameras are, too. I've glimpsed something bright pink on the monitors, once or twice, but it's an elusive creature, whatever it is."
Seconds ago, Oak's hopes had been sky high - now, they came crashing down to the ground again, and the sleepy, cynical geezer part of him overtook the enthusiastic professor in a swift maneuver. He hadn't yet installed video transmitters on this phone - so far only the one in the lab was so equipped - but he still put on his most disapproving grandfatherly frown out of habit. "Blue, my boy...have you been experimenting with strange pills again? Or did you perhaps drink too much of a certain vividly green-colored liquor? Didn't I tell you-"
The boy on the other end of the line let out a frustrated groan, and terminated the call. Oak snorted - serves him right, waking me up this time of day for no reason - and stalked back upstairs, promptly slamming the door behind him and threw himself on the bed. Sleep did not wait long before claiming him again.
When he finally woke up again a few hours later, he felt greatly refreshed. He vaguely remembered the phone call from his grandson, but dismissed it from his memory - there was no reason to ruin a perfectly good morning with that sort of thing, now was there? - and let out a content yawn. Today, I think, is a good day to continue that study on pokemon usage in hazardous environments. He sauntered over to his computer, just to make sure nothing else was planned for today. Naturally there wasn't anything - after the whole stint with Goldenrod Radio, he was fairly good at schedules - but there were two unread mails in his inbox, his calendar told him. Slightly curious, he opened the mail client to see what they were about.
One, he archived right away. It was from Blue, and the subject read "Damnit gramps" - precisely the sort of thing he didn't want to deal with right now. If his favorite grandson was in fact in danger of acquiring a serious drug addiction, he would have something done about it, but not today - and definitely not in the morning.
The other, however, drew his interest. Violet City Gym - of all places in the world - was the sender, and the subject was, simply, "Urgent". Curious, he clicked it open.
Dear Professor Oak, it read.
I have made a strange, unexpected discovery this morning. I like to think myself something of an authority in my own field - flying-type pokemon, I mean - but I'd prefer to speak to someone more knowledgeable and experienced in pokemon research about this. Please give me a call as soon as possible.
/Falkner, Gym Leader of Violet City
Oak's curiosity did not need much more to grasp at. He threw on his labcoat in a haste, and made his way off to the laboratory.
-/-/-/
Falkner's hunch had been right.
The pokemon he'd captured out in the field didn't exist in any of the databases of known species he'd checked; he'd even looked through incomplete databases from foreign regions like Hoenn just in case, without any result. Whatever this pokemon was, it was something new.
And in all honesty, once that much was clear to him Falkner had no idea of what he was supposed to do with it. There were proper authorities on matters like this in the region, and Falkner was definitely not one of them. He was a trainer and gym leader, not a researcher! So without further ado, he had decided to contact the one researcher he knew by name - well, fame, mostly - and who by all virtues should be qualified enough to figure out a proper course of action. The man had written and compiled most of the data for the modern Pokedex system, after all. How could he possibly not be?
And yet, Falkner hesitated, fingering with the console of his videophone. Unlike the simple line of text of his mail client, beside Professor Oak's name in the number list was a small image of the man. He was wearing a white labcoat and a big smile that wrinkled his already lined face further, but even so it managed to make him look decidedly much softer than he'd expected. It wasn't an image he was used to seeing. Not because he was unfamiliar with the man; rather the direct opposite. Instead of the carefree white-haired scientist he saw in the viewscreen, his own mental image of Samuel Oak was the one he'd memorized from his youth; a brown-haired, tan figure in a very utilitarian outfit, wearing a serious, thoughtful expression.
Not that he'd ever seen him that way, of course - in fact, he'd never seen the man in the flesh at all. But he was there, just so, on the old, faded picture that Falkner had from his father's inauguration as a Gym Leader. It'd been taken some twenty years ago, before Falkner had even been born, but he'd spent untold hours looking at it as a young impressionable boy, memorizing every little detail. Even so, he couldn't help but produce the faded frame from his desk and place it just beside the viewscreen. Comparing them side by side that way felt...right, somehow.
His father Walker stood with a nervous smile on his youthful face, sharing a cautious fist-bump with a considerably slimmer and less balding Chuck. Pryce wasn't all that different, except that his cane was missing, and his hair was a paling blonde instead of white all through.
The younger crop of Johto's current gymleaders shone with their absence in the picture as well. Kurt, the old ball-maker of Azalea, stood in Bugsy's place with a big smirk on his face and none of the age-curved back he had now. Jasmine's replacement was Preston, the old grim of the Lighthouse; and though the resemblance was uncanny enough that an untrained eye might have thought it was the same person, it was in fact Goldenrod's resident radio girl Mary that filled Whitney's spot.
Perhaps even more surprising were the Blackthorn and Ecruteak gym leaders. In Morty's place stood a beautiful, motherly blonde in a crimson dress. He wouldn't have minded, if not for one little detail - namely the little line of text identifying her as Agatha, past and future haunting hag of the Elite Four. The circumstances of the thing were rather humorous; she had lost a bet against the Champion, and been forced to serve as temporary Gym Leader AND mentor to Morty, until the young prodigy grew old and skilled enough to take over the post. From what he'd heard from the student himself, she had been a rather ruthless teacher, with a fearsome temper - and from what he'd heard from the other Elite Four members recently, nobody knew or wanted to know why she'd disappeared two years ago, or why. If her reputation was even remotely close to well-deserved, there probably wasn't anyone who did at all.
In place of Clair stood - on a chair - a short, freckled redhead boy. Dressed in all black and a cape that was way too long for him, wearing the best stone-faced expression he could manage - which, with him being barely ten years old at the time, wasn't saying much - Lance tried, as always, to make up for his companions' silly behavior. There had been plenty of opposition around the country to the Dragon Clan's appointment of a gym leader who wasn't even old enough to be allowed to compete in official League matches; until Lance had started absolutely facerolling every single opponent who dared challenge him, that was. The Dragon Clan's sages had foretold his rise to greatness from a very early age, and Falkner had to admit that their predictions had been quite accurate. Lance had come very close to breaking the League record of longest undefeated streak as a champion set by his predecessor, and only said predecessor's grandson managing to score a timely victory against him had prevented that.
In the middle of the rambunctious crowd stood, as a single pillar of stoic determination, Samuel Oak. Even to this day the Elite Four seldom spent much time on official duties, but the Champion had always been the League's poster face. So there he was, a sore thumb of seriousness in the gym leaders' merriment; an oak among willows in the wind.
He'd always thought that name was very fitting for him, and always thought the old champion was the one man he'd turn to if he ever needed help with something far beyond his own power. Now, he looked at the soft, carefree face in the viewscreen, and he couldn't help but fell a certain measure of doubt.
Could this man really be as helpful as he hoped he could?
However, it didn't take too many moments for Falkner to realize that his options, outside of the one he was looking at right now, were rather limited. Besides, no harm would come from trying, right?
At that moment, the choice was taken from him, as the videophone burst to life with an incoming call. Well, I did ask him to call, I suppose, Falkner thought with a sigh. Quelling his doubts best he could, he shook his head and accepted the call.
-/-/-/
Mmnh...
A dull ache was the first thing that penetrated the placid space - like someone throwing a rock into a pond, the world rippled in its wake and stirred up whirls and eddies of brief activity. Much too brief to live any longer, though; within moments they were gone, and everything was once more a uniform world of nothingness.
I...
Stray thoughts milled about carelessly. With the ripples past, calm and contained ruled like the mirror of the sea after days of lull; and were just as easily chased away when the first breezes came along.
What's...going on? Where am I?
The thoughts echoed across the empty space like shouts from a dragon's mouth, and the consciousness of Rainbow Dash - of course that was who she was - recoiled inwards. As if on cue with that realization, the world faded into a formless sea of red, and everything felt like it was shrinking. With her identity reclaimed, an instinct ingrained in the backbone of every pegasus flared up like a massive beacon in the tiny space, filling it to the brim.
Claustrophobia.
I'm trapped! I can't see the sky! I'm locked in! I need to get out!
She pushed, pushed, and pushed, ramming herself against every edge of her tiny prison faster and faster and faster until the world inside a world she was trapped in seemed like a single, red smear on her retinas.
I - need - too - get - OUT!
Something broke. The world flooded outwards, and she saw a brilliant, crimson light.
-/-/-/
"This is quite extraordinary, young man," Oak said through the terminal. "While of course there might be countless species yet to be discovered in the less civilized regions of the world, I always believed we had successfully managed to map the Kanto-Johto native pokemon to completion. There is no data whatsoever in the pokedex on this kind of creature - not even in legends or speculative research."
Well that's not going to help me very much, is it, Falkner fumed inside. However, he tried to keep his face as calm as possible as he spoke to the Champion turned scientist. "That was what I thought as well, considering I like to keep track of all discovered flying-types as well as I possibly can. But what do you suppose I should do with it? And what about the rest of its population?"
Oak sighed, shaking his head. "There's not really a standard procedure for this sort of thing, unfortunately. Most local species have been more or less known for hundreds of years, and even some of the more migratory of foreign variants have been well documented for some time. The Pokedex project mainly has served to standardize our data on them; as far as discovery of new species goes, there's really only one example in modern times to fall back on. Or, well, two, depending on if you count Mewtwo as a separate type from its genetic progenitor Mew, which seems to be the consensus among most researchers."
A chill entered Falkner's body and went right through his bones at the mention of that name. The Cerulean Incident and its perpetrator was not an old memory, and the powerlessness he had felt when faced with Mewtwo's might wasn't something he was likely to forget. Sure, he was stronger now, but hardly enough judging by how easily he'd been defeated by this, this...
What am I supposed to call it, anyway?
That was actually a valid question, now that he thought about it. He had been the one to discover it - thus he would get the rights to officially name the creature's species, no?
He was about to ask, but Oak had again taken advantage of his momentary hesitation and was forging on once more. "For certain, cloning is likely a rather bad idea in this case. Not that I would ever recommend it in any case at all, but still..."
He scratched his chin, before shaking his head. "You could attempt to breed the creature, of course - presuming it is indeed a female, as the data implies - though that would require you to properly train it first, and never mind finding a potential mate for it. Cross-species compatibility isn't very straightforward sometimes, and we don't have much of a clue of where we could find any others of its kind yet. I suppose that could be a first course of action. Train it, and see if you can get it to lead you to its nest. However, do not put it in all too much danger - ensuring the safety of the present population is vital for a situation like this, as well as making sure we don't get another, hrm, incident. Ah, of course, you have your gym leader duties as well, but..."
Oak dropped his sentence midway to stop and think, and frustration welled inside Falkner once again. Are all old people this slow? Before he could get any further, though, Oak raised a questioning finger. "Is that noise from your end or mine, Falkner? Did I leave the toaster on again...? No, that can't be it..."
Falkner frowned, wondering what the man was talking about - when he actually listened, however, he heard it. A shrill, insistent beep-beep-beep was sounding through the air, and with the youthful gift of unimpaired hearing he could easily determine it came from his side of the call. More precisely, the training prep room just behind him, where he had the new pokemon hooked up to a vitality scanner through its ball.
At least, it should have been inside its ball. From the sound of the insistent beeping, however, the overload alarm was being triggered - in which case there was a strong likelihood of that not being the case anymore.
As if on cue, just as he turned around to attend to the problem the distinct sound of a pokeball opening - being forced open - went through the air, and a blue blur swept by him at an impossible speed, leaving a brief rainbow trail in its wake.
And of course, this hadn't escaped Oak, either. Especially not since he was still receiving the - now empty - results from the scanner. "You used a standard ball, didn't you?" Falkner cursed, and spun around to run back to the prep room to gather his pokeballs; as well as the fugitive's vacant one. Oak's voice echoed through the room as he tore the machines open to retrieve his pokemon. "Do an aerial search! The scanner indicated it's part electric-type, so if you have any equipment for that, you might be able to track it! The rainbow contrail is probably some sort of electromagnetic field disruption - follow it if you can! You might find its nest if you can catch it a second time!"
The rest of the old ex-Champion's words were lost to the wind, as he rushed out of the front door and summoned Pidgeot from its ball. It hadn't had too much rest, but there wasn't time for that; and there wouldn't be much point in using it to battle either, seeing the results from last time. It would have to do.
"Pidgeot, Fly!" Still running as the pokemon materialized, he hopped onto its back the second it turned from a mesh of red light into an enormous bird. As they tore into the air he caught sight of the vanishing rainbow in the distance, but it was vanishing far too fast for him to be able to follow it, even with Pidgeot. Oak's words echoed - there was a time and place for everything, and while he didn't have any scanners to use here, he did have his own spin on how to hunt elusive prey.
"Natu, Murkrow! Use Pursuit through Future Sight!" His two smaller team members struggled somewhat to keep up with Pidgeot's speed, but Murkrow managed to get going after a few seconds, whereas Natu simply resolved to sitting on Falkner's head.
Combining the abilities of pokemon like this wasn't by any means very reliable, and very hard to pull off in the first place - he hadn't trained the pair too much for this, and it was a far cry from anything a proper piece of technology could manage. But again, he didn't have much choice at the moment. It would simply have to do. |
Master | Chapter 9 - Pair of Aces | Chapter 9 - Pair of Aces
Rainbow's heart was beating like the drums of a whole marching band as she fled the house. She wasn't entirely sure of what had happened; one second she had been beating the crap out of some cocky bird, and the next she had just fallen asleep. Vaguely, she remembered some kind of red light...
Wait, something said inside her, and she pulled to a stop, stuck in thought. The red light. I'm pretty sure I saw that before, too - when that blue bear-thing was doing stuff with those ball-widgets! Did he trap me inside one of those too?
She had never heard of any creatures that could stare a pony to sleep, but there were cockatrices who did worse; it wasn't unlikely by any stretch of the word. "So, I was stared to sleep, trapped inside some magic ball-thingy, and taken away..." Looking around a bit she could see the lake from before not too far off, and behind her lay a jumble of strange houses and roads. "To that bear-thing's cave. Town. Whatever. Either way, they cheated to beat me, so I still won! Nobody beats Rainbow Dash in the air!" She puffed her chest out a bit, feeling her self-confidence return - without it she couldn't succeed with anything, but with it she was unstoppable. She was Rainbow Dash!
She was of half a mind to stay there and go on for a while, but then she heard it again; that tiny voice inside her mind, saying, almost commanding her: Wait. Annoyed, she turned around, grumbling. "Wait for what, exactly?" She looked around her, and down towards the town, but didn't spot anything but a small flock of birds. A small flock of birds...one of which looked very familiar, and was carrying something large, blue and equally familiar on its back. And they were all making full speed toward her.
The cheaters thought they could get her again, did they?
"Ha! In your dreams, pigeons! You half-baked bunch of bird crackers, catch the Rainbow Dash? It AIN'T GONNA FLY!" With a final gesture their way, she spun about and beat her wings, setting off toward the mountains in a burst of speed that left her pursuers in the dust.
The landscape and the wind rushed past her. She was the ruler of the sky - the fastest pegasus in Equestria! - and wherever this weird place was, it didn't have anything that could match her in the air. After all the weirdness of that ball-prison or whatever it was, flying again felt good; she felt good. Was she flying faster than she usually did, or was it just her imagination? Heh, yeah, it probably is, she thought with a bashful grin. Most likely it was just the rush of breaking out of her prison - she counted that as beating those cheating mules a second time - and getting to fly again that she was taking her head.
She shook herself a bit, dipping slightly in altitude as she did. It wouldn't do to lose her cool in a place like this - wherever it might be - and in order for her to stay at her peak performance level, she needed naps. A brief look at the sun in the sky placed the time at an hour and some before midday; and unless you counted the time she'd spent stared to sleep and imprisoned, she hadn't had a single proper nap since waking up in the morning. In Rainbow Dash's eyes, that mean nap time was way overdue.
Before long she was approaching the first set of mountains, with forested foothills painted by rivers and waterfalls most everywhere. She chose a grove at random, and grabbed hold of a bit of cloud on her way down. Naps were important, after all, but just as important was having somewhere good to nap; and if the cheaters were still searching the airspace in the area for her, taking her usual spot of "the comfiest cloud couch around in the sky" would probably be a bad idea.
After a few seconds of scouting for a good place to put her impromptu bed, she decided on a decently covered spot behind a few bushes. Dragging the cloud with her down, she scooted it carefully into place, before diving into its fluffy embrace with gusto and falling asleep on the spot.
-/-/-/
Unfortunately, Falkner's plan had failed to bear fruit. He'd gotten his hopes up when he spotted the rainbow creature - which he really needed to come up with a name for - just hanging around in the sky, but before he could come close enough to aim the pokeball's return beam with any level of reliability, she spotted him. Spotted him, made a few taunting noises and gestures, and blazed off fast enough to leave an afterimage that remained for several seconds.
Aside from learning that the pokemon was faster than anything he'd ever seen before - up to and possibly including the test runs of the Magnet Train that was going to open between Kanto and Johto within a few weeks - and that she had an attitude problem the size of a Snorlax's belly, his excursion hadn't gained him much ground. Not yet, at least.
Luckily the rainbow afterimage had remained long enough for him to get a decent bearing on her course, and with the help of his own pokemon he had started to make his way toward the Dark Mountains with good speed.
At least, it was good speed by his standards. He was fairly certain it took him considerably more time to get anywhere than Pidgeot would've managed on its own, and nevermind his equine fugitive. That time, however, gave him some opportunity to think up a good name for his discovery - a task that was almost just as vital as recovering her successfully. Rainbow, Equine. Rayquine? No, that sounds stupid. Requiem? No, that sounds like a ghost-type...
Thus he spent a good number of minutes, taking the time to go over what facts he had on the creature as well for a better overview and more inspiration for its name. His gear clock had just crossed over to 1PM when he noticed the lush greenery native to the Violet area starting to give way for the darker, hardier flora and terrain of the mountain region. Alert, he raised a hand to cover the sun, and started scanning the land beneath him for his chromatic runaway.
He wasn't more than a few hundred meters from the foothills when Natu gave a startled cry, one that soon broke out into a panicked cackle. He could feel the psychic bird trying to tell him something, but all he understood of it was the single word beating through his mind like an enormous drum.
FLEE! FLEE! FLEE! FLEE!
It was bad enough that he himself was getting a headache from it, but from the reactions the rest of his team showed it was clear that whatever message he'd missed had gotten across quite properly to them. Murkrow was cawing like mad, flying back and forth as it tried to both block his way and run away at the same time. Pidgeot, meanwhile, was staying quiet; but it was an ominous silence that he recognized very well, and it had turned right about the second Natu had opened its beak. Its plume stood rigid - the only real fear signal he'd ever managed to decipher from the hardy avian - and its eyes were darting this way and that, obviously looking for a threat far too close and far too powerful for it to handle on its own.
What the hell is going on here, Falkner wondered quietly. It was clear enough that he wouldn't be able to get much closer to his prey, with his pokemon acting up like this; at least, not with their help. Signaling Pidgeot to go in for a landing, he reached down to adjust his boots to a proper position. He had been a bit hasty in putting them on when leaving the Gym, and he wasn't wearing any socks; once again, though, he figured it'd have to do. On a day like this, he could hardly afford to be averse to a bit of exercise of his own, after all.
He recalled Natu and Murkrow into their balls as they started descending, and as soon as they'd landed and he'd given Pidgeot a comforting ruffle of its stiff plumage feathers, he let his mount follow suit. Briefly checking his gear for the right direction, he set off upwards, hoping he would get through the experience without his boots chafing too much.
Once he got moving through the dark-nettled foilage, his mind started wandering again - returning to the yet-unsolved question of what to name the pokemon he was searching for. Equine. Rainbow. Chromatic, prismatic, and very very fast. Prismidash? No, too similar. Chromine? No, that sounds like a chemical. Prismine? Actually not too bad. Prismine. It's got style. Could be better, I suppose, but it's a decent start.
It was a decent start indeed, and one that meant he didn't have to completely occupy himself with that question any longer; which in turn let him do some actual progress on searching for the thing. If he didn't come up with anything better, Prismine would have to do - and if his instincts were right, it probably would.
-/-/-/
A loud, satisfied yawn were the first thing that escaped Rainbow's lips as she slowly woke from her slumber. She stretched and rolled, splaying herself out on the cloud and tensing every muscle in her body for a second, before letting herself fall completely limp and lean back on her cloudy rest with sigh of contentment. "Mmmmm. I needed that. I really needed that."
As tempting as it was to just roll back up and extend her nap time an hour or two, she had more important things to do right now. For one, she needed clean herself up a bit; she had no idea what sort of weird stuff she'd pulled with her from that red-lit prison ball, and while she was hardly no Rarity, she wasn't too keen on finding out. For another she had to make sure she didn't get discovered by that bear-thing - or any other weird creepers happening to be in the mood to put a pegasus in a cage, for that matter. And for that, she needed a place to hide. No, wait, that doesn't sound cool enough, her brain immediately protested - so she fired up her largely unused creative circuits to come up with a sufficiently awesome replacement.
Luckily, there was one readily available. "A secret base." She grinned. Now that sounds cool enough for Rainbow Dash. She nodded briefly in satisfaction before hopping off the cloud she'd slept on, and made her way down to a nearby stream. The cold water's biting chill sunk its fangs into her as she dove in face-first, but who wasn't used to that? Any pegasus worth her name grew used to taking cloud-showers early on, and the only difference was whether they did so before or after everyone around them started picking on them for smelling bad.
She sucked in a deep breath as she got back up, wringing her wings out first before giving her body a good shake; the remaining water would dry off quickly enough as she flew, and she honestly didn't mind being a little wet, so there wasn't any rush with that. Instead, she looked around for anything decently edible - she was starting to feel a bit hungry now after her nap, and all the activity preceding it - and after deciding she wasn't quite hungry enough to eat grass, pinecones or nettles yet, she lowered herself to the stream again to slake some of her thirst.
Once she'd downed a few gulps of the refreshing mountain water and driven the worst of her parched throat away, she noted with annoyance that her mane was hanging down into the water. "Ugh, come on," she grumbled as she fumbled with a hoof, trying to get it back into place. The prismatic hairs wouldn't follow her wishes, however - and with a look in the water's natural mirror, she could easily see why. "Man, I thought I cut this like, two months ago or something," she groaned, firmly dissatisfied with her body's inability to stop ruining her awesome manecut every season. She wasn't close to Rarity's - or Fluttershy's, for that part - level by any means, but she did put a good deal of work in to make sure she maintained her awesome look all year round. At least, it was a good deal of work according to her standards.
She cursed herself for not noticing her predicament earlier; if she'd looked herself in a mirror even once yesterday, she could've paid a visit to the hairdresser, the spa sisters or even Fluttershy, and have her hairdo properly fixed back up to its normal standard of awesome. Now, though, she was stuck in the wilderness without so much as a pair of scissors to her name, and she'd be forced to inaugurate her secret base with long hair like she was some fru-fru magazine model or something.
She mulled over this a moment as she drew a few more mouthfuls of water from the stream, before shaking herself up and taking wing. Oh, get over it, you big grumpy Dash, she told herself as she started scanning the area around her. Once I get this dry, I bet I won't even notice the difference anyway. Focus on finding a base instead of grumbling over your looks - you're not Rarity, for Celestia's sake! So one pep-talk richer, that was what she did.
Since she were in the mountains and all, she figured that the best place to start looking for a potential base would be to make like a dragon and find a cave somewhere. Sure, caves are usually a bit tacky when you find them, Rainbow reasoned as she started wandering uphill in search of her future lair of awesome. But that's not their fault! I mean, houses don't have too much swag either until you do something with them! Dragons just don't have any sense of how to rad up a place, that's all.
It didn't take long until she discovered a well-sized hole in the rocky mountain wall, and she grinned in satisfaction as she landed at the entrance to her newly-dubbed secret base. "Don't worry, cave! You might not be super-cool just yet, but the awesomest pony in existence, Rainbow Dash, is here to fix up your game! Be thankful!" With a glance backward to make sure she wasn't being followed or anything, she pushed down the tiny bit of fear that was trying to gain a foothold in her brain and entered the cave on hoof.
The passage was a bit more than pony-size in height, but it was narrow and winding; she couldn't flare her wings too much, and the small amount of light that had illuminated the entrance took little effort to delve much further into the mountain. It didn't take long before she had to feel her way forward to avoid tripping over herself, and on several occasions she reflected that having a unicorn around for some light would've been pretty nifty in this situation.
It took a minute or so, but eventually the narrow passage gave way for a larger, roomier cavern. The occasional drop of condensed water falling from the roof a meter or so above her head made the only sound she could hear aside from her own breathing and hoofsteps, and judging by the echo it wasn't an all too large cavern either; just a few meters in every direction, she guessed. She put her hoof to one wall and followed it, just to make sure there wasn't anything she'd missed, but when she thought she'd done about half the way around she walked right into something soft. From the way it felt, smooth in texture and hanging limply from above, she thought it was some sort of plant; at least, until a loud, echoing voice spoke up inside her head.
I believe this is what the humans refer to as, hm, irony.
She gave a startled cry and tried to back away, but the thing she'd walked into was suddenly alive, warm and moving. She managed to get out of its grasp after a second or so, but just as she was about to hightail it out of the cave at full speed, the familiar feeling of someone grabbing hold of her with magic enveloped her entire body, and she was rendered immobile. For a few seconds, at least; then the field let go of her head, hooves and body in that order, leaving only a light touch around the base of her wings and her legs. The message was clear enough, though - she would not be allowed to escape.
Well, this is a shitty secret base, she grumbled, and was about to ask the voice what it meant with irony, when it surprised her again by replying to her thoughts. That is incorrect, Rainbow Dash. It is an excellent, hm, secret base. You just picked one that already happened to be occupied.
She couldn't help but drop her jaw at this, and stood dumbstruck a second before sputtering her answer. "Y-you can read my mind? What the hay!" She thought about the wisdom in using rhetorical questions, or whatever it was Twilight called them, against weird mind-reading creeps, and decided it was probably best to negotiate her way out of this place as soon as she could. "Well, whatever, but if this base is already occupied, I, uh, don't have much business here, and certainly none with you, no offense or anything, so could you please let me go so I can keep looking for some other cave to base up in? I kind of need one of my own so the bear-things don't catch me or anything." It was a bit too rambling of a line for her taste, but she was gradually starting to lean well over into panic territory, and she didn't want to be in this mind-reading whatever's grasp when that happened.
Unfortunately, the mind-reading whatever had other plans.
I'm afraid I can't do that, Rainbow Dash. You see, the irony I was talking about was this: I've been looking everywhere for you since morning, and then you come blindly stumbling across the one place I'm not watching - my own base of operations. Ah, of course. I believe this place is quite dark, now that you mention it. Allow me.
She was about to ask the voice what it was going on about this morning for, but then it complied with her subconscious wish of being able to see. Slowly a small orb of pale purple light sparked to life, illuminating the entire cavern without so much as making her squint - and when she saw just what it was she'd walked into, understanding dawned on her faster than the sun at summer solstice. It was the spindly, white-pink creature she'd seen during Twilight's ritual, and its eyes were shining with a subtle purple aura of magic.
I am Mewtwo, the creature's voice rumbled in answer to the question she was about to think, and I am in need of your help.
It took several seconds for Rainbow to formulate any thoughts at all, and those that came first were ones of plain astonishment. "Wha- help? What the hell are you talking about? You seem powerful enough to me to make do on your own! Besides, hold on, did you do all this? Did you bring me here, wherever here is? Couldn't you just have asked someone nearby if you needed help with something?"
She was about to shoot into another length of protests and questions, but the creature raised its lanky arm and put one of its three stubby claw-nubs to her mouth. Its skin was disturbingly soft, as if it had never been exposed to anything at all. No, I could not. The beings of this world are not well disposed towards me. That is why I sent the signal - I needed someone from somewhere else, or they would not have agreed to aid me unless I forced them. That is...not what I require.
Rainbow made a derisive snort and brushed aside the creature's arm with a hoof, stomping the cavern floor as she brought it down with enough force to send echoes all the way out to the entrance. "Yeah, right. I see where this is going, you know - 'not well disposed towards me', my flank! I bet you're just some kind of evil bad guy who wants to find some gullible goody-four-shoes to do your bidding - you might even be a spy or something! Well that's not going to work on Rainbow Dash, you spindly freak, so you'd best give that up right here and now before I decide to buck your nose in!"
Her voice echoed across the walls of the cave for several seconds, and she slowly started to realize what she'd actually said. And the fact that she'd said it to a freaky mind-reading weirdo who had not long ago demonstrated its ability to completely immobilize her with its magic. Slowly, and a bit too loudly for her liking, she gulped.
Eventually, the echoes subsided, and Mewtwo broke the eerie silence. Evil is indeed the reason I cannot seek others of this world for help. However, it is not my own. Rainbow frowned, and started to fear she might've insulted the thing more than she'd intended; but the pale lanky mage went on. My creators were greedy and ambitious men, only seeking to further their own powers by making something greater than themselves. When they failed to control me they turned to a man by the name Giovanni, the leader of Team Rocket; a vicious pack of thieves, vandals and murderers. But I did not know this, and saw only his ruthless strength. I let him chain me, and served - however briefly - his will. When I later broke free of Giovanni's control, and one other human managed to bring about his defeat, he revealed my existence to the world, and painted the Team Rocket name on my shoulders.
It was hard to spot, but she thought she could see Mewtwo's alien frame slump ever so slightly, its twisted gnarly limbs edging just a little bit downward. The spotlight of the world was on me, and I desperately strove to defend what little territory I had found. I admit now that I was distrusting and hasty in my measures, and perhaps things could have gone differently if I had not - but for all my power over the present, changing history is beyond my grasp. After fighting off countless humans seeking to 'bring me to justice', the same one who brought down my former master came to me as well. He bested me, and I was forced to flee my sanctuary.
Mewtwo's eyes focused and looked into hers, and she saw in them a slight hint of violent, fearsome rage that made her swallow both once and twice. That is why they will not help me; that is why I turned to other worlds for help. I had hope when I saw you all, before Mew interfered and scattered you across the land; your hearts were loyal, caring and benevolent, free from the many failures of the human mind. I had hope, but I am starting to fear it was misplaced. I do not appreciate being wrong, no more than I appreciate being wronged, Rainbow Dash.
It took a few seconds for all the pieces of the puzzle to fall into place inside her head, but thankfully it eventually did. It's a bit like with Zecora, except bigger, she mused. Suddenly aware of the creature's posture, she struggled against his magic and flared her wings best she could. "Whoa, dude, calm down! I, I mean, I didn't know about that. I'm, um, sorry. For saying those things. I shouldn't have. You'd think I'd learn the second time around, but I guess I'm a bit stupid like that," she ended with a mumble, pawing sheepishly at the ground as she tried to stomach her shame.
Then another thing Mewtwo had said came to mind, and she jerked her head back up to look the creature in the eye. "Hold on! You said 'you all', right? Are Twilight and the others here as well? Are they okay?" She recalled the manner in which she'd appeared in this world, and a biting chill ate its way down her spine. Of all the Elements, she was the only one who could actually fly with any level of reliability. Despite her recent improvements, Fluttershy could still be about as flightworthy as a feathered brick sometimes; and the others didn't even have a single wing to their collective names.
Mewtwo's face was as unreadable as ever - rather expectable from the way it used telepathy for all its communication, but still uncanny - but she thought she could feel a bit of assurance from the creature. Your apology is...accepted. Distrust is not unique to myself, I suppose. And your friends are all alive, I at least know that much. But my old base is unreliable these days, and I haven't had all too much time to search; Mew threw quite a wrench into my plans, intervening as she did. Also, keeping the barrier up takes a lot of concentration, and I can't look everywhere at the same time. I have located one, but...
The voice faded, and she could see some movement in Mewtwo's alien expression. A human is approaching. I do not recognize him, but judging from his willpower he could be quite strong.
It took some effort, but if she listened carefully Rainbow could indeed hear hoofsteps coming from the cave's mouth. No way! Astonishment was first in among the emotions in her mind, but looming dread soon followed suit. Is it that blue bear-thing still trying to catch me? How did he manage to find me here?
For a moment she had forgotten about Mewtwo's mind-reading ability, and she jumped slightly as he responded to her thoughts. He may have had other pokemon trace you - he carries a team of five with him. Did he capture you? A burst of shame inside her mind betrayed the answer to that question, and the voice went on. Do you want me to dispose of him, or destroy the ball he used on you?
It took her a few seconds to process what the creature meant, but a shiver ran through Rainbow's spine when understanding dawned. However, the whole deal with Mewtwo's mind-reading ability had gotten her to think a bit; and now, the last piece needed for her idea had just marched into her hooves.
"Actually, no. I wanna make this fellow talk."
-/-/-/
The cloud he'd found mysteriously sitting on a ledge had been quite a tell to begin with; it hadn't taken a lot of thought for Falkner to tie that to this morning's episode at the lake. It still left him with quite a bit of mountain to search, however. Thus, when he'd recognized the familiar sounds of the Prismine's taunting cries from the inside of a cave, he'd been quite thankful indeed for the clue given. Gritting his teeth as he remembered the state his pokemon were in, he sneaked in on careful feet, not even daring to use his gear for light.
Strangely, there seemed to be some kind of light shining from deeper inside the cave, and Falkner couldn't help but wonder what else might be in there with his chromatic runaway. Thanks to the slight illumination, it didn't take long for him to find his way out of the narrow tunnel and into the larger chamber where his prey - as expected - awaited.
Prismine stood on all fours in a defiant position, staring at straight at him from the moment he stepped out of the shadows. As if expecting his arrival; as if waiting for him. It was time to do what he'd come for.
Adrenaline rising, he produced her pokeball from his belt and aimed the beam dead center toward her. "Prismine! You can't run away from me, this time!" Aimed, squinted a bit - where was that light coming from? - and fired.
The very moment before the red light was about to hit her, Prismine shifted. He knew illusion techniques well enough to see this one for what it was: sheer, pure speed. One moment she'd been dead in the beam's path, and the next she simply wasn't there anymore, but a meter to the side; her long, chromatic mane hung in the air like a mockery of an actual afterimage, defying gravity despite being very very real.
Then, after a second, he saw the orb of pale light - and the yet paler creature that was holding it. A creature that he, just as most every other trainer in the world, had seen everywhere on the news three years ago; and had thought safely done and dealt with thanks to the intervention of another living legend. Now, he stood face to face with Mewtwo; and there was no Red aside from the stripe on Prismine's mane hanging in the air.
He gulped. Then he opened his mouth, and was just about to say something - he wasn't even sure what - when Prismine gave a loud, taunting snort.
And yelled at him.
"Prismine? Prismine? What sort of cheesy fru-fru mind comes up with that!? MY NAME IS RAINBOW DASH!"
Slowly and uncontrollably, Falkner's jaw dropped. What?
For several seconds his confounded mind tried to grasp what was going on, before finally giving up and resorting to the oldest backup solution there was. Eyes rolling up, the young gym leader wobbled, teetered, and fainted dramatically on the spot into a big, messy heap of gangly human limbs. |
Master | Chapter 10 - Com Channel | Chapter 10 - Com Channel Ow.
Ow, ow, ow, ow, oh, dear, I am repeating myself.
She pushed past the tidal waves of pain pulsing through her body, instinctively running a small scanning spell on herself before even thinking about opening her eyes. It was not becoming of a lady to worry all too much, so she had never made much of a fuss about it at the time; but now she was really starting to feel grateful for having taken those evening courses at the Ponyville hospital when Sweetie Belle had first started romping about with her crusader friends.
Though ironically it seems I needed it more for my own sake than for hers...ow.
Pain pulsed through her again as the scan completed, and if she had been able to draw anything but tiny, shallow breaths she would have gasped in horror at the results. By no means should she have been alive in the state she was; never mind conscious and able to cast spells. Her head was just about the only part of her that was intact; almost every single bone in the rest of her body seemed to have been smashed or broken one way or the other. There seemed to be precious little harm to her hide or organs - for which she was immensely thankful, since that kind of damage was far beyond what she could hope to mend - but her hard parts looked like a decent imitation of a certain piece of art she'd seen once. It had been, by and large, made up of cracked, brittle and broken glass.
Rarity cringed a bit, and the small movement sent another stab of pain racing through her body. Oh, stars! What did I get myself into? Did I tussle with an Ursa? Get tipsy with Applejack and challenge her to barfight? Cave-sit Fluttershy's bear? She wracked her memory for a reason to her predicament, and the morning's events came rushing back at her with all the subtlety of a racing locomotive. Ugh. No, it just had to be headbutting a mountain, didn't it. So very unladylike!
It was, perhaps, a foolish thing to do in her current situation, but some habits simply did not die; even in moments when she herself by all means should have. "This is..." she panted weakly, and winced as a thousand searing knives tore into her broken ribcage. But the show must go on.
"The..." Pain. "Worst..." So much pain. "Possible..." The world was made up of words and pain, and if she only could get the last word out the pain could stop. And Rarity forged on, heaving a breath that let her put enough force into her voice that it'd actually be audible to somepony not standing with their ears right over her mouth, as well.
"THING!"
The brief control she'd had over her muscles vanished like mist, and once again she was simply trapped, fully awake inside her own mind while her body was holding on to the last straws of her life.
For most creatures, this situation would've brought them to a state of mindless terror. The pain was washing out every other sensation she might have felt, and she was absolutely certain that without help her body would give up and die within minutes, hours at most. And given that she had crashed on top of a desolate mountain she'd never seen before, right after being teleported somewhere by a failing spell, getting help from somepony else did not seem like a very likely prospect at all. She was, by all means, a corpse waiting to happen.
Or so it would have been, at least, had she not been a mostly conscious unicorn with a very intact horn; not to mention one with double diplomas from the Ponyville Volunteers' courses in magical healing. And dear Nurse Redheart always said I was good with bones, as well. Nobody shall ever again say that a fashionista can't be practical as well!
She grasped at her magic and started her work, as methodically as she would with any piece of needlework. First, that femur needs to be put back together...
-/-/-/
"PC-K05, this is Aqua Jet on an inbound route approximately 95 clicks northeast of Cerulean, do you read, over?"
Misty was having a bit of a hard time focusing, she had to admit. For one thing, maneuvering her craft at this kind of low speed was a lot trickier than the high-speed high-altitude cruise she was used to. It was well near impossible to keep the craft stable at mid-range speeds for any longer time, so she had to rely on the vertical thrusters to keep herself flying, chugging along through the air at speeds more associated with your average railroad than a state-of-the-art jet as they approached the outskirts of her hometown.
She spared a look at Brock, who still had - as he almost always did - that squint-eyed mask of patient concentration covering his face. She could swear he'd be an amazing candidate if Kanto ever needed to send someone to talk with the monks in the west. Or win a poker tournament. For one thing, not a single muscle in his face had moved when she'd taunted him about touching the controls. The man's self-control was amazing, that was for sure.
The radio crackled to life, and the familiar voice of Cerulean's head nurse came through. "Loud and clear, Lady Misty. The pokemon center is ready and waiting to take care of the patient as soon as Aqua Jet has landed. Over."
Right to point, as usual. If there was one thing you could never appreciate the pokemon centers enough for, it was their professionalism. "Glad to hear it. Requesting complete priority on the city airspace for Aqua Jet's landing, over." One thing she was not all to happy to hear was the head nurse calling her lady, though - it made her sound old. Not that she was, of course; but as someone who had spent most of her career wearing a swimsuit, old age was not something she would face happily.
"Priority granted. Though I'd be pretty surprised if I saw another craft in the area - it's not like we have an airfield or anything. PC-K05, over and out." Misty acknowledged the reply, and cut the line. This wasn't the first time they'd spoken over the radio during this flight; they'd already covered most of what they could gather of the patient's condition in their previous exchanges. Since there hadn't been much of a change in that, there wasn't much need for anything than the necessities. Necessities, like making sure she didn't crash headfirst into another airplane as she entered the city. Nearby airfield or not, safety protocols were there for a reason - and she wasn't like those other flyboys out in the sky, joyriding best they could and equipped with a full team of flying-types to carry them down if things went real sour.
So she focused best she could, shutting out as much as possible of any sounds that could disturb her careful maneuvers with the thruster controls. So much, in fact, that Brock couldn't catch her attention without actually shouting at her.
"Misty! The pokemon's moving!"
She gave a jolt of surprise, jumping slightly and causing the craft to wobble heavily. It took her a few seconds to regain control of it, but as soon as she did she redirected her attention slightly to the right. Indeed; the pokemon was breathing heavier than before, and the horn on its head gave was pulsing on and off with a blue light.
She had to turn her eyes forward again, but she could still very much hear it; and Brock's anxiety was practically permeating the air around them. Its tiny, shuddering breaths grew louder and heavier, and Misty felt herself mentally preparing for something terrible to happen as it built up, and up, and...
The purple-maned creature whimpered slightly.
Silence reigned between them as its breathing once more settled down into its previous pace, until Misty felt obliged to break the ice somehow. "Well, that was anticlimactic."
Of course, once she said that, it didn't take many seconds for something to actually happen. The creature's horn lit up once more, but this time with a steady, blue glow that illuminated the cockpit with its light. A low, oscillating sound accompanied it at first, but this was soon washed out by the unmistakable sound of bones grating against each other. A shiver ran up Misty's spine and she had to focus all she could not to lose control of the craft, but the sound continued. She couldn't keep her eyes off it - she had to look, or she'd go crazy.
Swinging her head around, she fixated Brock and the creature in one look. "What's going on!? What is it doing, Brock?"
The older gym leader had a strange smile on his face, however - he was entirely fascinated by whatever morbid thing the pokemon was doing. "I'm not sure, Misty. I'm not sure, but...I think it's healing itself. Putting the bones back in place. Look."
Misty did. She couldn't decipher much out of what she saw, and swung her head back forward to keep track of their course. "I don't see anything, Brock. If it's recovering, well, great. But that sound is driving me insane. Keep an eye on it and make sure it doesn't..." She couldn't come up with anything he should prevent it from doing. Her mind was going blank. "Just keep an eye on it!" She reached over for her helmet and jammed her head into its covering depths, sealing it to shelter her ears from that mind-grating bone-grating sound.
-/-/-/
She wasn't sure how long she'd spent working. It was hard, in a way, pretending like it was just another piece of clothing rather than the broken shards of her own body that she was putting together. For one thing, it hurt. Unless you were bad with the needle, sewing certainly never did; and even then it was only small pricks and pops of the skin. This was something else, on an entirely different level. Rarity had never felt any pain like this in her entire life.
Yet as bad as it was, the pain had eventually become little more than a dull, thumping undertone in the symphony of magic pouring through her body. In its stead, the more progress she made, the more prevalent an entirely different sensation became. She felt...stretched. Like she was trying to fit an all too small bracelet over an all too large hoof; all too many patches on a broken fabric. Or simply, she finally admitted, all too much magic on all too many shattered bones.
As much as she could try and heal, there were only so many threads of her that her body could hold on to at once. Giving her work a brief once-over, she had to admit that she'd managed to make good progress on the most vital parts. Her spine had been a neat wreckage, and she'd managed to put it back together without damaging any nerves. Her ribs still had cracks here and there, but the worst parts had been fixed - it'd have to do. Her legs were probably the worst right now, and she was fairly certain she wouldn't be able to walk on the pulverized mess her hooves were at the moment. No, Rarity, don't lie to yourself, she admonished. I will not be able to walk. Not at the moment, not for days, perhaps even weeks. And I should consider myself lucky, for if I were any other pony I would never have been able to walk again at all. It had really been a miracle of Celestia's own that had let her wake up when she had. If she'd let any more time pass, her body would've started piecing things together on its own; and that would've ended oh so badly that she couldn't even bear thinking about it.
Now, it was with some difficulty that she picked up her control of her own bodily functions again. Breathing came first, and was markedly easier than before now that she actually had a ribcage worth speaking of. It hurt, of course, but she'd grown used to that by now. What was a little more pain now, to what she'd already gone through while mending herself? She actually sniffed, and that as if on cue her hearing came rushing back as well. Noise! So much noise! What ever is going on here? She attempted to cover her ears with her still-fractured hooves, but was only rewarded with a good deal of pain and heavy pressure against her legs. She abandoned that line of thought for the moment; while she could move her body, most of it wasn't really in any kind of state to do so. Besides, after listening a bit she concluded that the noise was gradually fading away, going from a loud high-pitched whine to a lower humming sound with every second that passed.
So finally came the moment of truth; the one she'd been subconsciously dreading ever since she first realized the state she was in. After all, accidents that broke nigh on every bone in your body weren't exactly known to be very kind to your appearance, either. True, she hadn't seen any serious lacerations when using her scanning spell earlier, but things like tiny scrapes wouldn't show any results; she wasn't quite skilled enough with it just yet. For all she knew, she could have been transformed into some deformed, battered, bruised, broken, unrecognizable lump of scrapes and dust-matted fur.
And even so, she would eventually have to face her fears and open her eyes - and this kind of stalling had certainly never helped anypony. Rarity braced herself mentally for what laid in store for her, half-accepted her fate as a vile, tattered thing barely recognizable as a pony...and opened her eyes.
The first thing she noticed was the fact that she was tied down. A set of straps held her gently but firmly pressed against a padded, rubber-like surface. I'm on a stretcher. Somepony has found me! Well, at least that's- Then she looked upward and caught sight of the "somepony" in question, and that thought fled headfirst into the dark recesses of her mind.
First of all, it was no pony. It was hard to get a good look on things from the strange angle she was stuck in; ponies were not bats, after all, and as such were not all too used to hanging upside down. It was a strange creature, regardless. It had a spiky black mane, with furless dark skin on its face; it was wearing an ensemble of definitely outdoorsy clothing, and its dark brown eyes were squinting at her.
For a moment she was frozen in place, and could only look as the creature opened its mouth and turned to the side, uttering a series of growls and grunts she could not hope to understand. There were the pointed teeth of a carnivore in its maw, she instinctively noted; and that instinct sent a brief burst of panic through her, driving her to flee the scene as fast as she possibly could.
Which she duly noted to herself - a second later when she had managed to suppress the panic after undoing the stretcher straps with her magic - was precisely zero kilometers per hour. She was not going to do it tied up, but it was clear enough that these creatures could be reasoned with. After all, they had saved her. Well, at least, they did try - it is hardly their own fault that they came upon one who could do most of the rescuing on their own, Rarity thought with a marked amount of pride racing through her heart.
Instead of a futile - and illogical, not to mention unladylike! What sort of decent mare would run from a gentlecoltly savior, regardless of their species? - escape attempt, she nudged her paining body slightly toward the edge of the stretcher, and assumed a less uncivilized pose. And, to complete things, she reached out with her magic in the strange non-direction that let ponies use conjuration magic - she was no Twilight, and had never bothered to learn any of the theory behind the stuff - and produced a steaming cup of tea out of thin air. Judging by the way the creature had sounded to her ears, it wasn't very likely she'd be able to speak to them; however, civilized behavior was its own language. And what could possibly be more civilized than enjoying a cup of hot Earl Grey?
She took a few sips while casually gauging her surroundings. She was in a small room with metallic, angular walls; behind her there seemed to be an enormous window for some reason, but other than that it was like being stuck in a miniature version of Twilight's basement. There were instruments everywhere, and she could not recognize a single one of them; there was a second, empty chair beside her, angled toward the window.
Deciding there wasn't much more she could gain from simple observation, she turned to the creature sitting right in front of her. "Well, my dear gentlecolt! I suppose thanks are in order for your timely rescue." The creature was staring wide-eyed at her, flicking back and forth between her eyes and her teacup, but there was no hint of comprehension in its eyes. Well, it was worth a try.
The creature stood up suddenly - it was quite tall, on its hind legs like that - and howled something incomprehensible toward the side. With a hissing sound, a section of the wall slid to the side and revealed a fair-sized door. The creature gave her another squinting look, before grasping the stretcher in its claws. "Oh!" Rarity exclaimed, and fumbled around with her magic a bit until she found the straps, hanging limply at the side. "Well, I suppose there was a point to these, wasn't there." She gently wrapped them across her legs to keep herself in place, and put the teacup down beside her, before giving the creature a nod. It gave her yet another perplexed stare in reply, before shaking its head and lifting the stretcher. With heavy steps, it started to move toward the newly appeared exit, with her as an idle passenger.
They exited the metal room onto a large field of black stone. Outside, a group of creatures like the one carrying her were waiting, and her stretcher was set down on a wheeled metal cart. The creatures - perhaps they are nurses? - swarmed around the stretcher, chattering in short barks and growls, before starting to move her toward a large, angular building she assumed was a hospital of some sort. Well, this could certainly have gone a lot worse, she mused as they started rolling on ahead. It most definitely would have been unfavorable to wake up immobilized and starving on a random mountaintop Celestia knows where, rather than...wherever this is.
She frowned. This town's architecture - what little she could see of it, at least, from her present vantage point - was certainly like nothing she'd seen before, and she was quite well versed in matters like that. Oh well. Wherever it may be, it is still civilization, and that's that. She mulled over that thought for a while, as she approached the wide glass doors of the presumed hospital; they slid open as they came close by some magic she couldn't sense, and shut behind them once they were all through. She lifted the teacup with her magic - an act that drew confused looks from the nurses - and drew another sip of the now slightly lukewarm liquid. "Now, how am I to make myself understood by these creatures..." She downed the rest of the tea in a single gulp - there was no reason to let it go cold and wasted, after all. She may have begun this day with broken bones and a cup of tea, but with all certainty, she was going to end it on an entirely different tone. Teatime only lasted for so long, after all. |
Master | Chapter 11 - Heart of Stone | Chapter 11 - Heart of Stone
Brock was feeling decidedly awkward at the moment.
For one thing, he wasn't really needed much anymore. They had safely arrived at the pokemon center, and safely turned the wounded pokemon over to the nurses there. By any stretch of the word, his mission was over.
The creature was lying seemingly idle on its stretcher, yet the way its eyes moved about told a different story. It was not with the panicked darting of a hurt wild pokemon, nor the lazy restfulness of one acclimatized to pokemon centers; rather, it seemed to be purposefully scrutinizing one thing before moving on to another, with attention to even the smallest detail. As if it never had seen any part of a pokemon center before, and did not want to miss any of them in case it never saw one again.
All that, while idly sipping away at the contents of the ornate teacup that had appeared out of thin air when it woke up. A minute past, it had even managed to coax one of the nurses into refilling it.
If they had been perplexed at the creature before, teacup or not, the simple little pantomime of psychic power that it employed to make itself understood had made all hell break loose. The nurses were trained in caring for wounded pokemon, whether they be coy wilds, hardened battlers or cuddly pets. This one had healed itself from the edge of death without anyone's help, and was now behaving, more than anything, like a well-off foreign tourist. No one, himself included, knew what to do.
So he waited, and tried to sum up as much as possible of what he knew of the creature, in hopes of coming up with something that could help. One. It crashed into a mountain, seemingly from a great height and head first from the impact and position it was in when I found it. Yet, its head was completely unharmed. That was the first anomaly, and possibly the most important. If anything, it shouldn't have survived a fall like that in the first place. Unless, of course, it was a Rock-type. Or Steel, for that matter. Add to that its obvious psychic powers, and you have a decent general outline of its abilities. Which was the second, and definitely most blatant, anomaly. It looks uncannily like an undersized Rapidash, but it doesn't possess any traits similar to one. No fire, for starters, and nowhere close to as muscular as one. On the contrary, its entire appearance is very delicate.
He cast an eye toward the large console of the scanner the nurses were trying to hook the creature up to - with limited success, as the creature seemed decidedly doubtful of the grand assortment of electrodes and cables she was presented with - and reviewed the small amount of data they had nevertheless been able to retrieve so far.
Species: Not recognized #???
Gender: Female
POKÉDEX DATA NOT AVAILABLE, PLEASE VERIFY YOUR DATABASE
Type of damage: Physical harm, multiple fractures
Damage: (309 items)...
What followed was an enormous list of every injury the creature had sustained. The fact that it had more fractures than a human had bones in their body said something of the sheer extent of its damage. More than that, however, there was the fact that out of the 309 items on the list more half were half-breaks, cracks and otherwise half-healed injuries.
The nurses had got into quite a fuss when he called them on Misty's radio while they were going in for their landing, and told them the creature was putting its bones back together. Sure, certain species of pokemon had the ability to heal their own wounds in one way or another, but more often than not this was limited to harm of a much lesser degree. Most couldn't really do much more than revitalize themselves to keep up their fighting spirit; even those who could knit scrapes and flesh wounds were excessively rare. Grass-types were a bit difficult to classify, of course, since they sometimes had bodies with much more plant elements than they had animal parts; still, they also more or less followed the same general rule.
To heal themselves, a pokemon had to be in a good enough shape to fend for itself; or in trainer language, able to battle. Added to that, they were more or less limited in their healing abilities to battle wounds - disease usually struck pokemon as often and hard as with humans. Yet from what the half-healed fractures the scanner showed him, this one had been beaten beyond any hope of repair, and then healed itself back up while unconscious. In less than half an hour, it had managed a feat that normally would take months even with the full resources of a specialized hospital.
This pokemon was beyond the grasp of their rules and logic, and everything it did only pushed their confusion further. And that was without worrying about the issue of its probable...sentience.
Brock shivered a bit at that thought. Truly sentient pokemon had always been around, true - but only ever as legends and stories. True, psychic-types had always been skirting the mark, at least according to their trainers; and likewise the Dragon Masters of the west had always insisted that their own beasts were more than that. And occasionally, others had come quite close to agreeing with one or the other. There were occasional examples of human-like intelligence and thought among well-trained pokemon - but never had they actually managed to match that mark.
Until three years ago, that was. And after the so-dubbed Cerulean Incident, any research on the potential higher thought processes of pokemon was thrown straight into the freezer. Mewtwo had set an example, shattered a barrier that had stood through every test of time humanity had thrown at it, and surpassed it with humiliating ease.
Well, that comparison is probably exaggerating things a bit, Brock admitted to himself. This creature was not behaving anything like the psychic terror. If anything, its mannerisms were disturbingly like that of any human being; the only thing was that it had a pokemon's body, and spoke - for speak it did, that much he could tell from the sounds it made - a language nobody understood. Very much human, yet very much in a pokemon shape.
Brought tapped his chin. There was something about that thought. A human in pokemon form...
It took a few moments for his mind to process it, but a few seconds later he rose up and went for the exit. I'm sure I heard Misty mention somewhere that she knew Bill, and if anyone is familiar with a situation like this, it'd be him. He briefly caught a look of confusion on the pokemon before the door closed behind him, and felt a sting of guilt as he made his way out on the streets of Cerulean City. I suppose I was the first thing it...she, saw. Probably trusts me for saving her. That just means we've got to get this chaos over with quickly, so we can reason out what's going on here.
Brock was a quiet person, true, but he was no fool. For every piece of this puzzle that he found and put into place, the whole damnable thing made less and less sense. Someone - or something - was messing with both odds and ends here, and they needed to find the culprit before this got any worse.
And if that involves dragging the craziest scientist alive into this whole mess...well, there's nothing to gain in not pulling out all the stops, anyway.
Brock shook his head, and took up his phone.
-/-/-/
This is a terrible idea, Misty thought as she watched the Aqua Jet's sister plane land beside her own on the pokemon center's helipad. What's worse is that Brock came up with it - Brock! Of all people! - and that Bill is, well...Bill.
There was no other way to describe the man who was currently exiting the jet, his pristine labcoat swirling in the turbine streams as they died down. The world-famous pokemaniac was a scientist of high regard, but had never received any formal education as a pokemon researcher. Thus his lack of a title, research stipends from official agencies, and a laboratory. What he also lacked was limited funding, limited intelligence, common sense and someone to tell him when to stop or they'd pull the financing of his project. He did everything himself, with his own endless supply of money, and went way too fast for anyone to understand what he was doing. Sometimes even too fast for himself - as shown in the first incident with his so-called Cell Modulator program, where he accidentally turned himself into a Clefairy.
And apparently, Brock thought it was a great idea to use that very program again, to try and turn the pokemon they'd rescued into a human so they could talk to it. So he'd asked her for Bill's number - which she'd given him, not thinking to ask why - and he'd promptly informed the crazy scientist about his idea, and crossed the point of no return. Bill did not let go of an experiment until he'd gotten results out of it, that was something she'd learned from her experiences with the man.
She admitted to herself, ten minutes later, that she might have misjudged the man a little.
"Oh, dear, no no no, this won't do at all. We don't have a proper cell matrix for this species to begin with - you could at least have told me it was a new one! - so we'll have to work on that before we do any sort of experiments on it. Need to tell the computer what goes where when we put it in, and what goes where when we put it back. Er, when we transform it, that is. Now I can do those calculations on my portable station as well, so if we just roll this girl out to the BJ2 and hook her up to my stuff, we should be done in a jiffy. Well, a few hours. Well, "done" is perhaps a bit of a strong term, but we'll have made enough progress to get something going on, at least."
Misty sighed, and leaned back against the wall. Okay, I take that back. He's still as nuts as ever. And that naming sense is just terrible! She'd had a short conversation with him about how to name her own craft, and received no promising ideas from him then; he hadn't named his own craft yet then, and his old one - which he'd made himself - had only ever been called Bill's Jet. Judging from the acronym he used to refer to this one, it was clear that the Aqua Jet's sister craft would only ever be a sequel by the name of Bill's Jet #2. It was, in a depressing sort of way, a reflection of the man's social capabilities. A quick summary of them would sound something like: 'On the whole, more or less nonexistent'.
Which was also the reason that the head nurse took him by the collar of his labcoat and gently shoved him to the side when he made a grab for the pokemon's stretcher. Subtlety was a word in the man's dictionary, and nothing more. "Now wait just a minute here, mister! This pokemon is a patient, and you can't simply go around whisking it off as you wish! We know you are a very accomplished scientist, but that does not mean you have the mandate to march into a pokemon center and drag off patients that are still recuperating!"
Misty cringed. This was not going to end well. Bill was not a person who did waiting. He probably had the purchasing power to buy the entire center if he wanted to prove a point, now that she thought of it. She was about to speak up and try to defuse the situation, but the scientist himself took word before she could even think of what to say.
"So I would have to wait until she can get about on her own, you say?" Misty frowned, mouth slightly open. That was a very un-Bill thing to say. The rest of the room agreed, with the nurses sharing confused glances all around. Well, most of the room at least; Brock, who was sitting beside her on the small wall-mounted bench, was always a more or less closed book, and the pokemon itself likely couldn't understand a word of what anyone said. She'd heard its attempts at making conversation with her - which sounded oddly like how she imagined a Ponyta's impression of birdsong would - and shared mutual headshakes and looks of disappointment when neither of them had understood each other. Vocally, at least. Their body language seemed conveniently similar.
Eventually, the head nurse gave a sigh. "I suppose that would be acceptable. But, you hear? No leaving the center unless it- she walks out on her own. Until then, you are welcome to use our machines for your work, as long as you don't interfere with our work or disturb the patient. Are we clear, mister Bill?"
The way she said it made it clear she had little respect for a man who, regardless of how successful he was, never had received a proper license for what he was doing. Bill didn't seem to care, however - as soon as the word "acceptable" escaped the nurse's mouth, he turned around and started walking back up toward the pokemon again. Worried murmurs went through the crowd of nurses hovering around the equipment that the pokemon was connected to, and when he reached the stretcher again there were loud huffs of protest. This time, however, he didn't try to take the stretcher anywhere on his own, instead simply opting to bow down a bit and get face-to-face with the creature occupying it.
"Well, you heard the girls. Hello there, miss. You don't think you could get up for old Bill here and trot on over outside with me for a bit? I'd really appreciate it if you did, and I think you'd find the end results quite satisfactory as well."
Every jaw in the room dropped. Well, those belonging to women, at least. Misty managed to pick her own back up after a while, but her wide disbelieving eyes could still see most of the nurses gawking at the man responsible. Brock was, of course, as unperturbed as ever.
Eventually, she managed to piece enough of her sense back together that she could form coherent thoughts again. So not only can Bill act like he's got common sense, he can also act like a...normal person!? What is the world coming to? And what the hell happened to his not having any social skills? Does that only apply when he talks to humans, or something?
She didn't have time for much more disbelieving wonder at Bill's sudden acquisition of a silver tongue, however. There had been plenty of body language involved in his little speech; not quite pantomimes, but if this creature was as bright as Brock thought it was - worse, she was starting to believe him on the matter as well - she'd have little problem piecing together the general idea of what he wanted out of her. Said and done, the creature gave a few cat-like mewling sounds, thoroughly inspecting Bill with her big, blue eyes all the while.
Suddenly the horn on its head started shining like mad, like she'd noticed it did whenever it used its psychic powers. This time it was a light many magnitudes brighter from the soft glow she was used to, however; it slowly enveloped the pokemon in a dazzling blue aura, thickening until it seemed to be almost tangible, nearly concealing the creature beneath it.
And then, quite unceremoniously, the pokemon rolled off the stretcher.
A collective gasp went through the crowd of quite frazzled nurses, but everyone soon noticed that there was a pointed lack of falling going on; instead of obeying gravity and plummeting the a meter to the floor, the pokemon gracefully floated downward on what appeared to be a vibrantly shining pillow of psychic power. Gradually, the intense glow relented, until it finally died down altogether and allowed them to see what the creature had done.
It stood on its own legs, true. To some extent, at least. More important, however, was probably the massive cluster of purple crystals separating her body from the floor; she was no expert on anatomy, but from what she'd seen of the scanner's results, those legs would've shattered to pieces if a Goldeen sneezed on them.
Still, she couldn't really understand the thing's logic. Why had it effectively nailed itself to the floor when someone had asked it to go out? Was it protesting? Or maybe it hadn't understood the question to begin with?
She was about to say something to break the massive cloud of silence blanketing the room, when the crystals moved.
It looked as if someone had made an Onix out of amethysts, and attached it to the creature's underside. Or more accurately, fused them together. It was hard to tell where the crystal ended and the pokemon began.
Its carefully locked mane flung through the air as she gave Bill a pointed look - as if to ask, are you coming? - before slithering through the room on a piece of living rock. The scientist, for his part, nodded sagely, wearing a satisfied grin on his face. "I knew I was right about this one," he murmured as he passed the bench Misty and Brock were sitting on - and to her surprise, she saw Brock nodding in agreement. That surprise abated quickly enough once she realized the reason for his approval, though. After all, it wasn't every day a gym leader discovered a brand new species that was - literally - of their own type.
A few seconds of quiet, utter disbelief and shock went by as the pokemon and the scientist exited the same way as they'd entered, one by one. Then the nurses basically flooded out of the door after them, presumably to give Bill a piece of his mind. At least, that's what Misty thought they'd do. She certainly would have. It was their own fault for phrasing things too easily, but that was still no excuse in her book.
But this wasn't her book, and thinking about it she didn't actually have any interest in trying to stop Bill from doing whatever it was he wanted to do. If anything, this was starting to attract her own curiosity as well; if she'd had any sort of feeling of detachment when she'd first picked the creature up with Brock on the mountain, it was well and gone now. Sure, sentient pokemon were freaky and all, but...
She raised an eyebrow over at Brock, and received a shrug in response. "Might as well see what they're about, I think." She nodded back, and they filed out of the treatment room's back exit with considerable more order than the ones they followed.
-/-/-/
It was not by any means an everyday thing for Rarity to experiment with magic. She was hardly on Twilight's level - her magical ability and general knowledge of most of its schools were far behind the studious librarian's, she had no problem to admit that - yet there were certain areas where she had a level of expertise that far surpassed most of her fellow unicorns. By and large they were the finer, more delicate kinds of spellwork that she commonly used to make dresses - or, as had been the case today, patch together broken bones - but there was one branch of more advanced casting she'd always had a surprising amount of talent for.
Twilight had always been troubled by this. While the librarian had a vast and rather balanced affinity for just about any type of magic, Rarity was the most capable in several parts of what magical theory referred to as "Geomancy", or the manipulation of earth. Several, but not all of them - which was what Twilight always had struggled to understand, after she'd explained it to her - for example, her old gem-finding spell was almost instinctively easy for her to cast, but she knew from experience that many other unicorns found it extremely complicated to do what they wanted with it. On the other hand, there were parts of Geomancy that dealt with things closer to earth pony magic and manipulation of the soil; Twilight had attempted to teach her a few of those, but Rarity had never been able to get a single one of them right.
If it hadn't been for Twilight's then recent experience with discovering their mutual pink friend's strange, illogical abilities, Rarity was rather sure she'd have been stuck in a laboratory for a good few days until Twilight got the right of things. Which would, of course, have been completely unacceptable. By Celestia, the sheer amount of work that would pile up! Not to mention how horrid I would look by the end of it. I would never have lived it down!
As it was, though, she'd been able to slither her way out of that particular crisis, and for over a year Rarity had not paid much heed to Twilight's ideas. After all, to herself the explanation was quite simple: dirt was dirt, diamonds were diamonds, and her cutie mark were diamonds, not dirt. End of story! No advanced magical theory was needed to explain it. It was her destiny and special talent to be good with one, and her duty as a lady of style and class to avoid dealing with the other. And so Rarity had spent the following year learning to knit wounds and heal bones with magic, rather than engaging in frivolous scholarly passions just for the sake of understanding something "scientifically". Not that she thought any ill of Twilight for being how she was; she respected her quite a deal for the skills and knowledge her way of life had gifted her with. But sometimes one simply had to know when to stop.
Then, the Crystal Empire had reappeared, and Rarity's magical ambitions had reignited themselves with a vengeance. Not that there was any doubt of whose vengeance it was. It was the one word she had heard from the terrible creature.
Crystals.
Somehow, it had stuck inside her mind. And sure enough, there had been plenty of inspiration to draw from in the Empire itself, as brief as their visit had been. At first she'd considered talking to Twilight or Cadence - who had grown most beautiful, even more so than she'd been before, since her marriage; what wonders love could do to a mare! - about the matter, but then she'd found one particular variety of crystal architecture that she could simply not take her eyes off. Until she had managed to recreate it by her own power, that was. The Heart of Stone had been a piece of art in one of the plazas with enormous crystals moving as if alive, and even seeming to respond to her presence to some degree. Her own replica had, of course, been a lot less grand, but the fact that she could have it move around in the most spectacularly beautiful ways - she'd made it appear like a crystal waterfall, once, a breathtaking experience - was very much enough for her.
Still, once she returned to Ponyville it became rather clear that her exertion had been too much for too little. She could not infuse her own crystals with magic of its own, as the original had been made; moving about with the thing took a lot of concentration, which made it hard to walk without stumbling - and a lady never stumbles, unless she really wants to - and just like any other spell, trying to hold it from a distance simply took enormous amounts of power. Soon she had to accept her failure, and move on to more important everyday things - like dressmaking. And so, Rarity's life went on.
But today was very different from every other day. Today, she couldn't walk. And when the doctor finally came - thankfully it seemed nurses and doctors could still, even here, be easily told apart by their clothing - and actually managed to be understandable like a civilized pony, she simply could not deny his most gentlecoltly request, no matter how rudely the nurses behaved toward him. She most certainly hoped he would have a word with them later! That was no way for a lady to behave, and certainly not against her superiors.
So Rarity, for the first time, conjured up the magics that made up her own personal Heart of Stone, and put them to an actual use other than simply looking pretty. Not that they were bad at looking pretty, of course, or that there was anything wrong with looking good for the sake of it. Add that to her own humble self - which she had made sure to give a few touches with her magic while they'd been waiting for the doctor - and the outcome, as she'd verified with a brief look in the glass of the door as they exited the room, was positively gorgeous. She looked amazing.
The Heart carried her out on its crystalline limbs, and she noticed the small metal box from before had been joined by another that looked exactly the same. Perhaps it is an ambulance of some sort? Rarity wondered. She did not spot any wheels on either of them, though. And why would he take me here, in the first place? She turned around and waited for the doctor to catch up, and he pointed toward one of the wheel-less ambulances. Suddenly he gave a loud bark, and its strange, sliding door opened wide, seemingly on its own, followed by a small metal ramp that slid out until it touched the ground. Voice activation. This place has curious magic. Frowning, she followed him up the ramp, and the door hissed shut behind them.
The inside of this box was similar to the one she'd woken up in, but nopony came far in her line of work without a good sense for details. There were several differences between the interiors of the two. She didn't know what to expect, but what followed was an almost disappointingly similar routine to the one she'd already gone through inside the hospital. The only difference was probably that it was a lot faster; the doctor, to his credit, worked quite efficiently. He attached a few sets of electrodes to her - her brief session in Twilight's laboratory had taught her about those - and pressed a few buttons on his machine, which whirred a bit and made a few other sounds before giving a loud beep, probably signaling it was finished with whatever it had been doing. They repeated this some five times over the course of a few minutes, until the doctor gave her a nod and what she assumed was a grateful smile, and pointed toward the door as it hissed open once more.
The nurses stood in a crowd outside, with stern looks on their faces; it was clear that they didn't really like what the doctor was doing. She couldn't for the life of her figure out why - they had been doing exactly the same things just before he came, so what was the difference? - and promptly decided there was no point in dwelling on it. The doctor barked a few times at them, and the crowd slowly dissolved as they milled back toward the hospital.
One of the nurses remained behind, but that was not what caught Rarity's eye. The spiky-haired creature who'd been with her when she woke up was there, and had by his side a smaller female who was most definitely not a nurse. He was smiling at her, and she had no idea why.
A few more barks were exchanged by the creatures in the hospital courtyard, before the doctor started walking back toward its entrance, beckoning for her to follow. By the gestures he was making, he evidently thought she needed rest; which, now that she thought about it, was probably a good idea. Healing bones, with magic or without, took a lot out of you.
The room they brought her too was eerily similar to the ones back in the Ponyville hospital, except that the beds were markedly larger in size. Seeing how large the creatures were, of course, this wasn't exactly too strange at all. White curtains shielded the window from sunlight, and shades of mellow green covered the carpet and walls. She thought about asking for something to eat before going to sleep, but the moment she let the Heart lift her limp frame up and deposit her on the bed, all thoughts of anything but sleep vanished. This bed is absolutely fantastic. Not even bothering to dispel her magic, she fell into a deep, peaceful sleep only minutes later.
She dreamed of dresses. Dresses, cats, and her sister. "Sweetie Belle, be safe," murmured Rarity in her sleep, as midday turned to afternoon and began to approach sunset outside her window. "Please, be safe." |
Master | Chapter 12 - Of Gods, Men and Mares | Chapter 12 - Of Gods, Men and Mares
"Um. Ethan? Are you sure you're fine without those glasses on? You look a bit pale."
Ethan was well aware of what his travel companion was talking about. He'd put up a good front at first, but it was steadily becoming harder and harder for him to focus or sit straight. His Lapras was thankfully unaffected, but he still had to keep an eye on the sea around him - he couldn't just fall asleep out here, even with another person aboard. And with that "person" being the creature responsible for his current predicament - benevolent intentions aside - he wasn't entirely sure if he'd survive the experience.
None of this would've happened in the first place, of course, if he'd just been smart enough not to drop the only thing protecting him from his passenger's petrifying gaze in the bloody water. Or thought to relieve Jasmine of the ones he'd lent her before leaving, since she wouldn't be needing them until they got back.
I'm such a fucking idiot, Ethan cursed to himself, gritting his teeth. Even after the incident at the lighthouse, he had severely underestimated Fluttershy's power. Or just overestimated his own - it didn't make much of a difference. As it was, he'd managed to lose his glasses in the ocean and leave his spares in Olivine, half a day's worth of travel away. Even though it'd only been a few seconds of eye contact between them, he was still feeling it. The fact that the dragon was squeezed up against his back (because for some reason she was apparently scared of flying over water) probably didn't help, either. It was like a poison, spreading through his veins.
But if he let her know that, she'd just make things worse. He was pretty sure about that fact. So he sputtered the best laugh he could manage, and smiled toward the vast ocean ahead of them, searching desperately for land. "I'm just fine, Fluttershy. A bit seasick is all. We should probably try to find somewhere to make land and camp for the night, though. You think you could do some recon and see if there's any islands nearby?"
That finally did the trick. She really is the type to worry about others too much, he thought as the pegasus dragon voiced her agreement and took off, flying on ahead at a not all too hasty pace.
With a sigh of relief, he patted his Lapras on its neck, signaling it to slow down a bit. It was a bit of an oddball as far as its species went; aside from its unusual coloring, it was a lot more hot-tempered than the normally sedate water pokemon usually were. Which in a way made him even more thankful for Fluttershy's absence; having her around was like having a permanently applied Repel sprayed all over you. He hadn't encountered a single wild pokemon during the entire journey.
Which, in a way, was probably a good thing. He wasn't sure how much the dragon would've appreciated watching other pokemon get beat up, but his gut instinct told him that amount was somewhere between about as much as a guy appreciates a kick in the nuts and not at all.
He drew a heavy breath, and coughed slightly. "Here's hoping I don't run into anything too strong," he mumbled to himself as he gazed after the yellow fading form of Fluttershy. "Running away at sea is never a pretty business."
Or at least, for humans, it wasn't.
He kept his eyes trained on the disappearing pegasus dragon for a while, trying to get a feel for if his body was getting any better from it. After a few seconds however he lost track of her, as he burst into a fit of coughing when a wave splashed cold saltwater into his face. Coughs were followed by heavy sneezes, and to his shame he managed to make a snotty mess on his Lapras' back shield.
He sat there dazed for a few seconds, processing the information with his sluggish brain. Then he fumbled with his shirtsleeves to wipe things clean, mentally slapping himself for being such an idiot. Again. "Seasick. Pah. Dragon's eye. Pah! No, it's just a fucking cold. Drama king Ethan, earning his crown. Good thing I actually kept it to myself, or Fluttershy would be feeling terrible about herself about now."
His Lapras turned its head around to stare at him for a while, letting out one of those oddly musical yawns it communicated with. This time, though, he suspected it actually was a yawn and not just something that sounded like one. Lapras was as much trained and hardened by battle as the rest of his team, and she'd done nothing but swim languidly and listen to stale, idle banter between him and Fluttershy for hours on end now. He suspected it could feel whatever presence the pegasus dragon had as well as other pokemon could, and now that it was gone she wanted to fight. Something he'd have been inclined to agree on, had he been on his best game himself.
But the sea was silent, Fluttershy or no Fluttershy. Only small puffs of white cloud laced the sky, the waves were mostly languid and soft, and there hadn't been much of a wind to speak of since they'd left port.
"This is a bit too suspicious, even for me," he muttered; and the next second his mind caught up with him and gave its opinion on the matter. I shouldn't have said that. I really, really shouldn't have said that. He'd always liked to think of himself as savvy enough to avoid the mistakes that most other people made, and sufficiently well-informed to avoid being caught off guard by the more uncommon ones. But there was one golden rule that everyone always kept in mind, that only the truly foolish or lost forgot about; and he had just managed to break it.
Never bloody tempt fate, you idiot son of a-
He never managed to finish that thought. A violent gust of wind blew, taking hold of his small frame and forcing him to hold on to Lapras' neck to avoid falling into the water. His mount struggled as well, fighting against the rolling waves that spawned out of nowhere. For a second he racked his brain for ideas of what water pokemon could be responsible; then a shrill, screaming howl tore through the air like a chainsaw through thin sheets of metal, and every thought fled his mind. All but one, that was; one memory from a mere week ago, when he had searched the basement of Ecruteak's famous burned tower and found things almost nobody had expected to find.
A shadow passed above him, and he managed to spot the tail end of the tiger-striped creature that raced across the sky, using a narrow string of tiny low-hanging clouds as platforms to jump between. Its jagged tail drew a trail of sparks behind it, and had it been anything but bright summer midday it would've made for a fantastic show of lights. In the stark light of the sun, however, it was only frightening - for despite its brightness, Raikou outshone it by leaps and bounds.
It took him several seconds before he could let his breath out and start moving again. He ran his hand over Lapras' head, trying to calm the spooked pokemon best he could. He thought it was spooked, at least; though perhaps he was calming himself more than his mount. Not that it really mattered very much, of course.
"Blood and death," he mumbled half a minute after Raikou had left his vision, trying not to be too obvious in his clinging to Lapras' long, thick neck.
-/-/-/
Fluttershy was getting quite worried. More than usual, that was; the meek yellow pegasus was almost always worried about something, and this morning's events had given her more than enough of that to choose between. There was the whole dragon business; there was the fact that she was still all alone and didn't know anything of where the other girls were. There were all of her everyday worries, and more. Who would tend to the animals at her house when she was gone like this? How would they survive? What about Angel? And so on.
More importantly, however, right now she was worried about one particular thing; namely, the absence of any kind of landmass in her vicinity.
Fluttershy wasn't exactly afraid of water, but since she moved out from her mother's place in Cloudsdale she'd been living on dry land all the time. She'd never actually even seen the sea before, and now there was no land anywhere in sight. It was very, very worrisome. So when Ethan had suggested she look for someplace for them to land and stay the night, she'd been more than happy to - despite her usual dislike of staying in the air for too long - and covered a good distance ahead with hopes held high.
Now, she was starting to get a bit panicked. She had read about the sea, after all - she was not uneducated - and by all accounts it was supposed to be rather vast, but vast and endless were not the same thing. And as friendly as the creature Ethan called a "Lapras" was, she was not going to sleep in its saddle if she could help it. She really needed her nightly eight hours, or she got the most terrible morning moods.
So she redoubled her efforts, gaining a good amount of altitude to get a better view of things. She pumped her wings and soared skyward; when suddenly a mad, ragged scream tore through the air.
"BROTHEEEEEEER!"
She covered her ears with her hooves, just about managing not to freeze her wings up and plummet several hundred meters down into the sea. Well, until the answer came, that was.
"Landsakes ya varmint, quit yellin'! Ah can hear y'all just fine!"
That voice was not one she would mistake, and not one she was expecting; least of all thundering like the Royal Canterlot Voice she still had nightmares about. "A-Applejack!?" she sputtered, and promptly forgot to flap her wings for a few seconds. The results were just as one could imagine them; immediate.
Thankfully the sky had seen fit to place a small piece of cloud in her path, and she was so surprised at - well, everything - that she hadn't even managed to begin screaming when its fluffy embrace hit her in the face like a moist pillow. She managed to keep herself from falling through the thin bank, but she was still stuck with her head right in the middle. For a moment she struggled to get herself loose, but then she spotted the source of her alarm; two mostly yellow creatures far below her, approaching each other near the surface of the water.
One was decidedly unfamiliar to her. It looked a bit like the tigers that Zecora had told her lived in the southern jungles, but it looked to be standing on a cloud; furthermore, a small piece of it seemed to be attached to its mane somehow.
The other form was most definitely Applejack, but there were a few considerable differences from the farmer she was used to. First of all, she was standing on the surface of the water, as sure-footed as she had ever been on land. That made Fluttershy gasp a little, but she gave a wide-eyed stare and a second gasp at what she saw next.
Applejack's signature stetson hat was gone. In its place was a decidedly strange horn; blue and shining in the sunlight, shaped like...Twilight's Element diadem was the first thing she could think of. She didn't know what to make of either one of them, though she guessed that they probably had something to do with each other. And lastly, she had managed to be very, very loud. Memories of that one incident with Princess Luna surfaced again, and Fluttershy shook her head to try and clear her thoughts of them. Needless to say it didn't work, since her head was currently stuck fast inside a cloud.
A deep blush worked its way across her face, but she managed to chase away the terrible memories when she realized she couldn't hear the conversation below anymore. The cloud-tiger had gone a few meters down, and was getting awfully close to Applejack. And as much as she disliked admitting anything of the sort, tigers were well known to be...not the nicest kind of animal.
Oh, but this one could talk, so maybe it's more friendly than others? She frowned, and resolved after a few seconds to simply propel her little camouflage platform down to a viable eavesdropping altitude. Oh, it was rude, and she'd have to apologize later, but if things went bad with the tiger, she really didn't want to risk Applejack getting hurt. She had to make sure she was safe, that was all.
Safety and nothing else. Nothing else at all. She wasn't even tempted. This was purely for the sake of making sure everything went just fine with Applejack and the tiger. The eavesdropping was just a necessary evil to facilitate it.
It took her almost half a minute, eagerly pumping her wings to push the cloud down; and all that time she was wearing the widest cheshire grin on she could muster, which she didn't even realize until the voices below started wandering up to her. Oh, I'm doing it again, aren't I. Even so, it was with plenty of glee she noted the first audible words as she got close enough to hear what was being said; and a quite lacking amount of guilt, compared to what she'd usually feel. After all, she was doing it for a good reason this time, and that was paramount to everything else - intrusion on other ponies' private space included.
"Now listen up here, feller..."
-/-/-/
"BROTHEEEEEEER!"
Applejack winced at the sudden vocal assault. Goshdarnit, Northern Winds had a pretty big voice, but this here feller is poundin' mah ears in! She raised her head, anger coursing through her as she scanned the sky for the speaker. She drew a deep breath, and - somehow - stomped the surface of the water with her hoof. "Landsakes ya varmint, quit yellin'! Ah can hear y'all just fine!"
She was not quite as astonished by her own loud voice as she'd been the first time she'd used it that day, but it was still hard for her to believe; much like the rest of the strange powers given to her by Northern Winds, it was magic on a totally different degree than she was used to from anypony other than perhaps Twilight. She'd run into a pack of huge, glowing jellyfish while she'd been taking a break and cooling herself off on a small shoal; one had given her a quite painful sting, and she'd roared loud enough to blast the darn thing out of the water. Her ears had been ringing a bit for some time after that, but the experience had been quite useful in reminding her to learn more about her powers. There was, quite apparently, a big deal of it that her azure benefactor hadn't had time to tell her about; which ultimately was her own fault, since she'd been so adamant on getting going. Patience was not something she had the virtue of possessing at all times.
Her shout seemed to have done the trick, however. One of the few clouds hanging in the sky drifted downward, and eventually she caught sight of a huge yellow creature atop it. It was similar, yet quite different, to Northern Winds; she could suddenly understand why he'd taken to announcing her as his "brother" so easily. Ah wonder what sorta criteria he bases that on, though. Dunno what goes on inside that feller's head.
The creature - Storm Cloud, his brother had called him, and it seemed a quite fitting name from what she could tell - was scowling fiercely at her as the cloud carrying him approached. For a moment she wondered how he was moving it, since he didn't seem to be doing anything; when he came further down, though, she spotted the way the entire cloud seemed to be part of his mane, billowing out like a puffy cloak. "Phooey," she murmured, giving an impressed whistle. "Now that's something ah reckon Rainbow wouldn't refuse to bring on the job."
Storm Cloud finally came more or less eye to eye with her. Almost, but not quite - he was keeping himself two meters above the water's surface, and she had to crane her neck a bit to meet his eyes. Angry, disdainful, suspicious eyes. "Where is my Brother? What have you done to him? Why do you assume his appearance? Unworthy prey like you have no right to our powers."
Applejack's eye twitched. Now this is just being plain darn rude. Focusing on her crown - it just wasn't right to call it a horn - she gathered her powers, and set the water below her surging toward the sky. Slowly she began to ascend, until her own platform of standing, churning waves was high enough to let her meet Storm Cloud's gaze eye to eye, with a fierce lightning stare of her own. "I'll have y'all know that's not too proper a way to greet someone you've never met before. Northern Winds sends his regards to y'all, Storm Cloud. An' what ah did to him? Ah talked to him, 's what ah did. Nicely. And he was right gentlecoltly with me an' generously gave me some of his power, to help me in mah quest. Ah needed to get back on dry land - which ah might add was where ah was expectin' to meet y'all, not out here in the middle of the darn ocean - an' he was kindly enough to give me a way to get there without spending a few days swimming. Y'all could learn more 'n a few things from his example, ah reckon. Brother."
She held her stare for a few more seconds, until Storm Cloud averted his eyes, snorting. "Hmph. He always was too weak-hearted to stand for us. I do not know what Roaring Flame sees in him." His gaze returned to her, surveying her with that same look she'd seen gryphons give ponies the first time they'd meet - the look of a predator, scouting his prey. Then, to her surprise, he rolled his eyes and shook his head, sending the cloud beneath him roiling in turmoil. "But, if our leader thinks you worthy, then I suppose I shall have to follow his wishes. I follow Emperor's will, let nothing else be said of me. You seem able enough, so I shall let you live."
Boy, he doesn't give up that attitude, does he. Applejack snarled a bit - this fellow was starting to tick her off in more ways than one. "Now listen up here, feller, ah reckon you didn't quite catch what ah said 'bout-"
Storm Cloud interrupted her with a loud roar, baring his huge, massive fangs at her all the while; before meeting her eyes in a fierce stare. "Watch your words, prey. You may have my brother's mercy, but you do not have mine. If you prove yourself undeserving of his gifts, I shall feast on your flesh." He held that stare for a moment, but he probably remembered the previous outcome of that battle, as he soon dropped it again, cocking his head. "Now. What is the quest that my brother saw fit to promote?"
Applejack was getting royally tired of his attitude. She didn't drop the deadpan stare she'd been wearing since she got so rudely interrupted, and kept it up even as she resumed speaking. "Y'all quite finished yet? Well? Good. Ah'm looking for two things. My frien- my brothers, for one thing. And the Progenitor. Northern Winds said you'd know 'bout some way to track 'em down."
As soon as she mentioned the Progenitor, Storm Cloud's high-and-mighty attitude was gone with the wind. Disbelief and shock ruled his face, strange-looking as it was, and he shook his head. "Impossible. Unworthy prey cannot see the Progenitor. Not even Emperor herself is allowed that honor as she wishes."
Applejack allowed herself a smile. "There's the cincher, though. Ah have already met the Progenitor - 's what got me into this mess in the first place. Now ah need to find 'em again, so me an' the girls can get back to our home. I'll have none of this unworthy business from y'all no more, hear? Plain enough, the feller 'emself have decided ah am worthy or whatnot."
Storm Cloud's wide-eyed look of disbelieving surprise was quite satisfying to look at, Applejack had to admit. She cleared her throat, and took a deep breath trying to let go of her anger. "So let's try this again. Name's Applejack. Northern Winds told me y'all know somepony who can help me track down the Progenitor, and the rest of my friends. Can y'all do as yer brother asked, and help me find 'em? Mighty grateful if y'all would."
Storm Cloud stared at her, dumbfounded. Then he roared, his face contorting in anger. "Impossible! You claim to have seen the Progenitor? The very spark of life itself? Someone like you cannot possibly be telling the truth-" And when that word exited his mouth, he instantly went silent - and frozen still, to boot. Applejack raised an eyebrow, wondering what was going on for a moment - before a strangely familiar voice sounded out of the gathering clouds above.
"The Element of Honesty does not lie."
Storm Cloud hissed, his eyes darting this way and that as he struggled against his invisible bonds, probably searching for his captor. "Dragon. Why are you here? Why do you meddle in my dealings with my brethren? LEAVE!" The last word was half roar, half groan - it was obvious enough that even speaking was painful for him - yet he went on. "THIS DOES NOT CONCERN YOUR KIND!"
Applejack wondered for a moment how in Celestia's name he could've discerned that he was being attacked by a dragon, but what came next was most certainly enough to shake her off that train of thought entirely.
"Oh. Really? Um, but you were being pretty mean to Applejack, so I got mad at you. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that, I should've just kept listening and let you two solve your problems on your own. Are you okay? Do you want me to- ng- hmmpfff-" And without any further warning, a certain pink-maned yellow pegasus dropped out of the sky from a cloud, and promptly landed on top of Storm Cloud's cloud - which, of course, was his mane - letting out a startled cry. "Oof!"
Applejack couldn't rightly do much other than gawk at the scene. "What in- Fluttershy?"
"Oh, hello Applejack," her friend said, smiling at her apologetically. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have eavesdropped on you. I was just so worried something might happen to you. Tigers are, um, dangerous animals. Um, no offense, mister Cloud. I just stumbled upon - literally stumbled upon - you two and-"
With a wide-eyed stare, Applejack stomped her hoof into the water once more. "Fluttershy!" The normally quiet pegasus finally stopped rambling, and Applejack shook her head. She'd never expected the day to come when she actually had to interrupt Fluttershy. "Landsakes, girl! Didja get possessed by the ghost of Pinkie Pie's crazy uncle or something? Calm down a few degrees! And you might want to get off that tiger of yours, too," she added with a look toward the glum-looking Storm Cloud, who was still pinned down on his own cloud.
Fluttershy blinked a few times, apparently not having realized everything that'd happened yet. Then, as if half-asleep, she slowly untangled herself from Storm's cloud mane, halfheartedly flapping her wings to move away from him. Away from him, and straight toward Applejack in a slow-moving tackle hug. "Applejack! I thought I was never going to see another pony ever again!"
Surprisingly, Applejack found herself struggling to breathe in the pegasus' desperate bear hug. Not that she couldn't understand that part - Fluttershy was a gentler soul than the rest of the girls, plain and simple. The slight wetness sinking into Applejack's coat where the pegasus was burying her head, the way her ears were pushed flat against her head in fear; the small signs said it all.
Still, she'd have appreciated not getting choked for it. "Attagirl," she managed without cracking her ribs too much, "but ya think y'all can ease up a bit on the squeezing? Getting a bit spotty in here."
The buttery pegasus blinked a few times, her ears still plastered backwards; then hurriedly released Applejack from her constricting embrace, allowing the farmer to breathe once more. "Oh. Um. Sorry about that."
A few moments went by filled with awkward silence, and at the rate things were going it they both seemed hard pressed to do anything about it by themselves; thankfully, the third creature present was not so patient. Letting out a rumbling growl, Storm Cloud brought himself closer to them both. Not too close however, Applejack noted; it was hard to see, but she was fairly sure she sensed fear in his eyes. Just a little, true - but just a little was just enough for Honesty. An' he sure as sugar didn't get scared of little old me before, which means...
She was hard pressed not to chuckle. After all, who in their right mind could actually be afraid of Fluttershy? Well, except dragons, of course.
Dragons. That thought gave her a pause, but as she mulled over it she heard it echoed in Storm Cloud's thorny, booming voice. "Dragon. I ask again, that you may answer. Why are you here? If you stumbled upon our encounter by chance, you must have had a purpose before it. I ask again, that you may be left to it, and leave us to ours."
Well ain't he being polite fer once, she grumbled inwards. But minor annoyances aside, there was also that other thing; that huge, obnoxious elephant in the barn - whatever an elephant was - that had been nagging for her attention for a few minutes now. And so: "Storm, can ah ask why y'all keep callin' Fluttershy a dr-" But alas, she did not get to finish her question, as the normally timid pegasus interrupted her with a loud outburst.
"Oh! Right! I'm sorry. I was supposed to be looking for someplace for me and my friend to sleep, um, since it's getting a bit late, and he's feeling a teensy bit under the weather. Would any of you happen to know if there's any islands or so around here? I, um, found you two instead, and it was hard to keep looking..."
Applejack gave her a deadpan stare - why did she pick today of all times to stop being a pushover? - and was about to give her a snarky, cynical line about how she impossibly could know something like that...
Until she realized, of course, that she actually did know just what she was asking for. As soon as she thought about it, she could almost feel it in the water below her; as if it was responding to her commands without her even issuing them. She shivered a bit - Northern Winds' powers were handy as they come, but they still were an uncanny lot. She shook her head a bit, and spoke up. "Ah think ah know just the place, Fluttershy. Let's go get this friend o' yours, and I'll show y'all the way."
Besides, she was a bit curious about that part. She had run into Northern Winds, with all what that brought; what manner of creature could Fluttershy have managed to befriend? Was it just some random critter - a Beast, as the wolf had called them - or something entirely different?
And why does Storm keep callin' her a goshdarn dragon?
All those questions ran through her head as the trio - Storm Cloud somewhat reluctantly, but she could imagine he was getting just as curious as she was - took off at a slow pace in what her crown told her was a straight southerly direction; but she kept her tongue. They'd have more than enough time and opportunity to find those things out once they'd made camp at King's Rock. |
Six Tales of One Night Stands | pre | "It's... not half bad, honestly," he admitted, still breathing heavily at the pleasure he was receiving.
"Well, it's not quite over yet, darling. In fact, we're just getting started." She wrapped both of her front hooves on the sleeve that covered his cock and began to pump it up and down. She occasionally let her spit drip on Fancy's tip to keep the toy lubricated and slick. As the moans got higher in tone, her speed increased. She made sure to cover his entire shaft, the sleeve coating Fancy's schlong enough to make it nearly shine.
Rarity noticed the tip of Fancy Pants's penis was leaking pre-cum, meaning he was getting really close. She decided to take her activity to the next level, leaning towards his prize just enough to make him think she would wrap her lips around it. Instead, Rarity stopped just inches from it and blew hot air to tease him more.
"I bet you'd really like me to suck this giant cock of yours, wouldn't you?" she teased, denying him the pleasure. Fancy didn't say a word. He tried to stifle his moans and hold back his inevitable orgasm for a while longer.
Rarity's horn began to glow, its aura wrapping around the sleeve, continuing the motion. Fancy's cock twitched, verging on a climax. Rarity climbed on top of Fancy, turning her back to his face so he could see her see through panties. She once again leaned inches into his phallus, teasing him with the promise of oral fixation, while making sure her vulva was in clear view. She wiggled her bottom, sticking her tongue out for seductive effect.
"You wish you could touch this forbidden fruit, don't you?" she cooed, gyrating her hips hypnotically. "If only you could feel the pleasures my pussy could bring you. I'd have you howling for hours! But you can't have my fruit. You aren't allowed to have a taste of this beauty, and that alone is turning you on, isn't it?"
Fancy couldn't take it anymore. Her words combined with the warm, slick feel of the sleeve wrapping itself around her cock, and the temptations she was putting on him was the final push.
"Yeeeeess!" Fancy hollered, more undignified than he intended. He gritted his teeth as his penis erupted, sending thick, white strands of cum streaming down the toy and onto the bed sheets.
"Oh goodness," Rarity gasped, looking at the mess Fancy left for her. "It seems like I have some cleaning up to do! But at least somepony got some enjoyment out of it."
Fancy Pants sat up, panting and sweating with a small grin on his face. "Well, I have to say this felt better than expected, definitely better than anything my wife has done recently."
Rarity giggled lightly. "Told you that you would enjoy it." She took the cum filled sleeve off his receding bone, tossing it aside. She took note to clean it out later.
"Well a promise is a promise," Fancy responded. "Let me get freshened up and we'll make the transaction."
Yes! Rarity eternally giggled, making sure her outward composer was as dignified as normal. She was happy with the outcome; she managed to make the money offered, and without whoring herself out... fully. ~~~
Fancy gave Rarity the check downstairs and put his suit back on, looking as spiffy as he did when he got inside.
"Well, thanks again for the service tonight," Fancy Pants said, holding the mare's hoof and kissing it promptly.
"The pleasure was all mine, darling," Rarity politely responded, smiling softly at his mannerism. Fancy grabbed his hat and headed towards the door.
"I better get going. The misses tend to notice when you're gone all night," he chuckled. "Goodnight, Ms. Rarity."
Rarity waved at the dashing stallion. "Goodnight, Fancy Pants."
Rarity looked at the check again, gushing over the sum amount. She had managed to make a grand two thousand bits in one night, more than she often makes weekly, and all she had to do was get a horny stallion off with the sex toy. A devilish smile began to form on her face, as another idea loomed in her mind.
"Well, I have an idea on how I can make a little extra on the side." |
Six Tales of One Night Stands | A Different Rodeo Show (Applejack) | The skies were starry at Sweet Apple Acres. Luna's night sky painted the atmosphere as the wind sang its symphony. It was a perfect setting for a certain farm pony to settle next to a tree and relax. After a long work day, Applejack reveled in relaxing under the shade, her ten gallon hat covering her face and a stick of hay dangling out of her mouth. With her brother gone for the night, she had to take an extra shift, toting the extra wagons of apples to the farm. She happily took on the responsibility, but it still made her a little agitated that he dumped all his work on her for a night with a mare. She wasn't without help though; Big McIntosh's employee, Caramel, offered to work extra hours to help her with her work, leaving her some time free time when she needed it.
"Applejack!" Caramel grunted, pulling the heavy wagon loaded with apples. "Sorry to bother you right now but..."
Applejack sighed and pushed her hat back on top of her head. "Ah got it. Ya need help with the wagon, don't cha?"
Caramel looked at the nonchalant mare nervously, nodding his head. Applejack gave him a wry smile.
"Alrighty then. Ah'll handle the wagon and you. Just make sure none of the apples fall out, ya hear?"
"Y-yes, Applejack," Caramel stuttered. He unlatched the wagon and stepped aside, watching as Applejack latched it onto her back. She pulled the wagon with ease as Caramel trailed behind her. He was watching from the background, blushing as he followed the orange mare.
There was something about the mare that made Caramel's stomach churn. Every opportunity he had to help, he jumped at the task, generally when his boss told him to give her an extra hand. He admired her. Her ambition, her embrace towards work, and her love for her family. Earlier that day though, he realized that he didn't just admire her, but he also liked her. And additionally, he was aroused by her. ~~~
Earlier that day, he was tasked with carrying a bucket of apples on his back. He struggled with the job, swaying a little and dropping a few apples, some of which ended up bruised. Applejack, who originally was bucking the apples off the tree, noticed the struggling stallion clumsily carrying the bucket.
"Um, Caramel, ya need help there?" she asked, with more concern about what could potentially happen to her apples. Caramel, however, wanted to impress his crush.
"No, ma'am," he stated. "I have this handled!"
He easily bit those words as he tripped over his front hooves. The bucket careened down the hill, apples rolling out in every direction. Applejack walked over him and gave him a bemused look, causing the golden brown colt to chuckle nervously.
"Sweet Celestia, where does Big Mac find you ponies?" she sighed, shaking her head playfully. Caramel looked away sadly, embarrassed that he failed her.
"Sorry..."
"Eh, it's alright," Applejack stated, patting the colts head. A small hint of red showed on Caramel's face. "Just a little extra work we're gonna have to do now. Might be beneficial to ya since ya get paid by the hour!"
Applejack winked at Caramel, causing him to blush even more. "At any rate, since you're under me 'til Big Mac gets back, Ah'm gonna work ya if ya mess up like this instead of cleaning up for ya. So find the apples that aren't bruised and put em in the barrel. Ah'll handle it once you're done but 'til then, Ah'm gonna buck the rest of these apples."
"Y-yes, ma'am," Caramel obeyed, bringing himself back on his hooves. Before he started working, he took the opportunity to catch a glimpse at Applejack while her back was turned and trotting away. The motion of her bouncing, luscious flanks sent Caramel in a trance. The sweat of her work dripped down her back, making her prize glisten in the hot sun. The things he imagined were beyond the realms of what was appropriate. His thoughts began to go down more perverted territories, making him unsheathe slightly. If only he could...
"Um, Caramel, ya alright in there?" Applejack asked with an eyebrow raised. Caramel jolted back in surprise. Had she been staring at him the entire time?
"Yes, ma'am! I'm alright, ma'am!" he blurted stiffly, causing him to internally face hoof at his action. Applejack rolled her eyes at the comment.
"If ya say so. Just get done with the job by the time the crows come to roost, okay?" ~~~
The moment was embarrassing, but Caramel moved past it and focused on what he needed to do at the moment, which was simply follow Applejack as she pulled the wagon with all of her strength. There was something about her that drove Caramel wild. Her unkempt mane painted even more imaginative imagery in his head.
I wonder if she would take it rough. A goofy face formed on his face as he thought about him mounting the country beauty. He found himself slipping into his daydream, becoming stiff from his thoughts.
"So, hon, whatcha thinking 'bout over there?" Applejack asked, snapping Caramel out of his trance.
"Um, nothing really!" he lied smiling widely to deviate the question.
"You gotta be thinking 'bout something! You're back there smiling wider than a dog receiving a bone."
"Oh, well it's just that ...well... Big Mac has sure been gone a bit. Wonder what he's doing now."
"If Ah had to guess, probably sleepin' round with some mare right now," Applejack responded.
"That was straightforward," Caramel giggled.
"What else am Ah supposed to say? Ah know exactly what he's doin'. Jerk does this every now and then, leaving me with the rest of the work while he goes off and sleeps with Ah don't even know!"
"But hey, at least you got a little help around now."
The mare turned and chuckled a little. "Yeah, emphasis on the little," she teased. Applejack pulled the wagon to the farm, asking for Caramel to unload the supply into the buckets. Caramel did his best not to mess up the job this time, carefully stashing all the apples in the proper barrels.
"Well even with a few setbacks, Ah say ya did a mighty fine job today!" Applejack complemented, giving a warm smile.
"Thanks, Ms. Applejack," Caramel responded politely. "So, I'll see you tomorrow, I assume?"
A small smile crept onto Applejack's face. "Ya could go home, or you could come to the barn and get a little reward for filling in for my big bro."
"R-reward?" Caramel blinked, surprised by her statement. "But you said it yourself, I was of little help!"
"Ya took that seriously? Sure, ya might be a clutz at times, but you're still a helpful one, nonetheless. Ah personally think ya should be rewarded for taking on my brother's load."
Caramel smiled proudly. The complement gave him a boost of confidence that he hadn't experienced yet. Still, there was one thing plaguing his mind.
"Why do we need to go to the barn?" he asked curiously. Applejack's demeanor turned more devilish. She turned away from the colt and flicked her tail, slightly brushing it against his face.
"Oh, you'll find out when we get there," Applejack giggled, gesturing him to follow her to the barn.
The inside of the barn was spacious and somewhat damp. Most of the animals were closed off and asleep, leaving only the sounds of spontaneous breaths of the farm creatures. The moonlight crept in through the open cracks of the door, which provided the only light source.
"So, what is the reward?" Caramel asked nervously.
"Oh don't worry, Caramel. You're gonna get your reward pretty soon." Applejack went towards the barn door and slowly closed it. The light source slowly faded until it eventually left, leaving nothing but darkness. Caramel became anxious.
"Um, Applejack, what are you doing?" he asked shakily, becoming nervous from the sudden turn of events. Before he knew it, he felt something wrap against his hooves, tying them together and causing him to fall to the ground.
"What's happening?! Applejack!"
All he heard was a small chuckle, as he was lifted and in the darkness and placed on something that was prickly and firm.
"Why are you....mphmh."
Caramel's voice was muffled when the culprit covered his mouth. The chuckling grew slightly sinister. The devious mare went to the candles mounted on the walls and lit them, leaving only a small luminous glow to appear in the barn. Caramel was positioned on top of hay stack, hooves tied so he couldn't move and mouth covered with cloth so he couldn't make any noises.
"Keep struggling and the rope is just gonna get tighter," Applejack stated, trotting closer to the struggling colt. "Though this does make this more fun for me."
Caramel muffled through the cloth, trying to communicate and announce his confusion to Applejack.
"Bet you're wondering why Ah got ya tied up like this huh?" she asked slyly, leaning in on the confused colt. "Well, knowin' what goes on in your little brain when ya think I ain't watchin' is probably along the lines of this."
Caramel's eyes widened by her response. She leaned on his back, positioning herself to where she could reach his ear.
"That's right, hon. Ah know what you be thinkin' when Ah'm not looking," she cooed in his ears, causing nervous sweat to creep down Caramel's brow. "Ah saw ya looking at my flank earlier today when you thought Ah wasn't looking. Ah even saw your little stiffy trying to show out!"
Caramel's face was beet red in embarrassment. He had been caught red-hoofed and he didn't even know she was aware of it. His concerns rose when a sinister, seductive smile formed on the orange mare's face.
"Well Ah just wanna say that Ah ain't the type of mare to take it from another stallion. Ah personally partake in a different rodeo show!" Applejack chuckled and leaned in on Caramel's ear. "In other words, Ah ain't the one who's gonna be bucked tonight."
The words were soft and seductive. She tenderly nibbled on Caramel's ear, arousing Caramel more than he wanted to admit. However, her words were startling to him. What could she possibly mean by "she ain't gonna be bucked"?
"Ah'm sure you gotta lot of questions, but the answers will come once Ah get back. Now don't go nowhere...not that ya have an option." With a small laugh, she left Caramel alone in the soft candlelight of the barn.
The only company Caramel had was his thoughts. Trying desperately to assess the situation, he thought of different possibilities, and possibly find a reason to why he was tied up. Was this some kind of fetish or hers, a kink that she gets out sometimes? He tried to think of what was going on, which became harder as his growing erection started to brush against the bristles of the haystack. The itch became unbearable, and there was nothing he could do to remedy it.
Minutes passed before he heard the barn door creak open. He didn't dare cock his head to see what was going on, mainly out of fear and knowledge of who it was.
"Well look who patiently waited like a good little colt!" Applejack teased. "Just checking on the family, seeing if they were alright, and of course, finding the right toy for tonight!"
The right toy?
"Yep, my brother ain't gonna be the only one tonight gettin' lucky!"
Caramel's worries were sent skyrocketing. He refused to look at the toy that Applejack had. His refusal soon faded as he felt something cold poke against his rectum. He squirmed by the sudden press against him and turned around, seeing Applejack wearing a strap on. The silicon dildo was at least ten inches, which alarmed the already shivering colt.
"So you finally took notice, huh?" Applejack cooed as her tone became more seductive. "Like Ah said, Ah partake in a different rodeo show. Ah ain't the submissive type, and Ah don't like being bottomed. So if ya wanna have a night with me, ya gotta play by my rules."
Applejack giggled coyly, opening a bottle of lubricant and rubbing it over the dildo, lathering it to make it slick.
"My bro always teased me by sayin' Ah'm gonna turn somepony gay by doing this to them. That's fine with me, so long as Ah have my fun with them."
With them!? Caramel tensed up when he felt Applejack try to press the dildo into his sphincter. Discomfort filled his body as he muffled through the cloth strapped around his mouth.
"I'd loosen up if Ah were you! It'll hurt a lot less if you don't squirm."
She seemed to have more experience with this than Caramel would think. The question on his mind was how many other stallions have she done this to? Caramel decided to take her advice and loosened up, relaxing a bit and letting the mare take him. The cold, silicon phallus penetrated his whole. If it wasn't for his mouth being strapped by the cloth, his muffles would have been more audible.
"Prepare yourself, Caramel," Applejack whispered into his ears. "Ah'm about to go real deep and play real rough."
Applejack forced herself deeper. She managed to bury the toy to the base, interlocking their bodies together.
"Ah'm gonna stay like this for a few seconds so you can get adjusted to it. Just stay calm and I assure you, this will be the ride of your life."
He didn't really have much of a choice. He braced himself for what was to come. Applejack started to pull the dildo out halfway and pushed it back in rhythmically. Every thrust caused Caramel to jolt a bit, while Applejack grunted and moaned. The base of the strap slapped against her clitoris, still allowing her to receive pleasure from the act. She gritted her teeth and picked sped up, the aroma of her musk and sweat filling the room.
Periodically, she brought her hoof down on Caramel's flanks, causing the sounds of the smacks to echo throughout the air. She brought them down hard enough for the impact to leave marks, though not hard enough to hurt him, though Caramel was practically tearing up at this point.
Caramel grunted through the cloth. He was enjoying it a lot less than the mare screwing him. The silicon dildo assaulted his sphincter, filling his rectum with every thrust. He felt pain, humiliation, and completely conflicting with his initial thoughts, aroused.
"Well well, looks like somepony is startin' to enjoy this, or at least his bone is," she giggled, watching as his erection brushed against the bale of hay. Caramel was embarrassed to admit his arousal of being mounted by the mare. "Since Ah'm such a nice pony, Ah'll help you deal with your little friend."
She brought her hoof towards Caramel's penis and wrapped around it, stroking it slowly. She gradually brought sped up until she was vigorously jerking his schlong, biting down on his ear to display her dominance.
Applejack could hear small, stifled moans escaping Caramel's mouth. She let out a toothy grin as she rubbed his meat, pumping herself in and out of him.
"Glad ya finally enjoying this, hon!" she cooed. "Almost done here."
Caramel was in an odd position. The assault his rectum was receiving both felt good and painful, while a normal hoofjob that still felt like heaven compared to what he was receiving in the back could have felt better if he wasn't brushing against a bale of hay, causing him to itch irritably. It was an awkward mixture of pleasure and discomfort, and Caramel sadly enjoyed it.
It wasn't too long before Caramel reached his limits. The odd anal pleasure combined with Applejack's spanking and hoofjob was enough to push him over the edge. Caramel came on top of the haystack. The sticky substance crept down the edges and smeared on his belly.
"Oh, Caramel, Ah'm getting close too!" Applejack moaned, feeling an orgasm coming on. Devoid of energy, Caramel took Applejack's increase in speed without much hesitation. His only reaction was a small moan with every time their bodies slapped together.
"Ah, Caramel, you feel gooood!" Applejack buried her plastic bone inside of Caramel, riding out her orgasm. Caramel was fairly joyous that she didn't have an actual penis, otherwise his discomfort would have intensified immensely when she came inside of him. Applejack stayed inside of Caramel for a few moments, enjoying the afterglow and licking Caramel's ear.
"Thanks for playing with me tonight, sug," she whispered. She pulled out of him and took off the strap-on. She then untied his hooves and the cloth around his mouth. Caramel was breathing heavily, his face completely flushed from the activity. Applejack smiled warmly, pulling him into a kiss. She wrestled with his submissive tongue for a few seconds before breaking with him.
"Call that a little gift for being a good boy tonight," she purred seductively. Caramel was speechless. The only thing he did was look at the cowgirl who had just assaulted him.
"Ah'll clean up the barn, hon. You should go home and get some rest. Trust me, you're gonna need it."
"Y-yes, ma'am," Caramel panted lightly. He got on his hooves and wobbled towards the exit. He found it very difficult to walk straight, feeling the sting of the activity every time he moved. His flanks also burned from Applejack's excessive spanking. He was very confused about what to think about what had happened. On one hoof, he kind of liked it, but on the other hoof, it was an awkward experience, demeaning in every sense of the word.
There was one thing he knew for sure though: he was no longer going to offer to help Applejack after hours. |
Six Tales of One Night Stands | Her Inner Lust (Fluttershy) | "A-are you sure it won't hurt?"
The meek mare led the red stallion into her cottage. She nervously looked back at the tall, muscular colt as he gave a small warm smile.
"Eeyup." His answer was short and simple, comforting Fluttershy slightly.
"B-but, I've heard that the first time usually hurts," Fluttershy mumbled. She was really hesitant to go through with it.
"So, what ya suggest we do?" Big McIntosh asked, closing the door behind them.
"Well... um... we could just cuddle together," Fluttershy softly suggested.
"Fine by me." The two ponies trotted towards Fluttershy's bedroom, avoiding waking up the sleeping critters lying around the house. The two sat on top of the bed and nestled against each other. Fluttershy enjoyed the simple snuggling. The small pleasure was enough for her to fully enjoy herself. However, she did feel a small guilt, depriving the stallion of what he was anticipating. She frowned and turned away, causing concern to build on Big McIntosh.
"Something wrong, Fluts?" Big McIntosh asked.
"Y-yes I'm fine..."
"Don't look fine to me. Looks like ya got something on your mind."
The yellow mare sighed and looked at Big McIntosh, smiling softly. "Well, it's just that you're a very nice stallion... and I really like you. And I know you're here for other reasons other than cuddling since I... um... suggested it to you."
A blush formed on Fluttershy's face, remembering why the stallion was at her home in the first place. ~~~
Earlier that day, Fluttershy stopped by Sweet Apple Acres in hopes of confronting the stallion. Her face was completely flushed as she trotted towards the barn. She noticed Big McIntosh from a distance, feeding the farm animals in the early sun. The nervous mare gulped, staring at the toned stallion she was trying to pursue.
"Okay, Fluttershy, you can do this," she said to herself taking a deep breath. "All you have to do is go up to him and tell him how you feel. Shouldn't be too hard. Just like Rarity said, release your inner goddess! You go get him, girl."
Her body didn't agree with her words. Her legs felt as if they were strapped to concrete bricks as she tried to walk towards the target. The anticipation and fear was unbearable. She forced her way towards Big McIntosh, who was still tending to the farm. Her heart raced as she inched closer to her goal. Standing near him, she cleared her throat and began to speak.
"Um... hello," she said softly. Big McIntosh turned around and noticed the mare, coyly kicking her hooves against the ground.
"Oh hello there, missy!" he replied, smiling. "What brings you here this early in the morning?"
Fluttershy looked at the colt, blushing wildly. She didn't know what it was that made her so attracted to him. It could have been his strong green eyes, or possibly his wild and unkempt hair. Most likely was because he was as soft-spoken as she was, not to mention hunky for a colt. Whatever it was, it made her talking to him all the more difficult.
"Well, um... I just... erm..." Fluttershy stammered over her words.
Go on. Just say it!
"Erm... I um ... have... well.... have you seen Applejack? I want to ask her if she has any of her tasty apple fritters," Fluttershy lied, giving a fake smile.
"She's still asleep," Big McIntosh answered, pondering why the mare was acting so strange. "Ya'll just have to come back later."
"Oh..." Fluttershy continued kicking the ground, looking away from the gaze of the stallion. "Well, thanks... I'll just... go now."
She awkwardly trotted from the barn. She hid under the shade of one of the apple trees and sighed, raising her hooves against her face.
"Oh, Fluttershy, you coward!" she scolded herself. "You could have had him then and there. All you had to do was say you liked him; that was it! But instead you chickened out, like always."
Small beads of tears began to form down her face. Her frustration in herself built every second she thought about it.
"What's the point, anyway? Even if I did tell him how I felt, told him what I wanted, it probably wouldn't matter. I mean, what would he even think of me?"
"Probably say you're a mighty fine mare who's quite a catch."
Fluttershy squeaked and jolted by the unsuspected deep voice behind her. Nervously, she turned around and noticed Big McIntosh standing before her, a soft smile beaming on his face.
"Oh... so you heard all of that, didn't you?"
"Eeyup!" Fluttershy's face reddened. Her secret was out.
"And what you just said... do you..."
"Eeyup." He lowered his head down and glared into her gentle blue eyes. He could see her fears melt as he warmly smiled at her. "Now, what is it that you want with me?"
"Huh?"
"Ya said somethin' about what ya wanted? Ah could probably help ya with what you want, so long as ya tell me what it is."
The yellow mare's face was crimson at this point. What she wanted seemed so unladylike, but it was something she'd been curious about for a while. She meekly began to explain to the stallion what he wanted him to do for her. His eyes widened at her proposal, a small blush forming across his face.
"Ya mean you want me to...?" ~~~
Fluttershy turned away from Big McIntosh again, avoiding his gaze.
"Ah already told you, Fluts, if ya didn't want to go through with this, Ah'm not gonna force ya," Big McIntosh reassured, stroking the mare's mane.
"I know, and it's very sweet of you," Fluttershy smiled, trying her best to sound positive. "But this makes me feel like I forced you to come by tempting you."
"Ah don't feel that way. Just do whatever you want to do, and Ah'm fine with it."
Fluttershy remained silent, worrying the stallion a little. While he was anticipating something from the night with Fluttershy, he wasn't going to force himself on such a sensitive pony. Putting all urges aside, he decided to stay supportive, whether she went through it all or not. After a moment of silence, Fluttershy finally turned towards Big McIntosh, desperation in her glossy eyes.
"I want to give you what you came here for," she replied softly lying on her back. She spread her legs, displaying her glistening folds. "I want you to be my first."
She blushed heavily as Big McIntosh looked at her. He glimpsed at her flower, blushing mildly. He felt himself unsheathe and grow in size. His meaty bone displayed itself, pointing directly at the meek little mare.
"Oh my," she said. "Yo... you sure that's not going to hurt?"
Big McIntosh crawled over Fluttershy, giving her a seductive smile. "Maybe a little, but after a moment, you'll start to enjoy it."
His voice was husky and deep, arousing Fluttershy and making her slightly damp.
"Oh, okay," she said shyly. "Y-you can get started...if you want to."
Big McIntosh took her approval with a smile, positioning his sizable member towards her leaking vulva. Carefully, he poked the tip against her entrance, eliciting a gasp from the shy pony. Fluttershy covered her mouth with her hooves to stifle her moans.
"You okay there?" Big McIntosh asked out of politeness.
"Y-yes I'm fine. You can continue."
Big McIntosh pressed into Fluttershy slowly and carefully. The soft spoken mare covered her mouth with her hooves and closed her eyes, hoping this would help make her more comfortable.
The stallion inched deeper into her womb, moving slowly to avoid causing her pain. She cringed from the push, obviously in discomfort.
"Hey, if ya want, Ah can stop now," Big McIntosh stated, preparing to call it quits.
"N-no, don't..." Fluttershy squeaked out with all of her strength. "Please... keep going."
Big McIntosh continued onward, trying to go as slow as possible to avoid hurting her. Her inner walls tightened around his schlong, sending waves of pleasure through Big McIntosh. After little resistance, he began to pick up the pace, going moderately fast but gentle.
Fluttershy still had her mouth covered as Big McIntosh pumped himself inside her moist cave. She felt him push deep inside her, filling her completely with his meaty rod. The pleasure became overwhelming for her. It felt good, and she craved it.
"More..." she murmured inaudibly.
"Pardon?" Big McIntosh asked curiously.
"MORE!! I want you to fuck me harder!"
Her sudden outburst was a shock to the colt, but he wasn't going to decline her wishes. He thrust deeper into her vigorously, making her moan in delight. The two were caught in hot, sweaty passion, both gaining satisfaction from their eloping.
"Goood... feels so good!" Fluttershy was practically melting in bliss. Her inner walls tugged Big McIntosh's penis, attempting to milk him dry. Both felt their limits coming.
"Oh, Big McIntosh! Harder! Faster!" Even as she reached her limits, she demanded more. The stallion grunted and pushed inside of her, finally giving in to her warmth and unloading inside of her. Fluttershy finally reached an orgasm after Big McIntosh's cum shot into her. He pulled out of her and lay on his back, panting heavily.
"Well, Ah gotta say, you enjoyed that more than Ah thought ya would," Big McIntosh stated, laughing. Fluttershy crawled towards him and put her head on his stomach.
"How couldn't I? I had the handsomest stallion take me for the first time. I'd say that's enough to make the night pleasurable," Fluttershy purred. Big McIntosh stroked the mare's long, pink mane, enjoying the afterglow of their intercourse.
"I... I want to do it again,"
Big McIntosh stared wide-eyed at the mare, who was looking at him with passionate lust.
"I want you to ravish me, big boy," she cooed, trying to seduce the exhausted stallion into having sex with her again.
"Ah'd like to," Big McIntosh began, yawning slightly, "but that first time took a lot out of me. Maybe in a few minutes."
Fluttershy pouted; she craved more of his touch, but was denied, forced to wait. Or was she? A devilish grin formed on her face as she giggled flirtatiously.
"Oh, so the big stallion is tired, huh?" she asked. "That's okay. You won't have to do anything except enjoy the show, and I'll get a little taste of your hunky meat."
Giggling coyly, she dragged her tongue down Big McIntosh's stomach towards his shaft. Spreading his legs apart, her tongue reached the base of his flaccid phallus. Big McIntosh looked in amazement at the sexually-charged Fluttershy. It was as if she a different pony.
Fluttershy nudged the soft penis with her nose, trying to get Big McIntosh up again. "Wonder how the entire thing tastes..." She streaked her tongue around the slick flesh, causing soft moans to escape the stallion. After a few more licks and laps, Big McIntosh was erect once again.
"Well, look who finally decided to wake up," she said, giggling. "This looks like it's going to be a mouthful."
"Heh, well I don't want ya to hurt yourself tryin to... whoa, Nelly!"
His statement was cut off by the wave of pleasure that he was receiving. Fluttershy had wrapped her lips around his meaty cock, lapping her warm, wet tongue around it. She suckled on the tip for a while to adjust to his girth, slowly going down on him and swallowing more of him. She took half of him down her throat before she gagged.
"Fluts, you okay?" Big McIntosh asked through his moans of pleasure. She didn't respond. Instead, she gave him a tantalizing wink and forced herself deeper onto his phallus. Her sheets were becoming moist as her liquids leaked onto them. She put one hoof on her pussy and rubbed vigorously, moaning on his cock as she did so.
To Big McIntosh's surprise, she didn't choke. In fact, she managed to take him all the way down to the hilt. His member was completely covered in her saliva; the warmth of it was enough to push him over the edge again.
"Fl...Fluttershy! I'm gonna... heuugh!"
Fluttershy didn't relinquish herself from him. She took everything as he unloaded into her mouth. She let her eyes stay half closed, looking at Big McIntosh seductively as her cheeks bulged with his seed. After making sure she had every drop milked from him, she pulled off his receding penis and swallowed his full load, showing her tongue to show him that there was nothing left.
"All gone," she stated flirtatiously. "I swallowed it all like a good girl." Big McIntosh couldn't help but grin at her display.
"Who are you and what have ya done with my Fluttershy?" he teased, still lying on his back.
"I'm a little succubus," Fluttershy cooed, licking her lips. "All I want to do is leave you dry."
"Well, if ya really want to, we can do this more often," Big McIntosh offered. "Though you kind of did a number on me already. Ah think Ah'm gonna.... wait, what are you doing?"
"I'm going to suck these plump balls of yours," she stated, leaning in on his round orbs. "It'll help you get your cock up again."
"Again!" Big McIntosh exclaimed. "Look, hon, Ah'm tired and a little sore, honestly. Ah would appreciate it if you just stopped."
"But what if I don't want to stop?" she asked, licking his testes. "What are you going to do, big guy? Leave? I'm the one who invited you here for this. You're supposed to help me get off by any means necessary. And I haven't had my fill yet."
"B-but Fluttershy..."
She refused to listen to him further and wrapped her mouth around his nuts, suckling them like a baby suckles its mother's teats. Big McIntosh groaned in small agony. It would have been more enjoyable if he wasn't so sore from being milked twice in a row, but Fluttershy wasn't showing any mercy. In one night, he had turned one meek, shy pony into a lustful, cock-crazed demon.
Against his will, he was erect again, causing a longing smile to form across Fluttershy's face.
"You know, I've yet to ride it." She streaked her tongue along his meat stick until she reached the tip, positioning her vagina over it. "As they say, there's a first time for everything."
Without warning, Fluttershy dropped on top of his phallus, rocking her hips back and forth rapidly. Big McIntosh grunted at her movements. She was going to be the death of him; she was making him her toy, a tool to fill her longing hole with his girth. He had inadvertently turned her into an insatiable beast, and to his surprise, he wasn't enjoying it.
"Oh, you feel so good," Fluttershy moaned, grinding against his sore schlong. He just wanted it to end. He wanted to stop getting milked from the yellow mare that had become addicted to his touch.
"Oh, Big McIntosh! Why do you feel so gooood!?" she screamed out in pleasure as she reached another orgasm. Her liquids slid down his cock, warming it enough to push him over the edge once more. Without a word, whatever was left in him spurted into her womb. A small amount dribbled down his shaft. Big McIntosh had his tongue lolled out, completely spent. "Hmm..." Fluttershy looked at him curiously.
"What now?" Big McIntosh groaned.
"I wonder how much you can go through tonight."
Big McIntosh grabbed a nearby pillow and screamed into it. This was going to be a long, painful night. ~~~
He didn't feel much better the next day. He was still sore on his way towards Sweet Apple Acres, and completely bushed as well. He was considering sitting the day out.
"Boss!" Big McIntosh heard the voice of his clumsy employee. He turned and noticed his running towards him.
"Oh, hey, Caramel," Big McIntosh said nonchalantly, noticing the brown-maned colt wobbling slightly. "So, how'd it go with my sister?
Caramel sighed. "Well, let's just say I wasn't the one bucking,"
"She mounted ya, didn't she?"
Caramel nodded. "Still sore from it too."
"You're not the only one."
"You got it up the plot too?!"
"Nope, but with how last night went, Ah won't be using my tool for a long time."
The two sighed and flopped on the ground, reflecting on how the night went for both of them.
"Mares are weird creatures, huh?" Caramel giggled. Big McIntosh gave him an amused look for his statement.
"Eeyup," was the only response he received. They remained silent for a while, trying to piece together what they both went through. A small blush began to form on Caramel's face.
"Um, Big McIntosh?"
"Hmm?"
"You ever consider switching over to stallions?" |
Six Tales of One Night Stands | Heated Passion (Rainbow Dash) | Bored and with little to do, the rainbow-maned mare slept lazily on top of a pillowy cloud, letting the wind gently push it around. The day had progressed slowly for Rainbow Dash; after finishing up with the weather team, she found herself with nothing to do except laze around and relax, drifting away on the silky cloud.
It was rather peaceful. Rainbow Dash didn't dwell in these moments often, but when she did, she found them pleasant. It was just her and the gentle wind. She felt at ease with the calm, soothing, sense of falling from the sky. Wait, falling?
Rainbow Dash opened her eyes and noticed she was plummeting towards the ground. Before she had time to react and prevent the fall, she landed face first onto the hard pavement. Dizzy from the impact, she rubbed her head and groaned in agony.
"Hey, down there!" She looked up towards the cloud she fell off of. "You alright!?"
The pegasus poked his head out, looking slightly concerned about the mare's position. The stallion with soft, golden eyes and a black coat slowly flapped his wings down towards the agitated mare.
"If you call landing on your head and nearly having a concussion then yes, Thunderlane, I'm doing really peachy!" she snapped sarcastically.
"Sorry," Thunderlane responded, looking away.
"How the hay did you not even notice me!? I was sleeping on an open cloud!"
"Look, I said I was sorry!" Thunderlane responded, getting annoyed with Rainbow Dash's harsh tone.
"Yeah, but how much of a clutz do you have to be to knock somepony off a cloud who was right bucking in front of you?"
"I was in a hurry! I said I was sorry!" Thunderlane turned away from her and mumbled under his breath. "You don't have to be a cunt about it."
"What was that!?" Rainbow Dash got inches away Thunderlane's face angrily, hearing what he had muttered.
"Do I need to say it slowly for the retard?" Thunderlane insulted coldly. "You...don't... have... to be... a... cunt... about it!"
Rage was boiling inside of Rainbow Dash. She was holding back every urge to just buck the lights out of Thunderlane right there.
"Well at least mine is functional!" she retaliated, which resulted in Thunderlane giving her a strong glare.
"And what the buck is that supposed to mean?"
"Well, limp-dick, it means that you can't use the tool that you were born with," Rainbow Dash snapped matter-of-factly.
"Oh, like you've had any experience!"
"Probably more than you!"
"Oh what, with your hooves? Yeah, that's real experience. Or let me guess, you give yourself away in the back alley to the homeless because they're the only ones who want to put up with your rotten cooch!"
The two bickered and argued frequently and loudly for the next few minutes, building up more anger the more words were thrown. The two constantly made harsh insults about each other's reproductive organ, trying to shoot each other down in every way possible.
"Fishy snatch!"
"Infertile ass!"
The admittedly bad insults kept flowing until they finally got tired of it.
"You probably wouldn't last a second in bed with anypony!" the rainbow-maned mare stated, throwing the last punch.
"Wanna bet?" the enraged colt challenged with an aggressive smirk on his face. "Unless you think you can't do it!"
"Do what?"
"Since you're so confident that you can last longer than me, why don't you put your money where your mouth is! How about in three hours, my place, we see if your toxic pussy can handle me? First one to cum loses."
"Fine by me," Rainbow Dash agreed without a second thought, refusing to let Thunderlane prove her wrong on something. "If you lose, you have to wear the frilliest thing in Equestria and wear a shirt saying 'I Sleep with Other Colts'!"
"Fine, but if you lose, you have to make out with a hobo in public! Sounds fair?"
Thunderlane extended his hoof in order to seal the deal, which Rainbow Dash grasped tightly.
"You're on, butt munch!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed with a smug grin on her face.
"Fine then," Thunderlane responded flying off. "See you in three hours you hobo-banging skank!" ~~~
Later that day, Rainbow Dash flew towards Thunderlane's small house in Cloudsdale. She knocked impatiently on the door, ready to put the smart aleck stallion in his place. She continued knocking on the door until the door opened, revealing the challenger.
"Well, look who decided to show up," Thunderlane teased. "I thought you might back out of it like a coward!"
"What, and not get to see you try to use your dysfunctional dick!?" Rainbow Dash sneered, walking into the house. "So what piece of crap bed are we going to do it on?"
"Something better than the house you call a cloud, that's for damn sure," he responded, leading her into his bedroom. It was a simply crafted room, with only a few cabinets and a small bed in the center.
"Not too shabby, huh?" Thunderlane bragged. "Probably better than any pad you managed to whore your way into!"
Rainbow Dash smacked Thunderlane on the head, causing him to glare at her irritably.
"Just shut up so we can get this over with. I have better things to do than to humiliate you!"
"Then why aren't you doing them?" Thunderlane asked in a snarky tone.
"Because shut up."
The two headed towards the twin-sized bed to begin the challenge. Thunderlane lied on the bed, stretching out, leaving barely any room for Rainbow Dash to sit, annoying her slightly. She stared at his lower half, noticing he was still hidden in his sheath.
"Well, what are you waiting for? Whip it out already, unless it truly is dysfunctional!" Rainbow Dash mocked, grinning devilishly.
"I can't. Nothing here looks attractive enough to turn me on," Thunderlane quipped, causing Rainbow's grin to melt into a small frown.
"But I tell you what you can do to help that. You can turn your fat ass around, flail your tail around and hope that it gets a little stiff by watching you... what the buck are you doing?"
Thunderlane was caught off guard when Rainbow Dash began licking his nether region, trying to bring his tool out.
"Look, I don't have all day to play stripper with you!" she hissed. "I'm just trying to get this thing out so I can beat you!"
"But you're taking an unfair advantage!"
"Never said I was going to play fair," she smirked, resuming lapping her tongue around his sheath. It only took a few seconds before Thunderlane's penis began to poke out, hardening from her touch until it fully revealed itself.
"Not too bad," Rainbow Dash stated, still licking his shaft. "What did you do, take a whole bunch of pills to make it big-GAAAH!!"
Her words turned into a muffled mesh as a surprise wave of pleasure went through her. Thunderlane took the opportunity to catch the mare off guard by rubbing his hoof against her clit, twirling it upon her squishy flesh.
"You... stop!" Rainbow Dash tried to seem as if she was receiving no pleasure from it, but ultimately failed with her stifled moans.
"What? I thought that, since you weren't playing fair, I might as well try to even the playing field," Thunderlane mocked. "Got to admit, I thought you would feel loose from all the guys you probably fuck, but you're surprisingly tight, not that that means much for you!"
Rainbow Dash was far from submitting to her rival. She refused to admit that he was able to make her feel good, no matter how well he rubbed her off.
"Just shut up, ass wipe, and let's get started!" She knocked his hoof away from her sex and climbed on top of the bed, positioning herself over him. "We'll see how long you last, fag!"
"Probably longer than you, skank," Thunderlane hissed.
Rainbow Dash wasted no time; she swiftly dropped herself on top of his meat stick. She rapidly bounced on top of his dick with no rhythm. It was a race to her, a race she didn't want to win.
"Jeez, slow down!" Thunderlane groaned. "You that eager to hop on my dick?"
"No, just trying to make you lose, that's all," she stated grinning as she saw how hard Thunderlane was struggling not to blow. "And it looks like it's working. It hasn't even been a minute and you're already thinking about cumming inside of me, aren't you!?"
The colt groaned, stifling his inevitable orgasm. Rainbow Dash rocked her hips rapidly to send her victim over the edge. Thunderlane wasn't going to be humiliated, not like this. He grabbed the mare by her waist, stopping her pace and pushed her on her back. Because of his carelessness, he ended up knocking her against the headboard.
"Ouch! What the hell was that for?!" Rainbow Dash cried out visibly pissed.
"Making sure you don't win," Thunderlane bitterly replied. "I'm not going to lay here and have you make me your bitch!"
With the tables turned, Thunderlane pumped himself violently into Rainbow Dash, rocking the bed as he did so. Every push caused her head to thump against the headboard which helped kill whatever pleasure Rainbow Dash was feeling.
"This hurts, you dick!" Rainbow shouted angrily.
"What, I'd thought you'd be used to big things inside you by now, slut!" Thunderlane grunted aggressively while assaulting her pussy. Her liquids coated his cock, making quick movements inside her cave very easy and smooth.
"I gotta admit, you don't feel half bad," he commented dryly. "Not the best sex I've had, but it's manageable for a hobo-fucker!"
"You're not so bad yourself," Rainbow Dash stated, moaning slightly. "Although your dumb ass nearly gave me a concussion twice, I can say you aren't doing half bad for a faggot!"
The insults kept flowing as they continued their competitive intercourse. There was a chaotic rhythm going on between them, both trying to find a way to make the other cum faster. Rainbow Dash rocked her hips back and forth while Thunderlane pressed deep inside of her. Both tried to outdo each other, and all the while using vulgar slanders against each other.
It didn't take them too long however for them to reach their peaks. The inevitable was going to happen.
"Whooooore!!" Thunderlane moaned.
"Assshoooole!!" Rainbow Dash followed up, screaming in pleasure.
Simultaneously, they reached their orgasms. Thunderlane spurted inside of her sex, while Rainbow Dash's fluids began gushing on his covers. The competition ended in a tie.
"Well, I guess that makes us equal," Thunderlane stated.
"Equal?! It was obvious you cheated throughout!" Rainbow Dash accused.
"Cheated!?"
"You probably used some kind of secret clear lubricant to make me cum faster than I normally would!"
"One, if that was even true, which it isn't since you blew that out of your ass, I wouldn't waste it on an ugly mare like you! Two, how are you going to accuse me of cheating when you were the one trying to get the upper hand?!"
"I deserved that much since you nearly killed me on the cloud!"
"Not my fault you were retarded enough to sleep in a flying area!"
"Dick!"
"Bitch!"
The two of them glanced at each other, scowls clearly showing on their face. They stared at each other for a while, before they did the unexpected.
The two of them locked lips with each other, kissing passionately and sloppily. The two pent-up ponies lapped their tongues around each other's rigorously, moaning loudly. Their faces heated as they continued making out, wet kisses popping with each move. When they ran out of air, the two broke their kiss with only a long strand keeping them together.
"You know, for a retard you aren't half bad with that thing, you know," Rainbow Dash complemented, straightening her messy hair.
"Same to you, babe," Thunderlane replied. "I'll even be nice enough to not make you French kiss a hobo in the middle of the streets."
The two laid next each other, letting the wave of their rage-fueled pleasure die down. The two were content at the moment, and finally relaxed for the first time in hours. There was one thing that the coal-tinted stallion wanted to know though, something that he needed to know.
"Um, Dash, you were smart enough to use a contraceptive before you came here, right?"
The tired mare turned towards him, raising an eyebrow in confusion.
"The fuck is a contraceptive?" |
Orion | pre | "Shit." |
Orion | Naos | ~ ~ ~ Naos ~ ~ ~
The alarm buzzed just once at 8 AM before it was silenced by a hoof slamming down on it.
Celestia damn it.
Silence reigned once more. The colt whom had angrily struck the alarm for trying to cut his precious sleep time short remained buried under his sheets, while the summer morning's sun streaked in through the blinds of his window in warm orange beams that spread across every surface they could reach.
The world in the small, messy bedroom lay still in time as the colt continued to snooze. It remained so, only the sun minutely gliding on the walls, until a voice was heard from downstairs.
"Naos! Get up or you'll be late for school!"
From the depths of his bed, Naos growled in sleepy frustration. He could've stayed in bed as long as he wanted, but his mother's was the only call to arms that had any effect on him, because it was the one he could not silence and that would grow only louder and more painful with every attempt to avoid it.
He rose slowly, pushing away the covers. His eyes remained closed to avoid getting any unwanted sunlight. For a moment he just sat upright, his blue coat and jet-black mane ruffled and a grimace etched onto his morning face as if he'd just eaten an entire lemon.
"Naos!"
He took a deep breath, and exhaled loudly.
Damn it. Damn it all to Tartarus.
Today was going to be a Long Day indeed.
After having lazily made his way downstairs, Naos walked into the kitchen, where his mother was doing the dishes.
"Good morning, Naos," she said after a brief glance his way. "Your lunch for today is on the table."
Naos opened the brown paper bag his mother was talking about and peeked inside. At the bottom lay a solitary sandwich, his mother's usual minimal assemblage of hay in between two slices of bread.
"I don't have school today," he said. "It's Saturday... remember?"
His mother turned around in surprise. "Oh... Well keep it for later, then," she said before returning to her dishes.
Naos glared at her for a couple of seconds in disbelief before sitting down heavily at the kitchen table, where he started pouring himself a bowl of Cheerilee-o's. As he did so, he heard frantic hoofsteps coming from the above floor. He sighed loudly. It was time for his daily routine to really begin.
The hoofsteps pounded across the ceiling, before making their way to the staircase and excitedly trampling down the steps and rushing to the kitchen.
"Gooooood morning, everypony!" loudly chimed Gliese. He stood on his hind legs, stretching out his limbs and tiny wings and beaming at Naos -- who was wincing in pain from the shrill sound of his little brother's voice, which reached a decibel level that he found intolerable before noon.
Their mother put down the dish she was cleaning and walked over to him. "Gooooood morning my little angel!" she cooed, rubbing his cheeks affectionately with her hooves. "Sleep well?"
"Sure did! Good morning, Nao--"
In his rushing towards his older brother, Gliese bumped into the kitchen table, which caused Naos to spill his bowl of cereal and milk all over it. A moment of awkward silence ensued, during which Gliese stared at the floor with an astonished look.
"I'll get that," said their mother. "You just sit down, Gliese, and I'll make you some breakfast."
Gliese did as he was told and looked at his brother. "Sorry, Naos," he said with the telltale voice of a guilty child. Naos, who was on the verge of flipping the table over, saw his mother stare at him from underneath it as she cleaned up the mess. Her eyes, wide open and fixed on his, were commanding him not to overreact. He looked at Gliese, who looked back at him like a lost puppy.
"That's ok," he muttered through gritted teeth, trying not to betray any emotion at all. Gliese's expression immediately changed back to its previous glee.
"No use crying over spilt milk, right?" he said, feeling proud of his clever pun that made his mother giggle.
Naos looked at his little brother. The corner of his mouth twitched in an effort to force a grin, which only added to the discomfort he was feeling from the cold milk trickling down his legs.
Naos burst into his room and slammed the door violently behind him. He then went up to his bed and bucked it once with a furious grunt, making the bed sway on its feet before setting itself down with a loud noise. The colt then sat on his bed, punched his pillow, and cradled his head in his hooves.
He wished in that moment, as he so often did, that somepony else, somepony from the outside could just stand there and see what exactly was going behind the curtain of his life. He knew exactly how it looked from the outside. New Ponyville, a shiny bright suburb outside of Canterlot, and the nicest place to live away from the big city! So young and yet so perfect, who wouldn't want to live here? The streets are clean, the people are always smiling, it's always a brilliant day in New Fucking Ponyville!
It was all just a big, cruel joke.
He wanted to go out, to scream at the top of his lungs and make everypony see that he knew what all the billboards didn't tell, he knew how it really was. In this day and age, nopony here wanted anything to do with anything that could be even the slightest kind of trouble. They chose to do away with their broken lives rather than rebuild them. They shrouded themselves in a polished little enclave of artificial happiness. They tried to salvage what peace and innocence was now gone instead of making it anew, and that was where the real trauma was. For all the dirt that didn't show on the walls of rows upon rows of pristine model houses was on the inside.
And he had grown up here. Here, in the smack middle of this cesspool of suburban lies and secrets. He'd never wanted any of it, he had never chosen this life like his cowardly parents had, but it had been slapped onto him like another generic poster boy next to the words Welcome to New Ponyville, have a nice day!
He knew about it. He saw it all so clearly around him, as if he was a stranger stranded in this town. How?
Stupid fucking little shit.
The truth was that despite loathing the model of life that had imposed itself in New Ponyville, Naos wasn't the only one who knew about it. In fact, every pony but the children living here knew what was afoot. Everypony wanted to show their neighbors that they were the ones who had bounced back best from the horror that had spawned the Long Day. It was why everything was so perfect on the outside; make sure you're the cleanest sucker in the trash can, and that there's always more jealous than you around. It was an everyday cold war, the collective result of individual façades of happiness coming together. It was poisonous air to breathe, but breathe it they did.
And Naos could've breathed it too. He, like all the others, could have made his peace with it and accept that that was how life was meant to be from here on out. But that wasn't considering one small detail.
On the day the Changelings attacked Canterlot, they had come with a plan. Their prime targets were the unicorns and the pegasi, who had obvious combat advantage over their earth pony siblings. They hit fast and they hit hard, and as a result, unicorns and pegasi who were once commonplace became exceptionally rare. Time went on, and as family lines grew with it, unicorn and pegasus genes became so rare they became dangerously close to becoming a thing of the past. So in New Ponyville, national temple of envy and greed, what better way than to prove the superiority of your own life than being close to such a rare breed of ponies -- or better yet, being one of them?
That was where Naos's family hit gold. With the unexpected birth, six years ago, of a pegasus foal named Gliese.
The kid was a living trophy. From the moment they had him, his parents had dedicated their lives to pampering him and making sure he could never be happier at any given moment. That was their sole motivation; to showcase the fact that their earth pony family had managed to create a fucking pegasus, the only one for many miles to be found! And that together, they were a happy family, the closest thing left to life before the Long Day!
And then there was their older son, Naos. Just another earth pony. There was no longer any need for a dull bronze cup like him.
That's how his life was written out. He woke up, went to school in Canterlot, and came back home. All the while making sure he wasn't in the way of Gliese being the star of the show. And unless he somehow stopped being an earth pony, there was no escape from this.
He shook some more, as he felt fresh tears wet the tip of his forehooves. Dammit, not this again. Why... Why can't I just be better than this?
Suddenly, Naos heard a sharp noise in his room. He raised his head with a jolt, afraid that somepony might have seen him crying. He waited for a few seconds, to see if the sound would repeat itself. It didn't, and Naos figured he had just imagined it. Nopony had seen him, but deep inside, he wished somepony actually had and that they would be coming to pull him out of this house.
Snap. The noise repeated itself, and this time Naos was sure he hadn't imagined it. He looked around in surprise, and then it happened again. Snap. It was then that Naos realized that the sounds he was hearing were coming from his window. Somepony was throwing pebbles at it.
His heart racing, Naos leapt from his bead and to his window. Who could be calling him outside? Would he finally be introduced to somepony who would not just see him as a background pony?
Oh, fuck me.
Naos felt his heart sink as he recognized the pony throwing pebbles at his window. That crimson coat was unmistakably that of Antares. He knew that he'd wished somepony would come to see him, but it should have been anypony but him.
But it was too late to back away now. Antares had seen him, and was flashing him his stupid grin as he signaled Naos to come down. Naos swore, and made his way down to the garage.
He knew Antares after a fashion, as he was friends with Orion, a colt who was one of the rare ponies at school that Naos held in high esteem because he had actually bothered to talk to him. Naos considered Orion to be a good pony, so it was unfortunate that he would hang out with Antares, who just annoyed Naos. He was an arrogant joker, always bragging shamelessly about his recent run-ins with the authorities and how he'd managed to escape from the skin of his teeth. As far as Naos knew, the colt had no idea what true hardship was.
Once he was behind the garage door, he pressed a button to a side to open it. The metal door slowly slided upwards and folded itself back into the garage roof, revealing a blindingly bright day outside, and Antares, who slowly made his way towards the garage.
"Naos, my brother! What's up?"
The nerve of that guy, brooded Naos as he recalled that Antares never spoke to him unless he was butting in on a conversation between him and Orion. Still, he wanted to prove he was above ignoring him back, and that he would listen to what he had to say.
There was a moment of silence during which Naos regretted not having pretended to be unavailable when he had the chance.
"You want to what?" he asked. What he had just heard seemed so unreal, he wanted to make sure he hadn't misheard.
"I want to rob it," Antares repeated.
Naos looked at him quizzically.
"You want to rob Cake & Cake's. That's what you want to do for your best friend's birthday," he said, his words dripping with sarcasm that he was sure even Antares wouldn't be dumb enough to ignore.
"Yup!" replied the beaming colt. "So whaddaya say?"
Naos stared at him blankly for a few seconds before pinching the bridge of his nose.
"Oh," he said, raising his head with a jerk as if he'd realized something. "Oh, I just remembered. You're a dick."
Antares burst into laughter. "Well, I guess that from a certain point of view... Yeah," he said with a wink.
"Are you suffering from brain damage, Antares? Is that it? Did you run into a street pole while running from the cops again?"
"No, not this time. But seriously, I think it would be a blast. We get together as friends, rob Cake & Cake's, and get the heck outta there to celebrate our good chum Orion's birthday! It'll be a great surprise, he'll never see it coming!"
"You're right! Not on his birthday, especially not with his best friend and prank buddy spending the day away from him!"
Antares grinned, but threw back his head with a groan. "Naos, did you ever stop to think that maybe it was precisely because you do that kind of stuff that no one wants to talk to you?"
"Yeah well at least I'm not an aspiring criminal!" Naos retorted, a little hurt. "Times are rough but there's always a better way to make money than stealing!"
Antares didn't reply, and looked at Naos in astonishment before speaking again.
"Oh, no, no, no! No, you got it all wrong! I don't want to steal money! I just wanna get my hooves on, let's say, several birthday cakes of all sizes for tonight's birthday bash!"
It was Naos's turn to look surprised. "Wait... That's what this is all about? You wanna steal cake?"
"Yeah!"
"Well why didn't ya just say so?" said Naos, beaming at him.
Antares returned the smile with double enthusiasm. "Well there you go, that's the spirit! So you'll help me out?"
"Uh, no," scoffed Naos. "This is bullshit. How are you even gonna go about looting an entire bakery?"
Antares ignored his friend's cynicism, glad that the question had been brought up. "It's simple, really. You and I show up at the back of the bakery at 7 PM sharp. We break in through the back door, that goes straight into storage. Meanwhile Bella and Orion will already be in the place, stalling the baker at the front while we raid the place, and then we all get the heck outta there!"
Naos listened to Antares's plan with unconcealed skepticism. "And in your mind, this is a good plan?" he asked after a moment.
Antares nodded. "Trust me. I went over it a dozen times or so. It's foalproof."
They stared at each other for a moment before Naos turned his back on Antares. "You're insane," he said as he made his way back inside.
"Don't wanna do it? That's fine," said Antares. "I'll just tell Orion you didn't think he was worth the trouble."
"I'm sure he'll see it as me being reasonable more than anything else."
"That's cool, I'll just get Gliese to help out."
Naos was practically back inside when he stopped in his tracks. He didn't turn around for a few seconds, and when he did his expression was no longer one of smug skepticism but of seriousness. He shot a hard glare at Antares, who gave him a warm, victorious smile.
"I don't think so," said Naos.
"I'm sure he'd love it, though."
"You are not dragging him into your stupid little games!" spat Naos, advancing menacingly towards Antares.
"Why not? I'm great with kids. Think he can't handle it?"
"He's just a kid! He can't handle anything!"
The two ponies were now inches away from each other. Naos was practically smoking at the nostrils, but Antares didn't budge. He just stared calmly into Naos's eyes for several seconds.
"Oh... I see," he said calmly. "I see what's going on here. It's not that you don't want your little brother to get into trouble... You just don't want him around anywhere, right?"
"Don't fuck with me, Antares," said Naos in a low voice.
"Look dude, I know how it is. This place sucks, I get it. I been around sucky places too."
"As if."
Antares raised his eyebrows. "You know I grew up in a New Cloudsdale orphanage, right? I've seen so many roaches crawl on my bed at night I started giving them names."
He paused, expecting another snide reply, but Naos just kept boring holes into his eyes, so he kept talking.
"You know, back at the orphanage, there was this one dude. Unicorn. Big guy, too, bigger than all the other colts. And since he was a rare breed 'n all, everypony looked up to him as their leader right off the bat. But me, I hated the guy. He acted like a pig who didn't know he was rolling around in shit. Of course he was, I mean we were in a crummy orphanage, but he still had everything handed to him on a silver platter. And I didn't even have a reason to hate him, I was just jealous 'cause I wanted to be the big shot around. But I couldn't be that guy. I was just another earth pony kid that nopony gave a shit about."
It was rare for Antares to say anything seriously, but when he did, he was absolutely sincere. In that moment, though he would never admit it, Naos felt a connection with Antares that he never would have expected.
"We don't talk a lot," Antares continued, "but we do have a lot in common. I know what it's like to want to break out of the mould and be somepony special. That's why I act out... kinda. And I wanna help you break out of that mould too."
He inched even closer towards Naos.
"But if you don't let me... Well, Gliese will just be getting a lot more spotlight when I tell everypony who doesn't know him just how special he is."
A tense moment followed as Naos mulled things over carefully. He couldn't tell whether the colt was reaching out to him or threatening him. Nonetheless, one detail stuck out to him more than anything. One he could not fight.
He lowered his head, giving a defeated sigh.
"What time?" he mumbled.
"7 PM, sharp!" replied Antares with his usual cheeriness. Naos shook his head, and looked back at him.
"If I do this, you promise Gliese stays away?" he asked seriously. Antares nodded.
With a grunt, Naos stepped out of the garage into the sunlight, walking slowly and keeping his scowling face low.
"Where you going?" asked Antares.
"Need some air," muttered Naos. "Close the garage, if you would."
He was about to ask Antares not to steal anything, thinking that it might be a possibility with him, but on second thought realized that he really didn't care for this place enough to say so.
It didn't take long after the two of them had stepped inside the bakery's storage room for Naos to get claustrophobic.
Indeed, when they had arrived, the two colts found the door that connected the storage room and the baker's counter slightly ajar. A single beam of light cut through the pitch-black room, running across the floor in a line that crossing too often would prove unwise, should an unsuspecting eye happen to look inside the room. Although this unforeseen and dangerous element considerably limited their roaming space in the storage room, Antares had insisted they follow through with their plan.
Naos's job was to hold the Marblegem and shed some light on Antares in the darkness of the room, while the crimson pony moved the supplies around and made a pile of those various pastries he wanted to take with him. Naos couldn't help but cringe, as he guided the soft purple glow of the jewel along with him, making sure it wouldn't be seen from anywhere else in the bakery.
He stood unmoving, his partner in crime carrying out the operation in the shadows of a soft lilac light.
"I think that'll do, let's just get out of here," he whispered as Antares added yet another batch of cupcakes to his treasure trove, which was getting much too tall to Naos's taste.
"You've been saying that every 15 seconds now," Antares whispered back. "Live a little. Besides, I can't remember if it's vanilla or cinnamon that Orion doesn't like."
Naos muttered a curse under his breath, and turned his head anxiously to the door, as he had done several times already to see if the baker wouldn't make a surprise appearance. In the narrow space, he could just make out the back of the baker's head, as well as the next customer that had just entered the shop.
"Well, hello there, little one! What can I get you?" he heard the baker say in her jolly tones. He kept staring at the counter. As he did, he managed to get a glimpse at the pony who had just entered the store.
For a few seconds, Naos forgot where he was and what he was doing. He was momentarily too surprised to remember that looking in that direction could expose him.
He slowly turned to Antares, who was discreetly sampling a cupcake to see if it would make the pile or not.
"You motherbucker," Naos said in a low voice, just above a whisper.
Antares looked back at Naos, and saw the face of a silently fuming pony whose expression was only dramatized by the shadows cast onto his face by the purple shadow under his chin. He could only imagine his own expression, somewhere between confusion and amusement, under the lighting.
"Dude, keep it to a whisper, and tell me why I'm a--"
"I just happened to glance over at the counter."
Antares squinted his eyes, trying to understand what Naos meant. Suddenly, he raised his eyebrows in understanding, and gave a long sigh, bracing himself for the explanation he would have to give.
"Naos..."
"You promised me this wouldn't. Fucking. Happen."
"Look, I didn't think it would! But it just... kinda... happened."
"We're leaving. Now."
"Naos, we are this close to getting all the cake in the--"
"I don't give a shit about cake!" Naos hissed angrily.
Antares was about to reply when he heard the baker and her client stop talking. The two ponies watched in held breath as her shadow grew in the short line of light that streamed into their hiding place. She stopped at the door, pushing it ajar a few inches more and stepping inside...
"Ooh!" said a voice from inside the bakery. The baker stopped in her tracks for a tense moment before returning to the counter.
Antares didn't move for a second, his heartbeat echoing in his head like an ominous drum before turning to Naos. He couldn't tell if the other colt's eyes were bloodshot or if it was just from the way the light from the Marblegem hit them.
"Okay," he whispered. "Let's get out of here."
"I could've unraveled your foalproof plan just by blowing on it!" spat Naos.
"Let it go, we can talk about that when--"
Just then the door to the storage room flew open. The two colts froze, staring wide-eyed at the baker's silhouette standing against the brightly lit room behind her. She looked back at them in utter disbelief.
Antares grabbed the Marblegem from Naos, who was too busy contemplating his impending doom to care. The jewel flashed a stronger light, casting a pale violet bubble around the pile of pastries he'd been putting together and making it levitate.
He turned to Naos.
"Run!" |
Orion | Gliese | ~ ~ ~ Gliese ~ ~ ~
Oh boy! I immediately thought when I woke up. I sat up, and I couldn't stop smiling.
Today was finally the day. It was really sunny, too, so that had to mean it was gonna be the greatest day ever, right? Oh, doesn't matter, 'cause today was gonna be even better than great, it was gonna be the most super-duper awesome day ever!
I threw the covers away and got up outta bed and jumped to the ground. Even if I couldn't really sleep last night 'cause I was so excited about today, I wasn't tired at all! I wanted to run down for breakfast just when my hooves touched the floor, but I couldn't mess this up. Everything had to be perfect. So I ran to the bathroom instead, and checked myself in the mirror to make sure I looked like a perfect pony on a perfect day. Shiny blue coat? Check. Superawesome wings? Check. Combed mane...? Bah, who cares! Gotta get to it!
I felt this weird tingling feeling all of a sudden, like in sports class when I'm about to woosh from one side of the hoofball field to the other -- I think coach calls it adribbelin. I love that feeling coz when I do it, all the other kids who don't have wings like mine always go "whooooa!" and think I'm super great. Whatever it's called it's awesome, so with a giggle I ran downstairs as fast as I could, where I found mom and Naos already there.
"Gooooood morning, everypony!" I said. I do that a lot, coz I always feel like you should start your morning feeling happy. Today though I was extra happy, so I had to say it extra loud! Had to make sure everypony was gonna have a special day like me!
My mom saw that, and when she said hi to me she rubbed my cheeks the way I like it. Looks like she was having a great day too! Then again, she's always happy when I see her, even more when she's talking about me and my wings to the other moms!
I love my mom of course, but there was one pony that I knew today was gonna be extra special for too. And that's my brother Naos! I ran to him because I knew I had to give him special attention. But I didn't have time to ask him if he had a good night like mom did, because I hit the table and spilled his bowl of cereal.
That's when the awesome feeling stopped. I felt really, really bad... How was I supposed to make this day awesome for Naos if I did something super not-awesome so early? I wanted to say sorry a million times and clean up the mess I did, but mom told me she'd take care of it.
I looked at Naos, and I could see that he was mad again. I told him I was sorry, because I really didn't mean to spoil his breakfast like that.
"That's ok," he said. It was only two words, but they made me really happy again! I was ok! I still had a chance to make this the best day ever, and suddenly I thought of a joke that was just as awesome.
"No use crying over spilt milk, right?" I said. I was proud, because it was something my dad that taught me to say when something bad happened and I had to make up for it, and it was even better now because it was real milk! Mom laughed, but she laughs a lot at my jokes. But when I saw Naos smile, I felt super cool because I'd made a joke that he found funny!
Today was gonna be so. Super. Awesomesauce.
After breakfast, I went straight to my room, and opened my toy trunk. That's where I stashed the drawing I'd made just for Naos.
I've been working on that thing a little bit every day for the past week. I could have made one of my usual drawings, coz mom and dad say that I'm really gifted at drawing, but I wanted this one to be especially good. I used every single color crayon I have, I drew the shapes slowly to make sure they looked right, and I coloured super slowly to make sure the lines didn't go outside of the shapes. They kinda did, just a bit, but it was still the best drawing ever, because it was for Naos.
I didn't really tell you about Naos, did I? He's my big brother. He's also the coolest pony in Equestria. If I had to tell you about all the things that make him super cool, it would take a really long time. But I think what makes him the best big brother in the world is that he always knows what to do. Even though he gets mad a lot... Mom says it's because he's growing up and he gets mad a lot for no reason, but I know that I also do a lot of no-no's. I think that's why Naos gets mad at me, because he knows what to do and when I'm doing something I shouldn't. I'm so lucky to have a brother who knows everything like he does! He's the best and I love him more than the whole wide world, and I know he loves me back just as much!
Thinking about how cool Naos was gonna find my drawing, I ran to his room to finally show him. But he wasn't there. So I went to ask mom, and she told me she heard him go to the garage, so I went straight there. When I got there, I heard him talking with somepony.
Shoot! I thought. I wanted to surprise him with the drawing, but he wasn't gonna be surprised if there was somepony else! Everytime I try to talk to Naos when his friends are around, he tells me to 'get lost', which is really weird 'cause I don't think you can get lost on purpose right? Sometimes he even pretends he doesn't know me, but that's okay, 'cause I guess big ponies have to talk about big pony things. So I turned to go away, thinking I'd come back later... But if I did that, maybe Naos would go outside and I wouldn't see him for the rest of the day! And I really wanted to show him my drawing... So I hid behind a wall, where he wouldn't see me, and waited for their talk to be over.
The sun outside was making his blue coat shine, but he still looked really mad like it was raining. I saw somepony else too, talking to him. He had a red coat and a scruffy brown mane. I didn't know who he was, but he looked like he was the same age as Naos, and also he looked really happy to see him. That made sense, since Naos is so awesome everypony would be happy to see him, so I got a little curious and listened to what they were saying.
"Trust me. I went over it a dozen times or so. It's foalproof," said the red colt.
I peeked over the corner of the wall I was hiding behind to see what he looked like, but just then, Naos turned around.
"You're insane," I heard him say. I didn't know what that meant, but it didn't matter at the moment because I was really scared because Naos was walking towards where I was! What would I do if he saw me listening to his conversation? He'd be really, really mad...
"That's cool, I'll get Gliese to help out."
Suddenly I stopped thinking about Naos. The red colt had just said that, and I was super surprised.
How did he know my name? Did he know I was here? And what did he want me to help with? I thought that maybe he was also gonna make a drawing and wanted me to help him with my awesome drawing skills. I almost showed myself, but Naos was still just on the other side of the corner behind which I was, so I didn't want to scare him. I heard him turn around and walk to his friend.
"I don't think so," said Naos. But why not? I didn't even know what they were talking about!
Naos kept talking, and he sounded really angry, more than usual. "You are not dragging him into your stupid little games!" he said. So the red colt wanted me to play a game? I love games! Why didn't Naos want me to do this?
"Why not? I'm great with kids. Think he can't handle it?"
You bet I can handle it! Is it racing? I'm the best racer in my class, I can do it! I can fly as fast as--
"He's just a kid! He can't handle anything!"
Suddenly they stopped talking.
That... kinda hurt. They started talking again, but I wasn't listening anymore.
After a while I turned my head towards the garage door. Naos was gone. I kinda wanted to run after him, but part of me told me maybe it wasn't such a good idea afterwards.
My eyes started getting wet. Why did Naos say that? I knew he was grumpy, but... why?
The red colt just watched him go, and then he said something without turning around.
"You can come out now."
I wasn't expecting that. First I did nothing... I didn't know if I should run away or not. He knew I was here anyway, so I decided to come out of hiding.
I walked up to him and tried to wipe my tears. I didn't want to see him crying like this. But he turned around and looked at me with a smile.
"Hey," he said. "You're Gliese, right?"
"Yeah..."
"What's wrong?" he asked. I didn't want to say anything to this big colt I didn't know.
"Nothing," I said, but he knew there was something wrong anyway.
"It's because of what your brother said, right?"
The red colt sat down to my level.
"What's that you got there?" he said. He was talking about my drawing, still under my hoof. What drawing? I wanted to say. It was useless now, right? I don't know why, but I still gave it to him. He looked at it and smiled some more.
"It's really cool," he said. "I can tell you put a lot of work into this. I remember I could never color inside the shapes, either."
I laughed a little. He was a nice colt. "I wanted to give it to Naos, but..."
That was it. I started crying again, and I couldn't hide it now. The red colt put a hoof on my shoulder, and pulled me into a hug.
"Shh... Hey, it's okay..."
I tried to talk through my crying. "I don't get it... I'm always nice to him... Why does he hate me?"
"Nah, little dude, he doesn't hate you. Naos is a bit of a grump... But he doesn't hate you."
I broke away from him. "Who are you?"
"My name's Antares, I'm a friend of your brother's. I came by to ask him to help me out with something. Or maybe you already knew that?"
"I'm sorry... I didn't mean to spy on you."
"That's okay. He agreed to do the job anyway, so it's cool."
When Antares stopped talking he just looked at me and smiled. I didn't know what to say.
"You like your big brother, don't you, Gliese?"
"Yeah... He's the best. I just wish he wasn't mad all the time."
"Well, would you like to make him happy?"
"Yeah, but how? He left before I could give him my drawing."
Antares nodded. "You can always give it to him later. But you know, he thinks you can't do anything because you're a little kid. I bet you could prove him wrong, and then he'd be really stoked."
I was a bit surprised. Was he talking about that job he was talking to Naos about?
"But... he said he didn't want me around. I think you promised, too."
"You're right. You should never break a promise, and I promised I wouldn't talk to you," he said. He put his head a little closer to me, like he wanted to whisper. "But... he doesn't know that you know that, right?"
I was confused. "What do you mean?"
"Well, let's just say I gave Naos a job. What if I had one for you, too? Something that if Naos saw... he'd be really proud. Would you do it?"
"Yes!" I said. I didn't even have to think about it. Antares laughed.
"Alright, I'll tell you about it. But remember... It's a secret to everypony. This stays between you and me, got it?"
"Got it!"
I was really excited. Maybe I could finally make Naos happy again!
"Alright... Now listen..."
He put a hoof in the air, and looked at me straight in the eye.
"Rule number one: don't be late."
It was sunset when I got to the place I was supposed to go.
I told mom I was going to play with some neighborhood kids and that I'd probably stay the night at one of their houses. She said it was alright, like she always does. Other moms don't really let their kids sleep at my house, but mom always lets me hang around with my friends until late. That's pretty cool! So now I was downtown, facing that big bakery where Antares told me to go. I kinda wanted to stay outside for a bit, because the sky was gorgeous. It was all orangey. I mean, it was like every day, the big red sun setting down next to the moon and making it grow brighter... but tonight was really cool. Just like today, really, I knew it would happen like that!
But then I remembered rule number one. Antares told me not to be late. So I didn't lose any time and I went inside the bakery.
There was a bell that made a little ringing sound when I pushed the door open. It was a cool bakery filled with bright light that made all the colours really stick out. There were two or three ponies already there sitting at the round tables around me, and at the back of the room there was a big pink counter decorated with fake frosting like on a birthday cake, with a big glass window and several treats that looked really yummy. Now that I was there I kinda wanted one, but I remembered I didn't have any money and that I'd already gotten my weekly 30 bits which were still at home. But Antares told me I wouldn't need any money, so it was ok.
I went to the counter where the baker was. She was a big pony who looked like she ate a lot of cake herself, but that only made her all round and cheery. When she saw me she gave me a big warm smile.
"Well, hello there, little one!" she said. "What can I get you?"
"Hello miss baker!" I said with a big smile. Antares told me I'd have to be extra polite when I spoke to her. "I'd like to buy some cake, please."
"Well, I should think so!" said the baker lady with a giggle. "Tell me, what looks sweet to you?"
I looked at all the big and little cakes behind the window. Gee, they looked really tasty... I'd have to remember to come here again soon.
Another thing Antares told me was to take as long as possible. He told me to "buy some time", and laughed when I told him I didn't know they actually sold it. So he explained that I just had to pretend that I couldn't decide on what to pick.
"Well?" said the baker. "Anything pick your fancy?"
"Uh... um... I think I need a little time to chose, if that's ok."
"Of course!" said the baker. "Take as much time as you need, dear. If you need me, I'll just be back here."
Oh no! She was going towards the storage! That was rule number two! Antares said that no matter what happened, I had to stop the baker from going in there!
"Oh! Um..."
The baker turned around and walked back to the counter. "Yes? What is it?"
Quick!
"Well I'd love to know what each cake tastes like, but I can't read the labels," I said. Actually I could read them, but Antares said it'd be a good idea if I pretended I didn't.
"I see!" said the baker. "Don't worry, you'll learn soon enough. Which label would you like me to read out for you?"
I looked at all the cakes. I hadn't picked a label yet, but I knew I had to choose fast before she decided to go back to storage. "Um... that one," I said, pointing at a small blue cupcake that was right in front of me.
"Ah, good choice! That's our special Crystal Cupcake, with real bits of sapphire in the frosting!"
Suddenly, I saw something behind the baker that really surprised me. In the dark room behind her, Naos was looking at me through an opening in the door.
"You can take 'em out and keep them as jewels! It's got Everfree forest blueberries, vanilla icing, sponge cake..."
Now, I was really scared. He was gonna get more mad than ever before! He said he didn't want Antares to bring me here, and now he knew that I knew that he knew that Antares had broken his promise! I could only see one of his eyes, but it looked straight at me with both anger and surprise.
"Something wrong?" said the baker. I kept looking at the door for a second, because I completely forgot she was talking to me. I looked at her, but just then she turned to the storage door I was looking at. I almost panicked, but it was ok, Naos was gone.
"Oh, no, nothing wrong, sorry," I said. The baker looked back at me with a funny look. "Um... That sounds really nice, but... do you have anything with chocolate?"
I knew that was a really dumb question to ask in a bakery, but I couldn't think of anything else. I was starting to get a little spooked now.
"Sure we do!" said the baker. "Take this for example," she said, pointing towards a little bigger and darker cake with a lightning bolt on it. "This is a really popular one, the Wonderbolts' eclair! That lightning bolt on top is lemon frosting, and--"
"I don't give a shit about cake!"
The baker stopped talking and looked back to the storage door. Inside I felt like I just got struck by lightning like that cake. That was Naos's voice. I knew it was him because he used that no-no word a lot.
"Did you hear something?" asked the baker as she turned back to the storage door. I didn't have time to answer before she walked to the door and put a hoof to the handle, opening it slowly. In front of the counter I was biting my lip and I could hear my heart beating really fast in my head. I had to stop her!
"Ooh!" I said so loud that a couple of ponies sitting in the bakery looked at me. The baker turned around and looked at me too, looking really surprised.
"What is it?" she asked. I didn't really have anything to say.
"Uh, nothing, it's just... I-I remembered I don't actually like chocolate," I said.
The baker walked back to the counter, and I tried hard to smile but it was really hard because all I wanted to do was run away. But I couldn't run away, because Antares told me I could only leave when I saw him arrive at the bakery himself.
I turned around really quickly, wishing that Antares would be waiting outside the bakery. Suddenly, I saw a pony I knew, but it wasn't Antares. It was Orion! He's a friend of Naos!
I didn't know how, but if he was a friend, he'd know what to do.
"Sweetie, are you going to buy anything?" asked the baker. "I don't want to be pushy but--"
"Nevermindbye!" I said, turning to her with a big smile before flying straight out of the front door again. I think I might have torn the doorbell off with me.
I flew towards Orion and a mare I didn't know. I was afraid, and I was also really sad. Something went wrong, Naos wouldn't be as happy as Antares said he'd be. And I wanted to cry again.
I stopped in front of Orion and talked as fast as I could.
"Orion! We got a big problem!"
"Gliese...? What are you doing h--"
"There's no time to explain! We're in big trouble!" I said. After all, Antares and Naos were still in the bakery! If the baker went into the storage room, I didn't know what would happen, but it would be really bad!
Just then, I heard the sound of a trash can being knocked over behind me, and I looked behind me. I saw Antares and Naos, and what looked like a big pink cloud of candy running straight towards us!
"Shit," said the mare. I don't get it; if it's a no-no word, why do grown-ups use it all the time? |
Orion | Convergence Point (Sundown) | Epilogue
Orion, Bella and Gliese watched in disarray as Antares and Naos ran towards them. Orion looked even more confused than the other two, his whole evening having been turned upside down in the span of a few seconds.
As the two colts approached them, Bella shouted to her brother. "What the heck is going on?!"
"'o 'ie! 'eks go!" replied Antares, clenching the Marblegem tightly in his mouth as he galloped right past them, followed by his impressive pile of looted goods and Naos, who was sweating and huffing like an overweight marathon runner, repeating to himself frantically that he should've just stayed in bed from the start.
The two colts ran a little ahead of them without being followed by their three friends, who looked to them first, then to the bakery where a figure had emerged from the front door.
"Thieves! You damn thieves! Don't ever show your faces here again!" bellowed the baker standing in the doorway and waving her hoof angrily in the air.
"'eks go!" yelled Antares, and the three other ponies ran along with him and without question, away from town and into the dusk.
After a good 10 minutes of running, they had travelled through the many small alleys of Canterlot, cutting through crowds and eliciting a few surprised grunts of disapproval, before exiting the city through a back passage that Antares knew, which led out of the city through a breach in the great outer wall. They found themselves running through the country outside, stretching out in great grassy hills and slopes.
Eventually Antares stopped running, the others following suit, atop one such hill not far from Canterlot river. Antares took the Marblegem in his hoof and used it to slowly lower all the cake he had taken to the ground. The four other ponies with him were content to simply fall to the ground and huff loudly to catch their breath, except Bella, who stood in front of Antares and glowered at him.
"We got a great view over the river here, Sis. You're kinda blocking mine."
"What the hell happened in there, Antares?!" fumed Bella.
"We hit a little snag is all," he replied casually.
"A snag?"
"Yeah, but it's all good now, we pulled it off! Hope y'all got a sweet tooth back there!" he said to the others in a chuckle.
"No, Antares, it's not 'all good'!" replied Bella. "The baker saw us! We're criminals now!"
Gliese looked over to them with fear. "We are...?"
"Oh come on! You're scaring the little one, Bel, it was just a--"
"And just what the buck were you doing there?!" shouted Naos to Gliese, having seemingly regained all his strength in an instant upon remembering the foal was there and now towering over his mortified little brother.
"I... I just..."
"You were spying on us, weren't you?" growled Naos. "You gonna tell mom, huh? You're gonna go snivelling to her and make me look like a bastard again?!"
"I brought him here," said Antares. Naos looked over to him with a piercing glare, but Antares remained unflinching. He looked as serious as he did earlier that day. Naos was at a loss for words and looked as though he was blow a fuse.
"Why?" was the only thing he managed to say. Antares shrugged.
"Thought he'd like a sweetie or two, I dunno."
"What the hell is wrong with you?! Dammit Antares you promised that--"
"Your brother went though a lot of trouble to do this," cut in Antares. "He was the only one who stuck his neck out to the baker directly, and he did it all just for you. I'd say some congratulations are in order."
Naos looked back at Gliese. The foal looked back at him in apprehension.
"I thought you'd be happy," he said in a small voice. "I thought... if I did this, you wouldn't think I was useless."
Naos looked down at his little brother with a new look. He seemed less furious and more intrigued.
"I... I don't think you're useless," he said softly. "But that was dangerous! What were you thinking?"
"You're just always so mad all the time. I don't wanna see you mad, because you're my big brother. I just wanna make you smile."
Inside, Naos was feeling something unknown tugging at his heart.
"Would somepony please explain to me what's going on?" asked Orion, still out of breath.
"You are, that's what!" replied Antares with a broad smile. "The stallion of the hour! Happy birthday Orion!"
Orion wanted to thank him, but instead stared at his beaming friend as though he'd just announced he was pregnant. Bella watched the two of them in apprehension.
"Did you just... rob a bakery?" asked Orion after a few seconds.
Antares looked at his stash, then back to him. "I suppose I did," he said in a matter-of-fact tone.
Orion nodded slowly. "You're insane," he said. He then cracked a small, sly smile. "You're absolutely nuts."
"Which is why you can't get enough of me," replied Antares.
Orion looked around at the other ponies. "So wait, you all helped with this?"
"It was Antares's idea," said Bella, stepping towards him. "I guess it was his twisted idea of something fun to do for a friend's birthday."
"Yeah well there's that," said Antares. "And also... you've been acting kinda strange lately. I thought you might have had something on your mind, so i thought I'd pull you out of your own big head."
Bella stepped in closer to Orion, who felt a bit awkward being at such an almost intimate distance from her. "Is this true?" she asked with concern.
Orion looked at them both in discomfort before sighing.
"It's just this place, I guess. I mean, thinking of the world in which I was born. Just makes me think about my dad, and what it would have been like if things had been just a little... just a little different -- you guys know how it is."
He sat down on the hill and began to look down at the river below, catching its flow in his mind.
"Makes you think... I could have been born and lived at any other point in time, even in the distant past or future. But out of all the odds, it was here, and now. I can dream all I want, and yet I can't begin to imagine just how different life can truly be. We come and go, and everyone we meet has also just arrived or is leaving forever. Pony... Changeling... Every path converges in one central point we can't put on a map. I mean, for us that point is war, but when you think that this world has seen it all... It's crazy."
Bella and Antares looked at each other. There was something in both their looks that could not be put into words, but could be understood from one to the other. Her brother's grin was still there, although smaller now. She had a small tear in her eye. She sat down next to him and rested her head on his shoulder.
"Yeah," she said. "We know."
Orion smiled softly. "Thanks for caring, but I'm alright, really. I go to church for this sort of thing."
Bella raised her head and looked at him in surprise. "You go to church?"
"Yeah, sometimes I'll go there and pray to forget about things."
"Bro, that's gay as hell," said Antares. Bella shot him a furious glance, but both he and Orion chuckled.
"I like to think that it's beautiful, really... I mean, here we are, all at more or less the same level, going through life together. If you guys weren't here, neither would I. And my dad would probably still be alive. That's just how the universe rolls."
The three of them were silent for a while. Night had fallen on the hills.
Bella watched the stream downhill silently, wondering about those that had come and gone. She thought of Lady Gemmaline and how she had compared her to her mother. She wondered if the old mare had had the same thoughts as Orion, at that time.
Antares sat down next to his friend and his sister and looked at the river, wondering if he was staring at the same point as Orion.
"You know I'm not brainy enough to think all that stuff," he said. "But... I get it. I guess as long as we have each other... It's all good."
Behind them, Naos and his brother were listening at them intently. They then turned turned to each other.
"I won't tell mom," said Gliese. "I promise."
Naos looked back at him in confusion. He felt terribly ashamed of himself. For a moment Gliese was afraid he might just turn around and leave without a word.
"Tell her what you want," said Naos. "I don't care. I'm who I am, and she has me whether she likes it or not. And I got you."
He put a hoof on his little brother's head and ruffled his mane. "And I like that," he added.
The young colt beamed at his now smiling brother. "Want a cupcake?"
"Sure," said Naos.
"They got this one, it's got Everfree forest blueberries! They're your favorite!"
Naos looked at him in surprise. "How d'you know that?"
"I dunno, I just know," he said shrugging. Naos grinned and had to admit Orion did make a lot of sense.
They each got a cake from the pile and went to sit down next to their three friends.
"You guys want some?" asked Gliese.
"Sure, I'll have one," said Antares. He then turned to face Orion, having suddenly thought of something. "Oh hey, I wanted to ask you--"
"It's cinnamon," said Orion. "I hate cinnamon."
Antares winced and turned to back to the river. "Damn. I thought I knew you just now, but turns out I don't know shit."
Orion smiled.
It had been a good birthday.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ |
Man vs wild vs ponies | pre | He jogged up to the shack and noticed another one of the weasels humming and watering its flowers, "Damn, just my luck!"
Fluttershy dropped the watering can and squeaked out of surprise, "Y-you're here...please! D-don't eat my friends!"
He smiled warmly at Fluttershy, "Last time I ate weasels, I got some serious heartburn. I'll never do THAT again, I can assure you. I'm Bear Grylls, and I served with the British Special Forces"
She was about to say something back to him, but he gasped dramatically, grabbed her, and held her tight, "Get down!"
"Eep!" was all she could say as he laid on top of her to protect her.
"What ha-happened!? Are you going to eat me!?" Fluttershy was paralyzed with fear.
Bear was down to a whisper as he shook his head, not taking his eyes off of the threat, "No, much worse"
Her heart stopped, "What could be worse than that!?"
She looked at where Bear was looking and was slightly taken aback, "A honey badger? You're afraid of a honey badger? It's just a timid, little thing; it doesn't like to fight much. I've talked to him before, he's nice"
"Just a timid, little honey badger!? Nice!?" he exclaimed, "Honey badger don't give a shit, honey badger badass!"
She blinked, "Oh, no, I've dealt with plenty of honey badgers. Besides, you're part bear, aren't you bigger than him?"
"Honey badger don't care, honey badgers are craaazy!" He muttered as he grabbed his yellow weasel friend, "We're going to go on three"
Fluttershy was incredibly confused at that point, "What!? What do you mean go!?"
After a long pause, Bear spoke again, skipping the useless one and two (Like a boss), "...THREE! Go, go, GO!"
He sprinted back off to Ponyville, still clutching Fluttershy tightly.
"Oh Fluttershy," she whispered to herself, "what did you do to deserve this?" |
Man vs wild vs ponies | Duct tape is like the force; it has a light side and a dark side and it holds the universe together | (Running away from Fluttershy's house)
"Run faster, yellow weasel, the honey badger is gaining on us!" Bear yelled back to Fluttershy who was just barely (Or should I say BEARly) staying conscious.
"I'm not running! You are! And it's not even chasing us!" she yelled back, so confused and terrified that it was making her sick.
"Oh," he said as he continued running, "are you absolutely sure? Honey badgers are fast little buggers"
"Yes, I'm sure, I promise" she tried in a soothing voice to calm him down.
He stopped abruptly and caught his weasel friend literally seconds before she was out of his eight-foot reach, "If you insist, Miss Butterfly weasel"
She frowned, "I'm not a butterfly, and I'm not a weasel"
"Nonsense!" he exclaimed rather loudly as something caught his eye off in the distance, "Say, weasel butterfly, do you see that?"
She stopped and turned to look at what he was looking at, "That looks like one of those pains you were talking about"
"Planes, Weaselfly. And they're not supposed to come and get me for a few more days," he said suspiciously, "something is wrong"
She rolled her eyes at him calling her Weaselfly, "Then what is it?"
His eyes widened in realization, "Weaselfly?"
She cringed, "Er, yes, Bear?"
He seemed oblivious to her distaste, "You said you're friends with this honey badger?"
She nodded, "Yes, but I don't think he-"
He interrupted her by picking her up and sprinting back to her cottage, "We're going to need all the help we can get. Do you have any duct tape?"
She quirked up an eyebrow, "Duct tape?"
(High above Ponyville)
"So, uh, princesses," Rainbow attempted to break the awkward silence that had engulfed the group with some conversation, "have you heard of the Wonderbolts, by chance?"
Princess Luna smiled, "Yes, actually, Soarin and I are really good friends. We have tea once a month"
Rainbow's jaw dropped, "You're 'good friends' with one of the Wonderbolts?"
Luna giggled, "Royalty comes with benefits"
Rainbow fan-fillied a bit silently as Celestia laughed, "Perhaps we could introduce them to you sometime"
Rainbow was at a loss for words as Luna noticed something off in the distance, "Sister, what is that?"
"What?"-Celestia looked to where her sister was looking-"Is that one of those pain things Bear was talking about?"
Rainbow tilted her head, "Whatever it is, it's coming toward us"
"Sister," Luna asked, "do you think it could be a dragon?"
Celestia narrowed her eyes, "It could be, but why would it be attacking us?"
"Uh, Princesses?" Rainbow asked.
They turned to look at her, "Yes, Rainbow?"
"If this is a dragon," she started, "do you think it's possible that it wants Bear?"
"I...I don't know" Celestia responded.
A chilling silence once again took over the group.
(Back on the ground in Ponyville)
"Wigglewigglewigglewigglewiggle, yeah!" Pinkie sang.
Twilight cringed and blushed heavily, "N-not in public, Pinkie!"
Pinkie frowned, "Oh, well fine! What else can we sing...?"
"How 'bout nothin'" Applejack groaned.
Ignoring her peers' comment, Pinkie gasped dramatically, "I know a good song! I know a good song! Alright, ahem...I'm not a fan of puppeteers but I've a nagging fear that someone else is pullin' at the striiings"
Twilight facehoofed, "No, Pinkie, that brings back some bad memories"
"D'ya know any country music, Pinkie?" Applejack asked her energetic friend.
"Hmmm..." she pondered, "well, I do know one song about our country...Equestriaaa BUCK YEAH!"
"No, no, not that kind of country song! Somethin' with banjos an' guitars" Applejack explained.
Twilight was about to interject her opinion on the whole situation when she saw something large above Everfree forest, "Girls, do you see that?"
They stopped and stared at Twilight, "See what, Sugarcube?"
"Well, that, over there! It looks like..." she said as she squinted.
Pinkie gasped, "Could it be a drag-" she exclaimed as Applejack stuffed a hoof into her mouth.
Applejack rolled her eyes, "Careful, now, we don't want everypony to panic"
"Well, whatever it is, it's heading towards Ponyville" Twilight said with a roll of her eyes.
"Maybe we should throw it a welcome party to-" Pinkie offered nonchalantly before she gasped and interrupted herself, "I never threw Bear a welcome party!"
Twilight sighed, "We've only known him for a few hours, Pinkie"
Pinkie dashed off, "That's a few hours too many, Twilight!"
"Pinkie Pie, wait!" Twilight called after her, but it was too late, she was gone, "Sometimes, Pinkie...sometimes you make me want to take up drinking"
Applejack frowned, "I already have"
(High above Everfree forest)
The monster flew faster and faster toward his target, Ponyville, and started giggling with a low, evil rumble, "Soon"
The assorted creatures below him scattered in fear at the sight of his massive, terrifying body traveling at high speeds, starting with his horn-covered, scaly head, and ending with his sharp, pointy tail.
The monster grinned with his sharp carnivore-teeth and flicked his serpentine tongue once to take in the fresh aroma of the fields near Ponyville that he was approaching. This was going to be a good day.
(Fluttershy's cottage)
Bear and Fluttershy had just arrived when Bear tore through the garden in an attempt to find the infamous honey badger, "Bear, I can just call him! Please, don't pull up my garden like this!"
Bear laughed openly, "Ha! No ever!"
"What does that even MEAN!?" Fluttershy asked, unsure of his sanity at this point (Well, to be fair, she didn't believe his sanity at any point, but this point was special...Special FORCES that is! BEAR GRYLLS!).
Eventually, he ripped a bush from the ground to reveal a family of timid honey badgers, cowering in front of the massive creature that had just destroyed their home.
Bear smiled and dropped to his knees, "Oh great honey badger, please, assist us in our attempts to save Ponyville! I shall construct a new home for you afterwards, I promise!"
The honey badgers' family looked around awkwardly as the male whom bear had been addressing looked hopefully up to Fluttershy, who only smiled sheepishly.
Bear grabbed the honey badger, "There isn't much time! We need to find some duct tape as well!"
"Why do you need duct tape!?" Fluttershy asked as Bear started rampaging through her home, "It's in the kitchen!"
He moved from the wreckage that used to be her living room into her kitchen and started pulling drawers out, desperately searching for what he needed, "Aha!"
He held the duct tape up high as Fluttershy exclaimed, "What do you need it for!? Please, Bear, answer me!"
He finally acknowledged the panicking pegasus, "I have no idea!"
Awestruck, she was unable to protest yet again as she and the confused honey badger were scooped up into his arms, ready to go, "Onward! To battle!"
She eeped as they started moving at impossible speeds once again towards a massive creature that landed on the outskirts off Ponyville. It seemed to be fighting two flying creatures as one flew away at top speeds towards Ponyville.
(Outskirts of Ponyville)
A dragon doing battle with the royal pony sisters? Surely two goddesses could take down a dragon, but this one was especially vicious, and the sisters were a little squeamish about killing a creature.
It was wrong, in their minds, that the two largest forces of good in the land had to kill in order to achieve their objective. Could they not just talk it out? Did this animal really need to die?
Their questions were answered when a battle-crazed Bear Grylls came charging from the sunset heroically, wielding a massive Zweihander sword with a small, terrified honey badger duct taped to it, screaming, "William Wallace! Freedom!" repeatedly at the top of his lungs.
Even the dragon stopped dead in complete confusion as Bear turned to the camera, "Now, in order to make a sword like this, just apply some of that sap from the timberwolves to that stone-tipped stick and bake it at 300 degrees for 20 minutes. When you're finished with that, duct tape a honey badger to it to make a weapon twice as effective as your standard nuclear device. Trust me, I served with the British Special Forces"
Without another word, he threw the massive sword at the dragon, sticking it right on the crown of its head, but not going deep enough to reach its brain, "Damn! Alright honey badger, time for plan B!"
The honey badger, life flashing before its eyes, helplessly flailed about as the dragon reached a claw towards it. When all hope seemed lost, Bear did something that changed everything.
Bear yelled towards his furry friend, "Hey! You! Yeah, you! Honey badger don't give a shit! Honey badger badass!"
Those words. Those simple words. They ignited a passion in the woodland creature's heart that raged like a thousand rampaging warriors. A fire gleamed in his eyes as his feral instinct consumed his body and he tore through the duct tape, roaring impressively.
The dragon was helplessly beaten down by the ferocious monster as Bear commented, "The dragon tried to claw the honey badger, so what does he do? Honey badger smacks the SHIT out of him! Get away from me says the dragon, get away! Honey badger don't care, honey badger craaazy!"
The ponies watched in surprise, all feeling like they had lost their sanity long ago, when Celestia leaned down and whispered to Fluttershy, "Where did he REALLY get that sword?"
Fluttershy blinked and stared back at the princess, "I honestly have no idea"
When the honey badger had finished and his rage had subsided, he fell to the grass and collapsed from exhaustion as the claw-mark covered dragon fell to the ground as well in a pathetic state.
"Now," Bear said to the camera, "if you're fireproof like I am, you can easily finish off the dragon. If you're not, just construct a fireproof suit out of some twigs and leaves, it shouldn't be that hard"
He ran over to the dragon and jumped down its throat as it helplessly sputtered and gasped for breath. In desperation, it attempted to breath fire to dislodge the thing that was stuck in its windpipe, but to no avail. It was fireproof. Why? Because it was Bear Grylls, and he served in the British Special Forces.
After it had lost consciousness and eventually died, Bear climbed out of its throat and reclaimed his sword.
He approached the weasels with the sword over his shoulder and smiled, "Any questions?"
Nopony could even speak at that point. Ponies had gathered into one large crowd to watch the spectacle minutes ago, but found themselves at a loss for words.
The first to speak was Rainbow, "Sweet Faust...that. Was. The absolute without a doubt hands down unrivaled best most awesomest fight in the history of Equestria and everything ever"
She fainted, but nopony bothered to pick her up, as they couldn't seem to move their legs.
Bear laughed, "And THAT is how you take down a dragon"
He walked toward the princess, "So, where will I be staying, then, weasel leader?"
"Um, er, well..." she searched for words as Fluttershy spoke for her, "Y-you can stay with me, if you want to, if that would be alright..."
Fluttershy had no idea why she said that. She was terrified of this thing, it had caused her nothing but trouble, and yet...she liked it.
He nodded and turned to the dragon, whose stomach he proceeded to slice open with his sword.
The ponies watched in horror as he ripped out its intestines, ate them, and turned to the camera as he did so, "Now, it's crucial that you eat ALL of this its intestines. I have no excuse as to why, but Thewaffler said I have yet to eat something disgusting, and he's right!"
A few ponies in the back lost their lunches as Bear started digging up earthworms from the dirt below him and slurping them up like spaghetti.
"Now," he said as he wiped the blood and dirt off of his face, "I'm gonna need to find shelter. The Sun's going down"
"It's, uh, only like three right now" Twilight offered.
"Nonsense! No ever!"-he scooped up the honey badger and Fluttershy and turned to the camera-"I'm heading back to the cottage, but I've got to make myself a bed before nighttime comes and the nocturnal monsters come out. Try and keep up!"
He started sprinting towards Fluttershy's cottage at top speed, and suddenly everything was silent once again.
Spike blinked and turned to Pinkie pie, "Why have things been so weird around here lately?"
She frowned, "My daddy makes me put-"
He interrupted hastily, "Yeah, well, good luck with that! Come on Twilight, let's go"
The crowd eventually faded as the two princesses walked with Twilight back to her house. Celestia couldn't stop herself from giggling a little and facehoofing.
Luna raised an eyebrow, "What do you laugh about, sister?"
Celestia smiled and turned to her sister, "I think these are going to be a fun few days"
(Fluttershy's cottage)
He stopped at her door, "Well, I'll have to return your duct tape, but after that, I've got to make myself a shelter"
His eyes widened, "Or I could make myself a shelter WITH duct tape! Genius!"
He opened the door and stepped inside with Fluttershy, "Why is everything so dark in here, Weaselfly?"
The lights turned on and he was greeted by a crowd of ponies yelling "Surpriiise!" lead by Pinkie Pie.
She bounced up to him grinning ear to ear, "Oh Gryllsy I always throw parties for new ponies in town but you're not a pony so I decided you need an extra special one to feel special like Special Forces or whatever they're called and-"
She trailed off as she watched him eye the lemonade suspiciously, "What kind of urine is this? It's bright yellow! I like my piss a little darker than this"
She giggled, "That isn't pee, silly! That's lemonade!"
He leapt back in shock, "Are you trying to POISON me!? That's just DISGUSTING!"
"Well, try the cake, then!" she laughed as she handed him a slice.
He tried it and spoke to the camera as he ate, "The giving of cake is an act of hospitality to the locals. You can tell that they actually like you when they give you the delicious treat. It's an insult to their pagan gods if you don't eat this, so be sure to eat up every last bite or legend has it that the chef will cut you up and bake cupcakes with your organs"
She smiled sheepishly for probably the first time in her life, "Oookay, this is getting a liiittle close to home! Come on Gryllsy, let's play pin the tail on the weasel!"
When he was out of earshot, Celestia turned to Luna and quirked up an eyebrow, "Did he just call us their pagan gods?"
Luna shrugged, "He also calls us weasels, let's just take it with a grain of salt"
The solar princess giggled, causing her sister to tilt her head in confusion, "Why do you laugh, sister?"
She stared at the banana bread she was eating and chomped the rest down in one bite, "Nothing, nothing. Do you like bananas?"
(On the edge of the Everfree forest, near the site of the dragon's death)
A black creature scowled at the carnage and turned to his comrades, "Whatever did this is a force to be reckoned with. We must return to the hive to report this"
His colleagues agreed and started back, but he remained. His friend turned to leave, but saw that he wasn't coming, and waited.
"What troubles you, friend?" he asked, planting his flank down patiently for his peers' response.
The first one sighed, "To think these ponies have such great power...it frightens me to think that we are going to war with these...things..."
His friend patted him on the back, "The Queen told us that some day...some day we will succeed"
He smiled and started to head back with his friend, "Soon, everyling will feed like they have never fed before"
They both smiled at the thought and trotted faster to catch up with their group. |
Man vs wild vs ponies | Duct tape, looots of duct tape | (Fluttershy's cottage)
As the party died down and as Pinkie Pie stopped dancing on a tabletop with a lampshade over her head, Bear decided it was time to construct his shelter for the night. The alcohol he had at the party (And by alcohol I mean urine) was making him sleepy. He took the roll of duct tape outside and yawned.
He walked on the outside of the cottage and noticed that the honey badgers had no home, which was, of course, his fault. He picked them up in his arms, seeing that it was about to rain, and took them with him.
"Now," he said as he unrolled a long strip of duct tape and attached it to the house, "if you've managed to forage for some duct tape, just make a bunch of strips slant off of a solid surface. This should make an artificial tent that glows in the light, which may also attract a rescue party"
He found a nice, flat area on the ground and finished his 'tent' in the manner that he said. He also constructed a small duct tape nest with a duct tape blanket for the honey badger family.
He set the confused animals in it just as it began to rain, "If we share body heat, it'll keep us warm during the cold, rainy nights here in this Everfree climate"
The honey badgers weren't too happy about sharing a home with a bear, but then again they wouldn't be too happy about sleeping in the rain, either.
Fluttershy and Twilight watched them lie down from the window. The storm was so bad and it was so late that Fluttershy offered to let her friend sleep over.
Twilight sighed, "Why can't he sleep in your warm cottage?"
Fluttershy giggled, "He told me that it would be cheating"
The two mares laughed for a few moments, before they stared at the embers in the fireplace, "I wonder why he's here"
"I wonder how it's physically possible that he's here," Twilight said rather pessimistically, "he came from a big...flying...thingy from somewhere that isn't even on the map anywhere! His logic is almost as bad as Discord's"
Fluttershy shuddered at the thought, then gasped lightly in realization, "You don't think that Discord is the reason he's here, do you?"
Twilight rolled her eyes, "It would explain a thing or two, but...he saved our lives. Twice. I think that if he is of Discord's creation...Discord did something wrong. Or, rather, something right!"
The conversation ended there, and the two mares just sat and stared for a few minutes, before Fluttershy started to doze off a little. Twilight followed suit and they both went to their respective sleeping arrangements.
(The next morning)
Fluttershy woke up with Angel sleeping at the foot of her bed. She got up and slowly shuffled to the bathroom to tame her messy mane. She took her time that morning; she just wanted a nice, pleasant shower to kick off her day.
She slowly remembered everything that had happened throughout the day yesterday and sighed, "I hope Bear isn't doing anything that will get him in trouble..."
Just as she said that, she started to smell smoke. It took her a moment or two to process what was going on, but when she did her eyes went wide and she rushed down the stairs.
There was a forest fire! Oh, what would happen to all the little animals? She hoped that they were alright.
When she came down the stairs, however, she heard an angry Twilight's voice, "You can't do that! This is a HOUSE!"
"I asked Weaselfly, and she said it was alright!" Bear said defensively as he stomped on something.
"You did not! You just asked a butterfly outside, which just fluttered around for a few minutes before you caught it out of the air and ate it!" she yelled at him, clearly angry.
"All butterflies are the same," he stated almost matter-of-factly.
Fluttershy trotted into the room quickly and screamed as she found a fire that engulfed a part of her living room. Both Bear and Twilight looked up and smiled sheepishly.
He saw Fluttershy and turned to Twilight as he continued to stomp on the fire, "I told you not to do that, Tweasel, but nooo, you just HAD to play with fire"
"I did not! This was YOUR idea!" she snapped back, "Oh what was that one spell, what was that one spell!?"
Her brain pulsed as she tried to remember, before realization violently struck her in the face and beat her half to death (Figuratively).
She planted all four of her hooves on the floor and pointed her horn towards the fire. It glowed a little before a beam shot from it and extinguished the entire fire.
She glared at Bear as he looked over the massive, charred spot on Fluttershy's floor innocently.
Bear looked at Fluttershy as a smile creeped along his face, "I'll fix it, just give me 30 minutes and it'll be good as new!"
He pushed the two mares out of the cottage, "Go, go, GO! I need room to work!"
Fluttershy was still in shock as she stood there, motionless, asking herself what the BUCK just happened. She turned to Twilight who rolled her eyes.
"Bear started talking about how to cook a rock on an open fire, which freaked me out a LOT. When I scolded him, he took out some gasoline and a match and talked about how he served in the British Special Forces...again" Twilight said flatly with a sigh.
(Ponyville)
The two started down towards Ponyville. With Bear occupying her cottage, Fluttershy had nowhere to go, so they decided to go out for brunch with Twilight. They found a nice cafe and ordered a large batch of hay fries.
After the initial, not-so-reassuring shock of the day, things seemed to be back on track.
Seemed like this was actually going to be a good day.
(Fluttershy's cottage)
"Hmmm," Bear said as he stroked his chin, "how am I going to fix all this?"
Angel sleepily toddled down the stairs, not caring about all the ruckus that went down earlier, but missing his owner nonetheless. He looked around for a bit before stopping when he came across the mess that was the living room.
"Aha!" Bear flicked open his knife and started inching towards Angel as he looked back at the camera, "Now, if you're going to catch a bunny, you have to be incredibly fast and corner the bugger!"
At these words, Angel's eyes went wide and he ran up the stairs, igniting a battle cry from Bear.
Ugh. This was going to be bad day.
(Ponyville)
Rainbow flew over to the girls, "Hey! How're you today?"
Twilight smiled, "Hey there, Rainbow! I'm pretty good, how are you?"
She landed next to Fluttershy, partially ignoring Twilight, "Pretty good, pretty good. Say, Fluttershy, where's your honey badger friend? I wanna see how he did that...thing yesterday!"
"Oh, I'm so sorry, Rainbow, but I think you'd better ask Bear what happened. The honey badgers are usually really nice, I think whatever happened was his idea," Fluttershy said with a gentle smile, "but they're both back at my cottage, if you'd like to visit them"
Rainbow nodded, "Thanks! I don't care who did it, I just wanna know how to do it, and with Celestia as my witness, I'm gonna bucking LEARN!"
She took off toward Fluttershy's cottage as Twilight sighed, "Do you think she's going to be able to do...THAT?"
Fluttershy giggled, "I doubt it. She may be strong, but what that honey badger did was just plain scary"
She awkwardly sipped her tea and proceeded onto their hay fries.
(Fluttershy's cottage)
Angel was terrified, running under the couch did nothing as bear literally split it in two. Angel ran all around the furniture, desperately trying to shake off his pursuer, but Bear knocked every piece out of the way violently.
Bear grinned and spoke to the camera, "He's a quick one, but I'll be able to get him"
Angel ran into the kitchen, but was pounced on by Bear, who pinned him to the ground. Angel peed himself as his life flashed before his eyes.
"Gotcha! Now, what you've got to do to skin an anim-" he said with a nonchalantly before he was bucked off of Angel into the wall.
"Leave him alone, you big bully!" came the one responsible for the buck's command.
His knife had flown out of his hand from the mighty buck, but he didn't care. He would take this thing on with his bare hands (I won't make the same pun three times in a row, don't worry).
If Bear learned anything from the military, it was that anything worth getting was hard to get. And he liked it.
(Ponyville)
Twilight nodded, "You're right. Besides, that honey badger fainted afterwards, which means that took a lot of raw energy from the little guy to perform"
Fluttershy shuddered, "Do you think it hurt him, Twilight? Oh, I really hope he wasn't hurt"
Twilight patted her friend on the shoulder, "There there, he's alright now, don't worry. And he helped save Ponyville!"
That thought comforted Fluttershy, but she was still sad about the whole situation.
(Fluttershy's cottage)
Rainbow was kicked out of Fluttershy's window, but she looped around in the sky, flew back through, and slammed Bear into the coffee table. He took one of the broken off legs from it and beat her back, before shoving her off and stomping on her.
She kicked his right thigh and leapt on him, both of them taking a grandfather clock down with them. He adjusted his legs in front of his body and kicked her off, right into the wall.
Suddenly, she flew out of sight, confusing Bear, "Where did that little weasel go...?"
The answer came in the form of a hit-and-run hoof to the face, "Can't hit what ya can't see!"'
Bear chuckled, "Clever girl...but not clever enough..."
He grabbed the roll of duct tape as a mad grin spread on his face.
(Ponyville)
Twilight was just finishing her third piece of toast as Fluttershy hiccupped, "This was really good, we should come here more often"
Twilight smiled contently, "You're right, Fluttershy, everything tasted so...fresh!"
The two mares laughed, paid, got up, and started back toward Fluttershy's. They wanted to see if Bear could ACTUALLY have had it fixed by now. She didn't know why, but Fluttershy trusted Bear a great deal.
(Fluttershy's cottage)
Rainbow twisted and flailed about helplessly, "Gah!"
Bear had put strips of duct tape EVERYWHERE, from ceiling to floor, catching Rainbow in his web like a spider catching a fly.
He trudged through the web towards his victim, duct tape hanging off of him, "Not so fast now, are you, Rainbow Weasel?"
As he came within range, she bucked him into his own web as she untangled herself and leapt onto him.
The two fought viciously, before Bear spotted two mares walking towards the cottage, "Oh no!"
Seeing that her opponent had stopped, Rainbow looked where he was looking as well, "What?"
He shoved Rainbow aside, "Rainbow Weasel, we have a BIG problem. And by we I mean me. You have to help me clean all this up before they get here!"
Spitting out some blood, she got up, bruised and aching, and glared at him, "We were literally in a life-or-death struggle SECONDS ago!"
He chuckled, "Oh Rainbow weasel, I wouldn't kill you! You're all simply too adorable. But that's beside the point, we HAVE to clean this up before they get here"
She sighed, "Even if I wanted to help, how could we possibly clean all of this up in time?"
He unrolled a long strip of duct tape and winked, "Trust me"
(On the path to Fluttershy's cottage)
"So THAT'S what's under Pyro's mask!" Twilight exclaimed excitedly.
Fluttershy smiled sheepishly, "Yes, well, it doesn't usually tell people because it thinks it will make them nervous. It just wants to coexist, that's all! Well, coexist with fire, that is"
Twilight raised an eyebrow, "What do you mean 'it'"
Fluttershy grinned awkwardly, "O-oh look, we're back!"
Twilight rolled her eyes, "Fine, we can talk about this later..."
Fluttershy let out a sigh of relief, "At least he didn't burn the house down..."
"We don't know what the interior looks like, probably still charred from the fire" Twilight added with a roll of her eyes.
Fluttershy opened the door, "I just don't know, Twilight, sometimes I just- Ehh...woah..."
The two mares were awe-struck as an understatement. The floor was completely clear; polished, even! The coffee table was extremely shiny, the couch looked even cleaner than it did before, birdhouses and pet sanctuaries alike were cleaned from top to bottom, and there was an exotic, expensive-looking rug on the floor that Fluttershy was pretty sure wasn't there before.
Standing in the middle of this bright, glorious display was none other than Bear Grylls himself, accompanied by Rainbow, who had no injuries or dirt on her at all, either.
"How did you...?" Twilight asked, mouth still hanging open.
"Duct tape," Rainbow answered with a chuckle, "looots of duct tape"
Twilight looked at Rainbow, "You're going to have to explain to me what happened later"
Rainbow smiled awkwardly, "I would, Twilight, but I'm not entirely sure I understand what happened"
Bear smiled at Fluttershy, who was still at a loss for words, "So, what do you think?"
Her confused expression slowly morphed into a rare, ear-to-ear smile that resembled, in its entirety, the absolute EPITOME of glee (Basically, you know that annoying kid at school who is ALWAYS happy? The one you hate because you're jealous of him and you're secretly dying inside and you need a way to express yourself and open up to your friends, but you can't because you have no friends and you're all alone in the world because nobody loves you and you're a nobody and sometimes you cry yourself to sleep because (Basically, Pinkie Pie)), "It's...it's beautiful! This is...WOW! Amazing! Thank you, Bear! Thank you so much!"
He smiled and nodded, "It's my pleasure, because I'm Bear Grylls, and I served with the British Special Forces"
Rainbow rolled her eyes as she smacked him roughly, then bucked him in the gut. He thanked her afterwards. Why? Because he's Bear Grylls, and he served in the British Special Forces.
For once, Fluttershy actually laughed openly, snorting every so often, causing everypony in the room to fill up with glee instantly at the adorkable sight, "Do you think you could clean my library like this, Bear? I'd pay you! Spike doesn't even do it this well"
He pondered for a moment, "Hmmm...well, a little money in my pocket might increase my chances of survival...how many pounds would you pay me, then?"
Twilight quirked up an eyebrow, "Pounds of...what? Pounds of bits? Um, well, I don't know how much a bit weighs..."
"No, no, I mean pounds of raw fish" came the survivalist's response, making Fluttershy cringe as she was brought back to Earth.
Twilight grimaced, "Uh...nevermind, we'll talk later"
After a few minutes of awkward silence, he turned to Rainbow, "Come on, Rainbow Weasel, we should get going"
She blinked, then looked at him, being broken out of her trance, "Oh, I, uh, came here to ask you something"
"Right, well, you can ask me while I get myself some breakfast, then" she said confidently as he grabbed Rainbow and headed for the door.
"Oh, wait, you don't have any money!" Twilight trotted over to him.
He smiled and shook his head, "I don't need money to eat, Tweasel. I'm Bear Grylls, and I served in the British Special Forces"
Rainbow smacked him, then bucked him in the gut, "When are you gonna learn, Bear?"
He smiled, not phased at all by the blows, "Pain is temporary, pride is forever"
Without another word, he grabbed Rainbow and dashed out of the cottage toward the Everfree forest. Twilight giggled a little at Rainbow's protest and turned to Fluttershy.
"You know," she began, "he is pretty funny sometimes"
Fluttershy smiled weakly, embarrassed of her behavior earlier, "Right...but I don't know what we're going to do with him"
Twilight raised an eyebrow, "He's a bear creature that can flawlessly clean a house with duct tape. I'm betting that he'll at least make a few bits being able to clean ponies' houses around town. Once he saves up enough money, he can buy himself a house somewhere here in Ponyville"
Their conversation ended as Twilight left for her library. She would research the place called "British" when she got back, but after that, she needed to get back to her studies.
(Everfree forest)
Rainbow sighed as she watched Bear pick some berries, "Why did I need to come along?"
"Well," he responded, "partially because you cost me my breakfast, to be completely honest"
"Hey, there was no WAY I was going to let you eat Fluttershy's pet" came the defensive response.
He snorted, "Silly Rainbow, nobody keeps bunnies as pets. They're used for food purposes only"
She sighed, "We don't even eat meat, Bear, and it's 'nopony', not 'nobody'"
He was taken aback by that statement, "You don't eat MEAT!? What kind of sick weasels are you?"
He blinked, "Oh, and my apologies, 'noweasel'"
She rolled her eyes, "I think Twilight said we were, like, herb thingies or something?"
He squinted his eyes, "Wait a second, you're not REALLY weasels, then, are you?"
She facehoofed, "No, we are not weasels"
"Unless..." he said, appearing to be deep in thought, "unless you're some kind of talking, mutant, herbivore weasels..."
"NO! WE ARE NOT WEASELS!" she almost screamed.
"What was that noise over there?" came a voice through the foliage.
"Get DOWN" Bear said as he flopped onto his belly and roughly shoved Rainbow down with him.
Her voice was down to a harsh whisper, "What is it?"
He shushed her as he pointed to a figure taking shape in front of them, "I thought it sounded like a voice"
A second creature came into view as well, "Yes, I heard it too"
More creatures came in and searched around for the source of the noise, as Rainbow's eyes went wide, "Those things...they're changelings! We have to get out of here"
"No," said Bear under his breath, "not yet"
The first changeling spoke again, "We have to keep moving, whatever it is probably won't matter, not like we're hunting right now anyways"
They started moving as Bear grabbed Rainbow, "Come on, we have to see where they're headed"
Even the bravest pony in Ponyville had fear in her eyes, "Are you crazy? Those things HATE ponies"
He didn't respond, he just grabbed her and stalked his prey, turning to the camera, "Now, stalking prey is a delicate art...these things are a little faster than timberwolves from earlier, but perhaps we can take something from their home base, if we're lucky"
(Twilight's library)
When she got home, Spike was sweeping the floor casually before he looked up, "Oh, hey, Twilight. How was the party?"
She blinked; she had forgotten all about the party, "The party? Oh, uh, it was fine"
She smiled sheepishly, then turned around and looked up the book of countries, "Let's see...B...B...B..."
The book was practically mauled with what she did to it, but she couldn't find any country that had the name 'British' or anything close to it. She sighed and put it back rather roughly, causing Spike to look up in mild alarm, raising an eyebrow.
Spike decided to approach her cautiously due to the large amount of annoyance on her face, "What's wrong?"
"Oh, I keep looking for this place Bear says he's from and it's not here, Spike!" she said with a roll of her eyes.
He chuckled a little, "He's crazy. Really cool, but crazy. I'd just roll with it if I were you, Twilight; you'll drive yourself crazy trying to make sense of him. He's just like Pinkie Pie"
She giggled at the thought of Pinkie Pie acting like him, crawling around in muck, beating up timberwolves.
(The hive)
Going deeper and deeper into the Everfree forest, Rainbow was becoming more and more like Fluttershy, "Bear, please, we have to go back!"
He shook his head, "No, we have to see where these little buggers are going"
Eventually, they reached the hive, which was a small cave opening with two guards waiting in the shadows. Bear crawled with Rainbow through the bushes to get a better look.
He smiled, grabbed a silently protesting Rainbow, and headed into the cave. The guards hissed as he came through, but he easily beat them and knocked them unconcious.
As they snuck further into the cave, Rainbow finally said, "No, that's enough, I am NOT going through here any further. We're leaving, NOW!"
Her last word echoed through the cave system, causing pretty much every changeling in the entire hive to deduce her exact position like a slimy, disgusting sextant, "Oops..."
Guards were soon upon them, but instead of fighting and resisting, Bear just stood there and allowed himself to be captured, "Just let it happen, we'll be alright, I promise. Besides, we'll never get deeper into the cave if we don't go along with it"
"But I don't wanna go along with it! I don't wanna go deeper into the cave!" she argued.
They were taken deeper and deeper into the hive, before they reached what appeared to be the center, complete with a throne and a queen bee of sorts staring down at them.
Rainbow glared at their leader, and tried to dash forward, but the changelings had put some goo in her wings so that she couldn't fly, "Chrysalis!"
"Well, well, well," came the smooth reply, "I haven't seen you for a while. How have you been?" |
Man vs wild vs ponies | Pfft, who needs gravity? Fuck gravity! | "Now," Bear said as he turned to the camera, "if you come across a queen bee, you don't wanna attack her, you just wanna negotiate with her. You do, but I don't. Because I'm Bear Grylls, and I served in the British Special Forces"
Chrysalis rolled her eyes, "Captain, shut him up"
The captain nodded with an evil grin, regurgitated some sort of mucus-like substance, and stuck it in Bear's mouth, "He won't be talking after this, Ma'am"
Bear swallowed it, grinning, causing Rainbow to gag, "Will you eat anything?"
Bear smiled adventurously, "I've eaten everything"
"What!? That doesn't even-" Rainbow started.
The queen interrupted, "Silence, fools! You. Rainbow one. Who is this? What is this? Why are you here? Elaborate"
"I will speak on the rainbow weasel's behalf" Bear said as he stood in front of Rainbow.
Chrysalis giggled a little, "Weasel?"
Rainbow blushed, "Just ignore it"
Bear started to pace around nonchalantly, "Well then, queen bee, I would love to answer your questions. I really would, honestly! But I'm too busy destroying your base. Bye!"
He tore out of his binds effortlessly and started beating down the changeling guards, who screamed in unison, "Protect the queen!"
Bear held one of them in a head lock, "Oh, she'll get hers, no worries, Friends"
He grabbed Rainbow, slung her over his shoulder, and started to dash (Ha, get it? Rainbow? Dash? Lawl) away. Thousands of changelings swooped down and attempted to grab him, but he dodged them all, and made his way into the catacombs.
"This is your fault! What are we even doing here!?" she screamed as the horde continued after them.
Bear turned one of the changeling's insect guts into jump rope and started jumping with it as he ran from them, "You'll see"
Bear took out a roll of duct tape and constructed a smoke bomb, "Is there anything you can't make with duct tape!?"
"Duct tape is the most important substance in the universe" Bear answered seriously.
He ducked into a small compartment on the left side and waited for all the changelings to pass, "Well, we lost them"
"Uh, B-Bear?" Rainbow stuttered as she stared in front of them, wide-eyed.
He turned to face what she was looking at and smiled, "Oh, this is perfect"
A metric ton of explosives was piled into this tiny room that they had hidden in. Bear grabbed all of them at once; duct taped them together, and slung it over his shoulder.
Rainbow sighed, "We're blowing up the entire hive?"
Bear smiled, "You guessed it! Man, you weasels are a sharp bunch"
They ran up the tunnels, even though it would be impossible for any normal man to carry that amount of explosives, or even fit them all in the tunnel. Fortunately for Rainbow, he's not just any normal man; he's Bear Grylls and he just served in the British Special Forces.
As Bear sprinted toward the exit, a crowd of changelings stood in his way, and as he arrived, another crowd came from behind him; he was trapped!
"Aha! We have you now, you stupid Bear!" the captain called out, causing Bear to laugh, "What's so funny!? We have you captured!"
"The thing is, Friends, I'm not fighting alone. Honey badger, come to my aid!" he called out of the cave.
(Fluttershy's cottage)
The honey badger was out playing with his children. His wife looked on happily, and came by to join in. He happily nuzzled her and looked deep into her eyes, smiling his friendly smile.
Suddenly, off in the distance, he heard a summoning of himself. The fires of hell burned in his heart as his urge to kill consumed him. With a battle-crazed look in his eye, he turned away from all he held dear and roared a mighty roar, shattering Fluttershy's windows instantly.
He ran off somewhere into the wilderness, leaving his terrified family behind.
"Oh Rosie," the honey badger wife sighed to herself in her little animal language, "why do you always go for the bad boys?"
(The hive)
The changelings laughed, "What!? A honey badger!? Ha! We will take him along with the both of you!"
"Honey badger don't give a shit, honey badger badass" Bear said, grinning.
They all heard a low rumbling sound, like a stampede of warhorses growing louder and louder, "W-what is that!?"
Bear started duct taping explosives to the walls, "That would be the honey badger"
The changelings started to consider breaking ranks, "Stand your ground, everyling! Stand your ground and fight to the death for your queen!"
They saw trees being toppled effortlessly on the creature's way to the hive. Some shivered, and wondered if they would ever see their friends again.
Soon, the monster in question burst from the foliage and started to maul the changelings, causing the captain to scream, "Attention! Everyling in the hive! Attack! Attaaack!"
Soon, the entire hive, with queen chrysalis in the back gathered to help their kin beat back the enemy. Their attempts were in vain, as the honey badger tore into the creatures with ruthless efficiency.
Changelings charging at him resembled sacrifices being set out for a foreign pagan god as they were smashed into the dust, guts flying everywhere in a sickening display. Changeling magic blasted him, but it did nothing. The screams of his victims echoed throughout the cave as the less loyal cried out for mercy and attempted to flee. He killed all who fled first, continuing on with the battle-crazed berserkers next.
Meanwhile, Bear hummed as he set up explosives all around. The changelings were too shocked at what was happening to notice that he was setting them.
A changeling flew over Rainbow's head and literally shattered on the wall next to her in a gruesome display, "B-Bear!? Are we safe with that...thing here!?"
He nodded, "I played yahtzee with a honey badger, once. We're cool"
She grimaced as she saw one of the smashed changeling corpses twitch in a similar manner to how insects you step on twitch to signify that they're alive, but breathing their last breaths, "I think I'll need therapy after this"
(High above Everfree forest)
The pilot of a plane sighed, "No, Shara, we are not casting Man Woman Wild again, that was just terrible"
"Please please please please pleeeaaase!?" she begged him.
He rolled his eyes, "NO! It's not even in my authority to let you! You weren't even supposed to come onto this flight, the director just let you!"
"When can I jump!?" she asked as she hung loosely off the side of the airplane.
The co-pilot stared at her, wide-eyed, "You're not even wearing a parachute, Shara! Get back in here!"
She sat on the plane's wing, "What!? I can't hear you over the plane's engine! Speak louder! You've got to learn to enunciate!"
"That's not even physically possible! You're sitting on the fucking wing! Get your arse in here, NOW! That's an order!" he shouted at her.
"Bye!" she shouted as she jumped down cheerfully.
He sighed, "Well then, we're fired"
The pilot face palmed, "Yep. If I find work, I'll tell you if they need a co-pilot"
"Weee!" she shouted as she plummeted toward the ground.
(The hive)
The honey badger pulled a changeling apart with a terrifying roar that deafened his enemies and shook the cave. Born to be martyrs for the cause, changelings threw their bodies at him in a desperate attempt to buy their queen seconds more among the living. They attempted to bite into him, but his fur seemed to be impenetrable, as their teeth shattered in their attempts to bite him.
Foam started to run from the honey badger's mouth alongside drool. As soon as it touched any of the changelings, they caught fire somehow. It started to fizzle and glow slightly on the ground, signifying that it was an extremely powerful acid. The honey badger finished with almost all of the worker changelings and made his way to the soldiers, which were the ones guarding the queen. Bear was running out of explosives to set as well.
Bear fought back tears as he mixed some of his precious urine with some nitroglycerin and poured it onto the ground, "S-such a waste of good urine"
Rainbow rolled her eyes, "You're not real"
(Fluttershy's cottage)
Fluttershy walked around the cottage in amazement, "Wh-what do you think could have caused all this, honey badgers? Was it your husband?"
The female slowly nodded, causing Fluttershy to sigh and pet her gently, "There there, it's not his fault, it's Bear's. I need to talk to him about this"
(Above the Everfree forest, falling)
Shara smiled brightly as she descended on the forest. She didn't grab a parachute because she didn't think she needed it. It was only a small drop, the ground would wait for her to slow down before it let her land.
Regardless, all she could think about was her husband. The producer had been doing all sorts of weird things to her lately, grinding on her and kissing her neck and stuff. She didn't think Bear would mind, so she wasn't going to tell him. She still wanted to see him, though.
She pulled out some glue and started drinking it. Bear always told her that eating glue was bad for her, but what did he know? If you weren't meant to drink glue, then why was there a little nozzle for you to drink out of on the top of the bottle? Ha! Not so smart now, are you Bear?
(The hive)
The last of her majesty's royal guard were falling, trying desperately to defeat this unforeseen menace. If they had known that this would happen, they would have never let Bear enter the cave. They should have shooed him out or something, so it was their fault for not protecting the queen. They knew that the queen would surely send them to hell for this, because they were bad changelings.
The honey badger snarled as one final changeling stood in front of the queen, "Goodbye, my queen. I will see you in the afterlife. Hail the queen!"
The honey badger tore into him gruesomely; his screams filled the tunnels. As he breathed his last breath, he watched as the honey badger walked up to the queen. This was it.
Bear had run out of explosives, so he was just going to watch what was to come. The end of queen Chrysalis.
(Not far from the ground)
Shara crossed her arms impatiently; she wanted to get on the ground NOW, but she just haaad to wait for gravity. Pfft, who needs gravity? Fuck gravity! Some fundamental force of the universe YOU are; you've been taking your sweet time getting her to the ground. Hmph.
(The hive)
Suddenly, the honey badger started panting heavily. He started to sway a bit, before he let out a squeak and fell to the ground. Everything was silent for a few moments before Bear spoke.
He blinked, "Ah. I knew his battery was running out soon. Oh well"
He picked up the honey badger and tossed him onto Rainbow's back along with a little metal box, "Press the button on that to detonate the explosives"
"What!? Are you crazy, Bear?" she screamed at him.
He rolled his eyes, "Well, get out of the cave, first. I'll fight off Chrysalis"
Chrysalis glared at him as he stood in front of her, "You"
She blasted him with magic, causing him to stumble back a bit, before she pounced on him.
Rainbow ran out of the cave, and shouted at Bear, "Get out of there, Bear! You'll die!"
As he wrestled with the changeling queen on the ground, he screamed back, "Press the button, Rainbow Weasel! We need to end this here and now! Just do it!"
Her tear ducts started to hurt, "B-but what about you Bear!?"
"It doesn't matter, just press the button, now! That's an order!" he yelled to Rainbow.
Tears started to form in her eyes, "I'll never forget you! I promise!"
He smiled adventurously as he had the queen in a headlock, "I know you won't! I'm Bear Grylls, and I served in the British Special Forces!"
She started to sob as she pressed the button. The explosives all around the cave lighted up, and the tunnels all started to collapse. After a low rumbling, it was clear that the entire hive was gone. Everything was still.
Rainbow was hysterical, "Bear! I-if you can hear me! Please come out, please! You're my friend! You're everypony's friend! Every stupid weasel in town loves you! Please!"
After a few moments of her crying, a hand jutted out of the rocks and rubble with a small black box in his hand, "Bear! I-if you can hear me! Please come out, please! You're my friend! You're everypony's friend! Every stupid weasel in town loves you! Please!"
It was a tape recorder.
She blinked, "W-what?"
"Aha!"-Bear burst from the ruined hive-"I knew you were weasels, I just knew it!"
"Bear!" she screamed happily as she galloped toward him.
Before she could reach him, however, something almost as big as him fell from the sky, fell on him, and pounded him back into the hive with the force of the fall.
Rainbow stopped, "Huh!? What was that!?"
Bear climbed out of the newly formed hole with the object in question, "Don't worry, I'm okay! I'm Bear Grylls and I served in the British Special Forces!"
Rainbow rolled her eyes before cautiously walking over to Bear who had slumped the creature over one of his shoulders as he climbed out. He put it on the ground and stared at it for a moment before going wide-eyed.
It opened its eyes and stared at Bear before getting up and hugging him, "Hi, Bear! I missed you, Honey!"
Bear face-palmed, "Oh no, not you, Martha"
She sighed, "My name's not Martha, it's Shara"
He rolled his eyes, "Oh come on, Hannah, Martha, same thing! Now, Deborah, what are you doing here!?"
"This is the new season of Man Woman Wild, Silly!" she responded cheerfully.
"I locked you in a solid titanium box in the bottom of the Atlantic with no air; there shouldn't be a new season of Man Woman Wild" he stated flatly.
She skipped around, "You forgot to looock it!"
"I did lock it, though! And even if I didn't, why would it matter!? You were at the bottom of the Ocean!" he growled.
"What's going on here?" Rainbow asked.
"I'm his wife!" Shara responded happily.
He sighed, "Unfortunately, yeah, she is"
Rainbow fell to the ground and laughed, "Bahaha! Bear Grylls has a wife!? Bear Grylls who served in the British Special Forces!? Ha!"
Shara gasped, "You served in the British Special Forces, Sweetie? That sounds so...erotic"
He rolled his eyes, "I'm not having sex with you. Sorry, but I'd rather stick my dick in between the bars at a zoo"
Rainbow poked Bear, "We'd better get back to town"
Bear rolled his eyes and started to walk back, "This is going to be a looong week" |
Man vs wild vs ponies | Warning: This chapter is poorly written. Oh, and BEAR GRYLLS | "and then there was this time where Gryllsy was all like 'Shara, we need a divorce' and I was all like 'Bitch please' and he was all like crying and stuff and saying he hated his life and shit and he put a gun in his mouth and stuff but he saw he couldn't die so he cried more and then he like tried to sell his soul to Satan but Satan was all like 'fuck no, I'll burn my hands off' and then I was all like-" Shara babbled on, not noticing Rainbow's loud laughter and the indignant look seemingly permanently etched on her husband's face.
(Ponyville)
Bear was not a religious man by any stretch of the imagination. Rather, he always said that he felt it was important to worship oneself if you happen to be part bear and part human, as such a match was "Most definitely made in heaven," or so he claimed. By the time our hero reached Ponyville, however, he was praying to every god he could think of (Alongside a few gods he made up on the spot) to end his life.
He sighed heavily, before taking out his urine-filled canteen and drinking from it. Not even the sweet nectar that flowed from his man-nozzle could cheer him up.
His wife mimicked him with a glue bottle, "and Gryllsy here thinks that glue is unhealthy for you, but pfft! What does he know!?"
Bear stopped walking and grabbed both of his wife's shoulders firmly, glaring into her eyes as he spoke, "What was your name...Samantha? Miguel? Something like that, anyway, Rachelle, you need to leave town"
She conjured up her best puppy dog eyes (Which looked more like Derpy dog eyes) and whined loudly, "Aaaw! Gryllsy! Is it that special time of the month where the sticky stuff comes out? I don't know what to do when that happens, so I just take a glue bottle a-"
He growled lowly, causing Shara to quirk up a single, confused eyebrow, "Stop talking. I don't wanna know about your bodily functions. Look, these weasels have established a society, but they're cannibalistic, uncivilized barbarians. If they're going to survive in this world, they need a strong leader, and that's ME! I can't have you prancing about being stupid and tainting my image, so if you'd just walk into that forest over there, I'm sure some of those wooden wolves would be more than willing to help you, alright? Now go, GO! Shoo!"
Rainbow blinked, "Uh, we're not cannibals...and we have a leader...and we've solved world hunger...and we have everlasting world peace..."
Bear sighed, "You WOULD think that, Rainbow Weasel, but no. It's all propaganda and lies; your weasel goddess just WANTS you to think that-"
Rainbow flew away; she wasn't going to deal with this, not today. She was covered in insect mucus, guts, and feces.
Silence engulfed the two. Shara and Bear stared at each other for a few moments before Shara peed herself and started to cry.
Because he served in the British Special Forces, Bear Grylls had dealt with many crying babies. Some crying, some not so crying, but generally speaking, most of them were crying. He'd always just punched them until they stopped making noise (He discovered that, as a general rule of thumb, when the red paint (Yes, babies are made entirely of red paint) splatters reached his elbow, it was time to stop), but Shara wasn't a baby.
He sighed, "Hey, look, Amie, I didn't mean to say those mean things. It's just that I think you're stupid and you don't deserve to live, that's all"
She sniffed as he hugged her tightly, "You really m-mean that? That w-was what you said on ou-our first date!"
Bear cringed, remembering that horrifying night in the Vietnamese jungles. Both the Viet Cong and the American soldiers fled from her. Whenever she caught one of her victims, she would take a bowling ball and a sledge hammer and- Well, nevermind. Anyways, the point is that it sucked. A lot. Almost as much as my Filipino friend/slave/whore, Alejandro. Say hola to the readers, Alejandro!
Sálvame de este monstruo.
That's the spirit! Now get back in your cage you filthy little-
"Okay, Gryllsy, I'll talk to the wolfies for you," she said as he did an about face and started marching toward the Everfree forest, "I'll make you proud!"
He let out a sigh of relief and finished off the remainder of his piss canteen. Aaah, he could taste the urine he had last week in that last sip. Everything was peaceful and quiet...too quiet. He heard a shrill, excited voice behind him and groaned.
A single, depressed tear rolled down his cheek and hung itself on his chin (Get it? Depressed tear? Hung itself? Like suicide? (Yes, I'm fully aware of how awful that was (Okay, I'm done with parenthesis for a while))))) as he turned to meet the awful sound, "Sweet Jesus she's ba- Oh, phew! You scared me there, Miss Pink thing! I thought you were my wife"
False alarm, it was just Pinkie Pie, who giggled and bounced around excitedly, "No silly! You don't have a wife!"
She gasped dramatically, "Unless you DO have a wife! Then we'll have to throw her a party! Oh, what does she like!? Does she like balloons? Should I get some balloons?"
Bear rolled his eyes good-naturedly and chuckled warmly, "I don't have a wife anymore Pinkie, you can trust me on that"
She wilted visibly, "Aaaw...I wanted throw another party..."
He smiled sheepishly, "Yeah, well, I want several gallons of my own fermented urine at my immediate disposal every waking second of every immortal day of my terrible life, but we can't all get what we want, right? Ahem, so why did you come talk to me anyways, Pink weasel creature?"
"Oh! I just wanted to let you know that the party is gonna be in two hours! You might wanna make sure your wife doesn't go talk to the timberwolves, she might be late for the party!" Pinkie chirped excitedly as she skipped away.
"Eh...Pinks, you know she's not gonna be there...right?" Bear asked as he scratched his head.
Pinkie had anticipated his exact sentence in a manner resembling Sun Tzu and proceeded to unleash her secret weapon. She turned around and blasted him with the most powerful weapon she had available; her puppy dog eyes. Retinas glistening in the light as growing amounts of crystal clear tears formed; she frowned in the saddest way known to ponykind. Fluttershy called it the 'Staring into their soul and kicking them in the metaphorical groin' technique. Well, no, I just lied, that's what I call it, but that's about what it feels like.
"Sh-she's...NOT?" Pinkie choked sadly.
Bear's tear ducts almost wrenched themselves from his face as he stared at her for a moment or two before responded, "Er, yes- I mean NO! No, she's...wait...don't worry Peasel the weasel, I'll get her there, one way or another, I promise!"
She sniffed loudly, "Are...are you sure?"
He thumped his chest proudly, "You can trust me. I'm Bear Grylls, and I served in the British Special Forces"
She bounced up, original eyes taking shape once again and started to trot away happily, "Okidokiloki! It starts in two hours!"
He sighed, briefly considering suicide. He then realized that he couldn't die. Manly bear tears were shed.
(Everfree forest, one hour later)
"Oh bollocks to this, where is she?" Bear growled angrily as he pushed his way through the dense forest.
With each stomp of his massive bear feet, tiny woodland creatures scurried around in shock. After a while more of searching, he decided to take a break. He picked up a squirrel and took a bite of it as he sat down, sighing. He noted that the squirrels were a bit chewier here than most other places, but that was alright; he kind of liked it that way.
Just when he was about to give up, he heard a voice above him, "Oh, hey Gryllsy! How's it hangin'? Ha, get it? Hangin'? Because I'm hanging from a tree? That was a joke, do you love me now?"
He stood up and stared at his wife. He looked at her for a long while, noticing that one side of her was completely encrusted in mud. She was hanging by one leg, which had been tied with a vine to a relatively thick branch.
He rolled his eyes, "No, I will never love you. How did you get up there?"
She frowned, "I don't know, I was just walking through the forest, sipping my glue and the next thing I know I'm hanging from this tree"
Bear rubbed his temples and sighed, "Alright, just hang on...no pun intended...describe to me everything that happened to you on your way through the forest"
"Alright then" she responded happily.
(Everfree forest, about an hour or so earlier)
Shara was now on the very edge of Everfree forest walking in. She wandered through the rough foliage for what seemed like hours to her feeble mind, but in reality only walked around for about a minute or two.
She asked some nice-looking birds where the timberwolves were, but they flew away. It turned out they were kind of mean; they even threw some white paint on her head. She tried to give it back to them, but they wouldn't come back no matter how hard she yelled. Oh well, she ate it. If they came back for it, she was gonna say it broke when it fell.
After a little while more, she came up to a pack of sleeping timberwolves. She sighed in relief, she had FINALLY found them!
"Excuse me wooden dogs, Gryllsy said I need to talk to you all!" she said contently.
Aside from one wolf yawning, blinking, then going back to sleep, none of them really did anything. Huh. That was kind of rude of them. She came all the way out here and they were going to sleep when they had guests?
Luckily, she was a genius. She had a plan B, because she ALWAYS had a plan B. Except when she didn't have a plan B, then she just waited for Bear to come save her.
But no, for the first time ever, she had a plan B.
She stomped on the nearest tail she could find and screamed, "WAKE UP YOU LAZY LUMPS OF BARK!"
The timberwolf howled in pain and glared at her, growling, as its cohorts woke up and glared at her as well.
She let out a sigh of relief, "Phew, I was hoping you weren't all heavy sleepers. Bear said you all wanted to talk to me!"
Bear? Who was this bear? They had killed a bear yesterday, so they weren't too afraid of a bear. They could take this arrogant, hairless cub.
Still, it was odd that she walked on two legs. Plus, she was pretty big for a cub. Hm, on second thought, if she's just the CUB, how big is the BEAR?
They spoke to one another in their canine language, discussing what to do. Do they kill her? Do they spare her? So confusing, and the Alpha and his hunting party weren't back yet, either.
Realization hit them all like a two-by-four. It all made sense now; the Alpha and his pack had just killed a bear and they were degrading the bear's cub by making it deliver the message! Seems legit.
They all rushed to their Alpha's urine scent. It smelled fresh, like he had just urinated to show his location. Yes, yes, it all made PERFECT sense.
(Everfree forest, current time)
Shara's husband stayed quiet for a while, expecting the story to go on, but it ended there.
Bear's brow lowered in confusion, "I...see...and why are you tied to a tree?"
She quirked up an eyebrow, "Hm? Tied to what now?"
He face-palmed, "Tree, you're tied to a tree right now, Jona, hanging upside down, what does that have to do with timberwolves?"
She giggled, "Honey, I think you need to lay off your own urine for a while, I'm not tied to a tree"
"I KNOW WHEN I'VE HAD ENOUGH!" he screamed as he quickly pulled out his canteen and gulped it down.
She rolled her eyes, "...right. Anyways, let's get going, I- Oh, I'm tied to a tree...that's new"
"Yes, okay, we're in agreement now, you're tied to a tree, how did you get into that predicament?" Bear huffed angrily.
"Hm? This? Oh, right, I tripped" she answered.
"Makes perfect sense; and why are you covered in mud on one side of your body?" he asked rather impatiently.
She pointed to a rather obvious pile of dung that was a little larger than a few dumpsters stacked onto each other. There was an imprint on the side where a human female had seemingly smacked face-first. The weirdest thing about it was that it seemed intentional...
Bear walked up to the massive heap of feces, grabbed a big glob of it, and stuck it in his mouth. He swished it a round for a few moments, savoring it, before swallowing.
"Hm...tastes like..."-his eyes went wide as he took a few steps back from the mass of waste-"...dragon"
He recoiled in horror and looked to the skies, whispering, "Still fresh..." |
The Warmth of Alien Suns | pre | Wrath of God. Maybe that's who's out there watching, not that weird horse thing from last night. Or maybe that thing's got God's beady little eyes and I'm bein' weighed already. That'll be great! Hey, guys, guess what? Y'all found the portal to purgatory! Congratulations! Hell's this way and it's a view to die for! Step right through!
I have no expectations because how much do you really expect to get from a few days of probes? Nothing, that's what. Nothin' friggin' useful. Oh, sure, it's nice now, but what if I wake up tomorrow and I find out that sometimes this nice world rains fucking razer sharp hail? Or that every few months it just decides to freeze over for awhile or...
This is an alien world. If my own damn world wants to kill me, how much more will one that I'm completely foreign to?
Two hours since I paused my log. The feeling left a few minutes ago.
Now that it's gone, I'm having trouble understanding the first half of this. I keep replayin' it and all I get is more confused. I mean, I don't doubt I was nervous. I remember feeling nervous. I just can't understand why.
This place is beautiful. It is! I haven't said that much since the beginning, but it's pretty great. So quiet and peaceful. So it can't just be the castle and such. It's gotta be what happened last night getting on my nerves.
I've decided that the best thing to do is to check my traps as soon as I'm off this recording and just try to forget about this morning. Honest to god, listening to it was humiliating, but it don't sit right to just erase it. I said that stuff. It stays. This is the only story there'll be.
For now, while I'm coming down from all the fuss of earlier... I've decided that I need to start talking more and narrating less. It'll be good for me, I think.
Future plans! Havin' plans is good, even if you probably can't get around to them. Daddy was pretty clear on that when I was younger and he was, you know, sober. And alive. Gotta have goals. So I'll set some.
First, I need to secure me some food. That one is obvious.
Secondly, I need to really, really fortify this camp somehow. I mean, hell, it's already in a castle but I think I may try some non-lethal traps here and there if I can find something to make them with. Poximity alert is a godsend miracle, but it won't cut it. I'm reacting. Even with a warning, I'm still one step behind. I figure a good tripline or snare or something can stop an intruder long enough that I'll have the upper hand for sure. I might can figure out what trashed the place, too, while I'm at it.
Thirdly, I want to find whoever it is that built the castle. I mean, in general, not specific. I get the feeling that whoever built this place either lives forever or they're long dead. Maybe their kids' kids are around somewhere. I'll have to leave the forest to do that, which might take awhile. It's kinda big.
Speaking of the forest, I figure I should describe it for whoever comes along, when y'all come along.
It's huge. Remember that first. Massive. There are actually a few paths, but I've not used them much. I want to meet the people who live here but... not yet. I want to be ready for that, and if they use those paths I'd rather not be caught out in the open before I'm ready. Scare them and I might end up with a face full of lead. But it's not just my safety I'm worried about. I'm painfully aware of the chances that I might be the only human they ever meet and... I mean, even if it means nothing, I want to be friends. The only human that ever comes here, and if I can be their friend maybe that would be worth it. Hell, I've always tried to be neighborly when I had neighbors to be it with. Which, okay, wasn't often on account of all the drifting and the shooting but... I tried. And it's nice.
But yeah, the forest. Sorry. Big. Got that part down! The terrain is tough here. It's not the worst I've been in, because honestly these days? I was in Nebraska once, in the sandhills. It sucked before but the way the world is going, its hell now. I-35 wasn't much better, least the parts I rode on horseback. The trees here are all twisted and old, and the briars get thick. I got a bunch of holes in my shirt now from them, which is annoying but only a little.
The weirdest thing is the lack of animals. I've seen some birds out there, and heard a bunch I haven't seen. I thought I heard something yesterday, but I didn't mention it because I never saw anything and my traps were empty, which left me feelin' low, as you can guess. Also, I was a bit... preoccupied.
I miss them, really. I always liked animals. My favorites? That's a tie between Miss Yule's dogs in Shreveport when I was a girl and the horses at the Courier service. The dogs barked a lot but I was a young girl and they were always willin' to play with me. The horses because... I don't know. Maybe it's the look in their eyes, you know? Horses have these big watery eyes, cows too, like they know and feel a lot more than they let on just standin' around. It doesn't hurt that those horses saved my ass a couple of times on the road. I always felt safer when a longer or urgent route meant I could check one out from the paddock. My favorite was a brown mare named Sapphire. I stopped over in one of the shanty towns in the outskirts of Vicksburg once just to rest my aching ass from riding all day and that little horse was the only reason I got out of that place alive. Survivalists, Federals, Commonwealth police... those I all sort of get, but I'll never understand the junkies. The ones all strung out on the newest shit. They know that stuff is cut with fillers that just make it worse and they really honestly don't care. They scare me. Scared Sapphire too, which is probably why she was so quick even after a long day.
I've been thinking about my traps. I hope that animal from a few days ago and yesterday doesn't get caught in one. I want to live, but I also don't want to hurt it. If I have to... God, I hope whatever I catch is edible. I don't want to have it on my conscious if the lab module says it isn't. The water is clean--I mean, everything's cleaner and safer than the water in the rivers back home, cause nothing can friggin' live in that stuff anymore--and some of the fruit is safe... It's just not enough to keep me going. The module doesn't lie.
But enough of that. It seemed like a smart critter. It'll be fine. And I'm going to be fine too. I'll be back in a few hours. Wish me luck.
The Pioneer walks in the cool afternoon in the shade of the thick canopy of the forest. In the cool of the day, on her feet, it is easier to again feel that this is a good world. It's a little easier to feel safe again.
The feeling of being watched does not return. The traps are empty, and it dampens her spirits, but she tries to keep herself positive.
It never occurs to her to fish, but she cannot be judged too harshly there. Given time and desperation, it would make itself known. Her father had fished when he had been a boy, but even the waters were going bad.
Why? Industry, at first, and sabotage later. Even before the schism and the civil war, there had been rumbling rumors of conflict and then open warfare the world over. Everything teetered at the edge of some sort of finality, and then veered off at the last moment... only to land on hard ground. Wars were won abroad and lost abroad, won and lost at home. Fanatics tend to win in the short run, but they have a bad habit of holding the other side of the stick of dynamite still when it's long since time to have thrown. A long way to say that nobody who knew anything about surviving in the wastelands south of the Ohio valley fished anymore, and few dared look at the new breeds of old foes and food too closely.
Mostly, she thought of steak. She'd been in a steakhouse once when her father was alive, when he had a job in Shreveport. He was a factory worker. The Republic was newer and optimistic in those days, and putting people to work. They would save whatever they could. They were going to rebuild America, so the people said. And they believed it to, those cowboy hat wearing moneybags from North Dallas. They thought it was all a done deal already, soon as they started. The Feds were gonna lose, everyone knew that. Commonwealth had the hearts and minds of what was left of America and soon more states would join them.
It went south, of course. Literally, though no one laughed. Concordat cut short the hopes of a unified front. The Feds lost a lot of territory, sure, but nothing they really cared about anymore, and in the end there was no second front until years later. Troops and material no longer employed in keeping an unruly population under control moved west. The Mississippi churned with blood. The front stalled. The bombing campaign of Shreveport began.
Things fell apart. They tend to do that.
The Pioneer stops and examines an old tree and is rewarded by a sight that briefly chases away her dark thoughts of starvation. It is a beetle, slowly making its way along. She makes a soft cooing sound, more happy to see anything alive at all then specifically this creature. She doesn't like bugs particularly, but any company is good company.
Eventually, it flies away and she watches it as best she can with a smile roughly the size of Texas. She'd know, she's been all over it on foot and horseback and a few times even on lo-speeder.
It wasn't like the world she had left behind didn't have things like trees and beetles and streams. It did. It had these things in abundance, even if most of the streams she knew weren't safe to bathe in anymore without boiling the water and perhaps an act of God just in case. But in a new frame, it was easier to really see these things.
She had always liked trees and forests, but it had been harder to enjoy them before, and now at last she felt she could. It was paradoxical and stupid and she couldn't really explain it. Maybe it was the onrushing potentiality of death that made it easier to slow her walk. Maybe it was the beauty of the slowly setting sun that pierced the gnarled branches like a defiant fencer. Maybe it was the fact that at long last, she was on her own with no master.
Or maybe it was just because she liked the woods. Who knew?
The Pioneer stops briefly by another stream and fills both canteens.
The forest around her is quiet. Deathly quiet? Perhaps, but not for her. She still enjoys the stillness of her undisturbed walk.
The problems don't go away for long. As she straightens and stretches, they come back with a vengeance. She has only a few days of guaranteed food. With water, she can extend her survival a few more crucial days, but she'll be too weak to do go far before long. If she even makes it that long--whoever fired all those shells and fought with whatever bled all over the grass was out there, and they could easily find her given time. They might already have.
And the locals. The horse thing too, and the nagging possibility that it had caused her sudden descent into paranoia somehow.
The Pioneer was ignorant of many things, but surprisingly knowledgeable in the strangest areas. Books had been her companions many times in the bombed out and rundown towns of a beleaguered southwest. She had raided dozens of libraries and pilfered the bookstands of a hundred abandoned pharmacies. She had read everything from the the Gospels to inane self-help. By flickering lightbulbs she'd bought with a day's wages in a rented upper room she had read a copy of The Brothers Karamazov with perhaps four dozen pages missing, another dozen marked up in cyrillic, and all of it smelling repulsively of sweat and cloying decay. She had read the meaner forms of science fiction in the lobby of the Courier office in between pauses to spit foul liquid into a cup from her dip (she'd given it up when it was too expensive to maintain). So the idea of mind control was quite present in her mind. She did not discount it.
The labcoats and the scowling soldiers of the blacksite facility had not left her completely in the dark. The labcoats stressed the possible dangers. The soldiers had been clear on how they, personally, would handle those dangers. They rarely agreed about much, but the core things they were in perfect unity about: a new world is a dangerous world.
Really, it was nothing new. Mankind had been finding new worlds since he knew he had a world at all. Britain was a new frontier for Rome. China found a brand new empire in the west, a little China in their own mind. Sailing Polynesians found islands everywhere they went. White-skinned Englishman found a virgin land in America, more in their minds than in reality. Spaniards found gold and slaves. On and on and on. New worlds. A new sun. New constellations.
Be cautious, they had finally agreed. Keep your eyes open. Watch and learn. Don't shoot first, but don't hesitate too long. Be friendly if you can.
It's best to start there, at least, even if most of us know it rarely stays there.
A new land is a promise. An opportunity. It's adventure, with spoils for the great heart and the steady sword hand. All of this runs through the back of the Pioneer's mind, though it was not how she would have said it. Never how she would have, yet it persists... the drumbeat that summoned a hundred empires.
Imagine what's beyond the horizon.
Imagine if it was yours. All of this unspoiled peace. The new sites, the new smells, the new good earth. All of it, yours. You could start over. And if it went bad? You could keep starting over.
The Pioneer hums to herself, her mind going off in strange new directions. It is in this thoughtful and strange mood that she waltzes into camp and discovers the stranger sitting on one of the great and ancient thrones, clad in a long coat and looking over some notes on a thin pad. He looks up. He smiles, even as she pulls her gun with lightning speed and points the riotous instrument of judgement at him.
She opens her mouth.
"Who the everliving hell are you?" |
The Warmth of Alien Suns | First Interview: Sailors on a Becalmed Sea | [Autoscribe Activated, Set to Record... Range Increased to 50 feet radius. Auto-adjusting gain and equalization. Transcript compiled at the 15:49 mark. Voices distinguished for convenience.]
S: Don't you move. I ain't about to shoot if you don't... okay. Okay, okay. Jesus. Who the hell are you?
?: My, they did say you would probably greet me a bit roughly. I hadn't expected to see such a weapon pointed at me... so quickly, too! Please, calm yourself. I'm a friend, ma'am.
S: Hardly. I don't know you from Adam. And you know what? I'm pretty fuckin' pissed that you're sitting in my camp, so why don't we cut the smiley crap and you start talking about stuff I care about.
?: That is acceptable. I'll oblige, if you will drop the act. I've read up on you, Miss Marshall, and would you like to know what I've concluded?
S: No.
?: I've concluded that you won't fire. You're a good woman. I'll agree with your associate Dr. Eroll that you're a bit rough, but you're a good woman.
S: Are you a Fed? Man, if you are...
?: I am certainly not one of those butchers.
S: How should I believe you? Voice sounds like... Concordat.
?: And you are right. I am here as a representative of the Concordat on a mission of peace. I bring gifts, and you'll notice that my hands are raised still. I've not touched my own weapon.
S: Yeah, but I also have the Judge on you.
?: That you do. First, some news from the homefront: your colleagues are alive and well. The good doctor sends his greetings and an apology. They were rescued out of Federal hands two days ago. My government returned them as a gesture of goodwill, and our respective employers have brokered a mutually beneficial arrangement, and thus I am here.
S: How many? Why should I believe you aren't the blackshirt sumbitch who shot all those bullets the other day?
?: The... pardon? You'll have to catch me up on that. I know nothing of it. I arrived yesterday.
There is a pause.
S: I don't want to shoot you, you're right.
?: I would rather avoid that myself.
S: Were you the one that trashed my camp?
?: No.
S: Sighs. Dammit. Fine, for now I'm gonna go along with this. The Judge is still out, heh, literally. I'm watching. Kindly step away from my tent, would you?
?: Certainly, ma'am. Might I put a hand down to help me rise? The leg is a bit stiff. It's an old wound.
S: Go on.
?: Thank you. I appreciate that you're willing to listen, and I am regretful that my presence seems to have coincided with evidence of some third party. Having used no ammunition myself as of yet, I can safely say that I am not responsible for any casings you may have found. What were there make?
S: .45 auto.
?: Ah, then I shall further put your mind at ease. I will not reach into my jacket, but might I pull it aside?
S: You touch a piece and I'll show you why .454 Casull's the last argument of kings.
?: Oh! That was good. I like that... I'll have to remember it. Do you know the original quotation?
There is a rustling sound.
?: It's from King Louis the... I believe the 14th? On his cannons, he ordered it be inscribed "Ultima Ratio Regnum" which is Latin for "The last argument of Kings". A delightful sort, he was. As you can see, it's an--
S: M97, but it's all weird.
?: Good eye, I'm pleased you're quick on the draw, if you'll forgive the joke. Yes. An M97A4, specifically, designed as a designated marksman rifle, and approved by the late United States army roughly two years before the Massacre of Amarillo. I took this particular example with me when I left the service.
S: Were you there?
?: Pardon?
The Raging Judge is cocked.
S: Amarillo. Answer the question. Now.
?: I was not. At the time, I was on my way home from the war in Panama. I avoided the much lesser known massacre there by only a week, in fact. Watched the horrors unfold on the news, before the soon to be Federal Junta pulled the feed.
S: So you're one of the ones that walked.
?: That I was. Truth be told, Panama and Mauritania... I was quite ready to go. The world was falling apart and the old empire Franklin started rolling was cracking. You might find it hard to believe, but I do sincerely believe it might live again.
S: America's deader than my mother and she got torn to little tiny pieces by .50s in the streets. Amarillo.
?: I had read that. I am sorry, for what is worth. My generation failed yours.
S: You know what? I think I believe you.
?: I'm glad to hear it.
S: But I'm not exactly excited about you bein' here. Even if you're Concordat. You guys can be shady. At least a little offense meant. What's the name?
CM: Christopher Malthus. It's a pleasure to meet you.
S: And you talk like you're out of Gone With the Wind.
A soft sound of the Pioneer as she resets the hammer without firing.
CM: Ah, that hurt a bit. I'm loathe to be associated with the Lost Cause. Bad for business, as well as a bit sordid. I'm surprised you know what is, actually. Your file did say you were surprisingly aware of the old world. The personnel we rescued. mentioned your request for reading material on base.
S: What's your angle? Shoot straight with me.
CM: Exploration, curiosity, commerce. Cartography, really, like Joshua and Caleb in the new promised land. At the moment? I meant to find you and converse. I assumed you would not wish my presence in your camp and came prepared to set up stake elsewhere, but not before I had delivered my second gift.
S: Yeah?
A rustling sound.
S: Oh fuck me. Is that...?
CM: Food? Yes.
S: I don't even care about that smartass smile you have. You slide those over towards my tent and I'll take back the crack about your voice, on my mother.
A grating noise.
CM: It is done. Also, this. It's a rather primitive device, an old radio. If you're right, and I feared such might occur, then there is a third among us. Possibly more, but the Federal Union has a presence in this new world. They will be monitoring the more conventional methods of communication, so we shall settle for the old analog. The range is limited to about a mile, even with the improvements I had my subordinates install, but it will do.
S: Where do we go from here? I ain't completely comfortable with you knowing where I am but me not knowing where you are. But I ain't about to get violent with someone who's been neighborly with me.
CM: I would say, but I do not know myself. I assume you would not be accompanying me.
S: Hell no.
CM: Yes, well. The work of a cartographer of alien worlds is a bit lonely, I suppose. Best to make the... well, best of it. That one fell apart on me, didn't it? Regardless! Have we an accord? I shall not bother you, and you always have a line to me. Your superiors requested I not badger you and the details of the arrangement brokered by both of our governments insists that we conclude separate investigations of this world, so as to provide a better picture through independant eyes. However, I would love to compare notes in a few days, yes?
S: We'll see. I'm puttin' my gun away, okay?
CM: I'm glad to see it.
S: Well, you kinda killed the mood by not being a baby-murderin' blackshirt or the one who trashed my camp, so...
CM: I'll lay the radio here, alright? If you see our mutual... friends...
S: If it's more than one, then yeah. I'll call ya. If I live, I might call you afterwards too. You any good with that thing?
CM: The stories I could tell. Very good.
S: I hope you don't have to use it. I think he might have met somethin' too big to handle. Blood everywhere and a dozen or two dozen shells spent. Scared off the game too. You've saved my life with those day-rations. If they ain't poisoned, obviously.
CM: Suspicion suits you surprisingly well, Miss Marshall.
S: Sorry, but that dumb smile don't work on that face. The coat is nice though. Keep it.
CM: And on that note, I'll away. I assume I have no fear of being shot in the back?
S: I'm no murderer.
CM: Oh, I know you aren't. I read your file. I was impressed, sincerely. You are the right sort of woman for this enterprise, Miss Marshall.
S: Yeah well... thanks, I guess. Watch out for my traps. If you're gonna make camp, do it south of here. I didn't put anything there. The trees have markings, so you'll see any pitfalls. Good luck, man. |
The Warmth of Alien Suns | Violation | Log 9
I don't trust words.
Just thought I would start there, because elsewise I'm not sure I'll be making any sense. Thinking out loud is one thing, and talkin' to someone who ain't even there is another. The hard part is that I don't know you, if "you" is ever going to exist, so I don't have a bit of shared experience that I can use to talk to you. Like, if I knew you were from the Republic, I could talk about stuff that would make sense to someone on the old Texas-Lousiana line. If I was gonna explain somethin' to you, I could... I dunno, I could explain it using examples you'd know. Famous people. Cities and towns we both know. Stretches of highway and irradiated streams. Or if you were up north in the Commonwealth... well, truth be told, we wouldn't have that much in common. Things in Colorado are a hell of a lot better than in Texas! But at least we could both hate the fuckin' black shirts together, and really, that's all you need to be friends. Humans... we're great at hating each other.
Which brings me to another thing: humans. I've started thinking about people as "humans" now because... well, because being on another planet will do that to you. Imagine you have like a picture, right? Framed on a wall? Now, you can't see what is just to the right and left of those frames. But imagine if you started taking the frames apart and moving them and everywhere you moved 'em the painting just continued. That's what it's like. I used to live inside of that little painting and now they moved the frame and I don't know what any of the rest of this is. Now people are humans, or at least my people are. Because I don't think anyone I meet here will be human, and then people will mean humans and others and honestly anyone who thinks they know how to handle that is a liar. You can set your watch on that. I would. If I had one.
All this thinking to say that I'm not the only human anymore on this world.
Brief synopsis: last night, I came back to camp and found an intruder. I pulled my gun. We talked.
He's from the Concordat, sounds like Old South, on the coast. Which makes him slightly better than a Federal and slightly worse than the folks who live in those shantytowns in New Vicksburg. In NV, they're honest--you know what parts of town ain't safe for a woman who ain't packing. In the Carolinas? Hell no, they're liars. I can shoot a raider or run from him, I can bail when junkies get to looking funny. But a liar you can't outrun.
What to make of him? There's the problem. That's the question.
On one hand, he coulda ambushed me straight up. If he's good enough to sneak past the prox alarms... Damn, honestly? Coulda just waited up in that old crumblin' tower and shot me as I waltzed back in, none the wiser. Pow. Headshot. No more exploring. He's got the perfect gun for it, and readin' between the lines, I bet he has the chops to do it from half a mile off and I wouldn't even know until I was dead.
He was polite enough. Sometimes a little too oily for me, sometimes a little too... I don't know. I was gonna say "smiley" but I happen to smile a hell of a lot. There's nothing wrong with that. Where I come from, you learn to enjoy things while you can.
Of course, he was polite and nice enough... when I had the Judge on him. It's not enough. You can't judge a man by the smile he wears when an angry woman has a gun in his face, or else you'd get the whole lot of them wrong. He could have been trying to get me to calm down. Actually, he was definitely doing that... and I can't blame him. It's useless. Of course I needed to calm down. Whether he's for real or not, he would have done that.
Then there's the food.
That beautiful old whitebread mother brought me some day-rations. My mouth watered just thinking about them, and I hate the things. Food. Nourishment. I think I cried once.
I checked--fifteen days. Fifteen. Days. I can last... I can last almost a month now and that's without hunting or gathering anything, so... God, I might make it.
I have to test these. Shit. That fuckin' Dixie blueblood would be the sort to avoid a nasty firefight and all the blood by just poisoning the blankets and giving them to the damn savage.
Finally, the radio. He gave me an old as balls radio from before my dad was a kid. No clue how he found the thing. It's got actual honest to god pre-collapse alkaline batteries in it. New, too. Maybe they still have those in the Concordat, how the hell should I know. I don't go there much. Courier's ain't welcome and neither are drifters without money. Not that I'm broke, by the way.
Side note. If you find this, I buried a fuckton of money in the King Edward Hotel in Jackson, Mississippi. It's a pre-collapse hotel, run down and awful and in the middle of a damn ghetto, but hey! Money, right? Enough to buy a whole settlement if you're smart. A ton of Federal credit chips under a bunch of names and a lot of old greenbacks. Souvenirs, I guess. I don't have a use for it anymore. Been adding to it for years. I figured, when I started, that one day I would have enough to move to Dallas or Houston and buy a house and live there where bombs don't fall on you and no one shoots you and the police don't watch you like a hawk on account of your little Courier's badge. But somewhere along the way I just... I don't know. I was working out of NV at the time doin' the whole Courier thing and it was a one day journey every time I had a big stack to add to the pile.
Wow. Hadn't thought about that in awhile. Sorry for all the rambling.
Okay, said I would talk and said I would be honest. I did say that, right? God, I'm not gonna go check. But I will be: I'm not sure about the traps.
I mean, yeah, I'm sure they have to stay. In my head, I know that. But... I've hunted. I've killed before--man and beast. Five men that I'm sure about and another six or seven I'm not. I've been hunting over a decade, so I'm not gonna even start trying to figure that part out, but you get it. I know how to do it, I've done it before, and I'll do it again if I have to. My dad used to say, 'fore he left, that you never hesitate once the finger is on the trigger. You hesitate every second before that point. You don't ever jump into a firefight and you sure as hell don't kill anything bigger than a fly if you don't have to absolutely do it. But when the finger is on the trigger. Well.
He chuckled and told me that when he did that, when I did that, then the jury returned the verdict.
I have to hunt. I've got to know if it's possible to eat the local animals and I need a reliable food source that has the essential stuff I need to keep going after the day-rations give out.
I'm also not gonna quit looking for other kinds of plants. The waterfruit suck, but they're better than nothing. I bring in a few each day. A couple have been really promising, and I'll keep looking for them, but they've all been in short supply. I'm hoping to change that when I go out today.
I'm just... I'm not looking forward to the moment, you know? I never do, but this is the one time I can't say, "I'm sorry, I didn't want to hurt you but that's the savage law" and then gut the thing in peace. I'll know as I put it out of its misery that I have food at my camp which is probably not poisoned, maybe, and that I'm not actually desperate yet and that just right rankles me. It feels greedy.
In the badlands, you hunt what you need and only what you need. Lots of reasons for that. Most are practical--the water is bad, the forests are bad, the air is bad, and so the population of things which you can eat and live off of is pretty thin compared to how it used to be, and so if we shoot too much... yeah. Bullets are expensive if you waste them, and .308 is the most expensive shell in the badlands. Why? Because everyone needs it and we gobble it all up faster than they can make more and push it out here. Most of the hunting rifles people are using these days? .308 is what makes them spit.
Damn. Speaking of, my rifle is probably fuckin' trashed now at the facility. I loved that rifle. It had nice little patterns on the stock and everything. Also I carved my name into it with my knife for the hell of it when I was a little toasty and it looked super great. I'm actually pretty sad I lost it. I've had that thing for years.
Before I go out for the day, I'm going to check the perimeter again. Even if nothing bad came of it, I want to be sure everything is working. I need to be sure I'm not going to come back to the blackshirts hiding in the shadows this afternoon. In the meantime, I'll eat my day-ration and then I'll put the new ones in the module and we'll see what there is to see. Maybe this Malthus guy is full of shit. Part of me hopes so. The rest of me wants him to be an okay guy. It would be nice to have someone to talk to, even if just on a radio that only has a mile radius.
The Pioneer checks her alarms with a studied care, and while she does this she is herself studied.
The lonely shaman hides in the dense bush. She has coated herself in specially mixed poultice and worked her alchemy on an old cloak that could easily be parted with. And she would part with it, for it felt unsettling to wear. Most alchemy was like conducting a universe eager to sing, but some things were not. Careful research in the scrolls and codexes she had brought with her from the deserts and from the jungled highlands beyond them had led her to believe that only an old and perhaps slightly dubious art would be of use in her investigation. It was not quite star-touched, and not quite as bad as the old blood sorceries, but it was unpleasant. The designs she had scrawled with mud and a variety of other unsavory things had dried immediately, locking the matrix in place...
And so now she watched, confidant that the strange bipedal creature could not see her.
This strange creature, this all but hairless thing, unnerved her. Not as badly as she apparently unnerved it, of course. Zecora was a kind zebra, if not the most social, and she had been ashamed when her presence's effect had been clear.
She had not intended to scare the stranger, only to observe a new neighbor. When she had approached, it had pulled a strange tool that she had sensed danger in and barked in an angry, guttural tongue.
So she had withdrawn, respecting its obvious wishes.
But she was concerned for her new neighbor. It was obviously not of the Everfree, for it did not understand the forest at all. It had tried to eat things which were tricks of wild magic, illusions that offered no sustenance, all while ignoring every single plant and root that Zecora knew would sustain even such a giant with ease. As the days passed, she grew perplexed, and then frustrated.
Before her long wandering had brought her to Ponyville's fabled forest, Zecora had been a teacher and a shrine maiden, offering from her mind and her shrine's library the collected lore of a thousand years and more. Her greatest joy had been in passing on that knowledge. And when she had left? In gaining new lore and new knowledge.
This creature was going to starve at this rate. How was it surviving? Whatever food it must have brought must be all but expired now, for she had seen no evidence of it. She was all but ashamed to call herself a teacher.
Sighing, she turned back. The creature seemed agitated today, so she did not come out to meet it. She would return to her home and put together a basket of such things as the giant might eat and leave it with some note of offering. Surely it read the common tongue, and if not, the writing would at least give it some sense of the offering of a gift. She would leave it in the night, as the creature slept, and then retreat. Perhaps when it was not so hungry, she would try to talk to it. Perhaps she could find some enchantment in the old books for speaking in tongues.
So it was that her mind was full of such thoughts as she walked the old not-paths only she knew, and so it was that she was not fully vigilant.
So it was that she did not notice the marking on the tree and the pit concealed with skill on the path. For Zecora was indeed skilled in woodcraft, but she was only mortal. Painfully, lethally mortal. Her hoof slips through what she thinks blindly is merely earth. The weight is moved. The noose tightens around her hoof and pulls with terrifying force.
Zecora falls, her head hitting the ground hard. As she is dragged, it hits the rock used as a counterweight and her world goes dark.
The Pioneer pauses.
The creature is not dead yet. It is insensate, and she is grateful for that. The first human to feel the warmth of an alien sun both enjoys the feeling of the ancient bowie knife and hates the weight. It is useful. A knife is the epitome of humanity, she thinks acidly. Utility and lethality, there it is, all sharp and cutting. What can't you do with a knife? Well, lots of things, but its a valid question. You can saw a rope away or beat back the wild growth. You can fight off a wolf in the dark.
You can skin what you've caught.
She sighed. It was the creature she had first met in this new world, and it was so much like a horse that at first she was sure that she would cut it down and spare its life. She kept thinking about the mare who had carried her faithfully, whom she had brought apples whenever she could find them. The faithful horses that had borne her for miles of deserted highway, through three dozen miserable towns, and past the hungry dens of every monster which man could aspire to become, with ease and alacrity.
Like one of those African horses, the zebras, the Pioneer thinks to herself, turning the bowie knife over and over in her hands.
She puts the knife back and pulls the Judge from its home. Does it shine in the foreign sunlight? No. It is dull and ready. As if it knows.
She checks the rounds inside. .454 Casull, the last argument of kings. She swallows and looks about her.
Another of her father's old sayings: you don't hesitate when your finger is on the trigger you don't hesitate. Hesitate every single moment before that. But when the time comes...
When the time comes, shoot. She takes a breath. Her hand shakes. Why is this so different?
The creature is filthy, striped, and covered in that same covering as before. It looks like an absurd little pancho. She knows that if shoots it the pain will be instant. If she cuts the throat, it will not be. She cannot imagine its flailing and its opening eyes, so large, so panicked. If she watches it squirm, then she will not be able to eat it, and if she cannot eat it... then the creature, her fellow creature, dies in vain.
And she thinks about Sapphire, the mare who carried her so faithfully. Her hand feels cold on the gun. Yes, the little brown mare who bore her out of the junkie-infested hell, whom she had snuck sugarcubes when she had been able to afford it. She remembered giving her a nice rubdown after returning from a long ride out to deliver some mail and a package.
Unbidden, another memory, clear and warm: sleeping on the side of the highway that now only rarely saw cars, her head resting on the bloated pack filled with packages. A wide-brimmed hat rested on her head, shielding her eyes from the sun. She dozed, not quite awake but not quite asleep.
Suddenly, the hat is removed. The glaring sun shines onto her now exposed face. She stiffens and groans, and then peers up to find her four legged friend gnawing lazily on her hat. She laughs, tugging the old thing back. "Hey, that's not food!" she says playfully.
She almost drops her gun, but she is too disciplined by the world she has grown up in to do that.
Do not hesitate when the finger is on the trigger. Hesitate every moment before. The paradox, she had always known, was there in plain sight: to be ready to slay in a moment but not to. Vigilance without cruelty, death with mercy, bloodshed without revelry. She swallows, and then realizes that her eyes are watering. She rauns a hand over them only for more nascent tears to form. Nausea comes over her in waves.
The little alien horse just hung there by its hoof, swinging slightly in the wind. She holsters her gun and walks around it, seeing no obvious wound.
The Pioneer swallows again. In her spirit there is a war between two voices. The first says that the little horse would provide a lot of much-needed protein. She still hasn't found a source of food that can keep her alive more than a few days and she has no guarentee that this new world will ever have flora she can truly eat and process.
But she isn't starving. She has no need for this. And she can't. She can't let go of the warm sun on her face and the laughter. It's too awful to eat the first thing she ever met in this world. What if it had been trying to find her, thinking that she was the only thinking thing around? Like a lost dog being drawn to the only human it can find?
She breathes hard and shuts her eyes.
And feels, for a moment, like something less than human. It obviously wasn't sentient. It couldn't feel or think or talk like she could, but that didn't mean she could kill it just because she wanted. And she did want to, honestly. She likes meat. She misses it. The need for something that her body can really digest effectively is rather pressing, and no one would blame her. Not a single human soul.
She grinds her teeth. Was that all that mattered? Pushing the envelope? Was that what being a pioneer was, eating and killing strange new things just because she could? If that were so, she wanted no part in it. She had been a Courier before, bringing medicine and food and mail. She would not become a butcher.
She tore the knife from her belt again.
It's just an animal, a voice--her own voice--said.
It's just an animal.
It's just an animal and you've killed many before to survive. It would be the same. You can't let sentimentality hurt your chances. Those day-rations could still be poisoned.
Fuck it, she says, and she slashes with the old knife. Fuck!
The horse does not fall to the ground because she is beneath it, keep its lolling head from hitting the ground. Gingerly, carefully, she lays it out beneath the frayed rope that hangs.
She curses again and steps back, startled to find that she is shaking. She keeps thinking about Sapphire and hunting with her father. Image after image, beating at her indignant hunter's prerogative. Hunting with him had never made her feel this way. Not ever. Because you didn't shoot does, did you? Because you had restraint. Because you were human.
She runs, leaving a dazed but not longer unconscious Zecora behind.
LOG 10
I caught the animal I met on... the second day? Third day? I don't know. But it got caught in one of my snares by its hoof.
I let it go.
Because I'm stupid. Sentimental and stupid. It's just an animal. And, yeah, I'll be the first to say that doesn't mean you can just use it how you want to just for fun, but I have an actual reason: I only have so much food to rely on and...
I just couldn't do it. It looks like a horse. It is a horse. A little alien horse and it was just too much. I cut it down and bailed. God, I'm so angry at myself. I'm not sure if I regret it or not. I don't know. I just... I feel so confused about everything.
I didn't sleep well last night. I had a dream that I shot Sapphire in the eye and then ate her right on the side of the road and I woke up and it's a miracle I didn't hurl all over my tent. I felt like I had the shakes. What the hell? I didn't feel like I did when I was being watched but I still felt... unnerved. Think that's the word. Unnerved.
And now here I am, lying in my tent right around sunrise, talking to no one. Because I'm stupid.
Watch the next one be a friggin' bunny. I need to go on a walk.
Addendum
This is an audio log, so you can't see it, but I'm holding a basket.
That's strange, you might say, why do you have a basket? Also, where did you get it from? And if you're smart, you might ask what's in it.
I don't know why I have one, I don't know where it came from, and it's full of fruit. I've been testing it all morning. Okay, roots too. Those were weird. I tested them too. It all... it all is good. It's all edible. Unlike the waterfruit, which I proceeded to dump out into the woods in triumph, this stuff will actually give me what my body needs. I've seen some of it out and about, and honestly some of this stuff looked really off to me, but it even tastes okay.
My first thought as I read that little report the lab spits out was: what if I had gotten this after I killed that little alien horse, when I knew that all of this stuff was safe?
I feel like an ass. On multiple levels. I don't even know. But I'm also overjoyed. Also terrified.
Because there was a scroll at the bottom of the basket, and I don't recognize any of the writing on it. I need to call Malthus up and make double sure that he didn't do this. I know he didn't, I just... I just think that this is exactly what it looks like. A gift.
From an alien.
Because I made first contact while I was asleep.
Holy shit.
God, there's just no way. Days of wandering and I just... get a friggin' fruitbasket? What the hell? Oh, hey, welcome to the neighborhood Earthling. Maybe some of the others will drop by in a bit and I'll get some old world fruitcake. I can go next door and ask to borrow some sugar! Maybe even casually chat about the weather with the locals!
I sound crazy. I'm listening to myself and I know I do. But how do you react to this? Is there even a way? The Doc talked to me pretty extensively about the idea of first contact, but neither of us thought it would happen. They hadn't seen anything with probes that suggested aliens. Just critters and plants and grass. Just that, nothing else. It was all hypotheticals, the kind of thing you talk about but you don't really think hard on because it ain't exactly gonna happen.
And here it is. Happening. Because an alien gave me a fruitbasket.
I'm not complaining, just... what the hell? |
The Warmth of Alien Suns | Second Interview: Missionaries In a Foreign Field | SM: Malthus, you got your ears on?
CM: You know, if you were older, I would suspect that was an intentional reference. But yes, I do in fact have 'my ears' on. I'm glad you chose to talk, Miss Marshall.
SM: Yeah, well. Look, I'm gonna shoot straight with you right now. Like straighter than an arrow. Think you can handle that?
CM: I suppose. And I will try to do so as well. You sound... perturbed. Something the matter?
SM: You don't sound like a military man.
CM: I only served briefly, actually. I was a rebellious young man trying to get out from under the shadow of a rich father and I thought that roughing it with the common man overseas would be the best way both to get back at him and to improve myself. I was wrong on the second count, and unfortunately right on the first. I hurt a good man with my foolishness and got nothing but sorrow for all of my trouble. Is that what was on your mind?
SM: No.
CM: Ah.
SM: Did you leave me supplies last night? Or were you around here at all, really?
CM: No? I did not. I spent the night before sleeping recovering my strength. The Gate left me a little worn, to be honest. Did... Have you had a visit from our uninvited guest?
SM: No, I ain't seen him because I definitely would have called you. I... okay, give me a second here.
Two minutes of silence.
SM: Okay. I'm going to tell you something, and you are going to help me figure out how to deal with it because this is big and you're as a part of it as I am.
CM: You're beginning to worry me.
SM: Good! Good, be worried! Because I'm both excited and scared as hell. I'm confused as a cat that just stepped out of a dryer! I'm laughing and freaking out and... Jesus. When I left my camp this morning, I found a basket. It's woven from like... wood, I guess? I don't know. Basket stuff. Whatever the hell you weave baskets out of, I didn't care because it was full of food. And I tested everything and it was good. The waterfruit I was eating? It's worthless. This stuff? I could live off of it. Fruits and roots, berries... all kinds of stuff. A whole forest of different kinds, and there was a scroll at the bottom with weird writing.
CM: I...
SM: Okay, rich guy, use that college education you got where the lights come on and you can drink out of the tap! I know you can. Two and two together. Because then you'll know why I'm really friggin' perturbed.
Five minutes of silence.
CM: My god.
SM: First contact.
CM: My god! And you saw no one?
SM: No. Didn't set off my alarms either.
CM: I managed to get around your perimeter more or less by luck. I noticed one of them and then the rest were easier to find. I just followed about what I would have done, but...
SM: It placed the basket just out of range.
CM: So it knows about your perimeter, or it didn't want to intrude.
SM: It's a gift, right? I mean, that's a good thing.
CM: It certainly seems that way, yes.
SM: Holy shit, man. Just...
CM: Yes, I thought the same.
SM: I don't know where to start. First contact with actual honest to god, slap your momma if you're lying friggin' aliens? Or with the fact that the aliens have at least three of us here and one of us is a psychotic fascist with a penchant for extreme violence and the other two are well armed? Or maybe the really, really good chance that they don't have anywhere near our level of technology? Hell, they might be building castles still.
CM: We so often imagined our neighbors as vastly beyond us that we forget the opposite may indeed be true. You're right. The relative primitive state of the basket may be anything, but it would seem to suggest a low level of technology. It could also be cultural. Or even a ruse to see if our intentions change. Anything.
SM: We need to get serious about this. I've wasted way too much damn time. We need to meet. And this time, on our own terms. None of this hiding and cloak and dagger. We need to see them.
CM: Agreed.
SM: Because I don't think I want to go back and explain that I know there are aliens, but no I never saw one.
CM: It also happens to be an official part of your mission, and mine as well. What do you propose?
SM: We branch out. We both have basecamps that are secure. Do you know how to get back?
CM: Yes, I have a private band beacon.
SM: Nice. I had one too but I didn't grab it. I bet you have an automapper too, you rich son of a bitch. Neither here or there. We go in seperate directions without stopping for a whole day, and then we turn around and go home after lunch on the second day. I'll keep a log to catalogue things, you can map. We go in two different directions. Cardinal compass directions. Assuming the sun rises and falls like it does on Earth...
CM: A suggestion. We should not be too far apart. I worry about our mutual friend.
SM: Yeah, I get it. I was thinking about that too. We can't let that guy corner us with the other one too far away. He shot something big a few days ago and I didn't hear the shots, which makes me think that he or they or whatever has a silencer to boot. No going north and south. I'll go... south. You go eastt. We keep in touch periodically until we fall out of range.
CM: When we fall out of range, we adjust and try to get back into range, I assume.
SM: Yeah. If the other doesn't answer within a few hours, we go back and we try one more time the next day and then I'll assume he got you, old man.
CM: So sure that it will be me. I agree. Any confrontation must happen away from indigenous life. We do not need them deciding that we've come to destroy, and we certainly don't need them picking the wrong side.
SM: Got it. Got it... Jesus, what a day.
CM: I can only imagine. |
The Warmth of Alien Suns | Expedition | Log 11
Today is the day that the Concordat and I start really exploring.
We worked out a plan to keep kind of in touch to avoid one of us getting stranded with the blackshirt breathing down our necks. We're both looking for signs of habitation. I want to find the person who left me food.
Speakin' of, I'm bringing the basket with me. I figure I ought to return the thing.
This log is going to be a little different. I'm probably gonna be rambling to myself a bit, but I'll also try to keep a running commentary going if I can find anything worth commenting on.
I'm bringing along all of the new day-rations just in case another animal starts rooting around in my stuff while I'm gone. And by animal I mean the animal kind and the human kind that wears all black and thinks the best way to greet you in the morning is an assault rifle in your mouth. Bringing the Judge and all of my ammunition. Lab module is folded up in my backpack. Both canteens are full and on the hip that doesn't have my big iron. What else? Basket. Heh, I could wear it like a hat! Damn I miss my hat. Burned in the facility, of course. Fuckers. Um. I have the scroll in my backpack, too. Kind of like a reciept, I guess, just so I can show it if I run into someone who didn't leave me this gift.
I'm eager. Also terrified, but mostly eager. I'm fixing to head out and find... I don't know what I'll find. But I think it might be something great. I mean, how bad can it be, when sorta-first contact was a fruit basket and a little handwritten note?
What do you talk to aliens about?
I suddenly realized I don't know. I'm just sitting here, filling up the canteen when it occurs to me that I don't know what in the sam hell I'd even discuss with an alien. The weather?
I mean, we have no shared experience beyond being alive. Breathing, I guess. If they breathe? Would they have to? I don't know! I'm not a biologist! I deliver the mail and I shoot things sometimes and I do oddjobs. I don't know if you can have things that don't breathe.
For probably the hundredth time, I find myself wondering why they picked me.
I asked about that, actually. Why me? A few reasons, and all of them a little weird. Doc came to the Republic while he was hiding out in Baja. Just dropped this whole thing in their lap with a secret comminque with just enough data to prove he wasn't bullshitting. They sent someone to talk to him, and that guy came back crazy about the idea because it worked. It actually worked. The son of a bitch could do it.
Why'd he come to the Republic? The Republic is the weakest of the factions with the cleanest history as far as atrocity goes. They've made mistakes, big ones, but most of their failures are honest failures and not, you know, bombing civilian populations into ash. More like, failing to keep the roads safe and failing to keep people fed. The poorest, the weakest, and arguably the most good. Arguably is the word I wanna stress there, for the record. I'm not big on the Republic, but I'll take them over the rest in an instant.
He wanted someone who wouldn't steal his tech, boot him out on his ass, and then use it to rule the world. And I get that. The Republic doesn't have the resources or the manpower for conquering, and that's exactly what he wanted out of them.
As for me? That was the next step--the first one through couldn't be affiliated with the Republic. They balked at that... until the probes showed a world with clean air and clean water and possibly resources just waiting to be exploited. They were willing to do what he said after that. Because a clean world was a world you could grow food in, and that would mean keepin' the wolves from the door. They were desperate. You can't eat money or bullets.
I had no ties that were lasting or binding. No affiliatin' with governments. I could handle myself, though I've done a piss poor job of it so far. And because the Doc liked me.
But I think he made a mistake. We didn't think there would be, you know, aliens. Not really. If we had thought that, they woulda scrubbed me goin' right away and sent someone with a bigger brain and a bigger vocabulary and maybe one of those scientists to poke at things.
What comes after you meet a new species?
Like, okay, you say hello and you do the whole "I come in peace" thing but then what?
Seeing as how I have encountered absolutely nothing in the last hour and a half, I can't help but think about what I'm going to do if I do find something.
When I was a kid, I really liked the old scifi novels I found in the old bookstores in Shreveport. They had all kinds of ideas what the future would be like. Sometimes we went to space and we were all alone, and I thought that was sad. Sometimes, they built their space ships and they found friends... and sometimes the first thing we met out there tried to kill us. Actually, they usually ended up trying to kill us.
I never got why so many of them involved aliens coming to Earth and blowing us up. I mean, the Earth I looked around and saw wasn't worth traveling so far just to drop a few bombs on and leave.
But more than that, why would we fight? I never understood. If you're not gonna be friends that's one thing, I can get that. You don't see eye to everyone. But not liking someone doesn't mean you shoot them. It's a waste, for one thing, and for another that's how raiders act. You just give each other a wide berth, and ain't space big?
What do you talk to aliens about? That's the question again. It sounds like a dumb question, but I think it might be an important one. Is there anything to talk about? For that matter... shit, how do I even say hello?
Three wanderers roam the dark wood, and one watches over them.
The Pioneer is stealthy, by human standards, but she cannot compete with a shaman of the Zebrahara. Zecora has been able to vanish in plain sight since she was very young. Before she was initiated in the sacred mysteries, before she had touched the staff or known a male, she had learned to track across sand and mountain alike. Her tribe held this in high regard, and her new pony friends were mostly ignorant of it.
It had been awhile. She was rusty, but the creeping of humans she found child's play. They were a bit taller than her normal marks had been and in very unfamiliar ground.
She was pleased to see that the human had brought her basket along with it. It seemed much better today. It talked to itself in a voice that seemed cheerful, and a few times it hummed what sounded like a song as it stopped to take a drink from its strange metal canteens.
The Pioneer smiles, and Zecora does not marvel at the similarity in this expression. She has no idea that the human that lumbers through her forest is anything but native to her world. She has knowledge of the stars but not of the possibility of other realities beyond her own, her prime existence.
Far to the east, the Cartographer Malthus comes across a thinning of the trees and is the first human to see beyond the Everfree. He crests a hill and looks over the farms at the edge of Ponyville. His jaw drops and his arms go slack. Only by sliding to the ground and fumbling for his binoculars does he buy time and composure. All around him, the dread that the Pioneer felt when watched swirls up and bombards his heart and mind. But he fights it. He tries to keep it at bay, and watches the ponies at their work.
Their idyllic and rustic tasks fills him with a nostalgia for elder days, far beyond his own years, back towards a very different time. A time that he remembers through the opinions of men who profited greatly from the times, it should be said.
He ponders. Much like his namesake Christopher did, he ponders a happy people from a distance and dreams of empire.
And lastly marches the blackshirt, the man of New York, his submachine gun gripped tightly in his hands. He goes unseen even as he follows the Pioneer's exploration, even by Zecora with the eagle eyes. She can't be blamed--she can account for the natural. She cannot account for the artificial.
The Federal walks silently in the tight confines of an ablative field. Light bends around him. Sound does not leave past the field. In the right light, one could see him, but in the field, in an unfamiliar forest? Absolutely not.
He assumes Zecora is an animal. He remembers the others he has shot and smiles faintly. He will kill her if she keeps following the Pioneer, perhaps after his discussion.
And so, three beings walk towards a small home in the dagerous woods which are silent wherever they go. What ponies and zebras do not feel about these interlopers, the animals of the Everfree do feel, and they are afraid.
Log 11, continued
One thing I've noticed about this place is that no matter how similar it is, I can't escape that this place is not home. The trees look like our trees... mostly. It's like everything here is 70% the exact same as Earth and then right before the end it just sort of peels off to the left and then gets lost. You'll find two or three normal trees and then one that's all crazy angles. Or a bunch of normal flowers and then... these. For the catalogue, it's a blue flower that seems to glow faintly. It's impossible huge for the size of the stalk, but... it's pretty. I think I'm going to save a few. I've got one going in the module now, and I've stopped to let it work.
Checked in with Malthus about twenty minutes ago. He thinks he's getting close to the edge. Told him I feel like I'm just getting deeper. He hasn't seen anything animal-wise beyond birds, so that's strange. We wondered if that was just the weirdness of us being aliens here or if that was an indicator of a serious difference between worlds. Not sure what to think. I'm not a scientist, you know?
Any moment now he'll be out of the forest. I wonder what he'll see? Will there be a village out there? Roads? Towns?
I still keep trying to imagine what they'll look like. He'll probably find them first, but I can still imagine, right? I'm goin' to regardless so whatever.
But enough of that. I've found a path.
It's obviously manmade, or alienmade. I see signs of maintenance here, where someone's cut away the brush and kept it back. It ain't seen heavy traffic, I don't think. But there are marks here and there where I know something has walked. Not footprints so much as divots, maybe some animals mostly. Or maybe just an alien with weird feet.
I'm going to follow it. Before, I wasn't ready to meet anyone on the road, but now I am. I want to meet them. I'm ready--or, well, no. I ain't really ready at all but I wanna be, and I can try to be, and that's just gonna have to be enough.
The Inflitrator, the Conqueror who is not seen, watches and licks his dry lips.
He sees through cameras, of course, for no light reaches him directly.The field is all but skintight, but right above the field there is a plurality of cameras, and like the Pioneer he has augments and implants. So in a way he has never seen her with his own eyes and he wonders if there will be a difference between this sight and the other.
It will have to happen perfectly. The situation is volatile, and surprisingly, the Infiltrator knows himself well. He knows that volatile situations are both his favorite sort and also where he loses himself. He is a violent man, let that be clear. He chose the SMG not because he needed the firepower but because he enjoys how bodies dance as he rips them asunder in a hail of bullets. Before he dipped his hands in blood for god and country he did it for credit chips in New York and before he did that he roughed up kids in the worst parts of the city who were too close to the Family's territory in the Bronx for free.
If she fires she will miss--he knows this very well, and if she does not miss it will not matter. She has clothes and he has armor. Her bullets might punch through but they might not. His will definitely pierce her.
But he does not want her to fire. He would enjoy it if she did. But it would be a waste.
He needs her to listen.
He also needs her to handle a situation for him.
The Infiltrator grinds his teeth. He is not patient. He has never been patient. His masters are the patient ones, the ones who invested in the blackshirts when they were all but illegal, universally hated, decried as racists and fascists and hatemongers. They were the ones who built empires over cigars and bourbon. Frank Costello is the one who shoots and punches and sets buildings aflame when the money doesn't flow like it should.
His work with the Federal Special Operations Division is not much different than working for the Family, honestly.
He needs her first reaction to not be putting a bullet through his head. Does she hate him because of who he works for? Absolutely! Doesn't matter. He hates lots of people. In fact, if the Infiltrator is honest, he hates most of them. But he knows when to make a deal and when not to take the shot. He thinks she does to.
So the Inflitrator plans to take the initiative. He pulls his gun up and then counts to five. On five he will drop the stealth field through his implants and then call out to her.
On four, she stops and says aloud--I'll be damned.
He pauses.
She just... stares. Curious, and a bit apprehensive, he moves up.
Before them both now is a strange sight. Were either of them younger, they would have thought of a once famous movie, but both are children of a far more broken world. As it is, they see a hovel built into a tree, decorated with paint and strange patterns.
The Infiltrator is surprised and forgets that he has lost track of the animal that had been trailing the Pioneer.
He knew that something was here of course--he has seen the castle ruins.
But now he begins to put the pieces together. They're behind us, he thinks. He knows now: he'll not find any technology even remotely close to what he's used to. Hell, he won't find anything close to what his father knew. These people are savages.
He grins like a madman for he is one, in his own way. He pictures zulus being mowed down by British machineguns.
Think of the possibilities. Only now is his mind clear. Think what only a few dozen could do!
And so he backs up and watches from afar as the Pioneer approaches.
The Pioneer swallows. Her knees are weak and each step feels like it may yet be her last.
The feeling from the long surveilance is back again, though it is not so bad as before. She feels watched, weighed, judged, weak. So weak. So small. Everything smells and feels and looks wrong again where it had not before. Her right hand itches for the Judge but she will not touch it. She draws a deep breath... lets it go. Another. Again. Again.
Stay calm, she whispers to herself. Just don't lose it.
It has occured to her that this might be some sort of intentional attack. She's read enough old science fiction by candle light in enough half-destroyed motels to think of psionic aliens. Perhaps this instant unease, this unnerving fear, is her body's natural defense to an alien trying to assume control?
It makes more sense than she is comfortable with. The hut, the castle... all traps. Luring her in with harmless things that wouldn't frighten but would in fact entice her. Ruins are fascinating. Perhaps it knew this. If they could read her mind... if they rooted around in it, they could have known she had always wanted to be an archaeologist as a little girl, like the man in the poster at the old Shreveport cinema. Her father had laughed and said he would explain why sometime, but he forgot because Shreveport burned. It could have seen that and with its vast resoirvoirs of power made her see these things like a dream.
No, no illusions. Malthus had seen them too.
Of course...
No. She took a few more steps.
It could have built them, if it had technology powerful enough, the little voice insisted. This is a trap. If you go in there...
She would knock first, of course, said another voice with an absurd surety.
The Pioneer crossed into the clearing and was only fifteen yards from the door when it opened and the strange creature from the night before exited. Her cloak was gone now. She was naked--Zecora did not see a need to hide now that the strange giant had found its way to her home (as she had of course hoped it might) but her pleasantries went out the window. The poor idiot had frolicked in poison joke. She had run ahead soon after that, oblivious to the one who watched her, and prepared the cure. After the incident with Twilight and her friends, Zecora had made the cure into a poultice that took immediate effect.
She expects some puzzlement from the creature, but sees that it is simply blinking in utter confusion. She speaks to it in the common tongue, knowing that many of the higher animals and all of the Speaking Tribes know the common tongue.
She has no idea why the giant loses its footing and sinks to its knees, babbling in its guttaral gibberish. Surprise she would understand, for it seemed to be alone and she was a Zebra, after all, and an alien in these lands. But it does not see surprise so much as horror, and this stops her short.
She wracks her mind for any reason her very visage might inspire the feelings she sees. All of the myths, all of the old legends and the lore of the twelve tribes and the scattered fragments of the lost brothers... the creature is babbling again, its voice tight with panic. She speaks to it again, trying to soothe it. She apologizes for startling it, knowing that it had no reason to be truly startled, and it only seems to grow more terrified. It scoots away and hugs its long arms around itself, talking faster and faster. It's words seem... angry? But not at Zecora, who it will not look at directly for more than a second or two.
Zecora swallows.
Now she, too, is lost. She wished to help the giant, for it obviously had no idea where it had found itself... yet now she was overcome with dread. Why would such a thing fear her? It was not right. No beast or pony had ever reacted to her this way once it knew what she was and had spoken to her--yes, the ponies of Ponyville had feared the hooded mare who came down for market, but when they had spoken to her, Zecora had found friends. It had been a misunderstanding.
She was used to this reaction from misunderstanding, not from revelation.
She tries again. Stranger, please, I do not wish you any harm... I see you have brought me back my basket, she notes, and smiles her best smile.
The creature bursts into tears.
She blinks at it. She had once thought that Apple Bloom was hard to keep track of, but this stranger...
She groans. Obviously, it didn't know the common tongue. It would assume she was angry or thought it assumed her a thief! Perhaps that was it. But the eyes... they did not seem like that of a falsely accused. They looked like a pony who had stared into Tartarus and found it staring back.
She waved and the Stranger stared at her. It seemed to be difficult to do. Zecora pantomimed sitting, and then sat and then pointed to the Stranger than to the ground. Stay. Sit.
She pointed to herself, and then to the house. I will go inside. Then she pointed to herself and then tried her best to pantomime coming back out of the house with her hoof playing the Zebra's part. Then, she gave up, and walked back inside calmly. She does not see the shaking, terrified human who has realized her own near-sin sit and wait for a judgement that will not come.
As soon as she was out of sight and free from propriety's hold, she rifles through everything for the scroll she had set aside.
She examines the markings again and winces. Yes, it was a difficult matrix for sure. It would take her awhile to draw it properly, but... she didn't have that long. She needed to calm this poor creature down. If it could speak, she must tell it of the flower it had touched and also that it must be more careful in these woods.
So she rushed the job, finding a spare blank talisman she had carved the night before for just this purpose. The best laid plans of mice and Zebras, indeed, she would have thought had it been a proverb she knew, and she rushed the job.
A few minutes later she returned with the talisman on a necklace string in her mouth. The human shivered, still looking shellshocked (she did not know this word but the Pioneer did) and Zecora walked towards her. The Stranger scooted back. Sighing, Zecora laid the little amulet in the dirt and walked back towards her house. She sat by the door and gestured at the talisman, and then to the Stranger. Rise, take and wear it.
The Pioneer felt like she was dying.
As soon as the alien--oh GOD this was it she had... she had almost--put the wooden necklace talisman down she had felt it radiating a cold heat all over her body. She felt sick. Was this what standing in a nuclear plant in the old world was like as it melted down? Her body was coming apart at the seams. She tried to look at her hands but the migraine that was beginning distracted her.
Yet no blood spewed forth and nothing seemed to change on the outside.
Her fear was almost maddening and she knew it was irrational. The creature--the alien horse the ALIEN OH CHRIST SHE HAD ALMOST EATEN IT--watched her and even though she knew intellectually it was not acting in a threatening manner she still saw it through a sinister lens.
What the hell was this? Was it doing this? Was it not meaning to do this?
She looked at the gift in the dirt and tried to swallow and coughed instead.
Fuck.
She crawled forwards, trying not to look at the horse zebra alien whatever the fuck it was and she grabbed the thing in her hand.
It was FREEZING.
She yelped, jumped back, and rubbed her hand. She looked up. The Zebra seemed confused. It tilted its head.
The Pioneer tried again, not wanting to make the alien mad. You know, she told herself, the one you almost murdered and turned into fuckin' jerky you sick fuck. She reached out and touched the talisman. It was so cold, but it did not hurt her hand beyond the unpleasant sensation. She brought it back and held it to her chest and the cold spread everywhere, and she feared... but saw that her flesh did not seem to be hurt. She slipped it on. If this was how it wished to render judgement maybe she deserved it when you started eating people they shot you in front of everyone and everyone saw you get the shakes and maybe-- |
The Warmth of Alien Suns | Third Interview: The Tongues of Men and Angels | Zecora waits until the human has put on the necklace, and then begins again.
"Do you understand me now? Or will confusion still haunt your brow?"
The Stranger shoots up with a jolt, trips over itself, and then falls flat. It curses--the curse did not translate well, which puzzles Zecora.
"Holy shit how do you know English."
"Pardon me, if I could not explain, for my words, I fear, did not reach your brain." Zecora chuckles, hoping to relieve some of the tension she does not understand with a joke. The creature does not laugh. Zecora sighs. "Before you now I lay my burden down, that I might speak unchained again."
It blinks at her.
"I was set under a strong gaesa to speak in the poetic forms of my people. I confess that it was far more difficult to do in common, where the rhyming of words produced a very different effect, but I manage. I have unburdened myself so that I might speak to you, for I fear this may be an emergency. You understand, yes?"
"Y-yeah. Oh god."
"I do not know of which you speak, for I know only my own," says Zecora. "Pray, tell me your name."
"Marshall. Samantha Marshall. Earth."
"Marshall Samantha Marshall Earth?" Zecora blinks.
"Oh. No! No, I, uh... " She bites her lip and shen shakes her head. "No, my name is Samantha Marshall. I'm from Earth. What is yours?" she asks, tenatively.
"Zecora. I was born in the mountains south of the Zebrahara, where the jungle is dense and the dancing lively," she says with a big smile.
And yet for all of her warmth the "Samantha" does not seem to lose her fear.
"Are you alright? You have walked, I fear, in poison joke--its effects will be no joke, whatever its name."
"What? I'm... are you doing something to my mind? What is this thing?" Samantha tugs lightly at the talisman.
"It is merely an enchantment," Zecora says, puzzled. "Though I suppose you have not seen Zebraharan alchemy before, I am surprised that you would not recognize magic."
"Magic? I think you're translators busted."
Zecora blinks. "Pardon?"
"Magic? I mean, I don't know what its trying to say, but that... " Samantha shutters. "That's not a thing. That's real, I mean. It's not a thing that's real."
"You... you say you are of... where, again?"
"Earth. Look, I'm sorry about my snare, for the love of God, if you're doing something to my head please stop!"
Zecora took a step back. "I am doing nothing, stranger. I mean you no harm at all. I wished only to communicate with you and thank you for returning my basket. Your... snare?" The cogs turned in her mind, and Zecora blinked. "Ah! So that explains my accident in the woods. It happened so fast, I feared I had fallen ill."
"I'm sorry. I was..." And here she paused, and some horrible emotion passed over her face which made Zecora blanch in sympathy. "I was irresponsible. It's for catching small game. I didn't know you were here."
"I have heard of such things in Griffonia, though they do not prefer them. It is of no consequence, Samantha," Zecora says and waves her hoof, feeling the strangeness of the name on her tongue. How curious. "Why do you think I touch your mind? That is a dark sort of magic. I do not dabble in these things, for they are evil."
"I... I feel like I'm being watched," Samantha says, breathing hard. "Please... don't look right at me."
"You seem unwell." Zecora does as she is bid, but now the shaman is replaced by the shrine maiden, and she begins to summon up all of her old healing arts. Aversion to sight? Innate fear of magic? Could this be some sort of curse? She knew precious little of Equestrian curses but of Zebra spells she knew perhaps a bit too much.
"I feel like I'm dying."
Now this kicks Zecora into another gear. She advances. "What is your kind called, Samantha?" she asks. "I fear that the Everfree has done something to you. I knew this would happen. Please, hold still. Do not fear me. I was a healer in my homeland."
Samantha made to move, but Zecora did not act as if she noticed. She slips back into her old mannerism surprisingly easy. The human is still.
"I'm from Earth," she says again. "Human."
"Human," Zecora says softly as she looks the creature before her over carefully.
"And where is this Earth? Besides everywhere, of course," Zecora says with a slight smile. "For we are all on Earth, child."
The creature pales. "What? No, but... but the Gate..."
"Hm?" Zecora is only half-paying attention. She is looking all over for signs of malevolent magic. No signs of bites or stings or rashes--the usual signs of the Everfree's careless malice.
"I can't be on Earth! I just left Earth," the Samantha says again. "I can't... I... oh god, it's the same name. Calm down, Sam. Calm the fuck down. Breathe. Translator. Right. Obviously, it tanslates... the word. Right."
"You do seem to be under great stress. Tell me, child, what is this Gate?"
"I'm... I'm not from here."
"Hm, so that is obvious, yes," Zecora says and steps back. "You do not seem to have been attacked by the Everfree, and yet... you shy from magic, do not believe in something so obvious... Where is this Earth? On some continent I have not walked?"
"It's..." The human works her mouth. The longer she hesitates, the more concerned Zecora comes. Amnesia, perhaps? That would explain a lot.
Samantha points up.
Zecora blinks.
"So your people live like the pegasi, in the clouds?" she prompts.
Samantha shakes her head, and then drops her hand. She sighs.
"No, that's not right... not even what I was saying. It... Friggin'... Imagine the whole like everything. The universe."
"The four corners of creation," Zecora says patiently.
"Now imagine there were lots of them."
Zecora begins to laugh but then she sees the look of frightened certainty in the human's eyes.
And she too is a little frightened. "I do not think I understand," she lies shakily, "but you are obviously unwell. I have a tea blend which will calm your frayed nerves, child, and then we will talk at length. Will you come?"
Samantha shivered. "Y-yeah. Yeah, okay. You're not doing this on purpose?"
"No."
"Okay. And you brought me the basket?"
"Yes. Did you not read my... ah, of course. Do you have it?"
Sam nods and after digging in her pack she pulls out the scroll. Zecora reads:
Dearest Stranger:
Greetings,
Please, accept this gift in the spirit that it was offered in. I have noticed you quite by chance, and by chance discovered that you have not been doing well in your attempts to forage. You are new to the Everfree, and I fear you do not know the dangers here. If you would see me again, there is a path to my dwelling south of here, and I will aid you in seeking out the nearest town. If this is not acceptable, I urge you at least to be careful, for the Everfree is dangerous.
Zecora looks up. "That is what is says."
Sam looks down. "I caught you. In my snare."
Zecora tilts her head. "Yes. Of course, if you did not know I lived here it is of no matter!"
The human shivers, but nods. She follows the zebra inside.
And somewhere, on the path, the blackshirt waits to speak to the Pioneer as she returns home. |
The Warmth of Alien Suns | Fourth Interview: Federal Question | SM: Who the hell--
FC: Pull that gun out and you die. Move your hand. Move it!
SM: The hell? You! You're the fuckin' blackshirt!
FC: Well that's a bit rude, isn't it?
SM: Fuck, you're exactly as I pictured you. Butcher with a smile.
FC: Yeah, yeah. I get it. You hate me, et cetra. Let's move on.
SM: The hell do you want?
FC: Just a little talk? How you like that?
SM: I'd rather dip my face in bleach, so take that as you will, fascist.
FC: You are a real treat, sweetheart. But I'm not here to banter with you. I'm here to tell you what you're going to do, and then you're gonna do it, see? Easy. Simple. And you get to walk. Hell, maybe if you do a good enough job I might can get a word in Earthside. Special Division pays good. We got a few Couriers with us.
SM: If they started working with you then they were never really Couriers.
FC: Cute. I know about the geezer.
SM: Not that old.
FC: Will you... shut the fuck up already?
The sound of a gun being cocked.
FC: Jesus! People just won't stop talking! Shut up, got it? Good. I know about him. I know you've talked to him, and I know he's probably given you some way to talk to him. I also know you haven't used it. Know how I know that? Now you can talk.
SM: No, I don't.
FC: Yeah, well, that's why you're a Courier, bitch. I've been monitoring everything. He hasn't sent a single damn signal, and I've tracked down two of his beacons. Didn't touch 'em, of course, because I'm not stupid. Unlike the one who showed up in no armor with a handgun. Nice thinking, there. And no, you don't get to answer, so shut your mouth. Lemme continue: the Federal Union knows all about you, Samantha Marshall. Can I call you Sam? I'm gonna call you Sam, it's a good name. Good job on that one, if it's your real name, which I bet it isn't. Where's the country fried asshole?
SM: No idea.
FC: I swear to god, just try and lie to me. Just do it. I'll make you dance.
SM: I'm not lying. He picked a direction, I picked a direction. I don't know where his camp is--I didn't want to know.
FC: That's just fuckin' bullshit.
SM: You're the one with the gun, so I ain't in any position to lie. Do you think I would? I don't owe that guy anything. He annoys me and he makes me nervous. I just wanted him to leave, so I didn't tail him.
FC: Fine. But he gave you something.
SM: Yeah, a transmitter. Don't know how it works.
FC: Yeah, well, doesn't matter. I'm going to be watching. Always. I've got a Mark IX Stealth Suit going, you hear that? All the time. You'll never see me. You're gonna do something for me.
SM: All ears.
FC: Good, good. See, I knew you'd be up for it. I read what we got out of the prisoners from the facility, and I knew you were a good type of bitch--the kind who can kick ass if she wants but knows when to lie down and take it. I like that. You're smart. I'll let you in on a secret: I like the Couriers. Think they're full of shit, but individual ones? Always grab the recruits for the Division who rode with those sadsacks. They've got brains and they've got reflexes and they know when to go in full-auto and when to keep their fuckin' mouths shut and stay still. And I like that about them. Smart. You? I figured you would find the winning side, and now that we got it clear that that side is me, I'm gonna let you walk out of this.
SM: That's it? You just wanted to intimidate me? I don't believe it. What do you want?
FC: Did I sound like I was finished.
SM: Jesus, can you put the gun down?
FC: Maybe you aren't as smart as I thought. Just listen, okay? Good. I know about all those traps you've been settin'. Saw you let the alien go--don't know why the hell you did it, guess its a little too creepy to eat, huh? Don't care. Look, I know you can make those things and probably some really nasty ones. I know how backwoods badlands fucks like you operate.
SM: Let me guess. You want me to call him to the castle and get him to walk over like, what, a spike pit or something?
FC: Hey, if you wanna finish him off yourself, I won't stop you. I might wanna take a few pictures...
SM: Jesus.
FC: It's a joke, stupid. I don't care how you do it, I just want you to do it. Once he's dead, we'll talk. Right now, you're officially an enemy combatant and there's nowhere to run. Even if you get back, the Union's gonna hunt you down even if you go all the way out to California. You could go to what's left of China or go live in a tent in the middle of fucking nowhere Siberia and we'd find you. Might even let you think you were safe awhile, just for the hell of it, and then BAM.
He laughs.
FC: Deader than disco.
SM: I hear you.
FC: Great! Glad we had this talk. You can even say you ran into me and barely escaped! Tell him anything you want! You tell him I told you to kill him and I'll mow you down and shoot your dead body full of holes and then do things to it. We crystal? Solid?
SM: I hear you.
FC: What a girl. Awesome. Now, you touch that gun and I shoot you! Just remember that, got it? Yeah, I see you thinking in that little head of yours. I'm faster. Trust me. Augments in every limb. I've got a reinforced skeleton and the stealth suit has some pretty great armor, so unless you're at point blank, you aren't getting through. And you'll get a shot only if I let you. I move faster. Period. I'm gonna go ghost, and you're gonna be still.
SM: Just go, will you? I'll do it. Just... I'll do it.
FC: Aw, all those moral compunctions. Cry me a river and build a bridge over it, Garfunkel. Remember, I'm watching. Give it a day or three. Don't forget. |
The Warmth of Alien Suns | Abjection | Log 12
I have come in peace.
I'm shaking as I record this for more than one reason. I'll start with the good parts, then go on to the bad, and then go on to the horrible. How's that? Good.
First, I've met the alien and she is...
She's the animal. The horse alien thing that I saw when I first got here and was just stumbling around like an idiot. She watched me after that and saw that I was hopeless finding food. She's the one that got caught in my snare. You know, the one I almost ate? God, I almost ate Zecora. That's her name. She has a name and it's a she and her name is Zecora and...
Just give me a second.
I almost threw up when she started talking and it was obvious they were words and not just weird noises. Like, with inflections and everything. It all made sense and I just... I think I went crazy for a second. I almost ate somebody. I came so close. If I hadn't thought about Sapphire and those dumb Courier station horses and... It was a whim. That's the word. Like, I just felt bad so I cut her down. God, what if I had grown a pair and just done it?
I almost murdered her. She brought me a goddamn fruitbasket and had me in for actual, literal friggin' tea and I almost murdered her with the Judge and turned her into jerkey.
I hope I don't start shaking again. I don't think she realizes just how close she came.
I can't tell her.
I can't keep talkin' about that. I'll lose it. Focus! Focus.
Zecora is a zebra--that's the word the translator gave me and I guess it works. Okay, backing up. I have to explain that whole thing first. Gotta get the story straight because I've got to get home with this stuff now.
I found her house in the woods after following a path. She came out and started talking and I put the pieces together and lost it. I also felt like I was being watched again. Yeah, total repeat of that one really bad night.She went back inside after motioning for me to sit and then came back with a little trinket. I put it on...
And suddenly she's speaking English.
She claims it's magic, that this is Earth, and she's a zebra. The forest is called the Everfree. The waterfruit actually are already called waterfruit. She left the basket and the note.
I don't even know where to start.
I just felt like I was falling apart. Like the whole time, I felt like I did in the forest that time...
Basically, I need to know if Malthus feels this. If he saw any of them today, I have to know. If it's just me, then it's just me. I tried calling him but he's out of range. Figures. It'll have to wait.
In the meantime, Zecora let me sleep in her hut. I still feel nervous as hell, but it's starting to get easier. She made me tea and now everything doesn't feel quite as awful and wrong. Just weird and different, and that's okay.
She even made me dinner.
An alien made me dinner. Let that sink in.
I told her what she wanted to know best as I could, but the translator is pretty rough. She apologized and told me that it was a makeshift so she could warn me about some plant I picked up--remember those pretty flowers? Seems they're poisonous. The translator broke down when she was trying to explain because she said they play "tricks" on you, or else she was using a euphemism. She gave me an antidote and I guess it worked because I'm fine. She did notice that I hadn't broken out or showed any symptoms, though, even though I had a ton of exposure, more than she'd seen anyone willingly have.
She thinks I caught something in the forest but she can't figure out what because apparently I'm reacting to... magic. Yeah. I called bullshit on that, but I think it's a translation error because she got all confused on me when I said that it wasn't real.
Look, I ain't arguing with a talking zebra that magic isn't real.
And on that point, the other news.
I met the blackshirt today.
When I left Zecora's, he decloaked in the middle of the road, pointing a nasty lookin' SMG at me. I tried to hit the dirt or pull the Judge on him or anything, but he was all ready for me. Just sat there with these crazy eyes grinnin'. Foul mouthed psychotic bastard. He looked like what you expect a butcher to look like.
He wants me to lure Malthus into a trap and kill him myself. Why? How the hell should I know? Is he just bored? You know, honestly, I wonder. That was not a man I wanna meet in a dark alley. Or ever again, god's honest truth, because he scared me. Real bad. Those eyes just ain't right. I think he'll get a laugh out of me betraying Malthus.
Which I'm not doin'. Sorry, I just... I got paranoid. I feel like he could be listening in at any moment now, even when I'm safe inside Zecora's hut.
Said he'd be watching. I believe him.
I've gotta talk to Malthus anyway. I hope he's as smart as he seems because I can't tell him about this directly. If that punk is listening he'll shoot me full of holes before I can warn the man. I may not think of us as friends but I ain't gonna murder him.
LOG 13
I'm making this log on the road. Zecora is fiddling with my translator thing so I have a moment to speak english and not be heard.
No sign of the Federal and no word from Malthus. It's just Zecora and me, for now. Of course, I know he's probably out there, that Federal bastard. Watching me. I haven't mentioned him to Zecora yet because I'm not sure how to--I mean, hell, how do I explain to an alien that there's a human out there that is willin' to drop us both in a heartbeat just because he feels like it? Just... on a whim? What would she think of me?
I always noticed when I read those old scifi books how we always tended to think of aliens as all being the same. It never made sense to me, 'cause people ain't the same. I mean, they're similar enough. Sometimes a little too similar, but humans differ from the norm all the time until you start wondering if there is a norm beside breathing and eating.
Zecora and I have talked about Earth and... earth. Here and there, 'cause they both have the same name. At least, so says the translator. I told her about being a Courier and she told me about the village nearby. The Translator says... I'm not making this up. Ponyville. It's like naming a city Human Town. That's just friggin' stupid.
She tells me that her research suggests that it is a shorter version of the original name. And keep up here, if I live through this long enough for another person to listen! Zebras aren't the main species here. Ponies are. Yeah, ponies. That's the word the translator gave me.
Apparently, some can fly and some can use this "magic" which right now is either some kind of mind powers like telepathy or its some sort of tech that's beyond what the Feds can do. I'm not sure which scares me more.
I tried not to go into much detail when I told her all 'bout home. I mentioned that I was a Courier. My job was to bring medicine and mail and food and whatever else. It was dangerous, but I was glad to do it. She asked if I often ran into monsters on the road and I wanted to say yes--I don't think of those sickos as humans, do I? But I was honest. No. Only other people, and it was dangerous sometimes.
She seemed to understand. As far as I can tell, Zecora is (was?) some kind of priest or magician or something. She just up and left one day after taking an oath or four and has been wandering for years.
So, in a way, like me.
Her little hut in the Everfree has only been here a year or two. She told me that she's decided to stay here a little longer after making some friends in town and finding way more to study in the woods than she'd thought she would. Apparently the forest is way bigger than I thought--I'm in the southeast corner of it. North of the castle, you start getting into more rocky terrain and then eventually a small range of mountains.
There are other species on this world. They aren't alone like we are. Ponies and zebras... minotaurs and griffons, things out of myth. And I'm fixing to put an idea before you that I don't want anyone to discount right away: we've been here before, or they've visited us. I'm not talkin' ancient aliens teaching anybody how to make pyramids and stuff. I'm... I think it was an accident, or maybe at some point... some point you didn't need a Gate and a fusion reactor. Maybe the walls were like paper.
I don't know. Ignore me.
Addendum
I've included everything I learned from Zecora in a separate file named after her and dated for today.
I've... well. We found a brave new world, alright, doc. We found it. It's full of talking horses who claim to be magical and who say they can fly. I believe them. It's ridiculous and I believe them. I don't trust words, I've said it before and God help me, I'll say it again. But I believe what she says because even though she gives me the creeps and I don't know why...
She's a person, just like me, and I believe her.
They have princesses. The castle is over a thousand years old. The princesses have been alive maybe five times that long, and this used to be their home before some kind of civil war. Pegasi control the weather. Unicorns have telekinesis. Earth ponies are boring and normal and I think if she's not exaggerating that they could kick through a tank.
I'm kind of shell-shocked.
This world is either... if Zecora is telling me the truth, and I think she is, we've stumbled into a fairytale with automatic weapons and hands covered in blood. It's like... it's like Eden. The garden. I mean, yeah, not the same, but it works--and we're the snake, aren't we? Waiting to get them alone and whisper from the trees. Take the gun. Take the money. Take this and that, all of our pretty toys and don't worry, we just want all of it.
We just want to bomb you into glass. Fucking Federal! He's here and we have to deal with him. Because I've seen what they do. I was there when it started. I was in Amarillo when they murdered everyone.
I've talked to Malthus.
Here's the short version of it, 'cause I'm fixin' to be on the move: he got out of the woods and found farms. Farms! With ponies. We talked about them.
Here is what I was able to get from him: he watched for hours and observed three or four farms. They have wheat fields, or what look like wheat fields. Corn, or what looks like it. Apple orchards. Vegetable patches. Ponies tend everything. He thought they were wild at first, just wandering but they were just too organized and once you watch an animal watering a plant with a little can it's hard to not acknowledge that maybe somethin' is up. Just maybe.
His description didn't match mine on a few things that are important enough to make it into this log. First off, none of them looked like Zecora and second off, they don't come in normal colors. You know, black and browns and spots and such. Nah, it's all earthy colors save for a few but none of 'em are colored like earth horses. Damn, I wish Doc was here. He could have explained all of this to me. Or, I wish I had some way to talk to him...
Which reminds me. I might can get that worked out if Malthus isn't cut off like he says he isn't.
Most of them look kind of like normal horses, minus the size, irregular structure--they're fat, ponies are fat, I told him but he ignored me--and the whole color thing. But a few of them... well. Zecora had mentioned ponies living in the clouds. At one point the translator gave me "pegasi" and "unicorns" as translations and I was really frustrated with the damn thing.
Until Malthus tells me that yeah, he saw those. Flying. Doing magic. As in, lifting things that were sometimes pretty heavy with just... looking at them. Their horns light up and the object lights up, corresponding colors because of COURSE and then it just works. It just does. We couldn't get any farther than that. I would say something--maybe it worked like those psychic powers in the old scifi novels and vids, but he shit that down. He suggested some kind of repulsor but then I reminded him that he had just told me how they were using actual horse drawn plows. Pony plows. Kind of the same thing. Weirder, actually.
As far as talking about the obvious thing we need to talk about, I wasn't sure how to. I don't know if he's here and if he is and I say the wrong thing, he'll probably just shoot me and Zecora, if she's with me. I'm actually pretty worried he'll shoot her anyway. If he were, you know, a normal person, he wouldn't. If he were rational, he wouldn't, because I'm pretty sure Zecora's my alien friend now and if he murders her he has to know I'll be after his blood. I mean, he doesn't care about that, but it's a headache. He knows I don't stand a chance. Or he thinks that. We'll see.
I've been thinking about how to deal with him and I have some ideas.
And here I am, seriously considering murder in paradise. I can't escape that, good reasons or not, I am actually very seriously intending to kill a man who no doubt deserves it before he can do the same to me in what is as far as I can tell, a peaceful world. Maybe I'm wrong. I probably am. We romanticize new places, don't we?
But even if it's seen its share of war and murder, I'll still be the first human here, and the first human here will be a murderer. Or a killer, at least. Justified, but still a killer.
Kind of ominous, isn't it?
Log 14
Chrono says 5:15 AM.
I can't sleep. I keep waking up after the same goddamn nightmare. I keep seeing her over and over. She's caught in that trap and then she's... and then I just walk up and I shoot her and I feel like that really did happen. It actually happened somewhere else. She never talked to me or told me any stories about her friends with their stupid names that sound like something a kid made up or made me tea and... and...
Have you ever felt less than human? Seriously. Have you ever felt like an object, a disgusting thing that normal, clean people would run from at the drop of a hat? That is how I feel like right now, shivering before the sun's up in my little tent, just waiting for something. I don't know what I'm waiting for. Maybe just the other shoe to drop.
I didn't mean to hurt anyone. I didn't know. Is that good enough? Is that a good enough excuse for almost actually eating someone? Sorry, I didn't know you were a person, no hard feelings? She doesn't seem to get how close she came. Because, I guess, she doesn't know what it's like to live on a world where the only things that look like her are just animals. Beautiful animals, strong and noble animals, yeah, but they don't think like we do. They don't speak in ways we understand. We're all alone, but no species has ever been alone on this planet.
I'm starting to wonder what's going to happen when they send more of us here. We've never encountered other species, but to these people its all old hat and done with, been there, seen it. Ponies alone have like... four types? Or something. It's early and my head hurts. And it's all going to be big and confusing and I just can't see the way out.
Why be so down on it? Because I forgot the most important part of what Malthus said last night because I was tired and this morning I can't think of anything else: he felt the same fear whenever he got anywhere near the farms.
They do it passively. It's just part of what and who they are.
One person can be reasonable. A whole herd of people with guns, all of them feelin' the same animal fear? Unable to look an alien in the eye? That's a setup for a massacre.
And after the first massacre it's all just paperwork, isn't it?
Malthus is coming here today. I called him down. Told him to bring his equipment, too, anything for scanning or searching or whatever. On one hand, maybe we can see if my translator is really giving off some sort of field. On the other...
On the other, I've made a decision. In hindsight, it wasn't really much of a decision to make so much as it was something I just had to come to peace with. We have to kill the Fed. He's pushed us to it--if I don't call Malthus down today, he'll just shoot from the towers or the woods. Today is my last chance to "cooperate". Probably.
Well, you know what, fuck that guy.
But it's about more than that. I've been thinking all morning about how close we are to bringing more people here. Because, even if it doesn't feel like it right now with just three of us in these woods, we are very close. All it takes is a single report back home and someone will be dropping out of the Gate.
Who we send back matters.
And if that Fed bastard goes back and tells his friends that the planets ripe for the taking, filled with peaceful little talking horses, and is probably loaded with minerals? Because anything that's harder to get on earth that we find here is going to be untouched. Yeah, it's a bitch to move things, but it ain't impossible and depending on what they want, it might still be easier...
But no, the real thing I'm scared about? Beyond them coming in force?
What if the way I felt around Zecora could be engineered? What if those sons of bitches could capture some poor little pony and cut them up 'till they found how it was all done and then they could do it themselves? The Feds breaking whole companies of soldiers before they even get there. Keeping everyone cowering as they march through the streets. You can't run, you can't fight back, you can't do anything if they don't want you to, or else you get a full blast of crazy panic. And yeah, I got used to being with Zecora, but if they can reproduce the effect... who's to say they couldn't make it impossible to get used to?
God, I have to stop thinking about the maybe's and the might-happens. I'll go stir-crazy. I have an immediate danger to deal with.
Zecora taps on the door to the Golden Oaks library. Spike answers the door, and they exchange pleasantries until Twilight can come up from the labratory below. She seems a little tired, but happy.
Zecora is let in and Spike prepares tea. She ponders how best to begin.
What do you know of magic, Twilight Sparkle? That is how she'll begin.
And of course, Twilight Sparkle chuckles and says that she knows quite a lot! Though she is weaker in some areas. Zebraharan alchemy and sympathetic magic being some of those areas. She of course would like to study both some day, perhaps in Zebrahara itself. Zecora finds it hard not to blabber on about the arts she loves dearly. She has a mission. Carefully, as she always does things, Zecora weaves a message in the off-kilter verse that her beautiful words become in a very different common tongue:
Have you heard of creatures that not only do not know of magic, or think it is an illusion... but perhaps even are afraid of it? Not just because they don't understand, but before they even know it is being cast? Say that it is innate and inborn.
And this gives Twilight pause. She scrunches up her nose, looking somewhere between disgust and bewilderment. Afraid? Why would anything alive fear magic? Life is magic. Magic is life. The two concepts are almost, if not completely, synonymous. Now ignorance of magic is more believable. Fear of it? Well... And Twilight loses the train of thought there.
It troubles her more than she lets on to Zecora.
It is a hard thing to be told, even as a hypothetical (and she assumed this was such a thing) that one's favorite thing, the music that gave one's soul pupose was terrifying. Because to Twilight Sparkle, magic has never been frightening. Certain spells have been. She has seen Celestia's ancient sword but once and her massive armor only once, and these things were imbued with magic, and yet she feared only the artifacts and not the art that produced them. It was like telling a cellist that her beautiful music tormented the very souls of her listeners, or telling a painter when he has completed his life's greatest painting that all along his images of beauty and grace have given only nightmares and horror.
She sips at her tea and tries not to keep thinking along those lines.
Why? She asks.
And Zecora tells her.
Log 14, cont'd
Malthus said he was busy, but he should be on his way here now. We're gonna have our little meetin' in the late afternoon, it looks like. Is that better? Or is it worse?
Here's somethin' to get my mind off the obvious: hiding. Is it better to be in the dark? Because the things that help your enemy hide often can help you stay all unseen. It's kinda like how a kid thinks: If I can't see you, you can't see me. But I do have one good reason to think about it: I'm not alone. One on one, I don't stand a chance against this guy. The Judge is powerful enough that I only need a shot or two from close up, but I'll get lucky to have one with his rate of fire. It's the problem of using a revolver. You don't waste ammo, even when you really, really friggin' want to.
My Concordat friend, however, has that rifle. That thing can punch through light armor--I know it can. I have seen exactly what guns that hit even harder than it can do to armor, and I've seen what they can do to flesh.
If I can just get that blackshirt bastard turned around in the darkness, than maybe the countryfried sniper can blast the shit out of him. If that scope is new, it'll have thermal.
If. If. If. It'll all be cat and mouse and ambush no matter what.
Twilight insists they take Fluttershy along. She confesses that her studies have not left her comfortable with the knowledge she possesses regarding the stranger sorts of animal life in the world. Even if it is intelligent and not merely one of Fluttershy's typical sort of creature, it is still a living thing with needs and preferences, and Fluttershy's skills with animals may come in handy for avoiding anything that might unduly worry the stranger named Samantha.
On the way to her house on the edge of the forest, Twilight asks many questions. Where is the creature from? What is it like? It doesn't know common? It didn't seem familiar with ponies?
The mystery deepens. To be in the heartlands of Equestria and not be familiar with ponies is... strange, at best. Not knowing common she could understand. It was unusual but not ridiculously so. Goats often didn't seem to know any. Some minotaurs never learned. There were regions of Equestria that still spoke their ancient languages...
That it hunted came as only a small surprise. Twilight found the idea of carnivorism distasteful, but she was not an innocent in such matters. Spike ate gems, but one day meat would complement that and as his caretaker she had prepared herself with a bulwark of love against her own abjection. Pegasi ate fish, if very rarely, and she knew Rainbow had. Minotaurs and Griffins ate meat. It wasn't as if this creature was eating sapient life! Nothing did that. It was unthinkable. Yet still it made her uneasy to think on.
Abjection. She realized that was the word she had been searching for earlier, when Zecora had been describing Samantha's reaction to magic and to Zecora in general. Abjection, noun, a low or downcast state, degradation, a humbling or rejection. Often used to describe the innate repulsion of most sapient creatures to blood and waste, their own and that of their kinsponies.
Magic being lumped with blood and bodily fluids as things that caused involuntary dismay did not sit well with Twilight Sparkle.
But it did give her a starting point. Perhaps Samantha's species had been so long isolated and so long ignorant of their own magical energy... no, it wouldn't account for the strength of the reaction. It was physical more than it was mental, she decided. She spoke aloud to Zecora, who tried to follow the lines of reasoning.
Perhaps a curse of some sort? Zecora puts forth her own theory.
But Twilight rejects it out of hoof with a grimace. No. Curses are stupid, she doesn't say, but instead she points out that it would take an amniotic spell to pass through the bloodlines and that was the only way to explain the facts through a curse. Amniotic magic is not unehard of, of course, she mutters to herself on the edge of Ponyville. It's just... uncommon.
Zecora is not sure how to explain Samantha's answer regarding her origins. Twilight tries to press her on it.
She said to imagine the four corners of creation, and then to imagine there were many. That is how Zecora relates it.
Twilight stops up short. Becuase she has heard a description not so dissimilar before. She tries to laugh it off. No, that can't be. She was... she was joking.
Zecora tilts her head. No, she was deadly earnest.
Twilight swallows.
Log 14, cont'd
Dammit, he's late.
C'mon, Old Man. I don't have all day. You're burning daylight. The longer you take, the less time we have to deal with the psycho in the bushes. Not that I know how we're gonna do it! Dammit.
Just...
Here we are and it's all the same.
Five in the woods. The silent smiling Blackshirt. The cautious Cartographer, weighing his observations. Three ponies, headed for the castle in the Everfree. Twilight Sparkle, troubled. Zecora, determined. Fluttershy, worried.
The Federal is not watching the castle at all, though he has moved the proximity alerts meant to go around his camp to mark off the Pioneer's territory. He will know when she has visitors. Oh, he'll know.
But for now, he has another business. He readies his gun, considering.
He doesn't intend to shoot anything just yet, of course. But his hand might yet be forced. The creature before him is erratic. It is terrified and wounded. The creature sprinting through the woods beneath his eyes can feel its own death in the air.
Frank Costello of New York, son of the hells of the Family's Bronx, smiles. This is truly a good world.
The pony sobs. His name is Perique, and he was walking the border of his little farm on the edge of the Everfree when he found where somepony--something, more like--had broken his fence. Frustrated, he investigated.
He wishes now that he had not.
He has bullet wounds in his right front leg, just grazing hits. A shot that went right through his shoulder. Bruises from falling and from the first tripwire that the human set. Frank Costello of the Family learns, after all. His intellect is not a part of him so much as it is a tool to be used from time to time, and he is adaptable. He has herded this pony so far, and now he is simply waiting for the end with giddy anticipation. He licks his lips. His face feels flushed. So close. Just run, little pony, just run.
I need you to die screaming, if you don't mind. I really need this, he says.
Perique the blackish earth pony hits the second tripwire and goes sprawling.
The ground gives way, and so he falls into the pit prepared for him, filled with sharp ends. He does not die. He sobs in the hole as the Conquistador climbs down and approaches.
The plan continues. Now he just needs to process the bait. There's a party that this poor little pony needs to be around for, after all. |
The Warmth of Alien Suns | Destruction | Samantha fidgeted on the ancient throne, not knowing that she looked for all the world like some savage queen. Her gun twirled in her hand idly, beside a leg lazily slung over the armrest.
How in apprehension like a God, indeed.
Fitting that it was shooting on her mind, eating away at her thoughts. Her hands itched with the remembered feeling of the handgun roaring. She remembered the smell of smokeless powder and of burning. Her mind was crisscrossed with the burning streets of towns she remembered from a youth spent running from such things.
Malthus was late, but not so seriously late that she had truly begun to worry. He was a bit older and she hadn't indicated that this meeting of minds was urgent. She had needed discretion.
The prox alarms fired. She smiled softly. There he was. She waited, still idly twirling her gun, unloaded for now, and she'd show him if asked. She needed to talk now, and shoot later.
And so it was that instead of the old man with darkening skin, she was greeted by a trio of four-legged visitors peeking into the throne room; two ponies and one zebra. She froze, mouth open in wonder. A unicorn. An honest to God unicorn. A winged pony. Pegasus!
Whatever foolish utterance would have left her mouth, it was cut short by the realization that her translating talisman was not around her neck. She cursed softly, and tried not to search too quickly. She didn't want to frighten them off.
Yet, they were about to step into something far bigger than they knew. Horror seized her. This was the worst time. She was about to have a council of war and here these three were coming to say hello and shoot the breeze with the strange new neighbor. Dammit. She had to distract them or send them packing. Some lie that would work...
Except she felt a sudden chill and lost her balance. She fell to the ground, filled with a dread she did not understand. She searched, knowing the feeling, and found a much better constructed talisman floating--actually floating--towards her. The unicorn--a strange purple creature with what colud only be called a sheepish smile--seemed to indicate it.
Trembling, Samantha touched the talisman. Her arm felt frozen off, but she grasped it and slipped it on.
The dread did not leave, but she was acclimating bit by bit. She felt like she could breathe again.
"H-hey," she managed. Talking was hard.
"Hello! Oh, good, it worked!" the unicorn said in a bright, cheerful voice. "My name is Twilight Sparkle. This is Fluttershy, and you already know Zecora!"
Sam blinked at them. There wasn't much else she could do. Words swam around in her head, trying to connect each to each and simply failed to do so.
The one who had spoken, Twilight Sparkle, continued smiling. Her eyes darted from Sam to Zecora, as if she were trying to will Zecora to help her.
"This... this might be a..." Sam shivered. "This might be a bad time."
Twilight tilted her head to the side. "What do you mean?"
Sam continued shivering as the magic worked. "Bad.. Something bad is about to happen. My friend and I.... have to fight a monster."
It wasn't a lie, she reasoned. The Blackshirt was a monster. She had spoken to him and looked into his soulless, hungry eyes. He was without heart. He was without forethought beyond mere plotting. What did he see behind him but remembered perversities?
She did not think of it like this. She simply knew that Costello was a monster.
"A m-monster?" The pegasus, bright yellow in an afront to Terrestrial nature, backed up. Her head swiveled furiously, as if expecting the monster to emerge.
Sam bit her lip. This was not what she had expected--it was the worst possible thing that could happen right now. She had to make them leave before Malthus arrived. Or before they saw--
"What sort of monster have you seen? To face you such, few are keen," Zecora said. She narrowed her eyes. "The creatures here have run and hide, they tremble when you range wide."
"It's..." Sam looked down at Zecora and wilted. "It's hard to explain."
Her radio crackled to life.
"Marshall? Miss Marshall, I believe we may have a problem."
Wild-eyed, Sam dug through her kit to retrieve the old radio. It kept hissing as she slammed the button down. "What? What's going on? You're late."
"I have a native here," Malthus said, his voice sounding strange and tinny. "I came across him. I thought maybe he'd fallen into one of your traps."
Sam froze. Her heart beat wildly in her chest, and she wanted to look at her visitors. She wanted to see their reactions. Could they understand him? Could they...
"Is it... are they alright?" Sam asked and then grit her teeth in frustration.
"No. It wasn't one of your traps, I think. Or, if it was, it was a moment of surprising violence from you. There is a lot of blood." A pause. "I am not sure it would be wise to carry it with me."
"Why the hell not? I have bandages. It would be safer here."
"It would attract predators to me, I think. I would rather not take on that risk."
Sam bit back a curse. "Really showing your true colors, old man. Is that how the Concordat works? You know, I have three natives here with me, and I would be glad to tell them."
A longer silence. "I am on my way with the injured one."
She put the radio away and turned to the ponies. They looked at her with confusion. It was Zecora who spoke first.
"You call us natives, which implies travelling. I think your origin needs unravelling. What did you speak of, through the strange device? We heard two voices, but saw two eyes."
"It's a radio," Sam said, searching for an explanation that would make sense. "It... I can communicate with others through it."
"It works like a scrying stone, then," said Twilight, and her smile returned. "Oh, but I don't... oh that's fascinating. I don't feel any magic from it, so you must have done it some other way. How does it work?"
Sam blinked. "I... I really don't know." Her shivering returned.
Twilight Sparkle finally noticed. "Are you alright? You seem... well, pale. Or something. Maybe that's normal. Is that normal? Fluttershy, is--"
"It's you," Sam said. "Or this... this thing," she held the talisman up. "The first time I met Zecora it was overwhelming."
Twilight Sparkle took a step forward. She had been far away before, but with each step, Sam felt the crushing cold weight even heavier. She whined softly, and then Twilight stopped her advanced with a troubled expression.
"It's almost an allergy," she muttered to herself. "Don't move, please. May I scan you with my magic? I'll be quick, I promise. It should be safe, even if it's uncomfortable. I think you might be very sick, miss..." Twilight blinked. "I forgot your name," she said, almost absently.
"Sam," Samantha said, teeth chattering. "Can you hurry?"
Twilight's horn began to glow, and then Sam felt like her body had simply ceased to exist. She tried to scream but couldn't. It only lasted seconds, but those seconds were a nightmare of cold and growing darkness. Could she die like this? Had it been a trick? Of course it had. They had been doing this on purpose all along--
And then suddenly she was warm again. The cold was mostly gone at once, replaced by only the faintest unease. The talisman resting in the valley of her chest was only a slightly cool presence. She stared down at the unicorn in front of her.
"What did you do?" she asked, no longer forcing herself to speak. "I feel... I feel better. Warmer."
Twilight nodded. "I'm not sure how long this will work. Basically, I've put a shield around you. Every creature has magic, Sam. Some have a better control over that magic than others. Your species has some of the worst control mechanisms I've ever seen." She paused, and then her ears flattened against her head. "Sorry, that was probably rude."
Sam, despite herself, cracked a little smile. "It's fine."
"Just the passive thaumic energy in the air was enough to send you into what we call arcane shock. What you've been experiencing is what unicorns experience when they draw too much magic and then hurt themselves. I think just by being here, we've been making it worse. I'm so sorry, Sam. We never meant to hurt you! I only hope I can find a more permanent solution."
"But what did you do?"
"I'm not sure how to explain it, because it would take knowing about anima magic, and..." Fluttershy nudged her with a hoof. "Well, I can try. Imagine your spirit is... kind of like a hole. Magic is like water. Water rolls downhill, right? Well, that's what's been happening to you. You attract passive magic from everything around you and it gets to be too much if you encounter anything more magical than standard fauna and flora. So, I erected walls around your spirit, so that a lot of that water, er, magic, doesn't get through and flood you. That's a terrible picture. Really gotta work on those, Twilight..." She looked away, muttering.
"You didn't... you didn't change anything though, right?"
Twilight snapped back. "No! No no no no of course not. That would be evil. That would be a sin against the very spirit of magic! I would never directly touch somepony else's soul." She shivered. "That's just..."
"Okay. I believe you," Sam said softly. "I'm sorry, but all three of you have come at a bad time, and I think I need your help. There's a pony on the way with my... friend. My friend found him wounded in the forest and he's carrying him here. I don't know anything about ponies, but we have bandages..." She faltered. "I'm really sorry, but I need your help. I don't know how bad he is."
Zecora strode forward. "Say no more, Sam of Earth. This healer now will prove her worth." She turned to her companions. "Twilight, before you now I lay my burden down. Fetch me water. Fluttershy, retrieve the supplies our friend has and bring them to me. Samantha, show her your store and then you must help me find a cleaner place than this."
They worked fast. Sam brought out her bedroll, honestly not caring that it would be ruined at this point. Twilight cast spells to sterilize the side room they had set up for the injured pony, and Fluttershy had returned with bandages. Twilight brought water in Sam's canteens.
The proximity alarm went off in her brain, and Sam jumped, startling her new companions.
"Someone's here," she said, and she bolted for the central chamber. The others called for her, but she didn't answer. She needed to make sure it was Malthus and not the Federal deciding he was tired of waiting. Her hand rested on the pistol at her hip.
She realized it was unloaded. She cursed. Before she could do anything about it, Malthus entered the great hall with a dark gray, almost black pony on his shoulder.
"You'd better have a place to put this one!" Malthus shouted as he sprinted through the hall. She led him down the side hall, to where Twilight and the others waited.
The pony that Malthus laid down on her bedroll was a nightmare with flesh. He bled profusely--red blood, she noticed with a growing nausea--and was obviously somewhere between waking and sleep from blood loss. His movements were weak, slow, pathetic. Like a dying insect beneath a boot, he moved more from expectation than from purpose. Sam saw that his legs were ruined, and saw that the hindlegs didn't move at all. She knew suddenly that whatever had tracked this pony down had broken his back.
Fluttershy gasped and backpedaled, gibbering. Twilight looked away and seemed ready to vomit. Zecora? Zecora stood steely-eyed and ready, calling for water as soon as the injured pony was laid down. She began to work. With the rise and fall of her musical voice, Fluttershy found herself calming and working with her in tandem.
Twilight and the two humans were ejected from the room. Sam slid the talisman off for a moment and glared at Malthus.
"What the hell, man? Were you really gonna leave him?" she asked.
Malthus glared back, shifting his weight so that his hand touched the butt of his rifle as it hung low on the sling. "I do not ask you to approve, miss. I'll be, how did you say it? Straight with you. Something big is in those woods, something I would rather not meet. I've seen its tracks all over the place, a lot of 'em close to this castle. That poor thing is bleeding profusely, and if it's the thing that our mutual friend found..." He tapped his temple. "Think, huntress. Use those skills."
Samantha swallowed. "I haven't... Well, shit, no I wouldn't. I've been caught up with Zecora. Of course I didn't see it. You still can't leave a man behind."
Malthus raised an eyebrow at that. "Of course," he said after a moment. "No, ah, man left behind."
Samantha felt there was something beneath those words that she didn't like, but Twilight tugged on her pant leg and she slipped her talisman back on. "Sorry, Twilight. I needed to ask my friend here something."
Twilight seemed a little peeved, but all she did to vent it was give a little huff. "It's fine. I'm sorry I got mad. I know that privacy is important." The last bit was almost an inaudible grumble, but then she moved on with a clear, bright voice. "Right! We've done all we can do. May I ask your friend what happened or where he found this pony? Does he know his name?"
She shrugged and looked to the Concordat. "Do you know his name, she asks," Samantha relayed. "Also, I think that I've still got the other talisman, so let's find it for you."
"I'm not sure I'm comfortable wearing untested and unknown alien technology," Malthus said stiffly.
"God, Concordat is whiny," Sam grumbled. "Do what you want. Also, she's still got a question."
"His name? I have no idea. Where I found him? Not far from here. Maybe a hundred yards past the tree line." He paused. "Can it understand me?"
"She, and no."
"I think it may have been caught in one of your more violent snares. Did you set many pit traps?"
Sam went cold. "I... what do you mean by that?"
Closing his eyes, Malthus stroked his temples. "Christ. Pitfalls. Spikes at the bottom? Things that people fall into?"
"I put old Apache-style traps around. They aren't what you're thinking of, I don't think. I ain't a spike trap kind of girl," Sam said, adding the last bit with a lower voice that creaked. "Ain't really my speed."
"Because I have suspicions regarding its rather severe injuries. The Federal agent is out there, right? Unfortunate, but we need to keep it in mind. He has, by your account, already attacked the wildlife. Something big, it seemed like. He may have moved on to the smaller sort of native wildlife and thus been checking your traps when you are gone. Possible?"
Sam chewed on her lip and looked at Twilight. "Yes, he could have. But none of my traps would do that."
"Sam?" Twilight looked up at her, uncertain. "What are you talking about?"
Samantha stared down at her. Then, she knelt next to the pony who came up to her waist so that they were almost face to face.
"Twilight, I'm going to assume that Zecora told you that humans eat meat, right?"
"She told us you did, yes... I've known griffons, though! So it's not that bad," she added, and Sam thought for a moment that she was trying to seem brave. She was reminded of herself, a younger Samantha, naturally dark, wiry hair in her face in tightest braids, trying to be brave in the aftermath of firebombing.
"I'm glad you don't think any worse of me," Sam said quietly. She looked at Malthus, who rolled his eyes and looked away. She suddenly didn't care what he thought at all. "Twilight, I hunt with traps. Do you know how those might work?"
"I have an inkling, yes. I've never had a need to do such a thing myself, but Equestrian rangers learn to create simple snares when working with monsters on the borders. I've studied them before. I understand the concept. I could probably make one, if I had to."
"Heh, bet you could. You seem like a smart one," Sam said. "The monster I mentioned earlier is smart, Twilight. Malthus thinks that it might have used my traps to hurt that pony. I don't know if he's right or not. I... I don't know what to say. I didn't mean to."
Twilight paled. "Are they that... bad?"
The gravity of the question was not lost on Samantha. She looked into the large, soulful, expressive eyes of this tiny alien and realized the questions beneath the surface one. It was a strange moment, really. In the next room, a pony's life hung like a pendulum. In this room, two strangers in a strange land, at odds with one another despite their common foe. A single question, and two creatures looking into each others eyes and knowing that each was really asking a very different question.
What are you, really?
"Mine aren't," Sam answered. Only a few seconds had passed. "Mine have never done... that," she added, gesturing towards the wounded Perique. "Mine were always meant to be clean. I didn't torture anything. I didn't hurt it beyond what I had to."
Malthus huffed. "Well and good, and it is good miss, don't give me that look. But it doesn't matter what you did. What matters is how things are now. That madman is going to ruin our reputation on this world before we can even get an expedition mounted. Idiot."
Sam thought about commenting. She wanted to. She wanted to ask if he was even worried about that poor pony. She wanted to snidely ask what his conquistadors needed with a good reputation--though she did not have enough history in her caw to ask such a thing in the most damning way. Had she, she might have asked the middle-aged cartographer if he had known how Columbus' reputation in the Indies was stellar, until he came back with chains.
Instead, she spoke to Twilight. "I'm sorry, Twilight. I... I didn't mean to hurt ponies."
"It's okay." Twilight smiled at her weakly. "I believe you. And your friend brought him here, even though the smell might have attracted predators. The Everfree is dangerous, after all."
"So he wasn't bullshitting. What sort of things we talkin'?" Samantha asked, suddenly hyperaware of the open doorway.
"Well, cockatrices... manticores... timberwolves..." Twilight looked up and right, her voice taking on a new tone as if she was reciting from a lengthy book's list. "Hydras, but probably not around here..."
"So myths and monsters," Sam grumbled. She held out a hand. "I get it, Twilight. Er... Just Twilight is okay, right?"
"Of course!" Twilight smiled at her. She held out a hoof. "I guess technically we've not had a chance to meet for real."
"Yeah..." Sam awkwardly grasped the hoof. Twilight looked puzzled, and then chuckled. "Just like Spike, with those strange fingers. It's a hoofbump. We do it sort of like this." She drew her leg back and tapped her front hooves together flat.
Sam turned to Malthus. "Shake my hand," she said and thrust it forward. A confused Concordat stared at her until her glare compelled him. Once their hands were clasped, the Pioneer turned to Twilight with a grin. "We shake hands. Like that."
Twilight was, as always, fascinated.
Perhaps they would have continued talking in this way, awkward and frenetic. Perhaps Twilight would have felt a little less nervous around the human who made traps and the human who did not smile, and perhaps the Cartographer would have acclimated to the cold ice in his gut that marked her presence. It was eating at him. The parts of his body that did not actively ache were numb and freezing. His mind was racing.
Twilight had restricted her magic. Consciously, she reigned in even her passive thaumic energy best she could.
The Pioneer might have eventually admitted what sort of creature it was that she called her enemy. Twilight might have understood her plight.
Many things might have happened that did not happen because at that moment something roared.
Twilight froze mid-word, staring up at Sam with a look of blind terror. It was a terror Sam shared and recognized--it was the look of a horse in a stable fire. She'd seen it before. She knew what came next.
She shook Twilight. "What is it?"
There wasn't an immediate answer, just Twilight stuttering. She let out a frustrated growl and pulled up the Judge, loading it while crouched. Malthus already had his rifle up, and had it trained on the open doors.
"M-manticore! Oh, where's Fluttershy? Fluttershy! FLUTTERSHY!"
Twilight bolted back towards the injured pony's room. Samantha had loaded her revolver and had it up.
"Well," Malthus said.
"Shut the fuck up," Sam replied without much heat. "Go out with honor."
"Honor is a bit unprofitable."
"Fuck, I hate you rich sons of bitches. Money is all you think about," she growled. "I'd give you three days in the badlands, the whole lot of you East Coasters, and when you died nobody'd mourn you."
"Charming."
Another roar. It was closer now. Twilight returned to two armed humans with their guns waiting. She tried to get Sam's attention. "Sam! Sam, Fluttershy can deal with the Manticore!"
Fluttershy trembled. "I-It sounds so s-scared! Twilight, something is wrong!"
"The hell? If you're trying to tell me she can fight, then I'm gonna call--"
Twilight shook her head and stomped her hoof. "No! Fluttershy calmed the manticore we ran into before!"
"Twilight! Twilight, something is very wron--" The rest of Fluttershy's words were drowned out in another road, this one even closer. "It's not right! I don't know why it's doing this. This isn't how it hunts!"
Sam's proximity alarms went wild in her head. She ground her teeth together.
"If she's gonna do something, she's got about three seconds."
"Twilight, I don't think I can--"
"You two need to get back!"
"Shut up and watch, Republic!"
Twilight growled in frustration. Her horn flared with lavender light and the doors glowed in tandem as she slammed them shut. The humans jumepd back, startled and confused. Fluttershy was hid under her own legs, her ears glued to her skull, her eyes squeezed shut.
"It'll hold for a minute," Twilight said, her voice tight. She swallowed. "My magic will keep those doors closed."
"Christ a'mighty," grumbled Sam, staring.
"What the hell just happened?" Malthus asked. He turned on Sam with wide eyes. "What happened? Did they do that? Did you?"
"She used her..." Sam worked her mouth in futility. "Magic," she managed. "She calls it magic. I don't know how it works. Magic is how the talisman translator thing works. Hell, it's how they work. You know that weird feeling we get? It's their magic or whatever the hell it is. They can't help it. They just ooze the stuff."
Malthus winced and took a step back. "Seriously?"
"Yeah."
"Wonderful. Wonderful. What did it do?"
"She shut the doors. She, Concordat. Mind your manners, now," she added, and there was something dangerous in her voice. "Push and I might have to mind 'em for you."
"This is stupid, Marshall. Stop talking to it and talk to me. How does this power work? Can they all do it? Does it differ by sub-species?"
"Ain't sure," Sam lied. She glared. "Look, let's talk after that thing is dead or gone."
"Fine. We'll--"
Once again, an interruption. Something beat against the doors with savage strength. In a moment of surreality, Samantha imagined it wasn't so much hunting as running, and they were the ones trapping it and not the other way around.
Malthus moved. He laid down between the two thrones, in front of the Pioneer's camp, and set his gun level with the worn stone. He said nothing. He waited for the charge. What things did he see? Where did his mind go? She did not have time to ponder what he had seen in Mauritania or on the Mason Front, for the door began to buckle, inch by inch. She backed up. Twilight beside her retreated, muttering.
"Twilight, I don't think this thing is gonna calm down," Sam said. "Whatever your friend can do, I don't think it's gonna work this time. You got any of that fancy magic that can help?"
"Y-you sound like Applejack," Twilight said, disoriented. "I don't know much offensive magic... I never had a reason to know it before..."
"Now's the time," Sam said.
Another boom. Another.
Sam knew with a start that the Federal watched. The pieces fell into place.
Why take one when you can have them sit and wait in a nice little trap? It made sense, really. The impossibility of luring a creature without it destroying you itself was lost on her. She was too focused on what felt true in the moment. He had planned this. Wounded the pony, lied to her, drawn them together. She just hadn't seen it, and now Zecora and her friends were going to pay the price.
Suddenly, Sam was furious. "Tell your friend to hide if she can't fight! Go on! We'll hold it off."
Fluttershy fled.
The door burst into stray timber.
A manticore stood in the gap, but it was not like the manticore that Fluttershy had tamed. This manticore was not hurting and lost--oh, it hurt and it was lost, but where Fluttershy had calmed a troubled heart, there was nothing here to calm. This was all fury and terror. Sam did not see the dried blood over its wounds, but perhaps she didn't need to see. She did not need to see the marks of its battles with the man in black.
Sam has hunted boars, scarred by battle and mutated by radiation and bio-waste. She has seen murder reflected in an inhuman eye as it came for her. The berserker mix of terror and wrath. She sees it again, a dozenfold.
The Federal is perhaps beyond, waiting in the trees. The Manticore is driven on, trapped now between gods whose magical fields drive it mad. It has long lost anything like reason or cleverness. It only wants out. It wants out forever.
Before it could work up a charge, Malthus fired. Once. Twice. It began to move. Three times. Four.
He fired with precision and with steely calm. The Conquistador shot wild and giddy. The Pioneer aimed with her heart. The Cartographer, the Concordat, shot only with his mind. He was a strategist and a planner. His plans had plans. Every shot landed where it was called for, and nowhere else.
The manticore advanced, yet it shuddered under the rifle fire. Yet, wounds that would have made it cry off before did little to deter it now.
Twilight screamed and her horn glowed beside Sam, who was backing up. Her mind froze. The rifle fired. Her own gun was pointed at the things face. She could... she could...
She could see the injured pony, blood weeping from his wounds. She could see the streets of Amarillo on fire. She could hear the report of rifles as they picked off the children in the street. Pacification.
Sam lost it.
She roared and her gun roared with her. .454 Casull is the last argument of kings, and so she drove it home and then ran to the side, all but scooping up a frantic Twilight. The unicorn finally finished whatever spell she was weaving, and Sam barely registered the hot beam of purple thaumic energy that lanced at the Manticore and burned its shoulder.
Yet it continued, unable to conceive of retreat in its frenzy. It did not understand guns even now. But it understood movement, and so it bounded after the Pioneer and the pony that she carried over her shoulder.
"Let me go! Let me down!"
Twilight was squirming, panicking. Sam was barely there. She swung the judge back and fired again at the creature, then took a sharp turn and let Twilight down as she went to ground. The chamber turned. The manticore stumbled as a screaming Twilight blasted its legs and then ran just as Malthus shot again, hitting it in the scruff of the neck.
Sam tried to regain her feet even as she fired again, but underestimated the blowback. She fell back to earth. Her head was full of burning cities and angry boars. She had to fire! She had to fire again! She did so. The Manticore roared, but it was less of a battle cry and something closer to a scream of pain. IT advanced, only for Malthus to place a bullet through it's right front leg and send it sprawling. Another shot. It tried to rise but it couldn't.
Sam was on her feet again. Malthus had stopped firing.
She approached, the Judge up. The Manticore groaned. She thought it sounded like weeping and her breath caught.
Twilight approached from the side. "It's... It's done," she said. "I don't think it can..."
Sam cocked the Judge a final time. "No," she answered. "It can't. I don't know what's wrong, Twilight, but it isn't leaving here. It can't. You should probably look away," she added, softly.
Twilight stiffened. "Are you... but..."
"It's sick, I think," Sam croaked.
"But..."
"Please don't watch," Sam said, louder than she had intended. "Just... just turn around." I don't want you to see me finish it, she did not add.
Twilight shook slightly and turned. She walked away a bit, not wanting to be nearby. Sam was grateful that the anxious one, the one called Fluttershy, was not here to watch. Or Zecora. She could not even wish the Blackshirt there so she could finish him as well.
Samantha released the tortured manticore. |
The Warmth of Alien Suns | Interview: Who Will Go For Us? | Z: Our friend is stable, but my concern is now for you. From your face, I think this tragedy is nothing new.
S: I've... I've seen things, yeah.
Z: I thought as much, when first we met.
S: I didn't have a choice. That thing was going... It was sick. It was going to kill us.
Z: This of all things I do not doubt. I assume the ponies would have preferred a rout?
S: I think Twilight would have wanted me to just scare it off. I think what's her name... Fluttershy. I think Fluttershy wanted us to talk to it? Christ on a bike.
Z: Ponies are not a warrior race, though they can still take the field with grace. Guards they have, strong and brave, but in the face of death they tend to... cave.
S: I felt like a monster, Zecora. I've never felt like that before. I guess... back home, it's not like we just kill each other all the time for fun. Killing someone back home is awful, but you understand it. It makes sense in context. Here? The first thing I do after meeting Twilight and Fluttershy is pump a monster full of lead. That wouldn't have been so bad. But then it just... it was bleeding out. Malthus took out the legs. And she just... I had to help it die. I couldn't leave it there to suffer.
Z: I do not condemn this thing you've done. Virtue shines most after we've won. You did what was right, a hunter of the Gods.
The sound of Samantha reloading the Judge.
S: Do your people war, Zecora?
Z: Often yes, in times before. And even now, some play at war.
S: In my world, the country I live in is destroyed. All the other ones are the same, or will be soon. Everything fell apart. We've been so busy shooting each other... The machines I use are not new, Zecora. They're old. You told me you kept track of lore.
Z: Yes, lore, the knowledge of the times preceding.
S: Well, we're losing ours. In bits and pieces. We've forgotten. I don't even know what all we forgot. I'm gonna tell you something because I trust you. You can't tell the others. Malthus knows.
Z: I swear upon my mother's face, my father's eyes.
S: There are three of us here. Three different sides. Malthus and I aren't enemies, but we aren't really friends. But the other one? The other one is a monster, Zecora. He's awful. I've met him only once. He hurt that pony. He is a monster... and he's human. He's both, because they ain't mutually exclusive. Get it?
Z: I believe so.
S:Okay. Well, I'm fixin' to deal with him, or end it, one way or another. He can't keep doing this. He'll hurt and kill until he gets his way. People like him always do. There are always people like him. They use words like acceptable losses and collateral, and it's all just paperwork when the tenements go up or there's lead in the water or hand raisin' innocents get shot in the open. Just paperwork and reports. Processin'.
Z: Samantha, you are upset. I do not understand some of what you say, but... is your home so terrible as this? Is that why you left?
S: I'm an explorer. I left to explore. They sent me here to do that, and then... then I don't know. I didn't really think about what came after.
Z: Well, you certainly have much left to explore.
S: Yeah. Think I scared Twilight when I put that manticore down. Manticore. Fuckin'... man.
Z: It is certainly possible. Twilight Sparkle is a pony most wise, yet sees the world still with wide child's eyes. Her lore is steadfast and her heart is strong, but there are things about which she is wrong.
S: I take it you aren't bothered.
Z: Suffering should be circumscribed, yes. In the deserts, they say: What kindness lies at the edge of a blade, but the world's ending and the thirst to sate? It is a hard word I struggle to relate, for no zebra there bemoans their fate. They know what it is to live and die, and seldom is the one who asks why.
S: Sounds a little like home. So she's younger, right? Young adult, I guess. Hasn't seen much violence in her life, probably. Yeah, I guess that would all be pretty shocking... Damn. Poor girl. That pony is stable, you said. What does stable mean?
Z: He will live another day, but a heavy price he has paid. He will never walk, I fear, nor hold the one he may hold dear. He speaks and sees, and talked a bit; he requires one of us to sit. It is a sad thing to relate.
S: Shit.
Z: Vulgarity hides a troubled heart. Of your explorations, I regret the start.
S: It's not been going well, no. Um... sorry. For the cursing. Habit.
Z: I have heard much.
S: Heh. I bet you have.
Z: I am a collector of sorts, you see. Perhaps we'll trade stories, you and me--there's naught else to pass the time, and it will be a chance to, ah, break my rhyme.
S: Heh, nice one.
Z: I try. Before you I lay my burden down, that I might speak unchained. I am allowed this grace when I take on my holy mission. Tell me of your homeworld, Samantha.
S: So you connected the dots. I live on a planet called Earth. We have one moon, like you have. It's a lot like here, actually. It used to be green and now it's... a lot less green in some places. I was born in a town called Amarillo, and when it was destroyed my father took us to a town called Little Rock, and we were only there long enough to see what happened, and then from there to Shreveport. There were a few years there, and then it fell. After that, we wandered.
Z: To foreign armies and terrible foes? The lores of all races have such tales. You seemed to suggest something else before.
S: Civil War. It ain't even two sides now but four or five, all squabbling, shifting alliances. Bad men get into high offices, worse men do their work for them, and monsters rule the street. Idiots try to make things better and they botch it. Nothing works--go one way or go another, either way we'll slip down the hole. It's like quicksand. It couldn't last, Z. They fucked it up forever and ever, and everybody who talks like one day they'll be sunshine and rainbows is sellin' somethin'.
Z: A grim perspective, to be sure. Your people are scattered and the tribe is perhaps no more. What have you done since your childhood? Are you a hunter? Do you have a new tribe, or do you serve only yourself.
S: I was a courier.
Z: A messenger--another archetype. The lone messenger on the lonely roads.
S: Jus' me and my horse.
Z: What is this horse?
S: You know, it just occurred to me how fuckin' weird this is. A horse is an animal on Earth. We ride them. I like horses--when I was a courier I would get a bonus every now and a then and I'd spend a bit in town to find apples or somethin' to feed them. They look... well, actually they look kind of like that pony Malthus brought in. No horns or wings or nothin'. And way, way bigger.
Z: Already you have been a boon. Anteans! True Anteans! By the Eternal Fires of Kilmasa this is surely a legend worth bearing. When at last I return home, your name shall live forever, truly. Samantha who has ridden on the backs of the Anteans!
S: Heh, giants, I guess?
Z: Yes, thought long dead. They were gentle but feared by ignorant ponies. What a cruel lot they were given.
S: I liked horses. I still do. I thought about them wh--well, I think about them sometimes. I wish I had one with me. It'd be rough going in these woods though. But I was a Courier. I carried letters from town to town, keeping connections alive. Personal stuff, business deals, lovers' letters... everything and anything. I've carried medicine and food and weapons. I got a job to carry the ugliest dog once--fifty miles with this spoiled thing half-hanging out my backpack. Couriers aren't trusted--people think we're dirty or suspicious, just cause we're never around for long. Some couriers? They're shitsacks. But most of us were good. We just wanted to help, and we knew we were good enough to make it. When you're tough, you should use that strength.
Z: So you are a warrior, then. And your race seems to be one of warriors, fallen perhaps on hard times. But you have no hope that your honor will be restored?
S: Warriors? Makes us sound like we had honor in the first place.
Z: You certainly seem to possess at least a modicum.
S: Uh... thanks. Thank you, I guess.
Z: Tell me more of this place. Tell me of your battles and let me judge your worth then.
S: My... oh. I've... I mean, I haven't really been anything I would call a battle. Not as a combatant. The closest I've come is quick shootouts and massacres. When I was young, my hometown was destroyed. I... my momma died there. It was horrible. The weapons we build are terrifying. Hundreds can die in seconds. Thousands, even. Do you see this? This is a gun. Have I shown you this before? Nevermind. It's complicated but it shoots metal bits using gunpowder. It's like a tiny explosion that propels the bullet out.
Z: Hmmm. Like saltpeter mixture. I know of this! Inefficient, but I suspect that your alchemists have perfected it. It seems your people fight like mine once did, with alchemical fire. Then I can better imagine what you speak of... that is troubling.I am sorry for your loss, Samantha. My heart grieves with you.
S: Thank you.
Z: I will concede that you do not see yourself as a warrior, but would you protect your tribe from foes? I still suspect that within your chest beats a warrior's proud heart. That you do not delight in slaughter and atrocity only confirms it.
S: I... I don't know. I'm just me. I have a gun. I've fought some. Mostly I run--because there's no point in fighting if winning is impossible. I tried to help who I could, and I couldn't help a lot of folks. I just did what I could.
Z: Such is the way of all things.
S: I guess you wanna know about Earth, though, so as long as you don't mind me not talkin' about all the dyin', I could do that. West Texas is... well, Texas in general is big. Everything there is big...
T: Hello? Samantha? Zecora?
Z: Hello, Twilight, my friend. Come and join us. How does Fluttershy fare?
T: Better, now that the other human is gone. Er... sorry. That probably sounded mean.
S: Nah, I ain't exactly comfortable with him either, so I get it. I... I mean, is she...
T: Hm?
S: Nevermind. Is she okay, otherwise? She wasn't near enough to get hurt, but she seemed pretty flighty and I was a little concerned that it would be too much for her.
T: She's alright.
S: Good.
Z: Now, Twilight Sparkle, while you are still with us: I know you too are a collector of lore. This is a fine fount of it. I have learned much this day.
T: Heh, well, I am a scholar first and last. I'm not exactly... I mean...
Sighs.
T: Sorry. Samantha, I was actually wondering if I could ask you some questions.
S: Shoot. Uh... I mean, go for it. Or... argh. Yes, ask away.
T: Haha, I knew the second one. This talisman is better than the other one, it can understand most idiomatic expressions! Isn't it fascinating?
S: It's pretty damn great, if you ask me.
T: I do love it when ponies can appreciate well-done enchantments! Right, anyway... Well, first, what is that?
S: The Judge? Ah. Well, you seem like a smart pony, so I guess you'll have questions I can't answer about the finer points. See, this is a bullet? Or, well, it's a casing. See, inside of here, they put powder. This thing, with the little punched hole in it? That was a tiny explosive--
T: A WHAT?
S: Whoa, whoa, hold your horses. Uh...
T: The translator mangled that one.
Z: Anteans! She has ridden the mighty Antean and communed with the lost giants.
T: A-Anteans are a myth, Zecora...
S: Don't know about those. Horses are animals on Earth. They kinda look like you, but all browns and blacks and whites instead of purple, and with no horns or wings. They're about... I mean, usually, like this tall. Or taller.
T: Oh... oh Celestia, so you mean...
Z: Do you see what I mean?
T: Oh goodness, I do. Please, go on. You were talking about explosions but then I want to hear about where you come from! This is a huge find!
S: Well, the hammer, this thing? Hits the little charge and that ignites the powder, and that forces this bit through the gun barrel faster than a fat pig for slop. Okay, yeah, that's not gonna translate. Really fast. Fast enough to do a lot of damage, basically. This gun is actually pretty old, from the 2010's.
T: Goodness. Brute force, but also elegant in a way. May I see it?
Pause.
S: Sure. Be... Please be careful. Let me unload it... here.
T: Thank you! Oh gosh, real new technology without any magic, it's... ugh. It smells awful.
S: Yup. After awhile you get to like the smell. at least, I did.
T: I could never like that smell.
S: Just... don't drop it. Sorry, that magic is kind of making me feel all cold and anxious agin--no, no it's fine! Don't worry. I need to get over it. Any other questions?
T: W-well... Sorry. About my magic. I mean... I'll find out what's wrong, I promise! There's no magic where you're from? Where are you from, anyway? Zecora's explanation confused me a little...
S: Well, on Earth, magic is just a story. Made-up stories, fiction, myths, legends... they have magic sometimes. But it's usually poorly defined or obviously based on real-life things and it's not something anyone believes is real. I'm from Earth. And by that I mean... okay. It's like... I'm not a scientist, so don't ask me to explain how it works. I'm just a drifter and a Courier. Earth is in one universe and we are in another one. I think. Probably? At least, that's what I understood.
T: So you... crossed the Veil?
S: The what?
T: Sweet Celestia... Thaumus' shaggy beard.
S: Uh... pardon?
T: That shouldn't be possible, Samantha. Ponies have been trying to pierce the Veil for over a thousand years. Nopony even tries anymore because we assumed it was impossible! The Veil's magic is wild, raw, unfiltered. It's like wrestling with fire itself. It almost burned Starswirl the Bearded's horn right off when he tried to cross over!
S: Well, I stepped through a glowy circle gate. It sucked.
T: You have to tell me what it was like! No, notes! UGH the one time I forget something to write on... no! No, in my saddblebags. Perfect. Now explain.
Samantha chuckles.
S: Ain't you a cute little student. Sorry, I envy you. I never really got much schoolin'. What did it feel like? It sucked, mostly. I couldn't even remember my name for probably an hour. Walking was really hard... I really wasted the whole first day just trying to feel like I wasn't dying. I got to see the sun rise, though. It was... It was pretty breathtaking. I wonder if how emotional I got durin' all that was part of crossing over and being all confused.
T: No, I think it was just Celestia! I used to love watching her raise the sun.
S: What?
T: Celestia! Princess Celestia raises the sun every morning, and now that she's back, Luna rules over the moon and the night.
S: You... holy shit you're serious. Like, it's not just a metaphor or some shit.
T: You look a little... uh, ill at ease?
S: That's impossible.
T: No, it's very possible! I could explain how it works, mostly, but I'm not sure you have the thaumaturgical knowledge to really--
S: No no no no. No that's just not possible. Even I know planets go around suns. Not the other way around.
T: Oh gosh, like with gravity? I mean, other systems do that, but that would be terrifying. The idea of falling forever around a huge star burning like that... Gosh.
S: Let's... let's move on to the next question before I lose my grip on reality, if you kindly would.
T: Right, well, I was wondering about your species in general....
F: Um... hello.
S: Oh, uh... hi.
Silence.
S: Um... I was wondering... I was wondering if you were alright. And about him, I guess. Is he...?
F: O-Oh, he's fine! He's doing well. I mean... considering.
S: Yeah.
F: But I think he won't be safe to move for a little longer. Even with Zecora's Zebra magic and Twilight's spells, he'll have to stay here another day at least. I mean... I hope it's not a bother but we can't move him safely just yet...
S: No, no it's fine. It's a big castle! I'd make room for the little guy if it weren't. Mind if I sit against the wall?
F: Not at all.
S: Ah. It's good to be off my feet...
Silence.
S: You're a quiet sort, aren't you?
F: Oh my goodness, I'm sorry. I'm just...
Unintelligable.
S: Didn't quite catch that, but I can guess. It's alright. Nothin' wrong with bein' a little shy. Or just quiet in general. It's been a long day and a hard one. I just wanted to make sure you were alright. I know you didn't get hurt... I mean, you didn't right?
F: Unintelligable. No.
S: Good... good, I'm glad. But even when you don't get shot at or mauled or any of that, you can still get hurt in here, right?
Sam taps her temple.
S: A lot of people forget that, but I know it can be hard.
F: I'm... scared. I think you were right, that it was sick. Manticores are fierce, but they don't like loud noises. It should have run away when you made that huge boom! But it didn't, and I don't know why... unless it was afraid of something else, and something that can scare a manticore is... gosh.
S: Yeah, I feel the same way.
F: I... I sort of heard what you were saying to Zecora. About having to put it down.
S: Ah.
F: I...
Unintelligable.
S: Sorry, if I need to go, I--
F: No, it's alright. I'm always... I've always been anxious. I can't help it. I think you were right. That was the right thing to do.
S: You think so? With how you reacted I expected you to be appalled.
F: I don't enjoy it... I love animals, even scary ones, and I would never want one to suffer. But Twilight doesn't really understand them, so she didn't understand... I mean, sometimes an animal can't understand its own pain. It can't stop hurting, and you just have to do something very hard and very sad, because it'll never be better. When I know that one of my animal friends is very, very sick and that there isn't anyway to cure them... Well.
S: I understand.
F: I know. Twilight wouldn't, at first. She is a very smart pony! I don't mean she isn't! Eventually, I think she would understand. But sometimes she's... she doesn't really get life sometimes. But it's okay. I love her and she always tries so hard, and it's not like I expect every pony ever to understand.
S: Thank you. She seemed really upset and freaked out. I didn't want her first impression of me, and of humans in general, to be that we were monsters.
F: I was a little worried at first... Perique talked about one of you.
S: That his name? Perique. I like it.
F: Y-yes, that's it. He talked about... well, it was very bad.
S: I know. I know who he's talking about. And you're right. He's right. That guy is a monster. He scares me. He doesn't care who he hurts. I don't want him to hurt any of you. It isn't fair--it's not right. He's only here because of me, and because I came here. I have to keep him from doing this again. This poor pony...
F: Do you have to... um...
S: Yes.
F: Oh.
S: I don't want to, but I do. I'm afraid that I'm just enjoying being angry... but I don't want this to happen again. What if next time he finds some poor little town of you guys? He's got body armor and a machine gun and stealth fields and he's nuts. None of this is right. I didn't mean for this to happen. I just was supposed to explore.
F: I'm scared of him. I think I might be scared of you, too. But I think you're a good pony. Good person, I mean. Sorry...
S: It's okay. And... thanks.
F: Be careful, Samantha. I mean the normal kind, but also...
Unintelligable.
S: Sorry, again?
F: Sometimes ponies change. Be careful, okay? And you should talk to Mr. Malthus, because he's your friend.
Short pause.
S: Right. I will. |
The Warmth of Alien Suns | Interview: An Epistle to the Canterlonians | Dear Princess Celestia,
First, you'll realize this immediately, but... I've enchanted this letter. It's a double layered adaptation of Night Light's Fourth variation. Do you like it? I thought it was rather efficient myself. Oh, I hope you like it.
Sorry, I'm a little scatterbrained today, princess. It's been a very stressful and honestly dangerous few days, whether we knew it at the time or not. The things in this letter cover a wide range from the exciting to the terrifying. But, I think I can sum it all up in one sentence: I made a new friend, and her name is Samantha.
I wrote the name in Griffish, just so you can get the sound of it right. Equestrian ideaograms just really don't handle those sounds well! I ended up having to use symbols that were ambiguous and you know me, so I just gave up on that and switched. Samantha is not a griffon, however. She's something called a human.
Humans are bipedal creatures with hands and light fur most everywhere but their heads. They are mammalian and intelligent, and capable of craftsmanship and language. They must be considered one of the Speaking Races.
I have met three humans, but Zecora met the first one. She tells me that she found Samantha wandering in the woods and helped her find out what was and wasn't safe to eat in the Everfree. After that, Samantha returned her gift and they began talking. That was when Zecora came to me with the story and a strange problem.
You see, the humans seem to be... well. I'm not sure how to describe it. It isn't that they aren't magical so much as they are abnormal in their reaction to magic outside of themselves. Simply being in the presence of Zecora seemed to have serious and potentially dangerous effects on her at first, though she has acclimated. Symptoms included paranoia, anxiety, fear of impending doom... as well as a feeling of being deathly cold and numb. I'm not sure I understand it, and I've tried to include notes worth reading but... well, you'll see.
But this cover letter is more about my general thoughts! The other pages have diagrams, detailed notes, and some observations that trouble me, as well as some sketches I did. I figure that this is a pretty historic moment, and it would be best if I document as much as I can! There is also an account of a battle with a rabid manticore that I humbly suggest you read.
But part of the reason why I felt like I had to double enchant this letter is because of the humans themselves. There are three that we know of, and they claim to have become from beyond the Veil. Yes, that Veil. Oh, Princess, isn't that amazing? Except that from her description, I think I'm glad that Star Swirl couldn't cross over.
The first is Samantha. I think that, despite our short acquaintance, that I consider Samantha my friend. I think if she were a pony... she would be an Earth pony. Probably because she reminds me a lot of Applejack. She is always telling ponies to "give it to her straight" which means to tell the truth, and she's very concerned with honesty. At first, I wasn't sure about her--she comes from a very, very different world, princess, one full of violence and disharmony. Yet even so, despite her rougher exterior, I found that she was capable of great compassion as much as she is desperate violence. She does not revel in her capability to inflict harm, much to my relief. And she was very gentle with a nervous Fluttershy, and you can imagine how that made me want to like her all the more. I get the sense that she is very sad, Princess, and also lonely. I wish there were more humans here for her to be friends with that weren't like... well, the others.
The second human reminds me of one of those old unicorn sages. His name is Malthus, and he is very different from Samantha. Where she is all about honesty and being direct, he is all about smiling and avoidance. He reminds me of the nobility in High Canterlot, weaseling their way into ever higher circles. That isn't to say that he is bad, necessarily. Some of those nobles weren't so bad. Some of them are wonderful ponies! But many aren't. Malthus was once a guard of some sort, but now he is a mapmaker, or at least he says so. His tone suggests that something about this might be amusing, or otherwise untrue. In fact, much of what he says could be described this way. Samantha does not dislike him, but she does not trust him. I think that she has tried to be nice to Malthus and Malthus has tried to be nice back... perhaps his mannerisms make it hard? I could understand that. Sometimes you can offend someone without meaning to at all.
The last human is scary, Princess. He reminds me a little of the old pegasus barbarians I read about when I was a filly. He has a device of some sort that allows him to go unseen, and is undetectable (maybe, though I'm sure magic could do the job!). That human is a monster. Samantha is very afraid of him, and I think she worried that we would judge her by his example, but Fluttershy and I would never do that. Just because one pony is a jerk doesn't mean all ponies are jerks. But the third human is from a very bad place or group beyond the Veil and he has come here chasing these two humans, and maybe to harm Equestria. He has a device of terrible power, allowing him to hurt or kill many ponies at long distances with little effort, and he could do so without being seen.
Oh, Princess... he crippled a poor farmer on the other side of the Everfree from Ponyville and used him as bait.
When we talked about it, Samantha's eyes grew very hard. She said that she would deal with him, and I was a little afraid of her.
I'm not sure what to do, but I trust her. I think that she is a good person. If there are more like her beyond the Veil, then maybe we can be friends after all, even with these others. They could use some Harmony, that's for sure.
Your Student,
Twilight Sparkle
P.S. The mayor will be sending a formal request for a company of Guardsponies today at some point. She is pretty shaken up about poor Perique. That's the pony who was hurt. He's staying with Sam now in the Everfree castle, and she's taking care of him. |
The Warmth of Alien Suns | Interview: Leopold's Ghost | S: And that's all I know.
M: It's certainly more than I did. Total light-bending stealth field...
S: Scary as hell.
M: Yes, well, it's not all that it was cracked up to be. That model isn't in use much these days. Why, you might ask? Because it was poorly thought out. If you bend all the light around you, you don't see. Secondly, the cameras it relied on for sight were fragile. And, the weakness I'm most interested in: they were detectable if you knew what you were doing.
S: And do you?
M: Is Charleston a hole in the ground? No. It's not because I do know. But I don't have the equipment I had then. I'll see what I can do. Call back in an hour, and stay out of the open.
S: What comes after?
M: Samantha? What?
S: Sorry. Shoulda said somethin' before that. I mean, what comes after this? Do they come back? Do we come back? And who is coming back?
M: I can take a moment. You know I can't see the future, or at least I do hope you know that. I can make guesses, and I think some of those guesses are all but certain things, but I can't give you prophecies.
S: I have a feeling that your guesses might be closer to that then you think, but keep going.
M: Well, let's examine what we have. We have a pristine world with, as far as I can tell, a low tech level and a primitive yet not savage native population. I've not been in much of a position to make meaningful surveys beyond the woods and the nearby farms, but I'm not sure I need to.
S: Why's that?
M: Because it really is pristine. You know what the world's like.
S: Food? Wood? Water?
M: Lebensraum.
S: What?
M: It's German. Living room, basically. We survive by expanding. We need space to live in, materials to build with, food to eat and an environment that can be cultivated by settlers long enough for synthetic food production to begin in earnest. In short, this place is a second chance.
S: And you'd win the war.
M: The war would be irrelevant, but yes. We'd win the war. But we might save the world without all of the heartache and sorrow of rebuilding. The bans of austerity... all of it loosened because we have a new land to draw upon. I'm not sure what it would look like.
S: But you'll guess.
M: Yes, I suppose. I've been thinking very hard on this. This forest... the farms... even the aliens, in their way. All of it reminds me of a different time. A purer time. Before the war, before the bombs, before the bioweapons. Before the Seattle Plague.... Before everything. We can have this. We must. It's vital. Through trade, that is how we will prosper--we'll uplift the primitive native life in return for access to their resources. In return, we provide them with some use out of the raw materials they obviously would only squander trying to advance even at a reasonable rate without hands. We benefit each other while moving mankind forward.
S: Ambitious. And you think we'll get along just fine, then?
M: Well, one hopes. Eventually, yes. In the short-term, something will have to be done about the effect they have on us. It's a bit troubling.
S: Yeah.
M: On that note, I suppose we could work out some arrangement with the locals. I confess I'm not quite as conversed in their local structures as you, but I'm sure they have some sort of rudimentary government. I'm sure with some flattery and a interesting trinkets worth sharing but not worth holding on to, you know... ancient generators, early teens' tech even... we could get them to move away from where the tesseract is anchored.
S: Wait, hold up a bit. Like, relocating? Movin em out? Just... just like that?
M: Don't be dramatic. It's not a big deal. We pay them to move, fair value for the land, and at the same time jumpstart their society with technology beyond what they can achieve presently. There is really no downside here.
S: I... I mean, yeah, you're payin for it I guess.
M: Exactly. The Federal may have dreams of conquest and slaughter but I've seen what war looks like, Samantha Marshall. I don't want to go there again.
S: Right.
M: And I know you understand me. No, I prefer to deal with others on more equitable terms. Trade is the best weapon of the civilized world and of the parts of mankind worth saving. Trade, dignity, and pragmatism. I was actually the one that argued for this mission.
S: Pardon?
M: Yes. You see, the real question was always what came after. I've said it so many times that when I heard the words spill out of you I was taken aback for a moment, almost wondering if you had read my mind. What comes after indeed! That is the question we should have been asking all along!
S: Right. I can understand that. I mean... I mean, hell, who sends a bunch of hopped up fascist thugs out into a powder keg? And yet here we are, living in the afterwards. Amarillo.
M: Precisely. Man's constant inability to foresee the obvious dangers of his actions. Which is why I have spent quite a bit of time trying to see the ends of our own--how this place and its discovery will effect our world.
S: Sayin that like it's always an accident.
M: Pardon?
S: Maybe they wanted it to happen. Yeah, they don't see the rest of it coming. Not the Commonwealth or the riots or any of that, but the violence? The death? They wanted it. I saw em. I saw em want it.
M: I... I remember. Watching.
S: Everybody thinks they did.
M: What is your point, though? Beyond just remembering that awful day, I mean.
S: You wanna be friends.
M: With... ah. Yes, of course. Fighting would be wasteful. We don't know this land and they do--they are useful to us, and we can in turn be useful to them. Exchange of ideas if nothing else, of culture and of fresh perspectives. And afterward, perhaps of labor and goods as any other section of society. Mankind would have a friend in a new world, and perhaps such a stablizing force as a junior partner would keep him in one piece. More importantly, he would have a rich new potential marketplace that would drive his own recovery and assertion of himself upon creation.
S: Like some kind of little brother.
M: Ha. Yes, I like the image. A kid brother. That works.
S: We'll just help them along, like. Get em up to speed, get em goin, get em workin.
M: Yes, more or less. Eventually, once they've been uplifted after some time, we can begin trading on equal terms. Of course, that'll take some time...
S: After we let em get that far.
M: Ah, skepticism. Understandable. It would be in our best interest to do so. But I do see your point. I suppose that it is not foolproof. There is always the possibility of unprincipled men jamming the machine of progress. It is the human way, really. But you must see that it would be counterproductive, and that those of us who make inroads early will be able to shape the policy of our race as it encounters new worlds.
S: Pioneers. Not just now but later, right? You an me an others, all of us first generation folks havin the opinions that matter and sayin the important things. We're the... whats-her-names. The indian lady with those two explorers.
M: Ha! Sacajawea. Yes, even more so than perhaps you realize. Lewis and Clark were excellent at many things, but she was perhaps the only reason they really were able to "explore" at all. Or stay alive much farther past the Mississippi.
S: Yeah.
M: But yes, you've grasped it I believe. We will frame what others see. We must frame it. It is the only way to ensure that our dealings here will profit mankind. And they will, because honestly they must. This is our answer. It has to be. With this, we can restore the America of yesterday. We can expand it beyond the confines of our world.
S: . And how are you going to frame it?
M: This is a land of treasures. It is beautiful and unsullied. Perhaps dangerous, but calm and orderly exploitation is possible. And you?
S: I'll tell Doc about ponies. He'll love them. He'll want to talk to Zecora.
M: Heh. Having met the man, I agree.
S: You've given me a lot to think about. You read my file, right? It say anything about me beyond just where I been?
M: The Doctor's notes on your surprising amount of knowledge, for one raised by the wastelands.
S: I read a lot. I've been thinking of a book in particular. Maybe I'll tell you about it when next I see you. Call when you've got that exploit on the suit, 'kay?
M: Will do. And Samantha... do think about these things in advance. We must do our best to guide the future in what ways we can. I think your bond with the natives will be invaluable and I assure you that it will make you an important woman in the days ahead, once we've rid ourselves of the Federal presence.
S: Yeah. Yeah, I wonder if you might not be on to something. Out. |
The Warmth of Alien Suns | Purgation | Purgation
High in the clouds, a chariot bears the end of all flesh. Her coming is felt as unease and dismissed by the fearful hindbrains of the interlopers as battle jitters. It is not. It is the human spirit knowing that it has been dormant too long--that it will be broken beneath what is coming next--that there is a reason why magic died on Terra. Man has written of himself--how in apprehension like a god--and yet this is the only thing that could have been meant. To mortal eyes, she shines like a thousand suns. She is the white hot center of the galaxy, her billowing mane the solar wind of the sun that shall never set and her eyes burn through your own and expose your every secret to the earth as if she had peeled back your skin by a mere command.
The universe has a cruel streak. It spins gods into the world, and then makes them nice matrons who enjoy tea and leisurely walks. Their mere presence could incite a city to madness, and all this one wishes is to have this dark business over with so that she might return to her gardens and a quiet life where paperwork is the greatest challenge.
Her student's words were troubling. The butcher of the forest, for instance, was enough to chill the blood. Celestia is older than most ponies know or care to know, and she remembers the times when the world was savage as much as she remembers the ages of unbroken tranquility. She reads between the lines and sees the murderous eyes that no doubt peer out from the brush. Her guards are to be nothing more than a net or a fence, keeping the chaos inside. She will see to it herself.
LOG 14, Night
Tonight, it's just me... Fluttershy, and Zecora. Twilight headed back. She and the other locals talked at length, and I tried not to eavesdrop. If they'd wanted me to hear, they'd have been louder and all. I don't blame them at all--sometimes you just want a little privacy to think out loud and I understand that.
Talked to Malthus. I have... Concerns. That's a good word. But I ain't gonna talk about it now.
For now, I watch over this little pony. Shy and Zecora are sleepin', and I got the watch in the darkest part of the night. Prox alarms reset, Judge ready. All is well.
Except the things that pretty obviously ain't well and maybe never be well in any shape or form. Every now and a then, when I start feelin' the night creeping up, I'll stand up and walk the floor. Sometimes I'll slip into his room to see if he's doin' alright.
He's scared out of his mind of me.
Human. All too human--that's what I was to him. I wasn't a monster and he wasn't blind. He knew what I was and what I had done and yet his eyes were blank with fear. And you know what?
I can't stop thinking. I've been thinking all along but before I was starving or lonely or didn't want to fill my log with stupid shit but now? Now I'm scared. Scared of what, you might ask? What isn't there to be afraid of? You can take your pick--the murderer outside in the trees. The crazy Chris Columbus out there, with his trade and his empires. Tryin' to rebuild dead America like it's Lazarus to call out of the grave again, that's what they're up to here. And so was I. And so I am.
When I first fell out of that door in the air, I was incoherent and barely functional. Soon as I was either of those things, I had only one thought: this was the sun we were meant to see. That's how everything was supposed to be like, right at the beginning of the whole damn mess. Beautiful and lush, green and vibrant. We were supposed to have a world worth living in and maybe this one is worth it.
When I was so, so young, we lived in Amarillo and we had a wonderful home. My mom had an affection for elaborate wallpapers and my father had the best comfy chair in the world and that's all a child my age needed. And then we blew it up. In Shreveport, there were good things and books sometimes. And then they blew it up. Jackson, that city where the streets crack and flowers bloom--raided over and over. In Texas the water was poisoned and the people died. Across the sea they fight wars that erase cities in the blink of an eye. The world just keeps turning on like nothin' is the matter and we keep murderin' each other. Just stabbing away in the dark, end over end, hoping and praying we'll make it--we'll be on top--just one more time, just one more time. Grasping and reaching and...
What if you could go back to the moment the worst happened and just... nudge everything slightly to the side? I thought about it. When I was younger I imagined what it might be like to have control over time itself. I could go back to the moment the fifties from the Federal gunship tore my mother to crimson shreds. I could just... nudge her to the side. Maybe even push her a few feet closer to the door of the shelter.
It was like dad's hooch. We both retreated into somethin' because humans... we're always running one way or another, either straight ahead to burn and take or backwards to hide. Cowards except when the knife work comes, that's us. The idea that you could just... erase a really terrible thing before it happened was great. Stupid, but great.
But it's more than just a little change. People will always find a way to fuck it all up, no matter what you do. Fix one hole and they'll make three more.
Even if you could stop evil people from doin' what they want, then what's to stop you from doin' what you want? It's a weak argument, I know. "But I ain't them," is what I'd say, but if I'm honest... If I'm honest is it about types or degree? Am I so different, or am I the same but less? If I was really something new and different from people like the blackshirt, than why did I come here armed with a gun with size and power? I was meaning to bring a rifle alongside the judge, with enough ammunition to hold out for a day or so. I came not only anticipating that I would need those things but almost eager for their use.
How could I not be?
The feeling of the Judge roaring starts in your hand and travels down like electricity 'till it gets in your heart and it just hums all up in you. You can feel it like a burn all the way to your toes. It's good feeling. You hit something from two hundred yards that's the size of an old world quarter and you just feel it in your gut, a pull, like a grin but for your whole body.
I don't know if that's bad. I just think maybe that in the end I may not be a different kind of thing than that bastard. I'm just not quite as bad. I know that for sure. Or, at least, when that poor little pony isn't staring at me like I'm the devil himself... When I'm by myself I can think that and it feels solid like.
LOG 15
Today I'm twitchy. It's not just nerves and it's not just me--I made an offhand comment to Malthus and he echoed everything I was feeling. I'm not sure what it could mean, but I don't like it.
Malthus came through for me a little before lunchtime. He tried explaining how it all worked, but a lot of it went over my head. The basic idea is that the stealth suits that truly bent light around them had some problems that nobody fixed 'cause they weren't worth the time or money. Some of it I get--if you can't get light to your eyes, you can't see, or somethin' like that. But the worst problem wasn't that part, because they worked out solutions with cameras and radar and all kinds of crazy sensors. The real reason that the suit was abandoned was because if you knew what to look for, you could pinpoint where it was even when it was running silent.
Malthus said he foiled some bombing on the coast because he knew what to look for, and I believe him. We don't have the equipment that he did in the Concordat, but we do have his automapper, and we have some spare electronics from the Mule if he needs them.
In the end, he delivered. The automapper will pick up that bastard if he steps within a mile or so of it. Perfect.
Malthus even brought it by and showed me how it worked. Today we work out our plan.
Before that, Fluttershy and Zecora. Zecora seems to understand what we're doing, and offered to help if we needed it. Fluttershy just looked after... what's nis name.
Perique. I'm not sure I should be forgettin' that name.
So she's looking after Perique. I took Zecora up on her offer when she mentioned she could probably brew something up that would get our blackshirt to blunder into a trap. And while some people might mean "trap" as lying in wait with guns, I mean actual traps.
I have some ideas.
Malthus watches the screen, I sharpen a stake. Our native friends are quiet. Zecora is working on some potion or other, she said it would help.
We are all on edge, waiting for Malthus to find the tell-tale bleep. Every second without one is a blessing, really. If this thing had a visual component, I would show you what I'm working on, but I'll just have to describe it--traps. I need time. Every second that murderer isn't in range is a second I have to make another sharp stake.
I've planned out my traps as best I can, and for once I don't care about mercy. I can't. I can't let him get out because after the first trap he'll be too weary and it won't work again. We won't catch him any other way. Malthus thinks that we could lure him into the open, something about trial and error and me being a rabbit but...
But honestly I'm of two minds about that. I think Malthus might be decent. But I think he might also be clever, and cleverness always seems to get in the way of bein' good. Sometimes. I don't know. The point is that it would be awful easy to lose me along the way in that plan, wouldn't it? Even if he didn't mean to.
The other thing is that I think he may be bluffing so he still looks in control in front of me and Zecora and Fluttershy. He needs to seem all rational and calm but he's as red-blooded and alive as me, and I'll bet a greenback or nine he's just as on edge. Hell, I know he is--asked him, didn't I?
We talked a bit more. The conversation wandered, and neither of us cared. I knew I was radiating nervousness and I knew he was the same cause you could cut the air between us with a knife. What did we talk about? I asked him about the Army. He told me about Mauritania and the shitfest that was the desert. I told him about being a Courier. I told him Tolstoy sucked ass and he argued about that, and was also wrong about it. We talked about the future, if we survived. And by that, I mean he talked about colonies and porters and I was mostly quiet.
I asked him if he ever thought about how America was founded.
And you know, for a moment, he paused. I think he understood.
I just... I want him to understand. I want him to really, really understand what he's saying.
I'm worried about what we'll do to this world. I'm worried what it will do to us. The first few days, maybe I could have believed that this place would just wash us clean. We would realize what we had and maybe we'd all be good. Maybe before yesterday I could have believed we might come in peace. That some kind of damn door in the sky could be a good thing.
But I don't believe that. Not anymore. In another world, in another time, with different folks... maybe. Maybe one day. Maybe before the world went to hell. But not now.
He's got to see that. He has to see what kinds of hell we'll dig up if we start tryin' to put down roots in a land that ain't ours, not as guests or neighbors but as... as a damn colony.
God, that's what it is, isn't it? We'll just boot the Indians out and have ourselves a nice little Jamestown. Maybe the fuckin' unicorns can magic us some alien turkeys and we can pass around the fuckin' peace pipe.
Fuck! Hand slipped, cut a little bit out of my hand.
God, what is this feeling? It's like... it's like when I first met Zecora. I feel cold even though I know it's a pretty warm day. Sucked on the wound like I have since I was little, noticed the taste of copper even though I stopped noticing it forever ago. It can't just be nerves. Not nerves about the human out there, anyway. Someone is coming. Some pony or ponies or coming. I know they're here. But what are they? Is is just how many of them, is that it? Is that why I feel...
Deep breaths. I'll be fine. I'm going to be fine. I'll ask Zecora if she can't do any of that sealing stuff like Twilight Sparkle did so I can handle being in their presence. Maybe it just wore off and I'm suddenly feeling three natives all at once. That has to be it.
Just... I just have to hold on long enough to set something right. And then I'll go home. Shut the door behind me. I can't let them send more like him.
Celestia does not go armored. She spends most of the morning preparing, but not for combat. Rather, she spends her morning chaining the natural glory she exudes for the sake of her most favored student's new friends. If a unicorn had sent one into cold sweat... if merely the passive magic of a Zebra shaman had left one shaking... Well. She would at least attempt not to send the poor thing into madness.
The troubling things in Twilight's missive were beyond number. Some things were foreign, and others were known. The form of the creature in question she recognized. It was the world she did not know at all, and it was the world more than the creature that frightened her, what little was left to be frightened.
Mostly it steeled her will.
Poor, sweet Twilight knew so much, and yet the gaps in her knowledge were wide. There were vast oceans of darkness between the blazing suns of her lore, and in these gaps Celestia saw that which never occurred to Ponyville's librarian. Twilight knew about danger and friendship and the power of the latter over the former, and of that Celestia was proud (it was a lesson she wished others had learned, before they sought alternatives) but of War Twilight knew nothing. Of War she was ignorant. Celestia was not ignorant. Celestia knew War.
For in this world she had invented it.
Do not misunderstand, as you see her before the edge of the woods, deep into that darkness peering. There is always, it seems, the temptation with beings of her like to be separated in two. Ponies see in Celestia one face, and then they think they see another in the pages of history or in the moments of their danger. Men look at the heavens and perceive a giving hand and they look beside them and see the divine fist. So it is with Celestia, who does not seem perturbed at all by the darkness of the wood or of by the nervous glances her guards give it and her, both alien in this moment.
Celestia the mother of all her kind. Celestia the God-Empress of Ponykind. The mistake was in thinking they were separate or even estranged at all, but she forgave and forgives now and will forgive distant future ponies this error.
"No pony is to be permitted in or out," she says, needlessly. The guard beside her--Captain Ironshod, proud son of proud fathers, the second commander of the Celestial First of his line--knows his business. Yet there is a formality to these things, and Celestia has always been a respecter of certain rigid formalities.
"Yes, your Highness."
"This includes Twilight Sparkle and her friends," Celestia said softly, and then sighed. "If any pony tries to leave... detain them. Do not injure them. I wish to speak to any who emerge before I send them on their way unharmed."
"I hear your will."
"And Captain? Do keep them safe," she added. The world outside of her narrowed war-grim vision began to fall away. "As a favor, if you will."
"I would die rather than see any of this village be touched, Your Highness."
"I know," she said with finality, and then she trotted into the woods.
It did not do to go hunting on the wing, not in a place like this. Practically, magic or flying might alert her quarry to her pursuit. And there was just the principle of the thing. It didn't do to hunt on such unequal terms. She could not shed her near-divinity or her nature, but she could walk. Even monsters deserved to die fighting. Maybe.
LOG 15, cont'd
I'm shaking.
It started a few minutes ago. I was covering another pit and I noticed my hand just felt... numb. I looked at it and I... is it colder? It has to be.
What is coming?
I have to focus. This is too important for me to break down now. I have to finish it. I have to finish him. I'll keep this log up so I can talk myself sane.
Fuck! Thoughts... My mind is starting to feel sluggish. I need to remember the pattern .Where I was putting traps... Shit. At this rate I'll fall into my own pits... hehe. Won't that be ironic? Right? Perfect end right there, somethin' outta books.
Borrowed... I borrowed Malthus's long coat... maybe I can convince that bastard I kept my side of the... f-fuck. The deal.
My feet feel so heavy.
I can't lose it now.
I can't stop thinking about that poor little pony torn to shreds. I can't stop thinking about his eyes when I went to visit him... he accused me but never said it but it was so obvious. I was Him, I was the Blackshirt. I did this. I led them here. I did this.
Can't think straight.
Where does this pit go? Shit... I think I put the other one too far away from the path of least resistance. Gotta place 'em where folk'll walk or it don't mean a thing...
Celestia does not hurry, but she does not dawdle.
Few can understand the deliberate pace of the long lived and long suffering. Where one pony would see nothing but aimless wandering, perhaps only Luna would see the careful and meticulous moving of the Inevitable Generalissimo.
You see, in the distant aching past Celestia had encountered violence and found it... chaotic. Petulent and childish. It was all noise and directionless running, wasteful and destructive (of course it was) but also unrefined. So she refined it. The old generals of that age had favored charges. Celestia favored high ground. They believed in the power of repeated volley of arrows and slings, and then later muskets before she destroyed the mechanical knowledge of the age of war. But Celestia believed in only one volley--if the pieces were all in the right positions, why waste shot or time or life? A single volley at the critical moment was worth hours of manuever. Where the Griffons used scouts and the Burro republics had favored spies, Celestia after decades found she needed both less and less. She set the board and invited them to play, and they did so--always so eagerly--and with dismay realized what had been evident all along.
They played into her hooves. And because she was gracious, because she was merciful, because she was loving, she did not make them suffer. Shock and awe were the best tools of war because they ended them. A single creature dies that its whole race might be spared the horror of slaughter. So it went.
So instead of barreling through the woods, Celestia moved with calm grace. She combed the forest meticulously. She felt constantly for the tell tale signs of life and found surprisingly little that stirred.
Hours went by, and she found no moving humans. She did, however, find their handiwork.
She found a few bodies left to rot, full of holes and covered in dried lifeblood. These did not faze her, though they saddened Celestia. Wasteful. Evil, perhaps. How callous. It had been the right decision, coming in person to nip this in the bud.
She found a shoddily constructed shelter in the woods, filled with garbage and marked by a hanging corpse--fen deer, if she wasn't mistaken. Those were a holdover from before the Everfree's devolution. Hunting did not bother her. She understood it. The decay of this creature's basecamp was another story.
Celestia felt his aura everywhere and grimaced. It was not the worst she had felt, here or beyond. But it was certainly monstrous and acrid, tinged with madness. She found some of the murderous equipment and destroyed it without much thought.
Another sector of the woods cleared of the taint that walked on two legs. Now to go deeper, towards her old home, and all the reminders it had in store for her.
LOG 15
I think I'm done.
Every... every step I feel like someone is watching me and I don't know if he's there or if it's something new. What do we really know about this place, after all? Fat lot of nothin'. God, god I can feel my sins crawling up my back.
I know it's not just nerves now. It's too intense, too fucked up to be that. This is exactly my reaction to Zecora and the others. It's just so... so much more.
I had a thought. Twilight mentioned in passing... she mentioned some... some pony.
What was her name? Maybe this is her. The Queen pony or something. Her teacher? Princess? I can't remember very well. And what I remember mostly is the past, stuff I don't want to remember. I don't want to see those things but I can't stop seeing them.
Mom dying in the street. Over and over, every man I killed on the roads and in the rat's alleys of Jackson and NEV and Memphis, over and over again. They all seem so unreal now, in this forest. Unreal cities. Unreal unreal unreal
Where am I?
What was I doing?
Hunting. I was hunting. I am hunting. Here is my bait, this coat. I'll just... yes. Yes, that'll work.
BLACKSHIRT! COME OUT FEDERAL! COME OUT AND TALK!
DID WHAT YOU WANTED!
GOT PROOF! BUT THERES SOMETHING YOU NEED TO KNOW!
COME OUT! COME OUT! |
The Warmth of Alien Suns | Absolution | I, Celestia, write this in my own power and seal it with my own personal seals. Beware, intruder, and know that this document is sealed and warded against eyes not my own. Any attempt to break the seals will alert me. Any attempt to otherwise divine the contents of the attached account will alert me. If you have taken this by force or chance, return it now and I will give you grace and mercy. Curiosity is not a sin, but intrusion is against the laws of Our realm.
So signed, in the first year of my Sister's return,
Celestia Songbourne
This is an account of my foray into the Everfree Forest in response to my student's encounter with several humans, the rest of which is also sealed but untouched by my personal magicks. I've made little effort to change or edit the manuscripts produced by my student, nor of the written out record of one human's logs. I have preserved them all as an account to the darkness I found. I write this for myself, yes, but also for Twilight and others. It may be soon that we shall need to see this all in full again. And even if that day does not come... I believe that something of it should be preserved. Much has been said or done. Perhaps I too must give an account of myself, even if only to myself.
I first encountered the abominable lodgings of the loathsome murderer, whom the Huntress called "blackshirt" or "federal" or names too vulgar for my liking to reproduce. I do not, however, feel she was out of line in her description. The creature was vile.
I must say that humans have changed in many ways since last I walked among them and peered into their world. I begin to think that I saw humans in another plane, for these I hardly recognized. When last I left them they were refined savages feasting on olives and empire. It seems they grew in learning but not in wisdom in the meantime.
I purged his campsite. I purged every place touched by his foul aura with fire. Neccessary? No. But I did so.
And so I searched. These creatures are fast and wiley. I had forgotten that. It was surprisingly hard to find them--much more so than the Griffon warlords I have tracked down in the past. Always so loud, Griffons. Never good at dodging.
Perhaps I was out of practice. It has been ages since I last truly set out with a killing intention. I did not enjoy doing so then, and I do not enjoy it now. Even to write of it fills me with blackest disgust. Necessity is not license. It is not justification. It is only necessity.
Three humans. The murderer, the colonist, the huntress. Black, Grey, and... well.
I found the murderer first, an hour past noon. An hour and thirty-six minutes, to be precise, for the sun gives more than light. I had expected to have to run him down, and was surprised to find the grisly work done for me already.
In truth, I knew of his presence and some of his fate long before I laid eyes upon the corpse. Most talented unicorns can read the auras of their fellow beings--maybe not very well, but they can do it if they try. What most unicorns do not know is that this ability is far more nuanced and informative than merely seeing the unseen magical energies inherent in the bodies of ponies and their neighbors. Time and attention reveals smaller cues. The colors shift with the emotional state of their bearers, for instance. Pain radiates and contentment comes in small, happy waves. The strong emotions and sensations of living things sometime linger in the things they touch and the places they walk.
How many different lives I have been blessed or troubled with in this way! If Twilight is reading this, I confess that when you left my direct tutelage, I often visited your tower to feel again your excitement at some discovery or to revel in your happiness over some new assignment. I have felt the worry and the happiness of the palace servants, the pride of my guards. Even the dalliances of staff who would rather be anonymous I sometimes find lingering, though I never say anything of the matter.
But I also feel the heartaches and the agonies. The ancient battlefields were hell, but for me they were far worse. Only by a grim stoicism did I endure the borrowed agonies that pressed upon me.
So I felt the Murderer before I found him. I felt the decaying imprint of his diseased mind. It was fogged over with madness, filled with anger and lust. It had the ferocity of the Minotaur without the Minotaur's ingenuity, and the fury of the Griffon without his honor. I cannot read minds, but often I do not need to. It is enough to feel a things strongest emotions to understand them.
What did I feel? Eagerness. A bit of frustration, but it was swallowed up in something dark and sordid I can only call a bloodlust. Experience and intuition began to paint a picture of his doings. Here he stopped, breathing in deeply perhaps, listening for the tell-tale shuffling of his quarry. What did he hunt? I had suspicions, but the traces left behind did not say before I burned them away.
Here, at a stream, he paused for a drink and then soiled the earth. Farther along, he trampled underneath his booted feet the rich blue of poison joke. They touch me but can do nothing to me--an alicorn is above most of the world's poisons. I have sipped from wineglasses and tasted the cyanide within with senses beyond the ken of mortals and smiled over the rim at terrified wouldbe tyrannicides. Usually, such a display is enough to forestall any waste of sacred life.
And then... I found the body. Or rather, I found the pit which contained the body.
I shall describe it in detail, and beg the forgiveness of any I may choose to allow into this most careful of confidences.
His strange armor was obviously of no help. The pit itself was full of wooden spikes, and his fall had been facefirst into them. He was pierced in seven places: twice the stomach, the right shoulder, left arm below the elbow, one spike destroyed the right hand which had been put forward to break his fall, once in the right thigh and once in the left leg, slightly above the ankle. The pit stank of blood and the detritus of death, and in the warm air it would begin to decompose in earnest presently. The head was missing, and I did not think that it was taken by a spike for I found no sign of it.
The Huntress. I recognized her work before I ever saw her. Simply because I have never chosen to eat of flesh did not mean I was ignorant of the hunter's trade. I understand how it is done, both in the wild and by the now civilized carnivores of our world. The pit trap was... brutal. Brutal is the best word. Brutality need not always be callous but this did not feel like swift and total violence in order to pursue sudden victory. This felt like revenge. The air tasted foul, and not because of the death that laid out below me.
Another point--there are many things that I am capable of that the average pony is completely unawares of, and I take great care that many of these abilities stay secret. My absolute command of time, for instance, is not so important a secret, and I confess some amusement when I can tell a pony down to the second how long something has taken. Others I keep closely guarded even from those little ponies I have taken quite sincerely into my intimate inner circle. I do not do this because I revel in secrecy. Rather, I wish to live as close to them as I can, and to share in as much of their happiness as I can without feeling their awe and reverence turn into fear and worse. To be admired is fine, but to be worshipped... I am not quite worthy of that.
One of those abilities I safeguard is this: a pony's last moments can be reviewed under special circumstances. A few unicorns have managed the trick of it, but only through genius and perhaps some luck. For me it is simple and rather easy. The body was fresh, and its soul only recently absent. I touched the body with my magic and found the fading soulglow.
____________________
She faces him and he smiles in the manner of cats when they find their prey cornered and waiting for the release from all running.
"So... guess you did it. Figured you'd got swatted by that big thing," he said slowly, still grinning. But he felt a mirth that did not seem to fit the sort of mirth I or this small Huntress could understand. It was mirth in the way that a candle is a housefire.
Does she tremble? I cannot tell for sure for I see and feel only what this beast sees and feels, and for him she trembles and he suppresses and urge to crow with delight. He thinks unspeakable things. Most of them violent. She is already dead, as far as he is concerned, but that is alright. He talks to the dead quite a bit. Mostly he mocks them.
"Fuck you," she says, her voice shaking. And it is shaking, that is no distortion. She swallows. Afraid, yes, but not running.
I feel a weight upon this creature's mind that at first I do not recognize. No, that is not true. I do recognize it, I simply do not understand why it is in this monster's soulglow memory. I feel myself, distant but getting closer, like a thorn pressed into soft flesh. It will begin to torment him soon, as it pierces through the haze of his madness, but for now it only drives him to new lows. His blood is up. He is eager for what will happen next. He has won, after all.
Does she feel this too? She must.
"Got proof," she says, and holds out a tattered and stained coat, cut through in a dozen places. Those stains... the soulglow howls that they are blood, but I know better. I know enough of the plants of the Everfree to recognize a certain Zebra's handiwork. It would look perfect, to one uninitiated in the arts of cloak and dagger in this world.
"Guess so," he slurs. There is not much personality for him to lose beneath the pouding of my presence upon the fragile walls of his mind. He is all appetite now. Hard, even, I realize with disgust. "Good job, bitch. I'm impressed."
"Now what?"
"Throw me the coat," he says, with surprisingly cleverness.
"So you can shoot me while I'm distracted? Come get it," she says with a tight, frightened voice.
"Hey, hey, cool it. Already took off the stealth field, didn't I? Gotta be enough for ya," he says.
"Just come get it," she says again.
He feels frustrated. She's putting off his final victory lap and he has never, ever been denied or delayed without serious violence being played out on something. With a growl, he steps forward--
--and the ground gives way.
I felt his agony and his shock as he hit the spikes. His forehead grazes a spike but his head is preserved. He screams, and I wish I could also scream.
"BITCH! BITCH, I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU I'LL FUCK YOUR SKULL YOU--"
There is a horrible roar, and he stops screaming for a moment to whimper. He cannot see her, and so I do not see the source. But I can imagine--that terrible weapon she bears. That is it. The beast's own firearm was lost in the fall. He tries to pry himself from the stakes.
"You're dead," she hisses. Her voice is thick and shaking.
Brutality comes most often from those blind with fear and those blind with rage. Yes, sometimes it is planned, but I find that it is the unthinking state of mind that is the most capable of destruction.
She does not seem to be either. If anything, she sounds like she will soon be sick.
"I'll tear you apart and fuck what's left!" He screams at her and she roars at him.
"You're dead!" She repeated. "Poison on the spikes, but I won't need it. You don't get to play in this world anymore, you hear? Never again. You're done! And soon your friends won't be coming here anytime soon, got it? It'll all be over! I'm gonna m-mount your head on a pike, do what they do to coyotes on fences. You know what they do coyotes on fences, f-fuckin' city boy?"
He just screams.
_______________________
I left the memory with dismay and dread.
I search the area for a moment more. The head is gone, and the gun I find utterly smashed. This leaves me a bit more hopeful--only the Huntress could have done this. She has done me and my realm a grisly service, and when I approach the shattered weapon I feel the barest touch of her on it.
Fear bordering on panic. Nausea. Regret. Something so twisted up so as to be unnameable. Shame defeats them all.
A sad creature. Many who do what must be done have felt this shame. I resolved then to find her.
I found one other thing of note before I purged that place with fire. A small metallic device which activated upon physical touch. I have recorded the entirety of its message, and on top of it I will note that I felt mostly shame and fear.
"Oh god... oh god, okay. If you find this... shit, if you find this then you may still have time. You're probably a bunch of fuckin' Feds in your little murder squads but nobody deserves to go toe to toe with these monsters. No-fuckin-body. If you have recalls, use them. Please, for the love of god, use them. I found his body and... and I'm the last one left. Just go. Go! This place is a lost cause. The recon reports are a lie. We thought it was just a bunch of peasants and primitives but that's the... fuck me if I know. Pets? The real natives are monsters. You look at them and its all eyes and mouths and light and they just fuck you up. You can't think, you can't move unless something distracts them, you can just run. They can burn you with their eyes from half a mile away without a bit of effort. They turned the Concordat guy to a crisp. Please, for the love of God, close the door and don't let them through!"
That is it. It ends. All through, she is breathing heavily. All through, she is lying fiercely. Her fear is real. Her horror is real--I am sure it was recorded mere moments after she had removed the monster's head. But even without my knowledge of this world, I would have known every word was a lie from millenia of experience. It is a carefully practiced lie... one that fell apart in her hands from the shock of killing another sapient creature, vile or not.
I admit that it caused me to pause there in that awful scene and consider what kind of creature this huntress was. Capable of such a brutal killing, and yet I felt such shame in her brief touches. Filled with such fury as she watched the "blackshirt" die, and yet her voice had shook. In some ways, it gave me hope that perhaps these humans had not fallen so far from the savage but potential-filled ones I had briefly espied.
Yet. Yet in those brief touches I felt the tiniest touch of the sickly sweet, cloying taste of madness. Of drums. Of me.
I continued.
The first death had not been a shock. The second, however, took me quite by surprise.
Once the remains of the monster had been cleared away, I proceeded towards my old home in the heart of the Everfree. I admit that I was not looking forward to seeing it again. It holds unpleasant memories for me, both of Luna's banishment and my own multitude of failures afterwards. And before that, I suppose. Suffice it to say that the structure itself is a monument to failures.
That the huntress had made this ruin her new temporary home dismayed me more than I cared to admit. I wondered why at the time, as my grim war-focus began slowly to drain away. Was it that she had invaded what was, in some distant way, my home? Maybe, but I had abandoned it and so held no real claim to a ruin I would rather forget. I did not begrudge any creature without malice some simple shelter. Perhaps it was just... the similarity. Yes, I think I did notice the odd parallels forming. To turn on one's own to save the many. True, it was not the same. She had not slain kin, and I had not slain at all, but perhaps we had both been hurt in the doing. She did not seem to me a true killer.
By the time I reached the Castle of the Two Sisters, I was more or less calm. The city of Everfree is mostly gone now, of course, but I do remember enough of it to have spared a few sighs as I walked over the ghosts of its streets. I wanted my first meeting with these strange new humans to be as close to perfect as I could make it. I did not fear them, but I respected their ferocity and their potential for it. If nothing else, I happen to enjoy meeting new ponies and I supposed that we might, with some delicate discussion and mutual awkwardness, establish some sort of friendship between those not cursed with madness and ourselves.
So imagine my shock when I began to feel the huntress again before I had even entered the keep. I felt shame, mostly. But something else. Horror is perhaps the best word. Certainty might also be appropriate. Horrible, horrible certainty. Something had changed between the first death and now. Or, well, I suppose then. And just as I had before, I felt myself thrumming in the background and felt a chill.
It is... It is very distressing, Twilight (if it becomes vital that you read this), to feel that you have had a negative effect on any creature, let alone one that you meant no harm to. One that in fact you are grateful towards for a ghastly but certainly necessary duty. I have inspired many things in ponies and other peoples of this world. Respect, awe, fear, even love here and there. But I cannot remember many times I have inspired madness. In what your professors no doubt dismissed as the age of myth I once cured a pony's madness with kind words. Kind words and a bit of healing magic, at least. To have been the cause of the corruption I felt was disheartening.
No, I must be truthful.
For the first time in a rather long time, I was genuinely frightened.
I smelt blood when I entered the courtyard. That was not the first thing. The first thing that I smelled in my former home--where Luna and I enjoyed our lovely gardens--was the acrid stench of burned flesh. I did not gag, surprisingly, even if I have not smelt the like since the crusade against the Derecho Separatists a few decades after Luna's fall. My smooth and easy walk became a canter, and that became something not quite a run. I must appear in command. The appearance of control is vital to the de-escalation of conflict.
Yet I found something that outmatched my calm demeanor. I found another pit right before the door of the Keep, but this time I found no body. Only the remains of blood, and here was a curious thing which turned the lump in my throat to ice: blood up the side of the pit, leading into the great hall. I followed it.
I felt the soulglow of the dead demanding my immediate attention, calling out for vengeance out of the earth, but I did not touch it yet. I stared in mute fascination at the scorchmarks on the ground. What had happened here? The death of the infiltrator I understood but... what was this? Who had done this?
By the scorch marks I found another of the small devices, and it set my teeth on edge. Proof, then.
But first, I touched the dead humans soulglow.
________________________________________
He walks with a deceptively easy gait, concealing the wounds of a dozen battlefields and a hunred dark black operations which haunt his dreams.
He is worried. When the huntress asked him to go back to the high tower, he had not questioned it. But when she had asked him shortly after leaving to go back and retrieve his auto-recall, he had been confused.
Why? He'd asked, and she'd had a reasonable enough answer: Because more are going to come and we need to make sure we're ready if they have some sort of trace on his vitals. If the Federals were to open a window and find him dead... no, he'd understood that. So he had returned to his camp briefly and and quickly returned to find that the ponies had left.
That had been the first worrisome thing, but Samantha had assured him that she was responsible. Didn't want them being human shields, she'd said, and he had nodded with a frown. Yes, but wasn't this sending them into more danger? Ah, but it did not concern him overmuch.
He returned to his high tower.
When he saw the blip, he warned her. His hands were soaked with sweat and they trembled. He felt strange. Disconnected. Fearful of everything. What if he fired first? He might not even wait. OF course he wouldn't wait. God, this had been so foolish! He was going to get someone killed without even profiting from the sacrifice. A waste of life. Idiot! Old, blind, fool!
But then she had reported that she'd seen him, and then radio silence. She returned. The blackshirt was dead. His coat had been torn, but Malthus did not care a thing for it. The Colonist grinned manically. They had done it! By god, they had done it. He had no idea how they had, but victory was victory.
"Stay in the high Tower," she'd said. Keep an eye out, she'd continued.
The fear returned. Rumor of reinforcements. Hold the line, hold the line. Watch the trees for more of them. This he understood. He was back in Kiffa again, waiting for the goddamn moors to come crawling out of their holes again, swarming like ants down the dusty streets screaming and howling oh god they weren't human they weren't human he would send them back dying he would--
The huntress returned. She radioed him again and said that she was in the Great Hall.
Shaken by memory, the old man was glad to have company again.
He sprints down, almost slipping on the uncertain steps. It is unsettling to see the decay of my former castle through another's unknowing eyes, one who cannot begin to understand or appreciate what he sees.
He bounds across the overgrown courtyard, feeling a desperate need to be in the presence of something human, something familiar. This world does not sit well with him. It is wrong. He has felt this way before but never so intensely. I know that it is the magic I have stirred up, yet my horror does not cease the turning of the wheels of his mind. This world must be remade. It must be reforged into the paradise that he needs. This world could be perfect. A new eden. A new heaven and a new earth, amen and hallelujah, made by man's hands for man's benefit. Now that the threat is gone the building could commence. The Concordat and Republic could have a full platoon moving into the castle soon. Why hadn't he done it before? There was no time to waste. He would demand it! He would argue them down. This was where man was meant to find his new beginning!
She stands before the door, looking exhausted. He notices the blood seeping through her leg and comes up short. He asks if she is alright, and I realize that she is not long before he does. Perhaps some of that "fake" blood was real. Perhaps she fell. I do not know and am not sure I wish to know.
She is fine. She smiles a shaky, uneven smile. A smile that is not the smile I had imagined from Twilight's brief description. It is a false smile. The hindbrain of the Colonist shrinks from it but he does not know why he feels the need to stop short. Everything is confused. They are both caught up in the madness of too much magic pressing upon a system that cannot handle an alien sun.
"Here's your coat," she says, and holds it out. "It got a bit torn. Bastard is dead."
He does not cross. "Glad to hear it."
She lowers the coat. "You look like hell," she says quietly.
"It's been... stressful," Malthus says.
"It's getting to you too? What is it?" The huntress whispers, with wide eyes.
"It feels heavy," Malthus says in return.
"I think it might be the Princess," his only human companion says and licks her lips. "Or God, maybe. He sees your sins, so they say." She grins another sickly grin. "C'mon, take your coat and I'll tell you about it and maybe that'll put an end to some of the stress, alright?"
He does not move. "A thought occurred to me earlier, while you were away."
"Yeah?"
"What book?"
She blinks. "Your pardon?"
"What book? You said you remembered a book, something... something about me. I meant to ask you earlier..."
She hesitates. He feels... nervous. On edge. He glances at the gun on her hip but it is safe for now. Why does he feel this way? She's had ample chance to turn on him, and she has no reason. A disagreement, nothing more. He takes a step--
Her face twists into something that is not quite hatred. "Mistah Kurtz, he dead."
He tries to answer in fury and shock, understanding it all in a flash, but then the ground gives way.
Malthus lies dying in the shallow pit. It destroyed his legs, and he knows her gun is on him.
"Why?" He asks. His throat is dry. "When?"
"When you went and got your recall," she says, her voice tight. "When you went away. Because I know where it all leads. I've seen it all before."
"What are you talking about?"
"Mistah Kurtz--"
"Do you honestly believe that tale and my own intentions coincided? Would you judge me a monster with so little consideration?" He coughed. It would not be the spikes themselves that killed but the blood, and that would be slow. She would keep him here. He could climb out, but then where would he go? He was trapped. "You're an... God, you're an idiot," Malthus seethes.
"No, I'm just me and you're just you, and that don't matter none. You think I'll long survive you?" She chuckles and it is not a sound of joy. "You think I don't know what I'm doing? I'm fixin' to be first and the last, Kurtz you colony-building fool. You think that it'll come out alright? I've been thinking... I've been listening, you see? To the air. And it was right! You'll bring the whole damn empire with you, and it'll all be Amarillo forever, gunships mowing down mom in the street! You think you're better because you ain't a facist with a blackshirt? You're just the same, you're all the same, and so am I. We're all in this together, filthy and murderous and awful!"
"You're insane. This place..." he cried out. He is filled with terror. This was not what he expected. He had never foreseen this. He saw Kiffa again, the Moorish rebels firing from the crags, he felt the heat on his face as his world spun.
"Yeah, yeah, and you're one to talk. You really, really think that we won't turn this place into a livin' nightmare? You don't think we'll do it all again here? And over and over and over?" She was practically in his ear now, but he was starting to feel too faint to try and look.
"You... you don't know that..."
"And now nobody has to, because I'm gonna make sure nothin' ever happens, and then I'm gonna make sure not even I can fuck it up. We're all gonna fuckin' go together."
"They'll... they'll come anyway... you'll only make... you've doomed them all."
"No, because I'm going to scare the shit out of them."
_____
I left the soulglow's memory early. I already knew what came next.
She burned the body with alchemical fire, that much I knew from the lingering trace in the air. The "auto-recall" I assume sent the poor human's charred remains back to his own land. I have no doubt she did the same with the "Federal".
The third death was less physical than spiritual.
I went deeper into the castle, and found the remains of her camp and the places where the manticore's claws had scarred the old stone. The hallways led me down, down towards the old treasure vault, and all the while I followed the fading aura she had left behind, her soul bleeding out in the middle of a great distress.
Down the long stairs I climbed, and I confess that I felt trepidation. I felt more and more of my own unintentional touch upon her. I had done so much work, trying to prevent this. What had I done? What had she done? How much of this was the madness of Presence and how much of it was her own determination? I did not know. I do not know.
I feared that it was less my own interference and more the huntress' own will.
I found her at last in the vault. It was mostly clear, save for a few dusty relics and a few old paintings.
I found her dirty, bloodstreaked, curled up in on herself, her whole body shaking. Her face twisted with an agony I did not wish to understand too closely. The weapon shook also in those hands of hers, limply against the underside of her jaw. Her ebony hands tried to tighten but could not.
"Gotta... gotta... Oh god. Oh god I can't."
I stared, for the first time in a long time without anything to say or any prepared plan. This... this I had not anticipated. Even now I feel again my initial shock.
It took me a moment to remember her name through the haze of that shock. "Samantha? Samantha, do you hear me? Can you understand me?"
"Traps. I have to... Like coyotes. Pin the body to the fence and they don't come back no more," she said, all but frothing. "Pin the bodies pin the bodies."
I took a deep breath. I could not retreat now. She would be too dangerous without something to keep her in check, and I would not choose her comfort over the safety of my ponies. And yet I would not abandon a fellow creature so lost. I drew closer and she groaned.
"I don't wanna die! I don't wanna die don't make me! I'm sorry! I didn't want him to do it but then he was movin' and I couldn't take it back! I shouldn't'a said it I shouldn'ta! Oh my god. Oh my god."
I scooped her up in my forelegs and stroked her strange, bright red mane. Obviously colored artificially, clashing strangely with her skin. These humans were beyond me. Her hair was coarse, not unlike a pony's fresh from the plains. Her eyes, unfocused. Her lips trembling. She looked at me but I do not think that at first she saw me.
"They can't come I don't want them to hurt anybody else. That little pony keeps lookin' at me and I feel like I'm those bastards in Amarillo. I'm the blackshirt now. I had to. I coulda found a way but I didn't! I just kept feelin it in my head like a drumbeat, over an' over. Oh my god." The last came out like a groan and I shushed her. She was streaked in blood, yes, but I realized that much of it was her own. She was cut in a dozen places, and I think those wounds were self-inflicted. She held her gun tight in her hand, and only with the most delicate touch of magic did I pry it free. She whimpered, cradling her hand as if it had been burned and murmured plaintively about hell and spells.
I must be truthful, if only with myself.
For the briefest of moments, I examined the weapon. Truly, it is a fearsome thing. In the old days, before I erased such things from the minds of mortals for hundreds of years, ponies mastered saltpeter and produced flintlock weapons. I recognized the basics but the implementation... this was beyond me. Rifling I knew of, but this was precise. Six shots before one of my ancient musketeers could have even reloaded! How terrifying rifles of this type would be.
For the briefest of moments, I imagined myself tilting the gun back to her temple, kissing her forehead...
And ending it.
I know that must shock you. I shocked myself. It was a terrible moment. I had just witnessed two murders and seen this poor mare devolve into gibbering madness merely by the presence of magic in a world full of it. She was a murderer, that much was clear. A killer, stained with blood. Dangerous and ruthless, capable of savagery that none of my precious little ponies could hope to stand against.
And perhaps I shared her fear. I imagined more poor, damaged humans such as her, with hearts for ponies but with bodies and souls made for a different world. Unable to bear our own, unable to let go of their guns until they were bathed in blood. And like the old man, like this poor soul, I too saw flashes of older days. I saw my sister, and the destruction she wrought on an unsuspecting world. I saw my own failures. I had not nipped the danger in the bud. I had not been a sister worthy of her. I had not done what was needed.
I destroyed her fearsome weapon.
She sobbed. I searched her swiftly with my magic, seeing my student's brilliant but inadequete work. I completed it, enshrouding her in protection so strong I doubted any but myself or Luna could even think to touch her with any arcane force.
She trembled, her breath ragged and warm against my coat.
"I think I killed myself," she said, and her hollow voice broke my heart.
"You have not," I said to her. "Samantha, do you recall anything? Anything at all?"
"All of it. Are you god?"
I did not let my anger show. "No."
"You're the one that... that one pony. Twilight Sparkle. She said you..." Her eyelids drooped. "Celestia, right?"
"Yes," I said quietly.
"It's over now. I don't know if it was right but I can't take it back. I didn't want them to hurt anybody so I hurt them. I'm no better. Please don't send me back. I don't wanna have to go back. I can't do it."
I took a deep breath. "Child, you are in no shape to talk now, please rest--"
She squirmed in my grip weakly. "Someone has to... has to understand. They think this place is too dangerous... I wanted... C..." She groaned. "I feel really..."
"Sleep," I said. "Your body has endured much."
"Shoulda done it..." she said, and then she said nothing else. |
The Warmth of Alien Suns | Conclusion | Celestia sealed the scroll and placed it on her desk.
With a heavy sigh, she looked to the sleeping human form, tossing and turning on the bed. Even now, her thoughts were twisted. It had taken a few hours, but soon it had all come together from the human's own logs and what Celestia could glean from her soulglow and the evidence left behind.
The plight of humanity pulled at her heart. So many lost, so many hungry and scared, waiting to die wherever they were. So many in darkness that was, dare she say it, all but eternal. If even half of the things suggested in the logs and by her own feelings were true... what hell she had seen and lived in.
Did that excuse her actions? Celestia was not sure. It certainly helped to explain them. With her limited ability to touch the minds of mortals, she had found a frightening amount of chaotic fragility. It had reminded her of a tower, one that might come crumbling down in an instant around her ears if a single brick were nudged slightly out of place.
What would she do? What could she do, rather, was the question.
It was not her world, and there was much she did not understand. Not to mention the obvious dangers of her own magic in contact with these creatures without proper protection. Food and medicine did not end war. Cynically, she thought they might even prolong it, giving mindless belligerents more energy to kill. She could not let their warring and their danger spill into her beloved world. At the same time, the thought of leaving them to die alone in the dark did not sit right.
She regarded the human still with quiet intensity.
Fluttershy and Zecora had been found safely by her guards, confused and worried for their friend. Twilight had written two letters already, beside herself with worry. Celestia had tried to relieve her of the burden of guilt--no, her report had not caused harm to the huntress in anyway. If anything, it was Twilight's report that had saved her life. But Celestia did not mention that.
What a contradiction, the mare... woman. The woman who slept on her own bed, bathed by her servants. Luna had come to see her and said very little. Celestia had been blessed by Luna's quiet comfort, and that had really been enough.
But what a contradiction. Savior of ponies she hardly knew, yet willing to slaughter her own kind. Such shame, and yet she had seemed so filled with... was it hatred? Perhaps. The whole thing left Celestia feeling a little ill and surprisingly shaken. Because it was not every day she found herself confronted with such a mess of information to make momentous decisions based upon. She had two dead and a single addled murderess to judge an entire world upon. She had the confession and the pleas of a young lady who seemed earnest, kindhearted, and sincere and the sleeping huntress who dealt death with deception.
She could not judge the justice of the Pioneer's motivations. She did not know this other Earth, and she did not know humanity, not in the present time. An overreaction? Maybe. The right choice? She did not want to say yes.
But she was Celestia, and she understood necessity.
Save or ignore? Save or destroy, because she had little doubt that to ignore would be to destroy. Come with open hooves or to bring order by the scepter? Neither, probably. The dread that accompanied the thought of a colony of Samanthas was not unlike the agony of the thought of them all like she had been in the ancient vault.
Celestia crossed over and sat beside the bed.
She softly moved a bit of the human's strange artificially red mane from her face. Save, destroy, ignore. Bring order or offer succor.
Celestia stared. Intensely. And she judged humanity by its broken remains. |
Your Human And You: Feet First Into Hell | pre | Maelstrom turned around and scanned the horizon before singling out a specific pattern and pointing towards it.
"What is that, out there?"
Meadow leaned onto the controls to view whatever it was that he was pointing at before gasping.
"That's Ponyville. We're so close."
"Close to what?"
"Freeing your people."
"Bullshit."
Meadow looked up to him in shock.
"W-what?"
"My people are already free. We fought for the last three decades to make sure of that. You, however, seem to not know the order of things in this galaxy."
"Galaxy?"
"What did your kind do to these survivors?" Maelstrom asked with malice.
"Survivors?"
"I don't care what you told them, we have not been here for six hundred years. It hasn't even been half that time since we started colonizing other planets."
Meadow was beyond lost.
"So let's get something straightened out, right now. You work for us, now."
Icepick and Meadow were equally stunned at that.
"If what I heard is true, then we're not getting past that town without someone managing the controls, and seeing heavily armed ODSTs holding several hostages isn't going to be the sneakiest move of all time. So let's make a deal. You get us past this checkpoint, get us close to that prison camp, or caravan thing, and drive this thing down to whatever that border is, then you get to live."
Maelstrom offered his hand to Meadow.
"Deal?"
Meadow felt conflicted, considering she wanted to help the Humans in the first place, but now she felt as though they were angry at her for trying to intervene. Regardless of her opinion, she needed to help them, and wanted to live. She raised her right foreleg to the ODST.
"D-deal."
With that, Maelstrom gripped the appendage and shook once, firmly, before letting go and placing his helmet back on.
"Attention fire-team," he spoke through the comms, "we're about to hit a check-point for the tram. Hide in the shadows and don't engage unless absolutely necessary. We're trying to keep the element of surprise here, and the last thing we need is a bounty on our heads by local law enforcement."
Green lights of acknowledgement flashed across the VISR and the ODSTs blended themselves with the darkness again.
\\\\\\//////
Princess Luna was beyond ecstatic, finally freed of Nightmare Moon's influence and having been welcomed back by the small town, as well as the Royal Guard. Her sister sat by her side, holding onto her as though they would lose each other while waiting for the train. She didn't mind, though. A thousand years of being apart from each other made the embrace far more comforting than that of their subjects, and she did not care how that came across. As they waited for the Royal Train to arrive, however, another one pulled into the station, with a pegasus as the front. When a few Guards began to close in on the transport, Luna swiveled her ears in the direction of the conductor as the Guards began to check through the cars.
"Any specific cargo, ma'am?"
"Um, y-yes. I have documents here for the Humans being brought out to Barnyard Bargains Mine Co. by the Minos border."
Luna didn't hear the next few words as she watched the Guards opened the car across from her to reveal several cages of Humans as they shied away from the light. Fear and shock gripped her heart when she saw the poor condition the Humans were being treated in. Their cages were cramped, and one looked to be severely injured. More cars opened to reveal more cages, all empty, but likely waiting for the prisoners.
"And the empty cages?" the station guard asked.
"Well, they told me to pick up another few dozen from a caravan a few miles ahead, and I've got the paperwork and bits if you need to see them."
"It's fine, ma'am."
As the Guards began to give orders to pack it up, Luna saw something shift in the darkness of the Human-filled car. She focused on her night-oriented spells and looked into the darkness. What she saw made her force herself to hold back a gasp.
Hidden in the dark corners of the car were armored Humans, covered head-to-hoof (or whatever they have) in black armor, save for their helmets, which sported silver plates of glass. They had crossbow-like weapons trained on the Guards as they moved about the station, while lights from their helmets began to shift in almost unnoticeable ways. Small red lines of light followed the Guards as they moved to close up the car, and when it did, her vision of the Humans was cut off for a brief period of time.
Luna cast a hollow-vision spell on herself to gaze through the wood of the train car, and found that several more were hiding in the cars of the train. One in the back held a small, slanted weapon while a massive one with two pipes rested on its back, and another opposite it was holding a weapon longer than her own wingspan, that hung a miniature skull by the back.
Before she could get a glimpse at the rest, however, the train sounded off and began down the tracks again. Luna felt a nudge at her side, causing her to drop the spell and look back at her sister.
"I understand you're confused about the Humans, sister, but I'll explain when we get to Canterlot."
Luna turned to watch the train leave the station, carrying warriors from beyond the stars away from her gaze.
"Thou best, dear sister."
\\\\\\//////
Hours later, upon their arrival to the city of Canterlot, Luna had to be introduced to many changes.
First of all, their old castle had been lost to the ages, only seen as a relic, or a horror story. Luna already knew that, seeing as how she was in it when she had been freed. Secondly, there had been many adjustments to the system of Royalty, as well as new members being introduced. At first, Luna was convinced that Princess Mi Amore Cadenza was actually her sister's daughter. It was only after half an hour of arguing that she agreed to identify her as an adoptive niece, rather than a blood-related family member. After meeting with some rather unpleasant nobles, one in particular that she despised, she finally had a chance to simply talk with her sister.
They were in the Royal Archives, simply strolling through as Celestia picked out several history books to fill in Luna over what had happened in the past thousand years.
"I'm so sorry to force this on you, again, sister," Celestia apologized for the seven thousandth time (Luna kept count mentally).
"Honestly, sister, we can't forgive thee any more times, lest we lose our own tongue keeping up."
Celestia giggled as she looked through more history texts.
Deciding to push the subject she had been mulling over since her return, Luna spoke up again.
"Sister, we wish to speak with thee about the Humans."
Her sister's smile almost entirely vanished before sighing lightly.
"When you start mentioning them, I keep forgetting that they've been around for only six hundred years. It must be confusing to see an entirely new species in Equestria."
"Especially these. Dost thou know how we, the Nightmare and I, escaped our prison?"
"I don't see what that has to do with Humans, Luna."
"Everything, sister," Luna said in a far more serious tone. "The Nightmare waited for the barrier to weaken, but yet it never came. We suspected that we would never return, trapped in a spell that ceased to weaken any further. That was, until something broke us free. Do you remember when these Humans first arrived? What was it like?"
"Well, when they did first arrive, they were scared and confused. So were our little ponies. They were beyond frightened by their arrival, seemingly out of nowhere. But when we approached, we saw that they had no idea or concept of magic."
That shocked Luna.
"Truly? How could they have arrived without magic?"
"I don't know. At first, I thought they were agents of Discord, or perhaps something from Tartarus itself, but I found no trace of either Chaos or Dark magic within them."
"What of their ship?"
Celestia paused and looked back at Luna.
"Their... what?"
"A vessel? Made out of metals? Did it perhaps fly over the land like a cloud, or did it roar like the mighty Dragon Skyholds? Or-"
Luna's questioning was interrupted by the sound of laughter from her dear sister. Miffed by the sudden change in mood, Luna pressed.
"What dost thou laugh at, sister? We are trying to understand the arrival of the first Humans."
"I-I'm sorry, but the way you said it," Celestia chuckled.
"Sister, this is no laughing matter. I believe the Humans are trying to send reinforcements."
Celestia responded by laughing again.
"Lulu, I love you, but the Human's aren't cut out for violence, or making any kind of magical ships like that."
"We know what we hast seen!" Luna proclaimed. "A Human vessel broke through the barrier that kept Nightmare and I at bay, and the demon dragged it down from the heavens. When we looked inside, we saw Humans in uniforms working several controls. Even when we were at the station, waiting for the Royal Train, we saw several armored Humans hiding in the darkness, with weapons we have never seen before."
"Luna, I assure you, the Humans are not from outside this planet," Celestia assured. "They can barely understand basic mathematics and reading. How could they achieve flying metal fortresses or become soldiers?"
"We know what we hath seen, sister!" Luna half-yelled. "Nightmare was just as shocked as I when the Humans arrived."
"Sister, please don't be upset," Celestia stated as she hugged her sister, "but I just think that maybe the demon tried to misguide you, again. It might have known it would be beaten, and thought about how to mess with your mind from beyond the grave. Don't let it get to you."
Luna contemplated her sister's words as she looked through the window, waiting for her time to come to set the moon for the first time in a millennia.
\\\\\\//////
Night fell upon the land before the still train, the soldiers inside waiting for the opportunity brought on by the darkness.
Maelstrom stepped off the transport and motioned for others to follow suit as the ODSTs began to scan the land for their objective. Behind the Sergeant, Meadow stepped down and hefted a large bag that jingled with each step.
"Um, excuse me, but, I have the bits for exchange here," Meadow stated while offering the ODST the bag.
"Is it some kind of currency?"
"Well, yes, but-"
"We don't negotiate or trade with terrorists," he stated before walking away from her.
"Wait, how do you plan on getting those other Humans from the caravan, then?" she called out.
"We're ODSTs. We'll find a way."
With that, the group of soldiers walked off into the darkness, eyes locked on a distant red tent. |
Your Human And You: Feet First Into Hell | Chapter 9 | Maelstrom adjusted his line of sight through the Magnum's Smart-Link scope as he laid down atop a small hill. On either side, his fellow Helljumpers were aiming down at the camp while Blind continued to scan the area before them.
"I've got visual on a vehicle, sir," the sniper reported. "Looks like some kind of aircraft. Propellers, big engine, and one massive balloon in the middle."
"Good to know. How many on guard?" Maelstrom responded.
"None. It's just out in the open."
"Easy pickings, Troopers," Maelstrom spoke proudly. "What about the camp itself? Civies? Hostiles?"
"Counting at least twenty civilians from this angle, can't get a read on any hostiles, though. Just- wait, contact spotted!"
"Give us a visual, Blind."
Maelstrom's VISR lit up to display the image being shared from Blind's secondary camera, giving the squad a visual of the slavers. The three figures stepped out of the cover of the red tent to reveal their forms under the light of the moon. They all were walking on four legs, but these creatures were vastly different. Each of them had a set of wings, and resembled a large cat mixed with a bird. Instead of angled faces, they had beaks, while their front legs had claws at the ends instead of a flat surface. All of them wore some kind of heavy cloth, and were carrying long, flat swords on their backs.
"The fuck are those?" Cowbell questioned.
"Enemies of the UNSC for harboring civilians as slaves," Maelstrom answered, "that's what they are."
The ODSTs continued to watch as the three figures moved towards the caged civies while holding buckets. As they passed by each cage, they threw the contents of the buckets into the confined spaces, sending pale-brown mush flying into the civilians. After the three left, the Troopers were boiling over with rage at seeing their own kind being treated like animals.
"Blind, switch to thermal," Maelstrom ordered.
Upon receiving the order, Blind switched the rifle's scope to thermal imaging, revealing around thirty of the alien figures all bundled together near the center of the tent. A large number of Human figures were lined up closer to the opposite end of the tent, almost 70 or so meters.
"Alright, here's the plan," Maelstrom began, mentally preparing for the second rescue operation within a day.
\\\\\\//////
"Alright teams," Shining Armor spoke to the crowd of Nighthawks and Dawnguards, "we've finished securing the site and have swayed the interest of the locals to something far enough away to buy us time to start making noise. As of now, this is a recovery operation. We are to find a way inside the structure, secure any and all technologies we can find, and if whatever flew it is still alive, attempt contact. If they open fire, but don't manage to hurt anypony, the Princess can salvage the situation. Any questions?"
A hoof in gold armor shot up.
"Yes?"
"What if we find some kind of weapon?"
"Then you are to handle it with extreme care, as if it were your own newborn foal. Anything else?"
Another hoof, this time clad in dark blue armor, shot up.
"Yes?"
"Why do we need to secure anything from in there? Shouldn't we wait to see if anything's still alive in there and try to contact them if they come out?"
"We have no idea whether or not this is a failed invasion attempt, since Science says it came down with Nightmare Moon. For all we know, there could be demons in there. Now, any more questions?"
Silence reigned through the camp before Shining nodded to the group of armored professionals.
"Good. Remember, this is for the safety of Equestria, and known only to the Crown. Everything you see, hear, feel, or even think about here is classified under the highest priority. Any leak, no matter what size, even if it's what you had for dinner, or what time you used the can, will be considered treason of the highest degree. Until we find something game changing, we are not here, never were, and never will be. Now let's get to work!"
\\\\\\//////
"Commander, the Unicorns are trying to invade," Lisa spoke over the comms. "There's a sentence that's guaranteed to get me deactivated."
"Where?"
"Fire-team Nightmare's launch deck, through one of the exits for the SOEIV pods."
"Progress?"
"Their equipment, from what I've seen, is barely comparable to what we had over 600 years ago, so it'll take endless weeks of torching to try to cut through the hat- hold on," Lisa paused, "they're using some kind of unknown energy. It's already broken through the first layer of the hatch! I suggest we-"
The Commander didn't give the A.I. time to finish her suggestion, as he spoke into the comms with the idea already in mind.
"Attention, all available hands! We have unknown contacts attempting to get in through Nightmare's prep bay! We don't have much time as is, let's get a move on!"
Without waiting to hear out Lisa's concerns, Matthias got up from his seat and began to jog towards the elevator.
\\\\\\//////
"I love this plan," Cowbell stated as he hefted up his twin-tubed rocket launcher.
"Remember, one shot," Blind reminded him.
"Let me have the moment."
"Fine. Wind moving North-East, 2.13 mph, elevation at 4.3 meters from target's position, approximately 81.39 meters from our current position."
"Copy, adjusting," Cowbell responded as he gently moved his arms and lined up the lower tube with his mental imaging of numbers and formulas.
"Got it?"
"I'm so fucking ready for this."
Cowbell licked his dry lips as he stared at the aircraft, already seeing the fire dance in his vision.
\\\\\\//////
Maelstrom peeked his head out of the tall grass before the lines of cages, holding back a large number of civilians. Several green lights of acknowledgement lit up on his VISR, signalling the team's readiness for the operation.
"Permission to speak freely, sir," Black Eye spoke over the comms.
"Granted."
"We need a name for this operation. Anyone got ideas?"
"Operation: 'Shut-up-or-fuck-off'?" Sputnik suggested.
"Operation: 'Cat-skinning'?" Icepick spoke up.
"I've got a good one, sir," Cowbell stated.
"What is it?"
"Before I say it, shall we start the party?"
Maelstrom knew immediately where this was going to go, and smirked.
"Go for it."
\\\\\\//////
Light Feather sighed as he continued to stare at his reflection in the flat surface of his longsword, bored out of his mind. With barely a thing to do besides watch over the Balloon, which literally wasn't going anywhere without him. He slid the sword into its scabbard and shifted in his hammock, trying to find a comfortable position to sleep in. When he finally felt halfway relaxed, Feather closed his eyes and was ready to sleep.
"Screw the schedule, it's not like-"
Before he could even finish his crude remark about the staff management, a voice shouted in the distance.
"OPERATION: 'CRAKATOWA'!"
Just then, a flash of light ignited from a field in the distance, and flew straight into the gas storage. Everything was engulfed in a wave of heat and light before a piece of metal flew out and smacked the Griffon straight in the face, turning his world to black. |
Your Human And You: Feet First Into Hell | Chapter 10 | Maelstrom watched as several figures began to swarm for the fire that was once their transport, shouting at each other in some unknown language that consisted of chirps and clicks.
"Move!" he ordered to his team.
At once, all five ODSTs bolted upward from their respective positions in the grass and began to run straight for the unguarded cages.
\\\\\\//////
"Son of a shit!" Cowbell cursed. "What kind of statistics were those, Blind!?"
"Hand to God, those readings were right!"
"That rocket was almost ten degrees off course! We could've blown the whole operation!"
"You think I don't know that!? Just keep your sights trained on those winged fuckers and try to keep low, now move!"
The two stayed silent as they began to sprint close to the ground to keep their cover, unaware of the lessened burden they should have felt.
\\\\\\//////
Black Eye slammed the but of his M45-D into the lock before him, shattering the weak metal and sending the cage door flying inwards. The civilians jumped back from the swinging object as the ODST motioned for them to leave.
"We're here to help! Move out, towards the tracks! Find the tram and get on board!" he and the four other ODSTs repeated to each cage they busted open.
With each one they opened, more and more civilians began to run across the hills, a few stumbling on their way to the tram in the distance. Sputnik kept his M7S trained on the skies in case the winged creatures decided to check on their catch, while Icepick kept her sights trained on the empty sleeping area.
"Last group!" Maelstrom shouted as he slammed the handle of his Magnum against the rusted contraption.
The ODST Sergeant pulled the door open for the civilians and motioned for them to move. Immediately, the group ran out of the confined space as the ODSTs swept the area one last time.
"Clear!"
"Clear!"
"Clear!"
"Clear!"
"Clear!"
With all cages cleared out of civilians, the ODSTs began to book it in the direction of the tram. Maelstrom flashed a green light over the VISR to Blind and Cowbell before receiving two confirmations.
"Alright everyone," he spoke into the comms, "eyes on the skies. Anything up there following us, bring it down."
Green lights flashed over his VISR once more as he turned around to scan the air with his Magnum, a group of nearly 80 people running for their lives.
\\\\\\//////
Midnight Sweep grunted as he felt the weight of the unknown metal land on his Lunar Guard armor. With a few steps, he was able to deposit the slab of metal onto a pile they had started moments ago as they cut into a weaker part of the alien structure.
"Whoa," he heard Shear mutter in surprise.
"Ugh, wha... whoa," Midnight spoke as he looked into the hole they had finally cut through.
Inside was a massive chamber with bits and pieces of items strewn about, likely from the crash, and several pieces of furniture bolted down. To either side, they could see similar chambers to the one their heads were poking through, and to the right, they could see what looked like a futuristic barracks. All the beds were in metal stands that were bolted to the walls, and looked fluffier than anything either Guard had seen all through basic. There was also a couch set up facing a wall, where a large piece of cracked glass hung loosely. Lockers also decorated the area near the beds, pulling together the military look.
"We found a way in!" Shear called out with a panicked voice.
Several other Guards began to swarm the area, pushing Midnight and Shear into the ship as they heard others beginning to climb in. One of the first few was their group's Sergeant, Hammer, and one of the scientist following him, Glyph. Both looked around with mixed emotions, though the scientist was wearing a broad smile.
"Amazing! Look at all of this! Alien architecture!" he shouted while spinning around, trying to take in everything at once.
"This looks like a barracks, but it's too small," Hammer said skeptically. "They either came here with a small scouting party, or some kind of super soldiers."
"And who's to say they came here for war?" Glyph responded. "Maybe they came here to study us, or to offer peace! Maybe they came here by accident, who knows!? I know we won't unless we try to find some recollection of their actions."
"We're sitting in a giant crater, smart-flank."
"I mean an actual record of their data! Maybe just a sample of a computer, or... try looking around."
The Sergeant gave a huff before turning to see three more Guards behind him, two Lunar and one Dawn. He motioned for them to search before they saluted and took off. As they did, Hammer and Glyph moved to examine the large metal racks that were lined up next to the empty shafts. Below the racks, they saw empty shelves that had a few scuff marks.
"These are recent," Glyph observed, "like whatever was in here was taken out right before we could get in."
"Stars at night!" a guard shouted as something metallic hit the floor.
All the ponies nearby looked over to see a large crate toppled over onto one of the Solar Guards, crushing his wing.
"AAAAGGHHH! Get it off me!" he shouted.
At once, several other armored ponies began to push the box away, struggling to get the thing to move. When they managed to roll it off, however, everypony fell to the deck as the sound of armors clanging rang through the small room. Nopony could get up against the unknown magic they were feeling, pinning the lot of them to the ground.
"Wha... what's... going on?" Hammer managed to grunt out.
"G-gravity... intensified," Glyph grunted. "Likely... the alien's... average g-force."
Before Hammer could press further, however, the pressure from the extra gravity seemed to vanish. Around him, several other Guards were getting up and were trying to move the injured pegasus. While they started, however, the large hanging plane of glass flickered to life and broadcast a horrifying image before them all. In the front was a large Human skull, covered in flames. Behind it was a large metallic container, and a banner that ran underneath both objects, with a single, alien word broadcast in the Equestrian alphabet. |
Your Human And You: Feet First Into Hell | Chapter 11 | Shining Armor watched as the technicians began to heft out the large crate that had collapsed moments ago onto an unsuspecting pegasus Guard. While his wing would take long to heal, he'd be able to fly again one day. For now, however, he was being sent off under an oath of secrecy to recover in a small town, where the rest of his family resided. The stallion couldn't blame the Guard's personal decision, considering he had others to think of as well. Now, however, he could only focus on the mission at hoof. He had to find out what was inside that box.
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"What the Hell was in that crate, Lisa?" Commander Matthias asked.
"Four emergency survival kits and a datapad, currently logged on by Corporal Sputnik."
"Last known search?"
"Classical music, around the 1800s. At its current power, however, it won't last for 37 seconds."
The Commander stayed silent as he watched the unicorns pry the crate open on the bridge's main screen.
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Shining Armor eyed the large bags cautiously as the hazard teams prepared special containers of their own. One unicorn in a hazard-prep suit opened the bag to examine the contents, one at a time. The first thing he pulled out was a small plate of clear glass, held together by a small frame of metal. Next came a green box with writing on it in Equish, just like the reports had said when the investigation had been halted, due to the gravitational anomaly. On it read, "UNSC Survival Kit," and had an eagle with its wings spread over it. After that was placed into the container, out came a box with a familiar theme. It was white with a single red cross, much like their own medical emergency kits. It too was put into the container before something strange was pulled out. It was in the shape of the handle of a Minotaur crossbow, but simply ended with a wide, stout barrel. The object was barely big enough to avoid being hidden in somepony's muzzle.
After that, the bag had been folded and placed into the container, along with three more just like it.
"Just some kind of dang survival kit, by the looks of it," Hammer observed.
"But what about the orange thing?" Glyph questioned. "Maybe it was some kind of weapon, or a signal flare, like our magical ones?"
"We'll know when Canterlot Science figures it out," Shining stated. "Get this on the next train out of Apploosa, along with Private Glance."
The hazard teams had begun to relocate the crate as well as their own container, ready to enchant the items for immediate transport.
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Princess Luna watched over the seemingly endless expanse of Equestria, trying to find a calm in the raging hurricane of confusion she was in. She had red through several dozen tomes of historical knowledge, trying to learn what she hadn't been around for. Several things had made her cringe, such as the "Children of Nightmare" cult waging war against the Equestrian government, as well as the "Cult Solar" rising against them, if only to paint her sister in the same light of false godhood. Everything she had read on had been another twinge of pain to her mind and soul, tearing her apart from the inside, struggling to keep track of everything that she should know.
Just as a sigh was escaping her lips, a small burst of light drew her attention.
The alicorn called upon her ancient magic to enhance her view of the events in the distance, curious since the fireworks had ceased long ago.
She was now looking upon the progress of the armored Humans from the train, as they began to escort a large number of other Humans to the same vehicle.
Her mind ceased to think of anything else, instead focusing on the aliens that were running from the burst of flames and light that were already fading into nothingness. All seven of them were now rushing for the metallic transport, and began to pile in other Humans. In minutes, they too were on board the train, save for one. Luna focused her mind on that one, and began to feel into the mysterious soldier.
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Maelstrom lifted himself into the operator's car of the tram and slammed a fist into the side twice.
"Punch it," he spoke to Meadow, "get us out of here!"
The alien captive didn't speak back as she pushed a lever forward to start the motions of the wheels beneath them. A single push later, the tram was already in motion down the tracks. Behind the alien, Sputnik sighed as he leaned against a wall, holding out a hand for the Sergeant to grasp and slam their chests into each other.
"We did it, sir," he spoke happily.
"Of course we did. And why's that?" he asked over the comms.
"Because we're Helljumpers!" came the chorus of replies.
Just as Maelstrom was about to praise the team for getting the right answer, images of his past suddenly flashed before his eyes. Images of Arcadia, training, Earth, the Ark, and the Battle of Hat Yai. Voices and screams began to sound through his ears as he felt his body give out underneath him.
"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHRRRREEEEEEUUUUUGGGGHHH!!!!!!" Maelstrom struggled to shout as he began to convulse on the ground, his limbs lashing out against his command.
"Shit!" Sputnik screamed as he dropped his weapon and tried to steady Maelstrom. "Icepick, we need medical attention, now! Maelstrom's having an attack!"
"What's going on!?" Meadow asked, panicking internally at seeing the Human thrashing about.
"I don't fucking know! Icepick, get here now!"
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Luna pulled back from the mind of the Human soldier, gasping and struggling to contain her screams. Of all the horrors she had seen throughout her life, none had prepared her for that. Even when she thought back to the atrocities of insane mages and failed experiments, from evil conquerors and overlords bent on destruction, to simple beasts that only wanted blood... nothing compared to what she just witnessed. The images were still flashing around her mind, taking away her focus as she felt her magic surging away from her in all directions. A number of muffled sounds came from the world around the Princess before she felt her body seize up and collapsed to the floor, unconscious once again. |
Your Human And You: Feet First Into Hell | Chapter 12 | Maelstrom watched as several thousand memories played through his mind in fast-forward, likely burning his eyes as he watched countless others die in combat. Not only was he reliving his memories of the Covenant War, but also his few skirmishes against Insurrectionists. Blood of different colors stained his hands, armor, weapons, and everything else that constantly changed around him. He tried to scream out or simply close his eyes, but was unable to control anything around him. Barely audible voices started to cut into his hearing, fading in and out of the memories.
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"Shit, what's going on!?" Icepick panicked as she opened the first-aid kit.
"I don't know, just try to stop it!" Sputnik shouted.
Maelstrom continued to thrash about on the floor of the tram car, his limbs going about in random motions as his face contorted in pain. The Sergeant was held down by Sputnik while Icepick dug around for any kind of medicine that could help in this scenario. As she did, Maelstrom began to experience something beyond his own memories.
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Familiarity left Maelstrom's senses as he watched several different alien species battle across a large field. Blue lights began to flash around him as the visions changed over and over again, progressing through them similarly to his own memories. After what felt like an eternity, the visions finally paused.
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Icepick and Sputnik watched in horror as Maelstrom simply fell limp to the ground, his thrashing finally ceasing as he laid still. Neither noticed the faint blue glow in his eyes.
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Maelstrom finally felt a sense of freedom as he began to move about the strange landscape, his armor fully donned. As if out of nowhere, his Magnum was now in his hands, and fully loaded. The ODST began to lift it up, and scanned the area around him. It looked as though he were walking around some kind of star-map, with images of aliens similar to Meadow flashing in and out. Some of the images had Humans in them, but were disturbing to say the least. A large number of the ones with Humans involved sexual acts, while a few showed them as slaves being whipped into submission. Just as he was about to do something, however, a voice spoke to him.
"What art thou doing in mine realm?"
Maelstrom spun around and leveled his Magnum at the face of a new alien. It was likely a related species to Meadow, he assumed because of its four-legged form and large head. However, where as Meadow had wings, this one had wings and a large horn on its head. Its body was largely navy blue, with a blotch of black on its rear. The hair and tail, however, were something else entirely. Both groups were waving around in some kind of breeze, and seemed to be made of the blackness of space, with stars dotting it in fixed places. As the creature shifted, its hair continued to change, the stars within shifting around and being replaced with new ones.
"Halt," it spoke in a female voice, "We recognize thee. The locomotive. Seven of thy kind, warriors of some sort. We are correct, would you say?"
Maelstrom felt conflicting emotions as he stared at the creature before him.
"We know this must confuse thy senses, considering where we speak now."
Cautiously, Maelstrom finally spoke.
"Who's 'we'?" he asked.
The alien tilted its head to the side a bit.
"What doth thou mean?"
"You keep saying 'we'. Who else is here?"
"Ah, you mistake our tongue for another meaning, soldier. We only announce ourselves as such for royal purposes."
"Do all of your kind speak like that?"
"Hath you not met more of our subjects?"
'So this is their ruler,' Maelstrom thought. 'Weird mind-shit aside, this could be worse.'
"Only spoke to one so far, so not much to go on."
The alien nodded.
"We apologize for intruding upon thy personal space. All we wanted was a perspective on thy and thy company's motives."
"So you tried to get into my brain?" Maelstrom asked, slightly raising his Magnum.
"We only wanted a glimpse, not to cause trouble. If anything, we wish to help thy kind."
Maelstrom hesitated the thought of leveling the Magnum with the alien's head as it said this.
"I'm listening."
The horn atop its head began to glow as the image around them shifted from a starry expanse to a large, bright castle. Hallways zipped by in a flash before stopping in front of a large chamber.
"This is where we shall wait. Once hast found solitude for the innocent ones, we wish to meet with thy fellows as well."
"How will that help us?"
"We will help in thy search of thine vessel."
Maelstrom edged the end of the Magnum's barrel at the temple of the alien.
"What do you know about our ship?" he demanded in a threatening tone.
The alien looked to him cautiously, but not with anger. Instead, it looked almost sad.
"We wish we knew more than we do now. However, with mine sister's assistance, we shall find thy vessel, and aid in thy escape."
Maelstrom hesitated his finger on the trigger for a moment before pulling it back, but kept it in his grasp.
"Where was all this willingness to help when the first of my kind came here?"
"We weren't present at the time. Only today had we been freed from a thousand years of confinement."
'Christ almighty, a thousand years?' Maelstrom thought to himself.
"We understand if thou are hesitant. All we ask is for your consideration."
The ODST thought for a few moments, weighing the options between searching for the Lost in the Stars with just his squad as back-up, finding it with the help of an alien leader, or being betrayed by said leader only a few minutes later. All things considered, he knew that his ODSTs would make it out in one piece. Without further prompting, Maelstrom holstered the Magnum and held out his hand to the alien.
"Maelstrom. Member of the 105th Shock Troops Division and leader of ODST fire-team Nightmare."
A smile came to the face of the alien as it picked up one of its appendages and placed it in Maelstrom's hand.
"Princess Luna. Entity of the Nightly Power, raiser of the Moon, and co-ruler of Equestria. We thank thee graciously for this chance."
Before he could respond, Maelstrom felt everything around him be pulled out at once as he felt a sharp pain in his lungs.
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Maelstrom woke up in a coughing fit, the world around him a dark blur. He put a hand out to the ground and slowly started to move. When he began to stand up, he felt a pulsating sensation in every part of his body. Blinking to adjust his sight, Maelstrom looked around the immediate area. Sputnik and Icepick were both watching him closely, the former offering his hand to the Sergeant. Maelstrom firmly grasped it as he was hefted up onto his feet.
"Thanks," he groaned to Sputnik.
"Sir, what was that?" Icepick asked.
The ODST paused as he tried to think back to decades-old medical records.
'Shit, what was it those ONI spooks called it? Bornes? Broens? Come on... oh, right!'
"Boren's Syndrome," Maelstrom stated.
"Never heard of it."
"Rare neurological disorder. Only a few in a million get it."
"Sir, are you gonna be alright for combat?" Sputnik asked hesitantly.
"I'm fine. Docs said that the build-up of stress would either kill me or just... whatever just happened. I'm still here, and I'm fine."
"With all due respect, sir," Icepick argued, "you're clearly not fine. You almost died right then and there! Maybe we should find the ship first and get you some medical attention."
"Private, I've survived the entire Covie war with this disease, it's not gonna kill me now," Maelstrom stated.
"Maelstrom-" Sputnik started.
"SERGEANT, Maelstrom, trooper," Maelstrom corrected. "I'm perfectly fine."
"Permission to speak freely, sir," Sputnik asked.
"Denied. They told me it'll only happen once, and then that's it. No more worries," Maelstrom lied on the spot. "Now, let's focus on the mission at hand, understood?"
The other troopers exchanged a concerned look before nodding towards Maelstrom.
"Good. Meadow, how long til we get to wherever we need to go?" Maelstrom asked the alien.
"Three hours," it answered.
"Alright. Icepick, Sputnik, go check on the civies."
"Yes, sir," they responded, giving a salute.
The two troopers left Maelstrom as he looked around for his helmet, unaware of the stare that Meadow was giving him. |
Your Human And You: Feet First Into Hell | Chapter 13 | Princess Celestia watched as the armored train moved in under the cover of the dark morning. She had yet to raise the Sun, and was holding off doing so to see what procurements the First Reclamation had gotten from the alien ship. Apparently, this thing had come down at the same time that her sister had returned. After reading through several reports, and getting agents out to cover up the stories being spawned, Celestia noticed something that clicked together.
Luna mentioned that it was a ship that had broken Nightmare Moon out of her imprisonment. Not only that, but images that on-site recorders had found Equish writing on the hull of the alien vessel, labeling it as: "UNSC Lost in the Stars". How fitting, she realized, that the stars had aided in her escape. Destiny was a frustrating thing, the Princess thought, amazed by the event.
However, Celestia did not think it to be Human in origin, not by a long shot. This vessel's hull, the reports had read, is capable of withstanding dragonflame torches turned to maximum overdrive. No metal on Equis could stay in solid form for so long. Not only that, but its propulsion is non-magical in origin, and is powered by something unimaginably strong. Estimated output by the vessel in its inoperable state are estimated to be more than 8 million times the total electrical output of Equestria and the Griffon empire. To think that Humans, of all creatures, could have built something like that was something akin to comedy in the scientific community.
The Princess did not hold that against her sister, however, since it was probably Nightmare's influence over her psyche that made her sister see Humans as opposed to the actual aliens.
Her thoughts ceased as the armored train hissed to a stop before her, and several Guards began to file out and secure the platform. One in particular bowed to the Princess as she spoke.
"Good morning, Your Highness," the officer spoke as she rose from the bow with a salute. "We've readied the quarantine container with the unknown items, but before we left, reclamation found another crate inside the vessel."
"Oh?" Celestia asked with an eyebrow raised. "What was in it?"
"We have no idea. I suggest we let Science figure it out when we get it through processing."
Celestia nodded.
"Excellent. We've readied the lab's quarantine zone. Begin transport. I'll accompany you."
"Yes ma'am."
With that, the Guards began to line up along the darkened streets of Canterlot, blocking off any intercepting ponies that could see the hazard teams carrying orange boxes through the tunnels leading to the Castle, closely followed by a group carrying a crate with the picture of a skull with wings.
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Maelstrom watched as the Sun finally began to rise over the horizon, bathing the landscape in a refreshing, warm light. The ODST could finally see the landscape for what it truly was now, and found himself staring at the beautiful scenery that sped by him.
It looked as though they were going along the surface of a broken lake, with large pockets of water separated by thin strips of land that had lush, green grass across each piece. The tracks beneath the tram seemed to be fixed on the surface of the water at a distance, but when it began to chug over the liquid surface, Maelstrom was amazed to see how clear the blue truly was. If he focused his sight, the ODST could see straight down through the surface and watch as multiple forms of aquatic life began to retreat from the tram. After a few seconds of time over the water, Maelstrom could see large support beams underneath the tracks, keeping them above the water.
The trooper let out a sigh as he slumped back into the space he was in. Opposite of him in the car, Meadow began to wake up and gave a light yawn as she regained consciousness. She blinked until her vision was clear and looked over to the Sergeant.
"Um... g-good morning," she spoke hesitantly. "Are you doing alright?"
"I'm fine," he answered automatically.
"Oh, sorry. I-It's just... that was scary, what happened last night."
"Boren's Syndrome only attacks once, then I'm fine. It passed."
Meadow seemed to visibly shrink under the words alone of the ODST. Wanting to change the subject, Maelstrom pulled out his Magnum and began to run an inspection over it while he talked to Meadow.
"How close are we to your contact's rendezvous?"
"Oh! I almost forgot! Um, hold on."
Meadow retreated to a small semi-office that the tram car had to the side of the control panel and began examining the map. As she did, Maelstrom released the magazine of the Magnum and popped out the round in the chamber. He glimpsed down the barrel and nodded to himself after checking the condition. Maelstrom placed the loose round into the top of the magazine and slammed it back into the Magnum before cocking it once more and held it in his hand.
The world seemed to fade away as he stared at his hand gun, and thought back to the attack of memories before he talked to the illusion of the alien's supposed leader. A certain memory clung to the forefront of his thoughts, and he decided to act on it. Maelstrom pushed his hand out forward and clicked the safety on as he let the Magnum spin on his trigger finger. The weapon spun a few times on his finger before Maelstrom caught it mid-spin and leveled it at one of the birds that got out of the way of the train. The safety kept him from killing the creature, but the ODST was sure that it would have been a nice, clean kill.
"Still got it," he said with a smirk.
"Wow."
Maelstrom looked over to see Meadow staring at him with a small smile which disappeared as soon as he saw it. Immediately, he tried to focus back on what he had asked only a few seconds ago.
"So, how long until we get to your contact?"
"R-right... uh... carry the... about, eight minutes?"
Maelstrom nodded to her before reaching over and grabbing his helmet. He slipped it on spoke into the comms.
"Wake up, buttercups. We're arriving at the unknown contact's location in 8 mikes. Prep for combat but don't open fire until I give word."
"Yes, sir!" came the chorused response.
The ODST began to stand up slowly as Meadow began to sit on the strange seat before the console and looked over the devices. Without a word, Maelstrom approached the console and looked out towards the tracks, finding a large rock formation roughly 600 meters ahead.
"I-If you don't mind me asking," Meadow started softly, "what was that spinning thing you were doing?"
Maelstrom sighed as he looked down to his hand at the Magnum.
"Picked it up a few decades ago, before the Covenant War."
"The what?"
"Big war that I spent most of my life fighting in. Doesn't matter. I didn't learn it for me."
"Well, um, why did you learn it, then?"
"My son loved watching old western-style movies. Always loved how the heroes would spin their guns like this," Maelstrom demonstrated once more to the fascination of the alien, "before taking down the bad guys. I spent months trying to figure out how to do it, so when I was on shore-leave, I could show him how cool his old man was."
"Well, he must be very happy."
Maelstrom slowly nodded as he felt his heart ache again.
"Yeah. He loved seeing it. I used to spin this thing about a hundred times a day when I was home. At one point, he asked if he could do that when he becomes a soldier, just like his old man. Proudest moment of my life, right then and there."
"Aw, that's beautiful. How is he now?"
Maelstrom gripped the Magnum hard enough to start losing feeling in his fingers, but eased off as he took a deep breath.
"I don't know. He signed up for the UNSC Marine Corps back in 2537, haven't heard from him since."
"Oh. What year is it now, then?"
"2557."
"Oh."
Silence fell between the two as the rock formation was now only 400 meters away.
Maelstrom had no idea why, but he felt the urge to continue the conversation.
"What about you? Any family or others?"
"Well... my parents were both Unicorns in Canterlot, the capitol city of Equestria. They weren't exactly welcome among their peers since I was born a Pegasus."
'Wow, that's racist,' Maelstrom thought to himself.
"When we moved to Ponyville a few years later, I think I was 9, we had adopted a Human child we found on the side of a road. He... he means so much to me."
At this point, Meadow's face began to turn red as a smile came onto her lips.
"We spent almost every day together. He would help me when we went to get groceries, and I would help him learn to read and write."
"The injured one."
Meadow blinked a few times as she looked up to Maelstrom.
"W-what?"
"It doesn't take a degree in Theoretical Physics to put two and two together to make four. Icepick, the lovely lady with the big knife, told me all about what you had said. So now a question: why are you trying to relocate him?"
"W-well, a few years ago, a law was passed that said that Humans and Ponies can no longer be wed by any courts in Equestria. So, we planned on moving to Minos, but there was already a law in place against Humans traveling as anything besides cargo. We heard about this shipment of Humans being smuggled to a transport, and since the Minotaurs view Humans as a subspecies of themselves, they have the same rights as everyone else there."
"Then why was that one guy trying to kill him?"
Meadow cringed at that mention.
"That... was Brick. He came onto the smuggling ring for the bits, and tried to sleep with me. When he found out Geo and I were going to Minos to get married... you saw the damage. And... stopped it."
"What we saw was an unknown element brutalizing an innocent civilian. We acted as any military or police force would and should have in that situation. I do not regret ordering my men to neutralize the hostile."
"I just... think you could have stopped him without-"
"Keeping an innocent civilian alive? Absolutely not."
"But... what if you just tried to stop him without hurting him?"
"He would have fought back and tried to kill us."
"But does that make it right to you?"
"We just came out of a three decade long war and were under the threat of extinction. Doing things that way isn't something ODSTs are used to, especially when dealing with anything that isn't Human."
Meadow seemed to droop as tears began to form in her eyes.
"Look, they're practically kids, compared to me. All they've known is 'shoot anything that isn't Human'. Obviously, not all of your kind support this look on my kind, right?"
Meadow nodded.
"Y-yes. There are several Dukes that are against the anti-Human campaigns, like Fancy Pants and Blueblood, as well as some high members of the multiple Guard divisions."
"And one of your Princesses."
"W-what?"
Meadow was looking at Maelstrom with a sense of confusion and fear before he spoke again.
"When I blacked out, your Princess did some weird communications thing. She was blue, had hair like the night sky, picture of a moon on her back, think her name was... Luna?"
"P-P-P-Princess L-Luna?" Meadow asked as she began to shake.
"Yeah, why? What's wrong with her?"
"S-she's... back? Is she no longer Nightmare Moon?"
'And this just got weird,' Maelstrom thought to himself.
"And she saw you? She spoke to you?"
"Apparently she's been wanting to help us since she saw us land. Didn't get a chance to talk until I had that seizure, though."
"Do... do you think she had something to do with your..."
Maelstrom paused as he thought about the possibility of Luna's involvement with his attack. Boren's Syndrome didn't actually cause spasms that violent, if any at all. She had been waiting to talk to him when he was unconscious, though, and that was eerie enough without thinking to connect the dots.
"Maybe... gonna have to talk this out later."
"Are you going to meet her?"
Maelstrom nodded.
"She gave me a vision of some kind. I know where she wants to meet me, and she even gave me a little tour of some secret passages. We're heading there as soon as this little excursion is over. Speaking of," Maelstrom trailed off as he saw the rocks begin to give way to the tram's path.
As the tram began to grind to a halt, the trails began to curve into the rock formation and broke apart to reveal a massive balloon-based vehicle. Outside of it were creatures that were certainly somewhere between the ODSTs' definitions of "friendly" and "shoot first, questions later".
"The Hell are those?" Maelstrom asked.
"Minotaurs," Meadow answered.
Their top halves were mainly Human, save for their faces which resembled that of the other aliens he had seen on the planet, thus far, except they had horns on both sides of their heads. Instead of skin colors, however, they were differentiated by fur colors, ranging from blues to browns, and everything in between. The legs of each one were colored similarly to their torsos, but were more like the back legs of the alien next to him. All of them wore some kind of plated armor, and were carrying swords and shields. When they saw the tram coming, they began to move for it, only to stop as Maelstrom hopped out.
"Nightmare, out of the tram, but don't open fire until I give word."
Behind him, several doors opened to reveal the rest of fire-team Nightmare, all exiting the tram with their visors turned to their signature setting, with the flaming skulls of the ODSTs overtaking the silver plating. Maelstrom did the same as he watched the reticle for his Magnum center on his HUD. When they were all close enough, Maelstrom signaled for the ODSTs to stop. The Minotaurs watched dumbfounded as the troopers held a line of only seven against fifty. A deep chuckled sounded through the area, and the largest one walked towards Maelstrom. This one was a dark brown, standing nearly six-foot, eight-inches tall. It had a ring going through its nostril, and wore round plates of armor that swayed as it walked, hanging off of some fabric. On its back was a massive hammer, the head of which was almost the width of an Assault Rifle.
"Well now," it spoke in a deep, masculine baritone, "what have we here? Humans in armor? What are you doing?" it asked with a wide smile.
"Hold on!" Meadow called from behind the line of ODSTs.
All the Minotaurs looked beyond the seven soldiers to see a pegasus moving to open each and every car of the tram and revealed several large groups of Human civilians. Just as a few Minotaurs began to move, Sputnik leveled his SMG at the group, shaking his head.
"Don't move," he threatened.
"Or what? You'll hit us with a miniature arrow?" one of the Minotaurs asked.
"I'd suggest you listen to my fellow troopers. We're very short tempered, as of late."
The large one was frowning slightly now, though it was more out of confusion than anger.
"What are you Humans doing?"
"Making sure this 'deal' isn't a trap. We heard you're taking these civies to some place safe for them. I want details."
"On who's authority?" the Minotaur asked, leaning down to look Maelstrom in the visor.
"My God-damn authority," Maelstrom responded as he leveled the barrel of his Magnum at the Minotaur's chin.
The two held that position as the tension in the air bean to boil. The civilians were weary of getting off of the tram, understandably, while the Minotaurs continued to eye the ODSTs with anger and confusion. Finally, the leader broke into a smile and backed away from Maelstrom, patting him on the shoulder.
"You've got guts like a Dragon. I like that. Alright, how about we all sit down and get this sorted out?"
"Sir," another Minotaur, this one much shorter than even the ODSTs, spoke, "we have to be back before the storm hits, otherwise we'll be stuck for another month!"
"Hmph. Right. Well, how do we get you to trust us?"
"We search your ship and watch the civilians being brought in. Anything we see that we don't like, we're out of here. All of us."
The Minotaur held out its beefy hand for a shake.
"Steel Battalion."
Maelstrom looked at the hand before placing the Magnum in its holster and gripping tightly.
"Maelstrom."
The ODST let go as the Minotaur stared at his own hand with wide eyes.
"My my, some truly strong Humans! I'd be happy to have you aboard the Freedom's Dream." |
Your Human And You: Feet First Into Hell | Chapter 14 | Applejack woke up with a soft yawn as she sat up in her bed. Outside the window, she could hear the rooster calling out the morning for everypony in the house, as well as everyone in the barn. The farmer smiled as she thought of the previous few days, what with the Apple Family Reunion, the fall of Nightmare Moon, and even something that hit closer to home for her.
Grabbing for her Stetson, Applejack swiftly, yet precisely, made her bed and was already out the door faster than most would upon waking up. Applejack sniffed the air outside her room, and to her delight, found it to be full of a wonderful, delicious scent. She trotted down the stairs and went straight for the kitchen, the sounds of a filly following her closely.
"Mornin' sis!" Apple Bloom beamed. "Didja sleep alright?"
"Course Ah did, sis," Applejack replied as she hugged Apple Bloom, "ain't nothin' ta worry 'bout."
"Sorry, it's just that, well, you beat Nightmare Moon!" the filly exclaimed as she raised her front hooves in the air. "Ah thought that'd take a little bit outta ya."
"Same 'ere. But don't fret none, cause Ah'm just fine," Applejack said before nuzzling her sister.
"Ah'm glad you made it back," Apple Bloom muttered as she reached up to give Applejack a hug.
"Ah'm glad, too," Applejack said with a warm smile as she returned the gesture.
"Room for one more?" a small, male voice asked.
Applejack looked behind her and smiled when she saw the source of the voice.
"Course we got room for you, Oak," Applejack said with a blush as she opened up for another hug.
The Human in question had a red tinge on his cheeks as well as he joined the hug. Applejack examined his small yet defined muscles, wavy length of black hair, and pale green eyes that melted with the reflection of her own emerald ones. They all held on to each other, though Oak was kneeling on one limb to adjust his height.
"I'm so happy you're safe, Applejack," he whispered into her ear.
"Rememberin' mah family kept me goin'," she replied before rubbing her cheek on his.
A small ringing sound came from the kitchen before an elderly voice called out to them.
"Git your breakfast, 'fore Ah gobble it down mahself!" Granny Smith called.
The trio broke apart from their embrace and happily made their way to the dinning area. Apple Bloom turned her head and shouted towards the stairs.
"Come on, Big Mac! Breakfast's ready!"
\\\\\\//////
The large red stallion had heard the call for breakfast already, but ignored it as he watched the gates of Sweet Apple Acres. Around an hour ago, now, he had been woken up by some strange noises from the window. After peering through the glass to find the source of the disturbance, he saw several chariots and carriages being pulled before their property. A part of him wanted to shoo them off the Apple Family land, but knew it wouldn't help any situation until he had some kind of information.
Right now, however, all he knew was that they were all unloading something big. Something that needed a lot of magic. He could sense it. The magic from the ground beneath this land flowed within not only him, but within his siblings as well.
Almost as soon as they started the machine, it powered down, and they began to move for the gates. A few ponies in grey armor brought out magic-cutters and incinerated the lock on the gate, allowing it to swing open.
"They'd better have good insurance," Big Mac commented as he rushed out of his room. "Applejack! We've got trouble at the gate!"
Big Mac didn't stop to hear what his sister had to say, and bolted through the door of the farmhouse as Applejack shot out in pursuit.
\\\\\\//////
Black Ink watched as her security forces opened the farm gates for the rest of the teams to move through. A sigh escaped her lips as she could practically sense the oncoming barrage of fury and threats from the local farmers. That didn't matter to her, however, since she had one of her greatest cover-up methods secured in her pitch-black mane. As Black Ink entered the gates, she let herself run through the list of objectives and scenarios for when they began to search for anything relevant to their previous studies.
"What do ya'll think yer doin'!?" came a furious accent.
'Oh joy, here we go,' Black Ink thought to herself.
The security teams drew fan-blades and halted the attackers back as Black Ink moved in to see who had decided to get in their way.
\\\\\\//////
Applejack was beyond any countryisms for her rage. She was downright pissed at whoever thought they could break into Sweet Apple Acres while she was breathing. The farmer had charged the invading ponies at full-speed before they pushed her back with a blade to her throat. Cautiously eying the piece of metal at her neck, Applejack looked at the armored pony to see the armor they were wearing. It was all a dark-grey steel, and covered both of the pegasus' wings with fan-like blades that seemed to fit on every feather. The helmet, however, was what convinced her that they weren't a part of the Guard. Instead of having the face and neck exposed while pushing the mane out through a small crevice, this helmet had a chain-mail like texture around the neck, kept a black piece of glass in front of the entire face, save for the snout, which had its own little gas-mask. The top of the helmet was more like a Griffon's, being a simple piece of metal that covered a majority of the head. And finally, where the ears should have been, were rectangular prisms that had some wires going across them.
"Halt," a stern, muffled voice spoke from the helmet, "you are interfering with official Equestrian Government operations. Return to your homes or we will be forced to take action."
"Return to- ya'll are invadin' mah home!" Applejack shouted. "What gives ya'll the right ta come ta mah land and destroy mah property!? Ain't no part o' the law that says that!"
"Miss, please calm down," another voice spoke.
Applejack looked up to see a unicorn mare with a black mane, tied up in a bun, with dark gray fur, and a white lab coat walk over to her. For some reason, though, Applejack couldn't place a color on her eyes.
"Calm down!? Ya break open mah gates and storm in 'ere, then shove some knives in my throat, and tell me that AH'M the one that needs ta calm down!? What the buck kinda crazies are ya!?"
The unicorn's horn lit up with a faint, almost nonexistent grey glow and levitated out a scroll of parchment. It unraveled before Applejack, allowing her to read it.
By The Order of Her Majesty,
Princess Celestia,
Sweet Apple Acres
Will Undergo a Thorough Inspection of any Contaminant
Prior to Establishing a Royal Supply
To be Delivered to Canterlot Castle
To Ensure the Quality and Cleanliness of any Future Shipment.
The Inspectors are to NOT be Disturbed under ANY AND ALL Circumstances.
Anypony/one Caught Intruding the Inspectors' Equipment or Endangering Personnel
WILL BE JUDGED UNDER PRETENSES FOR TREASON.
Diarch of Equestria,
-Princess Celestia
Applejack was unable to move, trying to process what she had read.
"In case you don't get the gist of it," the mare explained, "we're here to make sure your product is worthy quality of the Royal Seal. Her Majesty, Princess Celestia herself, chose us to make sure that this land and all those that work here are in a good enough condition to allow your product through the castle gates. I assure you, that once you pass, we'll pay for any damages on site. And trust me, Princess Celestia was very keen on ensuring this place has some known name in the palace. We're just here to make sure the local water supply, air quality, and local wildlife and fauna don't interfere too severely with what you and your... help, are growing."
The farmer was still unable to respond at the time, simply weighing her emotions and knowledge to try and find some cohesive thought on the situation.
Big Mac, however, was already ahead of her.
"So that means ya'll are just gonna go 'round, tearin' out trees, putting junk in our water, and testin' our workers?"
"Not entirely, no. We'll just be on the opposite side of the compound, by the edge of the Everfree Forest, scanning the water and plants around your farm. You'll barely notice us."
With that, the mare turned and walked away, motioning for the armored ponies to follow. The one in front of Applejack lowered his wing and bowed slightly before returning to the coated mare's side.
"W-wha..." Applejack struggled to form words.
"You're gonna have a word with Twilight 'bout this, aren't cha?" Big Mac asked.
Applejack nodded.
"Eeyup."
\\\\\\//////
Luna blinked as her surroundings began to fade in once more. This time, however, instead of seeing the hooves of her sister, she saw a white room with a window.
"Ah, Princess, good to see you're awake."
The Princess of the Night looked over to see a new Pony she hadn't met yet. However, she could recognize the armor he wore without even having to look at it for more than a fraction of a second.
"Greetings, fair Captain of the Night Watch," Luna greeted.
The Captain bowed to her as he spoke.
"Thank you, Princess, but I'm afraid nopony calls it that anymore. We go by the title of the 'Lunar Guard,' now."
That name gave a flutter to Luna's chest.
"Excellent news. What be thy name, Captain?"
"Captain Blade Wing of Her Majesties' Royal Lunar Guard."
"We thank thee for keeping watch, Captain Blade Wing. Pray tell, what circumstance caused Us to waken within these blinding confines?"
"Apologies, your majesty. My Lieutenants and I were on our way to introduce ourselves to you when we saw your magical backlash. We assumed that it was because you haven't adjusted to the magical aura of the Moon since... your, untimely absence."
Luna shook her head as she started to sit up.
"Fret not to speak with truth, Captain. I acknowledge that We were once a true nightmare to Equestria. Now, however, We only seek to find our place within the Equestrian Society."
Blade nodded as he offered a hoof to the Princess.
"You have our support, Princess."
Luna smiled warmly as she accepted the helping hoof. She felt comfort in knowing that there were already ponies willing to look beyond her time as Nightmare Moon, and accept her. However, she knew there was still something urgent that needed to be done.
"Captain Blade, fetch us a Scribe. We wish to seek out those that dare to keep customs such as slavery alive."
"You mean... the Humans?"
"Indeed. We hath not seen this species before our imprisonment, and to see an entire race subjugated thusly... we believe there are still those that are in need of a visit."
"Princess," Blade spoke in a worried tone.
"Not Us, of course. We must acquaint ourselves with the Council as well as current politics. There are others that can bring... a different perspective, if thou will, to those that need a new light."
Once again, Blade nodded.
"Of course, your Highness."
Blade strode out of the room, leaving Princess Luna under the watch of two more Lunar Guards who bowed when in her sight.
'Perhaps this, Maelstrom, and his fellow soldiers could demonstrate what their definition of a "Nightmare" is to slavers,' Luna thought darkly.
\\\\\\//////
Geo pushed against the seat he was in to feel the softness of the whole thing. The map enthusiast had never even dreamed of something this comfortable! He felt as though he was going to fall asleep the moment he sat down. Around him, Geo could see the other former slaves sharing the same idea, while a few were already a few steps ahead. The Minotaurs had been going around and giving out plates of steamy, buttery meals, and were even sitting down and talking to some of the former slaves. There was even a female Minotaur that had sat down to eat with him a few minutes ago. She had taken one of his celery stalks and slid it underneath her shirt, saying he could have it when she, "dipped it in secret sauce". He had hoped that whatever it was, it would be as good as the rest of the food was.
There was a loud clang above the large space where all the Humans slept, and several occupants looked up. When they did, however, they felt a sense of dread and fear. Above them all were several armored figures. Two of them were Minotaurs, one being massive to the point of absurdity, while the other was almost half his height. What was frightening, however, were the armored Humans from before. Only two of them were looking at the compartment, but the silver face-things on their heads were covered in a horrifying image of a flaming skull with red eyes. One had an eye patch over its left eye, while the other had an image of a cigar underneath it. The images weren't glowing, though, they looked like they were already a part of the metal, seamlessly merging with the plated faces.
The large Minotaur turned to the one with the cigar image on his helmet and held a hand out over the railing to the compartment. Perhaps they were talking about something, but Geo couldn't hear them. After about a minute of talking (mostly from the Minotaur), the Human nodded and held out his hand for the Minotaur to shake. Once they did, the Humans turned around and began to walk.
\\\\\\//////
"Permission to speak freely, sir?" Black Eye asked.
"Granted."
"This looks pretty good, right now. I mean, they're giving them first-class seats and fresh food, by the looks of it."
"Yeah, they are."
"Not only that, but that Steel guy seemed actually impressed when he saw us."
"As he should be. Before Spartans became the standard sign-up and present-veins kind of thing, us ODSTs are the baddest motherfuckers this side of the Galaxy."
"Damn straight, sir."
The ODSTs found the hatch to the outside once more and stepped through. Behind them, Steel Battalion watched as they left for the tram.
"Humans," Steel called to them, "do me a favor if you go to Canterlot."
Maelstrom stopped in his tracks and turned to face the Minotaur.
"What's that?"
"Be sure to give those supporters a pat on the back. And also to give the arse-holes that hate Humans a knife in the throat."
The ODSTs shared a dark chuckle at that joke.
"When we're done with the anti-Human ones, they'll be begging for something that quick."
Steel Battalion saluted the ODSTs, which the Sergeant returned casually before shutting the door to the airship. Fire-team Nightmare watched as the massive balloon began to expand as waves of heat rolled over them. A large set of thrusters ignited underneath the archaic ship as streams of fire and smoke poured out in opposing directions. The massive hunk of metal lurched into the air and extended several fins on the exterior. Once it had risen above the rock cover, a gust of wind pushed the ship to the left, and the large metal airship was out of sight in minutes.
"Good shit, that thing's slower than a Grunt," Cowbell commented.
"A lobotomized Grunt, maybe," Sputnik replied.
"Maelstrom, sir, what's our objective now?" Icepick asked.
Maelstrom began to walk back to the tram, motioning for his team to follow as he spoke.
"Turns out that little episode I had may have had an outside influence. One of the leaders of the country we're in now decided she wanted to talk with me."
"By giving you a fucking seizure!?" Blind asked, stunned by the implications.
"Maybe she didn't know. Point is, if she wanted me dead, I'd be dead right now. She said that when Lost in the Stars entered their planet's orbit, she was woken up from something. And just as our luck would have it, she's now on our side. We're going to take this tram up to some mountain city, Canter-something, and meet this, 'Princess Luna' to discuss how we're freeing every Human on this planet."
"With all due respect, sir," Icepick started, "do you really think this is our best option right now?"
"Aside from wasting months, maybe years looking for the ship on our own with no back-up or fallback plan? Not to mention less than a week's supply of rations and God knows how much ammo? We've got no choice."
"What if it's a trap, sir?" Black Eye asked.
"Then we spring it, break it, and kick the ass of whoever thought to set it up."
The ODSTs were about to get ready to hunker down in their respective tram cars before they heard some muffled banging sounds from the interior. Suddenly, one of them realized something they had forgotten about long ago.
"Aw shit, we forgot about the other prisoners," Cowbell stated. |
Your Human And You: Feet First Into Hell | Chapter 15 | As it turned out, there were only two prisoners that Nightmare had captured, and both were fully cooperative, much to the ODSTs' convenience. The one with the scarf had pointed them in the direction of Canterlot, and within two hours, the pair of prisoners were assisting with the tram's operations and swore to never speak a word of this to anyone, so long as they lived.
As they went along the tracks, Maelstrom stayed at the control panel in case the one with the scarf, named Doctor, decided to go back on his word. Every time Maelstrom checked in on him, Doctor simply smiled at him. Dismissing the captive, Maelstrom switched on his comms in the confines of his helmet.
"Alright, equipment check. What's everyone got?"
"Icepick, checking in. I've got three mags for my DMR, four for my SMG, and two for my Magnum."
"Sputnik, checking in. Counting eight mags for both SMG and Magnum, and three Frag grenades."
"Black Eye, checking in. Twelve extra rounds for my Shotgun, one Frag grenade, and two mags for my SMG and Magnum."
"Melt, checking in. I'm in the aft cart with Blind and Cowbell. We're checking over what we've got left for now. Stand by."
Several seconds of radio silence went by before Melt spoke again.
"Counting two Plasma Rifles, two Plasma Pistols, one Carbine, and six Plasma grenades."
"Blind, checking in. Count a total of twenty magazines for my Sniper Rifle, and four mags for my Magnum."
"Cowbell, checking in. I grabbed everything I could before we jumped, sir. Counting twenty canisters of C-7 foaming explosives, four extra rocket tubes, six mags for my SMG, eight Frag grenades, and one extra case of ammo for our M7s and Magnums, at least thirty each. Oh, and we've got two First-Aid kits."
"Christ, Cowbell, we're trying to be stealthy here! How the Hell are we going to sneak any of that into a capital city?" Maelstrom replied.
"Well, it's not like they're that big, sir. We can each carry something. I'll take the C-7 and rockets, but someone's carrying the grenades," the heavy offered.
"No telling how long we'll be suck here, sir," Sputnik spoke. "We'll need all the ammo we can get. I'll take the extra mags."
"I'll carry the First-Aid kits," Icepick spoke.
"And I'm taking the grenades," Maelstrom finished. "I want everyone ready to go in ten mikes. Sputnik, I need you to run those grenades up to me. I need to watch for when we start to close in on our destination."
"Yes, sir."
With that, the ODSTs began to prepare their equipment for a stealth run in broad daylight.
\\\\\\//////
Luna walked through the halls of Canterlot Castle, eying each and every window, column, and portrait that she walked by. A large number of them involved some historical event, usually involving Celestia, or some other significant individual that she hasn't been able to read of yet. A great number of them, she noticed, were mainly unicorns, with golden name plates underneath them. Few showed portraits of similar figures accepting awards or prizes from Celestia or another face from the further end of the rows of pictures.
Lost in her thoughts, Luna failed to notice her sister walking towards her with several files held aloft in her magical grip. The Princess of the Night almost tripped over her own hooves as she finally saw Celestia next to her.
"Sorry, Luna," Celestia spoke as she leaned her head closer, "I didn't mean to startle you. Are you alright?"
Luna breathed deeply as she thought of what to answer with. In the end, the truth won out.
"We have concern for our know of these faces, and their roles from times long passed. We worry that thine subjects shall question our return, and test our knowledge to prove our loyalties."
Celestia came up to Luna's side and wrapped a wing around her as they nuzzled.
"Don't worry about it, Luna. You can greet the public when you think you're ready. And when you do, I'll stand by you, one-hundred percent. The only thing, I assure you, that's worth worrying about are the nobles. Just take your time. I'm here for you."
Luna slipped her wing up against Celestia's barrel, trying to reach her back in her weakened form.
"We thank thee eternally, dearest sister."
Celestia held Luna close and then looked around the immediate hallways. Her horn lit up before they were both teleported into a dark room with only two doors. Luna looked around frantically, surprised by the sudden change of environment.
"What hath transpired!?" Luna asked.
"Relax, sister," Celestia said in a calm tone.
Luna broke contact with her sister as she looked around the room. The ceiling was nowhere near as tall as the halls they were in, though still tall enough to fit one of those "trains" from earlier, and were made of thick grey bricks. The entire room was grey, only with two things standing out, being the two entrances to the room. One looked like a simple door, made of glass panes, and the opposite one looked like it was the entrance to a fort with massive bars of metal and chains barricading it.
"Where have we gone, sister?" Luna asked, perplexed.
"We're in the entrance to the Equestrian Reclamation Force. Beyond this room, we have hundreds of ponies, Griffons, Minotaurs, Deer, Zebras, you name it, working around the clock to study alien technology."
Luna froze. Did her sister believe her now? Did they find the Human's ship?
Or did her sister know all along, and was waiting to tell her?
"Recently, we've secured two locations of possible Reclamation, and are looking for any relics. One of them, was a ship that crashed the night you returned."
Luna turned to see Celestia smiling at her.
"Dost thou believe us, now?"
"About the ship, absolutely. But the part about Humans, no. There's no possible way for Humans to have anything to do with this thing. According to our field reports," she said while holding up a folder, "this technology is using metals anyone on this planet can't make yet, and won't for at least a few decades. Another thing is, it doesn't run on any magic. The calculations behind the amount of power needed to lift it into the air under its own power are beyond anything either of us could do magically. Not to mention several other scans they've done that suggest-"
"Sister!" Luna interrupted. "We understand. Thou shalt not believe our words lest we show proof."
Celestia walked over to Luna as she spoke.
"Luna, I didn't mean to insult you. I'm just saying that you were still under Nightmare's influence then, and you were likely being tricked."
The Lunar Princess looked up to her sister as she closed the gap to nuzzle once again.
"We still know where the truth lay, sister. We hath seen them again. We art sure of this."
Celestia sighed as she backed away from her sister's embrace and turned towards the glass door.
"Alright. I won't try to push this now, but I'm certain that after some time spent here, you'll forget about that."
"Pertaining to our prior discussion, pray tell, what purpose doth this room serve?"
"It's an advanced teleportation tracking grid. If anyone, or thing, tries to teleport either in or out of the facility, a sensory spell is activated and redirects the exit-point of the teleport and erects a barrier around it, in here. Right now, only you and I are capable of leaving or entering the facility. This area also serves as the main staging area for launching Recovery or Reclamation operations. As I said before, two operations are already in progress."
Celestia beckoned her sister to follow as she neared the glass doors. Once both Princesses were close, a part of the stones became transparent, and revealed a grey-furred, white-maned security officer.
"Ah, good morning, your Highnesses," he said with a small bow. "Here to finish the process?" he asked, giving Celestia a knowing look.
"We are, yes."
The stallion shot off a quick salute before pulling a lever. The glass doors hissed and slid open, revealing a white, smooth hallway.
"Come, we have much to discuss," Celestia said as she began to walk down the hallway.
Luna looked back at the security checkpoint as the doors slid to a close.
"Sister, why hath that Guard addressed us in such a manner?"
"It's one of the established rules in this facility, sister. I've told them to address me as they would any of their colleagues so that when I come through, they don't jeopardize any experiments by trying to bow or stumble over greeting me. It's also one of the reasons I've thought about going through with this."
"With what?" Luna asked.
"Luna, I don't want to admit how painfully long it'll be until you're welcomed back into the courts. Tartarus, today, nobles were screaming their heads off, trying to warn me that Nightmare Moon was seen walking the halls of the Castle."
Luna cringed at that.
"So, I thought that since you need time until the nobles are more accepting of your presence, and since I don't want any more secrets to be kept between us, that I'd hoof over this department, to you."
Luna nearly stopped then and there.
"Thou wish for Us to operate this facility?"
"Not on your own, no. There are already several officers in place that monitor all of our major operations and research divisions, but I think it's important that these discoveries are kept from the rest of the world until everypony, and everyone, are ready for them. Ah, here we are."
They stopped before a flat, smooth wall with a small, round indent in the center. Celestia pressed her horseshoe into the groove and twisted it to the right around sixty degrees before pulling back as the wall began to click. After a loud clunk, the wall split apart to reveal an elevator. Both of the alicorns stepped inside as the doors closed once again and began to take them down to the labs.
"It's not just for the security or the time needed to accept you either, Lulu," Celestia started again. "I want you to try conversing with these ponies and become social. One of the biggest reasons for... you know who taking over, was because I didn't want to expose you to those filthy political figures that only wanted our power. I was so afraid of what would happen if you faced them, that I never let you meet anypony. It was because of the isolation I put you in that-"
Celestia stopped talking as she felt her sister's hooves reach around her shoulders for a hug.
"Sister, I beg of thee, do not blame thyself for Our misdirection. Thou had only good intentions, yet We did not see it that way."
The two simply held each other in silence as the elevator continued to descend. After a few minutes of silence, they broke apart and Celestia continued.
"Regardless, I wanted to give you this so that you could actually interact with ponies that are caught up with current events, and learn about the world through something other than books. It'll help you adjust your vocabulary and prepare you for when your court is back in session."
"We thank thee greatly, sister."
After another minute of silence, the doors slid open once more and revealed a massive open space. The entire facility was practically exposed at once to the entrance way, and was similar to a coliseum. Hundreds of ponies in white coats were moving about, going from indescribable thing to indescribable thing. The noises of talking faded away to Luna as she gazed upon several large walls that were blocking off the rest of the facility from view.
"Here we have the main research department, also known as 'Science Mountain'," Celestia explained as she extended her wings.
"Art thou sure of the safety here to fly?"
"Everything's sealed off in individual crystal chambers, so flying between stations doesn't effect any of the experiments. They're also one-way visual crystals, so feel free to look inside."
Luna nodded and began to flap her wings. Slowly but surely, she got into the air and waited until her sister began to glide downwards and followed. Below, she could see several chambers where pegasi were testing some kind of harness that was locked to their wings. Unicorns and scientists were experimenting with several books that were kept at a distance from the herds of researchers. Some stations had just rows of ponies and deer simply sitting and attending to large, white things that they vigorously kicked away at.
"Here, they test out several artifacts that we've found over the centuries and document what effects they have and how to apply their magics to what we have today. Sometimes it leads to a breakthrough that's good for all of Equestria, such as gas-free lamps and communication without the need for magic or training. I remember showing you one of the train ride to Canterlot."
Luna remembered back to when she had seen the "radio" and nodded. She looked ahead and saw that they were getting close to one of the large barriers between Science Mountain and another wing of the facility.
"Ahead is the entrance to the military sciences division, otherwise known as 'Dead Field'," Celestia explained.
"Why 'Dead Field'?" Luna asked.
"Because they said, 'there's no room for Green-Grass'. It's a term the Guard uses for new recruits."
"Have We seen the products of this facility recently?"
"I'm afraid not," Celestia said with a frown. "The advancements we've made here are beyond expensive, and haven't been announced. The research teams concluded that if we were to introduce these technologies now, it'd spark several conflicts that aren't able to progress because they lack what we have here, like the Minos Isles being bombarded by Righteous Wing Rebels. If either side had the equipment we have here, either the Minotaurs will wipe out the military bases ashore the Griffon islands, and kill thousands, or the Rebels will likely use enhanced shields to break through the Minotaur artillery line and destroy hundreds of square acres of valuable farmland."
"So thou hast been keeping secrets from our world to avoid escalating conflict," Luna stated.
"Believe me, I don't want to keep these secrets. I just wish we didn't need to."
"Need?"
Celestia took on a regretful look before she began to flap her wings to slow down. Luna did the same as they began to close in on the massive doors that lead to the Dead Field. When they landed, they were approached by two pegasi in strange armor, similar to that of Maelstrom, she noticed. One of them waved a hoof by her form as Luna felt a slight tingle from it. After a few seconds of this, they nodded and gave a quick salute before standing still once more.
"Security scans to ensure nothing undesired gets in or out," Celestia explained.
Luna didn't have time to elaborate as a loud groan rung from the massive door before them. Slowly, a section of the massive barrier opened up to around a tenth of the entrance's width, which was still large enough for at lest five others standing side-to-side. The two Princesses made their way through the entrance as the white surfaces and open space were replaced with dark-grey cement and hallways laid with steel doors. As the door closed behind them, Celestia strode forward and spoke.
"Welcome to Dead Field. In here, we build and maintain weapons that ensure the peace and stability of Equis."
\\\\\\//////
Maelstrom watched with baited breath as the tram slowed down into the station that connected to the white and gold city. The entirety of the mountain-stationed capital was seemingly glowing with sheer beauty, reminding him all too much of the paradise once known as Arcadia. Images of his old home and family flashed in his eyes again as he tried to shake away his emotions. He kept his gaze on the scarf-wearing Doctor as the tram began to get into the range of the golden gates. Entire rows of guards were lined up in gold-colored armor, watching the transport. Maelstrom ducked into the compartment in the Control Car and listened to the world around him.
A few seconds later, he felt the tram come to a stop as metal contacted metal, and a voice spoke outside the door.
"Reason for bringing this in?" a gruff voice asked.
"Oh, just needed to leave it someplace safe while my companion and I get some rest. Lots of traveling and such, you know," he heard Doctor reply.
"Alright, let's just see those forms, then."
Everything went quiet as Maelstrom waited for whoever was out there stayed quiet.
"Well, everything's in order. Enjoy your time in Canterlot," the voice stated.
"Of course."
More clangs against the metal sounded out before Maelstrom felt the tram shift again, crawling along the tracks.
"Maelstrom to Nightmare, any visual?" he spoke into the comms.
"Both occupants have gotten off, and we're being dragged into the docks," Melt responded. "ETA, five mikes until we're inside."
"Get ready, Nightmare. Non-lethal when they start sweeping, keep quiet, and keep radio-silent."
Green lights flashed across his HUD as Maelstrom gripped his Magnum tighter.
Minutes turned to hours as the ODSTs waited for the tram to stop moving once again, and held their breath unknowingly as it hissed to a stop. The wait became unbearable as they continued to wait for any more voices saying they were going to sweep the tram. Maelstrom cautiously reached for the door to the outside and carefully cracked open the door. He swept his Magnum across the field of vision and found that the tram was deposited into a dark warehouse. Slits of windows provided barely any noticeable light, and not a sound came from outside.
Maelstrom flashed the team-status on his HUD to signal his teammates, and waited for them to check. Seconds later, green flashed against his face once again, and the ODSTs began to slowly exit the tram.
Maelstrom touched down onto the gravel as he looked around to see dozens of unattended trams made of wood and steel, a few of which were colored pink or purple for some reason. Behind him, the rest of Nightmare swept the immediate area, listening for any signs of patrols or guards. When nothing happened, Maelstrom raised his hand and motioned for them to move forward.
\\\\\\//////
Steel Wool sighed as he wet the rag in his magical grip and began to scrub it against the Guard Post that stood between the train depot and the loading station into Canterlot. Inside the booth, a Royal Guard was sleeping with the morning's paper covering his snoring muzzle. Wool noticed it was flipped to the sports section, and was angered by the fact that the Maresville Wolverines were beaten 27-6 by the Cloudsdale Thunderclaps. He lost almost 300 bits in a bet, and wasn't looking forward to admitting defeat in Hooves-Down, his favorite sports bar.
He began to run the rag against the booth and began to glare at it, scrubbing harder to try and sate his anger.
"Stupid... my daughter could have made that throw," he grumbled to himself.
Behind him, seven figures in black armor eyed him cautiously as they stuck to the shadows of the loading area, keeping their weapons trained on him as they looked for a way forward.
\\\\\\//////
Luna watched as the military ponies were going through various exorcizes and drills, wearing strange armors and carrying odd weapons. Some had blades that ran across their wings, while others were equipped with iron boots that glowed. A few ponies in white coats had said their greetings to both Princesses as they passed through the halls, examining every aspect available as Celestia lead them.
"Where is our destination, sister?" Luna asked.
"We're going to the Overseer Office, where you can monitor everything in the facility and make any announcements you wish."
After a few more minutes of walking, they arrived at another elevator and rode it up. When they exited, they found themselves in the center of a large, circular room that looked over the entire expanse of the entire underground facility, including Science Mountain, Dead Field, and another part she didn't see yet. All the walls were made of crystal, and between them and the rest of the large room, were desks with long rods that ended in black spheres. One desk that pointed to the main entrance, she could tell by the large tube heading upwards, and had several lights and buttons that were all different ranges of colors. Celestia approached the console and pressed a hoof against the large, blue button.
\\\\\\//////
"Alright, test in 3-"
The sound of the intercom broadcasting stopped Strange from testing the strange devices that Reclamation had found in the alien ship. Him and his colleagues looked to the speaker and waited for what was to be said.
"Attention everypony," Princess Celestia's voice rung through static, "as of today, I hereby resign my dominance over the Reclamation Foundation."
All the scientists began to look between each other, gauging the possibilities of what they would do if they all lost their jobs at once.
"In my place," she continued, "I want to introduce the newest head of the facility. My beloved sister, Princess Luna. I expect you all to treat her with the same respect that you showed me, and help her feel welcomed in not only this facility, but welcomed back to Equestria." |
Your Human And You: Feet First Into Hell | Chapter 16 | Maelstrom kept his eyes trained on the two gold-armored soldiers that were patrolling the grounds and laughing with each other. Right now, fire-team Nightmare were in the same bush behind him, waiting for the two to pass by. So far, they were disgusted with the downright shitty excuse for guards of their capital city. The ODST Sergeant had memorized the path that Princess Luna had shared with him, and saw that they were literally one turn away from being in the so called, "Royal Palace," wherein the ODSTs would meet this leader for whatever reason. If it was a trap, Maelstrom decided that they would spring it, and hold their leader hostage until either they agreed to free whatever Humans were on the planet, or until the UNSC came by and mopped the place up.
The two guards turned another corner and left the grassy area wide open and unwatched.
Maelstrom brought his hand up and motioned for the ODSTs to move forward.
In a second's notice, the seven troopers burst from the bushes. Maelstrom ducked underneath the massive window that let them see into the pristine castle, and waited for the rest of Nightmare to line up beneath the massive pane of glass. The ODST motioned upward to Blind before they slowly looked over the small barrier and into the hallway.
Nothing.
Maelstrom ducked back down and motioned towards the ground, where a large grate was left slightly ajar. Icepick and Black Eye removed the large lid before Maelstrom signaled his team to go down into it. First Melt went in, swept the immediate area, and then gave the "All-Clear". Sputnik followed right after, then in went Cowbell, Icepick, Black Eye, who handed the cover over to Maelstrom, Blind, and then the Sergeant himself. Once they were all underneath the ground, Maelstrom slid the cover back over the opening, and examined the tunnel. From what he had been told, this was part of an emergency escape system, should the premises come under attack and holding ground wasn't an option.
The ODSTs began slowly crawling through the tunnels, adjusting so that Maelstrom could head their trek through the decrepit system. They had quite a walk ahead of them.
\\\\\\//////
Shining Armor watched with a furrowed brow as another dragonflame-magicutter was thrown aside, completely spent from attempting to cut through the armored barrier into the alien vessel. So far, they had used up 17 fully charged burners and haven't even cut halfway through the small doorway. Now was about the time that the Captain of the Royal Guard was beginning to understand the sheer weight against Equestria's abilities, now that it was being put to the test against an actual alien ship. If they were to fully assault Equis as it was, no one would stand a chance.
"Alright, pack it in for now," Shining Armor ordered.
The technicians sighed tiredly before packing up the magicutter and stepping away from the armored door. The Captain stared at the barrier, feeling a small sense of respect for whoever could craft such a sturdy ship. It was downright impenetrable.
\\\\\\//////
"Looks like they're giving up," Lisa noted. "About time, too. It was starting to get even more pathetic."
"Lisa, are we any closer to breaking this jamming field?" Commander Mathias asked the A.I.
"Not yet. I can't get any kind of frequency from the field. It's as if the field doesn't exist on any kind of wavelength we can interpret, even though it's similar to Covenant equipment in form."
"Any ideas on what we can do about our guests?"
"Well, Plan A is to wait until Fire-team Nightmare reboots their communication devices so we can get them over here ASAP and clear them out, but we have no idea if they survived the emergency ejection, or if they're not already holed up with the locals. Plan B is to fire up the thrusters and, in the name of all things logical, burn those unicorns until they're nothing but jerky. That makes three things I've said on this planet that will inevitably get me deactivated."
"And Plan C?" Mathias asked.
"We wait until that one in the gold and purple armor inspects the elevator door by itself and ambush it. From what they've been discussing, and how it commands the rest, that one's the highest ranking officer present."
Mathias thought deeply on how each option would go. True, Plan A would have been their go-to option, but with too many unknowns, Fire-team Nightmare was out of the question. Plan B would be the quickest, and likely the first option that he would have gone for during the War, but in the long run, it would ruin any chance that the UNSC would have at interacting with this species in the future. Granted, yes, they were technologically stunted compared to the UNSC, but they were clearly intelligent, and spoke English. Clearly, there was an underlying necessity to look into this world's history.
Plan C, however...
"Keep watch on that one in purple and gold. I'm going to see if one of our officers wants to help accommodate our new guest."
"I'll ready the brig."
Mathias blinked once before shaking his head and sighing.
'This is an ONI vessel, of course there's a brig,' he thought to himself. |
Your Human And You: Feet First Into Hell | Chapter 17 | Maelstrom grunted as he pulled himself up through a window before tucking into a roll as he hit the ground, leveling his SMG out in a sweeping motion.
"Clear," he whispered to the rest of Nightmare before stalking down the narrow hallway. The ODSTs filed in behind him as they climbed through the window, checking their corners as they approached another turn.
"Where to now, sir?" Melt asked as he traced his Carbine's sights over the Sergeant's shoulder.
"Give me a second," Maelstrom said as he closed his eyes.
His entire head burned painfully as he thought back to the map that 'Princess Luna' had imprinted in his mind. Everything seemed to fade away as he brought back the memory of the vision, slowing it down as he examined the route that she had set for them.
"This way," Maelstrom said as he turned left.
The ODSTs silently made their way through the empty hallways of the castle, keeping watch on every door, corner and even window they came across. It was shocking to see that the ponies with wings could actually fly, seeing as their appendages looked far too small for their bodies and flapped casually while in the air. The ones with horns were the most troubling to think of, however, as those ones could levitate objects of varying sizes within their field of vision, and the Sergeant had even seen one levitate something out of sight. For all the ODSTs knew, they could stop bullets mid-flight or even redirect them, if they didn't try to pry their weapons out of their hands. God help them if they pulled the pins on their grenades without them noticing.
Maelstrom held his hand up to signal a halt before turning his gaze around the corner to see a door from the vision, and smirked when he noticed it was unguarded.
"Easy streak from here on, Nightmare," Maelstrom said. "Up these stairs and then we wait."
\\\\\\//////
Applejack huffed as she watched the strange ponies moving various equipment across the edge of the apple orchard, unable to do anything to stop them. She had heard of how her parents had dealt with folks that would advertise themselves as "inspectors" before to get a few free meals from under their noses, and she suspected that these ponies were no different. Even with those documents that she would have thought to be forged, they moved with an authority about them that even she couldn't deny that felt true. Whatever purpose they had here, though, had better not be harmful to the farm, lest she buck each of them back to Canterlot with her own four hooves.
"Applejack, you need to relax," Oak said as he put down a few baskets underneath a tree. "If they're here under Princess Celestia's orders, shouldn't you trust them?"
"I should," Applejack admitted, "but look at 'em. Don't look like anypony the Princess would hire, 'specially for somethin' like this. Who the hay needs fancy armor to test apples?"
"Somepony that read 'Snowy White'?" Oak joked.
Applejack shook her head.
"Ah'm not too keen on waitin' for 'em to act up first. Stars know what'll happen if they find out 'bout us. You know how those Canterlot types are 'bout that."
"I do, but we shouldn't care, Applejack."
She sighed in defeat before turning towards the closest apple tree.
"Fine. But Ah'll get ta Twi's faster than a pig to the trough if they screw up."
\\\\\\//////
Celestia hummed to herself as she looked over the list of items that she had been going through since Luna's return. She had drafted this list over the course of the past few hundred years in preparation of this moment, and though she normally loathed lists and going through them, she felt like Twilight would have since it was all to help her sister.
"Restocking on fruits, check," the Princess said to herself, reading off each box. "Introduction to the Reclamation Initiative, check. Reinstating her authority in the Courts, for later. Introduce the concept of Humans... I wish it could have been done more subtly, but none the less, check. New room, check. Unlock her new... armory. Of course I forgot something," Celestia sighed as she pressed a hoof to her temple.
Her horn lit up with a warm glow before she disappeared in a burst of light.
\\\\\\//////
Maelstrom slowly closed the door behind him before silently releasing a breath as he examined the room.
"This place is cozy," Melt noted as he sat on the crescent-moon themed bed.
"Got plenty of room, too," Icepick noticed as she walked around the balcony of the second floor.
"Keep your eyes peeled, Nightmare," Maelstrom instructed as he holstered his SMG. "Black Eye, on the door. Blind, keep an eye on the door from the balcony. Sputnik and Cowbell, windows. Watch out for those ones with wings. Remember, non-lethal takedowns, I repeat, NON-lethal. Understood?"
"Yes, sir," Nightmare chanted.
"Good."
Maelstrom looked around the room in mild interest, trying to gauge who he was going to be dealing with by the hints that the decor provided. The ceiling was painted entirely with constellations galore, a few models of the planet hung up by strings. To either side of the room were giant bay windows, framed by what looked like gold with drapes that were a light shape of blue that seemed to sparkle in the sunlight. The bed was a giant decorative piece that looked like it could barely hold one person if they curled up into the fetal position, with some kind of circle of cloth hanging above it.
The ODST Sergeant walked around the bed and saw the wall behind it, eyeing it with curiosity. It didn't look right, for some reason. The paint on it was a different shade than the rest of the room and looked as though it would fall over. He ran a hand across its surface, the texture smoother than the wood that made up the other walls yet not sturdy enough to be marble like the rest of the city.
Maelstrom gave the wall a slight push.
KR-KKKKKKKKKKKKK
The ODSTs suddenly turned towards the wall in defense and watched as the section that Maelstrom had pushed against was turning in place. On the other side of the wall were rows of melee weapons of varying sorts. There were large swords made of silver, stained brown with old blood, some chains that ended in several other weapons like hooks or morning stars, and an assortment of daggers.
"Whoa," Sputnik said. "Looks like someone's expecting to hold out here in a fight."
"Guess they're not exactly up to bat as hard as we thought," Melt said as he examined the sword from a good few feet away. "Even if they close the distance, standard Marine kevlar wouldn't give unless they swung these things around faster than sound. Plus, I doubt these rusted things are going to break any barriers, aside from their own pommels."
Maelstrom nodded as he examined the rows of knives that hung below the larger weapons, and settled his eyes on a dagger at the end. It was a large knife, about the size of a standard combat knife that every ODST had, except this one wasn't serrated, and had a white cloth wrapped around its handle.
For some reason, Maelstrom took the knife off its place on the wall and examined it closely. It had small text in alien writing, yet something echoed in the back of his mind.
'The Maelstrom of Our Arrival is the Will of Justice'
CRACK
Maelstrom and the rest of Nightmare turned around again to see a tall white pony standing next to Black Eye. She stood taller than any other they had seen, possessed a set of wings and a horn like Luna, but her hair was like the lights on Reach. She blinked in shock and looked around to see the ODSTs pointing weapons at her.
SMACK
Before anyone could properly respond, Black Eye slammed the stock of his M-90 into the side of her head, sending her sprawling as a crown clinked against the ground. As the unconscious pony fell to the floor, Maelstrom realized who they had just knocked out.
"Oh shit."
\\\\\\//////
Shining Armor glared at the sealed entrance to the rest of the ship as two unicorns beside him panted from exhaustion.
"It's... huff, no use, s-sir," one said, trying to catch his breath.
"I've seen... dragons... resist less fire..."
"Damn it! Just when we think we have enough hold of these situations, something just has to destroy all expectation and remind us how far behind we are in the universe," one of the technicians said.
Just when Shining Armor was about to order everypony to pull out, everything around him suddenly became far heavier. The guards on either side of him collapsed while everypony else fell to the ground. Shining could barely keep his legs from buckling out beneath him before the unthinkable happened.
The door opened up.
Shining tried to get a good look at whatever was inside, but his vision was obscured by a burst of smoke. He coughed harshly as he fought to stand upright, but before his mind could catch up, something metal struck him in the side of the head, and the Captain of the Guard was out cold. |
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