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Cloudsdale in the Fall | pre | The Grocery Store, the Storage Room
As soon as the crusader closed the door behind her, she heard a familiar voice. It wasn't Pinkie's, but it was the voice of an earth mare she recognized.
The voice sounded alarmed as it called out, "Who's there?"
The orange pegasetta turned in the direction the voice came from and answered, "It's me, Scootaloo!"
The voice asked, "Scootaloo? What are you doing here?"
Suddenly it dawned on the crusader which mare that voice belonged to. She asked, "Mayor Mare, is that you?"
The earth mare answered, "Yes, it's me, Scootaloo. I'm over here."
The pegasetta continued to approach the voice, although slowly, as she asked, "What are you doing here?"
Suddenly a light turned on, illuminating the location of the earth mare, who winced as though in pain. Just as Fluttershy had been, Mayor Mare was suspended between the floor and the ceiling by chains, which spread her limbs so that her chest and abdomen were exposed.
Scootaloo blocked the sudden light with a wing until her eyes adjusted to it. Then, when she looked up at the mayor pony, she heard Rainbow Dash's voice once again, this time asking, "Will you kindly kill Mayor Mare?" And this while the one she was instructed to kill was evidently saying something different.
Scootaloo, once again feeling as though she was in a dream, folded her wings again and answered, "Yes, Rainbow Dash."
Surprised, the mayor pony tilted her head and grunted in confusion and curiosity. But, that only lasted for a second. After that, she straightened her head again and said, "No, Scootaloo, you've gotta listen to me. Rainbow Dash is not the hero you think she is. I don't know what happened to her, but she's not somepony you can trust anymore."
But, all the crusader could hear was, "And, when you're done, will you kindly clean up the evidence? Leave no sign of how you killed her."
Scootaloo answered, "Yes, Rainbow Dash." And, she hovered in front of the earth mare, pointed a front hoof, and extended a blade from it.
Now frightened, Mayor Mare pleaded, "No, Scootaloo, don't do this. Please, don't."
The Ponyville Castle, in the Map Room
Three of the element bearers, Rarity, Applejack, and Twilight Sparkle, were in their places around the map.
Rarity was saying, "Darling, are you sure Fluttershy's dead?"
Twilight answered, "I hope not. I ... I just can't help thinking ... that she is."
Applejack added, "We all hope she's 'right. 'N', we know Rainbow Dash ain't th' cause if she ain't. After all, why'd the pegasi wanna kill each other? 'N', one element a-killin' 'nother? Tha' don't make no sense. 'N', Pinkie, Rainbow Dash, 'n' Fluttershy's friends. Pinkie wouldn't kill one o' her friends. Whatever's a-goin' on up there, it ain't 'cause o' Pinkie 'r Scootaloo. Somepony else's 'volved, we just don't know who it is yet."
It was about this time that the cutie marks of the three started to glow and radiate crimson red again, causing the three of them to scream in alarm.
After glancing at her own cutie mark, Twilight looked at the map, at the huge cloud that was floating near Rarity, and again started repeating the word, "No."
As the white unicorn and the orange earth mare focused on the representation of the cloud city, they noticed something different about it.
A scroll tied with a blue ribbon, or the image of such, had appeared above the city.
Pointing at the image, Applejack said, "Th-that's Mayor Mare's cutie mark."
Presently, Twilight stopped repeating the word "No," and concluded by saying, "It's happening again."
Applejack and Rarity looked in wonderment, then in horror, and Twilight only in horror, as the image above the cloud grew and blurred, and eventually disappeared.
For a few seconds, the three mares sat there in silence as their cutie marks stopped glowing and radiating crimson.
The first to break the silence was Applejack, who reached out a front hoof to the image of the floating cloud city and said, "M-m-mayor M-m-mare was m' f-friend." And, she looked down in front of her, but focused on nothing.
Rarity tried to say that Mayor Mare's death hadn't been confirmed, but all she could do was stammer.
In the mean time, Twilight just sat there, ears drooping on each side of her head, staring at the miniature representation of the cloud city.
The Grocery Store, in the Mares' Room
As she'd done with the representative of kindness, Scootaloo had taken great pains to clean up the mess she'd made after killing Ponyville's mayor. And, just as she'd done with Fluttershy, she'd used the mayor pony's skin to sow up the wound she'd made. After that, she'd gone to the mares' room and quickly, but thoroughly, cleaned the blade she'd used.
Only when she was done did she hear Rainbow Dash's voice say, "Now, will you kindly leave this room and remember none of this?"
Obediently the orange pegasetta ambled to the door as she said, "Yes, Rainbow Dash." And, as soon as the door closed behind her, she awoke and forgot what she'd done. She shook her head for a second to clear it, then looked around, wondering what she was doing there. Looking behind her, she saw that she was just outside a mares' bathroom. Well, the good news was she didn't wake up inside the bathroom. But, that didn't keep her from the feeling of foreboding that something had once again gone wrong. But, where was it this time?
It took her tapping her head with a front hoof, first of all to realize that wasn't such a good idea, not with hooves made of steel. But, second of all, it helped her remember that the last place she'd been to was the storage area of the store she was in. At the same time wanting to and not wanting to, the crusader marched forward toward the storage room, then opened the door and entered. And, once again, there was that smell.
The Grocery Store, in a Closet
When Pinkie Pie woke up, she found herself in a really small room. She tried to shake the cobwebs out of her head, but ended up hitting her nose against a wall. She groaned in pain, then tried to move a front hoof to rub her now aching nose; but she quickly realized she couldn't even do that. Then, the pink earth mare started to remember what had happened.
She'd been following Scootaloo along one road in Cloudsdale when she'd been attacked, and so fast that she'd had no time to react. Not even her Pinkie sense'd had time to warn her. That, or if it had warned her, she didn't recognize it in time. Whatever the case was, the next thing she knew, she was in this tiny room; and she needed to get out of there as soon as possible.
Carefully maneuvering her front hooves, as well as sensing with her back, she was able to tell that one of the walls was different from the other three. Was there a door there, or was the wall just not as solid as the others? There was just one way for her to be sure. Carefully positioning herself using all her legs, she used all her strength to hop against the wall that was directly behind her.
As a result, the wall, as soon as her back made contact with it, burst into a cloud of splinters.
The Grocery Store, the Storage Room
Suddenly unimpeded by the wall, Pinkie, groaning in surprise, stumbled backward until she fell onto her back. One piece of good news was that she was out of that tiny room now. Another piece of good news was her backward fall hadn't hurt her, and neither had the cloud of splinters. But, there was one piece of bad news: that smell.
Rolling onto her front again, Pinkie rose to all-fours position before taking one forelimb and covering her nose, then started looking around for the source of the smell. The memory of how that smell had lead her to Fluttershy's corpse frightened her, even slightly nauseated her, as she began to wonder who she'd find dead this time. And, she didn't have long or far to look before she got her answer.
Before she could identify the body, she heard a door open in another area of the room. Starting for a second, she turned to the sound and called out, "Who's there?"
From the open door, the crusader heard the two words from a familiar voice. Relaxing for a moment, she called out, "Pinkie, is that you?"
The pink party pony opened her mouth, preparing to shout that she was Pinkie, Pinkie Pie. Then, remembering the smell, and deciding that she wouldn't want somepony else to have to breath that in too deeply, she decided against the joke. Instead, she called out, "Scootaloo?"
Hearing the voice of the element bearer, the crusader galloped toward where she heard it come from and shouted, "Pinkie!"
Presently, the pink earth mare hopped up to all fours and started galloping toward where she heard the pegasetta's voice, shouting, "Scootie!"
The two met and hugged approximately behind and to the left of the hanging corpse of Ponyville's mayor, and remained that way for a few seconds, crying about how they'd missed each other.
After that, again Pinkie took notice of the scent in the room. Turning, she saw the earth mare hanging there by her hooves. Hoping for good news, but at the same time fearing what she suspected to be true, Pinkie let go of Scootaloo and approached the hanging corpse. Circling slowly around the body, she said, "Mayor, that's you, isn't it? Scootie and I are gonna get you down from there, you'll see." And that's when she saw the mayor pony's head, just hanging there. Still hoping for a sign of life, Pinkie propped herself up on the mayor's body and nuzzled her chin. Then, when that failed to get results, Pinkie rested her head on the mayor pony's chest, hoping to hear some sound from inside. Then, after a few seconds of hearing nothing, she pulled away, taking a few steps back until she could drop back into all-fours position again.
Scootaloo, in the mean time, ambled to a position so that she could see what Pinkie was doing. And, when she could see the two from the side, she slumped into a canine-style position and watched for Pinkie to check for signs of life. When she saw her companion back away from the body and drop to all fours, she asked, "S-so, h-how is she?" And, when the pink earth mare turned to her, the expression on the pink pony's face was all the answer the orange pegasetta needed.
Which was just as well, as, even when Pinkie opened her mouth to answer, she suddenly found herself unable to say anything. All she did was close her mouth again, look down at the ground in front of her, and close her eyes; and tears started leaking from them.
Seeing Pinkie starting to grieve for her fellow earth mare, Scootaloo grumbled, "First Fluttershy, and now Mayor Mare." Angrily raising a front hoof, she continued, "What's going on here? Why weren't we in time to save them? And, who's gonna be next, huh? Is it gonna be Ra-- ... Ra-- ..." But, no matter how much she tried, Scootaloo couldn't bring herself to say the name of her heroine. She couldn't bare the thought of seeing the rainbow-haired pegasa, the pony she looked up to, the representative of loyalty, her closest friend, dead, hanging there the way she'd seen Fluttershy, and just now Mayor Mare. Using both hooves, she covered her mouth, trying to keep her emotions from escaping. But, she couldn't help inhaling through her nose in a long, unexpectedly loud sniffle.
Pinkie, seeing the filly in a losing battle with her emotions, slowly rose to all fours and ambled to her companion, then grasped her in another hug as soon as she was close enough.
Feeling the pink earth mare wrap herself around her, Scootaloo looked away and allowed the tears to fall from her own eyes as she whimpered, "Wh-what'll we d-do now?"
Pinkie answered, "We'll d-do with M-mayor M-mare's body wh-what we d-d-did ... with F-fluttershy's. W-we'll j-just get her b-body ... d-down and ... c-carry her b-back to the b-balloon. B-but, I think ... I think th-there's something ... something worse h-here th-than a ... a friendship p-problem. T-t-two p-p-ponies ... d-dead ... and b-before that, ponies that weren't p-ponies attacking us? Wh-when we're d-done t-t-taking M-mayor M-mare's body b-back ... back to th-the balloon, w-we need to g-go to the ... the Town Hall. M-maybe w-we can find some information there about wh-what's happened in the past m-month."
Scootaloo didn't say anything more, just used her wings to hover above the ground and a front hoof to fire a sphere of energy at each of the chains holding the body of Ponyville's mayor in place. Then, when she lowered herself to the ground again, all it took was for her to look into the mayor's lifeless face, and she lost her battle with her emotions.
Somewhere in the Weather Factory
Rainbow Dash sat there, canine-style, looking at a monitor, watching the scene play out before her. She said nothing, just watched her two friends grieve for the loss of Ponyville's mayor.
After a few seconds, a door opened behind her; and Spitfire took a few steps through the door. Saluting, she asked, "Do you think those two will get the message and leave Cloudsdale, Ma'am?"
The azure pegasa sighed before answering, "I doubt it. The map back in Ponyville sent them here, and the only way they'll go back is if they find and solve whatever 'friendship problem' they were sent here to find and solve. That, or if they're both dead."
The fiery-orange pegasa dropped under her the front hoof she'd used to salute, then took another step or two toward the representative of loyalty as she asked, "Do you want us to kill them, then?"
Immediately, Rainbow Dash turned to the leader of the Wonderbolts and, glaring, shouted, "No!"
Seemingly unphased, Spitfire asked, "Do you know where they'll go next?"
The rainbow-haired pegasa turned her glare back to the monitor she'd been watching before and said, "They'll be heading for the town hall."
The fiery-orange pegasa asked, "If you don't want us to kill them, should we at least send robot ponies to guard the town hall?"
The representative of loyalty grumbled, "That'll only make them more determined to find out what they want to find out. No, the best we can do is lure them somewhere else. And, since they're in the grocery store across from the bank, maybe we can lure Pinkie to the pastries. She's always looking for new ideas for cakes and stuff for her parties."
Spitfire paused for a moment before asking, "And, what if that fails, ma'am?"
Again Rainbow Dash sighed before answering, "Then, you may capture Pinkie Pie. I'll question her, then you can leave her in the vault at the bank. I'll have Scootaloo deal with her, then clean up the evidence so she'll never know what she did." |
Cloudsdale in the Fall | Chapter 6: In Just One Month | Cloudsdale, in the Streets
As they'd done with Fluttershy's body, Pinkie carried Mayor Mare's body back to the balloon, while Scootaloo made sure it didn't slide off the pink earth mare's back.
After dumping the tan earth mare's body on top of that of the yellow pegasa, Scootaloo and Pinkie Pie slumped down into sphinx-style positions.
The pegasetta complained, "I still can't believe we weren't in time to save Mayor Mare. What's going on here, anyway?"
Pinkie rested her head between her front hooves as she answered, "I don't know. What I do know is that we need to find out. Just let me know when you're ready, and we'll go to the town hall and look for information there."
Scootaloo asked, "You know where that is?" She then watched as her companion slowly raised her head, nodded, then lowered it again, before asking, "How?"
At this point, Pinkie raised her head again and turned to the filly before answering, "When you disappeared yesterday, just after we arrived, I went searching for you. I didn't search in any buildings, I just went along streets, calling for you. And, along the way, I saw all sorts of buildings, including the town hall. In fact, I found it on the first or second road where I was searching for you."
At this point, the crusader rose to all fours before asking, "And, that'd be?"
Seeing her companion ready to continue their search, the representative of laughter also rose to all fours before answering, "Just follow me, and I'll show you." And, she started trotting off toward the closest road.
Scootaloo, not wanting to fall too far behind the pink party pony, galloped to catch up to her, then trotted to keep at her side.
At the road, Pinkie turned to her right and headed as far down as that road went. After that, she turned left. Pointing to one building that stood out from the others, she turned to her companion and said, "See? There it is!" Then, turning again to see the ponies guarding the building, she added, "But, something's different. I know I didn't see all those ponies guarding it the first time I came."
The crusader observed, "And, there's something else. Most of those ponies look like the ones I fought earlier. The only one that's different is somepony I recognize, a friend of Rainbow Dash's, I think. Uh, what's her name again?"
The fiery-maned pegasa, noticing the two, approached them and announced, "Commander Spitfire. What are you two doing here?"
The pink earth mare nodded uncertainly and said, "Uh, nice to meet you, Commander. Scootaloo and I are on our way to the town hall."
Commander Spitfire shook her head and said, "I'm afraid we cannot allow you in there."
Pinkie asked, "But, why not?"
The pegasa took a step toward the pink party pony and answered, "Because I said so."
At this point, Scootaloo approached Spitfire and said, "Uh, excuse me, but this is the most ponies we've seen in town since we got here. I just wanna ask, why are there so many ponies here now, when, besides ourselves, there've only been two ponies around here that we've seen since we first came here? And, come to think of it, before now there've been so many pegasi here in Cloudsdale. What happened to them all?"
The fiery-colored pegasa glared down at the filly and growled, "That's classified information, and you're not allowed to enter the town hall!"
Unphased, Scootaloo stood her ground as she asked, "Can you at least tell me where Rainbow Dash is, or what happened to her?"
Commander Spitfire shook her head once before answering, "That's also classified information."
At this point, Scootaloo growled as she hopped into the air, flapping her wings at the highest point of her jump to raise herself higher, as she said, "I can't just turn back now. I need to find out what happened to Rainbow Dash." And, before the fiery pegasa could stop her, she flew off toward the town hall.
Focused on the flying filly, the pegasa turned and shouted, "You're not allowed to go in there! You get back here!" Then, groaning, she turned back to Pinkie Pie.
The pink earth mare, seeing her companion flying toward the building, made her decision. Lowering her head, she galloped forward, knocking aside mechanical ponies as she made her way to the town hall after the pegasetta.
By the time Commander Spitfire could call her troops to defend the building, Pinkie and Scootaloo were just a short distance from the door. And, before the army of mechanical ponies could follow their orders, the pegasetta and the earth mare were at the front door. The two were inside, and had the doors closed, before the fiery pegasa and her army could touch them.
The Town Hall
After barring the doors, Scootaloo and Pinkie started heading toward the room where the records were kept. Then Pinkie decided it was better for them to head to the library to look at recent newspapers. Perhaps something in the ones from the past month or so could give them a clue as to what had happened in Cloudsdale to make it change so much.
Both the pegasetta and the earth mare were surprised to find that the most recent paper had been published some two or three weeks ago.
Pinkie went to the most recent papers for information, while Scootaloo started looking at papers from a month ago, the time that Rainbow Dash had left for Cloudsdale.
The filly was the first to speak up, saying, "This isn't much of a surprise. The headline here reads, "Rainbow Dash Returns to Cloudsdale."
The pink party pony turned to her companion, looking up from the paper she was reading, and said, "Well, this paper just talks about Mayor Mare and Fluttershy arriving here. No details."
After looking at a more recent paper, Scootaloo said, "Here's something interesting: 'Our Three Elected Leaders Found Dead in Town Hall.'"
Curious, Pinkie asked, "'Three leaders?' Who could those be?"
The crusader shrugged as she answered, "I'm not sure, there's no picture of them. I wonder if they had something to do with Rainbow Dash coming here in the first place."
Pinkie hummed with interest before saying, "Maybe you're right. I'd like to see that paper." And, she snatched it from her companion.
Free from the paper, Scootaloo went to a shelf to search for an earlier edition. And, it wasn't long before she found one, from which she read aloud, "'Three Stallions Elected Cloudsdale's Joint Governors.'"
Pinkie turned to her companion. Her curiosity piqued, she asked, "Is there a picture of those three stallions?"
After a brief search, the pegasetta nodded, then held the paper out to the earth mare as she said, "Here it is."
Pinkie recognized the trio immediately. It'd been a few years since she'd been to Cloudsdale, to support her friend in the Best Young Fliers' Competition. Rainbow Dash'd taken her and the rest of the element bearers on a tour of the weather factory, where they came across three stallions who seemed to have a vendetta against the azure pegasa.
Remembering how they picked on her friend, it was suddenly clear to the representative of laughter why Rainbow Dash'd returned to the city of the pegasi. But, what happened to her after that? What happened to those stallions? The headlined report she'd been reading from the paper she'd taken from Scootaloo didn't have any pictures, like Scootaloo had said, and only talked about the three stallions having been found lying dead in their own blood. Then, in a paper dated a day or two later, a headline read, "Rainbow Dash Elected Governor of Cloudsdale." And, there was something about that headline that started to worry the pink earth mare. Had her friend, the representative of loyalty, Rainbow Dash, been responsible for the deaths of those three stallions? And, if so, had she intended to replace them? If so, then why?
The pink earth mare's thoughts were interrupted when Scootaloo lowered the paper she'd been holding and asked, "Pinkie, is something wrong?"
Nervously, Pinkie shook her head and answered, "Uh, no, everything's j-just f-fine." And, just as nervously, she forced a chuckle and a smile before going back to looking at the paper.
The filly looked down at the picture, which from her perspective was upside down, then looked back up at her companion, before saying, uncertainly, "Well, uh, alright then?" She then dragged the paper back to where she'd found it. After putting the paper back in its place, she said, "I was just wondering, you were looking so worried." And, it was about that time when she heard the door to the library room close. Turning quickly to the door, she called out, "Pinkie!?" She continued to look around to see if she could find the pink party pony. When she realized she was unable to find the representative of laughter anywhere in the room, she screamed, "Pinkie!"
Somewhere in the Weather Factory
Rainbow Dash sat there human-style, her front hooves flat on either side of the keyboard in front of her, glaring and growling at the monitor she'd been watching.
In a few seconds, a sheepish, fiery-maned pegasa entered through the door behind the azure one. Ambling a few steps, head lowered, she said, quietly, "Commander Spitfire, reporting for duty, Ma'am."
The representative of loyalty rose and pushed herself away from the keyboard, settling to all fours on the floor. She then turned to her fellow pegasa and marched toward her, demanding, "What were you thinking? Why didn't you just try and lure them away from the town hall instead of focusing their attention on it?"
Commander Spitfire stammered, "Y-you w-were right, Ma'am, I should've d-done what y-you said. I shouldn't've g-guarded the t-town h-hall."
Rainbow Dash emitted a sighing groan before asking, "So, you at least got Pinkie Pie?"
The fiery-colored pegasa saluted and answered, "Yes, Ma'am."
The azure pegasa nodded and said, "Good." She then trotted past her fellow pegasa as she said, "I'm going to interrogate her, find out as much as I can about what she learned. Then, after that, I want you to take her and hang her by her hooves in the bank. I'll lure Scootaloo there, and she'll deal with my former friend."
Commander Spitfire waited and watched as the rainbow-haired pegasa exited the room, and only relaxed from her salute when she couldn't see Rainbow Dash. Resting that front hoof under her again, she looked down and sighed, uncertain if, after her failure, she still had a career. |
Cloudsdale in the Fall | Chapter 7: The Party's End | The Town Hall
Since Scootaloo's only clue to the disappearance of her companion had been the door closing, and since it was the only way out of the library, the only one she knew of anyway, she decided to exit the room through the door they'd entered. After that, the pegasetta began to wonder if perhaps the pink earth mare had needed to use the mares' room, or maybe went to get something to eat, and had simply decided to leave the crusader to continue looking for information on her own. With no other ideas to work with, the crusader started looking at doors, beginning with the library and continuing toward the back of the town hall, searching for one with a picture of the silhouette of a mare's head on it. After all, between the library and the entrance to this building, she hadn't seen any doors with the silhouette of the head of a mare or a stallion.
When she came to one door that had the silhouetted image of a mare's head on it, looking up at the image brought back memories of the past twenty or so hours, memories she'd rather forget. She remembered how she'd awoken once in one mares' room, then once in front of another one; and each of those times had lead to her finding somepony dead, suspended by chains between the floor and ceiling of a room. But, she hadn't awoken in front of or inside this one. And, that gave her hope that she'd find her companion, or at least somepony, alive. So, she went through the door and called out, "Pinkie Pie, are you in here?" But, there was no answer. In fact, aside from those she knew were coming from herself, there was no sound at all.
Knowing that she shouldn't, still Scootaloo looked under the door of each stall, hoping to find somepony, hopefully her companion, in that stall. But, each stall she checked she found empty. Then, after checking the last stall, she came to a realization: all these toilets available, and she needed to use one of them. Considering there was nopony in this mares' room, perhaps nopony in the building at all other than her, although she was still hoping to find Pinkie Pie alive, the filly decided to make use of the toilet in the last stall she'd checked. And, since she was the only pony in there, she felt no need to close and lock the stall door.
It didn't take very long. She hadn't had anything to eat since she and the pink party pony had gotten to Cloudsdale, so that all she needed to do was pee. And, when she was finished, she left the stall and proceeded to climb up onto the sink across from it, to wash her front hooves. But, when she got a look at her reflection in the mirror, to her horror she saw not her own face, but the face of Fluttershy. Yet, there was something wrong with the pegasa's face. Her eyes were wide open, but missing. That, or they were completely black. Either way, they made her sockets look like pitch-black caves. And, her mouth was open too, revealing another cave, one as black as were her eyes.
Scootaloo's fight-or-flight instinct took over, and she screamed and retreated from the sight. But, because in her panic she'd forgotten to use her wings, the lack of friction on the sink's surface joined forces with gravity against the crusader, causing her to fall, and land hard on the floor. Still, neither the impact nor the sudden pain stopped her from backpedaling away, back into the stall behind her, until she hit the bowl of the toilet she'd used. Finally stopping, she hid within her wings. And there, in that position, she waited for at least a minute, hiding from the monster she saw while at the same time struggling to get her breathing back under control.
When she dared open her wings again, she realized she was still alone, which made her feel better. But, she had to wonder, why did she see Fluttershy's face that way? As far as she knew, she'd done nothing to the yellow pegasa that'd cause her to haunt her that way. Still, it seemed as though washing her front hooves wasn't going to be such a good idea after all, not so long as she was going to have to see the yellow pegasa's face in the mirror. Scootaloo decided to leave the mares' room.
And, just outside the door, as the pegasetta turned to her left, she saw Mayor Mare, facing away from her. Surprised, she called out, "Mayor, is that you!?"
The image the filly saw made no sound, just turned her head to look at her. But, what Scootaloo saw was not unlike what she'd seen in the mirror. Except, it wasn't Fluttershy's face with the pitch-black caves for eyes and mouth, it was Mayor Mare's.
Again the crusader panicked, retreating from the monster she saw. And, as she ran, turning at each corner until she got to the front door of the town hall, she remembered what she'd said to Pinkie Pie: "First Fluttershy, now Mayor Mare." And, indeed, first it was the representative of kindness with that face, haunting her, then Ponyville's mayor. But, what had happened, what had she done to them, that they should want to haunt her?
As Scootaloo burst out of the town hall's double doors, she jumped from the top steps and used her wings to fly off. And, she didn't stop until she was back at the balloon, where this whole nightmare had started. She didn't dare look into the basket, she just dropped into a sphinx-style position in front of it, buried her face between her front hooves, and sobbed, "Why, Mayor? Why, Fluttershy? Why do you hate me?" And, she continued to sob.
Cloudsdale, in the Streets
It was several minutes later, perhaps even a whole hour, before the crusader had her emotions under control again. And, when she looked up, she saw one of those ponies again, one like the two she'd seen in front of the grocery store, like the army of ponies she'd seen lead by Commander Spitfire. And, seeing that pony, Scootaloo suddenly felt herself filled with rage.
Ponies hadn't died, hadn't been suspended in buildings, before things like that bizarre pony started showing up. And now, and now, there were two dead ponies; and Pinkie Pie had disappeared. Scootaloo didn't know why. She didn't need to know why. All she knew was that this strange pony was, had to be, responsible for the whole thing, perhaps even for the two waking nightmares she'd experienced. And, this strange pony had to pay for it.
Scootaloo galloped a few steps before opening her wings and flying toward the strange pony. But, before the crusader could get up off the ground, that strange pony disappeared behind a building.
The crusader flew to the last point where she'd seen the strange pony, then looked around to see if she could find her. And, she spotted the strange pony when she looked to her left, away from the path that had lead her and Pinkie to the town hall. Still furious with the strange pony, she flew towards it, only for it to disappear behind another building. Before she knew it, Scootaloo found herself following the familiar course to the weather factory. And, at the doorsteps of the factory, she found the culprit.
The battle didn't take long, it just took one sphere of energy from Scootaloo's left hoof; and the strange pony was a shower of metal fragments around her. And, it was only then that Scootaloo took notice of where she was. Why had the strange pony lead her here? What was so important about the weather factory?
Then, Scootaloo heard Rainbow Dash's voice in her ears, asking, "Will you kindly go into the bank?"
Again the filly felt herself falling into the realm of dreams. And, in that state, she said, "Yes, Rainbow Dash." And, from the steps of the weather factory, she turned away and made her way to the road where the bank was on one side, and the grocery store on the other. And, at the steps of the bank, she turned and entered through the double doors.
The Bank
As the doors closed behind her, the crusader heard her heroine ask, "Will you kindly go to the bank's vault?"
Again Scootaloo said, "Yes, Rainbow Dash," before making her way to the vault, in the back of the main room of the bank.
Seeing her companion again, Pinkie Pie started struggling against her chains as she said, "Oh, Scootaloo, I'm glad to see you again. Listen, you've gotta get me out of here. We've gotta stop Rainbow Dash. I'm sorry to have to say this, but, ... she's not my friend anymore, not your friend anymore. She's the bad guy. Don't you understand, Scootaloo? Rainbow Dash is the villain! She's turned against us!"
Scootaloo looked up at the pink earth mare, suspended between floor and ceiling by chains, and watched her speak. But, all she heard was the azure pegasa ask, "Will you kindly kill Pinkie Pie?"
Still seeing things in a dream state, Scootaloo answered, "Yes, Rainbow Dash."
The voice of her heroine added, "And, when you're done, I will guide you to the mares' room. Will you kindly clean up the mess you make? Leave no sign of what you do."
Again Scootaloo answered, "Yes, Rainbow Dash," before opening her wings and flying up to the suspended mare.
The representative of laughter didn't need her Pinkie sense to tell her that she wasn't going to make it out of this situation alive. But, still, she had to try to let her companion know, she had to try to free her companion from her hypnosis. So, she stopped struggling and said, "Listen to me, Scootie. I know why Rainbow Dash did what she did. I know what happened. Rainbow Dash killed those three stallions. She said so herself. It was her idea, her intent, to become the governor of Cloudsdale. But, she's not good anymore.
"She's the one that gave you those fake wings you're using. She had doctor ponies remove your wings and your forelimbs and replace them with fake ones. And, she's the one controlling you, telling you to kill me. But, you've got to fight it. Scootaloo, you've got to wake up. You don't want to do this. You don't want to be a murderer. You don't want to follow Rainbow Dash's example, not this way."
The Ponyville Castle, in the Map Room
Three element bearers and one defecated draconequus (Discord had shriveled and changed color so that he literally looked like one big, lengthy, living bowel movement.) were seated around the table where the map of Equestria was displayed, waiting for news of how Pinkie's and Scootaloo's friendship mission was going. None dared speak, they just sat there and waited for something to happen, hoping it'd be something good for a change.
But, whatever good thing they were hoping would happen never would. The cutie marks of the three ponies again started to flash with crimson red light.
Seeing the glow, Twilight, Applejack, and Rarity screamed in alarm, then focused on the representation of the cloud city. And there above it they saw the image of three balloons, two blue and the middle one above them yellow, appear above the city.
Each of the three expressed her own disbelief in the impending death of the pink party pony, but they watched on helplessly as the image grew and blurred, then faded and eventually disappeared.
The three mares sat there, staring at the miniaturized cloud city, but only for a few seconds before their strength failed them.
Discord, the spirit of chaos and disharmony, felt something he'd never felt before, something that filled him with terror. He felt powerless. But, at the same time, the dose of chaos around him powered him so that he couldn't collapse as the ponies in the room with him had.
His favorite pony, the pegasa that had first shown him true friendship, the pony that had reformed him, had been the first to die, the first to be killed. Then there was that mayor pony. But, she was meaningless. But now, Pinkie Pie, who represented the element he favored the most, laughter, was dead.
His external appearance became only a faint shadow of how he felt inside. He didn't dare grieve, not yet anyway. He knew, he thought he knew, who was responsible for the three deaths; and he was going to wait for that filly to return so he could punish her. And, only after that little filly was adequately punished would he mourn over the loss of his two favorite ponies. But, for now, he would stay and watch until the little pegasetta returned.
The Bank, Starting in the Mares' Room
As had been the case with Fluttershy and Mayor Mare, Scootaloo had managed to clean up the mess she'd made, and had used Pinkie Pie's skin around the wound to sew it closed, in just a matter of seconds. After that, she'd made her way to the mares' room, following Rainbow Dash's instructions, and cleaned up the blade she'd used to kill the pink earth mare.
When she was done, she heard Rainbow Dash say, "Now, when you leave this room, will you kindly wake up, and remember no more what you did under my instructions? Will you kindly even forget my instructions?"
Scootaloo nodded and headed for the door to the bathroom, saying, "Yes, Rainbow Dash." A few seconds later, she was outside the bathroom, where she woke up from her hypnosis. After shaking herself out, she turned around and saw the silhouetted image of the mare's face on the door behind her. The memories of the previous situations flooded her mind, and the crusader shook her head, repeatedly whispering the word, "No." Fearing what she somehow knew to be true, she ran around the building, taking a break from repeatedly whispering "No" to say, "Please, Rainbow Dash, don't let it be you this time." Then she entered the vault, and what she saw there filled her with relief and horror at the same time.
To her relief, it wasn't Rainbow Dash that was suspended between the floor and the ceiling. What horrified her was that it was her companion, the representative of laughter, Pinkie Pie.
Scootaloo collapsed into a canine-style position, unable to believe what she was seeing. Fluttershy had been the first, Mayor Mare had been the second, now Pinkie Pie. Who would do such a thing to two element bearers and the mayor of Ponyville, and why? Then, unbidden, the pattern became apparent to the little filly, followed by one thought that made her freeze in terror greater than she was already feeling, greater than she thought she could ever feel: what if she was next?
This was followed by a feeling of isolation that threatened to consume her. Scootaloo was familiar with loneliness, it had been a companion to her much of the time until she became friends with Applebloom, and then Sweetie Belle. But, they weren't here now. Pinkie Pie was, had been, but she was dead now. Who was going to help the little crusader? The only other pony she'd met, that she knew was alive, was Commander Spitfire. But, she didn't seem all that friendly.
The pegasetta reached out a front hoof toward one of the chains, the one holding Pinkie's right forelimb in place, and fired a sphere of energy at it, destroying the chain, and creating a burn mark on that limb. She then turned her forelimb to the chain keeping Pinkie's left forelimb in place, and fired another energy sphere at it, destroying the chain and part of that hoof. Scootaloo followed quickly by firing one energy sphere at each of the chains holding Pinkie's rear limbs in place before the pink party pony's body had time to drop to the floor in front of her. After that, she closed the distance between her and the remains of her companion, collapsed on top of it, and started sobbing once again. |
Cloudsdale in the Fall | Chapter 8: That Miserable Cat | Weather Factory, Entrance Hall
Commander Spitfire had made her last report to Governor Rainbow Dash, and been shown Scootaloo in action, killing Pinkie Pie. And, seeing the little filly reacting to seeing the dead body of her companion, and not remembering that she'd been the one that had done it, she'd begun to wonder about the azure pegasa's motivations. Killing those three stallions who had been elected joint governors over Cloudsdale was reasonable in a way. After all, how they won on their political platform, expelling Rainbow Dash from the Wonderbolts, was a mystery that might never be solved. But, when Fluttershy and Mayor Mare came, the order to imprison them was something she hadn't expected. Still more bizarre was the decision to turn this visiting pegasetta, Scootaloo, the governor's closest friend and greatest fan, into a puppet so she could kill without getting her hooves dirty. That being the case, what game was Rainbow Dash playing, that she'd have the little filly clean up her mess after killing each victim? Did she want her little friend to not suffer guilt if she'd ever found out what she'd done?
The fiery-colored pegasa shook her head, trying to clear the thoughts away before using her wings to set up a board. Using pins, she placed a picture of Rainbow Dash, at what she'd call her awesome-est, at the top; then a piece of scroll with the words, "Will You Kindly," on it. Under that, she placed three pictures, each one with the image of one of the ponies Rainbow Dash had manipulated Scootaloo into murdering, strung up in that humiliating position. After that, she took some string and connected the picture of Rainbow Dash to the three-word phrase, then three more pieces of string to connect the phrase to each of the pictures, one piece of string per picture.
As Commander Spitfire set up this board, she began to wonder to herself why she was doing this. Was she trying to absolve herself from the crimes Governor Rainbow Dash was committing? If so, why torture a little filly with the restoration of these memories? Certainly letting the little filly know that Rainbow Dash was no longer the friend she'd been before she'd come to Cloudsdale had some value. But, how far was too far in this matter?
Years of training helped the military pegasa keep control of her emotions while she put up the display. It was only when she was finished that the thought struck her, were emotions governing her decision to place this display in the entranceway to the weather factory? But, then again, she felt that this was something that needed to be done. For the good of Cloudsdale. For the good of Rainbow Dash. For the good of Scootaloo. And, most of all, for the good of all ponies that might become involved later on. If her emotions were her main motivation for doing this, then they had to be good emotions. Thus were her thoughts as she went to the front door and unlocked it as carefully and quietly as possible.
The Bank, Starting in the Vault
Scootaloo had been in the bank's vault for hours, crying for Fluttershy, crying for Mayor Mare, crying for her companion Pinkie Pie. All three were dead now, strung up like strange display items or decorations. What was Scootaloo going to do now? Should she try and take Pinkie's body back to the balloon, then go back to Ponyville again? No, that would've made the sacrifices of those three ponies meaningless. And, besides, how was she going to carry her companion's body all the way back to the balloon? Would she be able to carry the pink earth mare's body all the way back to the balloon without collapsing, or literally falling apart?
She remembered how the pink party pony had taken the body of Fluttershy, then later the body of Mayor Mare, back to the balloon; and she'd been there to make sure each one didn't fall off of her back. And, they hadn't. Pinkie was able to take each of the two mares' bodies back to the balloon without them falling off. And, tossing them into the basket, while not the most sensitive and dignified treatment, had been, or at least seemed, like a very simple job. But, Pinkie Pie was an adult. Could Scootaloo do that? Or, was she too small, too weak, to carry the body of an adult back to the balloon and toss it into the basket?
It took a few minutes, but Scootaloo made her decision. She was the only one left, that she knew of, and she was going to take the body of her companion back to the balloon.
But, that was before she heard Rainbow Dash's voice in her head, asking, "Will you kindly go to the weather factory?"
Again the pegasetta felt herself falling into a dream state, and she said, "Yes, Rainbow Dash." And, with that, she moved away from the body of the pink party pony, out of the vault, through the main room of the bank, and out the front door.
For all the little filly cared at the moment, the streets could've been crowded with all types of ponies, or completely empty; it didn't matter. She had a job to do, and she was going to do it. That was her frame of mind as she marched through the streets, to the intersection connecting the road in front of the bank to the road leading to the weather factory. And, it wasn't long afterward when she found herself at the double doors to that building.
As she reached out for the door, she heard the voice of the azure pegasa say, "Wait, and I'll unlock the door so you can enter." Obediently the crusader waited, forelimb outstretched, for a minute before the voice said, "Now, will you kindly enter and proceed to the end of the hallway?"
Still in her dream state, Scootaloo nodded and said, "Yes, Rainbow Dash." Then, she reached out and pushed the door open, then proceeded into the building.
The Weather Factory, in the Hallway
The little filly, after entering through the double doors, proceeded to close each one, when she happened to catch sight of a bulletin board, with images that were familiar to her. And, there was a message under the image of her heroine, Rainbow Dash: "Will You Kindly."
Presently, she heard the azure pegasa's voice in her head, asking, no, demanding, "Scootaloo, will you kindly proceed to the end of the hallway?"
But, seeing those words on the board, she was snapped out of her dream state, and found herself uninfluenced by them anymore. At first, her eyes were attracted to the image of Fluttershy, and the memories of her murder invaded her thoughts. Scootaloo remembered stabbing her with a blade from one of her own hooves. She remembered sowing up the wound with Fluttershy's own skin. She remembered cleaning up the mess, then going into the mares' room to clean the blade she'd used. And, all this at the museum.
Next, Scootaloo turned to look at the picture of Mayor Mare, and the memories of her murder invaded the little filly's thoughts. Just like she'd done with Fluttershy, she'd stabbed Mayor Mare, sewn up her wound with her own skin, cleaned up the mess she'd made, and gone to the mares' room and cleaned up the blade she'd used. The only difference was it had taken place in the storage area of the grocery store.
Finally, the pegasetta's attention was drawn magnetically, almost instinctively, to the image of Pinkie Pie, her companion; and she remembered everything that had happened at the bank. Just like what she'd done with the two other mares, she'd stabbed Pinkie Pie, sewn up her wound with her own skin, cleaned up the mess she'd made, and gone to the mares' room to clean up the blade she'd used. But, there was more. She remembered what the pink party pony had said about her fellow element bearer, that the azure pegasa was no longer the representative of loyalty, she was a traitor.
Scootaloo looked up at the image of her heroine, and saw the three words written under it, words that now torturously echoed in her mind: "Will You Kindly." And then, everything started to make sense.
Remembering what she'd done, what Rainbow Dash had made her do using those three words, she stopped wondering why she'd seen Fluttershy's image in the mirror of the town hall mares' room the way she had, then Mayor Mare there in the hallway, just outside that room.
Scootaloo and Pinkie hadn't eaten anything since they'd gotten to Cloudsdale. And right now, considering what she was feeling, Scootaloo was glad for that. If she had eaten anything, she'd have to see it again, liquefied and all over the floor in front of her. She couldn't believe it. Had her friend, her heroine, Rainbow Dash, really done those terrible things, made her do them? And, she was still trying. Again she heard the words in her head, "Will you kindly proceed to the end of the hallway!?"
The three words, which she knew had been used to control her, no longer had their power over her. But, did Rainbow Dash know that? If she did, would she still be calling her, demanding that she proceed to the end of the hallway?
Scootaloo slumped into a canine-style position. For once, she didn't want to see her heroine again. But, at the same time, she needed answers to her questions. Yes, she'd already gotten answers to some of the questions in her mind, the answers about why she'd found Fluttershy dead in the museum, Mayor Mare dead in the store, and Pinkie Pie dead in the bank. She also knew that Rainbow Dash had come to Cloudsdale to rid its leadership of the three stallions that had tortured her as a filly. But, there were a few more questions that needed answering. Why did Rainbow Dash use her as a killing machine? Why did she give her these mechanical wings, these mechanical forelimbs? Why didn't she just return to Ponyville?
After a minute or two, the crusader made her decision. Rising to all fours again, but unable to keep her emotions under control, she stammered, "Y-y-yes, R-r-rainbow D-d-dash." And, she turned and walked away from the entrance, away from the bulletin board, and toward the double doors at the end of the hallway. |
Cloudsdale in the Fall | Chapter 9: The Fallen Hero | Weather Factory, the Control Room
As Scootaloo stopped at the door, she began to wonder if she really wanted, or needed, to know the answers to the questions she still had. Thus far, what she'd learned, both about her former heroine and about herself, had been horrifying.
What Rainbow Dash had been doing was quite the opposite of friendly, and she'd been anything but loyal. Now, the crusader was going to confront her. Clearly, the azure pegasa was the source of the friendship problem. If there was any chance of solving the problem without killing the representative of loyalty, the pegasetta knew she was going to have to find it now. But, then again, Rainbow Dash had already killed six ponies, had made Scootaloo kill three of them. Was there any chance of salvaging a pony like that?
The pegasetta's thoughts were interrupted by the doors sliding open in front of her. And, as she watched, she saw a pegasa in shadows, sitting in front of what looked like some kind of enormous, bizarre desk. There was a wall where she saw pictures that glowed and moved, or at least flickered. And, she wasn't entirely sure what all was on the floor part of it; she was too small, and that floor surface was at the wrong angle.
Scootaloo slumped into a canine position, at the same time wondering if the mare at the desk was Rainbow Dash, and hoping she wasn't. Then, the mare started turning to her, and the crusader caught glimpses of her face highlighted by the light from the pictures, indicating azure body fur and mane of different colors, at least red, orange, and yellow.
The pegasa, once facing her visitor, said, "Scootaloo, it's so nice to see you again. Will you kindly come in?"
There was no doubt now, it was indeed Rainbow Dash.
The pegasetta felt sharp pain shoot through her stomach as she heard those three words that had started the question. Still, even though they no longer had the power over her they'd had before, she rose to all fours and proceeded to amble into the room. And, once she entered and was clear, the doors slid closed behind her.
Alarmed, she jumped and turned a hundred eighty degrees to defend herself.
But, she was startled again when she heard her former idol say, "Oh, you don't need to worry about those doors. They won't hurt you."
Again facing the azure pegasa, Scootaloo took a minute or two to calm herself, then swallow, drily, before saying, "I-I-I ... w-w-was ..."
Rainbow Dash immediately interrupted her by saying, "I know. You were called by the cutie map back in Ponyville to come to Cloudsdale and find and solve a friendship problem."
The pegasetta stammered, "M-m-me and P-p-pinky P-p-pie."
The representative of loyalty asked, "And, did you find the source of this 'friendship problem'?"
The crusader slumped again into a canine-style position. She couldn't stop the tears from streaming down her face as she nodded, then pointed to her heroine.
Pointing to herself, the azure pegasa asked, "Me?" She then scoffed before continuing, "I'm one of the elements of harmony. How could I be the source of a friendship problem?" And, she started to cackle.
Scootaloo rose to all fours again and said, still pointing at the azure pegasa, "You killed ponies. And, you made me kill ponies. How is that friendly?"
Rainbow Dash scoffed again and shouted, "Those three stallions? They didn't deserve to be governors! They couldn't even control themselves!"
The crusader put down the hoof she'd been pointing at her heroine before shouting in response, "And you're any better!?" Under her breath, she said, "I can't believe I'm saying this," before shouting out, "but, you don't deserve to be a governor either!" And, she immediately covered her face with a front hoof, maybe to defend herself from an attack she'd almost guaranteed to get, perhaps in a desperate attempt to prevent sobs from escaping. At the moment, she wasn't sure.
And then came the azure pegasa's response: "How dare you. I came here to rescue Cloudsdale from making the biggest mistake of its existence."
With all the anger she could muster, Scootaloo spat, "And a great job you did of it."
The representative of loyalty continued, "And, do you really think I wanted to kill Fluttershy, Mayor Mare, and Pinkie Pie?"
The pegasetta shouted, "You know that one of those was the mayor of Ponyville! And, the other two were your friends!"
Rainbow Dash continued, "That's why I had you kill them, so their blood wouldn't be on my hooves!"
The crusader retorted, "I only killed them because you were controlling me! I had no choice!"
The pegasa immediately asked, "Well, isn't that the difference?"
Scootaloo paused for a moment, confused, before asking, "What?"
Rainbow Dash answered, "A real pony makes decisions. A slave pony simply obeys." After a momentary pause, she continued, "I gave you those wings because you weren't going to fly with the ones you had before. Isn't that friendly enough for you?"
Presently, the little filly shouted, "This isn't what I wanted! Yes, I wanted to fly, but I never wanted to kill another pony!" Unable to contain it anymore, she sobbed, "I thought you'd always be a pony I could respect. B-but, ... b-but, you're not. You've become a monster, and you've turned me into one! You're not loyal anymore! You're not friendly anymore! You're not even a pony anymore!"
The azure pegasa retorted, "Well, if I'm not a pony, then neither are you. I gave you those wings, and those forelimbs; and I can take them away again. I just can't give you back the ones you had before."
The crusader sobbed, "I wish I'd never used any of these things."
Presently, Rainbow Dash asked, "Will you kindly--"
But, before she could finish her request, Scootaloo shouted, "No, I will not! You can't make me do anything anymore, not with those words, never again! I'm not your slave anymore!"
At this point, the representative of loyalty started to grin; and she took a step toward the orange filly as she said, "Oh, I can get you back."
Suddenly fearing for her life, the crusader instinctively pointed a forelimb at the approaching azure pegasa and said, "P-please, R-rainbow D-dash, d-don't m-make m-me d-d-do th-this."
Presently, a sphere of energy started to form at the end of her hoof.
Rainbow Dash took another step, continuing, "A real pony makes decisions."
The sphere of energy leapt from the fake forelimb and across the left side of the azure pegasa's face, burning away the skin and eye on that side of her head, exposing the bone underneath.
Another sphere of energy formed as again the pegasetta plead, "Rainbow Dash, n-n-no."
The representative of loyalty took another step as she continued, her voice almost masculine now, "A slave pony simply obeys."
The second sphere of energy leapt from the forelimb, this time across the right side of Rainbow Dash's face. Now, all that was left of her head was her skull.
At this point, the azure pegasa reared up on her hind legs, then collapsed forward on her visitor, roaring in an unnaturally deep voice, "Obey me!"
At this point, Scootaloo rolled onto her back. Thrusting her forelimbs up to prevent the impending attack, she screamed, "No!"
The Castle, in the Map Room
Discord and the three element bearers sat in their places around the cutie map, waiting for evidence of what was going on in Cloudsdale. Knowing that three ponies had already died, two of their own among them, since the map had sent Scootaloo and Pinkie Pie to the home of the pegasi; the four waited around the table, wondering who would be next, hoping the mission would end before there could be any further loss of life.
It was late in the afternoon, and, in spite of Spike's insistence, none of the four had eaten anything. Whatever had happened up in that city in the clouds, something had gone horribly wrong, enough that ponies' lives had been lost. The cause was, as yet, unknown; and every pony wanted to know what it was.
Discord felt he already knew, and just wanted the little filly to come back so he could understand why his favorite element bearers had to be killed. And, after that, well, he wanted to decide the fate of that little orange brat.
Then the thing they dreaded happened again: the cutie marks of Twilight, Applejack, and Rarity started to glow crimson.
Too spent to really react the way they had before, the three ponies simply looked at their hips before turning to the map, to the cloud that was at this point closest to Rarity; and watched as a white, outlined cloud appeared above it, one with a lightning bolt under it, colored red, yellow, and blue.
Spent as they felt before, the three element bearers couldn't help feel a flood of grief as they watched the cutie mark of the representative of loyalty flicker, then expand and fade, then disappear. But, then, another cutie mark appeared in its place: a shield of red, white, and reddish-purple, with a pink wing, outlined in the reddish-purple, in the middle of it. This image radiated and flashed crimson.
The friendship mission was over, and was more-or-less successful. It just hadn't gone the way it'd been intended to go. Not even one pony was supposed to die, much less three. Scootaloo and Pinkie Pie were sent to Cloudsdale to find and solve a friendship problem. Apparently, the problem had been found and solved, but at a cost that shouldn't have occurred.
There were going to be questions to answer, at least from the remaining element bearers and Discord. The princesses would have to be notified about what had happened, and there'd likely be an investigation into the matter. But, for the present time, their waiting was at an end. They could look forward to Scootaloo's return, or so they hoped. And, in the mean time, at least Spike hoped, the three remaining element bearers, and maybe even Discord, might finally eat something.
Weather Factory, the Control Room
As the body of the azure pegasa slumped and collapsed to the side, forcing the little filly to roll with her, Scootaloo was afraid to push away from it. She knew what had happened this time. She'd felt the blade leap out from that one front hoof as she touched the chest of her heroine with it. That close, there was no way Rainbow Dash could've avoided it. She'd felt the pulsating muscle inside the chest against the metal, knew that muscle would damage itself against the blade. She even felt that muscle's pulsating slow down and eventually stop.
The head, now devoid of anything that could display emotion, had simply dropped in front of the pegasetta and hung there, forcing her to look into those hollow eye sockets if she dared to look up.
Scootaloo didn't want to be there any longer. But, at the same time, she was afraid of retracting that blade. She knew that if she did, if she moved her hoof away, that dark red fluid would spray out, covering her. Yes, she'd killed her heroine. But, she didn't want everypony to know that she'd killer her. And, even though Rainbow Dash had stopped being the awesome pony she'd once been, she still had been a heroine to so many foals. How was Scootaloo going to face them, how was she going to tell them that Rainbow Dash had stopped being a superheroine?
Then Scootaloo noticed that one of her hips was glowing again. Turning to look at it, she saw that her cutie mark was glowing and radiating again. Her mission was over. But, something was wrong. Shouldn't her cutie mark be glowing white? So, why was it glowing crimson red instead?
Then, memories of the past two days returned to her, and she knew the answer. During this mission, four ponies had died, including her companion. In no other mission before this one had any pony, any creature at all, lost their life. And, she'd been the one to cause four ponies to lose their lives. Yes, Rainbow Dash had been in control when she killed three of those ponies, but was that an excuse? She couldn't answer yes or no, not for certain. All she knew was that she felt responsible for all four deaths, including the one she'd just caused.
Was the nightmare over now? She'd found the source of the friendship problem here, and she'd solved it. But, at what cost? Well, she could answer that question at least. If she counted those lost on this mission, those lost from the moment she and Pinkie Pie had set hoof on Cloudsdale's cloud, it'd been four pony lives. If she included those three stallions that Rainbow Dash had killed before the friendship mission, it was seven. But, would there be further cost after this? Having caused the death of three element bearers, not to mention Ponyville's mayor, could Scootaloo be sure that she wouldn't be killed next? Perhaps she deserved to die, for all the deaths she'd caused. But, were those deaths her fault? After all, she wasn't in control when she caused them.
Those thoughts of hers were interrupted when the double doors slid open, and Commander Spitfire took a step through them. Seeing the little filly there, she asked, "Scootaloo, are you alright?"
The crusader, alarmed by the intrusion, immediately retracted the blade from the azure pegasa's chest, then pushed away from her. Rising quickly, not aware of the fountain pouring onto her closest hoof, she asked the fiery-colored pegasa, "What do you want? Haven't you done enough?" Not waiting for any answers, she ran out through the open doors and out of the weather factory. And, there on the steps, she looked at the front hoof and willed the blood-covered blade to reveal itself. Sickened by the sight of the object, and not wanting it to be a part of her anymore, she swung her hoof against the edge of the step, breaking the blade with ease that surprised her. And, after that, she galloped back to the bank to see if she could move Pinkie Pie's body back to the balloon. |
Cloudsdale in the Fall | Chapter 10: Back Home Again | The Bank, in the Vault
Scootaloo only landed when she was at the door to the bank. Then, after pushing the door open with her head, she galloped to the vault, at the same time hoping for and dreading finding the pink party pony's body there. After all, how was she going to carry that big, heavy thing all the way back to the balloon? But, to her surprise, the pink earth pony's body was missing.
The orange pegasetta looked around, confused. What had happened to the pink earth mare's body? The crusader knew she'd been there before. Had she already carried the body to the balloon? That seemed highly unlikely. Had her body gotten up and walked off? Equally unlikely. Then again, this was Pinkie Pie. Maybe she'd come back and hauled or walked her own body back to the balloon? Or, had she taken it back to Ponyville?
Scootaloo thought about searching the empty cloud city for the wandering body of the representative of laughter. On the one hoof, save for having to keep out of sight of Commander Spitfire, who was likely still there with an army of those strange ponies, Scootaloo likely had plenty of time to go searching through the city, looking for a wandering earth pony corpse. On the other hoof, what if the body was in the balloon's basket with the bodies of Fluttershy and Mayor Mare?
Considering she really had nothing to lose at that point, Scootaloo made her decision and left the bank, heading for the balloon to be sure before her companion's dead body was in the balloon's basket she'd go searching through the city.
On the Outskirts of Cloudsdale
Having flown from the bank to the balloon, Scootaloo stopped in midair to look into the basket. And, again to her surprise, she saw the body of the pink earth mare, on top of the bodies of Mayor Mare and Fluttershy.
Gruesome as the sight was for the little filly, still she wondered to herself, did Pinkie Pie possess her own body just long enough to trot it to the basket and dump it in there? Maybe the pink earth mare could do that, maybe she couldn't; there was really so little the orange crusader knew about the pink earth pony. But, was her Pinkie sense capable of that?
One thing Scootaloo knew was that she didn't have to carry the pink party pony's body back to the balloon. But, what about Rainbow Dash?
In order to fly, pegasi were light-boned. And, their strength was in their wing muscles. Their wings had developed so that they were like a third set of forelimbs. They'd developed feather-shaped digits at the end of each wing which they could use the way a raccoon, for instance, could use its front paws. And, because those digits were shaped like feathers, they could be used for flight. But, that didn't necessarily mean they could carry bodies, live or dead, for long distances. Scootaloo knew of one pegasus that could carry such lifeless bodies easily; but he wasn't here right now, not that she knew of anyway.
So, she wondered, how was she going to carry Rainbow Dash's body back to the balloon? And, even if she did, how was she going to get it into the basket?
Flying back toward the weather factory, Scootaloo decided she'd figure that out when she got to that point.
In the Streets of Cloudsdale
As the little filly drifted over the street, between the bank and the grocery store, she saw what looked like a two-headed pony. But, when she got a closer look at the odd creature, she recognized the mane of one of the heads, which just hung there, as having the six colors of the rainbow. Yet, there was something familiar about the other head, the one that was clearly still alive. Wanting to get a still closer look at the odd pony, Scootaloo circled around, then came in for a landing next to the pony. Looking up at the face that was suddenly familiar to her, she asked, "Commander Spitfire?"
The fiery-colored pegasa turned to her and said, "Yes, ma'am."
The crusader took a moment, trotting to keep pace with the Wonderbolt, to look at the body she was carrying. Recognizing the color of the fur, she turned back to the pegasa and asked, "What are you doing with Rainbow Dash's body?"
Commander Spitfire answered, "I'm carrying it back to your balloon, ma'am. I assume you'll want to take it back to Ponyville for a proper burial."
Scootaloo slowly nodded and answered, "That's right," before tilting her head and asking, "Are you the one that set that display up in the weather factory hallway?"
The Wonderbolt simply answered, "Yes, ma'am."
The pegasetta then asked, "Why?"
Not stopping, Commander Spitfire answered, "I thought you deserved to know what Rainbow Dash had been doing to you. And, I didn't want you to be her slave anymore."
Something about that word, "slave," really stung. But, it wasn't that much of a surprise to the crusader. After all, without knowing it, that's exactly what she'd been to the azure pegasa. After taking a moment to shake herself free of the feelings of shame and guilt, she asked, "You were the one that carried Pinkie Pie's body back to the balloon, right?"
The fiery-colored pegasa answered, "Yes, ma'am."
The crusader asked, "Why? And, why carry Rainbow Dash's body back to the balloon?"
At this point, Commander Spitfire stopped. After taking a moment to sigh, she focused on the pegasetta and answered, "Those friends of yours, Fluttershy, Mayor Mare, Pinkie Pie? You weren't responsible for their deaths. You weren't even responsible for Rainbow Dash's death. Rainbow Dash was."
Scootaloo took a moment to swallow, noisily, the lump that had formed in her throat. When she spoke, she found herself stammering, "B-but, I ... w-was ... r-responsible f-for th-them, especially R-r-rainbow D-d-dash."
Again the fiery-colored pegasa sighed before saying, "Rainbow Dash stopped being the pony you knew when she took over governing Cloudsdale. I don't know what happened to her, but she started acting, I don't know, different. She stopped being loyal to her friends in Ponyville. She stopped being loyal to her heritage here in Cloudsdale. She stopped being loyal to Princesses Celestia and Luna. I'm not altogether sure she was even loyal to herself after she became governor here. What I do know is, whatever she made you do, you're not responsible for her death, nor for the deaths of your friends. She is." And, with that, she resumed her trot.
More than anything, what the fiery-colored pegasa said confused the little filly. But, she found herself with no further questions to ask. So, she simply trotted along side the Wonderbolt, back to the balloon. And there, Commander Spitfire set the body of the azure pegasa on top of the body of Pinkie Pie. She then offered to put Scootaloo into the basket.
But Scootaloo refused, opting instead to guide the balloon by one rope back to Ponyville.
The two said their farewells, after which Scootaloo, following her plan, guided the balloon from its position near Cloudsdale back to Ponyville.
Ponyville, at the Castle
On arrival, Scootaloo was surprised to be greeted by a group of six creatures: the three remaining element bearers, one draconequus, and her two fellow crusaders.
As the pegasetta landed next to the balloon, Twilight approached her and asked, "So, what happened up there?"
The crusader shook her head as she answered, "I don't wanna talk about it."
The purple alicorn looked into the basket, and saw the four bodies. After taking a moment to cringe, she turned to the filly and said, "I ... understand. But, there's going to have to be an investigation. Ponies died during this mission, and we're going to need to know how and why." After watching the filly amble away, she added, "But, that can wait. When you're ready, please feel free to--"
Suddenly, Scootaloo glared back at Twilight as she growled out, "I said, I don't want to talk about it!" Turning ahead of her again, she added, "I just want to be alone right now," and proceeded to amble off of the platform.
Stunned at the orange pegasetta's response, the representative of magic watched the orange crusader amble away. After sighing, she turned to the other two crusaders and said, "Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, you're dismissed. Please keep an eye on Scootaloo." She then turned to her fellow element bearers and said, "Let's get these bodies out of this balloon, then see about getting burial arrangements made for them."
Discord glided forward toward the balloon and said, "I wish to take care of Fluttershy." Then, not waiting for a response, he snapped his fingers.
Presently, the yellow pegasa's body appeared in front of him in a wheezing pop.
The draconequus once again snapped his fingers and disappeared in another wheezing pop.
As the princess of friendship opened the door to the basket, revealing the remaining bodies, Applejack made her way onto the platform and said, "Ah'll take care o' Pinkie's body." She then turned so that she was facing away from the basket and waited while Twilight levitated Rainbow Dash's body first, then the pink earth mare's body out and onto the orange earth mare's back. After that, the farmer pony ambled off toward Sweet Apple Acres.
Next was Rarity, who volunteered, "I shall take care of Mayor Mare's body." And, like Applejack, she turned and waited, this time while Twilight levitated the body of Ponyville's mayor onto her back. After that, she ambled off toward Carousel Boutique.
Watching the white unicorn amble toward her home, Twilight sighed before saying, "I guess that leaves me with Rainbow Dash's body." And, she levitated the body of the rainbow-haired pegasa onto her own back. After that, she used her magic to close the balloon, after which she ambled to the castle to make arrangements for a mass funeral for the four ponies.
On the Train from Ponyville to Canterlot
It'd been a day or two since the close of the mission to Cloudsdale. As Twilight had warned, an investigation had been started concerning the deaths of the three ponies. There had also been appointments made for an interrogation for the only known survivor of the mission, Scootaloo, to be conducted by the princesses in Canterlot.
None of this was a surprise to the orange filly.
Sitting there in that car, though, looking out the window and trying to ignore her fellow crusaders pestering her, Scootaloo began to remember that time when she still had that blade in Rainbow Dash, up until Commander Spitfire had entered that room. When she finally withdrew that blade from the body of her heroine, she remembered feeling ... something. She couldn't say for sure exactly what it was, but she knew she felt something enter her through that blade she was removing from Rainbow Dash's body. And, not knowing what it was, she was worried about it. Was it the same thing that had caused Rainbow Dash to become a traitor to Ponyville, to Cloudsdale, to the princesses, to herself? Was it the same entity that had caused Rainbow Dash to kill those three stallions, then use her to kill Fluttershy, Mayor Mare, and Pinkie Pie? She didn't know; and that, more than anything else, bothered her. What if that thing was going to try to control her?
Should she tell somepony about it, maybe Twilight? Would her friends understand what had happened, what was going to happen, to her?
Scootaloo might not be responsible, at least not directly, for the deaths of the four ponies; but she felt responsible. She didn't feel as though not being in control would be an adequate excuse for what she'd done. And, looking at the draconequus, the look he was giving her was just validating her feelings on the matter. She didn't know what was going to happen to her. Likely she was going to be punished. And, whatever she was going to get, she felt she deserved it, if not worse.
Canterlot Castle, in the Judicial Chamber
In the closed-off room, which functioned as a courtroom, were Princesses Celestia, Luna and Twilight, along with Discord, Applejack, Rarity, and Scootaloo.
While Scootaloo got the feeling that every other pony was just trying to look like they weren't judging her, Discord made his feelings quite obvious.
Princess Celestia, taking the position of judge, asked questions, while trying to be as kind and gentle about it as possible.
Discord, Applejack, Rarity, and Princess Twilight served as witnesses to the trial, while Princess Luna served as lawyer and guide for Scootaloo.
The little filly, as much as she could, tried to answer Princess Celestia's questions, although frequently the crusader struggled with her emotions.
As she told, from her perspective, about what happened, Discord became the greatest hindrance when it came to the subject of what had happened to Fluttershy. Indeed, as soon as the yellow pegasa's name was mentioned, the draconequus disappeared from his position among the witnesses, appearing in a wheezing pop in a suit and tie, nose-to-nose with the crusader, demanding to know why Scootaloo would murder his friend. He effectively silenced the pegasetta before he was banished from Canterlot for the rest of the trial, which had to be postponed until the next day when Scootaloo would hopefully be willing to try to talk again about the events.
While indeed she was willing to talk about her experiences that next day, Scootaloo's greatest struggles were talking about what happened to Pinkie Pie, and what she'd been forced to do to Rainbow Dash. Talking about how what the azure pegasa had forced her to do to Fluttershy, Mayor Mare, and Pinkie Pie had been revealed to her, it helped that she hadn't eaten anything, hadn't even felt like eating anything, up to that time. While she gagged on that part of the story, it seemed like a mercy to her that all that came out of her was saliva. With the help of Princesses Celestia and Luna, she was able to give the details of what she saw on that board, the images of Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Mayor Mare, and Pinkie Pie; and that message Rainbow Dash had used to control her, "Will You Kindly." She even talked about Commander Spitfire, how she'd said she'd been the one to put up that display to help the crusader remember what she'd done under Rainbow Dash's control.
Details of the other crimes of the representative of loyalty were another struggle for the orange filly. Perhaps not as much so as having to kill her heroine, but still a side of the azure pegasa Scootaloo wished she'd never had to know about, and wanted desperately to forget.
In her final statement, Scootaloo testified that, had it been her choice, she'd never have killed the four ponies she'd been forced to kill. She wished she'd never been called by the map to go to Cloudsdale, or that she'd refused the mission. She was offered to take over the right to hold the element of loyalty; but she refused, considering herself unworthy to bear an element of harmony after having been the cause of the death of three of the bearers. Indeed, while she didn't say so in the courtroom, she began to feel as though she had no place in pony society.
After the trial, the orange filly was given a room in the castle; and Princess Luna was put in charge of her care for the rest of that day and night.
The Following Days
That next day, Scootaloo had mysteriously disappeared; and searches for her had turned up nothing.
A mass funeral was held the following day for the three element bearers and Ponyville's mayor.
In the week following, three ponies were chosen to replace those that had been lost: Pinkie's sister Marble took over the element of kindness, Cheese Sandwich took over the element of laughter, and Applejack's brother, Big MacIntosh, took over the element of loyalty.
In order to best represent the ponies they were replacing, Marble and Big MacIntosh even did training in flight and pegasus magic so they could earn their wings. But, it was only after they earned their wings that they learned that they were to represent the elements they'd been given rights to, not the ponies that had previously held those rights.
Not long after the new element bearers had been found and given their elements, Twilight received a letter from Cloudsdale. The letter read:
"To Princess Twilight:
"We hope you haven't forgotten about us here in Cloudsdale. We have certainly not forgotten about you. The following is a list of demands.
"First, you will hand over the body of Rainbow Dash so that she may be properly buried here in her home.
"Second, you and your map will send no more ponies here.
"Third, your earth ponies will give us half of what they harvest.
"Fourth, Discord will never come here again.
"If you refuse our demands, we, the pegasi of Cloudsdale, will attack your town and destroy it.
"Signed, Scootaloo, leader of Scootaloo's Gang of Pegasi."
Not long after reading the letter, the Princess of Magic heard screaming from outside. All she needed was to look out of a window, and she saw spear-helmeted pegasi dive-bombing ponies and buildings all over Ponyville. Whether this was just a demonstration of the capabilities of the pegasi, or perhaps a demonstration of impatience on their part, she didn't know. All she knew was that the village that had been her home for a few years now was under attack. And, the leader of the attacking force, now nose-to-nose with her, was a former crusader, the last survivor of the mission of friendship to Cloudsdale. |
Hero Anon | pre | "Whatever you need. Your wish is my command."
You smile, trailing your finger up and down her neck. "I think I found a use for your feathery friend..." |
Hero Anon | Chapter 3: Flight of the Griffins | Week 5 in Equestria. At least you think it's been that long. The days seem to blend together lately. Between lengthy training sessions with Iron Will and nonstop walking, you're more than a little wore out. But you have to tough it out. In some small manner these p0nies look up to you. You're supposed to be their hero after all. You stopped allowing Iron Will to help you walk. Now when you fall, you have only yourself to pick you up.
It was difficult, still is in fact. Strength doesn't always restore itself in your arms and legs. You remember the first time you fell behind. It started out as a small gap, slowly enlarging to the point where you couldn't spot them at all. When night fell, you were left all alone. It wasn't exactly something you wanted to happen. You could've made a small fire and slept it off. Could have. You kept walking, with only the moonlight as your companion. Peaceful, is the term.
The faint glow of the camp off in the distance was more than a welcome sight. You silently trudged on through the snow. Your comrades were already sound asleep, their night guard joining them. You snuck behind Iron Will, hand on your sword. "You try to sleep, I'll cut you deep."
He just smiled and looked at you, "Shut up and go to bed." You didn't though. You had to practice. Let's just say everyone was left speechless when they found you in their midst once more, practicing with your sword. No one said a word of it, not even the asshole Soarin made a comment. It was a good start to the day.
The Talon mountain range wasn't much for a change of scenery. Now instead of some loose dirt, it was composed of stone shards. Many difficult nights followed trying to find a decent place to sleep, and with your schedule it didn't leave much time for any actual sleeping. You'd had your first griffin sighting about a week into their territory. Soarin made the dickish decision to try and make contact. You warned him, but he wouldn't have it. Their actions were taken as hostile and one of his teammates was injured... brutally. You'd be surprised if he managed to fly again.
Soarin took it pretty hard, but he kept up appearances as not to drop morale. At least you could respect that. You walk beside Iron Will at the front of the pack, Vinyl at his other side. You feel safe being by them. "So how do you plan to convince the griffons to help us? They won't do it out of their free will," Iron Will says.
"Careful diplomacy." In truth you don't know how you're going to do it. Asking politely is always option number one.
"If anyone can do it, Anon can," Vinyl backs you up, "His status commands a certain respect."
"Griffins respect only those who prove themselves capable, and, sorry to say, but you aren't there yet Anon."
"None taken." You know he's right, and there's no sense arguing the point any further.
"Anon's a hero. They should know what he's capable of."
"They know a hero broke their back when they invaded hundreds of years ago. If anything, they have a deep hatred for his kind."
"Then maybe I can use that to my favor with Anonymous. If they hate me, then they'll really hate him."
"If he has power, he has their respect," Iron Will comments. Well fuck...
"I'll think of something. I always do."
"GRIFFIN SIGHTING!" The three of you look about for the winged creature. "Three 'o clock. High!" You look up the mountain side, the griffin perched higher up, staring down at your group.
You gulp quietly and walk forwards. Let's hope you don't make the same mistake Soarin made. "Anon where do you think you're going?" Vinyl asks alarmed.
"All part of the plan," you answer, undoing your belt. You give the sword back to Iron Will.
"I'll be wanting this back." He answers with a nod. You give Vinyl a quick hug before starting up the cliff. Your feet make it easier to ascend the side, but only so much. The griffon stays motionless watching as you gain ground towards it. About half way up it stands up and flares its wings, sending you to freeze. You don't want to piss it off.
Once you're sure it's not going to attack you continue to climb, rather shakily now though. You'd rather not get clawed to death. You make the last leg of the haul and come face to face with the creature. It's about as big as you, maybe a little smaller. But like many young men say, 'It's not how big it is, it's how you use it.' That couldn't be any truer than right now.
Griffins are bred for war. Their talons could tear a pony's entrails out with a single swipe, and that beak could pierce any number of defenses. They'd make great allies in a war, and powerful foes if you fail. It better be the former. You only just remember that you're still staring at the griffin. Your wave your hand, trying to act as friendly as possible. "Hi there."
The griffin says nothing as it looks over you. You rub the back of your neck nervously. Things are off to a flying start. "We come from Equestria seeking a safe haven. My name is-"
"We are aware who you are and where you're from. I am here to inform you that you're wasting your time." Your speechless. Shut down before you could even get to your name. This really is a good start.
"It's our time to waste, and we'll waste it here," you reply strongly. "I seek an audience with your superiors."
"You are in no position to make demands whelp. If it were not for my orders the only way you would leave this mountain is if your friends dragged your lifeless body off of it." So... that's how it is.
"But you have other orders don't you?" you ask taking a step forwards.
"Don't tempt me fiend!" She grinds her talons against the stone for good measure, but that doesn't stop you.
"Grant me an audience would you kindly. We've come a very long way..."
She growls as you take a final step forward, about two feet away. "I could kill you in seconds."
"If that's what you need to do. I came here in good faith, unarmed, but if that's how things will turn I shan't fight it."
She curses to herself, her wings relaxing by her sides, "If we're going to go, then there are some rules to follow." You give yourself a pat on the back and congratulate yourself on your victory.
"Shoot."
You head back down the mountain and back to your friends. You take your belt back and stow your sword. "How'd it go?!" Vinyl asks ecstatic.
Iron Will pats your back, "I knew you could handle yourself."
"Look, she's promised to lead us to the castle, but we have to-"
"They have a castle?" Vinyl asks with interest, "I thought they lived in small towns atop the mountains."
"They are more like Equestrians than you know."
"Yes, well, we have some rules to follow in return. Let's get the big one out of the way, no p0nies are allowed inside the city."
"Things still tense between us?" Vinyl asks, "Fine then. What else?"
"Just stuff about following griffin law, yadda yadda. They're setting up a camp outside the city for you all."
"Be lucky we extend our generosity," the griffin says from behind you.
"Be lucky we came to you," Vinyl fires back. The animosity between them runs deep. You step in between the two before things can get any worse. You don't need something little ruining what you have.
"She's going to take me to the city first. She'll be back for the rest of you in about a day." You mount the griffon, and hold onto her feathery neck. "Don't have too much fun while I'm gone."
"Wouldn't want you to miss it," Iron Will says before you take off into the sky.
"Hold on tight. It can get a little rocky."
You do as instructed, harboring a deep fear of flying. You had trouble going on airplanes, and you don't even get a seatbelt. You can feel the vomit rising in your stomach and lean over to purge. But when you open your eyes, everything just seems to fade out.
"It's beautiful..." you mutter, unable to contain your awe. The landscape is just serene.
"It's a natural wonder alright," she says sarcastically, weaving through the clouds.
"Don't take this for granted. You don't know what you have-"
"Until it's gone. I've only heard that a hundred times..."
"That's because it's true. The little things are sometimes the most important." You watch as the snow drifts down, layering the land in blankets of white. Beautiful in the simplest of forms. You pass through a cloud, emerging through the other side.
She sweeps down low, the wind cutting into your face, a rush of adrenaline shooting through you. It's like a rollercoaster without the track. Fuck this is more fun than it should be. She levels out, gliding along the air, "Welcome to Aviaris." You look to your right, the city carved into the mountain. The castle walls jut upwards level after level, stopping just below the mountain's peak.
She flies in close to one of the lower walls. The stone is carved evenly, likely able to withstand immense pressure easily. The griffins left nothing unchecked when they built this fortress. She takes you up, flying over what you take to be the commons and market districts. The inhabitants look as you fly overtop, moving higher and higher through the levels of Aviaris.
She presses her way to the top, the beat of her wings aiding your way up. She ascends to the final level, landing abruptly at the top, "You can get off now." You hop off, an array of guards grabbing you from behind, "Hey! He's with me." You tear yourself out of their grasp, straightening your clothes. Her word seems to be good enough for them.
"Shall we then?" She leads the way, the guards still tailing you. A set of brass doors swing open, revealing the way inside.
"My lord does not tolerate inappropriate behavior. Do I need to remind you to behave?"
"No ma'am. My momma raised me right." You walk down the ornate hallway, a burgundy rug running beneath your feet. The torches burn bright on either side of you, pairs of guards at every entrance. "Has enough security I see."
"We find ourselves in dangerous times. One must always be wary of certain foreigners." You pass through another set of doors and into the throne room. A large griffin sits at the far end, head high and on alert. A pair of workers stand beside him, fanning him with large tropical plants. It's a bit out of place in the icy mountains, but you can dig it. You calmly walk towards him, passing a series of guards along the way.
"Halt!" He shouts without looking at you, "What is your name?"
"My name is Anon sir," you reply.
"You will address him as 'my lord!'" the griffin says angrily.
"Calm yourself child, it is quite alright," he replies in turn.
"My lord..." She starts only to be interrupted.
"You are dismissed child." She bows her head and exits behind you, the doors clamping shut. "Come closer young one," he beckons with his claw, "Let me have a good look at you." You approach sheepishly, "Do not waste my time." Shit shit shit... He stands up, a bit taller than your are. You can't tell by looking, but you know that he's decently aged. His feathers are still in wholesome condition, the tips fading to a deep gray. His beak forms a small smile, "Ah yes. It's been many centuries since one of your kind walked these halls."
"I wish in better circumstances."
"Yes indeed," he nods, "We are aware of the danger that looms in your land."
"Then you know why I'm here."
"I know many things, but the reason for your presence is not among them. If it is refuge you seek then you shall have it."
"You are generous sir, but that is not the reason I have traveled here."
He sits back down on the floor, "Interesting, then why have you come?" Here it is Anon. All or nothing.
"I want your help to defeat Anonymous."
His expression is cold and unchanging. "I cannot do as you ask hero. I will not put the lives of my people on the line for your quest."
"It's only a matter of time before he comes after you next. You should know that."
"No he won't," he nods to one of his guards, "I have a way to end this without the need for bloodshed."
"Sorry I'm late Stormguard. Did I keep you long?" A griffin pushes you out of the way, "Watch it dweeb."
"No Gilda, you're right on time," he turns to you. "I believe our meeting is over Anon."
The griffon named Gilda turns to you as your about to leave, "So you're Anon huh? Anonymous said you were scrawny..."
"What did you just say to me?"
A pair of talons lock around your arms as Gilda comes a bit closer, "Your brother sends his regards." The guards pull you away, leaving your brother's agent with the griffin leader, Stormguard.
"That motherfucker..."
You're released into a small room, "This will act as your personal chambers for the present time." They close the door behind them, an audible clank ensuring the door is locked. You pull on the handles fruitlessly. Seems you'll be stuck here for the time being. You knew this was too good to be true. Your brother had to interfere once again, and this time it wasn't for the better. There's no sense in trying to find a way out. Instead you do the only thing you can do when you're awake. Practice.
You draw your sword and take up your position. The most basic things yield the largest results. At least, you hope that's true. The strain you felt in the past weeks has lessened dramatically, but you're still far from done with your training. You cut the air, starting out your session.
You fall back on your bed, sweat drenched on your shirtless body. It's been a couple hours and there's no sign of activity. Exhausted from your practice session you close your eyes and fall into a deep sleep, an ominous presence already taking form in your mind. "Failing in a matter of minutes? Tragic really." He stands across from you in the void that smug fucking smile infuriating you.
"You sabotaged me with that mole of yours!"
He chuckles lightly, wiping a tear from his eye. "You think her a mole? No, they know of her allegiance to me. They simply don't care." He crosses the void and walks over to you. "I'm just upping the ante."
"You want him to surrender to you? They're warriors."
"Stormguard is wise and powerful, but he knows he cannot win."
"You say you want me to challenge you, but then you cut me off before I can begin. Which one do you want?!"
"I want you to prove yourself. My actions did not sway him in the slightest. I merely offered an alternative."
"Then what do you want me to do?"
His form slowly fades away, "When the floodgates are broken, jump into the raging tides. Only then will he join you."
"I don't have time for your riddles. What do you mean?"
"Be polite now, you have company." You stir from your sleep, a griffin standin by the door.
"Why come to us for help?" he asks. You recognize his voice, Stormguard's voice.
"My lord," you bow your head instinctively, "I apologize for-"
"Do not make me repeat myself," he walks towards you, your sword still tight in your hand. You drop it to the floor.
"The enemy of my enemy..."
"That does not make us a friend," he swiftly replies. So he does see them as foes after all. You had hoped as much.
"If it were your people in my place, what would you say then?"
"My answer would be unchanged," he answers walking to the other side of the room, his entire body in view. "For you see," he says softly, turning back and sitting on his flank, "They too are my people."
"You... what?"
"Hippogriff, the bastard child of a griffon and mare, or so I'm told. A creation with potential bar none, excluding your kind."
"If you're half p0ny, then you must feel something for our cause. Help us."
His sigh is defeated as is his posture, "I cannot. Doing so would doom both halves of my bloodline. I simply cannot do as you ask." He walks to you and places a talon on your shoulder, "I came here so you can understand. I will do whatever it takes for my people to survive, but not if it comes with our death."
"I- understand... I didn't know how close this hit you at home."
"You couldn't have known. You are free to walk around as you will. I'll have the guards unlock your door." He stops at the open door, "And do put a shirt on. You look ridiculous."
Stormguard leaves, and you hastily dry yourself off and slip your shirt back on. You came all this way for nothing after all. If he can make lasting peace with your brother, then maybe...
"You going to stay in your room all day," a voice booms out from the hall. You step outside and smile, shaking the minotaur's hand.
"What are you doing here? I thought you weren't allowed in the city."
"Correction, p0nies aren't allowed, and the last time I checked I only had two hooves."
"Good to hear." He takes you down the hall, the griffins still watching you.
"So how'd the negotiations go?"
"Not well."
"Figures, the griffons never took to kindly to p0nies." You explain how this isn't the case, detailing his heritage. "He wants to save who he can? Admirable."
"But foolish. Hope has blinded him to the truth." You work your way outside to the courtyard overlooking the city.
"There are others we can employ. We can move back to Equestria and-"
"And what? Equestria has fallen. There's nothing left back there."
"Then what do you suggest we do? Twiddle our thumbs and wait?"
"When the floodgates are broken, throw yourself into the raging tides. Only then..."
"Who said that?"
"An old friend." You spend the next few nights inside the city. Iron Will slept with the rest of the group to ensure they didn't do anything stupid. Soarin doesn't change. Stormguard stayed true to his word and offered his protection to your band of refugees. They aren't allowed in the walls, but it's for their own protection.
You're in another session with Iron Will, practicing out in the courtyard, "Again." You plunge forward, Iron Will stepping out of the way. Now you're able to see him pissing on your efforts. "You fight like a brute, all strength and no finesse. Focus on speed, and then you can worry about force. Again!" You plunge forward, your sword clanging against the floor. "Am I wasting my time? Fight!" He's pissed you off one too many times.
You stab forwards with a miss and follow him with another swipe, missing again. You step in and slash, your sword stopping. You... hit him. He smiles down at you, "Good job kid." He twirls his axe, ripping the sword out of your hands and pressing the blade against your neck, "but don't get cocky."
You shove away the axe and take your sword back happily. A griffon comes to the two of you. "Sir, Lord Stormguard has requested your presence."
"Alright, just let me get washed up."
"Now sir." You put your hands up playfully.
"Whatever you say boss."
You and Iron Will follow him into the throne room. Gilda and Stormgaurd are already there waiting for you. He motions you two to come closer. Something's wrong, you can feel it. Gilda has that look... He locks eyes with you, "I'm sorry it has come to this." He nods to the guards. Their talons dig into your arms as they force you down.
"Hero, by the order of Anonymous you are hereby under arrest," Gilda says, the griffins locking your wrists in a pair of manacles.
Iron Will speaks up, "You have no authority here! We are under the protection of griffin law!"
"I thought you were better than this," you say to Stormguard. He doesn't look at you.
"I will do what is necessary to save my people Anon."
"I understand."
The doors to the throne room burst open, a squad of white knights pouring in, an armored Pegasus at the front. "Gilda!" she shouts. "Get this vile prisoner ready for transport. We move within the hour."
Her talons pierce your shoulder, a stream of blood coating her claws, "Roger that Dash." You clench your teeth as she twists her claws inside your flesh. He did what he had to... it's not his fault. The Pegasus walks past you, giggling at your displeasure and bows to Stormguard, "Anonymous sends his regards. He wished to have been here in person."
"I fulfilled my end of the deal, I presume you will do the same."
"You're in no position to make demands. Anonymous may recognize your power, but I do not." She looks to her knights, their signature bows at the ready. It's a long way from Anor Londo.
"Take the big guy, we'll get the rest on our way out." Shadowguard does not look happy, "You said they'd be left at the city under my supervision."
"I am altering the deal. Pray I don't alter it any further." This seems very familiar.
Stormguard stands up, towering over the Pegasus. He looks around the room to his guards, then back to the Pegasus, "Deal's off."
"I was hoping you'd say that," she swings at the hippogriff, Stormguard catching her hoof with ease, "That makes two of us."
He throws her back to her guards, the Pegasus fuming, "Get him out of here!"
Iron Will slams his fist against Gilda's head and pulls you to the side. The griffins close in on the group, "Last chance to walk away."
"Draw." The knights draw their bows in unison, aiming at the guards. She sets her sight on the hippogriff, ready to charge. "FIRE!" The battle begins, arrows sailing through the air. The griffins fly around them, one not so lucky, dying on impact. The Pegasus charges at Stormguard. She moves at lightning speed, but he moves all the faster, blocking attack after attack with ease.
"When the floodgates are broken..."
You stammer to your feet and run into the battlefield, "ANON!" Iron Will shouts after you.
"Throw yourself into the raging tides."
You sprint towards the group of knights whom are fending off a flock of griffins. A knight falls to the ground, overwhelmed from the swarm and is torn apart, his screams of pain fading out as he dissolves. You tackle a knight, only managing to push him back, but it's enough for the others to take him down. Something pulls you back forcefully and rolls you onto your stomach. The iron binding your hands is cut in two. "Don't get yourself killed now."
You thank Iron Will, picking up your sword. Time to see where the tide takes you. You plunge your sword deep into an unaware knight's backside, dealing critical damage. Its lifeless corpse falls to the floor, fizzling away moments later. They begin dropping like flies, the wave of griffins tearing them apart.
You find Stormguard knocking the Pegasus back, but behind him, that bitch Gilda is working around him. Iron Will sees this too, and the two of you nod in agreement. He grabs you around the waist and pulls you above his shoulder. "Arms and legs straight, sword forward." You know the drill, you've only done it... zero times.
"Don't miss," you say as he gets a running start.
"I won't." He throws you onwards towards the oncoming griffin.
You fly just overhead of Stormguard, the griffin lunging behind him. "Say hello to my lil' friend!" You spear into her chest, knocking the two of you away. Gilda gets caught under your weight, your sword penetrating her chest and into her lungs.
"Gilda!" the Pegasus screams with... sadness. She dodges Storm's next attack, flying to her friend. She bucks you over, kneeling beside her. "Don't you dare leave now. Don't you even think about it."
Gilda coughs up blood, still somehow smiling at her. "I never thought you *cough* were a flip-flop..."
The two lock talon and hoof, their heads pressing against each others. "You're gonna make it. Anonymous can-" Gilda's pained cough stops her.
"Get out of here Rainbow Dash. *cough cough* Too late for me."
"I'm not leaving you here. Not again." The knights retreat to the door, barely holding off any more attacks. You fumble trying to get up, falling flat on your face. Gilda smiles up at Dash, "Junior speedsters *cough* are our lives."
Rainbow Dash's eyes well up, "Sky-bound soars and daring dives."
"Junior speedsters... it's- *cough* our quest. To some day be the very best," they say in unison.
Gilda's eyes close, "Get there for me Dash."
"Gilda?" She pats her feathers, tears falling down her face. "I'm sorry." With one brief hug she soars out of the room, the knights fighting until her escape.
The griffins move to make chase, Stormguard halting them, "She is no longer a threat. Attend to the dead and wounded." They don't refute their orders. Stormguard helps you to your feet, "You did not need to help me hero."
"I know, but I didn't want to watch you get hurt."
"Instead it seems you hurt the infamous Rainbow Dash. Not an easy task, bringing her to tears."
"My only intention was to keep you safe."
He nods, Iron Will walking up to you two.
"Do not think this sways my mind young hero. I will not fight this war for you."
"I understand sir." He places his talon on your again.
"But that does not mean we will not help."
"So you'll..."
"We will aid you in this war, buy only if you can gather more for your cause." You're excited. Things turned out far better than you had hoped.
"Yes sir. Of course. Where do you think we should go next?"
"This is your quest to undertake, not mine child. I have things I must attend to in the meantime."
He escorts you two to the door. "However I believe your burly friend may have a clue as to where to go next."
You look to Iron Will questionably. He looks back, "What?"
"You have something you want to say?"
"I just... I never expected things to make it this far. We've been on the losing end for the past few years, and this... it doesn't seem possible."
"There's no such thing as bad luck, besides you got me now, the fabled hero. Pfft, yeah right. The one who can barely hold his own in a fight."
"I don't know if you noticed, but I wasn't the one who convinced them to help us. It wasn't Soarin, or Cadence, or anyone else. You did that."
"Still can't fight for shit."
"A hero transcends the physical, but you'll get there. Our little sessions will see to that."
"Yeah right, little." You walk outside, the snow having stopped for now. "So what'd he mean back there about you having a clue?"
Iron Will spruces up a little, "Well, I never thought about it before, but we're so close now."
"You going to dance around the question or answer it?"
"We're in the center of griffin territory right? Well, to the north of that is another set of land that we could use."
"Still dancing."
"Anon, I think we should go there."
"And where exactly is 'there?'"
Iron Will pauses, looking over the distant mountains and to the rolling plains beyond, "Home."
Meanwhile in Canterlot... "The home of the minotaurs? Interesting. I never thought about them before. Strong in combat, skilled at their forge. Perfect."
"Ms. Rarity is here to see you Anonymous." Ugh, not her again. She is so boring.
"Very well."
Rarity strides up to meet you, "Nice to see you again. I have come to-"
"Not changing the uniform."
"But whyyyyy?!"
"Annoying me now," you snap your fingers, a flash of light bursting around Rarity. Much more tolerable now. You can't stop her once she gets started. "You doing alright there squidity?" She squeaks frantically. You'll take that as a yes.
The doors burst open and Rainbow Dash storms through. "So everything went according to plan?"
"Gilda... she didn't make it."
"Good, never liked her anyways."
"She was my friend!"
"Friendship is dead. You know it, I know it, all of Equestria knows it."
"Give me my army. Let me crush them now."
"I'm afraid I can't do that. I don't want you spoiling my fun."
"You think this is a motherbucking game?"
"Yes," you say seriously.
"You..." She shakes her head painfully, griping onto it with her hooves.
"I didn't know you had any fight left in you. Let your Anonymous help."
"STAY AWAY FROM ME!" she screams, flying out the door. Meh, she'll be back. Bitches always come back to Anonymous.
"Twiley? Send in my entertainment."
"Snips and Snails, you're up." The two fillies hustle out to the center of the stage.
"Alright, and a one and a two and a-"
"To the rancor pit." You press a button, the two falling to their demise. Now where is your muffin button? |
Hero Anon | Chapter 4: Blood Bowl | The next day you depart from Aviaris. You've overstayed your welcome as it is, and it's about time to hit the road. Iron Will suggested we head up north, into minotaur territory. The minotaurs are a powerful race, and they'll do well on our side. They're close by as well, so that only aids his plea. Soarin obviously objected like the asshole he is.
He's a purist. He believes this to be an Equestrian fight, but you already know he's a short-sighted fool. This war extends to every corner of the world, not just Equestria. He wants an army of ponies, it's too bad that your brother has them all in his pocket. You need the minotaurs, now more than ever.
Stormguard allowed your group to enter the city's market district to resupply. It was the first time most of them had ever seen each other's race before. You were surprised by how well they got along. Money certainly has a way of brining people together. Resupplied and ready to set on out, your group leaves, but not before Stormguard gives you one last gift.
He assigned a contingent of griffons to help you on your quest, effectively doubling your numbers. You're going to need them. The minotaurs hold one attribute higher than any other, the ability to fight. Even Iron Will holds their value in contempt. One's strength in combat makes not the man, fore the man makes up one's strength in combat. Iron Will, also a philosopher.
You're honestly surprised how negatively he views his own race. People are generally biased towards others', not their own. "There's a reason I left," he tries to explain. It doesn't make sense why he wants to go back though. It'll help our cause for sure, but you're still curious about his underlying motivation. You drop it regardless, no sense prying.
Stormguard sees you off, but not before speaking to you once more. "The minotaurs will not go easily, and should you fall, do not be afraid to stand. Your quest is too important for you to fail." You nod and join the others as they pass through the city's gates. This is far too important.
You write all this down in a journal you picked up in the marketplace. It'll be good to have something to recount what happened to you. The subtle sound of music catches your ear. It's a peaceful melody and does well to calm your nerves. You put the journal in your bag to try and find the source. You step out of your tent and spot a gathering of ponies and griffons at the edge of camp. They seemed to enjoy the music as well. Working your way though the crowd you find Vinyl at the center, a record slowly spinning in her hand. The hypnotic music flows over you. The others sway with the rhythm, far more in tune than you. All good things must come to an end though, and the music was extraordinary. The crowd disperses as Vinyl cleans the record and puts it away. You sit next to her.
"That was beautiful," her smile warms you.
"I'm glad you liked it. It's a... favorite of mine."
"Who'd it belong to?"
"How do you know I didn't make it?"
"Really? I think I know you well enough to know that this is a bit tame for you."
She blushes, "Yeah I guess your right. Her name was Octavia."
"Octavia. She sounds pleasant."
"She was a good mare, and a dear friend. She was taken...
"You don't have to talk about it," you interrupt, not wanting to hurt her.
She holds onto your hand, "It's alright. I want to." You take hold of her hoof in return. If it's alright with her then it's alright with you.
"How long ago was it?"
"It happened about seven months back. We were hiding out in Las Pegasus at the time, sticking to the backwater districts and sewers. Not our best times."
"You have to take what you can get."
"Well, we had just finished our last tasks for the day, so Octavia and I whipped out our tools. Music was one way we could help the others cope with our circumstances."
"And then what happened?" You ask, utterly enthralled by the short tale.
You can see a tear come to her eye, "They heard us... creatures poured in from all sides of us. They didn't take any prisoners." She grips your hand a bit tighter, "It was a slaughter."
"Vinyl I..."
"It's fine. Uhh," she fights back the tears, "Iron Will cut a path out for us and those of us who could get out did. When I looked back though... She was gone. I came back a few weeks later. There was almost nothing left, save for a single record tucked against the wall." She places her hoof on the case, "It's the only thing I have left of her."
You want to say something to comfort her, but nothing comes to mind. So you did what your mother always did. You wrap your arm around her and pulled her close, placing her head on your chest. She falls weakly in your embrace, not resisting. Her warmth is welcoming, and you find yourself forgetting all your woes. She looks up at you, her red eyes shimmering in the moonlight. She brings her head to yours, planting a soft kiss on your lips. You close your eyes, the fire's soft crackle soothing you further. Maybe this isn't so bad...
"You two need a room?" Vinyl pushes herself off of you and stares into the fire like nothing happened.
"No umm- You see- I- I was uh-"
You fumble over your words trying to explain. Iron Will chuckles to himself, "No need to explain. The world moves in mysterious ways, and speaking of moving..." He grabs you by the collar, "It's training time." He drags you along, away from Vinyl who's still flush as an apple.He draws up his axe as you try to explain how things got away from you and you just did what felt natural. He silences you and holds up his hand. "Anon, I've seen a lot of weird things in my day. What happened with you two was anything but."
"So... you aren't angry?"
He shakes his head, "Not at all, I'm happy for you. The axe spins in his hands, "But there's a time and a place for that and it's not here or now. Come on." You unsheathe your sword, holding the hilt in your right hand. Let's begin. You charge forward, your blade meeting his axe. Just another training session. ~~~
You step outside your tent, breathing in the fresh morning air. You close behind Vinyl who's making her morning rounds. She hears you approaching and slows down for you, "Hard training session again?"
"He doesn't make them easy." You follow as she takes a head count of your group, checking her list for inconsistencies. The two of you haven't talked much for a couple weeks since you kissed. It's made things a bit awkward for the two of you.
"So... What'd you do today?"
"Your generic topic starters aren't helping."
"Worth a shot?" you ask in hopes of sparking some sort of acknowledgement.
"Doubtful," is her reply. You're not going to lie, that's not as bad as you thought.
"But possible."
"The same way it's possible that Soarin likes it up the flank."
"Hey now, you can't disprove that," you say sarcastically earning a snicker from Vinyl, "There's that smile." You'd missed her sharp smile, but just as it opened up, it disappeared.
"You want to talk about it?" You nod in response, Vinyl stopping in front of the commander's tent. "Alright then," she steps inside, you following her. Inside, she looks over the table and the maps, keeping her back to you. "I respect you Anon. You're a good man." You're touched, "and that's why I think we should keep things professional from now on."
Your heart plummets at the phrase. It's the 'let's just be friends' speech all over again. You lost your chance last time by not pursuing it, and you'll be damned if that happens again. "I like you Vinyl, I really do. If it's my appearance, I can put a paper bag over my head or something. Don't do this to me."
"I'll only drag you down. You know I will." You step around her and make eye contact.
"I know that I felt something when I was with you. I don't want to lose that feeling again. Please..."
"I'm sorry."
You press your lips against hers desperately and hold tightly. You can't let her go, but you have to... You push yourself away. "You win. I'm sorry for doing that," you sit on the ground. "I was hoping for the impossible. Shows what I know." You drape your head between your knees, the sting of defeat ever-present. You lost again, another opportunity out the window.
"Nothing's impossible." You open your eyes, Vinyl's lips locked with yours. She pulls back reluctantly, a grin on her face.
"Well then..."
"Looks like we'll be going down together." You smile at her.
"We'll see about that." ~~~
Your journey continues into the Plains of Cervidas, though the cold is hardly an issue with a special pony at your side. You check in with one of the griffon scouts, their eyes keen enough to spot trouble several miles away. They've saved you a number of times already. The husks and knights that seek you out are far easier to avoid now. Less casualties and fighting is exactly what this little band needs.
"Report for me?"
"Encampment, about two days travel from here." It's about time, you could use a rest, all of you could.
"Any sign of trouble?"
"Negative, just us and whoever lives there." You nod to her.
"Alright then let's move it out." You stop sending out scouting parties as your group encloses on the encampment. You didn't want them to think you were acting on the offensive. Still, as the wooden walls come into view you can't help but feel unwelcome. Iron Will says it's just nerves, but you don't bite, there's something violent about this place. Minotaurs do live here after all. You approach the settlement's gate, the arching walls and battlements towering overhead.
The gate opens slowly causing you to instinctively grab your sword. Iron Will places his hand on your arm and pushes himself in front of you as two heavyset guards meet you. They grunt and snarl in their natural tongue, the guards motioning for him to follow. "I'll join you all later on. For now, follow this guard and set up camp. I'll be back as quick as I can."
All you can do is nod before he takes his leave. The guard sets his sights on you, "Follow."
With that hammer he's sporting you're in no mood to argue. Your band enters through the gate, Soarin pushing his way up to you. "You really think these brutes are going to help us?"
"Why don't you leave the thinking to me and get back to your men."
"First sign of trouble and I'm out of here you understand?"
Vinyl glares at him, "You try and leave and you'll never fly again."
"That supposed to be a threat?"
"It's a promise." His face grows pale at your words, slinking back into the crowd. You come into a clearing at one of the camp walls, the minotaur guard stopping.
"You can make camp here. You'd do well to stay together, this is no place for ponies," he looks to you, "or heroes."
With that, he parts, marching down the road and through the parted buildings. "Well that was interesting," Vinyl says.
"That's one word to describe it." You move to set-up camp, you could be here for a while after all. Kicking the last stake into the ground you make sure your tent is stable. "It'll do just fine." You dust off your hands. "I'm going to take a look around. Make sure Soarin doesn't do anything stupid."
"But the guard said we should stick together. He sounded serious."
"Please, I'm the big bad hero. I think I'll be alright."
"I'm afraid you're letting that title get in your head."
"There are worse things in there already." Like some douche bag named Anonymous... Nothing? Worth a shot. You go down the path the guard went, looking around you.
You'd thought they lived in caves in the side of a mountain, but you were wrong before. Their buildings are nothing special, but they stand... so there's that. The other minotaurs you see aren't as big either Iron Will or the gaurds, but still manage to be on par with you on height. They snarl and turn away when they see you. You didn't expect them to put on a parade, but a little common courtesy would be nice. You come to the center of town, a large steel platform in the middle. An elevator maybe? But to where?
A sign board stands at one of the entrances, over a dozen notifications posted onto it. Looking for blacksmith. In need of extra hand. Five easy ways to enlarge your member... wait what was that last one? "Don't even bother entering. You wouldn't last a minute."
You jump forward startled at the sudden statement coming from your rear. You turn back to see an older minotaur behind you, his fur greyed out and ragged. "Excuse me?"
"I see younglings like you pick up whatever weapon they can find and sign up. They don't make it out." You look back to the board trying to find out what he's talking about.
"I'm sorry sir I still don't follow."
"The tournament!" he smacks the flier with his hand, "It'll be the death of you." It says something about an annual contest, a chance for those to test their skills. A blood bowl of sorts. "I think I'll train my skills a bit first. Going in without experience is just stupid."
"Ahhh," he smiles, "but the prize." The prize? You look back to the paper.
An audience with Kamos, Minotaur Lord and King. "If I could get an audience with him..."
The smile is replaced with a frown, "I've seen that look before."
"I could enlist his help. I would have something to..."
"To have read before your funeral kid. Don't bother with it." You place your hand on the sign-up sheet.
"Thanks, I'll think about it."
"Don't mention it kid, stay out of trouble." He enters one of the nearby buildings, locking the door shut. You'll have more than enough opportunities to get yourself killed in the war. You can wait that long.
You pick up some potatoes and rabbit meat from the market using the last of your bits. Boil 'em, mash 'em, stick 'em in a stew. You even have some bacon left over to put in there. You get back to camp, night having fallen already, the soft drizzle of snow calming you. Vinyl is playing some music for the rest of the camp, leaving you to test your cooking skills.
You set your food over the fire and let it cook, lying back on the hard dirt floor. You make sure to stir accordingly every once in a while. Iron Will should've been back by now. He said he'd be back, but there's no telling when. You just have to try and focus your mind elsewhere. You taste your concoction, the delicious chunks of potato and rabbit making your mouth salivate. You pour the contents into a small bowl and allow it to cool, jotting down today's events in your journal.
A cold breeze hits your back and sends shivers up your spine. "Sorry to keep you." The tent is barely big enough to house the minotaur, but that doesn't stop him. "Pour me a bowl too would you?" You do so hesitantly, his voice shaky and weak.
"What's wrong Iron?" You've never seen him act this way before. He's supposed to be the stalwart leader.
"I... I failed you," he casts his head down, "I couldn't convince Kamos..."
"You met Kamos?! Shit man why didn't you take me with you?"
"He doesn't accept just anyone. Only family and his guards are allowed."
"Family and guards? So Kamos is your, dad?"
"Keep your voice down," he hushes you. "There's a reason I don't like telling anyone that."
"But you talked to him? What did you say? Maybe I can help somehow, just let me-"
"He won't see you. He won't see anyone the old foolish bastard..."
You pat his back as the big guy lays everything out to you. It can't be easy for him. "Don't worry about it. We'll find a way, we always do."
He takes a bite of your stew, a small laugh coming from him, "Not bad."
"I can always get better." Why does that sound...?
You pause mid-bite, placing the spoon back in your bowl. "Anon?"
"We'll find a way." You stand up and walk out of your tent, Iron Will hot on your heels.
"Where are you going?"
"I'm signing up."
"Signing up for- No..."
"Yes."
"Anon please, you don't have to do this. We'll find another way."
"This IS the other way. It's my only chance to see Kamos, and I'm going to take it."
He grabs you forcefully and spins you around, "This isn't a game. These minotaurs will tear you to pieces."
"Then I walk willingly to death's door." You shake him off and get to the sign-up sheet. Pen... pen... Okay where the fuck's the pen?! You find a quill sticking out of a vial just below the sign. Figures...
"Please Anon. We can find others to help us."
"We need everyone, and I'm not going to let this opportunity pass me by." You bring the quill upon the parchment, signing your name with the others. Putting away the quill makes you feel as if you just signed your own death warrant. But there's no turning back.
You get back to camp and finish your stew. It's a bit cold, but that's alright, you don't mind. "I hope you're ready for what comes next."
"I can deal with fighting for my life later, but for now," you set down your bowl and pick up your sword, "It's time for my training." You step outside, the sound of your blade unsheathing only stirring you on. You pick up his axe and toss it to him as he follows you.
"What do you think you're doing?"
"If I'm going to fight in that death match then I'm going to need to train harder than ever."
"Anon, I really don't think-"
"You've been going easy on me for too long. You want me to walk out of that death pit? Yes? Then come on," you raise your sword, "Bring it." ~~~
You rise from your bed, Vinyl still wrapped up in the covers, and step outside. Iron Will's already cooking breakfast. You swear he never sleeps, or at he doesn't whenever you're around. He motions you over and you sit down beside him. "How's the arm?" Last night's session was brutal. So far you'd only been trained in attacking, last night you faced an actual opponent.
"The bone isn't broken, so that's good. There's going to be a nasty bruise there for a while though."
"That brings up another point, those clothes of yours aren't going to cut it in the arena."
"Well, there seems to be a shortage of armor that fits me."
"You need to find a smith willing to forge you a set."
"Just me?"
"The contestant must find his own way. If I try and help you find a smith, you'll be disqualified before you can even step on that elevator... Let's get going."
"No no no," you say, stopping him, "You're not going to get me disqualified that easy."
He chuckles and sits back down, his plan foiled, "Well then, you best get to it. The tournament's only a couple weeks away."
"So you're still going to train me right?"
"You worry about finding that smith, I'll worry about training you."
"Deal," you shake hands and stand up. If you're going to find a smith then you best start now. There's not time like the present. You head into the markets, your first stop in trying to find some armor. A few minotaurs are already up and about setting up shop. You stop by one of the more rough looking ones.
"Excuse me sir, but do you know of any smiths around here?"
"Yeah I would." Thank god this was easier than you thought it would be.
"Could you point me there way then? I'm looking to buy a suit of armor."
"Let me save you some time squirt. Go home. We don't want your kind here." You're rather taken aback by his attitude.
"Sir, I'm just looking for someone-"
"I heard what you said, now hear me. Go away. I won't tell you again."
"Well then... thanks for your time."
"Don't mention it."
You walk away from his stall, already heading for the next minotaur. "Excuse me, are you a smith?"
"I am." You open your mouth to speak, "But I don't do business with your kind. Scram." You move onto the next stall, and the next, and the next. Each time receiving the same answer, 'Go away. We don't want you here.' You start knocking on doors in desperation. You feel so helpless having to resort to this, but this doesn't help your cause any.
You've had more doors slammed in your face in the past hour than... Shoot, it's hard to come up with a funny analogy when you're this pissed. You sit down at the road's edge. You just have to keep trying. Anonymous is still out there, and you can't just sit back and watch the roses. "Take my advice kid, live the life you have. No sense throwing it away." The elderly minotaur pats you on the shoulder and walks past, locking the door behind him.
You jump up and rush to his home, knocking erratically on the door. "Who is it!?" he yells from within.
"It's me sir, the kid."
He releases an exasperated sigh, "What do you want kid, I'm busy?"
"I was wondering if you were interested in a job?"
The latches grind open, the minotaur peeking out the door's edge, "What type of job?"
"I need some armor..."
"Nope!" You throw your foot in the door's gap before he closes it. "I've asked every other minotaur here. No one is willing to help me."
"Not my problem." He tries to kick your foot out, but you stand firm.
"Please sir, you're the only one left. I need this."
"I told you to leave that whole mess alone, and you ignored me."
"No. I said I'd think about it, and that's what I did. I don't expect you to understand my motivations."
He pulls the door open, sending you flying through, "I know exactly why you joined Mr. Hero." He locks the door, an impenetrable blackness surrounding you. He flips a switch, illuminating the room. You push off the rotting wooden floor and stand by the wall, finding yourself in some sort of workshop. "There's a war brewing in the western lands... Equestria."
"That war is over sir."
"But yet here you are," he walks to the far end of the room, the floor boards splintering beneath him. "Come." He exits through the doorway, you following him downstairs into his basement.
The sweltering heat hits you like a truck, almost making it impossible to breathe. "Take in that feeling, you'll need to familiarize yourself with it." You grab your throat, but continue, the room opening up to his personal smithy. "Your fighting a losing battle, and you hope to ally yourself with the minotaurs? A dastardly plan if I may say so."
"Not conventional by any means, but it'll get the job done."
He agrees, "Take a look at that wall over yonder." You turn to the back wall, a row of pictures hanging from it. "That first one, I was just starting out then. The kid had skill, but no brain to go with it. His bones still lie in that pit."
"You trained-"
"Second one, two years later. Bright lad, skilled as well, but the ego went to his head. Took an axe to the neck."
"Why are you-"
"Third, Fourth, Fifth, Seventeenth... All of them perished in that bloody tournament."
"If you're trying to scare me, it's not going to work."
"Scare you?" he turns and looks to you. "No, I'm just showing you your odds." He saunters back over to you, "These kids had more skill, more guts, and more training than you. So, why in Tartarus would I waste my time helping you?"
"Because I have one thing they don't."
He's intrigued, "Really? And just what is that?"
"Determination."
"And you think that determination will save you when the bits are on the table?"
"I think that I'm willing to take that gamble."
"Why are you helping them? Why risk your own life for them?"
"Because that's what I think is right."
He picks up his hammer, giving it a few good swings. "Give me two weeks. I'll have it ready for you by then."
"So that means you're going to help me?"
"I've got a good feeling about you kid. I haven't had on of those in a long time."
"T-thank you! Thank you so much sir!"
"Yeah yeah, go on. You got some training to do." You stop at the stairs, and look back to him.
"I never did catch your name."
"Mickey. Now go on, git." ~~~
True to his word Mickey began working on your armor, free of charge. You said that you'd pay him back, but he brushed you off. He wasn't doing it for the money. Iron Will trained you harder and harder per your request. It wasn't uncommon for you to just wake up back in bed with a nasty bump on your head. Word spread around the camp about your admission in the tournament, a lot were rooting for you, but it was only a matter of time before a certain unicorn found out.
She wasn't happy to say the least. She was worried about you spending all your time training, and when she found out about the tournament... furious. You'd grown close, and she didn't want to see you throw it away because of this contest. Things were tense for a few days, but she eventually came around. If these were your last two weeks... No, don't think like that. You have to make it.
When Iron Will was busy, or merely unwilling, you found out he does sleep after all, you trained with Mickey instead. He never trained you directly in combat, but gave way to some unconventional teaching methods. You worked his forge, carried in supplies, along with some other tasks. Chasing a chicken around town was one the weirder ones he had you do. A few minotaurs had started calling you the Chicken Chaser... You hate Fable now.
Regardless, through Iron Will's and Mickey's training you made some tremendous progress. You decide to turn in for the night; you have a big day ahead of you tomorrow. You lay by Vinyl, it may be the last time you do so... ~~~
You and Iron Will stop by Mickey's house on the way to the elevator. You let yourself in with the spare key he gave you. "Mickey! You home?!"
"Down here!" he shouts from below.
Iron Will taps you on the shoulder, "Mickey?"
"That's him. You'll love him."
You walk down the stairs, Mickey polishing the steel of your armor, "I hope you're ready for the big day."
"I am. I think it's about time I introduce you to my trainer. Mickey, this is Iron Will."
Mickey freezes, slowly turning around and looking at the large minotaur, "Little Iron?"
Iron Will gives a small grin, "It's been a while Old Mick."
"I... take it the two of you have met?"
"Many years ago."
Iron Will crosses the gap between them, though Mickey is the first to speak. "I thought you dead."
"Not trying hard enough it seems," he says with his head lowered.
"Am I missing something here?"
They promptly ignore you, "Left before the battle started huh? Got some guard to take your place?"
"I never signed up to die."
Mickey steps up to him, "I'm glad you left." He shakes his hand, the two embracing in a brohug. You let them have their moment.
"Should I come back later?"
Mickey disengages, "Naw kid, we're good."
"You know I'm going to want to know what this was all about," you say walking over to your armor.
"Another time Anon." You may not get another chance. Iron Will and Mickey help you suit up, the armor a tight fit.
"You sure it works?"
"Mickey was the best armor smith in his day. You haven't gotten rusty have you?"
"Like riding a bike, but just to be safe..." he hands Iron Will a sledgehammer.
"HEY! HEY! HEY!" They both laugh at your pant-shitting fear. "That's not very funny."
"Oh, but it is." Mickey tests out your armor strength and flexibility with a much smaller hammer. "It looks good, just don't get hit."
"You got a helmet for me?"
"Helmet?" You've got to be shitting me.
"I'll do without it."
Iron Will checks the clock, "We best be going Mick."
"Before you go, I have something for you kid." He throws off a tarp covering a chest and undoes the lock. He pulls out a large kite shield, whipping off the dust that had accumulated on it. "This is for you." He hands you the shield. The front is blood red with a gold rim, a white phoenix painted on the front. "It belonged to a student of mine, a long time ago. I think you'll find a better use for it."
You sling your arm through the straps, letting it rest by your side. "Thanks Mickey. Are you coming to the tournament?"
"I'll think about it."
"I'll see you then," you say with a smile.
"I guess you will." You and Iron Will leave his home, getting back to the elevator. A good amount of minotaurs had already arrived, and a few more streamed in. "So what was that all about?"
"With Mickey? It's a long story." The gates rise closing you all in on the platform.
"We've got some time." The elevator slowly descends, the surface rising above you until all you can see is thickened dirt and stone.
"Before I left home I was the favorite son of Kamos," he says in a hushed voice, "but that was before."
"What happened?"
"My father, in his infinite wisdom, signed me up for this tournament against my wishes. I knew I would get killed, but my father had faith in me."
"So where does Mickey come in?" The cavern expands outwards as you are lowered into the center of the arena.
"I went to Mickey to train me, but we both knew I wasn't ready for the fight. I found another minotaur to take my place." The elevator comes to a screeching, landing on the soft dirt at the bottom. "I was too ashamed to confront them again, until now."
A group of armor-clad guards await you at the open gates and funnel you outwards. On the second level lies your prize, atop the throne of kings sits Kamos, his eyes gazing down upon you. He stands, arms wide, "Kamos welcomes you would-be warriors to The Pit. Look around you, may the bones of the fallen show what you have in store." Your eyes being to adjust to the darkness, finding the floor littered with the forgotten dead.
A few of the minotaurs begin to freak out a little, but the guards keep them still. "There is no going back. Guards! Escort them to their cells." They take your fellows one by one off in different directions. One last guard grips your arm, but his head butted back by Iron Will.
"This one's mine."
The guard grimaces and draws his weapon, invoking laughter from above, "Hold guard. Let them proceed." Iron Will puffs his nostrils and leads you on to the side and into a cell.
You step through, the gate slamming shut behind you unexpectedly, "They can't have you leaving."
"You'll be watching right?"
"Me and others, but don't think about that right now."
"Iron Will! Get to the stands."
"Remember what I taught you. Keep your form tight and move around. They're strong, but you're fast.
"IRON!"
He backs away from the bars, "You fight for all of us. Show us what a real hero can do." With that, he was gone, and you were alone. You sit on the cot and take deep breathes, in and out.
The fans start packing in when all the participants were locked up. You're sure you heard a few familiar voices along with some griffons, but it's not important right now. The heat begins to pick up, the air thick with humidity. You're glad you spent that time in Mickey's smithy. Time crawls on, beads of sweat dripping from your forehead. You dab your head with the bed sheet. Kamos's voice hushes the rampant crowd. It's almost time. You stand up and walk to the cell door, fire coursing through the arena grounds. It explains the heat alright.
"MY FELLOW SPECTATORS!" Kamos booms out, "Let Kamos welcome you to THE PIIIIIIT!" The crowd roars out, their cries for blood not on deaf ears. "I can see you're ready for the show, so without any further delay. Let! The GAMES! BEGIIIN!" The gate swings open. You step out into the fiery blaze, shield and sword at the ready.
You look to your left and right, the inferno funneling you to the left. The flames spit on your armor as you step on, "Watch out for the flames. They sting." The next cell's door hangs ajar, but you don't see any sign of its inhabitant, "Look out there hero. Where could he be?"
You keep your eyes peeled and step closer, shield raised. You can hear the sound of whimpering coming from within the cell. Working your way around, you find the minotaur rocking back and forth on the cot. "I never wanted this. I want to go home. Let me go home."
You look around, no sign of any other minotaurs so far. He wasn't ready for this. You hold out your hand to him. "Hey. You can't stay here, come with me. We can work together."
"Can't go. Have to stay. Safe in cell. Safe in-"
The cell door slams shut, almost snaring your hand, "TIME'S UP CONTESTANTS!" The minotaur rocks faster, muttering gibberish to himself even as smoke begins to pour in from the walls.
"Get out of there!" You grab onto the bars and pull helplessly. He coughs, the air filling his lungs. "Come on kid! MOVE!"
He grips his chest and crawls towards the door, the room a dense cloud of grey, "Hel- p me..." The smoke intensifies and forces you back, else you suffocate as well. His eyes water, body falling to the floor motionless.
"I'm sorry."
"Too bad. His family won't miss him." You put your back to the cell and move ahead. You move inwards toward the room's center. The flames keep you boxed in the middle, but you fight onwards. The heaving of minotaurs draws your attention forwards. You peek around the wall of fire, one of the contestants battling with another. His flail crushes against the other's skull, sending his lifeless corpse to the floor. Your heart races and pounds in your chest. You step out into the open, the minotaur's eyes locking with yours.
He points to you, "You're next!" He steps forward, the fire exploding to his right as another minotaur charges forth and tackles him through the second wall of fire.
"Guess you're mine then," someone calls behind you.
You twirl around just in time to dodge his axe as it cleaves into the floor. The minotaur's strong, but you're fast, "Good dodge from the hero." You bash his snout with your shield as he draws his battle axe. He swings wide, allowing you to fall to your knees and strike. The hilt of your sword brushes against his stomach as he groans painfully, your blade shredding his intestines. Kamos laughs, "Oooh that's gotta hurt!"
He bucks you off onto your back and raises his axe. You roll out of the way and cut at his knees. He drops down as you begin to stand. You move in for the final blow only to be head butted back. You kick his hand away from his axe, forcing him onto his hands. You deliver the killing strike in his spine, the blood spraying onto your face. "Now that's what we like to see! You sure you don't have any minotaur blood in you?!"
You ignore Kamos's commentary and push past the corpse. You look to where the minotaur came through, finding a new path available to you. You decide to follow the two from before, shielding yourself as you walk through the flames. "And another one bites the dust. This is a good day to die."
You follow the trail of blood to its source, finding a minotaur bleeding on the ground. He must've been the one who saved you. You don't have time to reflect on this before you hear another minotaur charging. Another comes barreling in from your side, crashing head first into your armor. He flings you away, a few of your ribs cracking from the strain. A wave of pain engulfs you as your body is overcome by flame. You roll on the ground to subdue the fire, the minotaur cackling in response. Well fuck him then.
You roll full force towards him, knocking his feet out from beneath him and proceed to leap onto his back. You grab onto his armor plating as he tries to buck you off, but you'll have none of that. Using your shield, you smack his skull again and again, his movement becoming shaky. You prepare to impale your sword through his neck when your sanity returns. You hesitate and pull away your blade. He collapses to the floor as you stand away from his unconscious body. "The would-be hero shows mercy? How foolish."
You let the minotaur live to Kamos's dismay. You work your way to one of the walls, another minotaur dead within their cell. You walk along the arena walls, a contestant attempting to climb the walls. He even manages to reach the top before coming face to face with a guard. "Finish the coward please."
The guard jams a spear down his throat and kicks him back down. "There's always one who pulls that."
"This is fucking crazy." You walk around the blazing arena for an hour, no survivor in sight. Kamos seems to be getting bored of this game. "Please do something about that fire. I want to see some action now." Like clockwork, a jet of fresh air pours from the ground to extinguish the flame.
It takes a while for the fire to die, but when it does, all that's left is ash and the carnage brought upon by this senseless carnage. Bodies lie scattered, some burnt, most bloody and beaten, but all dead. All save for the one staring back you. "Nice to see you again."
"Likewise."
His flail droops to the floor, the chains coated with a crimson liquid. "It's about damn time. FIGHT!" You charge at each other, the crowd cheering you both on. You slide and thrust, the minotaur swinging his flail underhanded. He's the one who connects. The ball cracks against your chest and plants you to the floor, your opponent safe and sound. You roll onto your stomach and push yourself up, your blade at the ready.
"This could get interesting folks!" The minotaur swings backwards, the chain wrapping around your sword and yanks it from your grasp. This leaves him open though, and you bash at his shoulder and punch him square in the throat.
He punches back, but you roll to the side and pick up your sword. He swings again, attempting to steal your sword back. "Fool me once," you grab your sword with both hands, "Shame on you." You pull back, the edge cutting into your hand. "Fool me twice," you raise your leg and kick him square in the nose, "Shame on me."
His flail shoots out of his hand, sending you both backwards. A stream of blood bursts from his nose as he picks up another weapon from a corpse. He raises it in the air, "Hammer time!" You toss his flail away as he charges, raising your shield in time for his strike. Your shield takes the blow, but your arm takes the pain, your bones straining under the pressure.
He hits you again and again, each strike forcing you lower and lower to the ground. You have to use both hands to keep your shield up. "Get out of there Anon!" The minotaur grabs your shield and pulls it off your arm, kicking your sword out of your other hand. "ANON!"
You take the blow full force, a bloody mist escaping your mouth. Your chest plate dents inwards to your chest, your ribs shattered. Your side erupts in pain as they too feel the onslaught of his hammer. He kicks you way. Things begin to look up as the pain starts to go away, everything seems to start going away...
You think you hear someone call you, but it's just a whisper now. Things grow black, sound escapes you, save for one. "Tsk tsk tsk... Anon, what am I going to do with you?" Anonymous kneels beside you and runs his hand over your chest. "Why do we fall, Anon?" Your speech is pained, but audible.
"So we can... learn to- pick ourselves up."
He smiles, warmth drifting over you, "Don't be afraid." A white light appears above you, pain shooting back through your chest. You can hear voices. Kamos, Iron Will, Vinyl... Vinyl...
"So there we have it folks. A bloody end to our bloody tournament." You roll to your stomach, pushing upwards, fighting your body every step of the way. "Let's give it up to- to... Anon?" The crowd grows silent as you get to your feet. You bend down, picking up your sword.
"Don't be afraid."
The minotaur stammers, "You- you died."
"Tartarus was full." You step forwards, putting your shield back on. Kamos is speechless, as is the crowd. You raise your sword and shield, arms trembling. "Fight's not over."
Horns bellow throughout the room, just the vibration causing you to grimace. The guards leap down from the walls, their hands gripping underneath your arms. "Show's over!" Kamos yells, "Everyone out." The citizens don't object with a pissed off minotaur. "Bring the hero to me." You drift off again, sleep finding you. ~~~
You jolt up, your arms grabbing onto your bed. The pain! The pain? You grab your chest, your warm flesh greeting you. Where's your armor? What happened? "A thank you will be sufficient."
Kamos sits at the edge of your bed, a small vial in his hands. "I was saving this vial for a special occasion, but it seems you needed it far more than I."
"Dropped the third person?"
"Only in private. It's quite the hassle talking like that you know. I can see why Iron stopped." You run your hand over your body, your wounds healed. "Phoenix tears. A rarity among these parts."
"You saved me?"
"I merely sped up your recovery."
"I should have died in that arena."
"You living is the reason why you're here." He tosses you your clothes. "Even a minotaur would've fallen from your wounds."
"I'm a determined individual."
"My son said as much." You put on your clothing. "He also said you needed help."
"It's the truth sir."
Kamos pulls you to your feet, "Ask, and you shall receive." You hesitate. This is a bit easy. All you have to do is ask? There's a catch somewhere.
"Anything?"
"I'm a minotaur of my word."
A king's word. Good enough for you. You grab his hand. "Help me. Fight with us to take back Equestria." He ponders your request, his grip on your hand tightening.
"Then you shall have it." Shocked is one word to describe how you feel.
"No questions asked?"
"Kid, you faced death and showed more guts then any minotaur I've seen in my lifetime. No questions asked." He pats you on the shoulder. "Now go on, your friends are worried about ya." He stops you as you get to the door. "Do come back though, there's something I'd like to discuss with you."
"What about sir?"
"About your future."
Meanwhile in Canterlot... Griffons and Minotaurs. A frightening combination, but still not enough. you need a bigger challenge. "Anon you asked to see me?"
"Ah yes, dear Pinkamena. I was hoping you had new information on our run away."
"Sorry Anon. I've looked EVERYWHERE."
"Everywhere wouldn't happen to include outside of Equestria would it?"
"Of course not. Why would I look out there?"
"No reason. Dismissed."
She hops out the door like usual, avoiding Squidity. "I thought I told you to get back to work." You snap your fingers, Rarity transforming back to normal.
"How awful. Do you have any id- *snap*" You teleport her into the middle of some lake. She really does get on your nerves.
"Twilight?"
She appears in the blink of an eye, "Yes my lord?"
"Back in Las Pegasus... You didn't happen to capture any of the rebels now would you?"
"Of course sir, per your instructions."
"Bring me one of them. A Miss... Octavia."
"In the mood for some music sir?"
"The cries of the innocent only entertain for so long."
"It will be done," she says exiting the chamber.
You close your eyes and focus. "Let's see what Anon's up to." |
Hero Anon | Chapter 5: Deep Freeze | "Anon!" Vinyl hollers as she warps her hooves around you. Her eyes were red, likely worried out of her mind.
"It's great to see you Vinyl."
Iron Will grabs both of you in a bear hug, "I knew you could do it!"
"You trying to break me again?" you ask with the little air left in your lungs.
He drops you instinctively, "Sorry Anon. I thought you were better." You retaliate with a sock to the chest.
"Stop worrying you big lug, I'm good as new."
"I'm surprised you're still walking after that beating he gave you," Mickey says dejectedly from behind Iron Will.
You shake his hand regardless. "I had determination."
He pulls you in for a hug, "That you did kid."
That night, you celebrate a much needed victory. Ale graces many lips in your camp, but you keep yours dry. The griffins can't stop poking you to make sure you're actually real, and not a ghost. You assure them that you're heart's still going strong. You move off to the edge of camp, not wanting to get in the way of the other's binge drinking. "Quite the fight."
"It wasn't easy."
"We could tell." Soarin joins in your isolation, staring at the stars, "I uh... wanted to apologize."
"Now I'm in disbelief." He gives a small laugh, but keeps his serious demeanor. "In all seriousness though, I want to apologize. The way I've been treating you these past few months, I've been a pain in the flank. A part of me wanted you to die in that arena, but when it looked like you were going to kick the bucket..."
"Don't sweat it."
"Please, I have to get this off my chest. I thought we could win this war without you, but I was wrong. You laid your life on the line for us, and the least that deserves is my respect. So... I'm sorry." You've been waiting for this moment.
"Apology accepted," you pat him on the neck, "Now go back to that party."
"Will do Anon. I'm glad you're with us."
"Me too." You crawl back into camp to sleep when you think everyone's passed out. You wake up early in the morning. The others are mostly still unconscious, but a few griffons and, of course, Iron Will are up and at it. Apparently they're very good at holding their liquor. You head on to Mickey's workshop and let yourself in. He should be making repairs to your armor.
"You sure bucked it up good alright. Didn't I tell ya not to get hit?"
"No one plans on getting hit you old fart."
"No, but you can plan on avoiding it. This 'old fart' knows that much you youngin." The sides and chest plate are all but demolished, steel torn about and twisted into a mangled mess.
"Can you fix it?"
He rubs his head, "It'll be a haul, but I can get it done."
"ETA?"
"Well, if I'm as good as I know I am, I'll have it roughly finished by tonight."
"That fast? You got a little minotaur boy down here working the forge for you?"
"Laugh it up kid. Laugh it up."
"You're a big help Mick. Thanks."
"No Anon, thank you." You're a tad stunned. What reason does he have to thank you?
"And why is that exactly?"
He sets your mangled armor over the flames, prodding the coals with a poker. "You gave me something I haven't had in years, another chance. I knew I had a good feeling about you." A warmth encroaches your heart at the poetic thought. "I owe you a lot kid." He says nothing more, picking up his hammer and getting to work, the old guy still has his youthful energy.
You step outside the house, met by a small crowd of minotaurs. They scream out in unison at the sight of you. "Anon! How were things down there? Did you go willingly? How's the ribs?" Seems you turned into something of a celebrity, though you're not exactly sure why. You didn't win the tournament, no one did.
"Give Anon some space," a minotaur shouts in the back before pushing his way up to you. You recognize the signature flail on his hip sending a tinge of fear through you. "Kamos still wants to have some words with you." He helps you wade through the sea of flesh, pulling you towards Kamos's estate.
"Nice moves you pulled down there. No hard feelings."
"So you're not mad that I stole your thunder?"
"To the contrary, I'm actually quite happy. I never liked the attention."
"I hear that." The estate guards allow you entry into the inner chambers.
"Perhaps the next time we find ourselves on the battlefield, it will be side by side."
"Careful what you wish for." The guard pushes open the door to Kamos's personal chambers, the stout minotaur peering out the window.
"Do come in hero, make yourself comfortable." You do as requested, Kamos turning and looking towards your guide, "Dismissed."
He nods, "Of course sire."
The door shuts behind you, Kamos pouring himself a frosty beverage, "Care for a drop? Good year, it's a 36' Miro I believe." You politely decline, "Got enough last night did you? More for the rest of us." You explain that you don't drink alcohol, earning a rather shocked reply, "Truly? Well... my point still stands."
"Is this a social visit or business?"
"Can't we dabble in both?"
"Why not? What's on your mind?"
"I thought you had something to ask?"
"Not me sir. I'm drawing up all blanks."
"Hmph," he takes a sip of his tasty beverage, "Business it is." He pulls out a scroll from his dresser and sits down across from you, spreading it across the table. "How much do you know about Equestrian history?"
"About as much as a guy who got transported through time and space into an unknown world would know."
He ignores your smartass comment, "I'm not an expert, but I know of one tale that might interest you." He runs his finger over the map, circling Equestria with his finger, "The ponies that you find yourself with were not natives to this land." He trails over to his own land, "They travelled into our land, but found it just as hardy as their own."
"Then where did they come from?"
He goes east, further into the icy wastes of the land, "Here. Buckingham." It strikes you odd that they once inhabited such a desolate wasteland. You listen as he continues. "It was not always this way. The eastern region used to be thriving with life. Life was easy for both of us."
"And then what happened?"
"The Blizzard. An event so devastating it broke the very bonds of their society."
"Sounds like something out of an old book."
"It drove the ponies out in search of a new home. They couldn't handle the harshness of winter."
"And what about you?"
"Please Anon, we're minotaurs, the hardiest creatures to walk on two hooves. We could adapt to the cold, but like I said, they weren't as lucky."
"I still don't get it."
"What troubles you?"
"The Blizzard. I know a thing or two about the weather, and blizzards don't just appear out of nowhere."
His smirk is quite disheartening, "I never said it was a natural blizzard." He lays out a second scroll onto the table, a sketch of a strange horse on its cold parchment. "They are called Windigoes. An old race of cowardly spirits, hiding in the shadows and feeding off of our fighting and hatred."
His anger is quenched by another swig of liquid happiness. You run your hand over the drawing. "What happened to them?"
"They were defeated. Legend says by the 'fire of friendship.'" He scoffs at the title, "A bunch of nonsense if you ask me." He's telling you this for a reason. Though he's unwilling to tell you flat out, you get the gist of it.
"Where can I find them?"
"Don't worry about that. They'll find you." He invites you to dinner, which you politely accept. He gives you all the information he can about the region, but none of it is very useful. He shows you out, night already upon you. You reckon you should leave in the morning, but Kamos suggests otherwise. "They will only slow you down. You must leave before they have a chance to follow. They will be safe here, rest assured." You follow his advice, silently walking the dim roads to Mickey's home.
You pick up your armor from him, almost as good as new, but still a little rough around the edges. He doesn't pry when it comes to your destination, instead giving you an honorary salute. You head back into camp to Vinyl sleeping in her bedroll. Leaving her to rest, you jot down a note in your journal, leaving it there for her. Just in case... With that taken care of you head outside, the camp behind. You hit the main gates and head out, "Taking a midnight stroll?" Iron Will emerges from your left side, his axe atop his shoulder.
"Not this time Iron."
He nods, "Dad told me you'd have to leave. Seems he was right." You open your mouth to speak, but Iron will stays your tongue, "Friends don't say goodbye." Hoisting your bag over your shoulder you leave Cervida, his words ringing in your ears.
"Friends don't say goodbye."
You head east through the mountain pass and deeper into the world of old. Life is scarce among these parts, the lone rabbit dashing out of sight amidst the snow. You had depended on others for hunting before, but now you're by yourself. Thankfully you made sure to pack enough rations for the trip, but you still yearn for a good hearty meal. You trudge onward towards Buckingham, wherever the cursed place may be. All the while a lone thought picks away at you. Do they understand?
A rush of wind sends you trembling with goose bumps. The thought is pressed to the back of your mind as you tighten the wool blanket around your plated armor, insulating your body heat. It's going to be a tough journey, but you can make it. A little confidence goes a long way. ~~~
Meanwhile in Canterlot... "You have new information for me Pinkamena?"
"Sure do. Remember when you asked if I looked outside of Equestria and I was all like 'Of course not.' And you were all like-"
"Do you have the info or not?"
She sulks a bit, "You don't have to be so drab."
"Still waiting," you reply annoyed.
She rolls her eyes, "Last time I checked she was at some town out in the east. I could take care of her if you-"
"That won't be necessary. Dismissed."
"We can't just leave her."
"I said dismissed." You have to try and forget about her and think about something else. Like Anon... ~~~
Back in the wilds... The wind begins to pick up as a storm brews in the air. You push on regardless hoping it'll pass in a few minutes. You were wrong. The wind cuts into your face forcing your head down, all the while the snow begins to rise, now up to your thighs. Any more of this and you'll end up a popsicle. Your eyes sting as you look forwards, but you persevere. There appears to be a cave of some sort up ahead.
You rush onwards to the cave's mouth, but stop when something lands just outside. You can't make out what it is in this blinding snow, but it rushes inside, likely for the same reason you are. You make it to the cave's mouth, the unknown depths not quite as welcoming as you previously thought. With a brief look back, you step inside, taking the unknown over assured death.
The light outside fades the deeper you go, but the cavern always stays slightly illuminated. The conundrum is solved as you to the floor, an array of crystal faintly glowing, a warmth pulsing from their surface. It explains why the cave hasn't been snowed in which provides some sense of calm. It's fleeting however, as the thought brings something to question. If this place grants safety from the elements, what type of creature must infest this place? The creature you saw before comes to mind, but you somehow reason that it's just another stray amidst the storm.
You continue into the surprisingly deep cave, a red glow coming from up ahead. You proceed with caution, your blade frozen but at the ready. Nothing. Just you and the source of the light, the same crystals scattered about. You kneel down, and upon closer inspection find them to be 'activated' if that make sense. They're hot to the touch, but not uncomfortably so, the red glow still an oddity, as is why the crystals are wet. You pull your hand back, and against your better judgment, taste the liquid. The rustic taste makes your eyes pop. Blood.
A whack to the back of your head sends you to the floor followed by a whirlwind of curses. You roll away and spring upwards, facing your attacker. "Fucking dammit," the female voice curses as she cradles her hoof, wings cast out. She's a Pegasus.
"Identify yourself." Come on Anon you can think of something cooler to say than that.
"Go fuck yourself Anon," she retorts before spiraling at you with lightning speed.
"How do-" You're cut off as her hoof connects with your jaw. Fine. If she wants things to go that way. She comes in again, only for you to meet her face with your fist, a much more devastating attack. She stumbles backwards into the bright crystals, her armor reflecting the light and casting it outwards. She seems familiar. "Do I know you?"
She wipes a drop of blood from her lips, "You've gotten better since Aviaris, but not good enough."
The griffon city. It's been- "Rainbow Dash?"
She lowers her head aggressively, "I'll make it Gilda." She penetrates your defenses and tackles you to the floor, bucking your blade out of your hands. She smashes down on you with surprising force, though she doesn't have minotaur strength. You get a few thwacks in with your shield, her attacks getting weaker. But it's not because of you hitting her, a few drops hit your confused face. "I'll- I'll make you pay *sniff* for what you did." She hits your chestplate swiftly with little force, her sobs weakening her, "You're a bastard Anonymous. You..." You grab her hooves to stop her, "You'll pay... for Gilda."
She falls onto your chest unable to do anything besides cry. She isn't in her right mind. You subconsciously wrap your arm around her and pat her back like you would with any crying girl. Cause you're a gentleman like that. ~~~
You open your eyes back up, the Pegasus still lying on your chest. You don't remember falling asleep, but what's done is done. Easing her onto the floor you unpack your bag, getting things ready for your breakfast. You put some dried pork over a small fire you made with some surrounding twigs. It was then that you recalled her injury. You check the wound, the cut cleaner than you expected. You pull out the bandages you'd saved for yourself. She needs them more than you.
You wrap the cloth around her leg, finishing the job with a small tug. She shoots up as a result, hitting you with her hoof. "This is what I get for being a nice guy." She looks between you and her bandaged leg, slowly calming down.
"Why did you help me?"
"Let a crying girl suffer? Not my style." She sits on her flank opposite from you. She declines when you offer her some of your rations. "Don't hit me or anything when I ask this, but are you still mad at me because of the griffon thing?"
"That griffon had a name," she snaps at you, "but I'm not mad at you. I'm mad at someone else."
"Didn't stop you from trying to beat me to a pulp."
She casts her head to the side, "You just looked like him."
"We got that a lot as kids," you absent mindedly poke at your food, "I hate my asshole of a brother too."
"Brother?"
"Ummm..." Shit, now the cat's out of the bag.
"I guess there's the reason he's so lenient towards you."
"He just wants a fight, it doesn't matter the who... Wait a minute. Why the hell are you talking to me?! You tried to turn my in the last time we met and you almost got me killed."
"I'd never turn you in to that prick," her voice softens, "I don't know why I gave in..." You pack up your stuff in a hurry, "Where do you think you're going?"
"This right here. I don't have time for it. I have a job to do, and I don't have time to lollygag with the likes of you." And to think you let her sleep on your chest. You head back the way you came, Rainbow Dash still behind you.
"Please listen to me. I've done terrible terrible things, but I wasn't myself. None of us were. Anonymous... he did something to us."
"That's rich. What's next? You harness the power of love and friendship to save the world."
"Well actually..."
"Nope. Stopped listening there."
You pull your blanket over your shoulders as you exit the cave. "Just give me a chance. I was able to forgive you for what happened, just give me that once chance is all I ask. Let me help you." You finally meet her gaze as you turn around.
"And how do I know you just won't slit my throat in the middle of the night?"
"You don't."
"Real fucking reassuring."
"Just one." One chance. Is it really so much to ask for? Hell, everyone's put their hopes into you on that chance. You sigh.
"You better be worth something." ~~~
The storm seems to have passed, and Rainbow Dash takes to the skies. "There's only one reason you'd come out this way, and I just happen to know the way." You're still skeptical to trust her, but she's right. Without her, you could miss your target completely. Still, her aid came out of nowhere. A part makes you think that she's luring you to your demise, but another part thinks her motives are genuine. This whole situation is a cluster-fuck, and it's your job to make sense of its chaos. You need better qualifications. "Just make sure you can keep up, I am the fastest in Equestria after all."
You don't bring up how Stormguard kicked her ass, but that's a tale for another time. "I'll manage," you answer as you trudge back into the snow.
You spend the next week with Rainbow Dash, and it's not one of your better decisions allowing her to tag with you. You barely had enough rations for yourself. Thankfully she hasn't been a big talker though. One of the few things you hate are loudmouths. She made sure to stay a good distance away from you, but tries to get closer while she can. You'll have none of it. Mom always said to stay away from bad influences, and she's nothing short of that. "Well, there it is. Buckingham."
"One building makes up all of Buckingham?"
"The blizzard wiped out most of the city. It's all that's left. You'll find what you're looking for there."
"I better." You tighten your blanket as the winds pick up and head towards the lone building of Buckingham. You kick open the door and get through before the snow can block you, and slam it shut behind you and Dash. She shakes the built-up snow off her armor, now coating you with a fresh layer. She apologizes as you shrug it off, irritated already. She pulls her bag off of her and pulls out on the crystals you saw in the cave.
Before you can ask what she's up to she makes another incision on her lower leg and lands a few drops on the stone. It grows brighter until the entire room is filled with its radiance. You examine the small stone while Dash bandages her wound. "They're not very common in Equestria, but their natural in caves around these parts." You take the stone and raise it in the air as a makeshift torch before moving on. "A 'thank you' would be nice."
"Your welcome." The storm grows stronger.
The main chamber is bigger than you expected it would be, sporting a second level as well. The rotten wood floor actually squishes under your feet, making your stomach turn, but that could also be your hunger. "Where are we?" Rainbow Dash is dumbstruck by the scenery much to your annoyance. "Hey dumbo!" She snaps back to attention, "You got something to chip in?"
"This- I think this is where the summit took place so many years ago. Look at the banners." She points towards the three flags hanging from the rafters, little more than tattered remains now. "They each belonged to one of the three pony tribes. They came here to discuss how to deal with the blizzard."
You yawn, the windows rattling violently. "Real interesting."
"On the right, that's the crest of the unicorn tribe, and there in the middle is the earth pony's. That there symbolizes the Pegasus tribe." You check your bag.
"Whoops. Sorry, it looks like I'm out of fucks to give."
She ignores you, "This place is a historical landmark. It's special for all ponykind. You should show-" A creak from the upper floor steals both of your attention, a shadow darting away from the ledge. You draw your sword, your heart racing. How long had that thing been watching you? It was so quiet. Why didn't- Another rustle sends you twirling back to the entrance, another shadow darting across the doorway.
"Rainbow Dash?"
"Yeah," she says softly.
"Care to take out my brown pants?" You build up some courage and make for the stairs cautiously. Rainbow Dash stays close behind you. Though you can't see them, you can certainly hear them. Their feet scamper across the wooden boards, but disappear when you're close to locating the source.
"What the hell are they?"
"You tell me Mrs. Historian." Clearing the upper floor turns out to be useless as the culprits always seem to avoid you. "Fuck this, let's go back down-" A small cry catches you off guard. It comes from the door beside the balcony. It almost sounded like a child.
"A filly? We have to help it. What if those things get it?"
"No no no something's wrong. Something's seriously wrong."
The child cries a bit louder this time, "Buck you Anon, I'm helping that kid."
She moves over to the door. There's no way a child could be here. It has to be... "IT'S A TRAP!" You charge at Rainbow Dash while she turns the handle. You knock her out of the way, the door standing wide open. The crystal in your hand gives you a brief glimpse of your attacker. A vicious force pushes you back, throwing you over the balcony, dangling over the side.
That distorted face. It's blackened clothing... It's walking closer, its grimy hand holds onto yours. The creature looks overtop at you, its baggy skin and warped smile so real. "You are one ugly motherfucker." It raises its other hand and throws it towards you, sending you crashing into the floor with its telekinesis. Among the wooden shards and planks, only one thought comes to mind. Worth it.
Rainbow Dash screams at the monster, whether in anger or fear you can't be sure. You pick yourself up and get your sword. You have to help Dash before- A wooden table comes flying into your chest and splits in two. You're sent reeling back into the wall, the second midget kicking away the blinding crystal. You knew little of their kind, but if there's one thing you did know about Burers, it's that they suck dick. Not literally of course.
You kick a large wood chunk at the Burer forcing him to put up his psychic barrier. You charge in while he's on the defensive, sword at the ready. He drops the shield when he sees what you're doing, pushing his hand forward and then pulling back. A tremendous force pulls your sword out of your grasps and behind the creature. At least you still have- Another pull rips your shield off your arm, quite painfully you might add. The storm picks up immensely, ice starting to form along the outer walls.
This fucker won't best you. It's just a figment of your imagination anyways. "I am Anonymous, and I am a hero!" You pull out your knife, flicking it open and grasping it blade down. The walls become fully encrusted with the invading ice, but you're too pumped up to care. "You will not defeat me!"
You charge in again, the Burer attempting to pull your weapon out of your hands. Jokes on him though, because one of the few things you did know is that there's one weapon they can't pull away. Knives. It stands dumbfounded at its ineptitude long enough for you to close the distance. You punch it in the gut and kick it against the iced-over wall. You stab it again and again, cutting out its throat and not stopping until it stops moving. The ice wall grabs hold of the body and swiftly overcomes it, imbedding your knife in the process.
You finally notice the sudden change of scenery and sprint back up the stairs to Dash. It follows you up the stairs, creeping slowly towards you. Rainbow Dash is delivering her own can of whoop-ass on the second Burer. She sends him stumbling through one of the nearby walls. "Seems you can handle yourself."
"We don't have time to play games right now," she says pointing out the blizzard's power.
"Saw that too, come on we need to go." The Burer stands back up, and boy does he look pissed. He reaches his hand back, preparing another psy-attack. The ice leaps from a nearby wall, encasing his arm in the ice. He howls and struggles to get free as he is slowly overtaken by the cold, suffocating within the block of ice.
"Yeah, let's get out of here." You leap down off the balcony, stairs overtaken by now. You pick up your sword and shield and sprint for the door, but it's too late. The way is sealed and the blizzard heads to its new target. You. You prepare yourself, though you know your effort to be for naught. You can't fight the elements with a sword.
"So this is how things end huh? For what it's worth, I did enjoy the time we spent together."
You pull her behind you. "I don't plan on us ending up as a couple of popsicles. I will fight to the end." You look up to the ceiling, putting weight behind your booming voice. "You hear that you Windigoes!? I'm not afraid of you!"
A howl rings out and echoes through the halls, followed by a chilling laughter. An unnatural cold brushes your side and whispers, "You should be." The laughter sounds again as they circle you. They're here. Kamos said they would find you.
"Show yourself you cowards! Face me!"
"And why would we do that?" a female voice answers, "So you can fail to kill us again?" You sheathe your sword but the walls still close in.
"I don't want to kill you. I want you to help us."
The ice freezes, "Help? Now that is interesting." From within the ice, a horse flies on towards you, escaping the wall. Two more join the leader, "And why would you want our help?" Their ethereal forms are intimidating to be sure, but they haven't killed you yet. So that has to be a good sign. Right?
"I- I need the best and brightest to join my cause."
The Windigo looks to her peers, "And what cause would that be?"
"To stop Anonymous."
She chuckles at the name, "And why exactly would we want that? He has only done what we have always wished to do. We commend him."
"Do you think he'll stop in Equestria. He's a plague that threatens everyone."
"It matters little to us what he does to you and everyone else. He will respect our ways."
"What part of 'everyone' don't you understand? He doesn't care about your 'ways.' He will take you out without a second's hesitation."
"Do not think to intimidate us. We have survived for millennia's. We are eternal, spirits of winter."
"From what I heard you were driven back by some 'fire of friendship.' Anon put out that flame as if it were merely a candle."
"Flames die out, he merely struck when the time was right," she attempts to argue, but you can see that your words are getting to her.
"He destroyed a civilization while it was at its peak. You failed when they were at their weakest. What chance do you have?"
"ENOUGH!" Your feet sting as they become encased in the Windigo's hatred.
"You can kill me, but my brother will give you a fate worse than death."
Dash's voice crumbles as her hooves face the same icy embrace as yours, "Anon, I'm sorry."
"He will walk through your defenses like they were nothing and send you into the boiling pits of hell."
"It's too late."
The ice reaches your chest. They're signing their own death warrants. "When the fire burns you away and all that's left is ash. You're going to look back on this day and think to yourself, 'What if.'" Your neck tingles as the frost races up your body. "What if I had helped? Could we have lived a millennia more."
The female Windigo looks onward as you both are overtaken by the cold. "So be it."
You take a deep breathe of air, your eyes opening to the sky. It's morning. You sit up and look around to find Dash sleeping by your side. "W-what? The hell happened?"
"You convinced us." The Windigo settles down to earth across from you, "A feat that none have achieved until now."
"So you'll help us?"
She nods, "When the time comes we will join you in battle." You smile to yourself at your latest victory. She points to the horizon, "Your group has already left the city and are headed west. You can reach them in a day's time."
You thank her and pick up your weapon's that she left beside you. You stop her when she's about to leave. "Before you go, what do I call you. It'd be rude for me to just call you Windigo."
She forms what looks like a grin and says, "Call me Breeze." ~~~
Back in Canterlot... "Anon you alright in there?"
"I said I'm fine Twilight. Leave me be."
"It sure don't sound like he's alright," Applejack says.
"Is HE alright? What about me? He teleported me into a public pool. PUBLIC!"
Twilight ignores them, "Anon if this is about Rainbow Dash..." You kick open the door sending the three of them crashing into the floor.
"What did I saw about saying her name!?" Several guards cry out as they begin to float on their own, water boils then freezes seconds later, dogs live with cats peacefully, Rarity becomes tolerable. "I said to NEVER say her name! Do you understand!?"
Twilight is on the verge of tears, "Ye- yes sir..."
A hoof touches your back, "Anon..."
"It's... It's not fair..."
She leads you back into your room, things returning to normal. "How could she choose him over me? ME!?"
"Anon..." Her touch is calming and makes everything feel better.
"I gave her everything she wanted, and she leaves me for him. What makes him so great?"
"She fell in love with Anon, not Anonymous."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
She wipes away a tear from your eye, "It means that she's going after who she used to love."
"I could change again. Make a real effort. Maybe..."
She puts a hoof to your lips, "Hush now Anonymous. Let me take good care of you." She kisses you tenderly, drawing back for you to speak.
"You're always there for me Fluttershy..." |
Hero Anon | Chapter 6: Change of Scenery | Breeze disappears into the clouds leaving you with Dash. You pick up your sword and shield off the rough tundra. She's still unconscious, but putting your finger to her neck proves that she's still alive. It'll take a few hours for her to wake up you wager, and you debate whether to leave her there. She'll bring more than enough problems, and that's just if you allow her to live. You know you're going to regret this, but your mother taught you better.
She's lighter than you thought. You sheathe your sword, Rainbow Dash plopped atop your shoulder. You set out west where Breeze pointed. If they already left the city then they've got a plan as well. Next Stop... wherever the hell they're going.
The frozen plains are left behind as you proceed into more rocky terrain. You're surprised that Rainbow Dash hasn't woken up yet, but you have ways to deal with that. You come upon a stream, the water's a bit shallow, but you'll make do. Grabbing onto her torso you chuck her into the pool, watching as she flails about. She sees that she isn't dead yet and looks to you, "Did we-?"
"Yeah we did, and I use the term 'we' very loosely."
She steps out of the waters edge and shakes herself dry. "We still did it though. That's good news right?" You don't give her an answer and begin walking back towards the horizon. "So are you going to tell me where we're going?"
"I'm going back to my group. Now that you're awake you can leave."
"I'm coming with you."
"Your call." She tags along for the time being. Due to the Windigoes help you are much more sparing with your rations, though they're still a bit chilly. It hits nightfall and you have no intention of resting, neither does Dash. You're curious as to why she's following you, and you're also curious as to why you're letting her still. You see little orange dots up ahead, the lights from your group's camp. Dash listens as you tell her to shut up and let you do the talking.
The last thing you want to happen when you arrive is for a fight to break out. You spot the griffons circling overhead, silently observing the landscape. When they get sight of you they immediately head back to camp to inform the others. Seems you're going to get a welcome party.
Dash stays behind you as you enter camp, the others standing at attention. They salute as you pass, to which you return in earnest. Their expressions change to one of anger when they spot Rainbow Dash. She scoots closer to you, unable to escape their deathly gaze. You walk into the commander's tent, the leader trio already inside. Vinyl rushes over and hugs you, you holding her tight. "I missed you."
"Me too."
She pulls back and punches you in the face, "That's for not telling me you were leaving." You rub your jaw but can't help but grin. She still cares. Iron Will and Soarin shake your hand, "Good to see you up and at it. I assume you were successful?"
"Great success."
"This is going swimmingly, we'll be able to take back Equestria from Anonymous in no time." Speaking of Anonymous... "Before you get too worked up, there's someone I think you should meet."
"And who might that be?" Vinyl perks up. The tent's flap opens, Rainbow Dash entering in beside you.
"Rainbow Dash." All eyes focus on her, the three of them speechless. "I understand you've met before."
"What in the hay were you thinking bringing her here?"
"Chill Soarin. She won't do us any harm."
Iron Will whistles, "She certainly won't." Two minotaurs squeeze inside, likely some troops Kamos graciously tasked to join us.
Vinyl glares at the Pegasus, "Take this mare out back and tie her up."
"Hold on a minute-"
"Don't test me Anon," she snaps. The guards acknowledge and grab onto her. She doesn't struggle or put up a fight, only following.
"What the hell is wrong with you?"
"With us? Do you have any idea who that is?"
"Yeah I do."
Soarin cuts in, "Anon has a reason to bring her here? Right?"
"He always does," Iron Will agrees.
"Look, I found Dash-"
"He's calling her by a nickname already? She isn't your friend Anon."
"Can I finish Vinyl?" you retort angrily. You take her silence as a yes. "I found her out there in the wastes. I don't know why she was there, but she offered to help me find what I was looking for."
"She was trying to get close to you, and it worked." Your glare shuts her up again.
"I don't know why, but I don't think she wants to fight us anymore."
"Do you have any proof?"
"I have my intuition, and that's enough for me."
"I know Rainbow Dash, knew more like it," Soarin says, "And I have to say that I feel the same way as Anon."
"You can't be serious. She's an agent of Anonymous. This is just what she wants."
"I agree with Anon and Soarin."
Her frustration peaks off, "I can't believe I'm hearing this."
"I still think it'd be best to keep her restrained for the time being," Iron looks to you, "Just in case."
"A necessary precaution, understandable."
"I'll set up a guard rotation to watch her," Soarin adds.
"You- I- Ugh!" Vinyl storms out back to her tent. You'll probably have to find somewhere else to sleep tonight.
The three of you touch up on past events, including what they were doing outside the city. Seems they had gotten word of another group much like ours out west, and were en route to join forces. They're led by some stallion called Big Mac, but you're pretty sure they don't have McDonalds in Equestria so that could be anyone, just not a giant burger, which is disappointing. Soarin stays to organize the flight schedules and other tasks, Iron Will and yourself going outside to continue training.
You tell him about the creatures you fought and your journey. He knew nothing about the monsters, but knew something about those weird crystals. "Blood Stones if I remember right. Dad had a small stash years back, they're rare as hell, most are inert nowadays, but enough geology. Let's get to it." He swings swiftly before you have a chance to draw your sword, but you duck and draw before he can get to you again.
You've gotten a lot better due to his training, but he still manages to outmaneuver you at every turn. Still though, your progress these past few months has been astonishing. It's amazing what happens when you exert yourself fully. He catches your arm midswing and gradually pushes it up, "You have to do better than that."
"I am," you sacrifice your sword hand and step forward, wrapping your foot around his back hoof and pushing.
"Whoa whoa-" he stumbles backwards, letting go of your arm. He falls on his butt, dumbstrick. "Where the hell did you learn to do that?"
"Wrestling with my older brother."
"Sneaky bastard. Wish I could meet him."
You turn pale. "No you don't."
"Get away from me." You hear Dash's voice echo across camp, "I'm warning you."
"What's going on?" You sheathe your blade and track her down. She's tied to a tree, her wings pinned to her side, painfully so.
"We promise it'll feel good for you too," one of the guards says trying to get behind her. You step in before things get out of hand.
"Something you plan on doing to our guest?"
"She's a prisoner sir. Prisoners get treated like prisoners." Dash is shaking nervously, but tries to stay composed. You can tell she's scared.
"I think you need to take the night off."
"I'm not leaving until I've had a little fun."
You reveal the blade of your sword, keeping your eyes on him. "What part of that involves getting put in your place?" Now it's his turn to shake.
"No- none sir. I'm off," he splits, Dash thanking you with her eyes.
"I think it'd be best if I watch over her," you look to Iron Will, "Just in case."
"Necessary precaution?"
"I just don't trust most of the troops."
"You owe me a training session."
"Yeah yeah, sure." He moves off into camp, leaving you with Rainbow Dash.
"You didn't have to help me," she tries to boast but can't subdue the fear in her voice. You nestle yourself next to the tree she's tied to.
"I know." You wouldn't be a good person if you let that bastard have his way. Sleep is that much sounder with a clear conscience. ~~~
The void you find yourself in is as dark as you remember. Ever since you've talked with the Windigoes your brother hasn't been contacting you as much anymore. You never enjoyed your chats, but it at least gave you something else to do. A form begins to materialize after a while of waiting. "It's about time you showed up. What do you want?"
"I want to end this charade." That voice... it isn't your brother.
"Who are you?"
A unicorn stares back at you, purple fur with an almost nerd-like mane, but the air about her proves to be anything but. "I am Twilight Sparkle, and this ends here and now." An itch hits the back of your skull, "It starts small, an ununreachable sensation without consequence." You grasp at your skull, "But it's just the beginning. It intensifies, almost as if a rock is ground into your skin."
"H-how..."
"Anonymous has taught me many things. Take note of the pressure as it expands, spreading lower to your back." It hurts... What is this? "Picture the knife as it begins to cut deeper into your flesh. The acute sweetness of your blood as it runs down your spine." You grip your clothing as every word becomes reality, feeling the blood escaping you. "Your flesh sears, the inferno licking you with its frenzy."
"You... You'll pay..."
She lifts your chin up and stares into your eyes, "I don't think so."
The surroundings flare into a sage green, "Enough!" Pain floods your body as you're pulled out of your nightmarish sleep. ~~~
The thought of that night still haunts you, but the event only worsened when you awoke. Everything she said, every excruciating torture you succumb to, was real. The cuts, blood, fire, all of it. She would've killed you if your brother hadn't interfered. He's many things and you have a lot to hate him for, but he saved your life. You stick next to Rainbow Dash for the week, and... it's not as bad as you thought it would be. She boasted, sure, but there was an almost fatigued tone in her voice, as if she wished for another tale to tell.
Vinyl still didn't trust her, and she had no reason to as far as you were concerned. But she took it out not only on you and her, but everyone. It was like how Soarin acted when he first met you. Hopefully that means that she'll eventually warm up to her. ~~~
You loosen the straps constricting her wings, brushing underneath her folds. As a part of guarding her you also had to clean her, and you've seen how long it takes for Soarin to clean himself. He talked about how sensitive their wings were, and you're seeing the effects firsthand. Thankfully Dash is being mature about it. You finish the task after almost half an hour of constant grooming, and you still haven't been able to attend to yourself yet. Whatever, there's time for that later. The camp gets ready to move on and you decide to leave the straps off and undo her manacles.
She won't run away, you don't think anyways. You have to stay with her regardless for her own safety. Vinyl stops and gives the two of you a look. "She's your baggage. You fall behind, and you're on your own." She really is taking this hard.
You keep her beside you as you head to the front of the pack, the other ponies giving her fleeting glances. "We should be getting close."
Iron Will leads you as he overlooks the map. "Odd..."
"What is it?"
"Nothing it's just... We've been following the path for a while now, and I can't shake the feeling that something's off here." You look around, a few trees scattered amongst the rock. You feel it too, like you're being watched. A small pile of rocks roll down the hill, hushed voices muttering amongst themselves.
"We aren't alone." You look down a narrow tunnel, a hooded figure with glowing eyes peeking out and disappearing behind the boulders. You recognize the creatures and chuckle to yourself. "Fucking Jawas. We've got nothing to worry about. They're harmless, unless we have droids."
"Droids?" You think about trying to explain, but save yourself the trouble. Rainbow seems to understand you however, likely from her time with Anonymous. The foliage thickens more as you keep onward, but even now you can't seem to find the second group. Camp is formed in a clearing and groups are formed to try and locate the others. You volunteer to lead the first group and Dash joins in with you. A few more volunteer as well, giving you a small group of around seven. Iron Will supplies you with his map, circling the places they would most likely be. You say goodbye to Vinyl, but she brushes you off, again. There's no winning with her, so it seems best not to try. You tighten your sheathe around your waist and set off into the woods.
You press into the northern region where the more mountainous area is. They could've left for high ground; it's what you would do. Dash keeps her eyes peeled for anything suspicious, but it's impossible to tell where danger would be. About an hour into your patrol the hushed chanting begins. The others in your group are skittish, constantly jumping at the slightest noise. It doesn't help that the noises echo through the rocky walls. "Guys, you really need to relax, they're just jawas. If anything they'd want to trade with us."
"I don't know Anon," Rainbow Dash says, "They've really taken a liking to us."
"And what do you mean by that?"
"It means that they've been following us for a while."
"How do you know that?"
"Intuition." Good enough for you.
You draw your sword and raise your shield. "We're heading back." You go back the way you came, not wanting to spend anymore time here.
"They've got us surrounded." Their chatter increases, the midgets hidden amongst the rocks.
"They're jumpy, they'll let us go if we assert ourselves." You move up the incline to the top of the hill, this is starting to get to-
"OOTINI!" You seize and convulse as a godly amount of electricity courses through you, amplified by your armor. The current is too much for you to take and you collapse backwards.
"Fuck. Jawas..." ~~~
You roll onto your side, your eyes adjusting to the lack of light. The stone floor scrapes against your bare back, some old wounds opening back up. "Please stay still Anon." You look into the darkness to find her face looking down on you.
"V-vinyl? Where are we?"
She pets you with her hoof, "I found you out like a light and dragged you to safety. I hope you're okay."
"What-" you cringe, "happened to the others? Are they alright? Are they safe?"
She looks down, "I'm afraid they didn't make it." Her words are sympathetic as are her tears, but...
"Rainbow Dash got out right? She had to get away."
"She didn't make it either." She sniffles before lying next to you, "I'm just glad you're okay." Vinyl wouldn't say that, she hated her. You push up against the rock wall and get to your feet. "You really should stay down, let me take care of you." You're a lot of things, but a sucker isn't one of them.
"Where's my armor? Where's my sword?"
"I took them off to dress your wounds, please stay still." Like hell you will. You stagger over to your equipment she placed nearby, pulling your sword up. "Anon, why won't you listen to me? Stay with me."
"Why don't I listen?" you ask. You grab her by the neck and pin her against the wall, sword cutting into her neck, "Because you aren't Vinyl." She struggles to get free, kicking at your exposed stomach, but you're tougher than a pony.
"Why Anon? Why are you-"
"Shut up! Where are the others?" You press the sword a tad deeper, the blood dripping down the blade.
"I don't know what you're talking about," she gasps. You pull your sword away and knee her in the gut, "Please..."
"Tell me where they are! Don't lie to me!" You strike her jaw, closed fist to add the extra pain, the act becoming too much for her to bear. You place the tip of your sword onto her chest as she lies on the floor wheezing. "One more chance. Tell me what I want to know or I'll run you through."
"Please... hurts..." Her eyes flutter shut and she lies limp. You reel backwards as her skin bubbles over and shifts into a sheer black. Insect-like wings sprout from her back, her horn withering with the rest of her body. You sit closer, inspecting her prominent canines. She's a shapeshifter, and a strange one at that. For now she's out, which gives you the chance to escape and look for everyone else.
The steel scrapes your wounded back eliciting a grunt, but soon enough you're back and ready to go. You head outside into the tunnel, the cavern jutting out into different directions. The sounds of a scuffle catches your attention and you rush to its origin. What you find makes you pause. "HIYA!" Rainbow Dash smashes her hoof into... you? She pounds him in the gut, your gut, whoever... leaving him a bumbling mess on the floor.
"Go easy on me, it's my first time."
She glares at you and prepares herself, "How do I know you're really you?"
"Intuition if I recall."
She relaxes with a nervous chuckle, "I guess you're right, this guy wasn't quite as lucky." She kicks the body, now reverted back to his original form. "Why didn't you tell us we were in Changeling territory?"
"Changeling?"
She gets that you're new here so she gives you a crash-course on them, feeding off of others and a bunch of other mojo. You strap her back into her armor and move out to try and find the others. They have to be close, it's just a matter of time. Dash and you systematically clear room for room, kicking ass and taking names. They were always in pairs, one team member with one changeling, but it wasn't just your team, there were others as well. You find other ponies in here with you, likely survivors from the second team, but also some rather interesting creatures.
She called them Diamond Dogs, natives to Equestria, driven out during your brother's reign. Apparently they'd taken up arms against him after a scuffle they'd had. You're not going to complain. More troops to call your own is all. The dogs lead the way in the caves, their vision naturally adapted to the dark recesses of the earth. They say you're getting close to their leader, Big Mac.
You overhear voices coming from Mac's room, "It feels so good to give in, don't fight it." You step towards the entrance, three changelings inside. Two were like the others you had fought, but the middle one... she was different. "I can be any pony you want. There's no sense struggling."
"Like hay I'll give in to you monsters..."
She holds her head, "Oh you wound me." She laughs, "Playing tough won't save you."
He sees you and grins, "Think again." One of the guards turn around just in time to see you knock him out. The other swivels around and charges.
"Shoryuken!" He falls backwards, KOed by your attack. The large changeling turns her head and smiles.
"So the fabled hero comes to my home at last. It has been an age since I last met your kind, too long."
A wall of flame blocks the red stallion in his cell as she steps towards you, her eyes a pair of shimmering emeralds. "Do not be afraid child. Let your queen embrace you." You plant your foot back and grasp your sword as the others move away. "You're just like him, a bit shorter but you have that unmistakable fire in your eye. Tell me, what is your name?"
"Anon, and I shall not falter." You say that, but as she closes in you find yourself stricken with Rigor Mortis. She presses her horn against your head, eyes locked with yours.
"I wouldn't expect anything less my dear." Another spout of flames engulfs the two of you and drag you down into the floor. They're so warm- so... comfortable... Rainbow Dash strikes the flickering barrier, but for nothing. She continues to fight, disappearing from view. ~~~
You shake your head feverishly as you come to your senses, an intoxicating odor overpowering your slumber. "About time you woke up. I remember heroes being more resilient than that." Across from the table sits your captor, the female changeling in Mac's cell. You attempt to stand, your actions hindered by a trio of hands pinning you down. They look just like you, strength the same as well. "Your hands are far more useful than hooves, but we make do." Food is laid out across the table. You've got veggies like carrots and potatoes as well as a plate of rich red apples, but sitting in the middle is something that makes your mouth water. Succulent and savory meat...
"We changelings do not require such trivial things to survive, but I recall your kind enjoying this assortment of sustenance." Damn right humans do. It looks so good, you could just... "Feel free to help yourself. I think we got off to a bad start. I am Chrysalis, queen of the changelings. Anon, correct? Your brother has been quite busy." Your hand freezes, "Please Anon, I am not naïve. I have my sources."
"Fair enough," you pull a slab of meat from the center, the scarlet juices mixing with your vegetables. Oh lord this shit is good.
"I was afraid my skills had gotten rusty over the past several hundred years. It is good to see they have remain unhindered by time." You recall your situation and stop eating. She catches your drift, "I mean you no harm hero. If I did, you wouldn't be here right now."
"How did I even get here? The last thing I remember is getting shocked by those Jawas."
"You mean the cloaked midgets? They have certainly been a pest around here lately thanks to your brother, but to the point. They took you to us in good faith in exchange for some odds and ends."
"They like the weirdest things."
"Indeed." You continue eating, the food too good to pass up.
"Where's the rest of my team then?"
"They're headed this way. Diamond Dogs have a good nose after all."
"Then maybe you should leave while you have the chance. They're not going to be quite as fearful this time."
"They will not harm me, not like they could anyways."
"And why is that exactly?"
She stands up, "Because you're going to make them." You choke on your food, a firm smack dislodging the hunk out of your throat.
"You better have a good reason for me to do that."
She nods and looks to the hall, "Come. Walk with me." The guards allow you to stand and follow her. They stay with you until Chrysalis speaks, "Alone."
"Yes my queen," they stay at their post. You and Chrysalis walking outside.
"I knew one of your kind at one point dear Anon. He was a weakling when we first met, weaker than you are now. He tried to fight me, failing of course, but he had guts."
"So that's how you know so much about me?"
She nods, "I spared his life in a moment of weakness, and he vowed to face me again. Two years past as he fought my forces out of Equestria. It was astonishing the level of power he had gained in that time."
"So what happened?"
"He came for me in my home," she ushers you into the next chamber, "In this very room. We fought for what felt like hours, but when the chips were down I came out on top. The hero had failed."
"Not exactly a happy ending."
"The story did not end there. I had grown... infatuated with him, it was a strange feeling. I gave him a choice, he could die here and allow Equestria to fall."
"Or?"
"I would withdraw, if he stayed with me."
"And he chose the latter."
She smiles, "He was cold at first, but he soon found himself enjoying my company. We spent many years together. Many good years..." She has a sad tinge in her voice as she reminisces about her past. "All good things must come to an end however." You run your hand across the stone walls where they joined together. They were happy. "Anon fell deathly ill, his heart failing him. Even with all my power I was unable to cure him of his ailment. I traveled in secret across Equestria and beyond in search for anything to save him. I failed." She moves to her bedside and draws a small box from under the bed.
"He said he would find a way back, no matter the cost he would come back to me. That was so long ago..."
"I'm sure he's still trying."
"No, he's long gone by now, just another soul at peace. He deserves as much." She opens the box and pulls out a small silver necklace joined with a ruby pendant. You sit down beside her as she gazes into the crystal. "This is the only thing I have left of him." She looks at you, holding out the necklace, "I want you to have it."
"Me?" You take hold of the gift and bring it closer, the ruby sparkling in your grasp.
"He used it to even the odds with me in battle. The necklace shields the wearer's mind from outside threats. Invaluable, but by those marks I saw on your back I say you could use it." You slip the necklace over your head. The ruby hums as it cleanses your mind, and for the first time in these past few months do you truly feel safe.
"Thank you, but why? Why are you telling me any of this? I don't understand."
"My hero gave up everything to save Equestria. I will not let his death be in vain." If what she says in true, then that must mean... "Let me aid you in this fight. These caverns run deep with my kin, each as strong as their enemy." Your comrades call for you down the halls as they get closer, their voices gaining strength. "One chance."
You stand up as your friends enter, "Anon. We're here are you alright?" They spot Chrysalis behind you and ready themselves. Dash moves to the front and grinds her hoof into the stone, "We've got her."
"Wait!" you raise your hand defensively and look back to Chrysalis, "She's not a threat to anyone."
"Anon do you have any idea who you're dealing with?" You give Chrysalis a grin and walk to Dash.
"Eeeyup."
Big Mac nods to you, "I think we should find a way out of here."
"Agreed."
"The surface isn't far," Chrysalis explains. "I can have my guards show you the way."
"You're helping us now?"
"No, I'm helping Anon." The others leave it at that as a team of changelings escort you out. Twisting through the halls of the earth you finally get your first sign of daylight, the rays heating your parched skin. You breathe in the clean surface air and admire the gorgeous blue sky. "Until next time hero." The changelings disappear down in the tunnels below. ~~~
With the new additions from Big Mac's group and the strength of a changeling army at your back, you're sure this scouting trip turned out exceptionally well. You head back to camp, the wind brushing through the trees. "So Anon, what in the hay happened back there?"
"Don't know what you're talking about RD."
Big Mac sounds off, "That lady is as stubborn as they come. She just fell into your hands a bushel of apples after a nice buck."
"What Big Mac said. What did you say to her?"
You hold the pendant she gave you, the warm pulse rocking through your arm. "It's what she told me." ~~~
Back in Canterlot... *smack* Twilight drops to her knees after your hearty slap. "Disobey me again and I'll have your head."
She gets to her hooves and glares back, "I'm finishing the job you're not competent enough to handle."
You being to squeeze the air out of her lungs with a motion of your hand. "Mind your manners. I gave you power, and I can strip it away."
Her defiance only fuels your anger. You lighten up on her, "You don't have the balls." You drag her down to the floor and force you down to her knees.
"You force my hand. I offered you power and all you repay me with is your betrayal!" Her will weakens as you invade her mind, sucking out all you have given her. "You showed such promise. It's a shame to lose you as well." She bows her head as you absorb the last of her chaotic power. "Pinkie Pie?"
She zooms to your side in a flash, "Ahuh?"
"Place young Twilight here with the others. She is to be made an example of."
She cocks her head to the side, "Sir?"
"Did I stutter Pinkamena?"
She moves to Twilight and grabs hold of her. "I'm sorry."
"Don't be, the bitch had it coming."
She shakes her head, "I wasn't talking to her." You move to stop her as she pounds the ground and confetti jets off blindingly in every direction. When the poppers clear the two of them are nowhere to be found.
"They'll die... slow and painfully... Fluttershy!" She steps through the doors, quizzically looking at Pinkie's aftermath. "Take your men and scour the land for the wretched Pinkie and Twilight."
"Engagement sir?"
"Bring them dead or alive."
"Dead it is my lord..." She's about to walk out.
"And Fluttershy," she looks back, "Let Wuten have a little fun."
"Aye aye my lord." You sit down on your throne and rub your temples. Things couldn't fuck up any worse if you were trying. Well, time to see what Anon's up to. Maybe he got his ass beat again and will give you something else to think about.
Anon... Why can't you sense him? This is impossible, he couldn't be dead. You grip the sides of your throne, the stone shattering under your grasp. "No... No..." The sky's darken above Canterlot, the epicenter of chaos. |
Hero Anon | Chapter 7: Forgotten Temples | "And next time you pull a move like that again, getting snatched will be the least of your problems." Vinyl gave you an ear full when you got back. Not unexpected. "I'm glad you're alright," she tacks on.
"Don't worry. I'll warn you the next time I'm abducted."
She hugs you, "You better." The newbies settled into your camp, albeit a little hesitantly. The sight of a griffon brigade and the muscled minotaurs is an intimidating one. You'll give them a few days to adjust. Besides, they've worked beside those dogs so they're shown adaptability. Big Macintosh, their previous leader, was relieved to see your own group take charge in this fight. You don't dare ask how long he's been down there.
Your group is massive at this point, and that's not including the armies being prepared by your allies. Still, where you've got numbers, Anonymous has strength. The beasts he has at his disposal easily overpower your own. You need more aid, even with those already at your back. You plan on heading south west into more fertile grounds. It'll be easier to survive with the abundance of food sources down there, and you're starting to get tired of rabbit soup. They reason that you'll find more ways to contract aid that way, but you're just thinking with your stomach here. Leaving the wastes of the east and the rocky mountains of the north, you move south with its rich forests. And for the first time since you got here you slept in peace, the jewel your guardian angel of the night. ~~~
"Round two." Iron Will twirls his axe masterfully as he strikes the dirt, yourself already escaping the impact. Rainbow Dash watches, Vinyl sitting on the other side.
"Don't hesitate, Anonymous won't," Rainbow instructs.
Vinyl chimes in to spite her, "You're doing great Anon. Keep it up."
You look to Vinyl, having to move extra fast to evade another blow. "Keep your dick in your pants and fight," Dash mocks.
"Go Anon go."
He catches the palm of your hand with tip of his handle knocking the sword out of your hands. You slide to retrieve it, staring back up at his axe, inches away from your face, "And Iron Will wins again. Shocking," Rainbow shoots out sarcastically.
"Next time Anon," he helps you up. Vinyl says that you're doing great, but you know better. Rainbow pulls you away from Vinyl, shooting a glare at her.
"Focus. Losing sight on the target will get you killed." She looks back to Vinyl, "I know I'm harsh, but you won't get better without knowing your flaws."
"Vinyl's good for me. So what if she disrupts my sessions a little. It's worth having her around."
"So what?! Do you even- Ugh!" She flies off for a cloud to rest on. You wonder what her deal is. ~~~
The next morning you're walking with Big Mac. You learned he grew up in a farm near Ponyville. His accent tipped you off that he was a country colt. He talks about his farm and his family before everything turned to shit. The way he told stories made you feel like you were right there with him. But then he reached the part where your brother took control. His sister, Applejack was one of his right-hand mares, just like Rainbow Dash. He tried to get her back, but she was too far gone. Your brother had done something to them, corrupting their spirit and draining their will. He lost his sister forever, but that didn't stop him. He fought back against your brother, until you found him.
As you enter the dense southern forests you can't help but feel an overwhelming sense of dread. The others react the same way, muttering amongst themselves sheepishly. "What's going on?"
He keeps his eyes ahead, "The forest frightens them, as it should. The Everfree forest has never been a place of safety." You look to your map, Macintosh helping you out. "We're entering the rear section of the forest, a bit farther to the west."
"I figured we'd be further east."
"Well ya better hope we can get through this here place as quickly as possible. There's no knowing what's lying in wait." The Everfree Forest. What madness drove us in here? You make sure to keep your hand on your weapon at all times, just in case. ~~~
The troops find it hard to sleep, keeping their eyes on the surrounding bushes in fear. This doesn't stop your practice with Iron Will however. You duck as he cleaves into a tree. You land a few shots into his stomach before he kicks you away. "Good, take advantage of your position." You plant your feet and charge at him, Iron Will grinning before knocking up a wall of dust with his axe.
"Focus Anon," Rainbow mutters under her breath, "Focu-"
"BEHIND YOU!" Vinyl shouts.
You hear his breathe intensify as he strikes downward at you. Side-stepping his attack you pin your sword under your arm and press back against him, just enough so he feels the tip of your blade. "Game over." Iron Will's more than happy to congratulate you, but chalks your victory up to Vinyl's help. Vinyl leaps into your arms in glee. You twirl her around as Dash heads up to her cloud.
You tuck Vinyl in for the night before heading back out. You need to see what was up with her. Dash sticks to her lonesome up there, favoring the sky to company. "Go to sleep Anon. You need your rest." You pick up a small rock and throw it as hard as you can, breaching the tree tops and knocking against her head. "You mother bucker..." The next thing you know you're lying flat on your back, Dash standing triumphantly on top. "You should really learn your limits. Dash is a bit much to handle."
"You going to tell me why you left without a word?"
She steps off of you, "You going to let that harlot keep holding you back?"
"I told you that she's not going anywhere."
"You could do so much better, and she's hurting your training."
"It's harmless really."
"Harmless will get you killed. I don't want to be there when that happens."
"You worry too much, you'll see. So, how about that answer?"
You sit next to her , "You looked so happy after you'd won. In that moment, you reminded me of your brother. He was thrilled to win as well. I'll never forget the day it rained money."
"I don't want to know do I?"
"You wouldn't believe me anyways, but that same night was the turning point in his life. I ruined him," her eyes glisten, "and I won't do the same again."
"I'm not sure I understand."
She looks back and smiles, "Just as naïve as he was." She rests her head against your shoulder for a spell, watching the moon.
"I guess I should get some rest after all. Goodnight-"You see that she's already passed out against you, her body rocking with each breathe. Maybe you can stay a while, keep her safe. Yeah, you'll go with that... ~~~
Elsewhere in the forest... You crack another husk's neck, falling limp to your feet, only for two more to fill his spot. A kick to the legs incapacitates both of them and you charge for the Knight, two Burers trying to hold you off. One pointblank party cannon is all it takes to send the big guy down and crushing the two midgets beneath him. More are coming. You don't have the time to fight them all. You leap back to Twilight, crushing the approaching Xenomorph's skull. "Pinkie... can't-"You hush her.
"I'll get us out of here."
She smiles back, "Promise?"
"Cross my heart and hope to fly." A screech cuts through the sky as an object blocks the moon.
"Look at what we have here? My two little runaways. Wuten, have some fun." She dismounts the beast as it plunges to the earth, its noodly appendage outstretched. You mask the two of you in a cloud of confetti, the beast howling in anger. "Don't worry my dear, they can't have gone far. We'll find them soon enough... ~~~
"This way. It can't be much further."
"I don't think investigating some screech in the night is such a good idea."
"My reasons are my own. I just feel like we should be here." You cut past a dense section of the forest and walk onto an open plain littered with the dead.
"Still want to look around?" You ignore her and let the rest of your team catch up. Their reaction is far from pleasant.
"Spread out and look for survivors." It's a long shot, but you need to know what happened here. You kick over the bodies of a few burers finding them coated with a fine dust, likely from a knight. They were formidable whoever they were. You figure with the damage they inflicted they were at least thirty strong. You spot a few ponies amongst the dead, but they're clad in your brother's armor.
Where the hell did they go? The odds of one side coming off with no casualties is almost nonexistent. "Ambushed them most likely," Rainbow Dash says, "but I don't know why a force this size came out this way."
"They must've been looking for something. I don't understand how they knew we would be here though. Something's off."
"They might have been clearing out any pockets of resistance they could find. They underestimated them." Maybe... You move along the battlefield, finding a red pool on the floor. You kneel before it, dipping two fingers into the thick solution. It smells... You taste the substance, rubbing it between your fingers.
"Marinara? The fuck?"
"We got survivors!" You're ripped from your train of thought as a crowd begins to form. "You two okay?" Moving through the ranks you spot a couple minotaurs hauling off a pile of corpses, a pair of hooves wriggling out from beneath them.
Rainbow Dash is kneeling next to them, "Pinkie?"
A pink ball falls into Rainbow's lap, "I'm so sorry Dashie. I-"
"Quiet down please. It's alright you're safe now. We're here to help."
Vinyl recognizes her, "I'm not even going to attempt to argue with you guys."
Rainbow Dash looks to you with a smile, "Anon, I'd like you to meet Pinkie Pie. She's a friend."
"Charmed," you reply not breaking eye contact, your mind recalling that night. You're less concerned about this Pinkie Pie, and more about the purple unicorn she's guarding. You draw your sword and take a step towards the helpless mare. "Remember me Twilight?"
Your sword arm stops mid-slash as Pinkie catches it and kicks you. You pivot around her attack, tripping her with your free leg. She hits you with her forehoof and pounces on you, to which you return with a few powerful body shots. Rainbow Dash pulls the two of you apart, the crowd stunned, "The hell has gotten into you Anon." You point to the bitch on the ground.
"She did!" Pinkie cuts you off as you move in again.
"I won't let you hurt her."
"Then you leave me no choice."
Rage boils over as you smack her away with your shield and pin Twilight down by the throat. You want to see her suffer for what she did to you, but she doesn't resist. She accepts her fate. Not like this, she needs to suffer... You let go of Twilight and head out, the crowd clearing from your path. ~~~
You stay away from her from that point onward. Putting her close to you is a one way ticket to Tartarus. The group was far easier about accepting the two of them than you. They'd just gotten used to Dash's company, so they weren't much of a mix up. They had fled from your brother's wrath, eluding your brother's forces since before you found Big Mac and the others. Twilight questioned his rule and this was the consequence. She's just lucky Pinkie's protecting her. If not... she wouldn't have made it through the night.
Vinyl listened to your troubles and offered a shoulder to lean on, but that's not what you needed. You need something to take your mind off of her. You need a quest. You talk to the guys, trying to find anything that needs to be done, but come up short. You're going to go on a killing spree if you don't find something to relieve the tension. Where's an Xbox when you need one?
"Excuse me, but are you Anon?" You turn around to find a pony, mare by the sound of her voice, cloaked. Where'd she come from?
"What do you want with me lady?" She fidgets nervously, muttering something under her breath.
"I nee- I need help. I need a hero." Bing, quest found. She explains that she found a temple deep in the forest's depths, and it's said that only a hero can unlock the power hidden within. Farfetched, but you have a good feeling about this one. You like the cut of her jib. You instruct her to follow you and march directly into the command tent and lay things down on the table.
"This is what we're doing and that's that."
"What about heading west?"
"West? Fuck the west. There are hidden powers in that temple and I want to exploit them."
"So you're just taking the word of a random stranger?"
"Yes." They decide to give it a shot, it's not like you're doing anything useful at the present. ~~~
The next morning your group sets south east and into the heart of the forest. Your mysterious guide leads the way, leaving the rest of you in wonder, "Who is she? What does she want? Why is she wearing that cloak?" You'll admit that those questions crossed your mind, but at the end of the day it doesn't matter. You've got something to take your mind off of that conniving bitch Twilight.
Rainbow Dash joins you behind the mare, "You've been quiet lately. What's up?"
"Just keeping my eye on the ball. Trying not to think of a certain unicorn."
"I'm glad to see you got over Vinyl finally."
"I meant Twilight." You clench your fist at her name. She played with you like you were nothing, and you can't even return the favor.
"Twilight... she wasn't in her right mind before. None of us were. Excuses or not, it's the truth." You take what she said into consideration, but you'll sleep on it later.
You move up to the mare, catching a glimpse of her golden coat. "I've been meaning to ask you something."
"Go ahead."
"How did you know where I was?"
"I didn't. I've been looking for you since you got here."
"That brings up how you even know me?"
"Your name is known to many, along with your exploits. With your power I'm sure you can help me."
"Please, I'm blushing." You keep down the jungle path, petering into swampier territory. "So what exactly do you do for a living miss..."
"I'm an adventurer first and foremost. I go to exotic locations and search for things."
"Just 'things?' Sounds a bit convoluted."
"I wouldn't be me if I didn't accept a little danger."
"You know, I never did catch your name." She goes silent afterwards which strikes you as odd. "You do have a name right?"
"Well yeah I have a name it's just- nevermind. Forget about it." You just shrug and move on, letting her take charge again.
That night you practice with Iron Will again. "I don't trust that girl." He blocks and grapples you. "She rubs me the wrong way."
"She's not the most open girl I've talked to," you get free of his grasp, "But I have a good feeling about her."
"Shut up and fight. I have good money on this," Soarin declares from the sidelines.
"You want to join in then be my guest," you shoot back, forcing his silence. "That's what I thought."
You turn back to an axe on your neck, "That means I win right?"
"Fuck you Iron Will," you chuckle knocking his weapons away.
"Can't win everytime." Like hell you can't. Wait, no, dammit. Next quest, build a time machine.
"Catch you tomorrow Iron Will." You leave them to fight over the winning, to which Iron Will always dispersed evenly. Vinyl's already asleep, and you don't want to disturb her. Instead you prowl around the camp some more, a last minute patrol. You find a small fire just outside the grounds and stealth over to it, the mysterious woman sitting by the fire.
Her compass rose cutie mark is exposed, the second uncovered part of her you've seen. She looks around unable to see you due to the fire's glare, but covers up regardless. You've seen enough. She's safe and that's always a good thing. Reentering camp you pick up voices coming from on of the tents. "Just apologize and he'll forgive you. I guarantee it."
"I can- *cough* barely look at myself, let alone face him." Twilight...
You peer through a tear in her tent, Pinkie, Dash and Twilight inside. "He's just a big meanie. He knows Twilight didn't mean it."
"Do you really think he cares? Just try and explain it to him?"
"I- I can't..." You walk around to the front and enter the room. The three freeze at the sight of you.
"Try me."
Pinkie stands up threateningly, "How long have you been eavesdropping?"
"Long enough to have second thoughts." You look at Twilight who tries to avoid your gaze, "Everyone gets one chance. One."
"I'm sor..."
"What was that? I couldn't hear you."
"Anon please don't-"
"Let the lady speak. Go on Twilight, I'm waiting."
She looks to the floor, "Forgive me..." You step in front of Twilight, Pinkie a hair away from striking you.
"Close enough," you rub her head, telling yourself to forgive her, "Apology accepted." ~~~
Elsewhere in the forest... "What is it? What do you smell?"
The ugly creature snorts and looks to you, "Man flesh." So you found the missing hero... Anonymous will be most pleased.
"And what of the fugitives?"
"They're with him." You instruct the vile creature to lead the way, several of his kin close behind.
"Why are they heading deeper into the forest? What is he playing at?"
"Fluuuuttershyyy." A voice calls to you on the winds.
"What is thy bidding my master?"
"How goes your patrol?"
"Swell my lord. I am tracking them both now, along with your missing brother."
"Good, and when you do, keep him alive. I'm not done with him yet."
"It shall be done my lord." You call for your ride, the colossal mass settling beside you gently. "Let's not keep them waiting dear." ~~~
"Here we are. At long last." Your guide steps on towards the overgrown temple, vines encroaching the pillars and walls.
Vinyl shudders at the sight, "Anyone else have a bad feeling about this?"
"Don't worry, me and Anon will keep you safe," Iron Will reassures her.
"Because that'll make her feel better," Dash chips in.
"We've been through worse Vinyl. We wouldn't have made it this far if we weren't ready."
"Whatever happened to the skeptical Anon I used to know?"
You shrug your shoulders as you start through the ruined stonework. "I guess he grew up."
Pinkie Pie helps Twilight over the unruly terrain with some difficulty, but they make good time when Dash heads back for them. Twilight hasn't recovered much. Whatever Anonymous did to her stole most of her energy. If she faired that well... you don't want to think about it.
The mare leads you up a set of stairs and into the recesses of the temple, the only light coming from the flickering torches along the walls. Your men are relieved that they're no walking in the dark, but this only makes you more nervous. Who lit the torches? The mare said she hadn't been there in months. You motion the group to hang back a ways, but not enough to draw attention. "What's going on here, truthfully?"
"I don't know what you're talking about?" She leads you into another room within the temple, expansive and giving off a royal vibe. You force her to look at you, thrusting off her hood to reveal her grayscale mane.
"Who are you working for?" A deep chuckle bounces around the room as a gate slams shut to close you in, the others trapped outside.
"It's good to finally meet you Anon." You push the mare away and draw your sword, looking around for the perpetrator. "Eyes up here boy." Following the voice leads your eyes up the steps and to the blackened roof.
"Whoever you are, you're..." the room glows, a hideous smile meeting you, "in for, a..."
"What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?" You stutter as you come face to face with the hideous creature.
"What in the hell are you?" He stands from his throne, his dog-like hind legs contrasting his apish forelimbs, his tail swishing about, a human-esque hand wriggling about at its tip.
"Your worst nightmare," is all he says before he blows a whistle to make a series of meowing noises.
"I don't know what you are, but don't think I'll lie down without a fight."
"That's exactly the answer I was hoping for." You step back towards the gated entrance as an incessant growling grows in intensity. Dash pounds at the gate, but can't get through. Not even Iron Will can make it budge.
"Anon! We'll get you out of there, just hold on." You press up against the gate as several felines emerge from the very earth and corner you, each wielding a weapon of some sort.
"Forget the gate. Find a way around and fucking help me!" You smash one of the felines into the floor with your shield, curb-stomping the cat with a soothing crack. You point to the mare... "Why? Tell me why!" You knee another attacker in the gut and cut out his throat, leaving him for dead. "All I wanted to do was help you, and you stab me in the back."
She can't look at you, but that doesn't mean anything to you. You gut a third jaguar, the last of them fleeing before you. "Impressive. I had heard of your strength, but deemed it to be little more than gossip."
"I'll ask you one last time," you grip the mare's throat and squeeze. "Why did you bring me here?"
"I asked Ms. Do of course." You glare back up at the sickening creature, "I wanted to see the tyrant for myself."
"Tyrant? No, but you'll wish I was that fucker after I'm done with you." You gasp and step forwards releasing the girl. A lump grows in your throat as you force a smile and place your hand on your back, a rush of liquid meeting it.
"You are not Anon?" he asks with a hint of irritation. You flip your sword and cut it back into tiger, grimacing painfully from your injury.
"I am Anon. You are looking for Anonymous." You struggle to stay standing, lucky to be that well. A few more inches and that spike would've severed your spine.
The mare tries to help you, but you push her away, stumbling yourself. "Ahuitzotl, I'm sorry. I didn't know-"
"Silence!" The fallen arise once more, their wounds sealing by some sort of sorcery. They come closer, teeth bared as you fall to your knees. "One task you had been assigned and you failed. Another hundred years will suffice for your reckless abandon."
"Please sir, it was an honest mistake."
Ahuitzotl, your captor, descends from his throne and wraps his tail around her neck, "You will go out again and bring me Anonymous. Do not fail me again," he releases her and looks down upon you. "As for you-" A rumbling turns into a quake as the temple is rocked with tremors, "What in tartarus is going on. Check it out!"
His minions move to obey, the wall before them shattering and bursting from the outside-in, pieces of ground beef scattering across the temple. "Good boy Wuten." A yellow Pegasus steps through the opening, "Care to let a mare in on the fun?"
Ahuitzotl blows on his whistle once more, a legion of forest denizens growing out of the very walls. "So be it."
The two hordes meet each other in a scene of blood, both sides taking hits and casualties. For a time it looks like Ahuitzotl has the advantage, his minions merely recovering from death while the others stay down for the count. It doesn't matter how many orcs or husks or knights she has, because his army is invincible. At least that's what you'd thought. Just as the tide is turned and her force seems to route, she pulls one last card from her deck, and it's a trap card. The screech you heard weeks ago stabs your ears painfully. "Say hello to my little friend, Wuten." That smell, oregano... You'd smelled it once before, but it couldn't... It is. The bulbous mass of spaghetti consumes the entranceway, two beady eyes scanning the landscape.
"Pastafarians be damned..."
"Care to explain just what the hell that is?" You give a chuckle, your back tightening from the wound.
"You won't last against that thing. Prepare to be assimilated."
"Like hell I will." He slaps your back with his tail, and can barely contain your scream as your wound engulfs in heat. Your injury closes at last, Ahuitzotl healing you back to full strength. "You will fight with me." You slap his tail away and stand up, watching as the flying spaghetti monster decimates his forces.
"Only because you asked so nice."
"Daring Do, make sure he doesn't die."
"Will do sir," she strips off her cloak and flares her wings. You charge inwards, dodging two timberwolves as they're tossed aside.
The Pegasus blocks your path, "Going somewhere Anon?"
"I'll take her, you get the big guy." You give her a knowing glance, but move around anyways. The two of them duking it out, out of sight. A manticore takes a hold of one of Wuten's noodles and gnaws it off, another one breaking his spine with one slap. You slash the noodle in two, the manticore recovering and fleeing. You roll away from another strike and cut into the monster. Attacking does little to harm the creature as it simply grows another limb to replace the one you destroy. You go for broke and charge at the sword first.
The spaghetti pushes aside to reveal a toothy maw awaiting you, the scent of decay looming from within, but you're moving to fast to stop yourself. Something tackles into your side just as you're about to meet you demise, a cyan hoof stopping your immediate counter attack. "I said hold on."
"Dash?" She grins and inspects your body to make sure you're safe. "It's about time you got here."
"Had a little door trouble," she laughs as the battle rages on.
Iron Will cleaves into the monster out of the corner of your eye. "A little help would be nice!"
Pinkie Pie rushes to your aid, whipping out her party cannon, "Don't you worry Anon. We've faced this big meanie before."
"How'd you win?"
"Fluttershy stared him..." She goes silent.
"That yellow Pegasus is Fluttershy isn't she?"
"Yep," Rainbow answers. You shake your head, but you have an idea. Your necklace...
"Keep Wuten distracted. I'll handle Fluttershy." Dash follows you. It's a long-shot that this'll work, but you don't have a choice.
Fluttershy spins violently, cutting Daring Do with the bladed tips of her wings. You leap in front of her just as Fluttershy swipes again, this time meeting your steel shield. "What do you think you're doing Fluttershy?"
She stares at you, but you'll have none of that. You look away and kick her in the face, Fluttershy moving out of the way. She pounds into your right side while you're off balance even managing to get in a few good shots. Daring Do attempts to pounce on her, meeting her dreaded tips again. She collapses to the floor, twitching slightly. Dash takes her chance and mounts her, struggling to get your necklace around her neck. You sheathe your blade in one sift movement and hold onto Fluttershy's legs. The ruby hits her neck, pulsing rapidly before Fluttershy wavers and falls unconscious.
"Did it work?" *Screech* You pull the necklace back around your neck as the monster barrels towards her. You pull Dash away and avoid his noodly appendages. He gently rests beside Fluttershy, caressing her with his limbs.
Her eyes open slowly, her stern voice now quiet and unsure, "Wuten?" He almost purrs at her voice, nuzzling up against her. Pinkie jumps with joy as her friend recovers. With her out of the way you find Daring Do motionless on the floor. You turn her over, throat cut open. She may have caused this, but she tried to help you in the end.
"Is that..." Rainbow Dash comes to your side, "It can't be."
"You know her?"
"Who hasn't heard of Daring Do? But... she's just a character. She shouldn't be real."
"Some are truer than others," Ahuitzotl speaks as he walks opposite of you.
"You..."
"A minor inconvenience for Ms. Do." You watch in awe as her wound seals by itself. "Being my rival has its consequences, and they finally caught up to Ms. Do here. A small price for the trouble she's caused me." Daring Do springs up at the ready, "Calm yourself. The battle is over." You grab your sword in retaliation.
"I don't think so."
Ahuitzotl is not the least bit concerned, "Don't make me laugh. You are not going to fight me."
"Try me."
Daring Do looks over to him, "Sir, perhaps..."
Ahuitzotl interrupts her, "If Anon is so keen on combating me then I will let him try."
"This could be a good time to work those charms of yours Anon," Rainbow Dash whispers in your ear. He is strong, and he seems to have problems with your brother anyways...
"Maybe instead of fighting me, you'd like to fight Anonymous." ...
"You have my attention human."
"I don't know what your beef is with him, but the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Join forces with me, and it would increase our chances immensely."
"You wish to take control of my forces? Never, they are mine and mine alone."
"I don't wish to take them, merely employ them. I have more allies than you think, but with you I believe we could stand a chance."
"If you think you can take him on then you're stupider than you look. You are a skilled fighter, but he has one thing you don't. Magic."
"I can do without the tricks." Your forces attend to the wounded, hesitantly regrouping by Ahuitzotl's horde of creatures.
"Magic is what makes me formidable, and magic is what makes Anonymous invincible. You want my help? You will learn the art."
"Bullshit. You can't just learn magic," you argue, "It's not that simple."
"He'll do it," Dash answers confidently.
"The hell are you talking about?! I can't learn magic."
Ahuitzotl rubs his head, "If Anonymous could learn, so can you."
"Alright then, fine. How the hell did he learn to use magic?"
"He didn't. He was... given it." Given it?
"By whom?"
Dash doesn't say anything.
"His teacher died almost four years ago." Twilight limps over to you, safe from the fight.
"Okay... So I'm fucked."
"If you want to find him, then you'll need to venture into Tartarus to look for him."
"And exactly who would I be looking for?"
Twilight holds a deep resentment in her tone, "The one who brought Anonymous here in the first place. Discord." ~~~
Meanwhile in Canterlot... "Been a while since ya let me meet with ya."
"I don't have many other places to turn. Everywhere I look all I see is failure. So now I turn to the one who has never failed me."
"Well shucks..."
"Your friends have become something of a nuisance to me, even Fluttershy has turned against me now."
"How do ya know that?"
"Sometimes you just know Applejack. I want you to round up all the ponies you can and bring them here."
"You expecting trouble?"
"I can feel that we're on the verge of battle, and I wish this to end in one grand spectacle." You stand up and don your jacket. "I have one last thing to do before we set sail. In the meantime, you're in charge."
"Where you going?"
"It is none of your concern." You snap your fingers, disappearing in a flash of green. |
Hero Anon | Chapter 8: Dead Man's Realm | You regroup outside the temple after the battle. You had a few casualties in the battle, and you mourn for them. But this isn't the time for grieving. It's a time for action, and you prepare to head off as soon as you can. "So we have your word then?" Ahuitzotl's allegiance is shaky and you have to be sure he's on your side.
"We will fight by your side, but we'll be back soon after."
"And I'll be ready when you do." He saunters back over to his forces who've already began reconstruction. "Group meeting, now." You leave your forces to rest as your team gathers in the command tent. It's about time to prepare for the upcoming battle, and that starts with your army. "We're going to split up, each into a different direction."
"Hold on Anon," Iron Will starts, "That doesn't seem like the best idea."
"Every second we waste is another second Anonymous has a chance to ready his defenses. We do not have time to backtrack across the countryside."
"Anonymous is probably chilling on his throne without a care in the world," Soarin jins in.
"No, he's not stupid. Trust me, I know."
"And just how is that?" He shoots back. You pause at his response. You've kept this off for far too long.
"I know, because we're alike, almost one and the same. I know him... because he's my brother."
Crickets chirp in the aftermath of this revelation, the only ones brave enough to speak up. "Bullshit."
"It's true. He told me himself, and I'm sure those four and verify it as well," Vinyl says.
Dash and the others nod, "The only reason he's allowed him this far is because of the blood in his veins."
Soarin sits on his haunches, "Well then. That's interesting."
"Wait, you're not pissed? Shouldn't you be railing on me?"
"Anon dude, we've been through some shit. I'm not going to throw it away because some dick happens to be your brother." You're relieved. "However, I am pissed that you didn't tell us in the first place."
"It's not something you just throw into a conversation. 'Hi I'm Anon. I like reading and video games, also my big brother is a blood thirsty tyrant.'"
Iron Will chuckles, "Anon's got a point. You would've turned on him before our first battle."
Fluttershy peeps up, "Umm, what's the plan then? I mean, if you want to tell us..." Oh god she's so fucking cute.
"We need to get word to the other leaders to begin the march, but first we need a place to meet up."
"How about Ponyville?" Big Mac offers as a solution. You honestly hadn't thought about that.
"Is it close by?"
"Just outside the forest yonder, about a day's travel outside of Canterlot."
"Any objections?" They shake their heads, content with his choice. "Then it's decided. We'll regroup in Ponyville. What about the residents though?"
"Ponyville's our home silly. They'll always be loyal to us," a certain pink pony answers.
"Alright, if you say so."
"So who's going to get the word out? I can make it the fastest," Rainbow Dash boasts.
"I'm going to assign each of you with a destination, only one." Dash pouts playfully, still hoping to test her speed. "Soarin, Dash, you're going back to Aviaris. It's the furthest away so you're informing Stormguard of our progress."
"Won't he be a little pissed since our last encounter?"
"He's a sharp one. Just give him a rundown of the plan and he'll follow suit."
"If you say so."
"Iron Will, you can take a guess as to where you're going."
"Cervida, got it." He thinks for a moment, "And just how in the hay do you plan on getting me there? It'll take months."
"Well I'm sure someone would be able to part with a certain flying noodle monster."
Fluttershy fumbles over her words, "Oh. I don't- He doesn't- He's... He's a bit shy."
"I'm sure Iron Will's still got one seminar left in him."
"You just have an answer for everything don't you?" the minotaur asks.
"Just about, now next... Big Mac, you're taking a contingent back north."
"I'm not real comfortable going there Anon."
"You know the grounds and are sturdy under pressure. You're the stallion for this job."
"But what if she wants to do things... love type things."
"She's waiting for someone. That's all you need to know." He doesn't look completely convinced, but begrudgingly accepts.
"And finally, Pinkie Pie and Vinyl. You two will lead everyone else to Ponyville and get ready for our arrival."
"Okie dokie lokie."
Fluttershy pokes you softly in the arm, "Umm, what about me?"
"Fluttershy. You get to stay here with our new friends. It's the least you can do after wrecking their temple."
"Oh... ok..."
"Hey now, I need you to keep this guy in line my little stare master."
Twilight's the only one left, "So I'm going with them?"
"No, you're coming with me."
Cue Pinkie, "Oh haaay nawww. She's not well enough to travel alone."
"But she's not alone. She's got me."
"I don't think that's what she meant. I'm not well enough to travel without help."
"Once again, you've got me."
"There's no convincing you otherwise is there?" Twilight questions.
"Nnnope. Chuck Testa." That night you enjoy a nice plate of spaghetti courtesy of Wuten. He tried to eat you, so in return he allows you to eat some of him. No homo. Everyone takes off in the morning, Iron Will boarding Wuten and launches into the sky. Big Macintosh heads north again, taking a handful of men with him. You shake Soarins hoof and give Dash a hug before they leave as well. You decide it'd be best to go yourself, packing your things and joining Twilight on the way out.
"Anon!" You turn around as Vinyl plants a quick peck on your lips, "Do be careful."
"Don't worry about us."
"I'm not." Her disdain has no end it would seem.
"They're our friends now. Treat them as such."
"Can we really trust them?" You look out to see Pinkie cleaning her cannon and chuckle when she accidently causing it to misfire.
"Yes. Yes we can."
You scratch her behind the ear causing her right leg to spasm. Every little secret she had you'd learned over the many months you'd been together. "What did I- tell you about doing that?" Her eyes roll around in her head before she gathered the strength to escape your reach.
"See you soon Vinyl."
"Hurry on now would you?" Holding onto Twilight you help her off into the forest.
The forest's usual chatter is missing as you prowl your way out of the thick brush. "You could've gone yourself. I should rest."
"Don't wimp out on me. You've got information in that big head of yours and I need what's inside."
"And what if Discord won't meet with you?"
"I'll make him." The dirt trail picks up dust behind you as the sun's rays cut through the treeline.
"Don't underestimate him. Anon made that mistake..."
"The dead can do no harm to the living, that much I am certain."
"Then you are certain of nothing." This is going to be a long trip. ~~~
Hoisting her around everywhere turned out to be more trouble than you had thought, plus the heat began to intensify, turning your armor into a makeshift microwave. Sweat permeates your body as it drenches your undergarments. Twilight expresses her concern for you, but you brush it off and keep on. The faster you walk, the faster fatigue sets in and the faster you feel the effects of dehydration. You uncork your flask and bring the crusted edge to your lips, gulping at few dribbles that remain.
"So hot..." You rub your drenched neck, knees buckling, unable to keep your body upright.
"Anon," she cries out as she tries to pull you up, "Please get up." You look back up to the sky as the sun fades out from the darkening clouds. You close your eyes in exhaustion. *drip* A wet plop hits your forehead, the liquid chilling your skin. "Luck is on our side," Twilight says as more rain begins to penetrate the treetops.
Twilight fills up your flask and you drink heavily of its contents, feeling your vigor restore. With her help you manage to stand. Seems she's the one who's here to help you. "Are you alright Anon?"
"Yeah. Thanks for asking."
She catches more of the rain and takes a swig, "We're lucky for this weather. I don't want to think about what would happen if it hadn't come around.
"I'd get to Tartarus a bit quicker than I expected." You stand on your own again, legs still a bit wobbly, but nothing you can't handle. A soothing breeze cuts through you as you spot the exit of the forest.
"This breeze really is something."
"She really is..."
"Excuse me?"
"Nothing, forget about it."
"Come on then, we can make it to the river by nightfall if we keep this pace." You look back up to the clouds as you emerge and imagine the three of them swirling about up there. Using your cloak as raincoat you shield the both of you from the rain as you trot down the muddy path.
The grassy fields are a welcome change to your eyes and feet as the soil cushions them upon impact. Twilight breathes a sigh of relief when she spots the stream, "I think we should make camp for the night. Get our bearings before we move on."
"No way am I fighting you there," you reply as you drop your bag of goodies. You gather some wood for the fire and plop them down in a small fire. Whipping out your flint and steel you light the fire, attempt to at least. The wood is too wet for the spark to spread and you soon lose your patience, throwing down your equipment in a fit.
Twilight counsels you, "Here, allow me." She touches her horn to the wood and it ignites in a splendor of violet flames.
"Feeling better then?"
"I'm trying not to wear myself out. It's... been a while since I performed typical magic." You set out a pot and start up a fresh stew with assorted veggies. Twilight holds her hooves before the fire.
"So what type of magic did you use when...?" You scratch your back, the scars a constant reminder of her.
"I learned a primal form of sorcery, one that had lain dormant for centuries."
"Discord?"
"Discord." You stir the brew, but stay focused on Twilight.
"And he passed that knowledge onto you and Anonymous?"
"Just him. He taught me later, after Discord's demise." You try and remember him back on earth, but it's all fuzzy now. Only the insane tyrant remains. "He was a good man, your brother, as well as a friend."
"It doesn't matter who he was, only who he's become."
She nods in agreement, "I see a little of him in you as well. You would've liked Ponyville as much as he did, after things had calmed down."
"I heard it caused most of his troubles."
"He was a tad unstable, but anyone would be with Discord prattling about in your brain."
You chuckle in response. "I get that."
"That night- I wasn't thinking straight you know. I was changed, just like him."
"Twilight, it's in the past. Right now all I see is the unicorn who stands by my side."
She smiles and helps stir your dinner, "Rarity would've liked you, maybe not as much as Rainbow Dash, but pretty close nonetheless."
"Yeah yeah, I'm a real ladies man."
"Do you really not see it?" She asks as you pour yourself a bowl.
"Damn you're right," you pull out a long hair, "One always finds a way to get in there."
She slams her hooves to the ground, "Rainbow Dash likes you, you numbskull." You choke on your food, a noodle shooting out of your nose.
"Come again?"
She immediately regrets her outburst, "It's not my place to talk about this."
"Oh hell no, you're not shutting down on me."
She looks at you plainly, "How the hell didn't you see the signals?"
"What am I, some kind of psychic?"
"Really? She spends all her time with you, talks to you about being with someone better, none of this rings any bells?"
"How do you know she said that?"
"I'm her friend Anon, she talks to me." You collect yourself. It only makes sense that she's lonely, and as far as you know she hasn't been with anyone since she betrayed your brother.
"She doesn't like me. She likes my brother, who he was anyways."
"And just how close are you to your brother? You're basically one and the same."
"He was my big bro, I tried to be just like him..."
She places her hoof on you, "She likes you. Anon. Not Anonymous."
"But, Vinyl..."
"She understands how you feel about her; it's the only reason she hasn't forced herself on you." A tinge of fear hits you thinking about that scenario, "Kidding. She'd never do that to you."
"I can't. I just can't. Vinyl and I are a thing now, and I can't just throw that away."
She is content with your answer, but you can hear her disappointment. "We're all on borrowed time you know. Who knows how long she has?" She settles to her bedside, "Sleep tight, you need your strength." ~~~
You shove aside the bushes and let Twilight go through. "There it is. The gate." An everlasting blackness is cut into the mountain side, runes carved into the adjacent stone. "We should hurry, Cerberus doesn't take kindly to those who linger."
You jog over to the portal, its guardian busy rolling around in its own drool. "These runes are ancient, sealing the dead within for all eternity." You look at the runes and grin.
"The way is shut. It was made by those who are dead. And the dead keep it. The way is shut."
"You- you can read that?"
You laugh in response. "Pfft, nope." You look back into the swirling darkness, "So how does this work?"
"From what I understand, you picture where you want to go or someone you want to see and enter. The rest is unknown."
"No one's come back from this have they?"
"No one living." You grunt and hold onto your sword, keeping your shield tight against your body. "You can't kill those who are already dead, but do not expect the same in return." Perfect. Hopefully Discord is in less than a killing mood. You reach your hand into the void, the abyss wriggling around your arm like living ooze. The slime slivers up your arm and begins to encase your body in a warm cocoon. "Don't fight it Anon. Think about Discord and let yourself go." It crawls down your spine. Think Anon, Discord. Lord of Chaos and soul of the damned. Your vision is hindered as it rolls over your eyelids. You open them painlessly, as if nothing were there at all. Drowsiness hits you as the last inch of your body is devoured. "Where do you want to go Anon?" Twilight's voice echoes in your skull. Where? No, not where. Who?
"Bring me to Discord." Your body falls inert as you're dragged into the portal. ~~~
"Taking number 25472." A ding shakes you awake, finding yourself in some sort of waiting room.
"What is this place Twilight? Twilight?" Where did she go? The others around you roll their eyes and twiddle their thumbs. They don't act dead, but their color is faded to an unmistakable grey. Five guards stand around the room decked with SWAT worthy armor and matching nightsticks.
You stand up, the guards gripping tighter at their weapons, a bolt of electricity coursing through their hands. "Number 25473." The changeling beside you stands up, "About time." He walks over to the unicorn at the room's end behind the safety glass and turns in a card. "Through there please." A door swings open and he passes through it, locking closed behind him.
You follow in his footsteps and approach the glass, "Business?"
"Excuse me?"
She glances at you before returning to her Sudoku puzzle, "What's your business?"
"I'm here to see Discord."
She stifles a laugh and fills in another blank, "Who's not trying to see him?"
"So are you going to let me see him?"
"Look honey, he doesn't take visitors. Not even high profile ones like yourself." She adjusts her glasses, "Anything else I can help you with?"
"Yeah, what is this place? I assumed Tartarus was some sort of wasteland."
"It is. For the majority of its residents the isolated landscape is enough to keep them from acting up."
"And for the others?"
"We keep them here in Frostbite Prison where the Warden keeps the inmates in line."
"So the guards are just for show?"
"They're temporary, after the break-in we upped security?"
"Who'd want to break into a prison?"
"The same type of person who asks too many questions."
"Well what should I do now? I need to see Discord."
"Take a seat and wait for your number," she hands you a card. 789574.
"Ha, no. I'm not waiting that long for this."
"Sir, take your seat or we'll make you."
"I guess you'll just have to make me then."
You both stare at the other, your wills battling it out for dominance, "Please?" You shake your head, to which she sighs, "I'll inform the warden of your request. I'll let him handle this. Good enough?"
"Why yes it is. Thank you for your time." Your grab a mint and sit back in your seat, the guards relaxing. Plopping it in your mouth fills you with disgust and you resist the urge to purge. You spit it on the floor, red goo seeping from its interior. It tasted like blood.
"Just to take the edge off, can't have us tearing at each other's throats," says your neighbor.
"Edge off what?"
"The thirst of course, not that you warm bloods understand that." You ask him about it since you don't have anything better to do. "Imagine a hunger deep inside of you, always present and thirsting for more. We dead crave the flesh of others, specifically the blood in their veins. Should we give into those urges we become something else, something evil."
"Sounds like bullshit to me."
"Warm bloods never believed until their bodies grow cold and the hunger first sets in."
"Well I don't plan on finding out for myself." He huffs and fiddles with his number. He's not going to talk to you anymore, and you better rest while you can. You close your eyes and drift off into slumber, the ashy air coating your lungs the more you inhale. Mmmmm, ribs... ~~~
"Anon to the desk. Anon to the desk." An electric shock jolts you awake and into two guards.
"She's calling you warm blood." You dust off your armor and yawn before they escort you down to her.
"So?" You ask her, the guards settling in behind you. She doesn't even look up form her game.
"Seems the warden gave you a waver. Consider yourself lucky."
"Really? Awesome, I would've waited to death out here."
The doorway opens and you step through. "If only..." she mutters under her breathe.
You flip her off before the guards shoving you forward, "Keep moving." You raise your hands innocently and perform as instructed. The bars to your right reveal the dirt courtyard below, a range of creatures prowling about lifting weights and the like. God knows how long they've been trapped here. They must've come to terms with their imprisonment after all this time.
The cells on the adjacent wall are locked up tight, not only physically, but by the glyphs on the wall you'd also say magically. Two guards stand outside each cell, though you see a mass huddled up ahead near the stairway. You peer inside over the various guards, just another cell from the looks of it. "Wasn't this a break in?"
"Break in to break out."
"Just keep moving whelp."
"Don't kill me for asking, jeez." You follow the ancient corridors of Frostbite until the guards stop you just outside a heavily guarded cell.
"Don't expect any help from us if he's in a sour mood. By the time we got the door open you'd already be dead."
"Thanks for the encouragement." He mutters a primal incantation, the door creaking open, the sweet scent of cotton candy floating through.
"Come in my dear Anon. Do not be afraid." The guards sense your hesitation and help you out... by shoving you through the door and locking it behind you.
"Assholes!"
"Such language. So invigorating." You turn to see the twisted draconequus lying down on his cot, sipping from a glass of what you hope is chocolate milk.
"Discord..."
He smiles, "The one and only, but enough about me. Let me see you." You walk over by your own will, "You really are a spitting image of your brother."
"And you look like an image someone spit on."
He narrows his eyes and grabs you by the neck, "Feisty as well, just like him. He really was my greatest student." You tear his hand off your neck, Discord having a hoot, "Hit a nerve? The similarities keep piling up."
"I didn't come here for chit chat you freak."
He wipes a tear from his eye, "Of course not, though we'll have plenty of time for that later."
"I need you to do what you did to my brother."
"Beat him to a pulp and allow his true power to reveal and overtake my own? Because that can be arranged."
"Teach me magic."
He blinks a couple times and stands up, his voice deep and fucking terrifying, "You come into my cell. Insult my image. Not having the courtesy to bring me a present..."
You back up into the cell door, "Ten souls says he pisses his pants." The other guard replies, "You're on."
"Then you want me to bestow on you the gift of chaos? An art so powerful that it brought the world to its knees?" You straighten up as he presses his head against yours.
"Yes."
"Then why didn't you just say so?" He flops back on his bed slapping his knee, "You should've seen your face. You were all oh eh ah. Muahaha, priceless."
"I- I think I'm confused. No, I think you're confused."
"Such is the way of chaos, but come, sit with me." He practically drags you over, "Why such big arms you have. Do you work out?"
"Don't make this gay."
"Now Anon, please, we're in prison. It's not gay."
"That doesn't make it any better."
"At least I'm not asking if you to play a game of rape."
"Things could always be worse I guess."
"Exactly, that's a great attitude to have." He takes a deep breathe, "It's been a while since I last did this so forgive me if I'm a tad sloppy. Are you ready?"
"As I'll ever be."
He grips the sides of your head and looks at you, his yellow eyes mirroring your own. "Hmm, that's strange. I can usually do this fairly easily."
"Don't worry it's a common problem amongst guys your age."
He gives you a knowing look and look down your neck, "Maybe if you took this off." He reaches down your cuirass with his talon making you jump instinctively.
"I need an adult. I need an adult!"
"I am an adult," he grabs onto your necklace and pulls it out, the ruby shimmering from an unknown source. "So this is what's been keeping me out of that big head of yours. Why don't you take this off so we can continue?" You begin to pull it off, "Wait, do it... slowly..." You stop yourself from vomiting and continue. "Yes, this pleases me." A gush of vomit washes into your mouth and you quickly swallow it down. He laughs at your discomfort.
"You're a sick fucking guy you know that?"
"Would you have me any other way?"
"Yes."
"Well too bad," he grips onto your skull, talon and paw digging into your skin. "Whatever you do, don't fight it." Your vision blurs into green as sparks shoot into your head and into the rest of your body. You flex your muscles by nature, but the searing pain forces you to stay down. "Good boy. Let ol' papa Discord help you." It hurts... fuck! That douche is going to-
"GAAAH!" You pummel your fist into his torso and send him flying into the wall. That felt... good. He gives you a dopey look before shaking his head and leaping to his feet.
"Now that's what I'm talking about. I haven't felt a surge of chaos that strong since I was alive."
"I- I've never felt anything like that in my life..."
"Chaos is such a good feeling. You don't need concentration or practice, only your emotions fuel the fire."
"I feel like I can do anything."
"In a sense you can, anything you know or wish to do can be done." You throw a few punches in the air, your jabs feeling like they can break through mountains. "So are you going to try something?"
"Like what?"
"Anything. Try and do something you've always wanted to do." Anything? Interesting. You hold your hands together in front of you.
"I don't have to concentrate?"
"Pull on your emotions and go with the flow." You like the sound of that. You use happiness, pulling your hands together and thrusting your palms forward.
"Hadouken!" The cell's door and surrounding wall cave in due to the explosive force of your blast, the guards knocked out on the floor. "Holy hell! I'm a fucking super hero!"
Discord laughs heartily behind you and claps, "Good boy! You're doing better than I thought you would."
"Can I levitate stuff as well?"
"You can do whatever you want." Driven by adrenaline and excitement you pull a series of stones around you, four guards turning the corner and freezing in shock.
"I'm an earth bender mother fucker!" You knock them all out in a single wave of your hand.
"Anon?" Twilight rounds the corner as well, a unicorn Pegasus thing behind her.
"Twilight?" You're torn out of your power fantasy. "Where the hell have you been?"
She looks at the taller mare, "Just talking with an old friend."
"I think it's time the two of you leave," she says.
The unicorn you saw in the waiting room steps through the rubble and bodies, "The warden does you a favor and you wreak his prison in return. Nice."
"Sorry," you reply realizing the damage you've caused, "I wasn't thinking."
"Forget about it. I have bigger things to worry about." She looks to Discord, "I trust you won't be a problem until we get you a new cell."
"Oh me?" he says coyly, "I wouldn't dream of it."
"Ahuh," she smirks, "Do be sure to keep him in line princess."
"I'll do my best," the unicorn Pegasus answers.
"Just like old times 'ey Celestia?"
"I will hurt you."
The prison attendant leads the two of you back to the waiting room, Discord's laughter rubbing off on you. "It's been a real treat having you two in our prison. Hopefully next time we meet you won't make a mess of it." Before you have time to reply you're overcome by the familiar black void. ~~~
You cover your eyes from the sun as it near blinds you. You smell the fresh scent of flowers and the aroma of wet dog. Just like home. "Are you feeling alright Anon?"
"Alright? I've never felt more alive."
She gives a weary smile, "Don't let the power go to your head like your brother."
"Alright then, which way to Ponyville."
"That way," she points north east. You put two fingers to your forehead and repeat the name in your head. "What- What're you doing?"
"Something I've wanted to do since I was a kid. Lay your hoof on me."
"Umm, ok." Her hoof presses against your back.
"If we're going to Ponyville, then we're travelling in style." A picture of Ponyville appears in your mind, almost as if you were already there. You will be in a second. "Hold on tight." You disappear in an instant, the gateway to Tartarus falling silent. ~~~
In Canterlot... "Glad you're back Anonymous. How was your trip?"
"Good. Is everything ready?"
"We've got as many ponies as we can within the city, but we can't keep it that way for long."
"Prepare yourself Applejack, a storm is coming." She leaves the throne room, and you sit down on the throne. At long last your plan is coming into fruition. In one smooth stroke you will eliminate all of your enemies. Then there will be no one who stands in your way. But first, you must deal with your pesky little brother. He's come far you'll give him that, but he's not you.
"Sire, we've received a message from our contact in Ponyville."
"Speak then."
"She says that the last of the forces will be gathered by day's end. If we strike now..."
"No. Let them come. Tell her that the plan will proceed as instructed."
"Yes sire." Sweet silence...
"Octavia, one more if you will." |
Hero Anon | Chapter 9: Battle Drums | The town called Ponyville lies before you just beyond the small bridge. "So this is Ponyville?"
"It's been a while," she speaks absentmindedly with a hint of nostalgia.
"I see the others have arrived," you gesture towards the fields of tents that surround the town. "How long have we been gone?"
"Time must not flow the same in Tartarus. We could've been gone for months."
"Regardless, we're here now. Where would the others be?"
The two of you walk over into the town, "Town Hall is where I presume they'd be, but I could be wrong." The ponies in town stare at you. You return with a sly grin and a wink. It feels so good to be alive. You reach your destination in almost no time at all and briskly knock on the door.
Vinyl answers the door, jumping into your arms, "It's great to see you again."
"Please, not in front of the others."
Twilight gives you a look, forcing your discussion to pop back into your head. Rainbow Dash... she has her head turned away. Twilight was right after all, "You're just in time too. We've received word that the last of the minotaurs are just outside the city limits."
Iron Will points to you, "I knew you could do it. This time tomorrow we'll be marching on Canterlot."
"Perfect, I can't wait to see the look on that bastard's face when we knock down his door."
"So, what's the game plan?" Soarin adds in.
"We throw everything we got at him, no holding back."
"I had assumed as much," her retorts, "but what's our plan of attack." You hadn't exactly thought about 'how' you were going to assault the castle. You look over the map of Canterlot. Hmmm...
"The best chance we have of winning is to take out their leader, Anonymous, but we'll need a distraction to get there. We'll use Ahuitzotl's forces as our front line tanks. They don't pack much of a punch, but they don't stay down either. Behind them we can stack up on minotaurs and changelings."
"Their shape shifting will help to take on some of their bigger foes," Twilight clarifies.
Iron Will joins in, "Our armor is thick and we'll cut through whoever we can."
"That's good to hear." You point to the walls, "To prevent a slaughter I want the griffons to assault the troops on the walls and provide air support above. What's their opposition here?"
"Spitfire should be in charge of the air brigade now." Dash explains. "We'll face a hardy regiment of pegasi. They've been trained well so we need to focus."
"Alright what about magic users? The last thing we need is a lava font breaking our ranks."
"That's my territory," Twilight starts. "The majority of them have basic telekinesis and Trixie has never been a problem."
"Then who is?"
"Nightmare Moon. She threatened Equestria once before, and we barely managed to contain her then."
"You never had us either," Chrysalis boasts as she enters along with the other leaders.
"We'll see how she fares against the might of a minotaur," Kamos booms.
"Or the speed of the griffons," follows Stormguard.
"Nice to see you all could make it."
"This land is far too plain for my tastes. How do you stand it?" Ahutizotl adds annoyingly.
"They manage. Now that we have the diversion planned we need to talk about our infiltration team." You task both the changelings and diamond dogs to penetrate their defenses and break them from within. Dogs burrow and changelings... well change. This gives them an edge that you could use. "Let's just say that we can get into the city. What kind of guards does Anonymous keep around."
Pinkie Pie answers you, "He doesn't like to keep guards around. I was the only one he needed to keep him safe."
"And now that you're gone won't he get new guards?"
"Don't be silly, he wants you to reach him obviously. He won't put in anyone he knows you can't handle."
"I'm not sure how I feel about that."
"Be lucky he has given you this chance," Soarin replies. "He gave us all a chance." You look down at the map and can't help but feel a tinge of fear.
"That's exactly what I'm afraid of..." You mutter.
"What?"
"Nothing," you reply pointing back to the map, "Let's go over the plan one more time." You assign everyone a role in the battle based off their strengths. Even if things go as planned their hopes lie entirely on you. You need to finish off your brother. It's him or you. And you don't plan on dying.
"We should see to our people. They'll want to know how to proceed. Till the march," Stormguard bows and leaves, the others following suit.
"I'm going to go perform for the others, boost morale and such," Vinyl says with a peck on the cheek.
"Don't do anything I wouldn't do."
She jokes, "You're no fun. See you tonight."
"Yeah, see you."
You step outside, the sun beginning its descent from the world. A hoof nudges your shoulder, "Come on. Let me give you the tour," Dash says dragging you along. She takes you throughout the town, the local residents still wary of you, "That there is Carousel Boutique, and just down the road yonder is Sugarcube Corner. It has sweets that would give you a heart attack."
"Sounds delicious."
"That's Twilight's house, I always thought of her as an egg head, but living in a library didn't help. Too bad I like to read too." She points to Sweet Apple Acres on the horizon, explaining how Applejack and her family worked there. "Fluttershy lives over by the Everfree forest. It's probably where she and Wuten are right now." She takes you all around town, stopping at one last building. "And this... was your brother's house." You turn the handle and open the rotten door. "He really liked this house." You break a bottle from under your foot accidently. The label read Applejack Daniels.
"Turns out he picked up drinking in Equestria."
"Not one of my better influences on him." You walk through the dead corridors, finding his bedroom. "It felt just like yesterday..."
"Don't want to think about it."
"Fine fine." You open the dresser and sift through the leftover clothing.
"You don't think he would mind..."
"He never really cared for clothing, and he most certainly doesn't now." You strip off your armor, making Dash leave the room first of course, and pull out a pair of fresh clothes. Until now you hadn't noticed how long you'd gone without a fresh pair to slip into.
"Water still run in this place?"
"Probably, but hurry it up will you; I want to get something to drink."
"Hold your horses I'll only be a second." You giggle at your little pun and step into the bathroom. You shower off quickly, using some shampoo that your brother had left behind. Stepping out you feel squeaky clean, giving your teeth a quick brush and shave with the use of an actual mirror. You slip on the pair of jeans and t-shirt, leaving your armor off for now and going downstairs.
"Wow," is all she can say at the cleaned up you.
"So how about that drink?" ~~~
She takes you by the hand through the darkened streets of Ponyville, the full moon out. "I loved this place back in the day, though not all the memories had happy endings."
"The Broken Record?"
"If Vinyl did one thing right it was making this club. Come on, drinks are on me."
You step inside to the intoxicating beat and smell of brew. You sit down at the bar beside Dash, "What can I get for you two?"
"Two waters," she replies receiving a wary look from the bartender. He complies regardless, Dash sipping from her cup.
"Water? I thought you wanted to drink."
"I'll take a walk on the tame side for you. Besides, I don't need a hangover for tomorrow."
"Well," you say raising your glass, "Here's to friends."
She taps glasses with yours, "May they last forever."
You notice Vinyl up on stage jamming out her set and you cheer her on. When you notice Dash doesn't quite have the same enthusiasm you feel as if you soured the mood. But then an idea floats across your mind. It's a fleeting thought, so you act on it while you can. You stand up and open your hand toward Dash. "May I have this dance?"
She blushes and takes your hand, Vinyl concentrating on the music. You twirl her into the crowd and lose yourself trying to have a good time. This change of motion seems to get Dash's mood heightened and soon she's smiling and jigging right beside you. Near the end of the song she slows down, coming to a halt amidst the flailing ponies.
"Hey what's wrong?"
"N-nothing. I just- I need some fresh air." She bolts out of the room before you can stop her. The ponies applaud as Vinyl reaches her crescendo. You take the time to take chase after her.
You find her sitting on a bench outside the club, her eyes damp and cheeks red. You sit down beside her and put your arm around her neck, "I'm sorry Anon. This was supposed to be a fun night but..." She holds onto you tightly, "You're too much like him. I can't let this happen again."
'Who knows how long she has left?' Her words ring truer now then they did before and you look down on Dash in a new light.
"Dash look at me." She complies, a tear escaping, "I'm not my brother."
"I know," she tries to turn her head away, but you follow.
"He's in the past, don't let it tear you down. Right now, if you could do anything, what would it be?"
"Anything?" she asks wiping away a tear from her eye.
"Anything." Just for her.
She scoots up closer and closes her eyes, a warmth touching your lips. She holds it there before moving away, a smile on your face. "I thought so." ~~~
The beat of hooves against the earth bellow across the plains of Equestria. This is the day they've been waiting for, the day to reclaim their land. The castle is just up ahead, and down the mountains surrounding it lays the army that broke this land. You look back to Dash and nod, a blush creeping across her face before she rockets herself back into formation.
There are no words that can be said to motivate these men. They don't need such trivial garbage. They don't fight for words; they fight for their home and he who resides by it. "It's time Anon," Iron Will says as Wuten crouches next to you, forming a makeshift stairscase with his noodles.
"It's been an honor fighting with you."
"No, the honor is all mine, hero." You board the mass of spaghetti, the other ponies already on board. Wuten bellows and propels himself upward, taking to the skies beside the griffons.
"Make sure to keep our ground forces safe from any cheap shots they might throw at us."
"Aye aye Anon," Stormguard replies. "You heard the man, watch your 6's and make sure not one of those bastards lays a hoof on our boys down there."
"Good now I've already explained everything to the others so let's- *boom*
"Incoming!" Wuten dodges out of the way as a boulder comes hurtling from the ground below.
"Stormguard take evasive action!"
"Like you have to say that." Another stone comes spiraling upwards, clipping two griffons and wounding several more.
You stare down at the siege equipment facing you, anger washing over you. "Shazam!" The equipment explodes in a fiery blaze as a bolt of lightning rains from the sky. A cannon sounds off as the metallic orb comes dead for you. "Brace for impact!"
A thud rings out as the cannon ball is flung right back towards the attacker who's less than happy to see it return. A shadow covers you and you look up to see who it was who saved you, the winged beast roaring a jet of flame down below. "Fucking dragons?!"
The purple beast looks down below, giving you a wink. "Is that...?" Dash starts.
"Couldn't be-" Fluttershy continues.
"Spike?" Twilight mutters as the creature smiles back down at her.
"Couldn't let you have all the fun," he responds. "Boy's, let's rock this joint." A heavy barrage of dragons swoops down from the sky and speeds on towards Canterlot.
"The hell just happened?"
Twilight sniffles, "He really is my favorite assistant."
"We're going to have a long chat after this is over."
"Worth it."
Your forces clash with those below as they work up the mountain side. Several armored manticores and a hydra lead the charge and shred through the weaker forces. As they're pushed to a standstill the minotaurs kick in full force and drive deeper into their ranks. Amongst them all you can spot your ponies finishing off those left behind. "Here they come!"
You look back up to see a swarm of pegasi charging towards you, each equipped for battle. "Well, I guess it's time to head on in. Don't keep me waiting." Your forces intersect, Wuten dodging through the thick mass. Wait for it... wait for it...
"GO!"
You jump off of Wuten and onto one of the oncoming pegasi, gripping his wings painfully. "Mine now!" You yell ripping his wings around to fly on towards the castle.
"Don't let him get away!" one of them yells from behind you.
He yelps as you force him to go faster. You look back around to see four of them on your tail, a heavily armored one leading the pack. "No you don't Spitfire!" you hear Soarin holler before he slams into her, the two falling out of sight. You don't have time to relax as the others are still closing in. You throw some attack orbs behind you, but they're too slow to hit. Dammit you need something to distract them. What do fighter jets have to lose oncoming missles... dammit dammit-
"Dispense flares!" you scream at your captive and drive your legs into his stomach. A slippery fart escapes his butt followed by the pungent scent of shit. You look back to see them frozen in place, covered in his brown excrement. "I can't believe that worked."
"Neither can I." a voice calls from below. Spitfire flashes up, cutting off one of your hijacked pegasus's wing and causing you to spiral out of control.
"Oh you mother FUCKER!" Your head grows dizzy as you crash overtop the castle walls and slide to the edge.
You groan and stand up, your armor absorbing most of the damage. "Still alive and kicking huh? Not for long." Spitfire perches atop a small pillar and smiles down at you, as a familiar cold hits you. "What's the matt- uh...." She shivers as a thin layer of frost seals her atop the pillar.
"Took you long enough."
Breeze comes out from behind Popsicle Spitfire, "Must I save you all of the time?"
"No just most of it." You look to the battle raging below, "They need your help more than me."
"A deal's a deal. Good luck." She whistles and speeds off with the other two leaving only a trail of ice behind. ~~~
You work your way around the bulwark and head down the stairwell. Just like Pinkie said there weren't many guards and they were busy running off to battle. Finding the gate that leads to the entranceway you nestle beside the wall. Ten husks, thirteen orcs, five pegasi and one burer. This could've been a problem. Of course, that was when you didn't have magic. You waltz over to them nonchalantly, not even bothering to draw your sword. "Sup fuckfaces. Who wants to- whoa..."
The ground beneath you rumbles violently before the earth beneath the garrison collapses. Frenzied cries for help echo within along with cries of pain before things fall silent. You didn't even get a chance to show off your skills, next time maybe. You peer into the deep hole, two minotaurs standing at the bottom alongside a pack of dogs. "A little warning would be nice next time."
"What's the fun in that?" Kamos jokes before slapping his son on the back.
Another minotaur climbs out of the hole, the flail in his hand meaning only one thing, "Long time no see."
"You ready to rock?"
He twirls his flail, "When am I not?" You charge the doors and burst through, impaling a unicorn guard immediately. He takes the two husks on the right and you cripple the knight trying to attack you. You grab his axe and using your augmented strength, cleave his arm off and send him crashing through a nearby wall.
"You doing well over there?"
"Doing my best," he answers as he crushes another husk with his flail. You twiddle your thumbs as the knight comes stumbling out gripping his head.
"Get over here!" You send your sword into his chest and pull him back with a flick of your wrist. It would've been cooler with a rope, but you're improvising here. You tear out your sword and put your hand to his head. "Too slow."
Blood comes seeping out of his helmet before he falls onto his back, shriveling away with a dull cry. "Alright you're taking too long," you flick your wrist at the combating husks and send them into a heap against the wall.
"You've certainly gotten better since our match."
"Want to try round two?" you joke blowing on your fist.
"I like living, thank you." You nod and look down the gloomy corridors.
"You head that way and I'll head this way, we can pick up more ground if we do that."
"Roger that." You sprint down the hallway, adrenaline pumping through your veins. A knight here, a xenomorph there, neither of which can threaten you anymore. You break open the next door to find two burers at the ready along with a blue unicorn in a cape.
"Halt! How dare you break into Lord Anonymous's castle. The Great and Powerful Trixie shall take care of you."
"You've got to be kidding me?"
You roll your eyes and walk towards her, "Trixie said halt!" You point your fingers at her two guards.
"And Anon says fuck off." You fling them into the air and snap your fingers, detonating them like a juicy firework, ruining the great and powerf- You laugh to yourself, unable to complete that thought.
"My cape! How dare yo- yo- you..."
She flinches as you're inches away from her face. "What has four legs and pisses itself?"
She shivers, "Wh- what?" You flick her horn, the unicorn passing out.
"Wait for it..." Water beings to trickle around her, "You, that's who." You step through the next pair of doors. "Great and Powerful my ass." ~~~
You come across a demoed wall and check it out, relaxing once you see the noodles surrounding it. Things are advancing faster than you'd planned. You spot dusty hoofprints heading off away from the site and follow them. You hear voices coming from down the hall as you approach. It sounds like Twilight. She's in trouble. You break down the door, your friends pinned down by a nightmarish pony. "Please Luna... you're better than this."
"Luna is dead Twilight Sparkle. Only Nightmare Moon remains."
"She won't in a minute," you reply charging her. You punch straight through her, her form escaping in a starry mist. She materializes a few yards away and fires a bolt towards your person, though you simply deflect it with your hand.
"You are strong, stronger than expected."
"Don't hurt my friends." You stay in stance and look to the others. "Are you strong enough to fight?"
"Yeah," Twilight says helping the others to their feet.
"Good, I have an attack that I think can defeat her." Pinkie, Dash, Fluttershy and Vinyl breathe a sigh of relief. "But it needs time to charge up. You'll have to distract her."
"That's not so bad-"
"For five minutes."
Fluttershy just looks at you, "You've got to be bucking kidding?" You laugh at her sudden assertiveness.
"Yep," you put two fingers to your head and point to Nightmare Moon, "Special Beam Cannon!" She sidesteps your attack, creating a hole beside the throne behind her. "Oh, they never dodged in the series..."
"Well I do." You charge again, friends at your back. She blocks your swipe and sprays a mist towards the others forcing them back, "Just you and me." Her horn glows and creates a dozen blue orbs before throwing them at you. You smack the first four into the floor, the fifth hitting you in the chest. The rest fizzle upon your shield, but the damage has been done.
The chestplate begins to fizzle away as well as your shield forcing you to strip them both off leaving you defenseless. You look at the phoenix insignia as it melts into nothing. "It looks better that way," she laughs cruelly.
"This..." Anger rising. "This was a gift!" You drop your sword, a green orb sparking in your hands.
You pelt the orb at her, Nightmare Moon deflecting it into the ground, "You missed."
"That one." You reach out to her and pull her closer using your rage induced telekinesis. She attempts to escape, but there's no escaping your tractor beam. You whip your fist back. "FALCON PUNCH!" ~~~
You take a few deep breathes before settling back down, the villain before you collapsed at your feet. "I- hit a girl." Hope she wasn't pregnant.
"Anon you did it!" Rainbow Dash hollers as she makes her way towards you. The ponies congratulate you, but it falls on deaf ears. Anonymous isn't here. This is the throne room...
"Let's wake her up. She can tell us where Anonymous-" The floor beneath you gives way and you fall, your hand clasping onto the edge, the other tight on Nightmare Moon's hoof.
"Anon!" Rainbow Dash rushes over to your side, your fingers digging through the stone. With all your strength you throw Nightmare Moon out of the hole, a chilling roar coming from below. He has a fucking rancor pit? Why don't you have a rancor pit?
Your friends grab onto your hand and pull you up, relieved you grabbed on that fast. "That bastard... He set a trap."
Rainbow Dash looks up, her eyes narrowing, "I don't think Anonymous did this."
You look over your friends, all of them facing the throne. "Where's Vinyl?"
"Right over there," Dash points. You turn with the others, Vinyl's hoof coming off the throne handle.
"Vinyl?"
She looks right back, her expression one of contempt, "Tsk tsk tsk. What did I tell you Anon? Something about dragging you down?"
"No Vinyl. No. We'd go down together, but you... you lied to me."
She scratches her head, "Pretty sure I told you how things were going to pan out. You didn't see the truth in my words."
"You traitorous hag!" Dash yells at her, only held back by your signal.
"Harsh words coming from the whore. Couldn't get enough of Anonymous so you had to take him too?"
"Wha- Why? I don't understand."
She moves off the throne, "I knew you wouldn't, you're a tad slow in the head for my tastes, but orders are orders."
"You kept tabs on him this entire time?" Twilight asks.
"I made sure he didn't do anything stupid. Anonymous doesn't have time for those of simple mind."
"Oh this mare is toast!" Fluttershy says beating her hooves together.
"I'm not afraid of you. Anonymous offered me immunity for my little task. A small price to pay to stay amongst the living."
"How long? Was it all a ruse? Was there anything..."
"Don't flatter yourself Anon. You were a mark, nothing more. As for time, remember that little story I told you a while back, about Octavia? Who do you think told them about our whereabouts?"
"You're evil..."
"I'm alive, and that's more than I could say for the others who defied my lord." You stand up.
"There's no excuse for what you've done..."
"Oh is the big man going to finally grow a pair? About time."
"My only regret is not having a worse death to give to you..."
The other ponies back off knowingly, "Come now Anon. You can't and won't kill me." She bats her eyes, "I'm your Vinyl." You pull her over forcefully and grab her by the throat, "You can't- He promised..." You squeeze tighter around her neck and hold her over the pit.
"My brother's a liar. So I'll give you one chance. Tell me where he is, and I'll spare you." You loosen her neck, her eyes filled with fear.
"He's in the tower! The tower he killed Discord in, please don't kill me!" You nod.
"You know Dash, there's one more characteristic that me and my brother have in common." You look to Vinyl, "We're both good liars." ~~~
Her screams are silenced by a sickening crunch, the pit sealing itself. Dash comes over to counsel you, "I'm sorry. I really am."
"We lost the spark the second you came along. It was only a matter of time before we fell apart. Ha, fell."
"That's a dark sense of humor you have there."
"You should see me live. I'm a hit." You look out the window, the tower looming in the distance.
"We can show you the way, hopefully this time we don't get attacked by a giant marshmallow." You shrug off Vinyl's death and follow them out the corridor.
"Wait, this marshmallow wouldn't happen to be wearing a sailor suit now would he?"
"Yeah, he actually was."
"Discord?"
"Discord." At least it wasn't a giant sloar. ~~~
Elsewhere in the castle... Another husk falls dead at your feet, that makes twenty-five now. You stow your flail on your belt and take a much needed breather. "Where in Tartarus is that throne room?" |
Hero Anon | Chapter 10: Airborne Mini Dirt | You leave Nightmare Moon unconscious behind you as you move towards the tower. Vinyl... You really didn't expect that from her, especially after all you'd been through. Your fist clenches as you think of her betrayal, but a hoof makes its way within your hand. Dash hovers beside you and shoots you a calming grin. At least you didn't waste anymore time with Vinyl than you had to. Even a steamy pile of shit has a silver-lining.
"Memory tells me that the entrance should be just down the hall," Twilight says.
"So I'm basically walking in his footsteps aren't I?"
"In a way, but this time he's the one we're after."
"Let's get this over with. The troops below need a boost." You turn the corner and head toward the spiral staircase ahead of you.
Fluttershy timidly takes the first step, "Pleasenogiantmonsterpleasenogiantmonsters."
"I'll take care of them, don't you worry." You take the lead and move ahead of the others just in case.
"Don't get too far ahead!" Dash shouts up from behind you. She stayed with the others, to inspire confidence she says. You think it's because she feels safer with her friends. You look out the window to see the ruins of the adjacent tower, likely a memorial from their previous battles. The skywalk, or what's left of it, doesn't leave you with a good feeling. That's what a fucking marshmallow did and he was inconsequential when compared to Discord. And now you're about to fight your brother, the man who defeated him. You don't even notice that the others had stopped next to you.
"Whatcha thinking about?" Pinkie asked.
"Nothing. Nothing at all," you cast your eyes aside and head up the stairs.
They know what you're dealing with, more than you do even. If they can stand strong without fear, then so can you. The tick of your plated boots against the stone counts down the time before the inevitable encounter. There must've been a way to avoid all of this, but when you think about it, he was the one who wouldn't listen to reason. All you wanted was to go home with him by your side, but it appears that will be nothing more than a dream.
You may have lost your home, but you'll die before seeing your friends lose theirs. You look up the last section of the stairs. You can feel him, his presence is overwhelming. "Whatever happens, we won't leave you," Dash assures you.
"Friends to the end," Fluttershy adds.
"Maybe one day more," you stay looking at Dash before turning away. You walk upstairs. ~~~
"I see Vinyl failed," he takes a swig of his amber drink, "Shame that. Still, good to see you alive dear brother."
"The feeling is far from mutual." He stirs his whiskey glass around with his hand as he sits down on a cushioned sofa, a mare on either side of him.
"I'd like you to meet my remaining associates. The honest Applejack and the lovely Rarity."
"Oh please..." the unicorn says blushing.
"Don't tempt me lady."
"I'd listen the man Rarity," the earth pony states.
"So," Anonymous says, "What do I owe the pleasure of your visit?" You draw your sword and step forward.
"I'm here to kill you."
"Oooh scary," he waves his hands sarcastically before finishing off the rest of his drink. "Shall we get straight to it then?"
"Let's-" Before you can finish his glass shatters on the floor and he's already coming in for the first strike. You block him with your arm and stab at him. You hit air as he moves around and brings his elbow down on your extended arm. Thankfully your arm bends that way, but this is immediately forgotten as his leg connects with your side sending you across the floor. He waves his hand knocking your friends to their sides. He looks to Applejack and Rarity, "Do take care of them for me."
"As you wish sir," they reply in unison.
He cracks his neck as you get to your feet, "Where were we? Oh yes." He sprints towards you leaving your sword discarded behind him. You lower your first and wait for the time to strike.
"Shoryuken!" You catch him under the jaw, sending him straight onto his back
He laughs at the blow and gives you a glance, "Yatta." He brushes himself off as the ponies behind him engage in battle. "So I see you learned a thing or two during your travels. Did you enjoy Discord's company?"
"About as much as yours."
He swipes his hands across, a wave of flame jetting towards you. You raise your arm, the flames splitting around you painlessly. You pat the fire off your arm, Anonymous looking at your clothing, "Those are mine!"
"Didn't think you'd need them." You slam your foot and send a wave of air disorienting him and charge. You block his fist and jump to avoid his leg swipe, plowing him in the chest while he's vulnerable. You move in to strike again, eating a face full of foot. You pinch your nose and wipe off a dollop of blood that escaped. "You're good. I'll give you that," you compliment him as he gets up.
"Not too shabby yourself. You lasted longer than any other that stood up to me."
"I do aim to please."
"We can end this now if you wish. I'll make it as painless as possible."
"I think I'll pass." He shrugs.
"Have it your way then." He throws his hand down, the chandelier above you breaking off. You throw it back at him at the last second, Anonymous stopping it without the blink of an eye. "Is that the best you can do?" You take hold of the chain and swing it back around into his chest. He crashes into the wall and coughs, droplets of blood hitting the floor. His eyes narrow on you as his anger overtakes his calm demeanor.
"Hit a nerve?" He snaps his fingers, a rapier appearing in his hands. You pick up your own sword and step into stance. "En garde."
You lock blades as the steel twists and mangles with each other. Swift motions, easy force. Keep light on your feet and don't be afraid to lose ground. You swat away his clumsy stab and kick him away, hand outstretched. You fire a large bolt of energy at him, your brother dispersing the blast as it's about to impact. The explosion breaks down the wall and sends a cloud of dust over him as a cloak. He rushes out and stabs at you. You sidestep and graze his side, Anonymous grimacing and backhanding you. His hand holds his cut, breath erratic. "It's been a while... So my blood still runs red."
"Only a fool engages in swordplay without proper experience."
"Iron Will trained you well, but not well enough." He tries to move in again, arms sluggish though strong. You parry easily and make your move. "Ugh. That's... new." You withdraw your blade from his gut. Anonymous stumbles backwards, fingers circling the hole in his stomach. "This wasn't... How?"
"I'm not so little any more, brother." You see that your friends have managed to subdue the others, Twilight casting some sort of spell on them. "You guys ok?" Twilight confirms their wellbeing as well as helping Applejack to her hooves. She seems to be back to normal, whatever Twilight did worked. "You were overconfident. You should've killed me while you had the chance."
"What would be the fun in that?" He makes one last effort to take you down, gripping the sides of your head. Your vision dims as a rush of energy shoots into you and you feel your strength waning. You grab the amulet on your chest, the ruby pulsing rapidly as it drives off the corruption flooding into you. The tide turns back and you shoot the energy back into him sending him reeling backwards. "You could've been something great my brother."
"You underestimated me."
He nods, "So be it... Anon?"
You gasp and fall forward, a hand grabbing your shoulder to keep you steady. "Shhh, just let it happen." You look down to the sword protruding from your chest, your blood coating the blade. "..."
Your brother smiles and straightens up, "It's good to see you made the right choice."
"Fuck you, sir," the voice behind you retorts.
"Anon!" Dash screams and speeds towards you. Your assassin holds out his hand, Rainbow Dash freezing in place.
"Please be quiet. I'm trying to work here."
"I'll kill you!" she hollers. The others charge at him as well, his hand rippling softly bringing the others to a standstill. He's a human... But how?
Anonymous walks over to you, "Please take that thing out of him. It looks terrible."
He withdraws his blade and you slump to your knees, his cold hand working around your neck. "I'll be taking this." He steals your necklace and focuses his attention on your friends who've been trying to break free.
Anonymous grabs you by the head and drags you to the tower's edge overlooking the battlefield. "Watch them, your allies, the ones who swore loyalty to you. They put their hopes in you and you failed them. It's not like you had a chance. They claimed us to be heroes you and I, bah! Even in their own lore they are ignorant. We are no heroes. Their champions were brought by forces outside of their control, but not us. We were taken." He points back inside, "He is a hero, old and forgotten by those he saved. What lengths will a man go to live once more?"
"Y- ou..."
"You stole my love away from me, and so, I'll steal everything you strove for." He nestles behind you and holds open your eyes, "I wouldn't want you to miss anything."
A surge of energy shakes the very foundations of the tower and travels through to the battlefield where... No... They begin to fade, shrivel into dust. Soarin, Iron Will, Stormguard, everyone. You try to turn away, but Anonymous forces you to watch. "Your efforts were for nothing. You merely saved me the trouble of fighting them one by one." Have to get free. Have to fight... But your body won't respond. "I can't thank you enough for finding those stones near Buckingham. All I needed to do was find the right one."
A black crystal appears before you, the dust being pulled into it. "Your friends will live forever, worry not, but their existence will be rather cramped."
"Bas- tard..."
He spins you around, "When your friends are ashes, you have my permission to die." You watch in horror as one by one they slip away from view, before finally stopping on Dash. She sees her hooves wither away, looking to you with pleading eyes. But there's nothing you can do, only cry silently as she disappears... forever.
"Shame, I always liked her."
The human walks up to you, "I'll be wanting my payment now."
"Of course Anon. Oh, did I forget to mention that? He has the same name as you, how fun." You fall to the floor in a pool of blood, your finger twitching. He grabs the crystal out of the air and kneels next to you. "I'm afraid this is where we part ways my brother. It's been fun, don't come back." Shadows creep in around you, the two of them walking away, backs turned. Not like this... It can't end this way. These stories always have a happy ending. You close your eyes for the last time. You can't...
You sit in your cell staring at the wall. A 'temporary situation' they said, just until you calmed down. Death isn't something you can just live with. You look to the picture in your hands, the parting gift of this cells last inhabitant. Fucking dickbutt. You clench your fists as pain seeps into your mind. The douche of a warden already showed you his control over you, but this is just unnecessary. "Fuck you too then!" You press your head against the wall, each second more torturous than the last. Everything goes white, your body heating up substantially. Before you know it, the pain is gone, and your body... It's warm.
The prison walls you found yourself in have ceased to exist, and you're in some forest. You don't know what happened, but you know that you're free. Frostbite can go and suck your dick. You stand and take a good look at your surroundings, the trees, bushes, the human. He stands their dumbfounded, the coat you bought him still wet. "Anonymous!"
You stomp over to him as he turns to look at you, "Anon?" You clock him across the jaw and he hits the dirt. No rest for the wicked. Moving over him you pound on any part of him you can see. He doesn't put up much resistance, the bastard waiting for his opportunity.
"No one to help you this time huh!?"
"Stop Anon! What's wrong with you?"
Wrong with you? WITH YOU!? "Fuck you!" You continue to hit him, focusing on kicking his ass. Gunfire pulls you back to the present, another human in body armor pointing his gun to the sky. "You- You're a-"
"United States Colonial Marine Corps, stand down and back away from the civilian." You let go of his jacket and search for words to say. The only ones that come to mind are 'What the fuck?' |
Twilight Sparkle & The Martyr Of Zephyr Mountain | pre | Castle wagged the plume of his tail and let Twilight pet his haunch.
"It's like I said outside: we don't think we're better than them." She crossed her hooves over the glowing talisman. "Okay, so maybe I do, but that's because I'm literally a certified genius. It's not a tribal thing."
"You'd do better saying this at the forums than to me. Or the press." Twilight wondered if the villa's locus spell had jurisdiction over the patio. Those wet ponies could use a shield for all that rain.
Cozy Glow snorted, though her small size made it more of a sneeze. "This was your plan all along, wasn't it? You say it's all about poor Dinky and her dead mommy, but really it's all about getting me to the forums."
"You're not the only one who can multitask. Come on, Cozy, it's one day out of your schedule at the safest place in Equestria. Why can't you at least try?"
"They're just looking for a scapegoat. Ponies act like I invented tribalism overnight." The cape brushed aside as Cozy rubbed the gnarled gray veins at her collarbone. Firelight turned the silk a glistening sunset orange. "The Primary Movement revived while I still had pigeons pooping on my ears, and it existed for like two decades before that. Where was I when the riots started? Stone. Where was I when old lady Daisy got blasted through the jaw by Unicorn magic? Stone. Where was I when Princess Platinum took the sun for two weeks, or when Puddinghead said the other tribes could starve to death? It comes over and over, like ponypox."
"That's all true, but you weren't stone when the Pegasi all evacuated to Cloudsdale, or when the Windigos returned. You're still part of this." Twilight examined an overhead mantle, where silver garlands looped around a snowglobe of Mt. Everhoof. "Also, we cured ponypox in '38."
"I know where you're going with this: Harmony wins in the end, right?"
Not precisely where Twilight had been headed, but it did lean in that direction.
Cozy spread her wing to the collection of chess sets: crystal, wood, onyx, glass, and metal. Some traditional, some ornate, and some made to push Power Ponies merchandise. "No matter who wins, the same pieces go back in the same box. Even if pieces look different for different sets, they don't change. The board doesn't change. Players change." She glanced at the taped hourglass beside the onyx board. "I'm back in the game, and I don't let any piece go to waste."
It was way too early in the morning for chess metaphors. "This isn't a game, Cozy."
"It's always a game."
Twilight Sparkle took a deep breath. Held it tight. Let it out.
"Understand this, right here and now: pieces come back; ponies do not. Daisy is still in intensive care, and she's not going to get better."
Her heart sank in her chest. Truth had slunk from Twilight's mouth when she wasn't looking, and it understood the evidence of medical reports faster than her brain could deny it. Daisy, Ponyville's best florist, catalyst of the Market Riots, the charred broken face that sent Equestria running back to the safety of their tribes, the sweet mare who sold marigolds at a librarian discount, and loved Nightmare Night despite getting spooked every other day of the year... was going to die. Soon.
Twilight's friend was dying. And all she could think of, even now, was what it meant for Equestria. What it meant politically. She felt sick.
"I do not want anything like Flower's incident to happen again, and on the course you're flying, Cozy, it will. Ponies get hurt. Ponies die. That's what happens if these groups can't come to an understanding--somepony else dies." Twilight stretched her wing to the skylight, where Mistral Drift and Captain Gallus watched them in a brittle truce. Their fur and feathers hung dripping wet, though neither noticed nor cared. Winged silhouettes framed the skylight's edges, packed shoulder to shoulder. "Think of what might happen to Cold Snap, or Mistral Drift--or you! You can't come back from petrification just to die all over again."
Quietly, Cozy Glow studied the ponies above them. "I never thought of it like that. Talk about a record. First pony to get martyred twice in their lifetime." Her voice trembled in wonder. Absolutely besotted. "Wow. I'd live forever."
"And the rest? What about them? What do you think they'll do without you?"
Cozy put her head on her forelegs and turned away.
Twilight edged closer. "I saw you out there, Cozy. The Primaries--your Primaries--mean something to you, and not just as a political faction or some means to an end. You care about them." She dared another glance at Mistral Drift, who looked ten minutes from a classic Shy-family anxiety attack. "I should apologize. This whole time I thought--" With a sigh, she ran her hoof over the talisman. "...I wanted to think they were nothing but lackeys or henchponies to you."
Storm clouds cradled the house on all sides, save for the atrium's hearth splitting the dark. Embers floated as the flames bent, fluttered, and shrank like a living creature. Cozy Glow pulled her tail close and watched. When she brought her head up, the deep pink of her eyes stared sunken and haunted. "I did, too. Until about an hour ago, I... I did, too." It was the second time Twilight had ever seen Cozy truly frightened.
"You do realize that's a good thing, right?" If she didn't think the Pegasus might try to break her jaw, Twilight would have offered a hug. A gentle smile would suffice.
"It snuck up on me. I didn't mean to." Cozy sighed. "Still dunno how it happened last time, either."
Alright, here we go. "You mean with your old friends? The ones you mentioned before?" Take it slow. Don't spook her again. This is where it all comes together.
"Doesn't matter. It..." Her ears pinned flat. "There's nothing anyone can do about it."
"How do you know?"
"Because," Cozy said, "my friends are in the restricted area of your garden."
Oh. Twilight's wings flopped like a wet mop. "Lord Tirek," she said to the wall. "Your friends were Queen Chrysalis and Lord Tirek. Cozy, you can't be--"
Lashing her tail, Cozy sniffed hard and hunched her shoulders. "I knew you wouldn't get it."
"I'm not dismissing you, but I admit I'm a little lost."
Twilight's brain ran frenzied recaps of every interaction she'd seen between those three. Insults. Disdain. Arguments. At each other's throats at the drop of a pin, they'd barely seemed to tolerate each other. The closest thing to friendship she remembered was some shared warmth in victory. Did that count? It felt like it should count. It'd been hard to tell with that blast spell smoldering five inches from her face.
"You know they would have killed you the second you stopped being useful to them, right?"
Cozy raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, and? It went both ways. Tirek thought I planned to kill him in his sleep, which is insane. I'm obviously more about poisons. Look at me; you really think I can take down a juiced-up Tirek by myself?" A thin smile eased across her muzzle. "It's sweet that he thought I'd be capable of it. He had a funny way of encouraging me by accident. But yeah, we totally would have murdered each other at the end. Probably when one of us went up a power level, I dunno." The smile widened. "Or maybe we could've stayed allies and crushed Equestria under our hooves for a thousand years. I dunno, I liked it."
More like they'd have frozen to death in a month at the rate those Windigos were howling. Star Swirl had theorized that the reason they'd sprung up so fast hadn't only been tribal hostilities, but three sources of powerful magic bearing three wells of hatred. At the time, Twilight believed him. Now she wasn't so sure.
Regardless of who fed the Windigos the most, those three had put in their share--it had radiated from them. They couldn't have emptied it all on Canterlot, nor on Twilight's friends. Hatred ate its own tail and didn't stop until it had no tail left. They would have killed each other. Maybe they'd have felt bad about it afterward, but if regret raised the dead, the graveyards would be empty.
"I understand that it meant something important to you, but you must understand that what you three had, that wasn't a--" Twilight bit off the word "real" before it poisoned the conversation. Besides, she had no right to determine this friendship's authenticity. Not this soon, not with her personal biases, and certainly not when saying so belittled the pony in front of her. "--a healthy friendship."
"I don't care!" Cozy snapped. "It was MY friendship. I never said anything about being healthy, I said I liked it. We shared the same cloud." She sneered at Twilight's expression. "Newsflash: villains don't hug things out. We couldn't stand each other sometimes, but we still had respect. They didn't care about my tribe or about my age, they cared what I could do, and I didn't--" Cozy stomped the tile hard. "I didn't know how much it mattered until after I broke out. I can't forget, even if I wanted to." Cozy's hoof brushed the granite veins threading across her soft pink coat. "They're literally part of me now. Sometimes my whole body hurts and I miss them so much, and it's stupid because nobody can DO anything about it." She swallowed hard and rubbed her eyes. "They're not gonna make me cry in front of Twilight Sparkle either. Stop staring like you feel sorry for me."
"I do." Twilight's wings flopped in a sloppy shrug. "What do you want from me? I care about other ponies; it's kind of what I do. I don't like seeing you suffer."
"So? You're not going to do anything about it. You won't let them come back."
"No", Twilight sighed. "Not yet, anyway. We only freed you because--"
"Equestria made you do it." That arrogant smirk came back.
"Because the councils judged you're not an immediate threat."
Cozy laughed without laughter. "Right. You're only a threat if you've got a horn. I almost forgot."
To be a threat, one needed power. Or respect. The venn-diagram of those factors became a circle for some ponies. "You don't need to be a threat to matter. What I told you all those years ago is still true: friendship's powerful, but power isn't why you make friends." Twilight spread her hoof to the atrium, the house, the mountain it sat upon. "Even if you never went into politics or tried to conquer Equestria or won national championships, you would still matter to somepony somewhere. They'd miss you when you were gone."
Castle rested his chin on Cozy's head and licked her ear. She covered her stony wing stub with her cape, leaning into his furry chest. "The city buried my mom like old roadapples when she was gone. Nopony remembered her. Not her 'friends' from work, and certainly not Svengallop."
"You did," Twilight offered.
"And now everypony thinks of her like some secret puzzle piece to my evil soul or some garbage." Cozy's lip curled in a bitter sneer. "As if I did all this 'cause of the orphan thing. Or worse--because Tirek tricked me." She groaned and dragged her hooves down her face. "Is it that unbelievable I happen to be smart and capable and taught myself Ancient Tambelonian?"
"Sometimes ponies choose to believe what's easy, not what's true." Twilight shook her head. "And they don't always know how to handle smart young fillies. May I ask you one thing?"
Cozy waved a go-ahead.
"Why did you do it?"
Cozy Glow laughed, then. Not an ironic chuckle, not a giggle for the cameras, and not a sinister cackle. A simple honest laugh with a rasping undertow. The sound of lungs heaving with dust and granite. It sounded so... old. Like the age Cozy would have been. The age she should have been. "Well, that's easy, Twilight. I did it because I could. I wanted to."
"Why did you want to?"
The talisman gleamed brightly. "Sorry. That's two things."
She'd walked right into that one. "Very well. I'll share something with you instead. The stone filly who got all those flower crowns and mouth-written cards on her birthday didn't have a horn, but that never stopped anyone from loving her. They saw a scared pony. That's it. That's all they needed to care about you."
The memorial photo loomed over the west wall, taller than the trophies, the articles, and the shelf of grimoires. Cozy watched the dwindling fire instead.
"Ponies cared about you even before you went to Tartarus. I wish I could've helped you see that, or tried harder to understand, or..." Twilight sighed long and low and sad. "I wish I'd done more for you."
"You're really torn up about all this, huh?" Cozy flicked her tail. "Good."
An inlaid clock struck the hour. Their agreed meeting time ran short. Cozy tossed one last log into the fire. Weak flames kicked up, but they wouldn't hold long. Her eyes traveled from the fireplace to the skylight and the circle of ponies that hadn't budged an inch.
"You know what?" Her gaze slid down the wall to settle on the knot of feathers, dust, and dog hair at the foot of her bookcase. "Go ahead."
Twilight pricked her ears. "Pardon?"
"Take the geezer's body back to Ponyville. No dust off my wings, but it might help our optics."
"May I ask what changed your mind?"
"No. Ask again, and I'll change it back. I'll tell the press we don't have an issue with it and send Fluff to talk to the Doo family." She rose and stretched. "There. You got what you came for; are we done?"
"Our time's almost up so yes, I suppose we are. Thank you for this, Cozy Glow. You don't know how much this will mean to Dinky."
"Yeah. I do."
Yes, Twilight supposed she would. She nodded toward the hearth. "By the way, I noticed your fire's getting low. This house is beautiful, but on a mountain next to the weather factory, it must get cold up here."
Cozy trailed at Twilight's knee. "We get by okay. Why, you selling a furnace?"
"Actually, I've been thinking about something Pinkie Pie's sister told me. Did you know that Equestrian petrified wood burns for two months straight?"
"No. What about it?" Cozy removed the truth talisman and tossed it. Midair, the necklace flashed, brilliant and blinding. When the light faded, the two halves had cleaved back into one.
"Two months after Hearth's Warming covers the rest of winter. A foal with a block of petrified wood could stay warm until spring arrived. It guaranteed they could try and get presents next year." Twilight dipped her head. "Thank you again for meeting me. I hope you'll at least consider my offer to meet the other tribes."
"No promises, but we'll... think about it." Cozy Glow opened the door, watching the princess step into the rain and the crowd and the galaxy of flashbulbs. "See you, Twilight."
A flock of soaking wet Pegasi streaked past Twilight to cram into the room in a pile of feathers and questions. Cozy sighed at her wet floor, shrugged, and shut the door.
"What about the post-interview?" a Primary asked behind the glass.
Cozy Glow rolled the curtains down. "Later. Right now, let's finish breakfast. I never did get that coffee." |
For The One You Love | pre | "It's to the death?" Big Mac's jaw dropped.
"Nah. It's 'til one pony can't or won't get up." Her expression shifted. "Watch out!"
Big Mac spun around just in time to see a very angry pegasus fill his vision. He didn't have time to brace himself before taking the impact. He slammed against the wall and got the wind knocked out of him. He forced himself up, only to take another blow across his face. It quickly became painfully obvious that the armor Skyblaze wore was not just ceremonial.
He paused just long enough to make a rude gesture with his wings before zooming up out of sight. Macintosh got the distinct feeling he was about to be dive bombed, and scrambled to keep moving in an attempt to be harder to hit.
Apparently, though, he was too large a target to miss. Skyblaze rocketed into his side, sending him flying. He landed and skidded against the ground and managed to remain standing, but only barely. Skyblaze zoomed up again, and Mac knew he needed a new strategy soon or he'd be a bruised, purple apple. Earth pony fighting styles weren't going to help him here.
"On your six!" Rainbow's unmistakable voice came.
Mac swung... and hit nothing but air. Skyblaze's hooves, however, found their target, and Mac found himself unable to breathe for a brief moment.
"Eleven o'clock!" Rainbow called again.
Big Mac spun around, only to feel a pegasus slam into his right flank.
"Stop helpin' me!" he yelled.
"Sor-ry," Rainbow muttered, shoving another hoofful of popcorn in her mouth.
Skyblaze tired of this game. He performed one more loop, wings spread widely as if to soak up the praise only he could hear, and then dropped nearly to the ground and turned to charge at Macintosh, hoof outstretched, intending to cave Mac's head in with his greaves. Macintosh grinned. This he could work with.
At the last possible second, he sidestepped, reared up, and brought his enormous hooves down on Skyblaze's back. He slammed into the earth pony and stopped instantly, as if he'd run into a brick wall instead of a pony, and he dropped like a sack of flour. He quickly stumbled to his hooves, but by then it was too late. As soon as his head raised Macintosh reared back and delivered a powerful haymaker to the side of his head with his right hoof, snapping his neck to one side. Before his eyes could stop rolling in his head, Big Mac drove his left hoof into the side of his chin, impacting it with such force that his helmet straps snapped, sending his helmet bouncing along the cloud floor. Before Skyblaze could even register that something had gone wrong, Mac slammed his forehead into Skyblaze's head in a punishing headbutt.
Mac couldn't suppress a little chuckle as Skyblaze dropped to his knees. That had felt good.
Skyblaze recovered quickly and spread his wings to get back into his element. Needless to say, Mac was not about to let that happen. He had flapped once before Mac spread his long forelegs and clotheslined him. Time seemed to slow down as his momentum and effort fought with Mac's strength. Had Macintosh tried to stop him completely, Skyblaze might have escaped; but that wasn't Mac's plan. Instead, he redirected him down, slamming him into the cloud floor with an audible crunch of metal.
A collective gasp came from the crowd, quickly followed by numerous "pomf" sounds.
Macintosh leaned down and grabbed his tail in his mouth. He physically lifted Skyblaze up and slammed him against the ground three times, paused to think, slammed him twice more for good measure, and then turned and threw him just as if he were chucking a haybale. Unlike a haybale, though, the pegasus didn't go flying through the air until gently landing and rolling, but instead slammed into the cloud wall on the other end of the arena with an awful crunch. Skyblaze didn't even have time to slide down the wall completely before a large red hoof lifted him back up and planted him firmly against the wall.
A smile might have played on the earth pony's lips. "How's that entertainin' goin'?" he asked.
Skyblaze didn't have time to even think of a sarcastic response before powerful forehooves began slamming him repeatedly against the wall. Mac wasn't even holding him up; the forces of his punches held him in place against the cloud wall. Mac's hooves fell fast and strong, denting and scratching and otherwise destroying his armor. Like lightning, his strikes were quick and varied in their location, and Skyblaze found himself unable to block even one no matter how hard he tried. His barrel, his face, his shoulders, his stomach; anything and everything that wasn't being covered by his forelegs was a target on this stallion. The cheering of the crowd slowly fell silent in awe as bare-hooved Macintosh rapidly and methodically and unceasingly pummeled the armored Skyblaze.
After what seemed like an eternity, Mac stepped back and let him fall, and Skyblaze collapsed to the cloud floor. His ruined armor slid off his body a few seconds later, revealing bleeding gashes and scratches that had gone through the armor and wide, splotchy bruises visible even through his coat. He coughed and spat out blood. Mac was mildly impressed when the stallion began to push himself up.
"Warbringer is mine," Skyblaze panted, "and you will not take my property!"
The tiny shred of respect that Big Mac felt for this pony vanished. He turned and began to climb the wall. Lifting himself, he stood on the top of the barrier and looked down as Skyblaze looked up with confusion on his face.
"Nope." And with that simple declaration, Big Mac jumped off the wall and twisted his body, all of his muscular weight landing in a punishing body slam.
Although pegasi can walk on clouds, and they are more or less solid for a pegasus, with enough force, a pegasus can be pulled through a cloud. Or, in this case, pushed.
Skyblaze lay there, half-buried in the cloud, dazed, as cheers and catcalls resounded through the stadium.
Big Mac grinned as he got up. "Ah win," he grinned.
"Never," Skyblaze groaned, shifting to try and free himself. Big Mac nodded somberly... and then turned around and sat on his face.
The crowd erupted into laughter and jeering calls. Rainbow and the foals started up a chant of "Fart on him! Fart on him!", and even Fluttershy tittered behind a hoof at that.
Skyblaze struggled desperately, but Mac was a big pony, and even his stubbornness had a limit.
Skyblaze tapped out.
Amidst the crowd cheering, Macintosh stood and bowed to his opponent. This was standard procedure for an earth pony fight, as earth ponies respected the fight and fought to improve rather than to kill (this probably had something to do with their history and how less ponies meaning more work for the survivors, and thus it was in everypony's best interest that every participant survive). For the pegasi, though, it merely looked as though Mac were mocking him, and the crowd howled with laughter yet again. Confused, he turned to Rainbow for an explanation.
Rainbow laughed... and then her eyes widened.
Now blind with rage at having been defeated and insulted, Skyblaze drew a hidden blade from his battered armor and charged right at Mac's hindquarters.
In hindsight, this might not have been the smartest idea.
"Behind you!" Rainbow shrieked, pointing a hoof urgently.
Instinctively, Mac bucked. If the crowd thought his forehooves were strong, they had seen nothing yet. The force from the impact sent out a little shockwave that ruffled the clouds, and Skyblaze literally went flying in a straight line--no parabolic arc or anything--flank over teakettle through the air and then through the cloud wall and right out of the stadium in a tangled mess of feathers.
A slow smile spread across Rainbow's face as she realized that Mac using his relatively weaker forehooves for the fight had been intentional. He'd wanted revenge. He'd wanted to make Skyblaze suffer like Fluttershy had suffered. And while that may have been somewhat cruel from some points of view, she found it hard to blame him. She met Mac's gaze and gave him an approving gesture.
If Mac thought the cheers had been loud before, they were now deafening. He smiled sheepishly and bowed to the various cardinal directions (even while in the air, earth ponies had an excellent sense of direction and could always find east). Then he looked up at the pegasi up on the cloud thrones. Their expressions ranged from amused to angry to confused to infuriated. He swallowed nervously, and found himself wishing that Skyblaze could come back for another round.
But hey, meeting the parents and getting them to like you was the most difficult part of any relationship, right? |
For The One You Love | Chapter 6 | The crowd noticed this standoff, and quieted. Rainbow shifted forward to the edge of her cloud, nibbling at her hooves nervously. The fate of her friend's happiness was now out of her hooves; all she could do was watch.
Fluttershy was also watching intensely, hoping against hope that her parents would approve. She'd chewed down most of her hooves during the fight itself; now she was absentmindedly plucking out feathers.
The pegasi that looked like Fluttershy's parents flew down to the field and looked at Mac and slowly approached. There must have been some ceremonial acceptance procedure or something. Mac looked over to Rainbow Dash, but her eyes only flicked across Fluttershy's parents, nervously awaiting their decision. In contrast, Skyblaze's parents only glared with pure hatred from their cloud thrones, and Mac was distinctly grateful that they were staying up there.
The pegasus that looked like Fluttershy's father leaned over to his wife and spoke in a low murmur. "I'm not sure we can accept this as valid. He's an earth pony."
Fluttershy's mother leaned in, and Mac could just barely make out her hushed words. "He's a good pony. This stallion just defeated one of the best warriors in Cloudsdale using no armor and bare-hooves, and he barely broke a sweat. And look at her, she's biting at the bit to go touch him. If you don't let Bri marry him, I just might do it myself!" She looked over at Mac and ran her tongue over her teeth. A cold shiver ran up Mac's back.
Regardless of race or age, every stallion knows when it is in his best interest to stand down and listen to what his mare is saying, and just try and save as much face as he can in the process. Fluttershy's father nodded and turned back to Macintosh, and when he spoke again, he addressed the crowd. "Truly you are a great and talented warrior, Macintosh of House Apple. It is an honor to join our houses together with the marriage of our daughter Warbringer." He flicked a wing, indicating that Fluttershy should step forward.
Rainbow Dash let out a celebratory whistle and the crowd roared their approval as Macintosh slowly took Fluttershy by the hoof and kissed her.
And this time, nopony had any objections.
It was a slightly awkward ride back in the balloon. Rainbow had decided to fly home on her own, and so Macintosh and Fluttershy remained in the balloon as they drifted back towards Ponyville. There was a silence that seemed oddly heavy.
Mac finally broke it. "Would you have gone through with it?" he asked.
"Hm?"
"Marryin' him. Would you have done it?"
Fluttershy played with her hooves. "I think so," she whispered.
"Why?" Mac had to ask. "And why didn't you tell me you were engaged?"
"Betrothed," Fluttershy corrected quietly. "It wasn't my idea. It was for the honor of my House."
Mac rolled his eyes. Sometimes he wondered if ponies became nobility just to make up new convoluted concepts and ideas and then mock commoners for doing things logically.
Fluttershy sighed and looked down. "I don't know," she said. "I think I was just... scared."
"Of me?" Mac tasted something sour in his mouth. Had Fluttershy ever been afraid of him?
"Of you leaving me," Fluttershy corrected quietly. "What we had together was amazing, and I never wanted it to end. I knew you would if you knew; you're so honest and honorable. I guess I was just selfish. I'm sorry."
Mac cracked a smile. "It's fine. You make it sound like we did more than just cuddlin'," he said, "but that's as far as we went."
"For now."
Fluttershy quickly clapped her hooves over her mouth, shocked that something like that had come out. For his part, Mac could only stare. Sure, maybe he'd thought about doing... things... to Fluttershy; but this was the first time it really dawned on him that she might want him like that, too.
"B- but I do love that you came back for me," Fluttershy finally said, her face burning red. "And... and fought for me..." She reached over and gently brushed a hoof over some of the bruising, and then she swallowed. "And I'll really make it up to you tonight." She rested her head on his chest, making sure not to push too hard against any injury.
Mac absentmindedly stroked her mane. He was already making plans.
It is strange to note that sometimes cultures are drastically different, yet they are very much the same in some respects. For example, the sanctity of that first night after the wedding is considered to be of supreme importance in both pegasus and earth pony culture. In a strange series of events, Apple Bloom just so happened to have a CMC sleepover at their clubhouse tonight, Applejack was invited to a DPSBMAFCB (this was all Pinkie Pie's doing, of course) sleepover/party at Sugarcube Corner that promised to last all night and probably all week, and Granny Smith found she suddenly had some urgent business to see to in the next town over and simply would have to be gone for the next couple of days.
This is how Macintosh and Fluttershy found themselves all alone in the farmhouse, with nothing to do.
Well, of course, besides each other, that is; and Macintosh was determined to not mess it up. They'd done plenty of cuddling and sleeping together in the same bed, but this would be their first night together.
Macintosh started it off right by making a lovely dinner, but it was eaten quickly and quietly, and Macintosh caught Fluttershy making longing looks up the stairs every so often.
Finally, right as Mac was about to slice the pie, her self control ran out. She set her fork down and gave a tiny cough before hiding her face behind her mane.
"Can we... you know... before dessert?" she asked as she blushed about the color of an apple.
A true gentlecolt never leaves his mare waiting. Mac put the cover back on the pie and followed Fluttershy upstairs. He then had to take the lead when she walked into the first bedroom without realizing that it was Apple Bloom's.
They looked at each other and giggled and blushed. The first time is always the most awkward, isn't it?
They entered Mac's room, the right room this time. Mac shut the door, and Fluttershy checked the shades and made sure they were closed from any and all prying eyes.
The nervousness that Mac had been suppressing came bubbling up as Fluttershy bolted the door shut. He froze. He had no idea what to do. He had planned up to this point and then figured he'd instinctively know what to do; and he didn't. He coughed lightly. "Ah've never..." he started.
Fluttershy blushed and squeaked. "It's fine," she said. "Just do what comes naturally. And maybe..." Leaning in, Mac could just barely hear her quiet request for being taken from behind, ending with "-and can you please lick the base of my wings, too?"
Mac laughed lightly. "Anythin' for you, Fluttershy. Any more special requests?" he asked, giving her a gentle kiss on the tip of her nose.
Should she say it? She wanted to say it, and her body fully agreed that she should, but that would make her sound so dirty... She swallowed and nodded. She would. "J- just one," she said. She turned around, looked back, and looked him right in the eyes. Blue met green with a special, unspoken connection. "Please, don't be gentle."
Big Mac paused, then blushed furiously. "F- Fluttershy? Are you sure?"
Fluttershy smiled as she turned away from him. Her tail flicked briefly to the right. "I wouldn't have asked if I didn't mean it."
It was around noon the next day when Big Mac entered the kitchen. He barely glanced at the cluttered plates and melted candles all over the table, remnants of last night's dinner. He had more important things to worry about. Currently, Fluttershy was hungry, and he intended to fix this.
He had made the sandwich, cut the crusts off (but left them on the plate, as Fluttershy would often feed them to visiting birds), and had arranged it nicely on a plate when he was suddenly interrupted by a large yawn and a flash of blue.
"Lunch in bed for Fluttershy?"
Mac spun around in surprise, nearly dropping lunch. He hadn't seen Rainbow Dash there, but there she was, lounging on a couch, peering up at him quizzically.
"I've heard of breakfast in bed," she continued, arching her back and stretching her whole body out, "but lunch in bed is new."
Macintosh really wasn't sure what to say to that, and so remained silent.
Rainbow Dash pushed herself up off of the couch and stretched her forelegs. "Fluttershy promised to come down earlier for this thing Rarity's doing, and she always keeps her promises. So why is she still here?" Rainbow asked.
Mac wasn't sure what to say to that, either, and so he merely coughed lightly.
Suddenly, Rainbow's eyes shot open wide with understanding, and a sly grin spread across her face. "Ohh... She can't walk after last night, can she?"
Mac froze ever so slightly. He tried to respond, but that tiniest hesitation gave Rainbow all the answer she needed.
"Awwww, yeah!" she cheered, throwing her hooves up in celebration at her friend's accomplishment. Oblivious to Mac's embarrassment, Rainbow reared up on her back hooves and began to dance. "Go, go Flutters! Go, go, go Flutters!" Still on her rear hooves and still chanting, she danced around the table and right out the door.
Once the world had started making sense again, Mac shook his head and sighed. "Ya got strange friends, Fluttershy."
But to be honest, that was perfectly all right with him. |
For The One You Love | Epilogue | Earth ponies love weddings. Perhaps it is a cultural thing, where weddings meant that two ponies had become one and soon there would be little foals running around. There might have also been an aspect of growth and new beginnings. Both of these concepts were culturally important to the historically farming class of earth ponies. Whatever the reason, if a pony had many earth pony friends, they could expect no end of gifts and congratulations.
So it was no surprise that when Macintosh and Fluttershy went to the market, all the earth ponies were stumbling over themselves to offer congratulations--and discounts and gifts. Currently, they were in front of a flower stand, and the three flower ponies were jockeying for position and offering their wares when a new voice made the newlyweds freeze.
"Good morning, Warbringer. Macintosh."
"Skyblaze," Mac rumbled, not deigning to look at him.
Skyblaze began to walk around the two, circling like they were prey. "I don't think I ever extended my congratulations on your marriage."
"Thanks," Mac said tightly.
Skyblaze's eyes narrowed as he continued circling. "Oh, yes, I was also meaning to ask you... how did you like your sloppy seconds?"
Mac frowned.
A cold smile crossed Skyblaze's face. "Yep. That's right. That first night was mine. I was the one who had Warbringer first. Not you."
Macintosh looked over at his wife. Fluttershy blushed brighter red than the roses on the table. She squeaked something that was probably meant to be an apology, and she shamefully sank down and hid herself behind her wings.
Mac's eye twitched ever so slightly, and the flower ponies instinctively took the tiniest step back. It is a well-known earth pony proverb to beware the wrath of a patient pony, and none were more patient than Big Macintosh.
And then Mac closed his eyes, breathed deeply, and smiled. "Well, now that you mention it, yeah. Ah did notice that the first two inches felt a bit looser; but since the next ten felt brand new, Ah didn't think nothin' of it."
The flower ponies burst out laughing. Mac had managed to insult Skyblaze and compliment himself in one single sentence.
Skyblaze angrily opened his mouth to retort. "It's more than two inches, you groundpounding twit! And there's no way you're-"
Mac took a step back. "Well, Ah don't wanna see yours, and Ah ain't showin' you mine. What's wrong with you?"
Roseluck was now laughing so hard she had to support herself on Lily, who was laughing so hard she had to lean on the table. Daisy, with nopony to lean on, had fallen to the ground and was rolling around in peals of laughter.
Skyblaze flushed red and opened his mouth again, only to find that he had nothing else to say.
Mac patted him on the head like a dog. "Eeyup," he said. "Better luck next time." He turned back to Fluttershy, who cowered slightly. Seeing his wife so fearful made Mac's heart ache, and he gently tucked a hoof under her chin and lifted her face up, giving her a gentle smile and kiss on the forehead, wordlessly letting her know that what happened in the past was in the past, and he loved her no matter what Skyblaze had done to her. Fluttershy giggled in relief and got up. Skyblaze could only watch in fury as she kissed Mac on the cheek and then trotted off with him.
"This isn't over, Macintosh of House Apple," Skyblaze seethed as he dug a hoof into the ground. "This is not over." |
Sonata's Crazy and Wacky Adventure in Skyrim | pre | The two strangers drew their swords and silently drifted into the bedroom, somehow guessing which one was the room he rented out to people, before they lifted their weapons above their heads and started stabbing the bed. After a few seconds one of them flipped the bed into the wall, before the two of them walked out into the open chamber and started looking around for their target. They looked at the scared patrons for a moment, studying them for a few seconds, before they walked outside and started their search all over again. That was before Sonata and her friends emerged from the barrow, to which the two cloaked figures pointed their blades at Sonata the instant they spotted her.
"Oh what now?" Sonata demanded, annoyed by the death of a person that hadn't actually been dead, which was only increased by the duo standing in front of her.
"Its time to die, False Dragonborn," one of the strangers said, "When Lord Miraak appears all shall bear witness. None shall stand to oppose him!"
Sonata sighed and snapped her fingers, to which the stranger was struck down with one of Kree's arrows, before patting Lydia on her shoulder and letting the warrior go. Within seconds the second stranger's head was rolling on the ground, but all Sonata was concerned about was the fact that someone else wanted her dead in this world. She'd deal with this 'Lord Miraak' in time... once she had figured out what to do with the dragons and save the world from being destroyed by the 'Harbingers of the End Times'.
She knew, in that instant, that her life was only going to get harder the longer she stayed in this world. |
Sonata's Crazy and Wacky Adventure in Skyrim | 9: High Hrothgar | The innkeeper was grateful that Sonata and her companions had taken care of the 'specter' that had been haunting the nearby barrow, though he was upset that they had been so easily fooled. He was also annoyed by the fact that a pair of strangers came into his inn, demanded to know where Sonata had gone, and then stabbed the bed that he rented out to travelers. Sonata had spent a few minutes talking with the innkeeper, trying to calm him down to the point where he wouldn't call the guards on them, but thanks to Kree coming to her aid they managed to calm him and get away with paying a few gold for the broken objects in the room. With that done talking to him the two of them had returned to the room, helping Lydia restore it to how it looked before the strangers trashed the place.
Sonata was annoyed that the mysterious strangers had come out of nowhere, declare that she was somehow a 'Deceiver' and a 'False Dragonborn', and then try to kill her in cold blood. She had absolutely no idea who Miraak was, or why he apparently wanted her dead, but she knew that the two of them would likely meet one day.
"Apparently those Cultists came from Solstheim," Kree commented, having returned from looting the strangers and handed Sonata a note she had found, one that revealed that the men they had slain had come to Skyrim under specific orders from their master, "It seems that this Miraak feared that you, as the next Dragonborn, would eventually come looking for him and decided to remove you from the equation. If he had left you alone he could have gotten away with whatever he's doing, but now that he's attacked you I doubt either you or Lydia will let him get away with this act."
"I will once I finish with the dragons," Sonata replied, staring at the inn's ceiling as she laid on the bed, unsure of what was happening to her life at this point.
She sighed as she reflected on her failure back on Earth, the loss of her sisters, her arrival in this strange world, and the constant threats that seemed to appear everywhere she looked. As far as she could tell there was a list of people who wanted her dead, each of them having their own reasons, though it was constantly growing as she tried to save the world. The dragons wanted her dead because she was apparently the only one that could stop them, bandits wanted to kill her and steal everything she had, and this new guy, Miraak, wanted her out of the way before he started his invasion of Solstheim.
Despite the fact that people wanted her dead, for their various reasons, she was determined to do everything in her power to save the world... even if it meant falling in battle to the dragon that wanted to end the world.
When morning finally arrived Sonata climbed out of the bed she had fallen asleep in and stretched her arms, though her movement cause her sleeping Housecarl to awaken from her slumber. She looked around for a moment and tried to locate Kree, but she could tell that her friend wasn't in the room they had rented out and immediately moved out into the inn to see where she went. As it turned out Kree was wrapping up her purchase of their morning meal, to which Sonata smiled and helped carry the food into the room as Lydia finally woke up. Once they were all awake they started eating what Kree had purchased, which was a loaf of bread, a few bottles of milk, a few apples, and some meat strips that they shared.
"So, I guess High Hrothgar is our destination," Sonata commented, receiving two nods to her statement, "then I hope that we don't run into anything dangerous, like those Cultists from yesterday..."
"Listen up meatbags," a voice in the common area of the inn said, "this village is now under the authority of Lady Vespula, so as of now your blood belongs to our mistress."
"And now we've got vampires to deal with," Kree sighed, though Sonata could tell that her friend was quickly getting annoyed with all the interruptions that were popping up, "Well then, we had better remove these vampires before we head up the seven thousand steps."
Sonata nodded and silently drew her sword, to which her companions drew their weapons, before they walked out of their room and entered the main area of the inn once more. There they found three people, each of them wearing a strange red robe of some kind, standing near the door to prevent the rest of the townspeople from leaving the inn. Two of them were definitely male, though Sonata could see that they were armed with strange bronze colored swords, but the third person, the women at the back of the group, seemed to have an air of authority around her. She started to wonder how Kree could have known that they were vampires, but then she saw their blood red eyes and the small fangs in their mouths, informing her that they were definitely vampires.
She had thought the same thing was true of Vinyl Scratch, until she discovered that the DJ walked around in the sunlight and actually didn't have blood red eyes.
"Ah, I see there were more people than what the report said there were." the women said, turning to face Sonata for a moment, as if she was ignoring her friends and giving her full attention to the former Siren, "Take all of them into custody... the Mistress will want to 'speak' with them once we've returned to our lair."
Sonata, officially done with the vampires talking as if they were merely cattle, which she assumed was what the creatures thought of them, tapped Lydia on her shoulder and let the battle commence. Lydia charged forward and swung her weapon, allowing the blade of her sword to bite into the arm of one of the male vampires and forced him away from the people he was terrorizing. Kree, on the other hand, merely drew an arrow and loosed it into the other male's head, preferring to take the creature out before it had a chance to hurt anyone. Sonata rushed forward after Lydia drove the vampire back, her sword meeting the one that the female vampire carried before she pressed with all her might and forced the women's back against the wall.
"Well, what do we have here?" the vampire asked, staring into Sonata's eyes as if she was searching for something, all while she made little effort to push back, "I can see that you have some strength to back you up, but is your mind as strong as your brute force?"
Sonata could feel the vampire trying to take control of her mind, as when she was with her sisters she had read that the blood suckers liked to do that to the weak willed people around them, but she knew something that the vampire didn't. Even if all of her powers were gone, and she still had a few of them left at the moment, she knew that she could be able to resist the vampire until her opponent finally gave up. It was one of the perks of being a Siren, and that apparently included being a former Siren, as it meant that she couldn't be mind controlled by anyone... no matter how much training they had in that particular field.
She found it funny that her old abilities were coming to her aid once more, though it also made her wonder if her powers were still there or if she was imagining things.
"Sorry, but it seems that you have overestimated your abilities," Sonata chuckled, pulling her left hand back for a moment to allow lightning to gather around it, "and now you'll pay the price."
She cast the spell and let the lightning tear into the vampire, effectively ending the life the creature had been trying to create and allowing Sonata to see how her companions were faring. Lydia had, with some assistance from Kree, dealt with the vampire that she had been fighting the entire time, which, judging from the pool of blood around the body and severed head, had ended when her Housecarl had beheaded the vampire. Kree had taken to dragging the two bodies outside, where she had already started a pyre to burn their bodies, just in case a necromancer tried to revive the corpses once the three of them had left. Sonata sheathed her sword and helped her friend out, moving the two remaining bodies outside, and the severed head as well, before she ignited the pyre and started burning away the undead creatures.
As the pyre burned outside Iverstead, the guards having forbid the burning inside the small village, the trio returned to the inn and collected their gear, before meeting outside the bridge that laid at the base of the Throat of the World. Once the three of them were ready, and they definitely were after what had happened at the inn, they crossed the bridge and began the journey up the Seven Thousand Steps.
As it turned out they spent the next couple of hours climbing all the way around the mountain, doing battle with bears, saber cats, a frost wraith, and even two frost trolls that happened to be standing in their way. Along the way Sonata was beginning to get worried that there was too much standing in their way from reaching their destination, but when she spotted the massive monastery she knew that all of her worrying had been for nothing. As she approached the monastery she turned back and noticed that her companions, her friends, were still waiting at the base of the stairs, so she marched down to them and pushed them towards the front door, indicating that she'd rather have them see all of this with her and not freeze to death.
The three of them stepped inside the monastery, where Sonata was the only one to actually continue passed the stone pillars as four monks gathered around the central area, apparently having been waiting for her the entire time.
"So a Dragonborn appears," one of the monks, the closest one on Sonata's left, commented, "at this moment, in the turning of the age. But before we begin let us see if you truly are Dragonborn. Let us taste your Thu'um."
Sonata, taking in the monk's command for a moment, drew her breath in for a moment before focusing herself, accessing her power before loosing the only Word that she knew, Fus. The gust of wind knocked the monk back just a bit, but he straightened himself seconds later and dusted himself off, as if that did nothing to him at all.
"Ah, it is you Dragonborn," the monk spoke, bowing to her just a bit, "Welcome to High Hrothgar. I am Master Arngeir, I speak for the Greybeards. Tell me, why have you come here?"
"Why are the dragons returning to Skyrim?" Sonata asked, curious about the dragon's sudden return while trying to understand why she was the chosen one, though she had the suspicion that one of the Divines might have chosen her instead of one of the people who inhabited Skyrim, "Does it have something to do with me? Also, what does it mean to be 'Dragonborn'?"
"Ah, I see that you have many questions. I shall answer them to the best of my ability," Arngeir replied, a slight grin appearing on his face for a moment, as if he enjoyed educating the younger generation and those seeking aid with the Thu'um, "I shall start with your first question. No doubt. The appearance of a Dragonborn at this time is not an accident. Your destiny is surely bound up with the return of the dragons. You should focus on honing your Voice, and soon your path will be made clear. Dragons have the inborn ability to learn and project their Voice. Dragons also are able to absorb the power of their slain brethren. A few mortals are born with similar abilities -- whether a gift or a curse has been a matter of debate down through the centuries. What you have already learned in a few days took even the most gifted of us years to achieve. Some believe that Dragonborn are sent into the world by the gods, at times of great need. We will speak more of that later, when you are ready.
But first we shall teach you the second Word to Unrelenting Force, the first Word to Whirlwind Sprint, and then tell you about the final trial we have planned for you."
From that point on Sonata followed what the monks had to teach her, learning the second Word of Unrelenting Force, Ro, and the first Word of a new Shout, Whirlwind Sprint's Wuld. She still had no answer as to why she, an outsider, had been chosen to be the Dragonborn, but she still had to wonder if it was because it had something to do with her being a Siren. The monks, and her friends for that matter, were impressed by her rapidly growing skills, despite the small amount of Words that she actually knew, but she was glad that she had some change at defeating the dragons.
Even as she finished her training, and learned that she needed to retrieve something from an old ruin, she knew that the vampires were quickly growing in power... along with the dragons and whoever Miraak was. She now had three forces she needed to deal with, which was only making her life in Skyrim much harder than it actually needed to be at the moment. She knew that she'd have to remove all of them, but her primary focus was on the dragons and their leader, which meant that she'd be heading towards the ruins of Ustengrav. |
Sonata's Crazy and Wacky Adventure in Skyrim | 10: March to Morthal | Sonata stretched her arms as she, Kree, and Lydia walked out of the monastery, to which she recalled the map of Skyrim as she tried to determine where Ustengrav was located. Most of the ancient nordic ruins, she recalled, weren't actually located on many of the modern maps that the people of Skyrim carried, but she was glad that Kree's Imperial map had those ruins labeled for whoever carried the map. She decided to make an effort to memorize the map when she had time, so that she didn't need to keep pulling it out every time she wanted to make sure that they were on the right track.
"So, where is this Ustengrav?" Sonata asked, though as she turned to Kree for a moment her hand slipped into her pocket, where she was keeping the fragments of her necklace until she figured out a way to restore the stone.
"North of Morthal," Kree replied, unrolling the map and pointing to a small city that rested in the swampy area of Skyrim, which happened to be close to Solitude, "We'll need to return to Whiterun, where we'll turn north and then bend around a few turns in the road before we come to the entrance of the city. We should be able to reach Whiterun by nightfall and then, if we're lucky, we should be able to reach our destination by noon, giving us time to rest before marching through the marsh."
Sonata sighed for a moment before she and her friends started back down the mountain path they had taken to reach the monastery, though she knew that there wouldn't be any problems reaching Iverstead this time as they had removed all the enemies along the way. As they walked down the path Sonata took the opportunity to take in the scenery around her, admiring the cold mountain area as she never had the opportunity to be in such an area when she was on Earth. She couldn't remember much of her time in Equus, save for everything she and her sisters did to the ponies around them, but she was glad to take in something new.
When they finally returned to Iverstead they found that the funeral pyre had, after some hours of burning while they were gone, had finally burned out and the ashes had been scattered around the various planets that grew around the small village. Sonata had them stick around for a few minutes, just to be sure that there weren't anymore enemies that wanted to bring an end to her, but once she had determined that they were safe she got them heading down the mountain once more. She was thankful that they had cleared the way on the mountain path they had taken to reach Iverstead, because there weren't any enemies to hinder their progress.
All that changed, however, when they reached the fortress that they had cleared out earlier, Fort Amol as Kree called it, they found a group of green skinned creatures, all having large muscles, walking around the fortress. Two of them were carrying staffs, but the other four of them seemed to be warriors, judging by the heavy armor and heavy weapons that they carried.
"Those are orcs, my Thane," Lydia commented, standing beside a tree and informing Sonata as to what the creatures were, as she had no idea what they were to begin with, "but I have never seen one of them carrying staffs and working magic... something strange is happening in this fortress."
"Orcs and magic usually don't mix very well," Kree said, pulling her bow out, as if she knew that they were going to charge into the fortress and deal with the latest enemy, "so we had best decide what to do before they see us..."
"Imperial Spies!" one of the mages shouted, glaring at them and pointing a finger right at Sonata, before flames danced around his hand and he threw a fireball at them.
Sonata, already annoyed that the decision had been made for them, focused her magic and summoned a shield around them, allowing them to be safe from the fireball as the other orcs poured out of the fortress. She noticed that there were only six of them in total, so she decided to focus on taking out the enemies at the front of the pack while Kree took out the ones in the back. Lydia, true to herself, rushed out of the barrier and cut into the first orc that she came to, moving the creature out of the way so her companions could get a better shot at the other targets. As the orcs in the back fell to Kree's well placed arrows, be they either in the skull or the heart, Sonata focused on using her spells and sword to take out the ones that came at her.
She ducked under their swords, threw up a small shield every now and then for the weapons that she would have trouble dodging, and either cut her enemies down with her sword or blasted them backwards with her spells. Once the six orcs were finished off, and they were sure that those were the only ones infesting the fortress, they collected any gear that their enemies had been carrying, collecting the magical items that they had been carrying. While they did that Kree happened upon what appeared to be a letter, one that she was interested in reading the moment she discovered it.
"Durak," Kree read, while Sonata and Lydia gathered round her with their collected loot, "by order of Grul, the First Warlock, you and your group of warriors are to head to Fort Amol and ransack it of everything that the mages might have left behind. The Master is convinced that the mages left behind some valuable items, souls gems and what not, and has asked that you bring anything that you find back to our hideout. And if you see any spies, from either the Stormcloaks or the Imperials, you have permission to kill them. That's definitely not good."
"It is also odd how the letter wasn't signed," Lydia added, noticing that whoever had written the letter hadn't mentioned his or her name at all, "and how it doesn't mention where this hideout is located. As much as I hate to say it, and I really hate to say it, but it seems like we'll be leaving those orcs alone until we can learn more about them and whatever they are working on."
"Then we had best get moving," Sonata said, storing away the staff and tomes she had found, before moving back towards the road they had been walking on, "before this group of orcs discover that we've dealt with this small group and decide to come after us."
Kree and Lydia followed after her, where they retraced their steps through the road that winded around the mountain, passing the waterfall they had passed earlier that morning and coming up to the ruins they had cleared of bandits. After some time they eventually came to the other bandit hideout that they had decided not to bother with, though they barely considered going up there as they walked across the first stone bridge on the outskirts of Whiterun. Kree then told them that they needed to cross the second bridge that was on their right, so Sonata nodded and they crossed it without delay, where they walked by a farm that belonged to one of the families inside Whiterun.
After about ten to twenty minutes they found a watchtower that was under attack by bandits, but before they could raise a hand to aid whoever they were attacking Sonata noticed that the group of guards inside the tower easily dealt with the attackers. With the situation under control they continued down the road, but this time they were stopped by what appeared to be a jester with a wagon, though the wagon appeared to have a broken wheel.
"Agh! Bother and befuddle!" the jester said, waving his arms about while staring at the wagon for a moment, apparently ignoring the fact that the three of them had approached him, "Stuck here! Stuck! My mother, my poor mother. Unmoving. At rest, but too still!"
"Excuse me, but what seems to be the problem?" Sonata asked, though while she wanted to help the man out she knew that the broken wagon would interfere with other wagons, so she decided to knock out two birds in one go.
"Poor Cicero is stuck. Can't you see?" the man, Cicero, said, pointing at the large crate on the wagon for a moment, before turning his finger to the cause of his pain, "I was transporting my dear, sweet mother. Well, not her. Her corpse! She's quite dead. I'm taking mother to a new home. A new crypt. But... aggh! Wagon wheel! Damnedest wagon wheel! It broke! Don't you see?"
"So is there anything I can do to help you?" Sonata asked, wondering if she was wasting her time while she looked at the man, who was either crazy or just annoyed by what had happened to him.
"Oh. Oh yes! Yes, the kindly stranger can certainly help!" Cicero said, his mood shifting without the slightest of effort on his part, which only made Sonata worry that he was actually insane, "Go to the farm - the Loreius Farm. Just over there, off the road. Talk to Loreius. He has tools! He can help me! But he won't! He refuses! Convince Loreius to fix my wheel! Do that, and poor Cicero will reward you. With coin! Gleamy, shiny coin!"
Sonata sighed and walked up the hill that was to the left of the wagon, leaving her companions with the jester, who she was quite certain had to be somewhat insane. She found two people staring down at the wagon, one of whom she guessed had to be Loreius while the other had to be his wife, though she noticed that the man definitely wasn't happy. When she first approached the man she found that he was angry because she, another stranger, was coming up to his house and asking something of him. She decided to let him rant until he was finished before saying what she had on her mind, which was merely asking that he do the right thing for Cicero, seeing how the farmer had named the jester before she had even said a word.
After a few minutes of back and forth between the two of them, and Loreius' wife glaring at her husband the entire time, the farmer finally caved in and admitted that Sonata was right... though as she left the farmer said that he'd be down to fix the wagon soon.
"Good news Cicero!" Sonata exclaimed, causing the man and her companions to look at her for a moment, "I've spoken to Loreius and he's agreed to fix your wagon."
"You did?! He has?!" Cicero said, before a smile appeared on his face and he did a little dance, "Oh stranger! You have made Cicero so happy! So jubilant and ecstatic! But more! Even more! My mother thanks you! Here, here. For your troubles! Shiny, clinky gold! A few coins for a kind deed! And thank you! Thank you again."
Sonata accepted the pouch of gold that the jester handed to her, which she resolved to count later, before she bid the man goodbye and headed down the road with her companions.
"That was nice of you Sonata," Kree commented, looking around for enemies while she reflected on what her friend had done for the jester, "I wonder how long he was standing there before you came along and helped him."
"I don't know Kree," Sonata admitted, sighing as she focused on the road and the task at hand, "I only hope that he reaches his destination without something else happening to him... or to his wagon for that matter."
The journey from the Loreius Farm to Morthal proved to be much harder than what Sonata had originally thought it was going to be, mostly because of everything that happened along the way. Shortly after they had left the farm, and came to a crossroad, Kree had pulled Sonata and Lydia into one of the bushes, allowing them to watch a group of heavily armed orcs marched down the road. Sonata noticed that one of the orcs carried a banner of sorts, one that appeared to be made from a sickly green material and had an imprint of a hand that was surrounded by flames. The three of them agreed that the orcs needed to be stopped, but Sonata didn't like the idea of having to deal with a fourth enemy until the other three had been taken care of.
They followed the road once the warriors were out of range, to which they eventually came to another fortress that appeared to be overrun by bandits, but Kree noticed something and had them hide beneath the wooden wall that had been recently thrown up. They all froze as they heard someone walking near them, each of them worried that they might be found out and have an entire fortress of bandits on their tails.
"Lord Grul requires an update on your progress," someone above them said, to which Sonata recognized the voice of an orc talking to someone else.
"We have sent our latest batch of captives to the location that the Master desires," a second voice, one that revealed that the speaker was another orc, replied, "Lady Vespula and her vampires have been spotted around the area, always searching for holes in our defenses, but never long enough for us to find them. When do we strike her and her cursed kin down?"
"In time Zorgak," the first voice said, to which Sonata heard what she assumed was a scroll exchanging hands, "Lord Grul has received word that there is a new Dragonborn in Skyrim, whose purpose is to fight the dragons and defeat them before they can bring about the end of days."
"Ah yes, I have heard the rumors as well," the second voice, Zorgak, commented, which was followed up the sound of the scroll opening, "So, what does the Master want us to do about her? Kill her? Capture her?"
"Don't worry about her too much," the first voice said, though there was what appeared to be a soft chuckle that followed, "Lord Grul has special plans for her and her companions. I suggest you read that scroll and prepare yourself accordingly, because there's no telling when the Master will be done with that special 'project' he's been working on."
"As you say, Lord Aggronak," Zorgak said, pounding a fist on his chest before the two of them departed from the wall.
Once Kree was sure that the coast was clear the three of them got underway, making sure that none of the bandits or the orcs aligned with them spotted the three of them. When they were a safe distance away from the fortress they finally relaxed and resumed their travels, heading in the direction of Dawnstar until they came to a fork that allowed them to turn left. They followed the path through the snowy area, making sure to take care of the wildlife that decided to attack them while also hiding from the orcs that they occasionally saw. While they walked toward Morthal Kree had to wonder what all of the orcs were doing and what their master, the mysterious Grul, had planned for all of Skyrim.
When they finally arrived in Morthal, and they were sure that there weren't any enemies in the immediate area, they quickly descended into the city and passed by the group of people who were gathering in front of a large building, before they entered the inn. Once they were inside the inn they finally relaxed and rented the room for the night, allowing them to get the sleep that they would need if they were still going to be tackling Ustengrav. As they started to relax, where Lydia cleaned off her weapon after a hard day of killing enemies that would have killed her Thane, Kree noticed that Sonata seemed to have something on her mind.
"Something wrong Sonata?" Kree asked, wondering what could be bothering her friend this time, though she knew that the orcs they had encountered might have something to do with it.
"Six forces want me dead," Sonata sighed, sadly looking at her friend for a moment, while she wondered what she had done to deserve the wrath of so many enemies, "The dragons want me dead before I can put a stop to them ending the world, which I'm supposed to do thanks to an ancient prophecy that the old nords left behind. Bandits merely want to kill me and steal what I have, but will try to make sure that I'm taken out if I threaten them too much. The cultists want me dead before I find their master, this mysterious Miraak, and put him down before he can conqueror whatever island he's on at the moment. The vampires... well, I'm honestly not sure why they want me dead, but I can assure you that they do. The draugr want me dead because I'm trying to learn the secrets that they have been left behind to guard. And now there's the orcs that, or some reason, want me dead as well.
What have I done, in the week that I've been in Skyrim, to deserve the wrath of so many forces?"
Kree had no way to explain what was happening to her friend, other than to say that it was the curse of those who sought adventure, but decided to say that statement. She did, however, have something in mind that could make her friend feel better.
"It doesn't matter why they are hunting you," Kree said, smiling at her saddened friend, "because the three of us, together, will stand against everything that they throw at us and we'll tear them down. We'll make sure that anyone who wants to get rid of the Dragonborn will suffer and regret the day that they challenged you and your friends, so turn that frown upside down."
Sonata smiled at that statement, but deep inside she knew that Kree was right, that the three of them could easily stand against everything that wanted to tear her down. Once she was finished with her Dragonborn training she'd pick one of her enemies and see what needed to be done with making sure that they failed in whatever they were planning. She had the strangest feeling that she'd have to deal with the orcs first, but she decided to wait and see what fate decided to throw her way this time.
She only had to wonder what the mysterious Lord Grul wanted with the people that his forces captured, though she knew that, whatever that reason was, she would eventually find out.
Dushnikh Yal, one of the wild orc strongholds, had seen a change in leadership when its leader, Chief Burguk, had been slain in single combat by the leader of a group of orcs that had come out of nowhere. His body was now a shriveled husk of its former glory, as his opponent had drained his body dry until his life essence was gone and he was dropped onto the ground. His people would have fought against the orc that had slain their leader by cheating, for they were fairly certain that the opponent had cheated, but they had been forced back by the twisted magic the orc commanded. The vile green orc was hunched over just a bit, but he was dressed up in a pair of robes that had six spikes attached to its back... spikes that had one skull near the top of the top.
The orc also carried a staff that had three skulls near the top; the bottom one was definitely an orc skull, the middle was the skull of a nord, and the top was the skull of what many assumed was an altmer.
Once the orc had asserted his position over the stronghold they had taken over, which had been easy in his mind, he called in his soldiers and they overran the stronghold, building a base of operations that would allow them to stay out of sight until the time was right. A decent amount of his soldiers were currently in the process of building a massive gate in the mountain that was behind the stronghold, as per his orders. The path from that area also passed by the perfect area where he had built his hut, where he could work his dark magic in peace and prepare for the next stage of his plan.
"Lord Grul, I have returned," Aggronak said, walking into the hut for a moment and kneeling before his Master, who turned around from the vile green fire he had been staring at.
"Ah, Aggronak, you returned as swiftly as you promised," the orc said, a small grin appearing on his face, which disappeared seconds later, "What news do you bring?"
"Zorgak said that his captives are on their way here," Aggronak replied, bowing his head as his Master turned towards him, "he also indicated that Lady Vespula is spying on his forces, looking for holes in his defenses. He wishes to know what must be done about the vampires in his immediate area. Durak's group, on the other hand, has been slain by someone..."
"Hmm... it is unlikely that the Dragonborn is aware of my plans," Grul commented, turning back to the flames for a moment as they swirled around and revealed a vampire, "though I do believe its time that we deliver our ultimatum to our little vampire and her coven. Tell her that she either accepts my terms and joins my growing horde, or she'll become just another enemy for my soldiers to wipe from the face of this world."
"As you wish, my Master," Aggronak said, keeping his head bowed as he prepared for the other question, "And what of your plans for the Dragonborn?"
"Leave her be for now," Grul answered without hesitation, waving his hand as if to dismiss his subordinate, "Her powers are weak at this moment, thus her soul is weak and not useful towards my ultimate goal. Let her continue her training against the other forces that call Skyrim home... I'll be waiting for her when she's done with them."
Aggronak nodded and backed out of the hut, determined to draft a letter for Lady Vespula to read and make her decision on, leaving his Master to do whatever he usually did. Grul, on the other hand, smiled as he reached into the green flames, allowing them to bend under his will and reveal what he had been hiding inside the flames; two large rubies that were surrounded by gold. They had been broken off of the necklaces they had been attached to, though inside the rubies were the creatures he had defeated the moment they had come after him. An image flashed on both of their faces; the one on the right baring an image of a young lady with a bushy hair, though the other one had a young lady with what he assumed were ponytails.
Grul had to admit it, but Adagio and Aria had proven to be quite powerful and had taken an entire day to defeat in battle, though he had succeeded in the end and had bound them to the pendants they had worn, restoring the broken stones to their former state and trapping their wearers inside. He had only learned their names when he had discovered the power inside of them, but they were the final pieces of his puzzle... one that Sonata was the key to unlocking everything. Once she was powerful enough he would reveal his hand to her and she would bend under his demands, though he was fully prepared to take her down in battle as well.
He kept his grin as the flames sealed up the moment he removed his hand, all he had to do was wait a little bit longer and he would have his victory over everyone. |
Sonata's Crazy and Wacky Adventure in Skyrim | 11: Trek through Ustengrav | Sonata had a terrible nights sleep that night, as her dreams were plagued with a never ending nightmare that was the destruction of the entirety of Skyrim. She remembered the last time this had happened to her, back on Earth when she and her sisters had been hunted down on accusations that they were witches, which had held some truth because of the small amount of magic that they had at the time. For the weeks that followed the hunt she had nightmares about being caught and burned alive, as if she was merely a mortal and not an immortal Siren, but they eventually went away. She was sure that this time was different from all the other instances it had happened, because she hadn't actually experienced the event that would have brought this nightmare to life.
This time she was floating in the air above what she assumed was an orc stronghold, one that had grown to accommodate the warriors that had joined the stronghold's leader, whoever that happened to be. The land around the stronghold had been scorched by fire, some unnatural green fire she noted, though that didn't seem to bother the orcs at all. In the area behind the stronghold marched a seemingly endless line of heavily armored orcs, some of them carrying a banner that bared the symbol of the mysterious Lord Grul, though she noticed that they were marching out of a massive gate that had been constructed into the mountain side. She had read a few tales during her time on Earth, during which she had discovered some mentions of magical gates that moved troops from one location to another, but she had never seen on in action... even if this was all a dream.
She zoomed in on the area that rested beside the path that the army of orcs were marching down, where she found four orcs, each one of them dressed differently than the others around them, kneeling before what she assumed was a hut of some kind. The shroud moved for a moment before a fifth orc, this one hunched over and carrying a staff that had three skulls near the top end of it, emerged from the hut. For some strange reason she got the feeling that the hunched orc was actually the leader of all the orcs she was seeing, where the other four were merely his subordinates that conveyed his orders to the others. As the orc addressed his subordinates she managed to catch their names; Aggronak, Gurgova, Faldruuk, and Mag'zul, before she discovered that the fifth orc was, indeed, Lord Grul.
Lord Grul then pointed towards the gate for a moment, to which Sonata was spun around in place and faced the gate, to which her eyes widened as a massive creature walked through the gate and stepped into Nirn, causing the skies to fill with the same green fire that she had seen all around the stronghold. She could not describe the massive creature in detail, mostly because it was definitely obscured by some form of mist, but she could tell that it had to be a demon of some kind.
"And now you see the future we were trying to stop," a voice behind her said as the area around her became dark once more, but Sonata froze when she heard who had spoken, "the future where all of Nirn perishes at the hands on Grul's sinister master."
Sonata turned around and came face to face with her sister Aria Blaze, who had gone missing along with Adagio Dazzle back on Earth, which had eventually caused her to make the decision to return to Equus, only to end up where she currently was at the moment. It had been almost a whole month since she had seen either of her sisters, but when she noticed what Aria was wearing she began to wonder how they were even communicating. Aria still had her two ponytails, though Sonata quickly noticed that she was wearing a robe that belonged to a mage that normally enrolled at the College of Winterhold, though she could also see through her sister. Aria also looked sad, something that Sonata never thought that she would actually see.
"Aria... what happened to you and Adagio?" Sonata asked, feeling that she deserved some answers for all the heartache she had felt after the Battle of the Bands.
"The Enemy is coming," Aria said all of a sudden, ignoring her question altogether, exactly like she had done when they had been together on Earth, "Sonata, you must find your true power again and stop Grul before he brings about the end of this world."
"Aria, please don't leave me again!" Sonata called out, watching her sister disappear before her eyes, "ARIA!"
"Aria!" Sonata loudly said, jolting up to a sitting position in the bed she had fallen asleep in, sweat rolling down her face as she realized that she wasn't in her dreams anymore.
She looked around and found that she was definitely inside the inn she and her friends had stopped in the previous night, though the patrons that were in the inn at the moment completely ignored her. She had no way of knowing if what her dream had showed her was actually her imagination playing tricks on her or if it was a vision of some kind, one that showed what would happen if Lord Grul wasn't stopped. She also wasn't familiar with the types of creatures that could destroy worlds, though from what she could gather she knew that there were some in Skyrim that had that type of power.
"My Thane, are you alright?" Lydia asked, bursting into the room that they had shared last night with Kree hot on her tail, though Lydia's weapon was at the ready in case someone had tried to hurt Sonata.
"I... just had terrible dream," Sonata admitted, knowing that Kree would ask her if she had said that she was alright, "Lord Grul opened this massive gateway to some other realm and legions of orcs poured out of it, ready to carry out their master's orders. I saw four other orcs that I assumed were his underlings, the ones who commanded the mass of orcs, and I was somehow about to figure out their names by looking at them. Then a massive creature emerged from the gateway, one that's mere presence set the sky on fire as it began to bring about the end of Nirn..."
"This sounds more like a prophecy and less of a nightmare." Kree commented, which Sonata had been expecting, considering what she knew of the argonian's strange ability to determine what skills someone had by merely looking at them, "I'm assuming that Aria is one of your sisters?"
"Yes, and I think I saw her at the end of my dream." Sonata said, sighing as she wondered if she had been shown the truth, while wondering about her sisters again, "She and Adagio disappeared after we were defeated back on Earth, but when I saw Aria I noticed that she was wearing what appeared to be a pair of robes from the College of Winterhold."
"I have not heard of either of them," Kree sadly said, before beckoning to Sonata for a moment, "We'll, we can discuss the nature of this dream of yours while we're running through Ustengrav... unless you want to do something else instead."
Sonata, remembering why they had come to Morthal in the first place, shook her head and climbed out of her bed, to which she made sure that her sword was attached to her belt once more. The three of them bid the innkeeper farewell, which barely received a nod from the innkeeper, before they stepped out into the city and quickly made their way out into the marsh. Kree commented that the way to Ustengrav would be easy, as all they had to do was straight north from their current location and they'd find the opening to the ancient nordic barrow. To be sure that they didn't run into trouble Sonata commented that they might want to have their weapons drawn, to which the three of them drew their chosen weapon as they walked into the marsh.
They found two necromancers standing outside their destination, after trekking through the marsh and not getting assaulted by any of the wildlife that lived in that area, with three reanimated bandits standing near them. Kree beckoned towards the necromancers, indicating that it would be best to take them out first, before nocking an arrow and loosing it at her target. As the closest necromancer died the three reanimated bandits zeroed in on where they were standing, to which Lydia dispatched with one of them by removing their head within five seconds of them getting close. Sonata, on the other hand, blasted one of the bandits in the chest before she ducked under the blade of the remaining bandit, before spinning her blade around and penetrating its heart.
Sonata turned to the last necromancer as Kree stabbed her target in the chest, shoving the dead body to the ground before approaching the opening of the barrow.
Once they were inside the barrow Sonata discovered two more necromancers forcing the reanimated bandits to dig into the ground in front of them, as if they were digging for some ancient treasure. Kree knocked an arrow and took aim at the closest necromancer, giving both Lydia and Sonata time to get close to the other enemy before she took her target down. As the second necromancer noticed her companion fall to the ground, and the undead miners stopped what they were doing, Sonata leapt out of the shadows and took the head of her enemy. Lydia then took it upon herself to handle the remaining two undead, bashing them back with her shield before taking their heads, treating them as if they were still alive.
The moment the area was clear Sonata noticed another tunnel that would no doubt take them deeper into the barrow, to which she heard the sound of some more necromancers attacking the draugr. She held her hand up for a moment, to let the draugr deal with the necromancers, before moving down into the next area and striking the first undead nord that she found. As she forced her opponent backwards Lydia charged into the tunnel as well, smacking her weapon into one of the remaining two draugr as Kree took the final one out with an arrow. When Sonata was sure that the area was clear, and the necromancers staffs had been claimed, she beckoned with her hand and the three of them moved deeper once more.
They then walked into a chamber that had two more draugr that appeared from their coffins, but before they could get anywhere Kree's arrow found the heart of the one furthest away while both Sonata and Lydia cut the first one down. They rounded a few corners, finding nothing to fight, before they found a door that took them deeper into the barrow, but after a few seconds on the other side of the door they didn't find anything. That was before they found a draugr that was standing in front of what appeared to be firetraps, but then Sonata got an idea in her head before she fus'ed the undead into stepping back onto the trap, igniting the flames that burned it to a cinder.
The next area they found two draugr that stepped out of their coffins, though by the look of their armor Sonata could tell that they were more powerful than the previous undead they had found. Sonata took advantage of the fire lamp that rested above their heads, igniting the oil that rested around the draugr's feet and burning the two of them into a pile of cinders. They then found a chamber that had two bridges, one on either side of the area, but as they walked in Sonata immediately noticed the massive amount of draugr that were waiting for them... at least ten of them by her count.
"I was wondering why it was so easy to reach this point," Kree commented, pulling out a few more arrows than the one she had previously nocked, "It seems that the undead are gathering in greater numbers to defend the Horn, as if they don't want you to claim their treasure."
"Well, then they'll have to be disappointed," Sonata told her companion, flames wrapping around her left hand as she stared at the mass of enemies, "Lydia, move forward and take them down."
Lydia grinned and leapt down into the area that the dragur would be crossing so they could reach Sonata, to which her sword found its way into one of their chests before she started her assault. As Lydia hacked into her enemies Kree, remaining on the bridge they had first come to, nocked her arrow and loosed it at the archers that were standing on the other bridge, knocking them off whenever they were hit. Sonata conjured fireballs and threw them as the back of the pack, burning the enemies that ended up on the receiving end of her spell and giving her housecarl a better chance at taking them down. Once the horde of enemies were defeated the three of them quickly gathered anything that might be useful in the long run, before heading across the second bridge and delving deeper into the barrow.
They came to a massive chamber that had what appeared to be another Word Wall at the bottom of it, to which Sonata pointed at it before her companions could say anything. She knew that they were stressed for time, considering that there was an army of orcs on the loose and that they knew nothing about what they were doing, but she also knew that she needed all the Words of Power if she was going to stand a chance against the dragons. There was also another area to the left of where they were standing, but Sonata had her friends stay back so she could get to the Word Wall without rousing the rest of the undead in the area. She crept through the area, finding her way to the path that would take her down to her destination, before she found herself at the base of the waterfall.
She quickly approached the Word Wall, where she let the word sink into her body, before she turned around and headed back up the way she came, before anything decided to attack her. When she returned to where her friends were standing she found that they had been attacked by a pair of skeletons, which only cleared the path that rested on their right. There Sonata found three stones that were stuck in the ground, though as she approached them she noticed that one of them glowed and opened one of the gates in front of her. She smiled as she considered what to do with this puzzle, but as she thought about it she quickly realized that what she needed to do was run at the gates and, in the instant she was through the three stones, activate her Whirlwind Sprint and pass through the gates before they closed.
She started laughing after she tested her method to solve the puzzle, because it had worked like a charm and she had opened the way so that her companions could follow her. Once the three of them were together again they entered a chamber that was covered in webs, where they found a pair of spiders that appeared to be waiting for something to eat. Sonata smiled as she ignited her flames once more, burning the spiders where they stood before they started to move through the chamber, where they found that the floor had a bunch of fire traps built into it.
The three of them took their time to reach the other side of the chamber, where they encountered a trio of spiders that weren't too happy to see them. Sonata was more than happy to let her companions deal with the spiders this time, smiling as Lydia carved one of them into pieces before moving onto the second on, while Kree loosed a few arrows to fell the final one. Once the spiders were dealt with they approached a webbed door, to which they removed the webs and revealed the door that lead them into the chamber where Sonata was certain they would find the horn. As they walked into the final room four statues rose out of the water, as if responding to the fact that someone had finally come to claim what the barrow had been built to guard.
Sonata's happy nature was dashed when she discovered that the Horn of Jurgen Windcaller was not where it was supposed to be, and that a 'friend' of hers was waiting in Riverwood with what she had come to claim. She was annoyed that he horn was gone, so she let Kree and Lydia loot the massive chest that they found in the room behind where the horn was supposed to be, before they found the secret passage that would take them back to the beginning of the barrow. They appeared in a room full of urns, but they paid them no mind as they made their way towards the opening of the barrow, where they could leave the area and plan their next move.
When they approached the exit of the barrow, however, they found a group of what Sonata assumed were vampires standing in their way, judging by the armor that they were wearing.
"Dragonborn, it is fortunate that we found you before our Enemy did," the head vampire said, a female one Sonata noticed, before she noticed that none of their weapons were drawn, "Lord Movarth requests that you follow us to his lair... he's got some news about Lord Grul that you might find interesting. He also told me that if that didn't entice you to come with us, which he was certain you'd still refuse, than I was supposed to share this other piece with you... he knows about your sisters Adagio and Aria."
Sonata's eyes widened at the mention of her missing sisters, so much so that she decided that she might as well follow these vampires to their master... to see if they were telling the truth or if they were lying to her. She needed to find out what happened to her sisters, so much so that she couldn't pass up a chance to learn what had happened when someone came forward knowing what she wanted to know. She only hoped that this wasn't a lie designed to get rid of her... but she decided that she would soon find out when she spoke with this Movarth in his lair. |
Sonata's Crazy and Wacky Adventure in Skyrim | 12: Council of Three | Sonata and her friends followed the group of vampires out of Ustengrav, though she was careful to study them in case this was going to be a trap later on. She had absolutely no idea what this Movarth wanted with her and why he had sent this group of vampires to ensure her safety, but the vampires claimed that their master knew something about her sisters. She couldn't pass up an opportunity to learn what had happened to her sisters, especially after she had been separated from them and had tried, in vain, to find them. How they came to Nirn, if they had truly come here, Sonata could guess at based on her own experience with the portal, but she needed to know where they were so she could stop worrying about them.
Because if Adagio and Aria were in Skyrim, fighting to protect themselves in a world they knew nothing about, then she needed to rescue them before they were harmed.
"So, where is Movarth's lair?" Kree asked the vampires, clearly trying to determine where they were heading so she could figure out how much traveling they would be doing.
"Just outside Morthal actually," the head vampire replied, while the rest of her group remained silent, "One of his spies noticed the three of you when you entered the small village and immediately told him of your presence, though we had been told to hold back until he decided whether you were a threat or not. Our spy also told him that the Dragonborn shouted the name 'Aria' this morning, something that allowed our master to decide that the three of you are allies and not additional enemies."
"You wouldn't happen to mean that your master assumed I might have been allies with Lord Grul, do you?" Sonata asked, though as she asked the question she noticed that the vampire seemed to pale for a moment as if she had hit the nail on the head, "Don't worry, I already don't like him or the army that he's commanding... even more so thanks to the terrible dream I had the previous night. Lord Grul has much to answer for... the only problem is finding him so we can punish him."
"Lord Movarth is going to like this one." one of the other vampires commented, turning to look at Sonata for a moment, before nodding as he turned back to what he was doing.
"Quite so," a third vampire said, though he held his sword out as they walked through the marsh, as if he was expecting danger to strike them, "Let's get to the lair before something..."
Before he could finish his statement a group of seven of orcs appeared from the mist around them, as if they had been using the mist to hide themselves the entire time. Sonata recalled that one of Grul's subordinates had a small veil of mist that had surrounded him, the one known as Mag'zul she remembered, so she assumed that these mage like orcs were his soldiers. Six of them had magic moving around their hands as they approached the vampires, but the last one had a sword in his hand as he approached Sonata and Lydia. All that told her was that Lord Grul was either testing her or had decided to get rid of her, but she would have to worry about that once they were out of danger.
"...happens." the vampire finished, sighing as he rushed at one of the mages and took his head off instantly, letting his companions deal with the remaining enemies, "Should have seen this coming."
Lydia leapt in front of the sword carrying orc and blocked his weapon with her shield, trying to push him back as the vampires dealt with the remaining mages. The orcs free hand, which wore a metal gauntlet, punched into Lydia's shield, denting the metal before he gripped the area he had ruined and tore it from her grasp. He then lifted his sword above his head before bringing it down on Lydia, cutting into her shoulder as she used her own weapon to prevent him from cleaving her in half. Before the orc could hit her again Sonata readied the Voice and used the Unrelenting Force on her target, blasting him backwards for a moment and leaving him without his weapon.
The orc looked up at Sonata as she approached him, though as she did so she could feel something familiar to awaken inside her as magic formed a light area around her right hand.
"You don't get to get away with hurting my friend," Sonata growled, pulling her arm back as she approached the orc, "now suffer the consequences for your actions."
Sonata swung her fist into the orc's chest and released the magic she had been gathering, shattering the armor that he was wearing in a matter of seconds. The orc started to back up for a moment, but then the area around where Sonata punched him deepened and crushed the ribs that were beneath it. The orc stared at Sonata for a moment and reached for her, but then his hand moved to his mouth as he started coughing up blood, indicating that something inside his body had broken in the worst way possible. Then, before anyone could move towards him and put him down, the orc's eyes rolled backwards and he collapsed on the floor of the marsh with a heavy thud.
Once that was done Sonata turned to Lydia and moved the severed part of the armor out of the way, before she pressed her hand on her friend's wounds and cast a healing spell. A few seconds later she pulled her hand back and revealed that the wound was gone, much to the amazement of Lydia, Kree, and the vampires around them. Sonata, on the other hand, swayed a bit and nearly fell into the marsh, but the vampire that had spoken to them first caught her before she could fall.
"You okay Sonata?" Kree asked, worried that the sudden attack might have taken more out of her friend than she was expecting, as she had no idea how much power Sonata had used to slay the orc and heal Lydia's wound.
"I... used too much energy," Sonata admitted, huffing for a moment before nodding to the vampire that was holding onto her, "Let's go meet with your master... before this happens again."
The vampire nodded her understanding before resuming the journey to her master's lair, which, as promised, rested right outside the small town of Morthal. When they entered the cave that housed Movarth's lair they were greeted by what appeared to be vampire thralls, bandits or something that had been turned Sonata guessed, who eagerly beckoned them deeper into the cave. The group passed through a section of the cave where there were bodies of the dead scattered everywhere, though Sonata immediately noticed that the bodies were merely more orcs like the ones they had seen out in the marsh. She guessed that Movarth's underlings had been removing Lord Grul's soldiers whenever they neared the town or had been wandering around the marsh.
They rounded a corner and found three vampires, two men and one women, sitting at a table with a number of vampires gathered around them, telling Sonata that they were the ones in charge. The one sitting at the head of the table though, Sonata could immediately tell that he was the one in charge of the entire cave, indicating that he had to be Lord Movarth.
"Ah, Laelette and her group return to us," the head vampire said, a small smile appearing on his face as the vampire that held Sonata, Laelette, released her and bowed to her master, "and she brings the Dragonborn, as was asked of her. Good job Laelette, but we must not get too excited... rejoin Alva outside and be sure that Grul's underlings stay away from this location."
"As you desire, my master," Laelette replied, turning around and taking her followers outside the cave, leaving Sonata and her friends to deal with whatever Movarth wanted.
"Proper introductions are in order," the head vampire said, beckoning to the man on his right, "To my right sits Master Vighar of Falkreath, while to my left sits Lady Vespula of the Rift. I am Lord Movarth of Morthal, and the three of us make up the Council of Three. You, on the other hand, are Sonata Dusk, the Dragonborn of legend and sister to Adagio Dazzle and Aria Blaze."
"That would be me," Sonata replied, standing straight as she beckoned to her friends, "this are Kree and Lydia, my friends. Now, I was told that you had information regarding my sisters."
"Ah, straight to your own concerns I see." Movarth laughed, before growing serious once more, "Yes, my companions and I know about your sisters. You see, Adagio and Aria arrived in Skyrim two weeks ago, in the same state of confusion that I assume that you woke up in, but instead of getting sidetracked like you did they immediately got to work reestablishing their magical powers. It didn't take them long to discover that they still had some inherent power inside their bodies, though they determined that it was possible to reforge the necklaces that they wore. They did not share with me the specifics of how they intended to reforge their necklaces, but they seemed convinced that it was possible and would not give up on their venture.
They spent ten days with Lady Vespula in the Rift, training against each other and the vampires that followed my companion, but Aria also enrolled in the College of Winterhold at the same time. I was told that it was because she wanted access to every book and ingredient the College had, so that way they could speed up their search on how to reforge their necklaces. Though when they discovered what they were searching for we received word that Lord Grul had appeared in Skyrim with his horde of orcs, but when I tried to dissuade your sisters from dealing with him they would not be talked back.
I thought that either Adagio or Aria was going to be the Dragonborn of legend, but before we could figure out who it was they both disappeared... never to be seen again."
Sonata sank into a hair and hung her head down, wondering why her sisters had decided it was a good idea to face Lord Grul without their full power backing them... if that was what they had done. They had come to Skyrim, exactly like she had done no doubt, but they had gotten to work on improving their abilities to survive in this unforgiving world. Now they were either wandering around Skyrim, searching for the orc leader she had seen in her dreams, or they had found him and fought him, only to lose and become prisoners. She considered the thought that Adagio and Aria might not stand a chance at defeating the orc leader, but then she shook her head and remembered that it was two Sirens versus an orc warlock.
She was sure that, if a battle had raged between her sisters and Grul, her sisters would have won, but there were no stories of such a fight occurring, so she had to assume that they were still safe at the moment.
"Wait... they were trying to reforge their necklaces?" Sonata asked, a look of shock on her face, because she had determined that the stones had been shattered completely with little hope of them actually being repaired.
"That was what they told us," Vighar commented, drawing attention to himself for a moment, "I do not know how its possible to reforge those shattered stones, because they appeared to have the appearance of shattered soul gems, but they seemed convinced that it was possible to achieve what I deemed impossible."
"Quite so," Lady Vespula added, sipping from her goblet before speaking again, "Despite not being born in this world, or even knowing anything that had happened in the past, they were determined to bring an end to the war that rages on. Further more they were preparing themselves for the eventually arrival of the dragons, to which they trained their skills daily to be sure they were prepared for that day. It seems that all three of us were wrong to think that either of them were the Dragonborn, despite the vast amount of power they each commanded before they left to find Lord Grul."
"Did they say anything before they left?" Sonata asked, wondering if they might have left a clue behind in case they determined that she would be arriving shortly after they left.
"Yes, they left a rather vague message," Lord Movarth said, a frown replacing his facial expression as he recalled what they had said with ease, "Adagio said that, if they didn't return in one weeks time, then the 'Siren Queen' would come to Skyrim and do what they could not... does that mean anything to you?"
Sonata remained silent for a moment, though while she did that her right hand moved up to her neck and touched her own necklace, as if remembering something. She knew what Adagio was talking about, as Aria had likely determined the same thing when she heard their sister speak the term none of them had spoken in over a thousand years. The problem was that she didn't want to think about that at all, because it was something that the three of them had agreed to forget about after their banishment. Though if Adagio had mentioned the Siren Queen like that... it meant that she was concerned that only the Queen's power might be enough to defeat Lord Grul.
Kree coughed for a moment and snapped Sonata back to reality, as she had clearly been lost in her own thoughts for a few minutes, so she knew that she needed to answer the question.
"No... the term means nothing to me." Sonata lied, though she didn't make any of the motions or mannerisms that would reveal if she was lying, something that she and her sisters had picked up over their long banishment.
She didn't want to lie to people who might be her allies against Lord Grul, but at the moment she had no idea where any of the vampire's loyalties lay, so she didn't want to reveal something as specific as the Siren Queen to any of them. She had grown tired of lying to people over the long years of her banishment, but time and time again it seemed that she needed to tell one or two to get through life. She also determined that, at some point in the near future, she would have to tell Kree and Lydia about the Siren Queen, but she would wait until the opportunity to do so.
"Well then, I guess we're still at square one on that subject then," Movarth said, sighing before beckoning to his companions, "Know this Sonata Dusk, the Council of Three and our underlings will support you in your war against Lord Grul and fight on your behalf, until you have accomplished whatever tasks you need to complete before you want to deal with the warlock."
Sonata sighed and looked at the ceiling for a moment, wondering why one of the council members, the one whose underlings had tried to kill her, wanted to ally with her all of a sudden. She determined that if these three vampire leaders were actually her allies, then she would keep her eyes on them to be sure that one of them wasn't allied with Lord Grul. If that warlock learned of the Siren Queen's existence, even a whisper of her existence, then Sonata was sure that he would stop at nothing to gain that power. She would make sure that the vampires would make good on their offer to aid them, so she could keep the orc warlock and his army at bay until she was ready to deal with him.
She also needed to find her sisters, wherever they happened to be in the vastness that was Skyrim, and, somehow, uncover the method they were working on to reforge her amulet... because she was sure she was going to need its power now more than ever. |
Sonata's Crazy and Wacky Adventure in Skyrim | 13: Trek to Riverwood | Sonata and her friends stayed with Movarth's vampires for an hour, recovering from the ambush they had fought through in the marsh and giving Lydia time to make sure that her shoulder was just fine. Sonata was grateful that the vampires had a piece of armor, identical to the armor that her Housecarl was wearing, to replace the armor that one of the orcs had ruined. Kree had spent some time with the scouts that occasionally came to tell their master about what was happening in Morthal, looking out for mentions of the orc warriors that were following Lord Grul's orders. They wanted to be sure that they could easily get out of the area without their enemy discovering where they were located, because there was no telling where the warlock's spies were lurking.
Sonata, on the other hand, remained near the chamber where she had spoken to the Council of Three, which she discovered meant the three master vampires that ruled over all of the remaining vampires in Skyrim... as the true master of the vampires, Lord Harkon, had no desire to rule until he finished whatever business had taken his full attention for the last thousand years. Her mind wasn't focused on Lord Grul and his invading horde of orcs, but rather on the fact that her sisters had mentioned the Siren Queen for the first time in ages. The three of them had agreed that, after they had been defeated by Starswirl the Bearded and banished to Earth, they wouldn't mention the Queen until the situation required it.
She hadn't thought about the Queen for so long, but now that she was thinking of her again she recalled a memory that eventually led to their banishment and then their defeat at the hands of Sunset Shimmer and her friends.
The Queen laid on a massive stone slab near the sea and let the sunlight touch her scales, lazily resting from her day of doing absolutely nothing except stare at the forest that rested near where she currently lay. Ponies always emerged from the forest, either looking for the beach she sat on or searching for one of the three 'legendary' Sirens that called the area home. Aria and Adagio used their powers to make sure that most ponies stayed away from this area, but there were times where one or two earth ponies slipped through the spells and found their way to the beach.
The Queen usually changed the memories of whoever they caught on the beach, because most ponies refused to believe the existence of the Sirens and almost always called the ponies, those that spread rumors of their existence, liars.
"My Queen," a voice said, causing her to lift her head and find the other two Sirens waiting in front of her, to which the violet scaled Siren spoke again, "we have news about the nearby settlement the ponies have been constructing. They're building a few houses at the moment and what appears to be a town hall, though they have cut down a couple of the tress in the forest to aid them in constructing their village. We were about to leave and tell you of this development, but then we felt the magical presence of a powerful mage as he stepped out of thin air and landed in the middle of the village. He wears a robe over his white coat and has a hat with bells on his head, though he's sporting a small beard on his face... though we both heard one of the ponies in the village utter the name 'Starswirl the Bearded'."
"More headaches," the Queen said with a sigh, before turning to the golden scaled Siren for a moment, "Adagio, as my advisor, it will be your duty to make sure that these newcomers don't discover our location or our existence, and to do whatever must be done to keep ourselves hidden from their eye. Aria, I want you to keep an eye on this 'Starswirl' and tell me whenever he gets too close to us, so we can plan on how to counter his magic."
"As you wish, my Queen," the two Sirens replied, bowing their heads for a moment before going to fulfill their specific tasks to keep themselves hidden.
Sonata sighed as she recalled that moment, because she knew that if the Queen hadn't given Adagio the command to keep the ponies away at any cost, thus giving her the ability to make the terrible decisions that led to their banishment, then they might be back in Equus as allies or friends with the neighboring ponies. The powerful Queen had made a mistake in giving Adagio that ability, which was why Sonata had tried to forget about her for the last thousand years... until her sisters mentioned the Queen to complete strangers. She didn't want to think about the Queen at all, because it usually meant that she got headaches and started to remember too much about her time before she and her sisters were banished.
She pulled out her shattered pendant and stared at the four pieces of the gemstone, her mind returning to the fact that both Adagio and Aria believed that it was possible to reforge their necklaces... something she had deemed impossible before she ventured into the portal.
"Sonata, the scouts have come back with news that orcs are marking their way to Morthal from the west," Kree commented, causing Sonata to look up at her friend for a moment, grateful for the distraction from her own thoughts, "We've got maybe an hour before they arrive in Morthal and begin their search for whatever they are looking for... though I think they might be looking for us."
Lord Movarth, who had been sitting at the table with his other heads and Sonata, immediately got up and started shouting orders at the assembled vampires, who got to work collecting weapons and armor.
"We need to move out of here before they arrive," Movarth commented, to which the other two heads nodded their understanding as he turned to Sonata, "We'll find someplace else to hide ourselves and make our base of operations, so that we can combat the growing plague that is Lord Grul and his army of orcs. I'm curious as to how they knew which hold to visit if they wanted to find the Dragonborn, but I'm afraid that we'll have to save that question for another day."
Sonata nodded and gathered her gear for a moment, before turning to her companions and heading out of the cave, though as she did so she noticed that one of the vampires stopped her from heading in the direction of Morthal. The vampire didn't say much, rather he pointed to the opposite direction of the one that she was about to go in and indicated that it might be faster for her to go that way. Sonata quickly thanked the vampire before she headed off in the direction he had pointed her in, her companions following behind her as they left Morthal behind.
It didn't take them long to find the road once more, as the vampire had pointed them to it and gave them a head start on the orcs that had come for Sonata.
"It seems that Lord Grul thinks that you know something about the Siren Queen," Kree commented, running alongside Sonata and Lydia as they followed the path that would take them back to Whiterun, "otherwise he would not have sent a detachment of orcs to Morthal, to search for something that may not actually be there."
Sonata didn't say anything about the Siren Queen, being careful not to spill everything she knew about the subject every time that the name was mentioned by someone. Grul couldn't have know about the Queen at all, not unless either Adagio or Aria told him about her... and she knew that her sisters wouldn't tell their enemy about something like that. The only other people who knew about the Queen, save for Lydia and Kree, were the vampires she had just met, so she knew that one of them had to be a traitor. It was the only thing that made sense, unless one of the underling vampires decided to betray their kind and joined up with the orcs with the promise of providing them with information on certain people and places.
She refused to believe that her sisters would tell their enemy about the Queen, so there was someone who called him or herself an ally that was, in reality, a traitor that was trying to bring an end to Nirn.
"You do know something about her, don't you?" Kree asked, noticing how silent and focused Sonata was at the moment, "Why didn't you tell the Council of Three what you knew?"
"Because I didn't trust them with the information," Sonata finally responded, sighing as they followed the path as quickly as possible, "and I won't be speaking of it while on the run... too many eyes and ears that might catch the wrong piece of information and give it to our enemy."
Kree nodded her understanding and led the way as the three of them retraced their steps back to Whiterun, passing by Dawnstar and a group of khajiit merchants as they traveled. The khajiits were annoyed that many nords didn't want to buy from them or wouldn't allow them inside their cities, but they were also annoyed with the orc warriors that they met as well... those that worked for Lord Grul. They didn't stick around after that and quickly came to the fortress that they snuck around the last time they had taken this route, though the three of them moved into the mountain to avoid being seen by the sentries. Once they were passed the fortress, and no alarms had been raised, they returned to the road and continued onward, keeping an eye out for more dangers.
They made it to where they found Cicero without anything jumping out to kill them, so they slowed down just a bit as they walked by the watchtower and nodded to the guards. A few minutes later they came to the crossroad that would take them to Riverwood, where they continued forward and retraced their steps on the mountain pass. Many of the animals they saw along the way were merely deer and the occasional rabbit, but Sonata was surprised when they weren't attacked by wolves or bears. With nothing to distract them they managed to reach the bridge leading into Riverwood without anything happening to them, but as they neared the small village Sonata found her hand touching her sword.
"We had best be on our guard," Sonata commented, to which her companions nodded their heads as they passed through the checkpoint, "because there's no telling when those orcs will find us again."
They quickly made their way into the Sleeping Giant Inn, where they were supposed to meet the person that took the Horn of Jurgen Windcaller and learn what the ransom for the artifact was. Sonata was sure that the person who took the horn would ask for the death of something, mainly because killing something seemed to be the answer to everything in Skyrim. As they entered the inn Lydia stood near the door, though both Kree and Sonata were expecting a repeat of the inn in Iverstead... where they had entered it and had been attacked. With her housecarl standing guard by the door Sonata and Kree approached the woman who was supposed to rent out the rooms to people for the night.
"You're that visitor, been pokin' around." the woman said as they approached, though she turned serious a moment later, "So, what can I do for you?"
"I'm here to rent the 'attic room'," Sonata replied, to which she saw something flash through the woman's eyes for a moment before it was gone.
"Attic room, eh?" the woman said, a hand moving to the room that she normally rented out, "Well... we don't have an attic room, but you can have the one on the left. Make yourself at home."
Sonata looked at Kree for a moment before they entered the room that the woman had pointed at, but as they entered the room the lady followed them in,
"So you're the Dragonborn I've been hearing so much about. I think you're looking for this." the woman commented, tossing Sonata an ancient looking horn, which she knew had to be the Horn of Jurgen Windcaller, "We need to talk. Follow me."
Sonata and Kree shared another look with each other before they followed the woman across the inn and entered her personal room, to which she indicated that she wanted the door closed. Kree nodded and closed the door immediately, but as the woman opened a secret passage into what appeared to be a basement she decided to stay behind and watch for danger with Lydia. Sonata nodded and followed the woman down into the basement, where she discovered that the innkeeper had what appeared to be a meager armory going... almost as if she was preparing for trouble to come to her inn.
"The Greybeards seem to think you're the Dragonborn. I hope they're right." the woman said as she looked down at the table, where Sonata spotted what she assumed as a map of Skyrim, "I'm Delphine by the way."
"They are right," Sonata fired back, staring at Delphine for a moment, wondering if she was an ally or an enemy.
"I hope so." Delphine said, turning her gaze to Sonata again, "But you'll forgive me if I don't assume that something's true just because the Greybeards say so. I just handed you the Horn of Jurgen Windcaller. Does that make me Dragonborn, too?"
"So, what exactly do you want with me?" Sonata asked, figuring that she might as well get to the point so she could return the horn to the Greybeards sooner.
"I'm part of a group that's been looking for you... well, someone like you, for a very long time." Delphine explained, but before Sonata could say anything she could tell that the woman was thinking of adding something else, "If you really are Dragonborn, that is. Before I tell you any more, I need to make sure I can trust you."
"And why are you looking for the Dragonborn?" Sonata asked, getting tired of the woman not actually answering any of her questions and just dodging them.
"We remember what most don't - that the Dragonborn is the ultimate dragonslayer." Delphine said, with what Sonata assumed as a smile of sorts, "You're the only one that can kill a dragon permanently by devouring its soul. Can you do it? Can you devour a dragon's soul?"
"That's how I discovered that I was the Dragonborn," Sonata answered, shivering as she remembered the feeling of absorbing the first dragon's soul.
"Good. And you'll have a chance to prove it to me soon enough." Delphine said, point to the map for a moment, "Because I've figured out where the next one will come back to life. We're going to go there, and you're going to kill that dragon. If we succeed, I'll tell you anything you want to know. We're heading to Kynesgrove."
Sonata sighed and decided to humor the woman, because by the way the map looked she could tell that Kynesgrove was somewhat in the same area that High Hrothgar was in. She knew that they could show Delphine that she was the Dragonborn and then, when they were done, she could head to the Greybeards and give them the horn. All they had to do was make sure that they didn't run into any of Lord Grul's soldiers and get to their destination without many seeing them... which would make it harder for the orcs to find them. It seemed simple in her mind, but Sonata knew that there had to be something that was going to mess up such a seemingly easy plan in some manner.
"I also have to ask you this," Delphine commented, causing Sonata to look at the woman again, "but you wouldn't happen to know that the 'Siren Queen's is, would you? I intercepted a Thalmor courier not long ago and it appears that they're searching for that person... or artifact I guess, the letter didn't say which it meant."
And at that point Sonata knew that her life in Skyrim was slowing going to get much worse than it already was, before it started getting better again. |
Sonata's Crazy and Wacky Adventure in Skyrim | 14: Kynesgrove | "You do know something about the Siren Queen!" Delphine stated, seeing how Sonata had halted the moment she had spoken the name and knew that the movement meant something important, "So, who or what is this Siren Queen exactly?"
"Someone you should forget about." Sonata immediately replied, turning to face Delphine for a moment, "Trust me on this Delphine, the Siren Queen is someone that you don't want to mess with... nor would you want her to awaken from her slumber."
"So if this person isn't in Tamriel or, as you put it, sleeping at the moment, then why are the Thalmor so interested in her?" Delphine inquired, trying to understand why her enemies would be looking for something they might not be able to find, "It seems like a waste of time and resources for them to be searching for something that they're not going to find."
"It would be a waste of their time." Sonata stated, crossing her arms as she stared at Delphine, "If the Queen doesn't want to be found by someone, be they the Thalmor or anyone else, then she won't be found until she's ready to reveal herself. Its best to ignore the existence of the Queen and move on with your life... which means that we should really be getting underway on our journey to Kynesgrove."
Delphine stared at her for a moment, as if she was trying to figure out if arguing about the Siren Queen was more important than slaying a dragon that could kill innocent people, before letting out a sigh and nodding her head. She then approached the chest laying near where she had been standing and switched her innkeeper clothes for the leather armor she had been keeping locked away. Sonata watched as she also equipped what she assumed was a katana, swinging it a few times and checking its sharpness before sheathing it on her belt. Five seconds passed before Delphine pulled out a bow, an imperial one Sonata noted, and a container of steel arrows, before attaching them in their proper places.
"There, I've got everything I need." Delphine said, approaching the stairs before stopping and turning to Sonata, "When we're done with that dragon I expect some sort of answer regarding the Queen... and not more of the excuses you just gave me. I'll meet you and your companions in Kynesgrove."
Sonata didn't look back at Delphine as the woman ascended the stairs and left the inn, choosing to give her latest companion a head start while she controlled herself. Once she was sure that Delphine was gone she fell to her knees and hugged herself, trying to contain the memories that were constantly threatening to surface from their slumber. She had spent a thousand years repressing everything she knew about the Queen and what had happened before their banishment, but now, with all the times the Queen was being mentioned, those memories were trying to resurface... and she would not allow herself to be overrun by them.
She waited for a few minutes, fighting against the tide of memories, before they finally died down and allowed her to breath a sigh of relief as she as stood back up.
"You okay Sonata?" Kree said, causing Sonata to turn around and face her friend for a moment, "Delphine left five minutes ago and your still standing down here. Is something wrong?"
"SHE has been mentioned too much in a single day," Sonata replied, shaking her head as she cleared the remaining thoughts about the Queen, "Come on, Delphine wants us to go and kill a dragon that's about to be resurrected. Once we're done with that I'm going to have to figure out how the people of Skyrim learned of the Queen, because there's no way that one mention of her, to a group of vampires no less, would cause such a spread of her existence like this."
"You think someone else figured out Her existence without being told?" Kree asked, wondering if their enemy, Lord Grul, had somehow figured out the Queen's existence and had spread the knowledge of her to make everyone else find her for him.
"Its a possibility that I cannot ignore," Sonata commented, though she knew it was highly unlikely that Lord Grul had divined that information by a vision, "but we have a dragon to deal with first."
Kree nodded and the two of them walked out of the basement, to which they returned to the main area of the inn and collected Lydia, who was staring at the bard the entire time with what Sonata assumed was a look of anger. She guessed that the bard might have tried to flirt with her or something, though if that was the case then it was clear that whatever had been said had angered her housecarl. The three of them left the inn and returned to the road, where Sonata discovered that it was slowly turning to night at long last... to which she suggested that they head to Whiterun and get a carriage to take them to Windhelm.
Her reasoning for that was so that they could rest their weary legs and get some rest before they arrived at their destination, where they would have to fight a dragon alongside Delphine. Kree agreed with her friend, expressing her point that once they had finished off the dragon they should seek someplace to actually get some rest in, but also said that Windhelm wouldn't be the wisest place considering their dislike for argonians and other races that weren't nords. Sonata knew what was it like to be unwelcome in a city or town, all thanks to some questionable places she and her sisters decided to stay in for some years, but she merely nodded as they walked to their destination.
When they reached the outside out Whiterun they approached the carriage driver and Kree asked how much it would take to get them to Windhelm, receiving an answer of twenty gold. Kree handed the gold over and the three of them boarded the carriage without wasting a second, to which their driver started them on their trek to Windhelm. As they left Whiterun behind Sonata leaned back and closed her eyes, knowing that her friends would wake her up once they reached their destination, though she knew that they'd rest as well before their arrival.
However, not ten minutes later she was shaken awake by Kree, to which she found that there was a group of bandits blocking their way and that the carriage driver was shaking in fear. She also discovered that they had made decent progress, as they were back at the towers that they had cleared out on their way to Iverstead... which was overrun by bandits again. Then, as her wits returned to her, she also took into account that each of the 'bandits' in front of them were orcs, leading her to wonder if this was another group of Lord Grul's soldiers.
"What do we have here?" the lead orc asked, planting the end of what appeared to be a blackened battleaxe in the ground, "A carriage driver and three lone civilians? Ha! You will make good offerings to Lord Grul, to do with as he pleases once he finishes whatever plan he's currently working on."
"Lydia," Sonata said, glaring at the leader for a moment, "please do me a favor and shut that one up."
Lydia leapt out of the carriage and drew her sword, taking into account the six other orcs that were on either side of the one that her Thane wanted her to take out. Judging by the way the orc moved she knew that she might be able to take its head clean off if the others didn't notice what was about to happen, though she didn't like her chances at the moment. She also knew that Kree and Sonata had her back, so it was possible that the three of them could dispatch all seven of the orcs without getting hurt.
"And the pathetic Dragonborn sends her warrior to do her battles for her!" the orc roared in laughter, as if he thought everything that was happening at the moment was funny, "Don't worry nord, for soon your precious Skyrim and her people will belong to Lord Grul. He will use this land as however he sees fit, whether that be as a training ground for his army, a foundry to make weapons of war, or a desolate wasteland that will spread his power to the rest of this pathetic world."
Lydia switched the hold on her weapon, pulled her arm back, and threw her sword so hard that it pierced the chest area of the orcs armor, but by the look on the orcs face she could tell that it didn't get his heart.
"Ha! You will make a fine slave indeed." the orc said, a grin appearing on his face as he beckoned to his soldiers, "Remember boys, make sure that the Dragonborn lives to see Lord Grul... otherwise whoever kills her will end up dead as well."
"THIS IS SKYRIM!" Lydia roared, leaping into the air and planting her foot at the base of her sword, forcing it through the orcs thick armor and piercing his heart with enough force to drop his body to the ground, "And she belongs to the Nords..."
The other six orcs stood paralyzed for a moment, as if they couldn't believe what they had just seen, before one of them roared in anger and swung at Lydia, who leapt out of the way and grabbed the discarded battleaxe. Lightning cracked for a moment before one of the orcs closest to the carriage got blasted with a bolt to the chest, to which Sonata stood up and glared at the remaining enemies. Kree popped up and loosed an arrow at one of them, tearing through the orc's unprotected skull and dropping it to the ground in seconds as she picked another target. Lydia, now armed with the battleaxe, swung it around and took the head off the unsuspecting orc that was standing near her, before she carved open the second one not moments later.
Kree pinned the fifth orc to a tree, making sure that her arrows would let him slowly bleed out until he was dead, while Sonata merely blasted the last one with another lightning bolt.
"I'm going to kill Lord Grul when I find him," Sonata growled, returning to her seat as her friends did the same, "because I am getting sick and tired of his followers finding me with so little effort. I'm also tired of hearing that we'll be made into slaves and the whole nine yards... there's only so much one can take before they snap."
"We'll find him Sonata," Kree promised, a light smile appearing on her face as the carriage continued down the road, "He's a villain attacking Skyrim, so he's bound to be discovered by someone and put down like the animal that he actually is."
Smoke rose from Narzulbur as Aggronak and his forces finished off the orcs that had called the stronghold home, though he was careful to make sure that they had been captured alive for his master. He had been expecting a fight where he would lose some of his soldiers, but he hadn't lost any of them and they had completed their task with ease. This strongholds ore would give their soldiers more armor and weapons in addition to what they already had, all while a group of guards would be left behind to capture anyone who came looking for the orcs that once called this place home.
Aggronak turned to the brazier that he had brought with him, allowing the magic around him to activate as green flames erupted from the metal, forming what many would assume was a portal.
"Lord Grul, I have completed the task you assigned me," Aggronak said to the flames, bowing his head as if his master was actually there with him, "Narzulbur is yours."
The green flames surged around the brazier until they formed an oval for a few seconds, to which Lord Grul stepped through the portal and touched the ground in front of his subordinate.
"Ah, you continue to please me Aggronak," Lord Grul commented, moving past his subordinate as he approached the walls that would allow him to look down on the settlement nearby, one called Kynesgrove he recalled, "I see that we have a front row seat of the fight that's about to happen."
"As you requested," Aggronak replied, standing behind his master as he looked down at the little settlement, spotting the great black dragon hard at work nearby, "The Dragonborn should be here in a few minutes."
"Good, I am interested in seeing how she's progressed so far," Lord Grul said, staring at the burial sight that the black dragon was working on, "and seeing how much more time she needs before I can add her power to what I already have."
Sonata sighed as she stretched her arms and took in the morning light, looking around at the area they had stopped in and spotted the inn right in front of them. She immediately guessed that they had stopped at Kynesgrove, no doubt because Kree gave the carriage an extra few coins that made the stop worthwhile. She also assumed that the inn had been full when they arrived, because she had been sleeping on a bedroll, though when she pulled herself up she had found her companions, including Delphine, getting ready. She decided to ask what was going on, but Delphine held up a hand as if she had heard something and immediately started to look around the area.
That was when she heard the roar of a dragon nearby, informing her that she had awoken in time for them to fight the dragon that Delphine had been tracking.
"Come on, we've got work to do," Delphine commented, picking up her weapons as she headed towards the hill that would take her to the burial mound, to which Sonata and her friends followed after her.
When they reached the top of the hill Sonata stopped as she gazed upon the black dragon that was flying through the air, the same one that had burned Helgen to the ground not too long ago. That one dragon had destroyed an entire garrison of guards on his own, to which Sonata wondered what chance the four of them had if this dragon was the one they had come to fight. That was seconds before the dragon shouted something and the burial mound exploded, which was followed by a skeletal dragon clawing its way to freedom. Sonata then watched as the undead dragon's scales reformed before their eyes, as if the black dragon had granted his brother another chance at life, before noticing that the black one had turned towards her and her friends.
"Ful, losei Dovahkiin? Zu'u koraav nid nol dov do hi." the dragon said, staring right at Sonata the entire time while he spoke, "You do not even know our tongue, do you? Such arrogance, to dare take for yourself the name of Dovah. Sahloknir, krii daar joorre."
As the black dragon flew away from Kynesgrove, and away from Sonata and her friends, the newly reborn dragon roared and took off, but instead of leaving the area it turned around and came back at them. Delphine, noticing what was happening first, pulled out an arrow and loosed it at the dragon's head, making it fly around them and give the others time to realize what was happening. When the dragon came around a second time Sonata and her friends were ready for it, as Sonata started loosing lightning at it so she could take away whatever magic it had.
Kree joined Delphine with her own arrows, waiting for the best opportunities before loosing the arrow, while Lydia waited on the ground and patiently waited for the dragon to land. At one point the dragon landed behind them for a second and used his wing to smack Sonata in the back of her head, though when she turned to blast it with lightning she found that it was already gone. She growled as she tracked it in the air, lightning crackling in her hands as she, eventually, got ahead of her target and put a bolt where it was supposed to be in a few seconds. She held her breath as her bolt hit the dragon square in the chest, knocking it off its original course and causing it to crash into the ground near them.
"That's what you get for smacking me like that!" Sonata shouted, keeping her lightning at the ready, as she knew that the dragon wasn't dead yet, "I know your not dead yet!"
The dragon slammed its wing into the ground as it stared at her again, this time with anger in its eyes, before it opened its mouth and loosed a stream of fire at her. Sonata grinned as she snapped her fingers, allowing a azure colored shield to form in front of her and her friends before the flames could touch them. When the dragon cut its flames off it stared at the barrier for a moment, as if it was trying to figure out what had happened, it noticed that one of its enemies was no longer standing behind the thing that had stopped its breath. That was seconds before a bolt of lightning struck its head, causing it to look up at the sky as a barrage of lightning slammed into it from every direction.
Sonata emerged from her hiding place and leapt into the air, using her lightning charged sword to the greatest of effect by driving it right into the dragon's skull before rolling to the side. As the dragon looked at her again she called upon the last of her available magic and summoned the largest lightning bolt she could muster, sending it right into her sword and, by effect, into her enemy. The resulting explosion rocked the area around them, but when the smoke cleared Sonata was pleased to discover that the dragon had been brought down, which was followed by its soul flowing into her body.
Once she had the dragon's soul she collapsed on the ground, smiling as she stared at the sky that was slowly clearing up from using the last of its charge against her enemy. She had slain one dragon by using the lightning to her advantage, so she had figured that using that method again would have the same result and was glad to see that it had worked. She also heard Kree talking to Delphine, telling the woman that she needed rest, but she smiled and stared at the sky, letting her body rest from having spent all her magic.
She'd figure out how to stop the dragons completely one day, but right now she was content to stop them whenever they tried to attack the people of Skyrim.
"She is improving quite nicely," Lord Grul commented, staring at the scene below him and his subordinate, "Go Aggronak, your next task awaits you."
"As you command, Lord Grul," Aggronak replied, bowing his head once more before returning to his troops.
Grul smiled as his subordinate left him alone, because he knew that it was only a matter of time until the real Siren Queen awakened from her ancient slumber... and then he would use her ancient power for his own purposes. He already had two of the Sirens imprisoned at the moment, so he had to be patient and nurture Sonata's powers until she was at her peak once again. He had the necessary leverage to make sure that he would win in the end, so he was content to watch his target until she was ready for his end game. |
Sonata's Crazy and Wacky Adventure in Skyrim | 15: Assault on the College | "I owe you some answers, don't I?" Delphine asked a minute or two after Sonata laid on the ground, which only annoyed her because she wanted to rest, "Go ahead. Whatever you want to know. Nothing held back."
Sonata moaned for a moment, because all she really wanted to was relax and regain her energy from the fight with the dragon they had just finished... the corpse was still smoking from her lightning. The old woman clearly didn't care that she was low on energy and needed to rest, as she wanted to get underway with any information she could hand to Sonata before she asked about the Queen. She knew that Delphine was going to ask about the Queen the moment she was done handing information over, which meant that she would have to think of something to tell her that wasn't too important.
"Fine, I give up." Sonata replied, getting into a sitting position before she faced Delphine, while Lydia and Kree stood nearby so they could hear everything as well, "Who are you and what do you want with me? Let's start with that."
"I'm one of the last members of the Blades." Delphine explained, crossing her arms as she leaned against the rock she had been hiding behind earlier, "A very long time ago, the Blades were dragonslayers, and we served the Dragonborn, the greatest dragonslayer. For the last two hundred years, since the last Dragonborn emperor, the Blades have been searching for a purpose. Now that dragons are coming back, our purpose is clear again. We need to stop them."
"And the Blades are?" Sonata asked, mainly because she had absolutely no idea who the faction was thanks to her brief time in Skyrim, but she figured they had to be important.
"Exactly. Nobody even remembers our name these days." Delphine huffed, as if she was completely annoyed by that sole fact, "We used to be known across Tamriel as the protectors of the Septim Emperors. Those days are long gone, though. For the last two hundred years, we've been searching for the next Dragonborn to guide and guard, as we are sworn to do. But we never found one. Until now."
"Sure, it has nothing to do with the fact that I'm not originally from Nirn." Sonata said, sighing as she considered what to ask next before the woman started asking about the Queen, "Actually, now that I think about it, that was the same dragon that attacked Helgen and burned it to the ground."
"Interesting. Same dragon..." Delphine commented, before her expression became angry for a brief second, "Damn it, we're blundering around in the dark here! We need to figure out who's behind it all!"
"So, what's our next move then?" Sonata asked, curious as to who the woman thought was behind the dragons returning, though she was personally beginning to suspect that they were missing something important to the puzzle.
"The first thing we need to do is figure out who's behind the dragons." Delphine replied, beckoning behind her as if she was pointing to a building that none of them could see at the moment, "The Thalmor are our best lead. If they aren't involved, they'll know who is."
"What makes you think the Thalmor are bringing dragons back?" Kree cut in, because she had seen how General Tullius acted around the Thalmor and wondered why the woman believed that they were behind all of this.
"Nothing solid. Yet." Delphine answered, sighing for a second before closing her eyes, "But my gut tells me it can't be anybody else. The Empire had captured Ulfric. The war was basically over. Then a dragon attacks, Ulfric escapes, and the war is back on. And now the dragons are attacking everywhere, indiscriminately. Skyrim is weakened, the Empire is weakened. Who else gains from that but the Thalmor?"
"So, we need to find out what the Thalmor know about the dragons. Any ideas?" Sonata asked, somewhat amazed that they had managed to bypass the entire topic of the Queen and prepared to leave the moment they were done with the conversation, knowing that the moment it ended Delphine would ask about the one thing Sonata didn't want to mention at the moment.
"If we could get into the Thalmor Embassy..." Delphine started, but then opened her eyes to see a confused Sonata staring at her, "it's the center of their operations in Skyrim... Problem is, that place is locked up tighter than a miser's purse. They could teach me a few things about paranoia... I have a few ideas on how we can get in there, but I'll need some time to pull things together... Meet me back in Riverwood. If I'm not back when you get there, wait for me. I shouldn't be long. Keep an eye on the sky. This is only going to get worse."
The instant that Delphine handed Sonata a copy of her key to her hidden basement, and turned around to collect her pack, Sonata and her friends got up and immediately bolted down the hill before she turned around. When Delphine turned around she noticed that the three of them were gone, to which she facepalmed as she realized that she had been played.
"Damn it all to Oblivion, she got away before I could ask about the Queen." Delphine commented, sighing as she collected her pack and headed down the hill, "Oh well, I'll be sure to ask her about the Queen when we meet back up in Riverwood... provided she doesn't die along the way."
Sonata didn't stop running until they reached the bridge that would take them into Windhelm, but she didn't cross it and merely came to a stop the instant she reached it. She couldn't believe that she had gotten away from Delphine before she had been asked about the Siren Queen, to which she smiled as her friends caught up with her. She knew that Kree deserved the truth about the Queen, and so did Lydia for that matter, but she didn't want someone that she didn't trust to overhear what she had to say... especially since it appeared that Lord Grul knew about the Queen as well.
"So what's next on our agenda?" Kree asked, wondering where they were going to go next, as she had no desire to stay near Ulfric's city or speak with his guards.
"We're going to Winterhold," Sonata said, picking herself up and moving down the road, to which her friends followed her.
"And why are we going there, my Thane?" Lydia asked, walking beside Sonata as the three of them followed the road that would eventually take them to their new destination.
"When we were in Morthal I had a dream about my sister Aria," Sonata explained, recalling what she had seen at the end of her terrible dream or vision, she still couldn't decide what it had been, "She had been wearing what I assume were robes from the College of Winterhold, to which I'm assuming that if she and Adagio went there during their time in Skyrim, before their sudden disappearance, then I might be able to figure out where they might have gone next."
"Your reasoning is sound," Kree commented, thinking about what Sonata might have seen in the dream to make her want to visit the College, besides seeing her sister dressed in mage robes, "Maybe one of the instructors knows something about your sisters and can help us figure out where they went."
Sonata nodded and they continued on their trek, to which they found that the wolves of this region didn't want anything to go with them at the moment. She noticed that there a couple of dead wolves scattered about the place with the other wolves in what appeared to be a state of mourning, almost as if something had come through and carved their way through the wolves. She also noted that there were heavy footprints following the same path that she and her friends were taking, though by the amount of them she could only assume they were following one of Lord Grul's armies.
When they reached a small lumber mill they found that one of the people living in the area was hiding up with the saws, though she was definitely terrified of something at the moment. They stopped for a moment while Kree moved to speak with the terrified woman, though when she returned Sonata knew that something was definitely happening.
"A group of orc warriors, numbering between twenty to forty members, marched through here not thirty minutes ago," Kree told them as they got back on the path they had been following, "That lady hid when they approached the settlement, but as they marched through she swears that she heard them mention something about Winterhold. Sonata, could it be possible that Lord Grul knew that your sisters visited the mages and had decided to take them out before you connected the pieces yourself?"
"I'm starting to think that Lord Grul knows more than what we think he does," Sonata answered, hoping that the orcs weren't on their way to attack the College of Winterhold, or the people living outside its gates, "He had guards stationed at Fort Amol after we cleared it out, had a group waiting to ambush us out in the marsh, had another group approach Morthal after we arrived, and had a third group waiting to intercept us on the road. None of these are coincidences at this point... somehow, Lord Grul knows where we're going before we do and he's playing some sort of sick game with us."
"Then how do we stop him?" Lydia asked, her hand moving to the battleaxe she had claimed as a prize.
"We find him and put him down." Sonata answered, because it was actually the only way that they'd be able to stop Grul... and whatever game he was playing.
As Kree and Lydia nodded they came to the sign that told them about a split in the path, to which they turned in the direction of Winterhold and continued moving. It wasn't long before they spotted what appeared to be a fort built into the mountain side, but as they approached they immediately noticed that whoever had been living there had already been slaughtered. There were signs of a struggle, but other than the dead mages it was impossible to tell who had attacked them... though Sonata had a feeling she knew who was responsible for this act.
They turned around the mountain side and spotted the College in the distance, but they easily spotted the smoke rising from it and knew that it was already under attack. Sonata ignored the tired feeling she had been having the entire time as she ran towards the already ruined city, following the trail of dead wildlife and bandits that brought her to their destination. It wasn't hard to spot the orcs at this point, mainly thanks to her armor, but as the three of them approached the back of the army Sonata quickly told her friends to use whatever they had left to get rid of their enemies.
Lydia pulled out her battleaxe and approached the back of the army, to which she tapped the first orc she came to on the should to get his attention. As the orc turned to face her, and the others around him followed suit, Lydia roared with all her might, using a tactic that only nords could use, and actually made some of them back off or run for a moment. It gave her and her friends enough time to move forward, to which Lydia swung her new weapon and took the head of an orc who was unaffected by her Battle Cry. As the orcs regained themselves and closed in on them Kree whipped out her arrows and started loosing them, making sure to either target the head area or the heart area.
Sonata, on the other hand, leapt over the orcs as she zeroed in on the stone bridge that was clearly falling apart, because she had seen several mages fighting orcs up there. As she got on the bridge she used her sword to cut off the hands of the orcs that swung at her, though at other times she had to blast several of them backwards with her slowly depleting magic. The woman at the sawmill had been right about the numbers, because there were at least thirty remaining enemies still trying to get all the way across the bridge. She pushed herself forward and kicked an orc as hard as she could, throwing him off of the bridge and sending him to his death below them.
"I'd ask if your a friend or foe, but now is not the time to do so," an elderly man said, summoning a fireball and blasting an orc back before it could hit Sonata, "That is also considering that your not attacking us at the moment. Oh, where's the Archmage when you need her the most?"
"I see the Dragonborn has come out to play as well," an orc said, to which Sonata recognized the voice of Aggronak as she turned to face the orc from her dream, "You weren't supposed to be here for another week, but it seems that even the Daedra are still trying to hide information from my Master... something that he'll have to correct. I'm sure that you are enjoying the destruction, but allow me to demonstrate a piece of my power."
A green fireball appeared in the orcs right hand, but instead of throwing it at Sonata he turned for a second and threw it at the College itself, where it expanded into a massive boulder and smashed through one of the supporting pillars on the outside. Before Sonata could react she found a fist in her face, knocking her to the ground as Aggronak stood above her, though he didn't seem to mind the old man and the other mages all that much.
"He would be annoyed if I brought him to you at this point in time," Aggronak commented, backing up for a moment as Sonata struggled to pick herself up, "I would have loved to destroy the entirety of this College, but we have completed the task that my Master has assigned to us... and we have some trophies to make up for not destroying this place. Remember your place, Mages of the College of Winterhold, because Lord Grul generously rewards those that work with him... and either enslaves or destroys those that oppose him."
Sonata groaned as she watched the army of orcs, how missing half of their number, retreat back the way they had came, though it wasn't actually a victory for her, her friends, or the mages. Aggronak, one of Lord Grul's top lieutenants, was watching his soldiers leave before departing himself, though he was leaving himself wide open to an attack. She moaned as she reached for her true power, ignoring the fact that her pendant was shattered at the moment, before she coughed up some blood for a few seconds and got onto her feet again. As she stood up she could feel the wind responding to her call, wrapping around her hands as she approached her target, who turned around not a moment later.
"And just what are you doing this time?" Aggronak asked, though he seemed amused that she was still trying to fight him as if there was a gap in their current level of power.
"Roaring... Cannon!" Sonata shouted, pressing the palms of her hands together, against Aggronak's chest no less, and released the wind in a blast that sent her target flying into the snow outside of Winterhold... before she collapsed on the bridge, "No doubt... he survived... that."
"You took care of him and that's what counts," the old man said, dropping to a knee as he helped Sonata back onto her feet, "Name's Tolfdir... who are you and your companions?"
"These are Kree... and Lydia," Sonata huffed, weakly pointing to her friends as they ran up the steps to join them, "I... I'm Sonata Dusk. You... you wouldn't happen... to know... Adagio or... Aria would you?"
"They told me and the Archmage that you'd be coming here in the future." Tolfdir said, smiling at her for a moment before noticing how tired she was, "Tell you what, when you've had some rest I'll answer any questions you have. Does that sound fair?"
"Yes... it does..." Sonata replied, before she closed her eyes and collapsed in Tolfdir's arms, though there was a small smile on her face as she realized that she'd get some answers at long last.
Tolfdir kept his smile on his face as he turned his gaze to the area that the orc had been blasted into, seeing the shadow of the orc who had led the attack on the College move away from the ruined city. He had no idea who this Lord Grul was supposed to be, though he knew that the orc was bound to torture the few instructors he had managed to get his hands on with this raid of his. Though he had heard rumors that the Dragonborn had appeared in Skyrim once more, to which he was glad that she had come here looking for answers when she did... otherwise he was sure that there would have been no one left to answer them if she had waited a few days or a week.
Lord Grul wanted something from the people he had captured, though whatever that something was Tolfdir had no idea... and he dreaded to wonder what the orc had planned at the moment. |
Sonata's Crazy and Wacky Adventure in Skyrim | 16: The Truth | When Sonata finally woke up she found that she had been tucked into a bed in what appeared to be an area made for students, because the bed across from her was messy and had a lot of books scattered about the place. She guessed that she and her friends had been given quarters where the new students slept, which meant that there might be some vacant positions in the College. She recalled the orcs that had attacked the College and how Aggronak had said that he had claimed some trophies to make up for not blowing the College sky high, which she assumed meant that some of the mages had been captured by her enemy.
She even found a bandage around the area that Aggronak had punched, recalling how the orc had taken one of her powerful spells to the chest and survived, though she knew that it was because she didn't have complete access to her true powers. She hated how powerless she felt without her true power backing her, though she also hated the fact that she wanted those powers to return to her at the moment. There were some good things that she could do with her powers and some bad things that she could do, so she guessed that if she ever got her powers back it would be up to whatever her mood was at the time.
"I see that you've woken up," a voice said, to which she spotted the old man from earlier, Tolfdir she recalled, standing at the edge of the small room she was in, "How are you feeling?"
"To be honest, I feel tired," Sonata replied, sighing as she looked around where Tolfdir was standing, "I... have not called on those powers in over a thousand years. Truth be told, I was actually worried that my attack wasn't going to work and that my opponent was going to walk out of the city without suffering any injuries."
"I have not seen someone command the wind like you can," Tolfdir commented, approaching the bed for a moment, "I'd love to ask you about the powers that you've mentioned, though I believe that you would want to speak with your friends before you started a lengthy explanation on what your powers do."
"My powers are a carefully guarded secret," Sonata replied, glaring at the old man for a moment as she sat straight up in the bed, "I would only reveal them to someone..."
"...baring this mark?" Tolfdir finished, removing a glove from his left hand and revealing a mark that looked like a trinity sign, though it was made up of crystals instead of circles... and had a swirl of magic around it with a pair of swords piercing its center.
"H... how did you come to bare that mark?" Sonata asked, as she recognized the mark as the one that she and her sisters used once upon a time, the magic and swords representing the Queen and her guards.
"I was told that you would recognize this mark," Tolfdir answered, covering the mark up a second later, "Adagio and Aria told me that to bear this mark meant that I was to be trusted with the knowledge of the Siren Queen's abilities and her true identity... without the fear of handing that information to our enemy."
Sonata stared at the old man for a moment, wondering what her sisters had seen in him to entrust the mark of the Siren Queen and some information to him, but she sighed a moment later. She pulled the covers off and gently pulled herself off of the bed, though as she did so she noticed that the old man moved to provide her with some aid. Together the two of them left the area that Sonata had woken up in and headed to what appeared to be the main building for the College, though they took their time considering how tired Sonata was. They passed by several mages along the way, each of them bowing their head to Tolfdir in respect, though one of them briefly paused by them and mentioned that they might be getting more mages in the future.
When they entered the main building Tolfdir had them take a left, to which they carefully walked up a flight of stairs until they stepped into a chamber that Sonata believed was where the Archmage was supposed to be residing. She instantly spotted Kree and Lydia standing near the tree in the middle of the chamber, though it took her a few seconds to realize that someone else was standing near them. This person was definitely the person in charge, considering that their robes were much more fancy than what Tolfdir and the others had been wearing, though when they turned around Sonata noticed that the person was wearing a mask of sorts.
"Archmage, this is Sonata Dusk," Tolfdir said, beckoning to Sonata before turning to his superior, "Sonata, this is Saerza, Archmage of the College of Winterhold."
"Which might have been destroyed if you hadn't arrived when you did," the Archmage said, removing the mask and revealing a cat like creature, a khajiit Sonata recalled, underneath, "For saving Tolfdir and the other professors, and not to mention the College, you have my thanks... Siren Queen."
Sonata caught her breath as she heard the khajiit speak, though as she waited she noticed that Saerza removed a glove from her left hand and revealed the same mark that Tolfdir bore. Considering that the Archmage knew the truth, and likely Tolfdir as well, she knew that it was time to tell her friends the truth about the Queen, because Kree seemed confused all of a sudden. There was one question she knew that she needed to ask before they got started, because this was something that she didn't want to repeat more than once.
"How many more bare that mark?" Sonata asked, wondering if these were the only two that her sisters entrusted this information to or if there were more she was unaware of.
"Just the two of us," Saerza replied, covering up her left hand again before beckoning Sonata over, "There's a bed around the corner, so why don't we sit you down there and then we can discuss whatever it is that you need to share with us. I'll also tell you how both Tolfdir and myself earned these marks, so that you know why your sisters trusted us so much."
Sonata sighed and followed the Archmage to the bed, though she immediately noticed that there were four chairs surrounding it and knew that she was going to have to tell them the truth. As she took her position on the bed she waited until her companions were in their seats before she even considered starting her tale, knowing that she was going to awaken many of her memories. There was only one thing that she wanted to know before she started her story, which is why she looked at the Archmage for a moment before saying anything.
"So, how did you meet my sisters?" Sonata asked, though based on what the vampires had told her she suspected that she already knew a part of the story.
"They came here searching for information on how to reforge their necklaces," Saerza replied, sighing as if she was recalling something, "though when we first met I was merely an apprentice and they were wanderers searching for answers. We first came into contact outside the College, where we each took a test that would determine if we were allowed entrance into the College... needless to say that we passed with flying colors. As we walked across the bridge I inquired about why they had come to the College of Winterhold, because I had come to study magic and learn some of the ancient secrets that were still lost to Tamriel, though that was when I learned about their shattered necklaces and the powers they were trying to restore.
Tolfdir and the other professors, not to mention the previous Archmage, could tell that they had power that currently untapped, so the three of us joined the other apprentices and we started studying magic. Aria was incredibly powerful in the art of using magic by itself, weaving together spells faster than any other mage I had seen... not to mention they were occasionally more powerful than they were supposed to be. Adagio proved to have an exceptional sword arm and a talent for enchanting items, in addition to her connection to magic that was almost identical to her sisters' control. We ventured into the nearby Saarthal and that was when we discovered that their power was definitely returning, because they were able to overcome the guardian at the end despite the fight he put up.
When I happened to save one of their lives inside Saarthal, by taking one of the nearly fatal attacks the guardian used against them, they not only healed me of my wounds, but they also gave me my mark. They asked me if I knew anything about the orc that called himself Lord Grul, though when I told them 'no' I was informed that he was an orc who desired to see the end of this world. Tolfdir and I learned that the powers that your sisters were using were only a fraction of their true powers, which they were trying to recover so they could put an end to their enemy before he brought an end to the world. We then learned that there was another Siren, one who was much stronger than they were and who, at the moment they informed us of her existence, back in another world besides Nirn.
They told me that if they were defeated, which they both deemed unlikely, then Lord Grul was going to try and call their Queen into Tamriel, which would reawaken the powers that had been sleeping for over a thousand years. They also said that, if this scenario was to occur, then we could expect to see the Siren Queen come to us for aid, whichever form it happened to take if she came to Skyrim. I tried to get all the information I could out of them, but they told me that only the Queen could tell me everything I wanted to know and that I'd have to wait for her arrival... I think you know where I'm going with this."
Sonata looked at the Archmage for a moment, piecing together the tale that she had weaved with what the vampires had told her, before sighing and making herself as comfortable as possible.
"Very well then, I guess I might as well start with the truth..." Sonata said, taking a breath as she readied herself, "I am Sonata Dusk and... and I am the Siren Queen. For realzies."
"Wait, but that means that those orcs are looking for you!" Kree commented, connecting the pieces together, "Lord Grul has been looking for you the entire time."
"We already knew that he was looking for me, but you didn't know the reason," Sonata replied, sighing as she leaned back, "I couldn't tell you that I was the Queen, not when I was sure that one of the Council of Three was a traitor that had to have sold my sisters out to our enemy. Before anyone asks, there are only three Sirens in existence. The term Siren Queen doesn't refer to being an actual Queen over a civilization, but rather the fact that I was more powerful than both of my sisters and their combined power."
"Just how powerful are you then?" Saerza asked, because she had seen Adagio and Aria's powers up close and wanted to know how much more Sonata had over them.
"Together they were one fifth of my total power," Sonata admitted, noticing the shocked looks that everyone wore, "but the problem with my power is that life started to become boring when I realize that I could easily overcome anyone and everyone that wanted to fight me, which was why I gave Adagio the power to make decisions in my stead. I let my sisters, who acted as my advisors and guards, make the decisions and I followed them, suffering through whatever consequences came when their plans failed. It eventually came to a point where we had to face off against Starswirl the Bearded, a powerful unicorn mage during our time in Equus, and we were banished from our home world."
"He must have been powerful to defeat the Siren Queen," Tolfdir commented, wondering how a lone mage could have pulled off such a feat, but considering what happened in the last few weeks he was inclined to believe that miracles were possible.
"I took no part in the fight, if I can be completely honest." Sonata replied, letting out another sigh, "He only faced Adagio and Aria, so when they lost the three of us were banished. When I had realized how powerful he actually was, to have the ability to face and defeat both of my sisters when it was two on one, I then wondered if he would have been a perfect sparing partner to get rid of my boredom... though now I guess we'll never know. I'm sure Starswirl died some years after we were cast out of Equus, though there might be a chance that he left a legacy that's as strong as he was."
"Can you explain all of your abilities to us?" Saerza asked, as she knew that there had to be something behind the Siren Queen's abilities that would want an orc like Lord Grul to act the way he was at the moment.
"No... that is something that I will not share at this time." Sonata answered almost immediately, because she wasn't sure that she could even call her former powers back into existence yet, "I know my sisters trusted the two of you, like I'm doing with Kree and Lydia, but there are some secrets that I must keep to myself at the moment..."
"Archmage! We've got a situation!" a voice called out, to which Sonata spotted an orc librarian enter the chamber, though she wondered if he had heard anything of what she had said, "That boulder that was thrown at the College yesterday is still burning... and its starting to change its shape."
"What?" Saerza asked, though as the word left her mouth she heard the sound of glass shattering and a door being torn from its holdings, to which she pulled her mask back on and approached the stairs.
Sonata looked at the khajiit for a moment, wondering how a flaming boulder could change its shape, but then sighed as she realized that this was likely her fault anyway. Grul was after her and her alone, and he was about to kill or capture anyone that dared to side against him and his seemingly endless horde of orcs. She decided that the Archmage shouldn't have to deal with her problems for her, so she climbed out of the bed and walked towards the stairs, ignoring the tired feeling that she had while she did so. She knew that her friends were walking behind her, including Tolfdir, and she knew that they would be there to assist her the moment something happened, but she planned on not needing help at the moment.
As she reached the lower level she spotted a creature that appeared to be made out of green flames and pure rock, though it was forced back through the ruined doorway by the Archmage. The instant Sonata stepped off the final step she noticed that the creature stopped looking at Saerza and was glaring at her, confirming that she was the target once more.
"That's what I thought," Sonata said, sighing as she called upon whatever magic she had left as the creature stood at its full height, "Well then, come and see if you can catch your target."
Sonata zipped behind it and forced it to turn around, but as it followed her around the courtyard she used the wind around her to carry her as if she was weightless. It was actually quite simple to avoid the creature's arms, which told her that the creature was designed for pure destruction and the death of anyone that crossed its path, but it was terrible at actually catching someone it was supposed to catch. She spent a good five minutes successfully avoiding the creature, though when it reached for her and touched the edge of her armor she decided that it was time to end this game.
She sailed to the upper walkway and forced the creature to stop in its tracks, but while she stared down at the strange creature she simply held a hand to the sky and called more of her magic to her. Clouds formed over the College as the wind responded to her call, to which she directed at the creature and lifted it off of the ground, which to the surprise of whoever was watching her. She held her hand parallel with the rocky creature for a moment, pondering what to do with it, before she grinned a bit and called upon the storm that the creature's flames were aiding. She directed the lightning at the creature's core and blew it wide open, allowing the charge to tear into it before it became completely lifeless.
Once that was done she used the wind and threw the corpse out into the water around the College, getting rid of the creature while confirming that some of her power had returned, but she was still lacking most of her formidable powers. She sighed and levitated herself back to where her friends were standing, knowing that they were going to have to resume their quest now that they had saved the College from Lord Grul. She hated the fact that they were going to have to go back to Delphine, but she was the only one who had any idea on what the dragons were doing... despite her error in thinking that the Thalmor were behind them.
She was sure that there was something much greater than some elves behind the return of the dragons, the sudden increased number of vampire attacks, and a group of cultists trying to get rid of her... and she'd get to the end of it all. And she would be sure to get rid of Lord Grul while she was at it.
Lord Grul stepped out of his hut and stared at the prize that he had sent two of his lieutenants, Gurgova the Heavy and Mag'zul the Sorcerer, to capture; a dragon. Truth be told he had been expecting some disaster to befall the soldiers that he had sent with his trusted lieutenants, though the report was that they had all survived the encounter and captured his prize. Thanks to the gemstones that contained Adagio and Aria he could keep constant taps on where his target was located, giving him time to plan his attacks to further her training until she was ready to submit to his rule. Adagio and Aria would hold out as long as they were able to, but he knew that they would fold the moment their precious Queen was under his control, giving him the power that he craved.
Now that he had a dragon they could begin breaking it in and making sure that it was prepared for a surprise visit, though Lord Grul knew exactly how to break the will of creatures that were rumored to have unshakable wills. Green flames danced around his arm as he approached the dragon, knowing it would take some time to break the creature and turn it to his own goals, but he knew that he had time to kill before his target was ready.
"Do not disturb me until Aggronak returns from Winterhold," Grul commanded the orcs around him, to which he received a sea of salutes and nods, "I have work that must be done."
He grinned as he stared at the dragon, knowing that the beast would prove to be a perfect test of the Dragonborn's abilities... once he was finished empowering the creature with the power that he wielded. |
Sonata's Crazy and Wacky Adventure in Skyrim | 17: Return to Sender | Sonata moaned as she packed up what meager belongings she had with her, but it wasn't because she was physically in pain from the walking she was doing at the moment. She had overexerted herself when she had crushed that fiery rock creature that Aggronak had left behind, straining what small amount of magic she still had access to at the moment. Despite her necklace being broken, the one item that allowed her to fully harness and control her true powers, she still had the ability to tap into her true potential, which had only been restored to her when she had entered Skyrim and had been forced to face the truth of who she was once more.
She had hated being the most powerful Siren of them all before their banishment, because it had brought her to a level of boredom that was the heart of all her problems, and she hated having to remember what she was, all thanks to the fact that one orc knew something that he couldn't have possibly known.
"I see that your preparing to leave," a voice behind her said, to which she turned around and found Saerza standing at the entrance to the room she had been given.
"I don't have much choice in the matter," Sonata replied, returning her sword to her belt before turning and facing the Archmage, "The longer I stay in one place the more likely that more of Grul's minions will come seeking my head, so I'm already putting everyone in the College and the surrounding area at risk by being here. Saerza, I appreciate you letting me and my friends stay here for a day, but I have to leave before more orcs show up looking for me... or worse Lord Grul himself."
"I honestly don't think that Lord Grul would show himself just yet," Saerza commented, watching Sonata as she finished gathering her items, "It seems like he's preparing for a war against both the Imperial Legion and the Stormcloaks... a war that might decide the fate of all of Tamriel in a single instant."
Sonata remained silent as she heard that statement, because she remembered the dream she had where she had seen Aria dressed in the mages robes that had brought her here. She had seen a massive portal, carved into the side of a mountain, that had an endless army of orcs pouring out of it, as if they had come to wage war in Grul's name. What Saerza would have made sense, but then Sonata recalled the figure that she couldn't make out, the one whose very presence set the sky on fire as if he was bringing an end to the world. She had no idea how to explain what she had seen to the Archmage, though she also suspected that if she told anyone about what she had seen they might consider that she was losing her mind.
With everything that was happening she sure felt like she was losing her mind, but she needed to get back on track and figure out what to do about the dragons that were attacking everyone.
"I must get back to Riverwood," Sonata eventually replied, heading out into the open area before slowly making her way to the entrance of the College, "I have too many enemies to deal with and not a lot to go on, so I must use every opportunity to make sure that Grul doesn't find me until I bring an end to his life."
"Then I shall join you in your quest to bring down Lord Grul," Saerza commented, pulling an epic looking staff from her robes and tapping it on the ground, "after all, I have a bone to pick with Aggronak for destroying part of the College and I have to figure out where he's taken the professors he took while I was away."
Sonata could feel the power of the staff that Saerza was holding, knowing that it had to be something ancient she had secured to save something from destruction. She was more concerned that the Archmage wanted to leave her College behind to deal with Lord Grul, especially after what had happened in the short time she had been gone. She actually considered telling Saerza no and leaving with her friends, but as the Archmage stood there she could feel the power resting inside her body radiate around them for a few seconds, as if she was actually trying to show her that she was determined to follow through.
Sonata sighed and nodded her head, knowing that there might very well be something that Saerza could aid her with... besides cutting down her enemies before they could reach her.
"Very well then, I accept your aid Archmage Saerza." Sonata replied, though she had the feeling that the Archmage would have followed her if she had declined, "I take it that your ready to go, considering that you are so determined to leave with us."
"That I am, Siren Queen." Saerza said, taking notice of the fact that Sonata disliked the use of the title she had tossed aside years ago, "My mistake then, I shall endeavor to stop using that title and start calling you by your actual title; that of the Dragonborn."
Sonata sighed once more as the two of them moved out into the entrance of the College, where she found Kree and Lydia waiting with their packs ready. They had noticed that she was going to depart soon, so they had gathered their own gear together and had prepared for when she was ready to leave. As the two of them approached Sonata's friends Kree looked at the Archmage for a moment, clearly wondering if there was something that neither she nor Lydia had been expecting.
"We've got another friend that wants to join us," Sonata said, basically summing up everything that had just happened, "Saerza wants to come along so she can get some much needed revenge on Lord Grul and his lieutenants."
"I imagine that many people across Skyrim are already thinking the same thing," Kree commented, knowing that there were people who had been wronged by Grul's forces and were likely wanting revenge on the person who had changed their lives, "the only thing we have to do is find a way to bring them all together so we can face our enemy. I take it that we are heading back to Riverwood to see what Delphine wants?"
"And to figure out why she thinks the Thalmor are behind the return of the dragons," Sonata confirmed, walking towards the bridge for a moment, "I just can't believe that there are dragons, cultists, and vampires that want me dead for all of their various reasons. There are too many enemies in Skyrim to deal with already... without taking Grul, his lieutenants and his army into account. We'll have to be careful as we return to Riverwood."
As it turned out there weren't any enemies that interrupted their trek back to Riverwood, giving Sonata time to pause every now and then to recover from her ordeal the previous day. She refused to believe that Lord Grul didn't have his spies watching her at every moment of the day, so they could accurately keep track of where she was and what she was doing for the people of Skryim. Every time she requested a break her friends, including Saerza, would make sure that there weren't any enemies in the surrounding area, to maximize the amount of time she could take before they had to get started again.
During their trek back to Riverwood Saerza told Sonata a little more about the time that she spent with Adagio and Aria, confessing her immense interest in their abilities and their undying loyalty to their sister. Sonata noticed that the Archmage went out of her way to make sure that she didn't refer to her as the title she wanted to bury, which showed that she respected her wishes.
Before they could reach their destination, however, Sonata spotted someone she wasn't expecting to see standing outside the small village; one of the vampires she had followed when she met with Movarth and his Council. She didn't know the vampire's name, they never had the chance to figure out what his name had been, but she was somewhat surprised to see him here anyway. This time he was dressed up in what Sonata assumed was glass armor, she had seen a piece of it in Movarth's lair in the form of a weapon, as if he was prepared for a fight of some kind. The instant he turned his head and spotted them he beckoned them over, though Sonata had to wonder if he had a message to deliver from the Council.
"Good, I was hoping to catch you before you entered the village," the vampire said, though it was clear that he didn't like being out in the sunlight, "I come bearing news from Lord Movarth; several of the vampires under Lady Vespula's command have betrayed her and joined with Lord Grul... and they're coming here with a force of orcs to burn the village to the ground."
"Great... just great," Sonata sighed, wondering why she couldn't seem to catch a break with Lord Grul's forces, "When are they supposed to arrive? I might have time to try and convince the villagers that they need to leave before the orcs arrive."
"I'm afraid that they'll be arriving in the next two hours..." the vampire said, causing Sonata to notice that the sun was slowly setting, indicating that night was reaching them and that the perfect time for a group of vampires to strike was coming, "For the foreseeable future I have been assigned to assist you in your endeavors, be they taking out the dragons or the orcs that are currently coming our way."
"Well, I'm glad to have you along for the ride as well, um..." Sonata replied, though she had to cut herself off because she had no idea what to call the vampire.
"I am Lorthan Bloodstrike," the vampire replied, bowing his head slightly as he took note of his new companions, "I see that you've also acquired the Archmage of the College of Winterhold as a companion... she'll be useful in the coming trials."
Sonata sighed and decided that, for the moment, that they had better set up camp further up the path that would take them to Bleak Falls Barrow, so that they might be able to figure out which direction their enemies were coming from. As they waited for night to fall upon them Lorthan introduced himself to the group and told them that he had been a vampire for about a hundred years, telling how he had been turned from a simple bosmer until his caravan had been attacked by vampires. He had fought them to the death, determined to take as many with them as he could before he died, but then he collapsed from exhaustion and awoke in the cave they had met Movarth. Despite his original disgust for what he had become, and all the evil deeds other vampires did, he grew to accept what he had become and had dedicated to riding the world of its true evils.
Sonata was glad to hear a little bit about their newest addition, because it gave her time to recover from the previous day and learn about who she was going to be traveling with. She even grinned when Lorthan expressed his opinion that Lady Vespula might not be totally loyal to the Council, because she had experienced the same thing when she was attacked by her underlings in Iverstead and then was they were proclaimed to be allies when the Council met in Movarth's cave.
When the sun finally set, and the shadow of night was upon them, Sonata immediately spotted several torches approaching the village, which had to be Grul's forces coming their way. She still couldn't believe that she was having to deal with the blasted orc again, not two days after her last encounter... leading her to believe that there was a motive behind everything that she wasn't seeing. She waited a few seconds for Lorthan to return to them, because the instant they spotted the direction the orcs were coming from he had gone to see how many of them there actually were. Sonata wanted to be prepared for their arrival, to which her friends all agreed that it was best to see exactly how many enemies they had to kill to save the village.
"Twenty orcs are coming our way," Lorthan commented, pulling out the glass sword he carried, though his gaze turned to the direction that Falkreath rested in, "from where the Guardian Stones are located. I take it our plan is to attack them before they reach the village and take them out, thus ensuring that our enemy doesn't ruin the lives of anyone else?"
"Correct," Sonata replied, pulling out her sword as her magic swirled around her hand, leading her to wonder how many she could slay with her magic before she would need to rest again, "let's show these orcs that they aren't welcome in Skyrim."
Sonata and her friends moved down the side of the mountain, being careful not to alert their enemies that they were coming, but judging by the noises the soldiers were making it was clear that none of the orcs had heard anything different. Sonata used that to her advantage as she leapt out of the shadows and ran her sword through one of the soldiers, tearing through his heart as the other nineteen noticed that they were under attack. Several arrows flew over the small river that she had crossed, puncturing the armor of the orcs that were standing the closest to Sonata, dropping one or two while the others picked themselves back up.
Saerza stood beside Kree as she loosed arrows at the orcs, but the Archmage summoned lightning into her left hand and pointed at an orc that was standing in the middle of the small army, to which she blasted him into the hill behind them. Lorthan appeared behind Sonata and slammed his weapon into one of the orcs, though he had to pull back and defend when their enemies realized what was actually happening at the moment. What the orcs didn't expect was Lydia attacking them from behind, because she roared with all her might and charged into their backs, slicing one enemy in half with her battleaxe before moving onto the next target.
One orc got lucky and smacked Sonata in the face with his fist, but where he was expecting her to simply lay on the ground she got back onto her feet and glared at the orc, ignoring the pain or the cut she had been given. Shadows swirled around her hand as she extended her left hand towards the orc, to which she allowed the shadows to swirl around him before she closed her palm and crushed him, armor and all, in an instant. She then turned towards her friends and watched as they cleared up the rest of their enemies, leaving her to wonder why they had suddenly encountered a weak group of orcs, when the others had been tougher to deal with.
"It seems that our enemy is just testing the strength of his army," Lorthan commented, immediately seeing something odd with the carnage, "maybe these ones lost their Lord's favor and the only way to earn it back was to destroy someone that's helping you... though how he could have figured that out is starting to worry me."
Sonata shared her friend's worry, because Lord Grul seemed to be one step ahead of them at every turn, almost as if he knew where they were going before Sonata could even determine that herself. She sighed and left Lydia, Saerza, and Lorthan to collect the bodies, take off anything that they could use, and then burn them away from the village, while she returned to the inn. She needed to hear what Delphine had to tell her, so she could figure out where they were going next in their quest to discover where the dragons were coming from. When she and Kree entered the inn they found Delphine standing near the door that led to her room, though while Sonata moved forward Kree remained by the door in the off chance that there were more enemies coming that none of them knew about.
"I've figured out how we're going to get you into the Thalmor Embassy," Delphine commented, once she and Sonata had reached the table in her secret area, "The Thalmor ambassador, Elenwen, regularly throws parties where the rich and connected cozy up to the Thalmor. I can get you into one of those parties. Once you're inside the Embassy, you get away and find Elenwen's secret files. I have a contact inside the Embassy. He's not up for this kind of high-risk mission, but he can help you. His name's Malborn. Wood elf, plenty of reason to hate the Thalmor. You can trust him. I'll get word for him to meet you in Solitude, at the Winking Skeever --- you know it? While you're doing that, I'll work on getting you an invitation to Elenwen's little party. Meet me at the Solitude stables after you've arranged things with Malborn. Any questions?"
"I still think you are insane about believing the Thalmor are behind the dragons," Sonata replied, sighing as she looked at the map once more, "but while I do this I need you to use whatever contacts you have and figure out where Lord Grul's base of operations is, or where my sisters Adagio and Aria are. I need to make sure that they're safe before my enemy finds them... and Delphine, I'd suggest that you not argue with me and get started. Lord Grul is on the move with whatever he's planning, and I would like to finally get one step ahead of him."
She left Delphine standing there, not bothering to stay behind and speak with the woman because she knew that she would only be asked about the Siren Queen once more. She didn't trust Delphine enough to trust her with such important information, despite all the measures she went through to keep herself hidden from her own enemies. She also knew that she needed to focus on figuring out where the dragons were coming from before she could do anything else, but that didn't stop her from wanting to be prepared for when it came time to confront Grul.
Though as she walked back to where Kree was standing she had to wonder where Adagio and Aria had disappeared to, and why no one seemed to know anything else besides the fact that they had gone to the College some time ago. Something strange was going on at the moment, and she was determined to figure out what that something was... before someone ended up getting hurt. |
Sonata's Crazy and Wacky Adventure in Skyrim | 18: More Dang Vampires | Sonata and her friends had the inn to themselves for the night, as Delphine and her assistant Orgnar allowed them to spend the night before they headed to Solitude in the morning. Sonata liked it that the former Blade was so willing to assist them at the moment, though she had to wonder if some of her power had exerted itself on the lady when she told her to search for Lord Grul. Her friends were thankful for the place to spend the night, so they didn't have to be out in the wilderness with Grul's orcs out and about doing whatever their master had told them to do next. None of them wanted to run into a group of orcs and have to get into a fight, in the middle of the night no less, despite their ability to deal with any threats they might face.
Sonata still found it strange that she and her friends had likely killed thirty or forty of Grul's men at this point, but there didn't seem to be an end to the amount of enemies they had to fight. She had seen an endless army of orcs walk out of a portal in her dreams, something she knew had not yet come to pass because the sky hadn't been set on fire or anything else she had seen in her dream. She also considered that maybe her enemy had conquered the lands of the orc before coming to Skyrim, hence the seemingly large number of enemies that she had her friends had to get rid of.
"So, is it true that our enemy is searching for something called the 'Siren Queen'?" Lorthan asked, merely because he was still confused as to what the orc was trying to do, "And, if that's what he's looking for, then why does he keep coming after you, Sonata?"
Sonata looked at Kree, Lydia, and Saerza for a moment, wondering if it was a good time to tell their companion the truth, but with Delphine hanging nearby she knew that it wasn't the time. She sighed and knew that she'd have to tell him something, otherwise she was sure that he would ask again and again until he had some decent answers to his questions.
"Yes, Lord Grul is looking for something called the Siren Queen," Sonata answered, rubbing the side of her head so the memories didn't come flooding in and ruin her mood, which her closest friends seemed to understand the gesture as her trying to stop a headache from overtaking her, "though we have no idea who that person is or where she might be at this very moment. As for why he's actively hunting me... well, I am the Dragonborn and it is generally the duty of such a hero to remove the evils of the land before they become a problem. He's making sure that everyone that can stand against him will be taken care of before he moves forward with whatever his evil plans are... whatever those happen to be."
She didn't want to say that she had seen the destruction of Skyrim in her dreams, something that would be sure to set off her friends as well and she didn't want a panic to start. There was enough to worry about thanks to the dragons, the increasing amount of vampires, and the cultists that wanted to eliminate her before she found someone called Miraak. She knew that she would have to deal with all of them at some point in the future, but she wondered if taking out Lord Grul might be in her best interests... considering that she was finding his forces everywhere she went in Skyrim.
"I see," Lorthan replied, sighing as he looked into the fire that they were sitting around, "None of the Council of Three has been able to figure out what Grul is doing, besides being a nuisance to the Stormcloak Rebellion and the Imperial Legion. I've already shared my suspicions that Lady Vespula might not be on our side, despite the fact that I have no evidence that she might have betrayed us, but its better to be open in this uncertain time. There's no telling whose an ally and whose an enemy anymore, not when Lord Grul might have the ability to corrupt people with the temptation of incredible powers."
"We need to take him out, before he goes to war with all of Skyrim," Delphine commented, adding her little bit into the conversation, though it was clear that she wasn't aware of the full extent of what their enemy was even capable of at the moment, "You need to get to Solitude as fast as possible... once the sun is up anyway."
Sonata sighed and stared at the fire, wondering what it would take to eliminate Lord Grul from Skyrim... though as she thought about it she glanced at her hand and remembered her true power, something that might very well be the key to ending the threat that Grul posed on everyone in the world.
Another hour passed before the five of them turned into the various beds for rest, though Lorthan remained outside the inn to keep watch for any threats that might be coming towards the small village. Lydia sat in one of the chairs and claimed that it would be the best bed for her, while Saerza and Kree shared the bed in the other room that was next to where Sonata would be resting. Sonata laid her head on her pillow and knew that the morning would bring something eventful in their lives, though she hoped that it would be a normal venture to Solitude and that they wouldn't have any problems getting there.
This time when she dreamed she appeared in the past, back when she and her sisters were in Equus, though this time she was resting in a cave that only she knew about... or that she had been the only one that knew about it until a certain day arrived. This cave was well hidden from the general public, as it had been built into the mountainside near the beach she usually rested on, though her magic allowed her to hide it from both her sisters and most unicorns. Because of the fact that many couldn't find the cave she had the opinion that no one, save for the alicorn sisters and their most powerful mages, could find out where she was resting at the moment.
When Sonata reflected on this event she had to mentally chuckle to herself, because she had been so naive to believe that she could have kept the cave a secret from the first pony she came to respect, despite what had happened between them later in life.
"So, you are the creature whose magical energy I have felt over the last seven days," a voice said, causing her to turn her head towards the entrance and spot a unicorn standing before her, though the robes and bells revealed that this had to be the one that she had been told about earlier, "I must say, you are definitely more impressive face to face than what I made you out to be in my head."
"Starswirl the Bearded... flattery will get you nowhere with me," the Queen replied, turning her full attention to the stallion as he approached her, more in interest than anything else.
"I didn't expect it to, so I merely made an observation," the unicorn commented, looking around the cave for a moment before turning his head back to her, "Tell me, when was the last time you walked among ponies? A month ago? Half a year ago? Maybe even a year ago?"
"I've never walked among ponies before in my life," the Queen answered, glaring at the stallion for a second, trying to figure out why he would ask such a silly question to begin with.
"So that means that there are at least three of your kind near the settlement," Starswirl said, a small smirk appearing on his face, "I noticed two other creatures, both with magical energies that are identical to your own, walking through the settlement a few days ago, looking around as if they were studying the way it had been built. Originally I thought that they might be visitors from one of the other villages in the surrounding area, but the necklaces they wore, with a ruby pendant, told me that they were different from the ponies I was living with. I studied them from afar as they studied the settlement, only to come to the conclusion that they were taking orders from someone and that, in turn, lead me here."
"Congratulations, Starswirl the Bearded, you've found the secret hiding place of the Siren Queen," the Queen replied, mentally screaming to herself that both Adagio and Aria had been found out by the stallion she had sent them to spy on, "Now, leave me to my rest... before I blast you into the wall and leave your body imprinted there."
"I have no doubt that you would try that, but I did not come here to fight you," Starswirl commented, causing the Queen to raise an eyebrow, "I came to invite the leader of the ponies I noticed to a stroll through the settlement, so she can get to know her neighbors... though you'd have to shrink to a more suitable size."
The Queen stared at Starswirl for a moment, studying the stallion to see if he was actually being serious or if he was pulling her tail, before she started to chuckle. She had sent Adagio and Aria to study Starswirl, because he was all that she was interested in, but they had, in a strange twist of fate, alerted the stallion and had brought him to her. Her magic began to gather around her, though instead of striking the stallion where he stood, which she suspected might begin a battle that might end in a draw, she began to shrink in size as her body changed shape. She had long since wondered what it would be like to walk among ponies, so she had created a form that she had figured that she would never use for as long as she existed.
An arctic blue coated mare, with a light blue and dark blue colored mane and tail, appeared where the Queen had been standing, though she wore the same pendant the other Sirens wore and had a musical note as her Cutie Mark.
"I shall take you up on your offer, Starswirl the Bearded," the Queen replied, her voice toned down to fit a normal mare's voice, though she had aimed at the younger sounds instead of going for an older voice.
"And what would I call you by, instead of using the title of the Siren Queen?" Starswirl asked, which made the Queen see the error in creating the form to begin with, "Hmm... I see you don't have a name for this form. How about Sonata Dusk?"
"That... is agreeable," the Queen replied, a smile appearing on 'Sonata's' face as she trotted up to the stallion.
Together the two of them left the cave and ventured to where the settlement laid, to which Sonata began the process of removing herself from her past so she could return to the present.
Sonata sighed as she pulled herself from her dream, not wanting to see anymore of what she and Starswirl had done after he had found out her hiding place. He was one of the few ponies that she had respected, until Adagio and Aria forced his hoof and had the three of them banished to a world that had no magic. Despite what Adagio and Aria believed, and they were set on the fact that she and Starswirl had been bitter enemies, Sonata had actually developed a friendship with the stallion. She had tried, at one point before their banishment, to help him develop several spells that might actually bridge the gap between the Sirens and the ponies, but that was in the past and she was forced to live with what was happening to her.
Speaking of which she pulled herself out of the bed she was sitting in, her mind returning to her being worried if they would be able to make it to their destination without Lord Grul attacking them... again anyway.
"I managed to have a carriage come by the inn and pick the five of you up," Delphine told her as she walked out of her room, spotting her companions getting ready for the journey, "you should be able to arrive in Solitude by late evening at the earliest, but you might be able to reach the city faster if your lucky."
Sonata merely nodded her head and had some of the breakfast that had been prepared before she had awoken, though her mind was on the fact that she had dreamed of Starswirl for the first time in almost a thousand years. She had bottled up her past self the moment she and her sisters had been banished, though now everything was slowly returning to the surface once again. She noticed that her friends noticed that there was something different about her, though as she turned her gaze back to her hand she summoning a small spark of lightning for a few seconds. She also noted that the longer she stayed in Skyrim the more power she regained, which would make it easier to deal with her enemy when the time came.
When she finished with the meal she gathered her weapon and rejoined her friends, to which they left the inn and spotted the carriage that Delphine had promised them would be there. The driver stared at them as they climbed onto the back of the carriage, though once they were on board they began their journey towards Solitude.
The driver apparently had been told to avoid any of the cities besides their destination, because they bypassed Falkreath altogether and used the road that went around it. They didn't go into the Reach, mainly because their driver mentioned that he didn't want to be ambushed by the Forsworn that called the area home, so they went through the area of Rorikstead instead. Once they passed through the small settlement they came to an area that was inhabited by bandits, to which Sonata growled and used another element, that of wind, to blast every bandit away from the carriage. She didn't want them to be delayed by the enemies that rested along the road, so blowing them backwards was about the only thing she could do at the moment.
When they finally reached the stables of Solitude, roughly halfway through the afternoon, Sonata noticed a large force standing before the gates of the city, though none of the soldiers looked like the Imperials, the Stormcloaks, or even the Orcs. They found a large group of vampires standing before the gates, though by the look on Lorthan's face Sonata could tell that it wasn't one of the Council of Three that was behind this. She knew of one other powerful vampire that had the ability to pull something like this off, which told her that Lord Harkon had grown tired and was now attacking people for fun.
"Kill these invaders," Sonata growled, lightning crackling around her left hand as the vampires turned towards where they were standing, to which she leveled her hand with one of them and struck him with a lightning bolt.
Lyda roared and charged forward, swinging her battleaxe as cutting one of the vampires in half before turning towards another target, which Kree stayed at the back and used her arrows to take out the enemies that lingered in the back. Saerza summoned flames into her hand as she approached the vampires and charred the arms of those that attacked her, opening the way for Lorthan to cut them down while they were distracted by their injuries. Sonata stayed at the front and struck at whoever came at her, with either her lightning or her sword, though she also had to dodge the attacks that they threw her direction.
One of them reached for her and tried to smack her with his weapon, but Lydia leapt in front of the weapon and slammed the vampire into the ground, though Sonata kept the enemy alive as her friends tore apart the rest of them.
"Who sent you to destroy Solitude?" Sonata asked, pressing her sword against the vampire for a moment, "Who do you work for?"
"Lord Harkon... has signed... your death warrant," the vampire coughed, blood erupting from his mouth as did so, "We have orders... to capture you alive... and turn you over to... He who wants you. Then this world... will burn..."
Sonata growled and drove her sword into the vampire's chest, making sure to burn the body to ashes once she was done with him before turning to her friends. Lord Grul might not have personally sent the vampires to destroy Solitude, but he was apparently allied with the vampire lord that had sent them. The Council of Three was going to be interested in hearing that Harkon had betrayed the whole of Nirn, though Sonata really could care less about whatever he had been promised in exchange. Once she was done with the black dragon, and had stopped the dragons from destroying the world, she was going to track down Lord Harkon and kill him like the dog he was.
Then, once Harkon and whoever sent the cultists were dead, she would turn her attention to Lord Grul and show him just how unwise all of his actions were. And then she'd rescue her sisters, wherever they were. |
Sonata's Crazy and Wacky Adventure in Skyrim | 19: Shock at the Party | "Did... did that vampire say that Lord Harkon has betrayed us?" Lorthan asked, staring at the ashes that had once been a vampire, while trying to understand what he had heard before the enemy had died.
"He did," Sonata replied, sighing as she tried to calm herself down, but she was finding it increasingly hard to do so after discovering that a supposed ally to the Council of Three had betrayed all of them, "Now I'm going to have to kill him as well... if only so I can have some peace before the next foe comes knocking at my door."
"Maybe we can talk with General Tullius and Captain Pelena while we're in Solitude." Kree commented, eying the gate that would lead them into the city, as if she was expecting it to open and reveal the two Imperial soldiers she had named, "We might be able to acquire their help in tracking down Lord Grul, and his annoying lieutenants for that matter, so was can properly devise a plan to remove them all from play. Who knows, maybe they have a clue that we haven't discovered yet and that, in turn, might actually lead us to the destruction of one of Grul's subordinates."
Sonata hadn't thought about Captain Pelena since they went their separate ways after the destruction of Helgen, though she had been busy after she discovered that she was Dragonborn. She would have thought it was strange that there weren't more Imperial or Stormcloak patrols around Skyrim, but considering that Grul had his forces moving everywhere she knew that it had to be hard keep soldiers alive with how many orcs there were. She actually had to wonder if Ulfric had sided with Grul as well, but after a few seconds into that thought she immediately discarded it from her mind. Ulfric hated anyone that wasn't a nord, that much she could tell from a single glance, so it made sense that he would turn down the orcs and fight against them.
As she turned to the gate, however, she found that a large group of Imperial soldiers were now standing around them with their swords and shields pointed at them, intending to keep them in one spot. She seriously hoped that they hadn't been corrupted by their enemy and were tasked with bringing her to Grul, though she did keep Lydia from attacking them before she got them into trouble.
"Do all of you have a death wish?" a familiar voice called out from behind the soldiers, one that Kree smiled at hearing once again, "That's the Archmage of the College of Winterhold that you're pointing your weapons at. She'd kill you all in a heartbeat and leave the ground littered with your corpses. Lower your weapons before she takes offense."
The soldiers looked at each other for a few seconds before they lowered their weapons and parted for whoever had spoken, though Sonata smiled when she spotted Captain Pelena, dressed in her proper armor once more, walking their way. Walking behind the Captain was someone that Sonata had never seen before, though judging by the expression on Kree's face she knew that someone in her group knew who was coming towards them. Pelena and the newcomer stopped before the five of them, though it was a few seconds before she actually looked at them after making sure none of the soldiers tried to attack anyone.
When Pelena was sure that everything was fine, and that her soldiers were going back to what they were doing, she approached Kree and threw her arms over her, embracing her like the old friend that she was.
"I was wondering when you were finally going to show up Kree," Pelena commented, a hint of relief in her voice, "I thought that you were going to warn Jarl Balgruuf about the dragon and then come straight here, but the days slowly passed and you never showed up. Legate Rikke told me that you might have died on the trek to Solitude, but I kept telling her that you would eventually show up... though I never imagined that you would bring the Archmage of Winterhold to our fair city."
"What about bringing the Dragonborn?" Kree asked, beckoning to Sonata as Pelena let go of her.
"Your joking..." Pelena said, looking at Sonata for a moment, but then she chuckled to herself for a moment, "No, you would never joke about something as serious as the Dragonborn of legend... and considering the rumors of a young warrior fighting against both Lord Grul and the dragons, traveling with a nord and an argonian, its not that hard to believe. You know, let's take this inside... where there are less enemies that might be waiting to snatch a piece of information to take back to their masters."
The seven of them ventured into the city, where they noticed a various amount of soldiers walking around and taking down defenses that Sonata assumed had been because of the vampires. Some of the soldiers seemed annoyed that they had been robbed of an opportunity to protect their city and kill some of the invaders, though Sonata noticed that many of the others were pleased that they didn't have to fight them at all. Several of the guards saluted them as they passed, though as they entered the main castle that the Imperials used as their base of operations Sonata noticed that General Tullius was standing over a map of Skyrim and had barely noticed them enter the building.
When the General did finally look up and notice them standing there he seemed surprised to see that Pelena and Rikke had brought some company with them, though he smiled as he noticed who was there.
"Kree, Sonata Dusk, its good to see the both of you again," the General said, beckoning everyone inside the room where he planed out his attacks across the whole of Skyrim, while the guards exited the building to give them so space, "I see that you brought along the Archmage... we may have some need of her power in the future."
"Is something wrong?" Kree asked, worried that the General might have found something about Lord Grul that would change everything that the five of them had been doing up until this point.
"We're not entirely sure yet," Tullius replied, sighing as he picked up one of the latest reports and handed it to Kree, knowing that her opinion on what the parchment revealed was always good to have, "Several of my scouts have searched the entirety of the Reach, searching for Ulfric's forces, but all they were able to find were charred campgrounds that had burned corpses scattered everywhere. At first they assumed that the Forsworn had gotten to the Stormcloaks first, but they also noted the strange green fire that was still burning when they arrived at the various camps. Its almost as if our latest enemy, the orc called Lord Grul, is resting in that area and silenced anyone he felt was a threat before they could report where he was located."
Sonata doubted that, if that was the case, that the orc would have let the scouts live with the information that they had, so she had to wonder what was actually going on in the Reach.
"That being said, there was one other thing several of my scouts noticed," Tullius continued, sighing for a moment, as if he couldn't believe what he was about to tell them all, "I've gotten reports of a eerie dark green dragon, darker than the flames that I mentioned, flying around the Reach and the immediate areas around it, burning whatever it chooses before disappearing. We're not sure if the dragon is associated with Grul, but if that orc does have a dragon in his army we might not be able to survive when it comes time for the eventual clash between us and them."
"Well, we've got someone who can deal with that dragon," Kree commented, beckoning to Sonata for a moment, to which Tullius raised an eyebrow in confusion, "Sonata's the Dragonborn, and its her destiny to stop the dragons before they do whatever they're trying to do."
Sonata knew that Kree wouldn't spill the beans about what she actually was, though that didn't stop her from breathing a sigh of relief all the same. She trusted General Tullius and Captain Pelena, but the fewer people that knew about the Siren Queen the better off she would be in the end. She still had no idea how her enemy, Lord Grul, had managed to figure out what she truly was, when the only people who had known the truth had been her sisters.
"The Dragonborn?!" Tullius remarked, looking over Sonata for a moment, as if he was trying to decide something, "You know, when Kree told us that she saw something special inside you I was assuming that she saw some sort of warrior that would change the tide of this war with the Stormcloaks. I never would have guessed that what she had seen inside you was actually the potential to become the nord's Dragonborn of legend, though this means we have a chance at stopping the dragons before they can join our enemies."
"Look, I hate to kill the mood, but there's something we need to do before more enemies show up at the gates," Sonata said, causing the three Imperial soldiers to turn to her for a moment, "I'm supposed to be meeting someone at the inn soon, while the person's partner secures an invitation for me to attend Elenwen's next party. I just need to figure out what the Thalmor know about the dragons returning, though I have the feeling that they're in the dark like the rest of us are."
"And then you'll put a stop to the dragons?" Tullius asked, as if he had ignored the part where she was going to basically steal information from the Thalmor.
"Yes... and then I'll figure out how to stop the dragons from destroying Nirn," Sonata replied, heading to the door of the building before another thought entered her mind, "...provided Lord Grul doesn't wage full on war with us before then. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go prepare for what I assume is going to be a long night."
Finding the elf that Delphine had mentioned had been quite easy, as he had been sitting in a corner at the local inn the entire time, though getting him to believe that she was actually who Delphine was talking about was another matter. He remained unconvinced that Sonata would be able to make it through the Thalmor Embassy without being discovered, though she honestly didn't care if he had so little faith in her abilities. In the end Malborn decided it wasn't worth risking his neck out for someone he had so little faith in, even though it was Delphine asking him to do it, so Sonata merely sighed and left the inn.
"I told her this was a stupid idea," Sonata sighed, walking out of the inn with her friends, two of which looked like they were ready to charge into the building and butcher the elf if she even uttered the command to do so, "and even Malborn agrees with me... so now I guess its time to do things my way."
"And what way would that be, my Thane?" Lydia asked, her hand moving to the battleaxe for a moment, as if she believed that there would be a fight between them and the Thalmor, "Are we going to rush in and fight?"
"No... I'm going to ask nicely and see if I can't get Elenwen to open up to me," Sonata replied, pausing as she noticed the silence around her, to which she discovered that her friends were staring at her as if she had lost her mind, "What? Its better than being invited to a party and gaining the ire of the Thalmor, all for information that they might not even have at the moment."
"Delphine's not going to like this," Kree commented, knowing that they were literally out of options at the moment, but she truly didn't want Sonata to resort to using her Siren powers to get them what they needed.
"I don't like it either, but we really don't have a choice in the matter," Sonata said, stepping outside the city once more as they headed to the stables, where she suspected that they would find Delphine waiting for them, "Personally, I would rather have this one woman mad at me than the entirety of the Thalmor, because with Lord Grul running around its better to have more allies than enemies."
They found Delphine standing near the stables, at the base of a windmill, though it was pretty clear that she was, once again, annoyed about something.
"Ah, I was wondering when you'd show up," Delphine commented, as the five of them gathered around her, "I've sent out requests to my various assistants to see if they have any information about this Lord Grul you mentioned, so I should be hearing from them in a day or two. However, something was delivered to the inn shortly after you left and I've been wondering how you managed to get one of them."
Delphine reached into her bag and pulled out a letter, which she handed to Sonata, who discovered that it was an invitation to the party that was supposed to be happening soon.
"How'd you do it?" Delphine asked, glaring at Sonata for a moment, "How did you manage to get Elenwen to provide you with an invitation to her party?"
"I... I don't know," Sonata admitted, though a smile appeared on her face as she answered, "but this does make things easier. She's expecting me to show up, so it'll be easier to simply ask her a few questions, enjoy the party for a few minutes, and then exit when an opportunity presents itself. Then, once I'm back, we can discuss what our next step is."
Delphine merely sighed as Sonata handed her gear over to her friends, knowing that she couldn't go to a party armed to the teeth, before going behind the windmill and slipping into the party outfit that Delphine had handed her. Once she looked the part of a party guest, and everyone nodded in satisfaction, she climbed onto the carriage that was waiting nearby and began the journey up to the Embassy. She remained silent as she slowly rode up the side of the mountain, following a path that had been put into the ground, as there wasn't much to say to the driver on the way up.
When she finally arrived at the Embassy she leapt out of the carriage and approached the building's entrance, ignoring the man that was clearly a drunk and handing her invitation to the guard, before she was beckoned to move inside. She barely looked at the other guard as she entered the building, where she noticed an elven lady that had an air of authority around her, to which Sonata assumed that it was none other than the host.
"Welcome. I don't believe we've met." the lady said, bowing her head ever so slightly as Sonata approached her, which she respectfully returned, "I am Elenwen, the Thalmor Ambassador to Skyrim. And you are?"
"Sonata Dusk," Sonata replied, a smile appearing on her face for a brief moment, "I'm the latest Dragonborn. I believe you sent an invitation inviting me to the party."
"Ah yes, your the one that a certain enemy of mine is dead set on capturing alive," Elenwen commented, beckoning Sonata to follow her for a moment, "Come, let us retire to my office so we can speak freely... where we won't be bothered by people who might sell whatever we talk about to the highest bidder."
Sonata nodded and followed Elenwen through the Embassy, ignoring the guards the entire time as she looked for something that was out of place... something that might tell her if she was walking into a trap of some kind. She was being careful this time, as someone she had thought was an ally turned out to be an enemy that wanted to bring about the end of Nirn. When they exited the main building they came into a courtyard area that connected to another building, but as they left the first structure Sonata noticed that there was something wrong; all the guards that were supposed to be outside were all dead.
Sonata also noticed a patch or two of the green flames that she had seen in her dreams, the same ones that were associated with Lord Grul and whoever his foul master was... which meant that the Thalmor had a traitor in their mist.
"I don't understand what's going on," Elenwen said, staring at the bodies of her dead soldiers, not understanding that one of her own had betrayed her, "the other guards should have noticed that something was wrong the moment they came out to do their rounds. Why haven't I been told about this until now?"
"I don't know, but whoever betrayed you is still here," Sonata replied, beckoning to the building that they originally were heading towards, where she had spotted a shadow moving passed the windows, "Though judging from the flames it seems that whoever it is has to be allied with Lord Grul... which means I'm going to kill them, regardless of who they are."
Elenwen seemed taken aback by the fact that Sonata would kill anyone who was allied with the orc that threatened the safety of the world, though she also appeared to understand that Grul had to be stopped at all costs. As they entered the second building Sonata noticed three more corpses laying on the ground, more guards judging by the armor they wore, as well as a nord that had been cut open. She spotted an open door and made a motion for Elenwen to be quiet, so she could ambush whoever was in the room, though she could tell that the altmer was switching from being offended by the command to wanting to see who had betrayed her.
"You have done well in leading groups of your own order to be killed, Rulindil, a voice said, one that made Sonata pause for a moment, because she could have sworn that it sounded like Lord Grul, "and you have performed your duties in keeping an eye on our... target. Aggronak has informed me that she is currently somewhere in the vicinity of Solitude, as she and her group of troublesome friends have put a stop to Harkon's attack on the city. You wouldn't happen to know where she is, would you?"
"As we speak she is walking through the streets of Solitude, unaware that someone is watching her every step," a second voice said, one that Sonata assumed was Rulindil's, "I assume that your plan is on schedule?"
"Yesss," Lord Grul said, stretching the word for a moment, as if to make a point that only he knew about, "My present is heading to Solitude as we speak... where it will rain death and destruction upon the Imperials that have sided with the Dragonbo... wait a second, there is someone else in the building with you!"
"Impossible! I killed everyone before making contact..." Rulindil said, though he appeared to cut himself off as he opened the door and spotted Sonata and Elenwen standing there, "Oh... well this sucks..."
Sonata roared and extended her hand towards the elf, magic pulsing around her as she summoned a powerful charge of lightning that struck the elf in the middle of his chest. Rulindil went sailing into the room he had been standing in, crashing into the wall and knocking several of the items off the shelves that they were resting on, though Sonata could tell that he had survived the strike and was going to die in a matter of minutes. She turned towards where she assumed Lord Grul had been standing, only to find that Rulindil had been speaking to a dark green orb the entire time, one that showed Lord Grul's face before he disappeared completely.
She extended her hand again, though this time the shadows gathered around the orb and formed a case around it, before she collapsed her hand into a fist and crushed the orb like it was made of glass.
"Hehe... run while you can... Dragonborn..." Rulindil coughed up, causing Sonata to look at him once more, just as he coughed blood up, "Lord Grul's present... the Felblood... Dragon... comes for you... and for... Solitude..."
Sonata growled and extended her hand towards the elf once more, using the power of lightning to forever silence another one of Grul's underlings before she burned the body like all the others. She had no idea what this 'Felblood Dragon' that Rulindil had mentioned was, but she had the feeling that she was going to have to fight it before she left the city behind. She sighed, because her life was apparently going to get much worse before it got better. |
Sonata's Crazy and Wacky Adventure in Skyrim | 20: The Felblood Dragon | "I can't believe that Rulindil would betray me, betray the Thalmor, like this," Elenwen commented, pressing one hand to her head as she dealt with a headache that was the result of everything she had discovered, "He's quite lucky that you destroyed him in such a swift manner... I would have made him suffer for his transgressions."
Sonata glanced back at the altmer for a moment, wondering if she should say something to her about what had happened, before she sighed and returned to her search for information that regarded one elf betraying his entire kind to her enemy. It pained her to see that Lord Grul was able to corrupt so many people into doing whatever he willed, because at this point the only hope for those that turned was a swift death. She longed for the days where she and her sisters lived in Equus, back when everything was peaceful and they had yet to be banished by Starswirl the Bearded, but she knew that she had a duty to protect the people of Skyrim from whoever wanted to destroy the world.
It also annoyed her that Rulindil had basically burned and scrapped every piece of paper that detailed everything that his master had told him, once again leaving Sonata in the dark as to what her enemy was doing.
"Damn it all to Tartarus," Sonata snapped, slamming the chest she was looking in shut, "He's gone and left nothing on his movements, save for a clue that something's coming to raze Solitude to the ground. I had better get down there and mobilize the guards, otherwise we might not see this thing coming until its too late to stop it from reaching the city."
"And how do you propose that you'll get down the mountain?" Elenwen asked, knowing that she would have to trek through the Embassy, and the party, before heading down the mountainside, "You'll eventually have to alert those that are at the Embassy as to what is going on. Its something that you cannot avoid."
"That is where you would be wrong," Sonata commented, placing a hand on the wall she had knocked Rulindil into, rubbing the scorch marks for a bit, "I've always have a way to get to my destination... I just need to use a little magic and I'll be on my way."
Instead of blasting a hole in the wall, which was what she assumed Elenwen believed she was going to do, Sonata walked outside and stared at the sky for a moment, a smile appearing on her face as she noticed the black clouds forming overhead. She called her magic into her left hand and held it towards the sky, allowing the energy around her to hum for a moment as she worked her spell into existence. The last time she had used this spell she had been back in Equus, but she remembered how to work the spell as if she had learned it not a few hours ago. Not many ponies had ever seen her travel in this method before, save for Starswirl the Bearded, so she hoped that Elenwen considered herself lucky that she was allowing her to watch what was happening.
She was going to call forth the storm and ride the lightning itself back to Solitude, though if she angled it right she would land right outside the area where she left her friends and Delphine.
The instant the storm hit the area round her Sonata disappeared, flying into the sky with her powers as she angled her course for the city that was resting below her. She waited a few seconds inside the storm, making sure that she had used the spell right, before she turned towards the stables outside the city. She was glad to see that Delphine and her friends were still sitting outside the mill, because as she neared the city she angled bolt of lightning towards them and struck the ground close to the stables. When she landed she dusted herself off and noticed that the lightning had wrecked the party clothes she was wearing, thanks to the tears that were everywhere, before she sighed and headed up the hill.
"Guys... we've got a problem coming our way," Sonata said, causing her friends to turn to her for a moment, though Delphine looked annoyed once more, "one of the Thalmor betrayed the rest of his kind and sold them out to Lord Grul, but that's not the worst part. There's something called the Felblood Dragon coming our way."
"Wait... so Lord Grul managed to corrupt a dragon?" Kree asked, shock filling her eyes for a moment as she handed Sonata her gear, "As if the return of the dragons wasn't enough, now our enemy can turn dragons against us and control their minds?"
"And its on its way here," Sonata said, slipping into her normal armor before she discarded the clothing Delphine had given her, "Kree, we need to tell the guards that there's a dragon coming this way. Maybe we can set up some sort of defense before it..."
That was before a roar ripped through the air and caused them to turned their heads to the path that lead to Dragons Bridge, where Sonata noticed a dragon, that was slightly larger than the one she fought at the watchtower, coming their way. Not only was it larger than the previous ones she had previously fought, but the color of its scales had darkened to the eerie green color of the flames that appeared to be associated with Lord Grul. She guessed that the term 'Felblood' referred to the flames that Grul commanded, though at the moment she had no idea how she was supposed to hit it out of the air so her friends could help her take it down.
As Sonata drew her sword, and wondered how she'd take the dragon out of the sky with her current amount of power, the beast opened its mouth and loosed a green fireball at a building that rested near the water beneath them. The dragon ignored were Sonata and her friends were standing and flew at the docks, raining flames on the various buildings and boats that happened to be stationed in the docks. Sonata sighed and ran at the cliff side that the stables had been built near, engaging another spell as she stepped onto the air and ran to where the dragon was currently floating.
The instant she was near the dragon she drew her sword and slammed it into its side, but all that proved to do was annoy the beast as it spun around and smashed its wing into her chest. She coughed for a moment before she called upon the storm once more, lightning arcing around her sword as she attempted to send shocks through the dragon's body. All that managed to do was anger the beast, as the instant she was done with her attack it slammed its tail into her and sent her flying towards the water beneath them. She corrected her course and leapt around the dragon, searching for some sort of weakness she could use to end this fight before the beast attacked Solitude.
Sonata took a chance and landed on the dragon's back, swinging her sword above her head before driving it into a spot between the beast's back and right wing, intending to tear it out of the sky by wounding one of its wings. The dragon seemed to know what she was trying to do, because it spun its body around and threw her off of its back, before slamming its tail into her once more. Sonata sighed as she attempted to correct herself once more, but this time the dragon appeared to know that she was still fighting, as it turned its back on what it was attacking and slammed its head right into her chest.
Sonata coughed up some blood as she landed on the water's surface, surprised that Lord Grul could have empowered a dragon to the extent that this one was currently fighting at. She knew, at her current level of power, that she didn't stand a chance against a creature that had been empowered by whatever dark energies that Grul had forced upon it. As much as she hated to use the power of her Queen form, as she seriously hated using it, she knew that she was going to need it if this was how powerful Grul could empower his warriors. The water ripped around her as she threw herself back into the air, but before she could even reach the storm that was building above Solitude, and the docks for that matter, the dragon used the spikes on its tail to wound her as it sent her flying back into the water.
This time she allowed herself to slip beneath the water, sinking to the depths as her ability to breath underwater kicked in, though all she did was wonder how she could best such a creature. She stared at the dragon through the water for a few seconds, before she closed her eyes and wished that her pendant hadn't been shattered, because she could really use her full power at the moment. She felt something familiar reach out to her, though she relaxed as she sought it out, hoping it was the power she needed to deal with this one dragon.
"It seems our pet has killed the Dragonborn," Mag'zul commented, staring at the docks as the dragon continued to fly in circles around the place, while he and his three companions watched from the area that was directly across from where the docks were located, "Its a shame, because I was hoping to see what power she could actually wield."
"She's the Siren Queen... and she would not go down that easily," Aggronak replied, staring at the area that Sonata had sunk under, "She'll be back up in no time, and then we'll see if she's progressed enough for the Master to capture her."
A green portal opened behind the four of them, Grul's top lieutenants, and they stood at attention as their master, in all of his glory, stepped from where their base of operations was located and appeared before their very eyes. They had been told that he might come and watch the fight, if he was sure that Sonata would reveal how much she had progressed, so if he was there than that meant that something special would soon be happening. Aggronak bowed the moment their Master had stepped out of the portal, to which the other three followed suit, not wanting to offend their leader.
"The Sisters are active again," Grul commented, staring at the fight that had been paused for a moment, noticing that the area around where Sonata had fallen had started to swirl as if it was a whirlpool, "which means that the powers of the Siren Queen are waking up from their thousand year slumber. Come my lieutenants, let us see what powers the Siren Queen can bring to bare against our Felblood Dragon."
A beam of energy erupted from the water and struck the storm above the city, darkening the sky and awakening the storm as lightning flashed and the wind whipped around the place. Kree watched all of this happen, wondering if Sonata had been beaten by one of Grul's horrible creations, but then she spotted something moving in the pillar of energy. Then, as if something was watching her, the pillar dissipated and a figure appeared, but as she and the others watched they noticed that Sonata was floating above them all. There didn't seem to be anything different about her, but the dragon didn't seem to care as it roared at her, as if challenging her to continue the fight.
Sonata stared down at the dragon for a moment as she extended her right hand out just a bit, spinning her hand around for a few seconds as the wind bent to her will and formed a spell she hadn't used in years. After a few seconds she was holding a shuriken made completely of wind, though as the dragon stared at her she arched her hand back and threw it forward. The shuriken spun through the air and struck the dragon in the chest, to which it exploded in a fury of wind that tore several of the scales off of the beast's chest. As the creature corrected itself and came back at her Sonata disappeared, only to appear next to the dragon and slam another shuriken into its side, sending it down towards the water.
When the beast tried to correct itself once more Sonata was on top of it, spinning two more of the shurikens around as she threw them at the dragon, blasting even more scales off of its body and damaging it further than she had done without the power boost. As the dragon was distracted by the pain she had dealt it Sonata poured more of her power into another one, though this one had a sphere of energy flowing around the center of it. This was the strongest form of her wind shuriken, one that both she and Starswirl had spent time perfecting in case she ever needed to defend herself against enemies that could actually provide her with a challenge.
When she smashed it into the dragon's chest, up close and personal, the beast was sent flying through the air before the sphere exploded, consuming the dragon in a fury of energy that she was sure would bring an end to the fight. She floated down to where the dragon exited the cloud of smoke, finding that she had been correct in her assumption that the attack had ended the Felblood Dragon's life, and more importantly the actual fight. She breathed a sigh of relief as the dragon's soul exited its body and coursed through her own, though as the seconds ticked by her eyes widened as the dragon, in its last act of defiance, delivered to her a piece of information that made her turn to the east...
...where she spotted five orcs, all of whom she recognized from her dream a few days ago, with none other than Lord Grul standing at the head of the pack!
"LORD GRUL!" Sonata shouted, energy arcing around her right hand as her anger returned in full force, forming a sphere of energy she knew that would destroy her enemy in one shot.
As the orcs turned her way, and realized that she had discovered them, she extended her hand and released the energy, loosing a beam of energy that roared through the air. When it neared her targets, or more like her real target, it exploded in a fury of energy that tore the ground around them to pieces and even blew a hole in the ground. Instead of waiting in the distance, like she had done with the dragon, she approached where the five of them had been standing, to which she noticed that a barrier was standing around the five of them. She intended to smash them the moment she touched the ground near them, but when she did so she suddenly found herself weakened and that she was laying on her side... staring at Lord Grul as he and his lieutenants stepped into a portal behind them.
"I continue to be impressed by your abilities," Grul commented, as his underlings disappeared in a flash of light, "and this is only a fourth of your abilities. I shall not capture you just yet, my Siren Queen, not until you recover your full potential. Come and find me when you've dealt with the dragons, the vampires, and those cultists that came after you... and then we'll see how much you've actually progressed."
Lord Grul then laughed as he entered the portal and disappeared, leaving Sonata to succumb to what she assumed was her body shutting down from expanding too much energy. She knew that she'd get to her enemy one day, but she needed to get better before that day arrived, otherwise she'd be handing him the power to end this world... and any other worlds his master might set his sights on. |
Sonata's Crazy and Wacky Adventure in Skyrim | 21: Shadows of Riften | Sonata yawned as she pulled herself out of the bed that she had become used to sleeping in every night, as she found it was much better than sleeping on the ground all the time. Starswirl had, after a week or two of attempts, managed to persuade her to try the spare bed that he kept in his tower, which had been built outside the small settlement that rested near the beach that the Siren's called home. Sonata had asked why there was a spare bed in the tower, when she had never seen her friend with anypony else, though he admitted that his apprentice was away on business for a few months. Something about seeking an artifact that the two of them could study upon his return to the tower, though Sonata really didn't remember much about what artifact that happened to be.
It wasn't until Sonata turned to look at the cave she spent most of her time in, which was increasingly less with the more time she spent with Starswirl, that she realized that she was dreaming of her past once more, because she was looking at her cave when she had decorated it like an actual home and not her secret resting area.
She let out another yawn as she touched the floor and trotted over to where she kept her food, though some of them were pieces that Starswirl had introduced to her, as she had been unaware that ponies were beginning to develop sweets. Her sisters, Adagio and Aria, didn't understand why she was so fascinated with the ponies and their culture, but they allowed her to do her own thing because she was, after all, their Queen and chose what to do at any given time. She didn't tell them that she had seen them donning their own pony forms occasionally, when they believed that she was sleeping and needed something to pass the time until she woke up, but she figured they would eventually tell her the reason behind their actions.
"I see that your up earlier than usual," a voice said, to which she turned and watched Starswirl enter her cave, though she had quickly discovered that he had no intention on telling others about the cave, "I take it your eager to continue practicing those wind stars that you've begun to develop?"
She had almost forgotten that they would be practicing magic that day, though they would be focusing on the wind stars that she would one day use to great effect. As she opened her mouth to reply to her friend she felt something shaking her and someone else calling her name repeatedly, though all of it caused her to black out for a moment.
When Sonata opened her eyes again she found that she was resting in what she assumed was an infirmary for soldiers that hurt themselves while they were either practicing or injured in battle with an enemy. She figured that it would be empty, considering that she and her friends had stopped the vampires from sacking Solitude, though she expected more to be there considering that a dragon had burned the docks before she had destroyed it. Her eyes widened as she remembered the Felblood Dragon, Grul's dark creation that was created with the purpose of destroying Solitude, and the sickening fact that her enemy had come to watch her fight the dragon.
Just thinking about the orc made her recall something that she had missed when she had approached him and his lieutenants, something that she had felt when he stopped beside her and told her to eliminate the threats that were plaguing her life. For that brief moment she had felt Grul's energy, as it had been the first time she had been able to be in the same vicinity as the orc, but she immediately knew that she was outclassed. She needed her full power if she wanted to save Skyrim from that orc, but at the moment she had no idea how she was supposed to restore her pendant and recover her true potential.
She cleared her head of her enemy as the door opened, to reveal Kree walking in and stopping in surprise as she noticed that Sonata had woken from her rest.
"Oh Sonata, thank the Divines that your okay," Kree said, giving Sonata a quick hug before pulling back, "How do you feel?"
"Fine actually, considering what I did yesterday..." Sonata replied, though she stopped when she noticed that it might not have been yesterday when the fight occurred, "Kree... how long was I out?"
"Two whole days," Kree answered, sighing as she took a seat near the bed, "Our friends have been busy cleaning up the mess that the dragon created when it arrived, though we all have been talking about how something doesn't add up. That elf you killed in the Embassy, Rulindil I believe, the way you mentioned what had happened up there made it seem like he believed that the dragon was coming to destroy you and the city. Yet, once you were finished with it, you turned to the east and found Lord Grul standing there, watching the entire fight as if he was a puppet master who was watching his puppets dance for him. What I don't understand is why he didn't capture you when he had the chance... not that I wanted him to take you away from us Sonata.
I mean, none of this actually adds up anymore; he sends orcs to capture you, but then when he has the chance to actually do so he chooses to walk away... I can't wrap my head around it."
Sonata could see that this had been eating at Kree the entire time she was unconscious, though as she remembered Grul's last words to her she had to wonder what his true motives were.
"We know he's after the Queen, that much is for sure," Sonata eventually said, again making it sound like the Queen was someone else in case someone was listening in on the conversation, "but he wants me to eliminate the dragons, the vampires, and the person who sent those cultists after me... though how he found out about that I will never know. Its like this is a chess game to him... and I am merely a pawn in the grand scheme of things."
"Well, we don't have much choice in the matter." a voice said, to which Saerza walked into the room and closed the door behind her, "There are reports of a dragon attacking Rorikstead yesterday, as well as a group of vampires heading towards Riften to either burn it to the ground, take control of it, or search for someone specific. We'll have to deal with these threats before taking Grul out, as much as the thought annoys me at the moment."
"Wait... Riften..." Kree commented, before her eyes lit up as she turned back to Sonata, "Delphine managed to figure out that one of her friends, another of the Blades, was supposed to be hiding out in Riften and that it might be in our best interests to go recruit him."
"Then assemble everyone and get us a carriage," Sonata said, sighing as she gently pulled herself from the bed, surprised by how tired her body actually felt at the moment, "we've got an ally to save... though I pray that he hasn't been found yet."
Finding the rest of their group had taken a few minutes, as Lydia was sitting outside the room the entire time and Lorthan was merely upstairs looking a bookshelf as if he was trying to decide what to read while he waited for Sonata to recover. Once they had been informed that Sonata was well again, and they were resuming their quest, they departed from where they had been waiting, Castle Dour, and walked out to where the carriages were. During that short walk Kree explained that Delphine had gone back to her inn in Riverwood, as staying so close to the Embassy put her at risk of being discovered by the Thalmor.
Once they reached the carriage they all piled in and they told the driver where they wanted to go, to which the horses started pulling them towards their destination.
Sonata managed to get a decent rest during their uneventful journey from Solitude to Riften, as everything that might hinder them had either been destroyed prior to their arrival or were too scared to approach them. When they arrived at their destination she stretched her arms for a few seconds, feeling better now that she was back at half her usual power and knowing that it would be enough to deal with anything sort of Grul or his lieutenants. As the five of them approached the gate one of the guards tried to make them pay up to open the gate, but Sonata saw right through his trick and soon they had gained entrance to the city.
As they walked into the city, and began to look around, one of the men standing outside one of the houses asked them what they were doing in Riften, though by his tone Sonata knew that he wanted them gone before they caused problems. He proved to be no help in their mission to find where Esbern, the Blade that Kree had told Sonata about before their departure, was located, so they moved into the marketplace. Before they actually entered the circle area Sonata spotted someone standing at a stand that she knew had something to hide, so she determined that it might be in their best interest not to make contact with the man at all.
Kree, once again, had the best solution to their problem, as she entered the city's inn, the Bee and Barb, and asked one of the owners if they knew anything, to which she was pointed at the Ratway beneath the city. Before they even got to the entrance of the Ratway, however, Sonata noticed a pair of nords that were taking turns pounding on some metal at a nearby forge, though she was sure that they were twins despite the fact one had warpaint on and the other didn't. She knew that they were here for something important, but she needed to see who they were before she moved into the Ratway to find the missing Blade.
When she asked them who they were, on the other hand, she had no idea what she was getting herself into as they finished what they were working on and turned to face her.
"I am Gol," the twin without the warpaint explained, flexing his muscles for a moment.
"And I am Mez," the warpaint wearing twin followed up, as if this was something they practiced in their spare time.
"And we're here to pump," they said in unison, clapping their hands before pointing at the group, "you up!"
Sonata had to admit that she had no idea what they were referring to by 'pumping them up', but she did detect that they had a Hans and Franz thing going on at the moment.
"But in all seriousness, we are traveling blacksmiths," Gol explained, indicating the metal they had been working with, which Sonata noticed had an ebony black color to it.
"And we teach the smiths of Skyrim how to work with ebony," Mez finished, drawing forth an ebony sword from the forge, checking it for flaws while he spoke, "Ah, perfection once more."
"We are traveling to avoid someone who wants to use our skills to slaughter the people of Skyrim," Gol continued, as if he wasn't bothered by his brother finishing his statement, "Perhaps you have heard of him in your travels? He's an orc by the name of Lord Grul."
"He's our enemy," Sonata told the two nords, hoping that they might turn out to be allies, "He keeps sending orcs to test me and hinder my progress in saving this world from the dragons... and I guess from the vampires as well."
"He's one smart orc, sending his peons to deliver message for him," Mez commented, crushing his fist for a moment to indicate that he wished he could do the same to Grul, "I'd love to get my hands on him and tear him to pieces..."
"Attention imbeciles of Riften," a voice loudly said, one that sounded like an orc speaking, "me and my associates have come to pillage your city and kill everyone that calls this place home. Surrender and die!"
Sonata growled and walked to the entrance they had taken to get into the city, wondering how she and her friends had missed a group of orcs approaching the city. She spotted a group of ten orcs walking towards the marketplace, though she noticed that the guards that stood by the door had been taken down by the invaders. Something flashed by her and raced towards the orcs, though it took her a moment to realize that both Gol and Mez had thrown themselves at the orcs with nothing more than the weapons they had been working on. The ebony weapons they had constructed made short work of four of the orcs in a matter of seconds, though Sonata took a chance and appeared next to them before she conjured lightning and blew one of the orcs backwards.
The twins smiled and the three of them attacked the invaders, though when Sonata noticed some of them trying to flee she caught them with her magic and pulled them back into the city, where the twins slashed them to pieces. Once the fight was over Sonata turned to her latest allies and decided that they couldn't be too bad if they wanted to see Lord Grul toppled from where he was standing.
"I'm here for someone that those orcs likely came to kill," Sonata explained, turning off her magic as the twins faced her, "Once we've rescued him from the city we'll be returning to a small settlement near Whiterun... and it would be nice to have the two of you along for the journey."
"Allow us to take their armor while you find who you came here for," Gol exclaimed, pulling some of the helmets off of the dead and inspecting them, "We will be waiting here, gathering resources for the fight with Lord Grul."
"Ebony is much better than orcish, but we can work wonders with this," Mez said, picking up some pieces and smiling for a few seconds, "Oh yes, we can do great things with all of this."
Sonata smiled and returned to her friends, before they ventured into the Ratway and began the journey to find the missing Blade that could tell them how to stop the dragons. Traversing the Ratway was easier than what Sonata was expecting, because Lorthan was able to lead them with his vampire abilities, and they happened to take out two thieves that were planning on doing something stupid that would likely endanger the entire city. They also found a couple of skeevers and a poor man that wanted to fight them, but they quickly moved through them before they found the entrance to the Ragged Flagon.
Kree and Lorthan asked the people around the Flagon where they could find Esbern, not mentioning him by name in case they were being followed, before they were directed into another area. Said area was actually void of enemies, which made sense to Sonata considering that one of the Thalmor had been sending his friends to their deaths and they had to recover from that ordeal, before they came to a dead end that had a few doors. Sonata frowned when she spotted an iron door that was definitely out of place, though she patiently knocked on the metal and spoke to the person behind the door.
In the end Esbern was willing to join them, after Sonata told him that a black dragon, who she learned was called Alduin, had returned and was bringing his brothers back for another war. Once she discovered that the World Eater, as Alduin was also known as, had returned with the goal to burn the world to the ground she knew that she had to stop him first. The unfortunate part was that she was sure that she was going to have to deal with Lord Grul at some point, so she had no idea if she'd be able to take the World Eater out first or if she was going to have to take her annoying enemy out.
When they returned to the surface, and had gathered their latest allies Gol and Mez, they left the city and prepared to head back to Riverwood, only to find another of the vampires that Sonata had met in the marsh, Alva if she recalled correctly, running up the hill to speak with them.
"Lorthan... Sonata Dusk... I come baring bad news," the vampire said, huffing and puffing as if she had ran all the way from the marsh to Riften, "Lady Vespula... has betrayed us! Master Vighar and Lord Movarth are dead by her hands... and she's joined forces with Lord Harkon, who has joined in an unholy union with the enemy, Lord Grul. The Council of Three has been broken..."
Sonata moaned, as she knew that she was getting further away from saving the world every time Lord Harkon made a move against her or against the people of Skyrim. Maybe she could afford to take Harkon out first, though she would have to speak with her friends before they suddenly changed direction and embarked on a new quest. |
Sonata's Crazy and Wacky Adventure in Skyrim | 22: The Hidden Temple | "I... I can't believe that Lady Vespula would betray us and join with Lord Harkon," Lorthan said, slamming his fist against a wall in anger, "We knew someone had been giving Grul information on where we were meeting and everything we knew about Adagio and Aria... how did we not see that she was a traitor?"
The group had relocated to a small tower at the base of the hill, where they wouldn't be interrupted while they discussed what they should do next in their quest to save Skyrim; either go after the dragons or deal with Harkon and his vampires. From what Sonata could tell the group was split down the middle, as half of them wanted to deal with the return of Alduin while the other half wanted to teach Harkon a lesson. It fell to her, as the Dragonborn, to make the decision and choose who they would be going after, but while she wanted to find Lord Harkon and rip him to pieces, which was what he deserved, she knew that Alduin had to be her first priority... as he was currently in the process of bringing an end to Nirn.
"Well, we knew she couldn't be trusted," Kree told the vampire, though she also looked back at Alva so she could listen to her words as well, "Sonata was attacked by a group of vampires before she could reach High Hrothgar the first time, who were apparently under orders from Lady Vespula to get rid of her. She attacked us first, so we already knew that it was best that we didn't share everything we knew with the Council in case something like this actually happened... but I guess we can confirm where her loyalties lie."
Sonata sighed and pulled herself out of the chair that she had been sitting in the entire time, knowing that they had better get a move on before the guards came by and asked what they were doing in the tower.
"We'll stick to the original plan and head back to Riverwood," Sonata said, turning to the vampire that had brought them the news of Lady Vespula's betrayal, "How many people survived the attack that killed the other Council members?"
"Maybe ten, including myself," Alva replied, sighing for a moment as she answered, "Lord Harkon is purging all the vampires in Skyrim that might have the power to oppose him, before he embarks on fulfilling the prophecy he found so long ago. What would you have me do, Sonata Dusk?"
"I need you to find anyone still loyal to the Council and find someplace that Lady Vespula doesn't know about," Sonata answered, her eyes not leaving Alva for a moment, "With any luck we might be able to string together a group of vampires that might have the potential to overthrow Harkon and restore order to the vampire world. When you've found someplace to hide, and are sure that our enemies don't know of it, come find me and tell me how many you managed to unite into a single group. We'll go from there... and hopefully I'll have gotten rid of Alduin before that time comes."
Alva nodded and headed down the stairs until she was outside the tower, allowing Sonata to watch as she disappeared into the surrounding area not a few seconds later. Sonata had no idea why Lady Vespula had suddenly turned on them, but she had to consider the power of the promises that Lord Grul could give to entice people to join him. The orc was the true enemy to Nirn, someone that she needed to remove if the world was to truly be at peace, but the road to that goal appeared to run through the other enemies that wanted to burn the world to the ground.
She was going to have to deal with Alduin first, because at the rate that the dragons were returning to Nirn, according to Delphine the last time she saw her, it would have been a benefit to remove the black dragon before the dragons became an organized army.
Once she was certain that Alva was gone, and that there weren't anymore enemies in the surrounding area, Sonata and her friends returned to the road and resumed their journey to Riverwood. This time when they followed the road Sonata made sure that they didn't get distracted, because at one point they spotted a few more orcs moving into the same fortress they had cleared out twice in the past. She wasn't about to stop them a third time, not when she was sure that another group would move in once they had left the area again, so this time around they merely walked passed the fortress and left it behind.
At one point she heard Lydia ask the nordic twins how they were able to keep up with the group, when they appeared to be hauling a fairly large number of armor pieces that would make most people slow to a walk.
"We exercise while being over-encumbered," Gol replied, motioning to his muscles to prove his point, "doing a great number of pushups and squat thrusts in this mode allowed us to build our strength."
"Don't forget that we also grappled each other and wrestled all the time," Mez finished, which only made Lydia look at them in shock, "This has made the two of us much stronger and gives us the ability to carry more than the average person... which reminds me, we'll need to increase our loads at some point if we wish to get even stronger."
Sonata smiled as they continued on their way, knowing that they might actually have to fight something at some point in the future, though she wasn't sure if there would be more orcs waiting or more dragons.
When they returned to Delphine's inn they found that there were still no patrons around, giving the entirety of the group time to relax as Esbern and Sonata time to head down stairs and speak with their friend. Lorthan promised that he would keep an eye out for any enemies that might come to eradicate the town again, which Sonata wouldn't put passed Grul at this point in time. The orc had a nasty habit of attacking her whenever she thought that she was safe, so she wanted to be ready in case another invasion force came towards the town. Still, her friends were eager to keep watch after the trek they had been through, which left Sonata to deal with whatever Delphine and Esbern might tell her.
Once they were in the basement, and they were sure that they were alone, Delphine got them started on the reason as to why they had gathered together.
"Now then. I assume you know about..." Delphine started, though Sonata could tell that the woman hoped that she had informed Esbern on the situation.
"Oh yes! Dragonborn! Indeed, yes." Esbern replied, his hands moving to his bag as if he was looking for something, "This changes everything, of course. There's no time to lose. We must locate... let me show you. I know I had it here, somewhere... Give me... just a moment..."
After a minute of searching Esbern pulled out one of the books that he had insisted he grab when Sonata had met him, though she was glad to see what was so important about the book that the old man couldn't leave it behind.
"Here it is. Sky Haven Temple," Esbern continued, "constructed around one of the main Akaviri military camps in the Reach, during their conquest of Skyrim."
"Do you have any idea what he's talking about?" Delphine asked Sonata, though after a few seconds she seemed to think better of the question, "Oh why am I asking you? Your not a native to Skyrim, so you wouldn't know about the Wall."
Sonata would have smacked the woman upside her head for her disrespect, but she held herself back, because she didn't want to make the Blades hate her or turn on her. She had no idea what Esbern was talking about, though she did know that if she gave the old man some time she'd understand whatever he wanted to tell them.
"Shh!" Esbern told Delphine, causing Delphine to huff for a moment, "This is where they built Alduin's Wall, to set down in stone all their accumulated dragonlore. A hedge against the forgetfulness of centuries. A wise and foresighted policy, in the event. Despite the far-reaching fame of Alduin's Wall at the time - one of the wonders of the ancient world - its location was lost."
"Esbern. What are you getting at?" Delphine asked, not really understanding what her old friend was even getting at, though she had the feeling that he might be getting insane.
"You mean... you don't mean to say you haven't heard of Alduin's Wall?" Esbern asked, turning to see a similar look on Sonata's face, "Either of you?"
"Let's pretend we haven't." Delphine said, crossing her arms for a moment, "What's Alduin's Wall and what does it have to do with stopping the dragons?"
"Alduin's Wall was where the ancient Blades recorded all they knew of Alduin and his return." Esbern explained, telling them every thing he knew about the legendary Wall, "Part history, part prophecy. Its location has been lost for centuries, but I've found it again. Not lost, you see, just forgotten. The Blades archives held so many secrets... I was only able to save a few scraps..."
"So you think that Alduin's Wall will tell us how to defeat Alduin?" Delphine asked, hope filling her voice as she realized that they might actually have a chance at stopping the end of Nirn.
"Well, yes, but... there's no guarantee, of course." Esbern said, though it appeared that the 'no guarantee' part didn't even seem to register with Delphine.
"Sky Haven Temple it is, then." Delphine said with a smile on her face, "I knew you'd have something for us, Esbern."
"We depart in the morning," Sonata finally said, taking the moment to speak before either of them said anything more, "We'll find Sky Haven Temple, discover what it takes to defeat Alduin, and then figure out how to use that knowledge against our foe... and then, once he's head, I'll turn my focus to Lord Harkon."
"You still haven't told me about the Siren Queen," Delphine commented, causing Sonata to round on her for a moment, "Why does Lord Grul want that person so badly? You clearly know something about her and aren't sharing it with anyone."
"I'll say it once more Delphine," Sonata growled, anger flashing in her eyes for a moment as a bit of lightning appeared in her right hand, "LEAVE the Siren Queen alone. You had best not meddle in affairs that are not your own. I will deal with Lord Grul when the time comes."
She could tell that she might have gone a little overboard, because there was a hint of what she assumed was fear lingering in Delphine's eyes... almost as if she had seen something that terrified her. Sonata sighed for a moment and calmed herself down, before heading up the stairs behind her and rejoined her friends that happened to be sitting around the fire. They had reported that there were no enemies in the immediate area, though they all knew that the situation could change in an instant if one of Grul's lieutenants came knocking on their door.
In the end the group merely spent the rest of the afternoon resting and restoring their energy from what they had done that day, though they went to bed knowing that they'd have to get up early to reach their destination before someone noticed them.
When the morning arrived Sonata and her friends left Riverwood as a whole group, despite the fact that Delphine believed that they would attract too much attention that way. Something Sonata noticed as they traveled towards their destination was that there happened to be a storm system blocking the sun, one that continued to remain in the sky as the hours ticked away. She didn't mind the fact that there was a potential storm above their heads, because she could always use it to her advantage if she had to fight something that was seriously annoying her.
As they moved towards their destination Sonata also heard the sounds of at least one dragon, maybe two, in the area that was surrounding the road they were on. She had the feeling that Alduin might have noticed that she slew one of his minions a day or two ago, despite the fact that the dragon had been corrupted by Grul, and was likely going to try and remove her with a two on one battle. Delphine also apparently noticed that there might be dragons in the surrounding area, because she pulled her bow out and kept an arrow nocked in case they were attacked.
When they actually arrived at their destination they found that there were two dragons flying around the area, breathing fire and ice upon the Forsworn that called the place home.
"It seems Alduin wants to get rid of you before you figure out how to kill him," Delphine commented, pointing her arrow at one of the dragons as she tried to track it so she could actually hit it, "That, or Grul managed to corrupt two more dragons to fight you."
"They're not corrupted," Sonata replied, lightning crackling around her left hand for a moment as she looked at the dragon breathing ice at the Forsworn, "they're merely another annoyance I don't need at the moment..."
"Ah, I see the Dragonborn has come out to play," a voice said, to which they spotted a female orc, dressed up in grey robes and carrying a staff that looked like it had a dragon's head at the stop, standing on the bridge before them, "I, Calgora, shall take great pleasure in beating you to the ground and delivering you to the master... so that he may promote me to the position of Lieutenant and that I might join Aggronak and the others in their quest to destroy this world."
Sonata couldn't help it when she started laughing, because this one orc believed that she could actually fight and defeat her, which would go against all the orders that Grul gave his underlings. When she stopped laughing she turned to face Kree and merely nodded her head, to which her friend got everyone else to stand back and give her room to perform her magic. She then smiled as she brought her hands together, allowing her magic to gather around her as she started to form another spell she hadn't used in such a long time.
"You and your master should really stop annoying me like this," Sonata said, her hands weaving through some hand signs before lowing her left palm to the ground, to which lightning coursed between her hand and the ground while reaching all the way up to her elbow, "because, at the end of this madness, I'll kill him and his entire army... starting with you."
Before Calgora could say anything, or even raise her arms to summon a spell to defend herself, Sonata moved her left arm to her side and the ground beneath her hand shattered under the spell she had summoned into existence. Once it was ready Sonata dashed forward, the spell cutting into the ground as she approached her target, who merely stood there with a look of shock on her face. She quickly closed the gap between her and the orc, thrusting her arm forward the moment that she reached her and drove her spell right through the orc's chest. The tip of her hand was sticking out of the orc's back, dripping with blood from going through her body, though she had stopped before her elbow reached the chest.
Sonata knew it was a direct hit, because Calgora was no longer moving, so she pulled her arm free and dropped the body to the ground, not even bothering to clean off the blood as the sky above their heads flashed and started pouring rain on them.
"What... was what?" Delphine asked, not understanding what she had just witnessed, because it was unlike all the other spells that the mages of Nirn used all the time.
"That was the Lightning Blade," Sonata answered, looking up at the dragons that were still ignoring her, "I reserve it for those that truly annoy me... and I'm looking forward to using it on Grul when the time comes. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some dragons to take down."
Sonata summoned the wind and leapt into the air, using part of her innate power to reach the ice dragon with ease, landing on its back and blasting at it with her lighting. This only seemed to enrage the dragon, but it allowed her to aim its attacks at the sky as the other dragon came into the picture and attacked her as well. Fire and ice danced around her as she moved through the air, twisting the very nature of the storm to suit her purposes without having to actually use more of her magic to deal with the dragons. The storm churned above her head, twisting and blasting lightning as the dragons tried, in vain, to catch her and get rid of her with their elements, giving her time to reach the point where she could use the storm to end this.
Once the center of the storm started to whirl on itself, the telltale sign that it was ready for her purposes, she connected her magic to the power she had been building and brought it down on the dragons behind her. Two bright flashes erupted from the sky as two massive bolts of lightning surged out of the storm and struck each of her targets in their chests, blasting them out of the sky and forcing them into the ground around them. The two of them landed apart from each other, but as Sonata lowered herself to the ground she sighed as both of their souls gathered around her and were absorbed into her body.
As she touched the ground she noticed that her friends were shocked by what had happened before their eyes, but she was in no mood to explain what had happened and decided to give them a short explanation.
"I was known by another name besides Sonata Dusk during my time in Equus," Sonata explained, turning to the mountain that was their destination, "Starswirl the Bearded called me the Queen of Storms, because one of my innate powers was to use wind and lightning to my advantage. I'll explain this in more detail when we have time, because we had best get this over with before any of our enemies figure out what happened here."
Grul smiled as he looked at the flames that allowed him to keep track of what Sonata was doing and who she was fighting, but his smile was directed to the power she was displaying at only a fourth of her abilities. He longed to see what she was capable of when she regained her pull power, which was one of the reasons why he hadn't captured her yet... besides the fact that he needed her to eliminate his enemies for him.
"Go ahead and grow your power, my little Queen," Grul commented, his grin deepening as he stared at the flames, "Soon I'll use your power for my own purposes... and the power of your sisters as well." |
Sonata's Crazy and Wacky Adventure in Skyrim | 23: Paarthurnax | Sonata wished that she hadn't shown off her power, because as they entered the Karthspire and began their search for the temple they had come here for Delphine kept asking her about what she had done outside the cave. She had used another of her ancient names, the Queen of Storms, and the woman had made the connection that she had to be the Siren Queen, as her other title was also called 'Queen'. Sonata wasn't going to confirm or deny anything at this time, because she needed to find what they had come here for and figure out how she was going to defeat Alduin... which she was still trying to wrap her head around at the moment.
When they started their trek though the cave Sonata spotted two more of the Forsworn standing in their way, though it appeared that they had taken shelter from the storm. Lydia roared as she pulled out her battleaxe and charged towards them, spinning the weapon around and removing the arm of the first enemy that came at her, before spinning herself around and bringing the weapon down on the second enemy's head. As she cut her second opponent in half she turned around and faced the one that she hadn't gotten rid of yet, where she removed the Forsworn's head and cleared the path for them to continue.
As Sonata rounded the corner she found what appeared to be the entrance to the ancient temple that Esbern had been talking about, because he got excited the moment they laid eyes on it. As she walked up the set of stairs in front of her she discovered that there were three stone pillars, each baring three different symbols, and she stopped so she could determine what she needed to do with them. She overheard Esbern mention that one of them was the symbol for Dragonborn, the one that happened to look like two dragon heads and an arrowhead, so she took a guess and arranged the outer two to match the middle pillar. She waited a second before the stone bridge to her left lowered into place, allowing her and her company to move forward to whatever trial happened to be next.
When she entered the next room she found that there were a bunch of pressure plates scattered around the floor, though as she took a closer look she discovered a pattern in the ground; the Dragonborn symbol seemed to make a path to the pillar that rested on the other side of the room. She took a deep breath to calm herself before she walked out onto the first symbol, though when she found that none of the traps activated she followed the path and pulled the lever that she found. With that out of the way she and her friends moved through the next set of bridges that lowered into place, though Sonata did stop when she spotted the true entrance to Sky Haven Temple; a carved wall that had a massive head in the middle of it.
She then spotted something in front of the head, something that reminded her of one of the 'Blood Seals' that Starswirl told her about when she was working along side him at one point. She had to guess that it would use the Dragonborn's blood, her blood to be exact, to do something that was specific to the area, though she could easily determine that it would have to open the door for them. She then smiled when Esbern started talking about the wall and the seal on the ground, because her guess happened to be exactly what he was going to tell her in the end. With the formal instruction complete Sonata drew out her sword just a bit and rested the palm of her left hand on the blade, cutting into her hand and using some of the blood to activate the seal.
As the seal sprung to life, and the door opened before their eyes, she called on her magic and sealed the cut, before putting her sword away and approaching the entrance she had revealed. As she walked into the hidden temple she had to marvel how no one managed to find the massive head before she and her friends came along, though she decided not to dwell on that fact. Then she saw Alduin's Wall, the masterwork of the Akaviri craftsman that depicted a battle between dragons and the people that they had ruled over, though as Sonata looked at it she could tell that it foretold other events as well.
"Yes, yes, let's see what we have here," Esbern commented, walking up to the Wall with a torch in his right hand, before he beckoned to the leftmost side of it, "Look, here is Alduin! This panel goes back to the beginning of time, when Alduin and the Dragon Cult ruled over Skyrim. Here, the humans rebel against their dragon overlords - the legendary Dragon War. Alduin's defeat is the centerpiece of the Wall. You see, here he is falling from the sky. The Nord Tongues - masters of the Voice - are arrayed against him."
"So does it show how they defeated him?" Delphine asked, cutting to the heart of the issue, as she clearly wanted a weapon that could help them stop Alduin, "Isn't that why we're here?"
"Patience my dear," Esbern said, shaking his head ever so slightly as he ran his hand over the Wall, "The Akaviri were not a straightforward people. Everything is couched in allegory and mythic symbolism. Yes, yes. This here, coming from the mouths of the Nord heroes - this is the Akaviri symbol for 'Shout'. But... this is no way to know what Shout is meant."
"You mean they used a Shout to defeat Alduin?" Delphine asked, almost as if she was surprised by that fact, despite the fact that the prophecy mentioned that only a Dragonborn could stop the World-Eater, "You're sure about that?"
"Oh yes," Esbern replied, as if he had expected someone to ask the question and had his answer ready ahead of time, "Presumably something rather specific to dragons, or even Alduin himself. Remember, this is where they recorded everything they knew about Alduin and his return."
"Damn it," Delphine said, turning to Sonata for a moment, who had been silently watching them the entire time, "Well, I had hoped to avoid involving the Greybeards, but it doesn't seem like we have a choice. You're going to have to go back to High Hrothgar and ask them if they know about this Shout that was used against Alduin."
"That's fine... I had to go back up there at some point anyway," Sonata replied, silently referring to the Horn of Jurgen Windcaller, which she hadn't given back to the Greybeards thanks to everything that's happened since she left the mountain the first time, "Come on guys, let's head back to High Hrothgar and see if we can't figure out what the Greybeards know about this Shout."
Sonata didn't want to listen to Delphine constantly speak of going to war against the Thalmor, considering that their true enemy at the moment was actually Lord Grul and his seemingly endless army of orcs. She had to use her time to think about the whereabouts of her sisters Adagio and Aria, or where her enemy might have made his base of operations in this land. She briefly considered using the fragments of her pendant in a tracking spell to see if she could figure out where her sisters were, considering that they also carried their shattered pendants with them all the time. Unfortunately she lacked the required energy to pull off the spell at the moment, partly due to the amount she spent outside the temple and the fact that she needed more of the Queen's powers to do something like that.
She was going to have to do things the old fashioned way and discover the truth whenever it came crawling to her, which only made her worry that she had missed something important.
Somehow, against all the odds that Sonata and her friends had faced since they had departed from High Hrothgar, the group managed to make their way back through the Reach, traverse a mountain pass without harm coming to them, and followed another path that brought them to Iverstead before they walked up the mountain path and reached their destination. Sonata felt it was wrong that they didn't encounter any more orcs or dragons that wanted them dead, but she wasn't about to voice her opinion considering that her luck could change in an instant.
When they finally entered High Hrothgar, and got out of the cold, Sonata was pleased to find that the Greybeards had been waiting for her for some time. Once Arngeir had the Horn of Jurgen Windcaller, something that she had been meaning to bring back, he and the others gave her the final Word in Unrelenting Force; Dah. She then went through a ceremony that consisted of her standing in the middle of the four old men, who proceeded to 'Speak' to her in the Dragon Language. She had to admit it, but the Greybeards were actually pretty strong with their voices, though she knew that she needed their assistance in finding what she came here for.
"Now Dovahkiin, I sense that there is another reason for you coming to us." Master Arngeir said, as the other Greybeards moved to wherever they meditated, "What is troubling you?"
"I was told that you might have some information regarding a Shout that could help me stop Alduin," Sonata answered, though she immediately noticed something flicker in Arngeir's face, "I found Alduin's Wall... and it said that this one Shout could very well aid me in saving Nirn from being destroyed."
What she didn't tell him was that there was an orc named Grul that was currently spreading war and fear throughout the whole of Skyrim, but she decided that he had best not know about that.
"Ah, Dragonrend," Master Arngeir said, though by the tone of his voice Sonata wondered if he was cursing out the Shout or if it was more dangerous than she had been told, "Who told you about this Shout? Was it the Blades? Of course it was the Blades, as they seek to turn the Dragonborn from the path of wisdom once again... In any case, we cannot teach this Shout to you. It is an evil Shout, created during a time cruelty and terror... something that the Greybeards do not regret losing."
"Sometimes you must fight evil with another kind of evil," Sonata replied, though she had to wonder if there was someone who knew where the Shout was located.
"I see you are set on learning this Shout... and only our leader, Paarthurnax, can tell you about it," Arngeir sadly said, beckoning her to follow him as she noticed the other Greybeards moving outside, "The way to our leader can only be opened by one who has mastered their Voice, but, thanks to the Blades, you have questions that only Paarthurnax can answer. We will give you a Shout that will open the way to him, but then you are on your own for the journey to the summit."
Sonata soon discovered that the Shout that Arngeir was referring to was called 'Clear Skies', while its Words of Power were Lok, Vah, and Koor. Apparently the Shout had the ability to clear away most storms and weather conditions, something that she could have done with her full power, though at her current state she was pleased to have such a useful Shout in her arsenal. Once she had the knowledge of the Shout, thanks to Arngeir for sharing his understanding, she approached the path alone and readied herself for what she was about to do.
"Lok Vah Koor!" she shouted, allowing the Shout to hit the wind that was roaring before her and make it all disappear, opening the way for her to move forward.
As she moved through the path alone, as her friends stayed back with the Greybeards, she encountered a few enemies that called the area home, namely an ice wraith and a troll, and had to use Clear Skies a few more times before she was near the peak. As she walked though the final wind tunnel she looked around for the person she was supposed to be meeting, though she could tell from just the name that she was meeting a dragon. She had actually pieced that information together on the way up, as she had encountered three named dragons and their names seemed to have three parts to them... which she assumed was the same case for Paarthurnax.
Sonata immediately spotted a Word Wall at the top of the summit, but before she could approach it she heard the sound of wings flapping and turned her head to watch a dragon approach her, to which it landed near her.
"Drem Yol Lok. Greetings, wunduniik." the dragon said, though his tone reminded her of whenever she spoke to Starswirl the Bearded, "I am Paarthurnax. Who are you? What brings you to my strunmah... my mountain?"
"You're the master of the Greybeards?" Sonata asked, wanting to be sure that this wasn't a trap set by Alduin, or Grul for that matter, before she said another more.
"They see me as master. Wuth. Onik. Old and wise. It is true I am old..." Paarthurnax replied, to which Sonata breathed a sigh of relief, "Tell me. Why do you come here, volaan? Why do you intrude on my meditation?"
"I came to learn the Dragonrend Shout," Sonata answered, silently hoping that he had something to tell her about the whereabouts of the Shout, otherwise she had nothing else to go on.
"Drem. Patience. There are formalities which must be observed, at the first meeting of two of the dov." Paarthurnax explained, turning to the Word Wall and releasing a stream of flames that etched a burning Word on the stone's surface, "Hear my Thu'um! Feel it in your bones. Match it, if you are Dovahkiin!"
Sonata stared at the Word for a moment before walking up to it, allowing the power to rush into her body as it gave her access to another of the Shouts that existed throughout Skyrim.
"A gift, Dovahkiin. Yol. Understand Fire as the dov do." Paarthurnax said, granting her the understanding of the Shout he had given her, "Come, Dovahkiin. Nin Yol. Strike me with the fire of your Thu'um."
Sonata took a deep breath as she centered herself, focusing on the Shout that she had just gained the understanding of, before she turned to face the large dragon and released a small blast of fire at Paarthurnax.
"Aaah... yes! Sossedov los mul. The Dragonblood runs strong in you. It is long since I had the pleasure of speech with one of my own kind." Paarthurnax loudly said, though once the words left his mouth he took off and landed on the Wall she was standing near, "So. You have made your way here, to me. No easy task for a joor... mortal. Even for one of Dovah Sos. Dragonblood. What would you ask of me?"
"All I require at the moment is any knowledge you have on the Dragonrend Shout," Sonata explained, hoping that it was on a scroll or something and all she needed to do was read it to understand what it meant.
"Ah. I have expected you." Paarthurnax said, though Sonata could have sworn that he looked, and sounded, sad for a moment, "Prodah. You would not come all this way for tinvaak with an old dovah. No. You seek your weapon against Alduin. But I do not know the Thu'um you seek. Krosis. It cannot be known to me."
"Why not?" Sonata asked, wondering why a dragon, who spoke in the Dragon Tongue almost all the time and should have known all the Shouts, would not know one of them.
"Your kind - joorre - mortals - created it as a weapon against the dov... the dragons." Paarthurnax explained, though Sonata had been expecting it to be a weapon thanks to what Esbern had told her, "Our hadrimme, our minds cannot even... comprehend its concepts."
Sonata sighed, because if the master of the Greybeards, a seemingly old and wise dragon, didn't know the Dragonrend Shout, or even where she could learn it, then there was no way for her to stop Alduin. She could have always resorted to calling upon her innate powers, but she didn't have the time to search for her sisters' notes on reforging the shattered pendant and complete whatever ritual they had developed. The problem was that she had no idea how long she had until Alduin or Grul started their own individual destruction of the world, but she couldn't reforge her pendant and save the world without the power to do so.
She fell backwards and landed in the snow, staring up at the sky as she ignored the dragon that was staring at her the entire time as she wondered what she was going.
"So how can I learn it, then?" Sonata said to herself, not even bothering to direct the question to Paarthurnax, "If the Shout has been forgotten, and none of the dragons or the Greybeards know of it, then how am I supposed to stop Alduin, and by extent Lord Grul, from destroying Nirn?"
"An Elder Scroll," Paarthurnax commented, causing Sonata to turn to him for a moment, "It is... an artifact from outside time. It does not exist, but it has always existed. Rah wahlaan. They are... hmm... fragments of creation. Tiid krent. Time was... shattered here because of what the ancient Nords did to Alduin. If you brought that Kel, that Elder Scroll back here... to the Tiid-Ahraan, the Time-Wound... With the Elder Scroll that was used to break Time, you may be able to... cast yourself back. To the other end of the break. You could learn Dragonrend from those who created it."
"Do you have any idea where it is?" Sonata asked, hope filling her eyes as she leapt back onto her feet and faced the dragon.
"Krosis. No. I know little of what has passed below in the long years I have lived here. You are likely better informed than I." Paarthurnax said, before what appeared to be a light smile appeared on his face, "Trust your instincts, Dovahkiin. Your blood will show you the way."
Sonata smiled at that statement, because at the moment her mind was telling her to go back to Winterhold and visit the College... because if she learned anything from her time with Starswirl the Bearded, besides all the powers she had developed, it was that some mages liked to hoard artifacts of immense power. If anyone knew where to find this Elder Scroll, or a general idea on where it was located, it would have to be the mages of the College of Winterhold. All she needed to do was return to her friends and head back to Winterhold, which was actually much easier than climbing up a mountain to speak with a dragon.
Why, then, did she feel like something terrible was going to happen when she and her friends arrived in Winterhold? |
Sonata's Crazy and Wacky Adventure in Skyrim | 24: Dangerous Knowledge | Sonata took a few more minutes than necessary before she returned to High Hrothgar after speaking with the dragon Paarthurnax, just so she could clear her mind before she gathered her friends. Every time she had a bad feeling about something, like she and her sisters fighting the Rainbooms for instance, she was usually right in one way or another. The information she needed to discover anything about an Elder Scroll had to be in the College of Winterhold, but the chills she had gotten when she determined that she needed to return there meant that something was going to happen. She had no idea what that something could be, but she had the suspicion that it had something to do with Lord Grul and his orcs... which only made her worry about what they would find when they arrived.
This was one of the few times that she actually prayed that she was wrong, because she didn't think the College could survive another attack thanks to what happened the last time.
When she returned to the courtyard of High Hrothgar she noticed that the Greybeards had returned to their beds, though she found her friends waiting in the area where she had received the other Words of Power that belonged to the Unrelenting Force Shout. Gol and Mez seemed to be discussing armor and weapon ideas, while many of the others were sitting around waiting for her to return to them. She wondered if any of them knew anything about an Elder Scroll, though when she considered the idea she threw it out, because Saerza was the only one that could possibly know something.
"So, what did you find out?" Kree asked, as she was the first one to notice that Sonata had returned to them, "Did you find out anything useful about what we came here for?"
"Sort of," Sonata replied, glancing at Saerza for a moment, wondering what she would think if she asked about the Scroll, "Paarthurnax told me that I need to track down an Elder Scroll to learn what I need to stop Alduin... and I guessed that the only place we can learn about one of them is at the College of Winterhold."
"Urag might know something that we don't know," Saerza commented, rubbing her chin for a moment, as she if was wondering the same thing that Sonata was, "but we won't know until we ask him. So let's head back to the College and see if we can't find something that will help us save this world."
Sonata wanted to tell her friend that she had a horrible feeling that something was going to happen at the College, she really did, but at the same time she also didn't want to upset one of her friends in case she was wrong. Despite the fact that most ponies believed that the Siren Queen was never wrong, which was a lie that her sisters spread to make her seem more powerful and godlike than she actually was, she was usually wrong a fourth of the time. In the off chance that she was imagining danger at the College, and she seriously hoped that there wasn't any, she decided to hold her tongue until they saw what was happening there.
When she looked back at Kree for a moment she noticed that her friend had seen something as well, which meant that Kree might have known that she suspected something bad to happen. To her relief Kree didn't say anything, to which Sonata let out a sigh as the rest of their companions gathered their gear and came back to the entrance of the temple. Once they were all back together they walked through the door of the temple and began to trek back down the mountain side, their eyes peeled for any enemies that might have come looking for them... or for Sonata.
The group managed to return to Iverstead without anything happening to them, which was almost a shame to Sonata considering she actually wanted to see how powerful the completed Unrelenting Force Shout was compared to her own powers. It also worried her that they weren't finding any enemies to take out, which only made her wonder if her feeling about an attack on Winterhold was actually correct. Instead of moving on immediately they took refuge in the inn for the night, which made the innkeeper happy to have paying customers after what happened with the vampires and cultists some time ago.
Sonata let the night pass quickly, because she wanted the seemingly longest day of her live to be over so she could start another one in the morning... and hopefully not have to deal with her enemy again.
When morning arrived the group had a small breakfast before they departed from the inn, though one thing Sonata found unusual was that she didn't have any dreams about her sisters or her past. She figured that not seeing her sisters in her dreams wasn't an omen or anything, but not reliving her past, the same past that she had been trying to forget for over a thousand years, was the more shocking part. She figured that she wasn't in need of whatever her past could tell her, but not seeing anything made her worry more than when she had been having dreams.
As they walked along the road that would take them back to Winterhold, and pass by the same fortress that they had cleared twice in the past, Sonata remained silent during the beginning. Her friends respected the fact that she was considering what to ask Urag when they saw him, but in reality she was worrying over the fact that she hadn't seen any enemies since the Karthspire. Normally she could have been fine with the idea of not seeing any enemies, but considering that her opponent was Lord Grul she had to wonder if this was another move of his.
Her silence, however, was broken when they approached Fort Amol once more, to which the lot of them discovered that another group of orcs had moved into the fort... ones carrying the banner of their enemy.
"He's definitely persistent," Kree commented as she stared at the fortress, to which they stopped further down the road to see what was going on, "We clear the fort of bandits and he moves a force of soldiers into the area. We take out those soldiers and even more show up, only to be replaced once more."
"I am getting sick and tired of these orcs," Sonata said, pinching the bridge between her eyes for a moment, "Look, we're going to have to fight them at some point, of that I am sure, but we seriously don't have the time to waste on them at the moment..."
"Sonata, they're moving!" Kree stated, interrupting Sonata and directing her attention to the fort's entrance, where the orcs were marching out of the fortress.
Sonata's eyes widened as she counted the orcs up, finding that there were at least fifty of them marching together at the moment and forcing her to wonder where they were going. If they were heading to a village or city to attack it, and she suspected that they might be getting ready to do so, then they would have no choice in putting them down before they reached their destination. It wasn't until she overheard one of them talking that allowed them to learn where the orcs were heading, which only made her and her companions angry.
"You heard Master Mag'zul," one of the orcs said, during which he pulled out his sword and held it out for a moment, "We're to head to Winterhold and finish what Master Aggronak started; the complete and utter destruction of the College that calls the place home. Master Mag'zul is already there, personally hunting down something that the Sisters are supposed to have left there, so it will be our job to hunt down and slaughter every mage that we find."
The orcs around the one that spoke saluted him, indicating that he was the one in charge of this squad, but as they started to move away they were unaware that their leader's words had risen the anger of two certain people not too far away from where they were standing.
"Okay, change of plans," Sonata said, drawing her sword out as lightning gathered around her left hand, "We were already heading to the College, so we'll kill these orcs, head to Winterhold, and then save the College from Mag'zul... and then see if I can't figure out what my sisters left there that's so important that Grul wants to destroy the place."
Saerza summoned a fireball and threw it at one of the orcs, blowing a hole in the back of his armor and blasting him forward, before she roared in anger and charged forward. Gol and Mez, seeing that there was going to be a fight, dropped the armor that they had been carrying, drew out their weapons, and charged towards the orcs with Lydia at their side. Lorthan and Kree stayed back to attack from afar, though while they did that Sonata joined the fight and took one of the orc's heads off before he could even touch her. The orcs ahead of them, realizing that they were under attack, turned around and came back at the group with their weapons drawn, to which one or two met their end by Kree's arrows or Lorthan's magic.
Sonata spun around and brought her weapon down hard on one of the orcs in front of her, running lightning along the edge of her sword and cutting through the armor her enemy was wearing. She then turned to an orc on the left and raised her arm towards him, blasting a hole in his chest with her lightning, dropping the pair to the ground as she moved on. Several of them gathered in front of her, intending to prevent her from hurting one of them without harming herself in the process, but all that did was make her smile. She took a deep breath and released the power of her full Unrelenting Force, knocking the group of orcs backwards and giving her friends the openings they needed to deal with them.
She was impressed that the Thu'um was that strong, which made her decide that she needed to use more of it and rely less on her actual powers until it was time to fight Grul.
Gol and Mez were the last ones to finish off their enemies, hacking off their limbs and cutting their heads off in rapid succession, though before they left the pair of nords insisted on taking the armor with them... even though Sonata had no idea where they were carrying everything or how they were still able to walk. Once the deed was done they resumed their journey, though this time they were moving much faster than they were before they encountered the orcs. Sonata could not believe that the College might be under attack, though she was more annoyed that she had been right with her terrible feeling earlier.
As they followed the road back to Winterhold Sonata noticed that there were a few wild animals left, though most of them were scared at the moment and chose not to engage them in combat. They encountered no more enemies on their way to their destination, though as they drew closer to the ruined city Sonata noticed that there was smoke in the air. When they finally got closer to the city she and her companions discovered that Mag'zul was already attacking the College, because the smoke was emitting from where Sonata assumed the library was located. In fact the majority of the College had the same green flames that Grul's followers used, though as she watched the surrounding area she noticed something else...
...there was another creature made of earth trashing the pillars of the College, though this one was much larger than the one that Aggronak had summoned.
"Oh this isn't good," Saerza said, seeing how many of the pillars were broken and that one of the sections had broken into pieces completely, "Sonata, we've got to get in there and save whoever is left."
"Yeah, you and I need to take out Mag'zul," Sonata stated, already heading forward, "everyone else should search for survivors and deal with that creature... I have a bad feeling about this."
Her friends followed her across the bridge and assaulted the massive creature, though she and Saerza walked into the main hall and climbed the stairs to where the library was located. When they walked into the area they found a orc, who happened to be wearing a robe, holding another orc in the air with his magic, though it appeared that the one in the air was being tortured. That was also when they discovered what the smoke was coming from; Mag'zul was burning everything in the library while he was searching for something else.
"Where is it?!" Mag'zul shouted, his arm extended to keep Urag pinned against the wall, "We know that the Sisters left something of importance here... so where is it?!"
"I... don't know... what you... are talking about," Urag struggled to say, the magic appearing to chock him the entire time, "they... didn't leave... anything in... my library..."
"YOU LIE!" Mag'zul screamed, his anger flaring for a moment, "I will have whatever they left here..."
Sonata turned her palm towards the orc and released a stream of lightning, but Mag'zul moved to the side and the bolt struck the table on the opposite side of the room, shattering it into a hundred smaller pieces. The orc then turned to Sonata for a moment, though surprise seemed to cross his face for a moment, as if he hadn't been expecting her to come back to the College so soon. She growled for a moment as she summoned the Lightning Blade into existence, intending to finish this in one go, but as she charged at her enemy he teleported out o the way and she struck the wall behind him, leaving a small hole when she removed her arm.
"It is fortunate that you already revealed that move, otherwise I would have been dead," Mag'zul commented, a grin appearing on his face as he turned his staff towards her, the sinister green aura appearing around it for a moment, "Now then, lie down on the ground and stay there while I get what I came here for."
Sonata then found herself laying on the floor, though when she tried to move she found that there was some incredible magic preventing her from getting up and attacking the orc. Right then and there she realized how Grul was able to keep a dragon locked up so he could corrupt it; he had Mag'zul use his magic to keep it pinned to the ground while he worked his magic on it. If Grul was also responsible for the disappearance of her sisters, and she was beginning to think that he was, then it might stand to reason that Mag'zul's magic might be keeping them in whatever prison they had been trapped inside. She also wondered where Saerza was located, but she looked towards the entrance and found that she was also pinned to the wall, adding to the power that the orc possessed.
She only needed to overcome the bonds that were keeping her down and she would be one step closer to saving her sisters, so she closed her eyes and focused on calling forth her magic.
"I know what your trying to do by the way," Mag'zul said, not even bothering to look at her while he stared at Urag, "and it won't work. I have trapped hundreds of foes, be they simple animals or even these pitiful dragons that follow Alduin around, in my magic and not once has someone ever escaped from me. Go ahead, try and break my bonds with what power you have... you'll find that you are no match for the power that Lord Grul has bestowed upon me. Its a shame that you had to come here when you did, because now we'll have to waste time in dealing with your enemies ourselves... though our Master will soon have the power to erase this world.
Its been nice knowing you, Siren Queen, but it seems that our game is over... too bad that you didn't discover that we managed to defeat and capture your pathetic sisters on your own."
That got Sonata's attention, because up until this moment she had merely been wondering what happened to her sisters, where they had gone into hiding or if they had been captured by someone. Now she had the truth, Grul had her sisters captive and was trying to use their power to fuel that dark portal she had seen in her dreams... though he required her own powers to complete the gateway. Everything was starting to make sense to her now, but the realization of that truth only fueled the anger that was growing inside of her being... the same anger she had been avoiding for the last thousand years.
It was time for her to release her anger, though when she did so the anger coursed through her body as she shattered the magic that was holding her and stood on her feet once more, forcing Mag'zul to turn and face her.
"Impossible..." Mag'zul said, taking a step back the moment he noticed that Sonata's eyes had turned red with anger, "You shouldn't have been able to shatter my magic that easily."
"You were a fool to believe that you could hold the Siren Queen without bringing her wrath down upon you," Sonata replied, red lightning gathering around her hands for a moment, "especially after telling me that my sisters are being held hostage by my enemy... that was the most foolish thing you could have done. Now, begone from my sight."
She raised her hands and released the lightning she had been gathering, which slammed into the green lightning that Mag'zul was using to defend himself at the moment. The collision of their magic shattered the stone pillars on either side of them, though Sonata could tell that the actual walls were showing signs of cracking as well. She would tell that this was Mag'zul's full power, which made her assume that he had to be the weakest of the lieutenants that served Grul... though he was also the most foolish of them all. She roared for a moment and pressed her anger into her attack once more, which encouraged the lightning to push her enemy's backwards just a bit.
They remained like that for some time, where Sonata slowly pushed her way towards her target with her magic, until she shattered his magic before his very eyes and grabbed him with her magic.
"Even if you slay me now you are still no where near my Master's power," Mag'zul said, struggling against her magic for the moment, "He will destroy you."
"And I would like to see him try," Sonata replied, her magic slowly crushing the orc's body, "too bad you won't live long enough to see me bring an end to his plans. Its also a shame that your only real power was merely trapping people and animals with your magic... you could have been a worthy opponent if you had stronger magic. Now, before I erase you from this world, I have one question for you; where is Lord Grul hiding?"
"I would never reveal the Master's location to you," Mag'zul spat, clearly trying to defend Grul while Sonata was crushing him, which only made her sigh for a moment.
"Then there is no reason to keep you alive." Sonata said, engaging her magic as she crushed the orc's heart inside his own chest, before tossing his corpse into the flames so he could be consumed like everything else.
She ran over to where Saerza had been pinned against the wall, making sure that her friend was okay, before they ran to where Urag was coughing after bring released from Mag'zul's control. As they helped the orc back onto his feet Sonata caught a glimpse of something on his right hand, to which Urag pulled off the half burned glove and revealed the mark that Saerza bared. Urag explained that he had kept it a secret for a reason, because Aria and Adagio had indeed left him something that was only to be handed to Sonata when she came to him for aid. He then pointed at the wall that she had struck with her Lightning Blade, informing her that what she was looking for was actually hidden in a secret area where he stored valuable books that others weren't supposed to know about.
Sonata carefully opened the secret vault, with some help from Urag and Saerza, but when the door was finally open she spotted a really old bound book that was resting on a pedestal. Her eyes widened as she realized that it was one of Starswirl's journals, something that she was sure that she was never going to see again in her entire life. She gently opened the front of the journal and noticed something that she wasn't actually expecting, a note to her from her old friend... explaining in a paragraph or two that the book would hold the knowledge to fix her gemstone if it ever became damaged. She smiled and pulled the book out of the hidden area, to which the three of them escaped from the burning library, where Saerza briefly asked about the Elder Scroll.
All Sonata heard was that they would need to go out into the ice field to the north of the College, because she was too distracted by the possibility of there being a chance to reforge her pendant... and then using that power to find Lord Grul and destroy him before he brought an end to this world. |
Sonata's Crazy and Wacky Adventure in Skyrim | 25: Alftand | Sonata followed Saerza and Urag out of the burning library while the orc mumbled about losing everything that he and his predecessors had gathered since the College had opened, but Sonata truly wasn't paying much attention to his mumbling. She had, in her hands, the one piece of information that she had been looking for since she learned that her sisters had come to Skyrim, a journal from Starswirl the Bearded. She had known that he had been researching a method to repair gemstones, even magical ones, so to hold the one thing that would help her restore her pendant made her focus on nothing else at the moment. She was sure that Adagio and Aria had gone searching for this very tome, though she knew that they had kept it a secret until she showed up, so they could reforge their pendants at the same time.
She now had everything she needed to find Lord Grul, figure out where he was keeping her sisters, free them from whatever prison he had put them in, and then destroy him and his army before they tried to destroy the world.
When they left the Hall of the Elements, and entered the courtyard, they found that the creature that Mag'zul had summoned had been destroyed before it could do anymore damage than it had already done. The rest of Sonata's friends were cleaning up the remains of the creature, though it was clear that they hadn't fought the creature for every long before it collapsed by itself. That made Sonata wonder if the earthy creature had been linked to Mag'zul in some fashion, but at the moment she determined that it really didn't matter... not when she had succeeded in saving the College and recovering what she had come for.
"Sonata, why are your eyes so red?" Kree asked, worried that something terrible had happened to her friend when she and Saerza had confronted Mag'zul.
"Anger is a catalyst that allowed me to, temporarily, access the next stage of my powers," Sonata explained, sighing for a moment as she calmed herself down and allowed her eyes to revert to their original color, knowing that it would be easier to access her full power once the pendant was reforged, "anger that was brought on by one simple fact; Mag'zul told me that Lord Grul has already defeated and captured my sisters. We finally have confirmation on what happened to them, but that simple fact was enough to empower me with the powers necessary to destroy one of Grul's Lieutenants. This journal that I'm holding is from an old friend of mine, though it holds the necessary information for me to finally reforge my pendant... and give me the power to destroy Grul.
We also figured out where to go for information considering the Elder Scroll, so this entire trip has so far been weighed in our favor... and I would like to keep it that way."
"I'm glad that we stopped Grul's latest attempt to destroy the College... though something tells me that we haven't seen the last of the orcs in this area," Saerza commented, letting out a sigh of her own, "Our only hope for peace is to stop Grul, before he brings whatever foul game he's playing to an end... and that means we'll have to stop Alduin, the vampires, and the Cultists before we can even touch him."
Sonata noticed that Kree seemed overjoyed that they had found something that would allow her to reforge her pendant, and she knew that she was happy to have it, but she had to wonder what secrets Starswirl had to share with her.
Before they departed from the College and continued their search for the Elder Scroll, which Sonata knew that they still needed, Urag pointed to an area on their map that was to the north of where they were at the moment. He told them that Septimus Signus had been searching for something in that area of the sea, something that he assumed had something to do with the dwemer. Urag told them that he was sure that the old man had been obsessed with the dwarves before his disappearance, as if he believed that they might have locked an Elder Scroll away somewhere. Sonata was glad for the information, because it gave them someplace to start their search for the scroll she needed to figure out the Shout that once defeated Alduin.
It took them between an hour to an hour and a half to reach the location that Urag had told them about, where they found a boat that happened to be resting outside a wooden door of sorts. Sonata sighed and jumped down into the area that she found under the door, making note that her friends followed her in as she searched for the person she needed to speak to. She found an old man standing in front of a large metal cube, which told her that this had to be the person that Urag had called Septimus Signus... though he already sounded insane from what she heard him mumbling.
"Are you Septimus Signus?" Sonata decided to ask, to be absolutely sure that she was in the right place and hadn't found someone that she didn't need to bother at all.
"Do you see this masterwork of the Dwemer?" the man asked, placing a hand on the box as he spoke, almost as if he was trying to figure out a way to unlock it somehow, "Deep inside their greatest knowings. Septimus is clever among men, but he is but an idiot child when compared to the dullest of the dwemer. Lucky then that they left behind their own way of reading the Elder Scrolls. One yet lies in the depths of Blackreach."
"I assume that you need whatever the Elder Scroll says to open this cube?" Sonata commented, figuring that she wouldn't get a straight answer no matter what she asked the old man.
"The ice entombs the heart." Sepimus replied, confirming that he was not answering her questions with any straight answers, which Sonata assumed would only prolong their conversation, "The bane of Kagrenac and Dagoth Ur. To harness it is to know. The fundaments. The Dwemer lockbox hides it from me. The Elder Scroll gives insight deeper than the deep ones, though. To bring about the opening. This Dwemer lockbox. Look upon it and wonder. Inside is the heart. The heart of a god! The heart of you. And me. But it was hidden away. Not by the Dwarves, you see. They were already gone. Someone else. Unseen. Unknown. Found the heart, and with a flair for the ironical, used Dwarven trickery to lock it away. The scroll will give the deep vision needed to open it. For not even the strongest machinations of the Dwemer can hold off the all-sight given by an Elder Scroll.
The box contains the heart. The essence of a god. I have devoted my life to the Elder Scrolls, but their knowledge is a passing awareness when compared to the encompassing mind of divinity. The Dwemer were the last to touch it. It was thought to have been destroyed by the Nerevarine, but my Lord told me otherwise."
"And where is Blackreach?" Sonata inquired, wondering if it was close or if it was on the other side of Skyrim.
"'Cast upon where Dwemer cities slept, the yearning spire hidden learnings kept.'" Septimus recited from memory, though Sonata was surprised that he could remember all of it without reading from any books, "Below the dark. The hidden keep. Tower Mzark. Alftand. The point of puncture, of first entry, of the tapping. Delve to its limits, and Blackreach lies just beyond. Septimus has two objects for you, two shapes. The round one for tuning; dwemer music is soft and subtle, needed to open their cleverest of gates. The edged lexicon for inscribing; to the Dwemer a library full of knowings. Find Mzark and you will find Blackreach. Trust Septimus, he knows you can know."
Sonata looked at the items she had been handed, not sure what to make of either of them, before she returned to her friends so they could figure out where their next destination was. As it turned out Alftand wasn't too far from where they were at the moment, though it would involve a trek through the snow and water so they could get there.
As it turned out they reached their destination without much hindering their progress, save for crossing the ice fields once more and back up the slopes they had climbed down. Along the way Sonata could have sworn that she heard what she thought were war drums, the same ones that she occasionally heard whenever Grul's forces were on the move. If it was the soldiers of her enemy she had to wonder where they were going this time, but she knew that she couldn't afford to get distracted this time, not when she was so close to the ruins. Unfortunately she wasn't the only once that noticed the sounds that were echoing all around the mountain, as Kree turned to the south for a moment and looked around for something that clearly wasn't there.
"Is it possible that Lord Grul knew we were heading to Alftand before we knew we were heading there?" Kree asked, because she was echoing the same thoughts that Sonata was considering at the moment.
"That, or he's really good at guessing where we're going," Sonata replied, glancing at the mountain behind them for a moment, though as she did so she noticed something that she was hoping that they wouldn't see anytime soon, "and it looks like we had better pick up the pace before they overtake us."
She had absolutely no idea why there was a second army of orcs in the area of Winterhold, or how they had figured out where she and her friends were at the moment, but she didn't want the orcs to catch up with them. They got moving towards the ruins they needed to search through, but as they did so Sonata kept her eyes on the army of orcs that were still following them across the snow. She had an idea on how to get rid of them, or even slow them down for that matter, but she didn't want to resort to using her magic in case they weren't actually following her. They were still being followed when they arrived outside the ruins, so Sonata sighed and stopped in her tracks, before turning around and facing the orcs that were coming their way.
As the orcs drew even closer she looked at the sky and concentrated her magic, eventually forming a blizzard that would be able to block their enemies from following them any further. She coughed as she joined her friends in their trek across the bridges that took them inside the glacier that was connected to the ruin, annoyed that she had to expand her energy once more in such a short amount of time.
"I didn't know that you could do that," Kree commented as they made their way inside, to which several of the others nodded their agreement as Gol and Mez made sure that they were safe for the moment.
"Queen of Storms... never said that I only commanded lightning storms," Sonata replied, a smile appearing on her face for a moment, though she knew that the orcs would likely make it through the storm, "it wasn't as powerful as it should have been, so we had better get to our destination before our enemies appear behind us."
"And we had better be as quiet as possible," Lorthan commented, sheathing his blade for a moment, "If we can sneak our wave through the ruins we can force those orcs to fight everything that we leave behind... and who knows, maybe the creatures that call this ruin home will kill all of Grul's minions."
Sonata sighed and took a deep breath, focusing her mind for a few seconds as she wondered if she could use one of Starswirl's old spells, one that was designed to allow the caster to become completely hidden from the naked eye. She knew that she could pull off the spell when she was at her full power, though at her current state, and her lack of magicka, she knew that she would be able to use a weaker version of the spell. At best she would be able to hide their footsteps so nothing would be able to hear them, which made her wish that she actually had her full power at the moment... or had her pendant reforged.
She expanded her magic for a moment and cast what she could on all of them, before letting out a sigh as she pulled herself back onto her feet and faced the path they needed to go.
"This spell will only last for an hour, so we had better make the most of it," Sonata said, beckoning for the others to follow her, "We should be able to navigate most of the dangers of this place, without having them discover that we're even here."
As the group moved through the ruins they discovered that there was an expedition that had come here to seek shelter, though it appeared that they had either been betrayed by one of their own or had been killed by something that called the ruins home. Sonata eventually discovered part of the answer, because they found a khajiit walking around and mumbling about something called skooma, but she decided to let him be for the moment. The other part of the answer also revealed itself further down the path they followed, because a pair of metallic spheres left the walls around them and opened up into strange mechanical creatures she had never seen before.
Fortunately Sonata's spell worked like a charm, because the mechanical creatures moved right passed the group and headed the way they had came, though they heard the sound of the khajiit being killed after a few seconds. Sonata beckoned her friends forward before the machines returned to where they were dispensed, though they came to a stop not moments later as they found an area that had been collapsed for some time. Kree pointed into the pit that was passed where the floor beneath them and pointed out the Falmer for Sonata to see for the first time, though the seemingly blind creatures had good hearing as they started climbing the walls around the pit.
That was before she heard the sound of the orcish war drums once more, telling her and her friends that their enemies had entered the ruins and were likely making their way towards them at that very moment. Sonata sighed and leapt downwards just a bit, landing on one of the pipes for a moment before jumping to the platform below them, to which she turned and beckoned for the rest of the group to follow her. They were extremely fortunate that the orcs were making so much noise, because any sound that the group let out was quickly covered by the war drums and whatever the orcs were shouting at each other... and it also allowed them to move through the ruins without having to actually worry about fighting this time.
They waited a few seconds as the large group of Falmer climbed into the passage they had been standing on, letting them head to where the orcs were before getting a move on. With the enemies they would have fought in the ruins heading towards the orcs Sonata and her friends were able to navigate the place without sacrificing any time or energy to fighting. It gave Sonata the opportunity to see the craftsmanship of the dwarves as they walked, though she kept her eyes open for any traps that they still had to get around. They followed the twists and turns throughout the ruins, opening doors and hiding when they spotted more Falmer heading towards the orcs, until they came to a massive chamber that had a gate blocking their way.
Behind the gate, however, was a large metallic creature that appeared to be patrolling the place, though Kree told Sonata that it was called a Dwarven Centurion and that it was something that they didn't want to mess with at the moment. Fortunately they found the lever to the gate right above where they had entered the chamber, so once everyone was out of the way Sonata flipped the switch and lowered the gate. The centurion didn't seem annoyed that the gate was open, it merely continued to patrol the area as if it was waiting for something to come and fight it. After a few seconds Sonata sighed and got into a standing position, dispelling the spell that had been keeping them hidden all this time as she wondered which of her spells could put the creature down quickly.
A smile appeared on her face as she approached the centurion, because as the faint wind started to gather around her she formed some small shuriken, which she sent into the creature's chest and blew it into the wall behind it. With the creature dealt with she approached the door it had been guarding and found that it had been open by two Imperial soldiers... who appeared to have killed each other over something.
"We had best gather anything useful they had before those orcs show up," Kree commented, picking up a blackened blade of some kind from one of them, though it was clear that they call could hear the war drums as the orcs drew even closer to where they were standing.
Sonata pulled out the sphere that the old man had given her and set it in the pedestal before her, to which the floor lowered to reveal a forgotten staircase of some kind. With the way open, and the gear of the fallen collected, Sonata and her friends ventured into Blackreach, where they hoped to find the Elder Scroll that would tell them what Sonata needed to so she could stop Alduin from destroying all of Nirn. |
Sonata's Crazy and Wacky Adventure in Skyrim | 26: The Elder Scroll | The group eventually found themselves standing on a small walkway that allowed them to stare up at the humongous cavern that they had suddenly found themselves in. Directly in front of them was a well worn road that split into three directions, one of which would lead them to a small hut of some kind that sat right in front of where they were standing. They had two choices, go to the left or go to the right, though Sonata had to admit that she was surprised by the sheer size of what they were looking at. She also found it hard to believe that something like this even existed beneath Skyrim, though considering how far down they must have traveled to find the entrance she guessed that it was possible.
"So this is Blackreach?!" Sonata asked, wonder filling her voice for a moment as she took in the sights, momentarily forgetting about the host of orcs that might still be following them, "I'm impressed that anyone could build something of this size, not to mention so far beneath Nirn's surface."
"It could take us days, if not weeks, to search for the Elder Scroll we need," Kree commented, worriedly looking around them and seeing all the potential buildings that they could search through, "we don't have that much time to waste on searching all of these buildings... I'm afraid that we'll only have the time to search one of the buildings, so we'll have to guess which might have the scroll and go from there."
Sonata hated the fact that they had to guess which building had the scroll, as it made her feel like they were gambling with the fate of the entire world. The old man that had given her the two metallic items she was holding didn't say much about where the scroll was actually housed, only mentioning something called 'Tower Mzark' before she and her friends had left his company. She was about to say something about walking around the area and observing all the buildings, but then she stopped herself as she realized that she had been incorrect. The old man had, in fact, given her the building that she needed to look for... they were looking for some type of tower, where they would likely find the Elder Scroll.
"Clever old man," Sonata commented, turning to her friends for a moment with a grin on her face, "He told us that the scroll was housed in a tower, so we know exactly what type of structure we're looking for. I mean, how hard could it be to find a tower underground?"
"There should be one around here somewhere," Kree replied, looking around for the tower in question as they walked down to the stone road that had been constructed by the dwarves, "though I'm sure that the dwarves built some guardians that we'll have to destroy before we find our destination."
As soon as the words left her mouth they heard several contraptions open and noticed some more of the dwarven creations moving out of the walls, spheres and spiders at the moment. Sonata, not wanting to get involved with the creatures, moved them into the shadows and walked around them, stopping for a moment to watch where the creatures were going. She then looked at the door they had come through and noticed some of the orcs from earlier standing there, though she noticed that they had lost some of their number to the Falmer. While she was glad that some of the blind elves had taken out some of the orcs, which she was thankful for, she was also annoyed that they had still managed to follow her this far.
Either Lord Grul wanted the Elder Scroll for some strange reason, which Sonata would not allow to happen, or his soldiers had been sent here to recover something else, but Sonata didn't want to stick around and find out.
Kree beckoned everyone to follow her down the road that they had taken, the one on the left of the door they had used to enter Blackreach, though as they passed by a sleeping centurion she made sure to activate it as they slipped into the shadows. Sonata wanted nothing more than to bring the entire cavern down upon her enemy's heads, but at the moment she was nowhere near the power that could have allowed her to do that. She also thought against that idea after a few minutes, because she was sure that it could have some effects on the world above them and might cause some destruction.
"Death to the Dwarves!" Sonata heard one of the orcs shout, to which she heard the sound of metal hitting metal as she and her companions slipped away from the fighting.
It took them some time to find the tower they were looking for, mainly because they had to hide whenever more of the dwarven creatures passed by where they had been standing a few moments ago, but they eventually made it to their destination. They found an elevator that started to take them to the top of the tower, but as they waited for the contraption to move Sonata summoned lightning into her hands. She was going to destroy the elevator the moment they reached the top, because she didn't want to give the orcs another way out if they intended to use Blackreach as another base of operations for their master.
When they arrived, and everyone had climbed off the elevator, Sonata turned to the contraption and threw her lightning into the stone, shattering everything that allowed the contraption to hold itself together. She then shattered the stone platform into a thousand pieces as the lightning coursed down the tunnel they had climbed up, tearing it to pieces and ensuring that the orcs could no longer follow them up to where the scroll was hidden.
"There, now they won't be able to follow us," Sonata said, pulling out the cube as she moved into the room they needed to enter, where she found a large dwarven machine that looked as if it hadn't been used since the day that the dwarves vanished.
The group walked up the ramp in front of them and noticed that there were large crystals hanging above their heads, all of which were attached to metal beams in the ceiling. It didn't take her long to spot a control panel on the walkway above them, one that had a small indent that she assumed was the area that the lexicon was supposed to fit into. Sonata smiled as she fit the cube into the indent, where she heard a soft click before the entire room began to wake up once again, to which she spotted a button that could be pressed. Once her friends were standing around her, and she had a nod from Kree, she pressed the button and caused the rings below them to move.
She immediately noticed the changes and pressed the button a few more times, causing the rings to continue to turn before another button opened up, allowing her to change the structure on the floor a couple more times. When the third button opened up, and Sonata pushed it, the entire system of beams that were handing from the ceiling began to move, lowering to the floor where her friends had once been standing. After a few more presses and the fourth button opened up she hesitated, wondering if there was some obvious trap that she was overlooking, but then shook her head and pressed the final button. The crystals began to move, separating from each other as the larger one came to a rest in the center of the room and cracked open, revealing a golden scroll with gems on the case.
Sonata stared at the scroll as she approached it, because even with her fractured powers she could still feel the ancient power that had been woven into whatever material the scroll was made of.
"The Elder Scroll..." Sonata commented, picking up the scroll and staring at it for a moment, "We had better get this back to High Hrothgar and see what it can tell us about the Dragonrend Shout... and then we'll be able to figure out how to defeat Alduin."
Fortunately for them there happened to be another elevator that they could take, one that hopefully would allow them to get away from where the orcs had entered Blackreach. Sonata seriously wondered what the orcs wanted with the dwarven city, and the ruins that had been resting before the entrance to the hidden city, but she decided that it didn't matter at the moment. She needed to stop Alduin... so stopping the orcs would have to come later, but she hoped that she wasn't making a mistake in allowing those orcs to live.
The lead orc frowned as the tower the Siren Queen had taken shattered into a large number of pieces, mainly because he wanted to be the one that turned her over to his master. Still, capturing the Queen wasn't there main goal in coming to this area in the first place, so he turned to his surviving soldiers and nodded to them for a moment. The surviving mages set a brazier on the ground between them and used their magic to light it, though when the green flames appeared everyone knelt before the fire. It was fortunate that all of the braziers that the orcs carried had a special enchantment that allowed them to connect to the main encampment, because it allowed their masters to travel from place to place without wasting their own time in walking everywhere.
The orc had been expecting Aggronak, or one of the other Lieutenants, to appear in Blackreach and direct them to their next task, but then their true master, Lord Grul, stepped out of the flames and touched the floor in front of the brazier. Their master walked up to the fallen centurion that they had felled before activating the portal, though he remained silent the entire time as he studied the contraption.
"Is its heart intact?" Grul asked, not bothering to turn around as he addressed the orcs around him, to which the leader took it upon himself to bring the answer their master desired.
"Yes Lord Grul, we made sure to keep its heart in one piece," the orc answered, though he would never admit that he was interested in why their master wanted them to make sure one of the machines survived the attack.
"Good, then we can begin our work," Grul commented, pressing a dark green crystal into the machine's heart, a grin appearing on his face as he noticed the arms move for a moment,"Gather everything you need from the surrounding area and then take the portal to Fellglow Keep... we should have our surprise ready for when the Queen next returns to the city of Whiterun." |
Sonata's Crazy and Wacky Adventure in Skyrim | 27: To Rend a Dragon | Sonata took a deep breath as she and her friends exited the tower that connected to the ancient chamber they had found the Elder Scroll inside, though she was thankful that they had all gotten away from the orcs that had followed them into Blackreach. She honestly had no idea how their enemies managed to uncover where she had been heading, but this time she was one step ahead of them as she looked down at the scroll she carried. She trusted her friends, there was no question about that, but this one item held the answers she needed if she was to stop Alduin from destroying all of Nirn. Inside this one scroll laid the secret to learning the Dragonrend Shout, something she had been told was the key to stripping Alduin of his impervious hide and allowing her to damage him... though that was how she understood what she had been told by Paarthurnax.
She needed to keep it safe until they reached High Hrothgar, where she would be able to see the ancient past and discover the secrets of the Shout she sought.
Once they were all done taking a break from their trek through Alftand, and their rapid journey through Blackreach, the group gathered all of their belongings and began the trek down the side of the mountain. Her friends kept their weapons at the ready in case any of the bandits decided to come after them, or worse another squad of Grul's seemingly mindless orcs, while Sonata focused on making sure that she kept the scroll safe from harm. She doubted that there was a force on Nirn that could harm an Elder Scroll, but seeing how she knew next to nothing about the ancient artifact, and what they were capable of doing, she didn't want to take her chances and have something happen to the one she was carrying.
"Is anyone else curious as to why those orcs followed us through Alftand?" Lorthan asked as they walked, though it was something that had been bothering Sonata ever since she had noticed the orcs to begin with, "I mean, we all know that Lord Grul is after Sonata, but for some reason those orcs seemed more interested in clearing out the dwarven ruin of all the constructs than chasing us down. Its both curious and confusing at the same time."
"Is it possible that he could have learned how to control the dwarven machines?" Sonata commented, as she had absolutely no other idea that would have made any sense, other than the fact that Grul might not have wanted to let her build an army of machines to do battle with him.
"Not unless he found some ancient Dwemer text that revealed that to him," Kree replied, shaking her head as they walked, "Though maybe he's after the soul gems that power each of the machines, so he could use their power for whatever foul deed he's planning at the moment. I'm sure most of us remember the Felblood Dragon he created, so nothing good can come of him working with the pieces that the dwarves left behind... if that was what he was seeking anyway."
Sonata remembered that dragon with ease, so it really made her worry what her enemy might do with the various dwarven machines that she had seen in both Alftand and Blackreach. It also made her reconsider her choice to not blow the ceiling to pieces and destory everything, because she was sure that she could have buried everything and left nothing for her enemy to use. It was, however, too late to go back and chance anything, so she merely sighed as she listened to her friends discuss their various ideas on what their true enemy was doing. She, on the other hand, focused on following the road so she could reach her current goal; reaching High Hrothgar so she could learn the Dragonrend Shout.
"Its hard to ignore how much power Grul has to have in order to corrupt a dragon," Saerza commented, looking to the sky and scanning it for any of the flying beasts, though she shook her head and continued on, "or how much power Aggronak must have if he could survive one of Sonata's attacks. We must be ready to take out anyone and everyone that wishes to do Sonata harm, because at the end of the day people see her as the Dragonborn, the savior of Nirn, so we must keep her safe from her enemies."
That didn't stop Sonata from worrying that there might come a time when they couldn't defend her from her enemies, but she decided not to say anything about it as they continued down the side of the mountain.
During their trek back to High Hrothgar they paused outside Whiterun, so Kree and Lydia could run in and get them something to eat before they resumed their journey. They then took the path that eventually brought them near the towers that they had encountered some bandits at, though this time there was no one there for once. They followed the path until it passed by the fortress where Grul's soldiers used occasionally, and where they had routed them three times in the past, only to find that, it too, was empty of enemies. It was beginning to make Sonata worry about what Grul was doing at the moment, because all of his soldiers appeared to not be using their usual hiding places this time.
Her friends shared her worry, because they were definitely on edge as they waited to find another group of orc soldiers that was waiting to ambush them.
Their arrival in Iverstead, however, brought some surprise to their day, because one of the vampires that were allied with them approached them as they started to head into the inn for the night. The vampire handed Sonata a note before disappearing into the darkness around the small village, to which she discovered that three of the orc strongholds, Largashbur, Narzulbur, and Mor Khazgur, had been destroyed in the last week. She assumed that the vampires she was allied with had gone to them in search of allies that could help her in her quest to destroy Grul, but it appeared that their enemy had beaten them to the punch. Even Dushnikh Yal, the last of the strongholds, was destroyed, and recently too because the green flames were still burning when the vampires scouted out the area.
Sonata also noticed that the note appeared to be written by two different people, as if one had been writing it at first and then either died or handed it off to someone else to finish.
After they spent the night at the inn, and had something for the morning meal, they resumed their trek up the Throat of the World, encountering none of the wild creatures that they had fought their way through the first time. It allowed them to reach the monastery without any delays, though when they reached their destination Sonata had them wait inside the halls with the Greybeards.
"You sure about this Sonata?" Kree asked, clearly wondering what her friend was thinking by heading back up to the peak alone, as if she was worried that something might happen up there.
"Yes, I must do this alone." Sonata replied, a smile appearing on her face as she made for the back entrance, "I'm going to figure out the secret of the Dragonrend Shout... and then I'm going to bring an end to Alduin."
Her friends nodded as she took the Elder Scroll and walked out of the monastery, to which she began the journey up the rest of the mountain, where she knew that Paarthurnax would be waiting for her. She found no creatures on her way to the summit, which she had been expecting considering the fact that she had cleared the path the last time she had climbed the mountain.
"Ah, Dragonborn, you have returned," Paarthurnax welcomed, watching Sonata as she came to a stop at the top of the summit, "and I see you have brought the Kel, the Elder Scroll, that was used against Alduin. Take it to the Tiid Ahraan, the Time Wound, to cast yourself back to when the ancient nords battled against Alduin."
Sonata sighed and stepped into the swirling mass that was the Time Wound, to which she sat down and opened the scroll, allowing herself to be cast back to when it was used against Alduin. When the past appeared before her eyes she watched as dragons fell from the sky, slain by the ancient nord Tongues themselves, before the three heroes gathered together and spoke of their plans to stop their enemy. That was when she discovered that one of them was definitely holding the scroll she had peered into, though as the old man put it away the sky rumbled as Alduin himself landed before them. The three heroes challenged their dragon overload and unleashed the Shout that they had invented for the sole purpose to defeating their enemy, though Sonata allowed the Shout to echo throughout her body and mind.
The vision of the past ended with Alduin being banished from the world by one of the old Tongues, to which she returned to the present time and started to shake off the feeling that the Elder Scroll had given her. As she did that, however, she heard the sound of wings flapping and knew that one of her enemies had come to stop her before she could destroy him.
"Bahloki nahkip sillesejoor. My belly is full of the souls of your fellow mortals, Dovahkiin." a voice rang out, just as Alduin appeared close to where Paarthurnax and Sonata were waiting, "Die now and await your fate in Sovngarde!"
"Joor Zah Frul!" Sonata shouted almost immediately, not giving Alduin a chance to move out of the way and dealing a direct hit with the shout, forcing the massive creature to land near where she was standing.
The moment Alduin hit the ground he turned towards where Sonata was standing and released a stream of flames at her, to which she raised a barrier to prevent the flames from reaching her. Sonata responded with a blast of lightning, striking the dragon in the muzzle as she determined how best to actually go about bringing an end to the World Eater. Alduin broke out of the state that the Dragonrend Shout had put him in and immediately took off again, though Sonata summoned the wind to her feet and flew after her enemy. It then became a chase between the two of them, where Alduin would try and hit her with his own attacks, while Sonata would try and hit him with the Shout that would ground him once more.
That was before Alduin managed to get a lucky shot and smacked her with his wing, sending her back to the summit and causing her to crash into the ground before the broken Word Wall, though thanks to her magic she managed to prevent herself from taking too much damage.
"Lost funt." Alduin shouted, staring down at Sonata as she picked herself up and dusted off the bits of snow that were clinging to her body, "You are no match for me, joor!"
"I guess I have little choice," Sonata said, taking a deep breath as she opened herself to her anger, which was empowered by the fact that Lord Grul had her sister's trapped somewhere, "The power I'm about to unleash is the same power that destroyed one of Lord Grul's lieutenants, so you should feel honored that I'm even considering even showing it to you."
A red aura surrounded her as she released her anger from where she was holding it in, which she knew was normal whenever she entered this state, though Alduin didn't seem to care as he started attacking her once more. Sonata was fortunate that this state gave her increased speed, and maybe increased magical strength, as she was able to duck and weave under Alduin's claws before he could touch her. It also gave her the ability to get behind him more frequently, allowing her to blast him in the back with Dragonrend and knock him out of the sky. Then she could unleash the fury of the storm once more, calling forth the lightning to blast her enemy repeatedly before she had to resort to using the Shout on him again.
Eventually Sonata blasted Alduin into the side of the mountain, but even as the dragon picked himself back up she knew that she was going to need more power than what she had if she wanted to truly defeat her enemy. What happened next, however, caught her by surprise as Alduin didn't straight out attack her again, instead he just stared at her as if he was thinking about something.
"Meyz mul, Dovahkiin. You have become strong." Alduin said, beating his wings as he took to the skies once more, "But I am Al-du-in, Firstborn of Akatosh! Mulaagi zok lot! I cannot be slain here, by you or anyone else! You cannot prevail against me. I will outlast you... mortal!"
With that said Alduin took off, leaving behind Sonata and Paarthurnax to wonder where he was going and what he was planning on doing before trying to attack the world again. Sonata let the aura fade into oblivion as she fell to her knees, but while she was happy to have chased off her enemy she wished that she had finished him off... though she suspected that he was heading to Sovngarde to feast on the souls of the honored dead. She grinned for a moment, because she now knew exactly where she needed to go if she wanted to finish this fight and knew that her opponent might not be expecting such a tactic.
She was going to find her way to Sovngarde and then kill Alduin... and then she could begin the hunt for Lord Harkon and put him in his place as well. |
Sonata's Crazy and Wacky Adventure in Skyrim | 28: To Trap a Dragon | Sonata took a few minutes to collect herself, and allow her anger to fade away, before she turned to the only dragon that was still perched on the summit of the Throat of the World; Paarthurnax. She knew that there was some piece of information that she could gleam from speaking with him again, something that would allow her to figure out how she was going to get to Sovngarde.
"Any ideas on how I'm supposed to get to Sovngarde?" Sonata asked, deciding to get to the point instead of wasting time that she may or may not have.
"Krosis, I do not know," Paarthurnax replied, letting out what Sonata assumed was a sigh, though she really couldn't tell what the sound had actually been, "I was never given the mindah, the knowledge, of Alduin's hidden fortress. He only told several of his closest allies where his runir, his stronghold, was located. But who should we test to discover its nizaag, its location? There is one who is rash enough that the trap inside Ahrolsedovah, the place you call Whiterun, should be able to work on him. His name is Od-ah-viing, or Snow Hunter Wing in your tongue. When you find the trap just shout his name to the skies and he will come, to challenge the one who beat his master."
"And he would come if I were to call his name?" Sonata inquired, wondering if this information was useful or not, but the trap sounded like it could actually work in her favor.
"The dovah are prideful creatures," Paarthurnax told her, turning to look at the sky around them for a moment, "When you reach your destination, and call Odahviing's name, he'll come to do battle with the one that made Alduin flee."
Sonata nodded and began the walk down the mountainside, though this time she went slow so she could think about how she was going to ask the Jarl if they could use his castle to trap a dragon. She knew that if she had her full power she could easily sway the man to her way of thinking and get to the task without too much difficulty, but she didn't want to do that anyway. The problem with this was the fact that there was a war going on at the moment, not that she had seen much of it thanks to the fact that she was constantly being chased by Grul and his allies. She knew that Balgruuf would have a hard time listening to her with the war going on, but she didn't have to waste on picking a side and laying waste to the other side, not when there were four enemies that she needed to get rid of.
She couldn't take out Grul just yet, not when she had no idea where his base was located and was nowhere near her full power, so she had to focus on taking out Alduin, Harkon, and Miraak.
When she returned to the monastery she found her friends waiting in what appeared to be an ancient meeting room, as if they had chosen to explore the home of the Greybeards and had found something interesting to occupy their time until she returned. Kree was the first one to notice her return, though she also noticed that she was troubled on what she needed to do next with the Jarl of Whiterun.
"I chased Alduin off, but he's not dead yet," Sonata told her friends, some of them nodding as if they had been expecting it, while the others seemed a tad bit surprised, "I need to head back to Whiterun and ask Jarl Balgruuf if I can trap a dragon... inside his own castle."
"I assume that this is to learn the location of wherever Alduin flew off to?" Saerza asked, to which Sonata nodded, "I read that Dragonsreach was supposedly used to trap a dragon, so it should be interesting to see if the stories are true in that regard. Though I don't think the Jarl will approve of us using his palace in such a manner, not while the war is going on."
"We're going to have to ask him anyway, because this is our only chance to destroy one of my enemies... forever," Sonata replied, beckoning for everyone to follow her, "The quicker we deal with Alduin, and save the world from him, the quicker we can deal with Lord Harkon... who I might just kill the instant I see him. Then Miraak and Grul... which means we had best get started."
Sonata and her friends then exited the monastery of High Hrothgar, where they began the journey back down the side of the mountain so they could get to Iverstead, where they would take a small break before going back to Whiterun.
When Sonata and her friends walked into Whiterun they received some stares from the people around them, though Sonata knew it was because of the fact that they were a large group. She was used to it at this point, so she didn't let it bother her as they made their way up the Dragonsreach, where she hoped to find the Jarl sitting in his chair. As they walked up the stone stairs that led to the palace several of the guards nodded to them as they passed, as some of them had been with Sonata and Kree when they had taken down the dragon at the watchtower and knew that Sonata was the Dragonborn. Sonata remained silent as they walked into the building they had been walking towards, though her eyes looked around until she found the Jarl where she expected him to be.
"Ah, Sonata and Kree, its good to see you again," Balgruuf said as they approached, taking note of the others that were standing around them, "and I see that you've accumulated a following of sorts. What can I do for you today?"
"I need to use your castle to trap a dragon." Sonata said as calmly as possible, knowing that most of the people in the room would likely be terrified of the thought of letting such a creature into the castle.
Sonata was correct in thinking that, because everyone stopped what they were doing and stared at her as if she had lost her mind, though her friends knew what was coming.
"I must have misheard you." Jarl Balgruuf said, waving his hand as if Sonata had told a joke and was trying to ignore what she had actually said, "I thought you asked me to help you trap a dragon in my palace."
"I did, and I would not be asking this if it wasn't necessary," Sonata replied, remaining calm as she looked around her, knowing that many would curse her name for even suggesting this, "I would never do anything that would intentionally bring harm to this city, or any of the other cities across this province."
"Of course. You already saved Whiterun from that dragon." Balgruuf commented, letting out a sigh as he stared at Sonata, "I owe you a great deal. But I don't understand. Why let a dragon into the heart of my city when we've been working so hard to keep them out?"
"Because the threat is greater than you know," Sonata said, letting her magic fill the air as she summoned a small image of her enemy, the dragon Alduin, "I'm afraid that Alduin has returned."
"Alduin? The World-Eater himself?" Balgruuf nearly whispered, fear filling his eyes as he realized who Sonata was actually talking about, "But... how can we fight him? Doesn't his return mean it's the end times?"
"That's what the legends say," Sonata stated, standing firm as she stared at the Jarl, "and its my destiny to rid the world of him... so I intend on bringing an end to the World-Eater."
"I don't know about such things, but I heard the Greybeards summon you." Balgruuf said, gathering himself as he pulled himself out of his throne, "That's good enough for me. Now, what's this nonsense about trapping a dragon in my palace?"
Sonata, Kree, and Saerza then spent the next half an hour talking with Balgruuf above the throne room, where they eventually managed to get him to agree to trapping a dragon despite the fact that the war was going on. Sonata's reasoning was sound, because if Alduin was busy destroying the world than the war meant nothing,a s both sides would actually be the loser. With Balgruuf on their side they got to work making sure that the trap was actually in working order, where both Gol and Mez used their skills to make sure that the chains were tampered and ready to hold a raging beast back.
Another thirty minutes passed before Sonata learned that the trap was ready for usage, where she knew it was time to see if the dragon would come if she summoned it. That was why she was the only one standing on the balcony of the Great Perch, the area that was at the back of Dragonsreach, while everyone else remained on the walls, so that they would be safe when Odahviing arrived.
"Od Ah Viing!" Sonata shouted to the sky above her, to which she listened to what was happening around her before she heard a roar tear through the air.
She spotted the red dragon as he flew towards the perch, to which she calmly backed up and lured the beast into the trap that would tell her where Alduin went. Odahviing landed on the perch and spotted her within seconds, to which flames gathered in his throat before he opened his mouth and loosed a torrent of flames at her. Sonata, for the most part, extended her hand and caught the flames as they tried to reach for her, before she used one of Starswirl's favorite spells and made the flames gather into a single point. Odahviing advanced forward, intending to distract her with his flames so that he could crush her with his claws, but once he reached a certain point Gol and Mez loosed the chains and the trap was sprung.
The massive wooden beam crashed into Odahviing and the clasps caught both of his arms and his head, cutting off the flames and allowing everyone to see that Sonata was unharmed from the ordeal.
"Nid!" Odahviin shouted, realizing that he had been trapped, though he looked around instead of thrashing against what was holding hm, "Horvutah med kodaav. Caught like a bear in a trap... Zok frini grind ko grah drun viiki, Dovahkiin."
"What?" Sonata asked, as she was not as fluent in the Dragon Language as she would have liked to be, so whatever the dragon had said had simply gone over her head.
"Ah. I forget. You do not have the dovah speech." Odahviing replied, staring at Sonata as she stared at him, as if he was curious about her, "My... eagerness to meet you in battle was my... undoing, Dovahkiin. I salute your, hmm, low cunning in devising such a grahmindol - stratagem. Zu'u bonaar. You went to a great deal of trouble to put me in this... humiliating position. Hind siiv Alduin, hmm? No doubt you want to know where to find Alduin?"
"That is correct," Sonata told the beast, wondering if he even knew where his master was hiding or if this was actually a waste of her time, "Where is he hiding?"
"Rinik vazah. An apt phrase. Alduin bovul." Odahviing answered, once again using pieces of his own language to prolong the conversation and confuse Sonata more than she already was, "One reason I came to your call was to test your Thu'um for myself. Many of us have begun to question Alduin's lordship, whether his Thu'um was truly the strongest. Among ourselves, of course. Mu ni meyye. None were yet ready to openly defy him."
"Please get to the point," Sonata said, though she felt like she was about to snap at the dragon, as he had definitely digressed from the topic she had asked him about.
"Unslaad krosis. Innumerable pardons. I digress." Odahviing replied, though Sonata wondered if he was being sincere or if he was trying to fool her, "He has travelled to Sovngarde to regain his strength, devouring the sillesejour... the souls of the mortal dead. A privilege he jealously guards... His door to Sovngarde is at Skuldafn, one of his ancient fanes high in the eastern mountains. Mindoraan, pah ok middovahhe lahvraan til. I surely do not need to warn you that all his remaining strength is marshalled there. Zu'u lost ofan hin laan... now that I have answered your question, you will allow me to go free?"
Sonata had to consider that question, because she had gotten what she had wanted from the dragon, rather easily she mentally added, so there was really no reason to keep him trapped here, where he could burn the castle down at any time he wanted. Still, she had not heard of Skuldafn, but she knew that there was something that the dragon had left out when he told her where his master had gone, something that would sway her decision in that regard. It was quite easy for her to see that she needed the dragon's help to reach her next destination, which meant that she was going to free the creature and travel through the ancient fane by herself.
"I'm going to need you to fly me there, won't I?" Sonata asked, taking note that Saerza was nodding her head for a few seconds, as if she had come to the same conclusion that Sonata had.
"Onikaan koraav gein miraad. It is wise to recognize when you only have one choice." Odahviing replied, almost sounding surprised that Sonata had managed to figure out that she needed his help, but then regained himself seconds later, "And you can trust me. Zu'u ni tahrodiis. Alduin has proven himself unworthy to rule. I go my own way now. Free me, and I will carry you to Skuldafn."
Sonata turned to where Gol and Mez were standing, waiting a second to be sure that they knew what was coming, before they pulled the levers and released the trap, pulling it into the ceiling once more and freeing the dragon. Odahviing seemed pleased to be free once more, though he immediately turned around and walked until he was at the edge of the perch, where he waited for Sonata.
"Here, I packed these in case we needed them," Saerza said to Sonata, stopping her before she walked up to the dragon that was patiently waiting for her, to which she handed her a bag filled with large blue bottles, "These are the most powerful magicka potions I could make... they'll be able to restore most of your power when you need them, but there's only three of them. You'll have to choose when to use them, unless there happen to be more of these in Skuldafn."
"I'll put them to good use," Sonata said, adding the potions to her stash, "I need everyone to stay here and keep an eye out for any of Grul's soldiers while I'm gone... though I don't need to tell you what to do if you actually find them."
Saerza nodded and rejoined their friends, where Sonata sighed and walked up to Odahviing, who allowed her to climb onto her back before taking off once more. Sonata was going to take the fight to Alduin... and this time she was going to ensure that the dragon was destroyed before she came back to Skyrim. |
Sonata's Crazy and Wacky Adventure in Skyrim | 29: Alduin's Last Bastion | Sonata leapt off of Odahviing when they arrived at Skuldafn, though she had taken a moment to stare at the undead enemies that were waiting for her as they flew in. She had known that the remainder of Alduin's forces would be waiting for her, and Odahviing had told her so back in Dragonsreach, though she was impressed by the amount of undead that had been buried in this one area. With her friends she knew that she would have cleared this ruin within an hour, two at the very most, but now that it was just her she knew that it would take her some time to safely reach the end. As she thought about how many enemies she would have to fight before she reached the portal to Sovngarde, which she assumed was quite a large number, she also cursed herself for not taking some time to properly prepare herself.
She should have summoned Odahviing when she had learned more Shouts and had some better equipment than her leather armor and steel sword, both presents from the Imperials that had helped her when she first arrived in Skyrim.
"This is as far as I can take you." Odahviing said as they landed, allowing Sonata to climb off before beating his wings once more, "Krif voth ahkrin. I will look for your return, or Alduin's."
Sonata nodded her head and waited until the dragon was in the air, choosing to take a few seconds to watch him depart from the ancient fane before getting started on her fight against her enemy. She looked across the bridge in front of her and spotted two archers that apparently wanted to make her life more miserable than it already was, which was thanks to of all the deeds that Lord Grul had done to the people of Skyrim while she had been there. She even spotted what appeared to be a lone draugr warrior coming her way, wielding an ebony colored battleaxe, so she knew that she was going to have to play this smart if she wanted to get out of here alive.
After all, she still had to fight Alduin and save Nirn from him, before she could even begin to deal with the other evil people that either wanted her dead or captured.
She waited until the undead warrior was close to her and leaned back as the battleaxe came at her, allowing it to pass by where she was standing before she attacked with her magic and blasted the undead creature in the chest. The undead stepped back a bit, as if it was actually surprised that it had missed and wasn't stunned by the attack, before it charged at her once more. Sonata growled as she ducked each of the incoming attacks, making sure that the sharpened weapon didn't touch her or her armor while she thought of something that would bring this one opponent down.
She then got an idea what she knew might fail, but considering that she didn't expect the first enemy to be so hard she decided that something was better than nothing. She summoned her lightning into her hand and formed the Lightning Blade, but as she turned around she focused her magic and sent out a stream of lightning that slammed into the undead creature's chest. The creature went flying into the stone of the bridge in front of her, though that was before the stream of power jumped into the air, separated into two individual pieces of energy, and took out the archers before they even had a chance to loose their arrows at her.
Sonata had no idea why the lightning arced to the other two enemies and took them out like that, but she wasn't about to argue with the results.
She followed the stairs as they led her towards the area that stood before the entrance of the temple, though she spotted two more enemies coming her way. She immediately noticed that one of them was a mage, thanks to the frost coming off of his hands, while the other had to be a warrior that would keep her attention the entire time. Before the fight got started Sonata called forth her magic and threw it at the mage, blasting it backwards and giving her enough time to deal with the warrior. She then ducked and dodged for the next few seconds, making sure that the enemy's weapon didn't touch her, before she planted her foot in its chest and knocked it back as hard as she could.
Her attack didn't do much good, as the undead warrior got back up and punched her in the face, before grabbing onto her ponytail and gripping it as hard as it possibly could. It started to laugh at her, as if she was actually going to submit now that it was grabbing her hair, so Sonata decided to show the undead just how wrong it was. She pulled her sword out of its sheath and sighed for a moment, before she used her left hand to grab the hair in front of the undead warrior's hand. That was followed by her using her sword to cut off her ponytail, causing the draugr to fall back as she rolled forward, though she immediately got up and drove her sword into her opponent's heart.
She left her steel sword in the draugr's chest and picked up the ebony sword that it had been carrying, which she was convinced would be better in the long run. Before she started moving again she touched the band that had held her hair in her signature ponytail and pulled it free, letting her hair fall down to her neck area while she wondered how she would look with short hair. She sighed as she looked at the path in front of her, already wishing that her friends had been able to come to Skuldafn with her, but shook her head in defeat and continued her march forward.
She then entered a courtyard like area, where she could choose to explore a nearby tower of sorts or continue onward, but before she could make a decision a pair of dragons landed in front of her and roared in her face.
"Look, I'd rather not fight either of you right now," Sonata said, as she more annoyed by the fact that she had been forced to cut off her hair and not by the fact that there were two dragons standing in front of her, "so get out of my way and you both might get to live another day."
The dragons roared again and each loosed a stream of flames at her, but Sonata spun her new sword around and pulled the flames into a vortex of sorts. When the dragons stopped using their flames on her, and noticed that Sonata was unharmed, she swung her arm and used their own attack against them, using the power of their flames to cut a gash into each of their sides with ease. The two dragons roared in pain as Sonata continued her advance, using both her magic and her new weapon to inflict as much damage as she could to both of the beasts before she made them collapse on the ground in front of her.
She wasn't sure if they were truly dead or not until she watched their souls escape from their respective bodies and was absorbed into her own body, granting her more knowledge on the dragons, their language, and the various Shouts that she might be able to use in her quests. She was also surprised by how easily she had taken on two dragons and beat them, with so little effort on her part, but quickly decided that they were likely the weakest dragons that Alduin had resurrected before coming to High Hrothgar for their duel.
"Oh thank the Nine that those beasts are dead," a voice to her right said, causing her to turn and find a male altmer, wearing Thalmor robes no less, emerging from the tower she had spotted, "For a while there I was beginning to think that the only reason they bothered to remain in this place was to finish me off, despite the fact that all of the draugr that have come at me have been destroyed. Though judging from how you managed to take their souls, and prevented them from returning to life once again, that must mean that your the Dragonborn that I've heard about."
"That is correct. I am Sonata Dusk, the Last Dragonborn," Sonata replied, introducing herself to the altmer as something came to mind, "Wait... don't the Thalmor hate the notion of saying 'by the Nine' or 'Thank the Nine', because they don't see Talos as an actual Divine and are dedicated to rooting out all worship of him?"
"You would be correct in your thinking, but I cannot explain this out in the open," the altmer said, beckoning Sonata to follow him inside the tower for a moment, "I'll try to explain this as quickly as possible... and then we'll see about getting out of this draugr infested ruin before we end up dead."
Sonata knew that she should just decline the offer and see to her task of tracking down the portal to Sovngarde, but the idea of a Thalmor agent worshiping the Nine, and not the Eight that they insisted on making everyone else follow, made her see why this one altmer was different than the others she had come across in the past. She sighed and followed the elf into the tower, where she discovered a few more dead elves that had likely been brought here at the same time as the altmer.
"These are all that remain of the Thalmor that had been assigned to me, as the rest had been either eaten by that dragon or torn apart by the draugr," the altmer said, leading her up a ramp, where she found a makeshift table and a pair of chairs waiting, to which he sat in one of them, "Now then, I had better answer the question; yes, I worship Talos despite the fact that I was employed by the Thalmor and rose to the rank of Second Emissary to Skyrim. I know, how could I join the very organization that wanted to destroy all worship of Talos and still believe in him... but I truthfully had no idea what the Thalmor's methods were until I joined them.
I was naive to think that we were in Skyrim for any other reason than to help the people of this province, by whatever means the First Emissary desired. It wasn't until we arrived in this land that I discovered that we had come to eradicate all worship of Talos... which is why I ensured that most of the agents went out on false information and failed to find most of the shrines that had been brought to my attention. Unfortunately Rulindil, the Third Emissary, caught wind of my schemes, how I'll never understand, and delivered to me a message that told me I was to take a squad out and find a shrine located in the mountains near Eastmarch.
Here's something you may not know about Elenwen, the First Emissary; she never bothers to fully read anything that's given to her, she just skims it for important information and signs papers accordingly. She should have known that the Third Emissary doesn't have the power to order the Second Emissary around, but she was so caught up in her search for a Blades agent that she ignored that fact. My men and I traveled to Eastmarch, where our carriage was captured by those dragons and we were deposited here, either to die by the hands of the dead or become food for the beasts that you killed.
Elenwen likely thinks I've either run off on her or was killed by someone else, so I guess there's no reason in calling myself the 'Second Emissary' anymore. I am Kael Sunstrike... and right now I just want to leave this forsaken place, so I can head back to the Embassy and burn that fool Rulindil to the ground."
Sonata felt sorry for Kael, because he had likely lost the job he had worked hard to hold onto for so many years and all of the soldiers that had been sent out with him were dead. At least he would be happy to hear that Rulindil was dead, though she didn't know how well he would take the news about how she planned on getting back to Skyrim once she was finished with Alduin.
"Then you'll be happy to hear that Rulindil is dead," Sonata told the elf, noticing that a look of relief washed over his face for a moment, "though I'm afraid that the only way back to Skyrim, save for climbing down the side of the mountain, is to move through Skuldafn, reach the portal that will take us to Sovngarde, and defeat Alduin the World-Eater. Then maybe the Divines will send us home, so that I can turn my focus on the other evils that are plaguing the land of Skyrim."
Kael went silent for a few seconds, as if the reality of his situation was finally returning to him, before he pulled himself out of the chair and walked down to where he had left the remains of his dead comrades. Sonata followed him down the ramp, wondering if he was even going to try and aid her or if he was going to stay here and accept his fate, because she knew that any help would be grateful at this point. She watched as the altmer picked up what appeared to be a sword that had flames on the blade, more like a detail than actual flames, before he attached it and its sheath to his belt. Kael then moved to one of the soldiers and started removing the intact pieces of armor, which he eventually did to the others until he was carrying a completed set of elven armor in his hands.
"Here, these should fit you," Kael said, handing the pieces of armor to Sonata, who accepted them without making any comments about them, "Look, your the Dragonborn that the nords of Skyrim believe will stop the World-Eater from destroying Nirn, so I'd rather make sure that you reach the end of this ruin and not die on the way there. This armor should last you until you find something better to replace it, though to be completely honest I know that there are better armors out there than the armor that the Thalmor gives its soldiers."
Sonata nodded and took the armor from Kael, though she noticed that he moved away from where she was standing and went to a different part of the small tower to give her some privacy while she changed outfits. She liked the leather armor she had been wearing up until this point, because it had served her well through everything that Grul had sent her way, but she knew that it was time that she replaced it with something better. The elven armor looked like it could protect her more than the leather armor, but she knew that the draugr had weapons that could cut through it considering that some of them had killed Kael's companions. She quickly removed what she was wearing and replaced it with the elven armor, which she fiddled with for a few seconds to be sure it fit her and wouldn't fall off the moment something hard hit her.
Once the armor was on, and she was satisfied with how it fit her at the moment, she returned her new ebony sword to her belt and let out a sigh, before steeling herself once more.
"Okay Kael, I'm decent," Sonata said, watching Kael walk out of the area he had been waiting in, "We had best get underway before more of those dragons show up to hinder our progress."
"I am eager to get some vengeance for the soldiers that the draugr killed," Kael replied, pulling out an elven sword while some flames danced in his left hand, "so let's go show those undead warriors the might of the Dragonborn and whoever aids her in her quest to save Nirn from being destroyed."
Sonata nodded and the two of them walked out of the tower, following the path she had been taking before she had been rudely interrupted by the pair of dragons, whose corpses they passed by on their way to the entrance of the temple. As they turned around the corner Kael held up his hand and stopped Sonata before she could walk out just a bit, to which she noticed two arrows fly by where she would have been standing if he hadn't stopped her. She guessed that he had taken notice of the draugr's methods in the entire time he had been here, developing a way to keep himself safe until he could find a way home. She was grateful for the assistance, because if those had hit her she could either be seriously wounded or dead, neither of which would be good for the people of Nirn.
She spotted a draugr walking on the wall that was across from where they were standing, its bow pointed at them as it readied an arrow, so she summoned lightning into her hand and struck the enemy in the chest, knocking it backwards and ensuring that it wouldn't get back up again. Kael, seeing several of the other draugr coming their way, raised his hand and set some of them on fire, causing them to burn until they fell to the ground. It was understandable considering that the first enemies that came at them were the lowest of the undead draugr, which made Sonata wonder what would happen when the Deathlords came at them.
Unfortunately there were two Deathlords walking down the stairs in front of them, both wielding large ebony weapons that would hurt if they hit their targets, but Sonata would not be stopped in her quest to save Nirn. Sonata snapped her fingers and her lightning flew through the air, slamming into one of the enemies and throwing them into the wall as Kael dealt with the other Deathlord with his own fire magic. The rest of the draugr turned on them as they ran up the steps, which was why the two of them used some of their other spells to force their enemies back as they entered the actual temple. The instant they were past the door, and it was closed behind them, Sonata summoned more of her magic and shattered the ceiling above them, collapsing it on top of the door to prevent enemies from following them inside.
Once the deed was done, and she was sure that none of the draugr would follow them inside, Sonata took out one of the potions that Saerza gave her and uncorked the bottle, as she actually needed to restore her energy after everything they had been through already and was thankful that there were two more for her to use if she needed them.
"You want the rest of this?" Sonata asked, not knowing if Kael had been able to recover his own magicka over the number of days he had been trapped here or not.
"No, I'm good on magicka for now," Kael replied, shaking his head as he looked around the area they were in, "Go ahead and finish that bottle off... I'll see what our choices are for moving forward."
Sonata nodded and downed the rest of the potion, feeling her energy return to her within a matter of seconds, before she put the bottle away and followed Kael further into the ruins that she had trapped them inside. Apparently the two paths ahead of them appeared to lead to the same area, so it honestly didn't matter which way they went, so she followed Kael down the path on the left and kept her sword at the ready. Three draugr, all Scourge by the looks of them, were waiting for the pair as they entered the next chamber, so Sonata switched to cutting down those that came at her with a lightning charged sword while Kael used his fire magic to burn them to cinders.
Sonata had noticed that her new companion liked to play with fire more than any other type of school, which told her that she had found a pyromancer and, judging from the amount of damage he was doing to his enemies with both his spells and his elven sword, he happened to be a very powerful one as well.
The moment the three draugr were dealt with they walked up the stairs and entered a larger chamber than the one they had just left, though Sonata immediately noticed that there were three spinning pillars waiting in the middle of the room, which told her that there was a puzzle to solve. The draugr that were guarding the area didn't like the fact that they had come into their territory, as they pulled themselves from their coffins, picked up their weapons, and begun their attack. Sonata, seeing how many undead warriors were coming their way, summoned more of her magic and started throwing spells at the enemies that Kael wasn't focused on, though they had to back up quite a bit as to avoid being hit by their enemies.
When the last draugr fell to the ground, and joined the heap of bodies that was now littering the floor, Sonata turned her attention to the puzzle in front of her, looking for clues that would allow her to solve this so they could move on once more. She spotted a pair of carvings on the wall opposite of the chamber they had entered from, one of which was a snake and the other was an eagle, though she also noticed that the eagle passage had collapsed. On the chamber's right wall she noticed another carving of a snake, while on the left side she spotted a whale, but in her mind she had already solved this puzzle. The pillar on the right was moved until it displayed the snake symbol, while the one of the left was moved until she had the whale facing the wall, leaving her with the one in the middle.
She quickly changed the middle pillar to a snake and pulled the lever in front of the pillars, to which she watched as the gate beneath the snake symbol opened and allowed them to move forward.
With the way open they climbed up the two flights of stairs that they found until they came to another chamber, smaller than the last two they had visited, that had three more draugr blocking their way, but Sonata frowned when she noticed that they had little armor to speak of and that their weapons looked like they were about ready to fall apart. She didn't bother to raise her sword or use her magic against them, allowing Kael to burn them all to the ground before they followed the pathway through a coffin, though it brought them to an area that was covered in webs.
They followed the twists and turns of the passage as they tore through all of the spiders that happened to be in their way, to which they used their swords to cut their way through the infested halls until they reached a large wooden door. A group of five draugr were waiting for them on the other side of the door, who immediately started attacking the moment they opened the door that connected to the room. Sonata and Kael summoned their magic once more and continued attacking the undead enemies that were standing before them, either blasting their lifeless bodies into the walls around them or turning them to a pile of ash.
As they fought through the room they were in Sonata noticed that there was a pillar the moment they entered the area, though the symbol she believed to be tied to it happened to be behind the platform that was in the middle of the room. She left Kael to fight the rest of the undead warriors that were in the room and approached the pillar she had spotted, to which she took a few seconds to turn it around until it faced the snake symbol. As she did that she noticed two more symbols resting above where Kael was standing, though she found it hard to believe that the ancient nords would place the required symbol right above the pillar it went to. If she had designed this room she would have at least switched them around, so that the answer would be diagonally across from the one it belonged to.
Once she had all three of the symbols in the correct order she returned to Kael's side, who happened to be standing next to the lever she needed to pull, though she was pleased to find that it lowered the bridge in front of them so that they could continue forward. They quickly walked over the bridge and passed through the door that it had been protecting, where they followed the passage that the door connected to until they came to a small chamber with three more draugr. Kael charged at the enemy standing right in front of them, leaving Sonata to call on her magic and fight the archers who were on the platform above them, though she had to wait until they showed themselves before she could actually hit them.
This fight took a bit longer for them to finish, on account that Sonata's enemies hated coming into her line of sight, but eventually all of the draugr were returned to their rest and Sonata and Kael moved forward yet again.
After some more twists and turns, and climbing up a circular staircase, they came to a room where the draugr were standing in what appeared to be oil, so Kael smirked as he set the floor on fire and burned their enemies alive within seconds. Inside that same room Sonata spotted a lever that opened the gate on the opposite side of where they were standing, though they had their weapons drawn in case something happened. They followed the passage, and navigated through the twists and turns that it threw at them, before they reached what Sonata knew was the Hall of Stories, which told her that there had to be another Dragon Claw in the immediate area. As they rounded the next corner, however, Sonata spotted the person they would have to fight to get the claw they needed to move on, though she wasn't surprised to find a Deathlord carrying the item.
Sonata decided to get this over with as fast as possible, so while the Deathlord advanced to where she was standing she used her Unrelenting Force Shout to stagger the undead warrior, as apparently the high ranking undead couldn't be thrown back by the full power of the Shout. It was fortunate that the Deathlord only wanted to kill her first, because it ignored Kael until a sword erupted from its chest, to which he burned the creature until all that was left was the armor and the claw. Sonata grabbed the claw and approached the wall that it went to, quickly spying the combination on the bottom of it before she started to move the rings into the proper order; first a fox, then a moth, and finally a dragon.
With the door out of the way the two pressed on yet again, only this time they entered a chamber that had the largest Word Wall that Sonata had seen in her entire time in Skyrim. They quickly crossed to the other side, as they were concerned by the fact that there weren't any enemies that wanted to kill them in the room just yet, to which Sonata stepped up to the wall and let the Word of Power enter her body. The Word she found was Strun, which happened to be the first Word in an entirely new Shout, which made her chuckle for a few seconds before they followed the passage out of the room they were in. They followed the path until they came to a door that led them outside, though as they took in the rays of light again Sonata noticed three Deathlords coming their way.
Instead of dealing with them, and wasting more of their time, she engaged her magic and threw them off of where they were standing, leaving her and Kael to turn around the corner and walk up the stairs that they found... only they discovered a floating robed figure that had a dragon on either side of it. Behind the floating draugr was the portal to Sovngarde, but as the draugr removed its staff the portal was sealed before their very eyes, though Sonata knew that they'd have to get the staff if they wanted to get out of here.
"So this is where Nahkriin was hiding," Kael said, beckoning to the undead in front of them, "He's supposed to be one of the most powerful Dragon Priests to ever serve the dragons, though stories I've read claim that there might be others that are even stronger than him. I'll hold him off while you deal with the dragons... and then we'll get that staff."
"Actually, I'd rather get this over with," Sonata replied, allowing her power to enter her body for a few seconds, to which she added her lightning abilities to the Shout she had just acquired, "This ought to be interesting."
Sonata turned to the sky and loosed the new Shout, though she snapped up a shield as the sky above them turned into a full blown storm in a matter of seconds. Lightning flashed from the sky and struck everything around where the two of them were standing, either blowing holes into the stonework or striking the dragons that tried to take off. The Dragon Priest seemed to have a better time dodging the lightning, and it even raised its staff at them at one point, but the lightning zeroed in on it and delivered the full power of the storm to its core. The undead priest turned to ashes as the lightning blasted the dragons into the stonework around them, frying them alive until Sonata was sure that all of their enemies were dead.
As she called off the power of the storm, and collected the souls of the slain dragons, she fell to her knees for a moment, which was followed by some huffing and puffing from the amount of power she had called forth.
"I guess I need... the second potion," Sonata commented, pulling out the second magicka potion she had been given, while tossing the third one over to Kael, "Be ready... because somewhere on the other side of that portal is our enemy."
Kael nodded and they both downed the potions, regaining most of the magicka that they had used throughout the temple, before he helped Sonata back onto her feet. He then approached the corpse of the Dragon Priest and collected the mask that the creature had been wearing, knowing that many mages would hand to get their hands on the mask of Nahkriin, before picking up the staff. Kael then handed the staff to Sonata, who approached the area that the priest had been floating before they arrived, to which she slammed the base of the staff into the indent she had found on the platform.
The magic happened immediately, as the portal was opened before their very eyes as the stone was ripped apart in front of them, though Sonata grinned as she approached the entrance to Sovngarde. All she had to do now was find Alduin and put him down, so that she could turn her focus on the remaining enemies that were waiting for her to find them. |
Sonata's Crazy and Wacky Adventure in Skyrim | 30: Sovngarde | When Sonata and Kael stepped through the other side of the portal, and appeared in the nordic afterlife that was Sovngarde, she half expected to be in the form of a pony, considering that she was originally from Equus. As she regained herself she noticed that she was still in her normal form, which was actually fine considering everything that she had been through so far. Kael stood to her right, but his eyes were on what was resting before them, which prompted Sonata to turn her head to what was in front of them and finally notice the land of Sovngarde.
There were plenty of trees and patches of grass scattered around the area in front of them, though Sonata could even see a mound of ground that was covered by a bunch of clouds. She looked to their left and right and spotted what she assumed were small mountains, with statues carved out of the very stone they were attached to. Even the air seemed lighter than it had been in Skyrim, something that Sonata hadn't been expecting when they walked through the portal, but she still managed to enjoy it. She even spotted a rather large building in the distance, where she assumed she would find the assistance she needed if she wanted to put down the World-Eater.
Still, despite the fact they came here to prevent the end of the world Sonata couldn't help but be amazed by the sights that were resting before her eyes.
"So this is Sovngarde..." Kael commented, looking around in wonder for a few seconds, "I have heard many nords speak of this place, always revering it whenever they said its name, and yet I never dared to think that I would actually step foot in this part of Aetherius."
"I suspect that we'll find someone to help us inside that massive building." Sonata said, pointing at the massive structure for a moment, before starting to walk down the path in front of them, "Come on, we should get moving before Alduin realizes that we're here."
"I think that he might already know," Kael replied, pointing at the black mist that happened to be covering most of the area between them and the massive building that Sonata had pointed to, all while noticing that a large number of soul like creatures were standing before the mist itself, "Ah, I think I see how Alduin intends on restoring his health after his battle with you; he set up this mist and likely catches the souls of those who are brave enough to test their luck. Its either that, which I think that it is, or this was designed to keep you from reaching that building, though we'll have to wait and see."
Sonata didn't like to think that this had been designed to keep her away from the massive building, because that would have meant that Alduin knew that she would be coming here despite what he told her back at the Throat of the World. This was likely how he stunned the souls of the dead so he could eat them whenever he needed to, which meant that her enemy was nearby and that they needed to get to that building before they were spotted. She counted herself fortunate that she had learned the Clear Skies Shout before coming here, because she was sure that it would help her in clearing out the mist, while also informing Alduin that she had arrived.
She spotted one of the unfortunate souls trying to get through the mist, but after a few seconds he disappeared and was never seen again, though Sonata blasted back the black mist with her Shout. Eventually she and Kael came to a split in the path, to which they looked at each other for a few seconds, before they turned to the left and resumed their journey. Every time the mist returned Sonata blasted it back, keeping her and her companion safe while they made their way to the large building that they had spotted earlier. After some time they emerged on the other side of the mist and appeared before what appeared to be a large bridge back from what Sonata assumed was the backs of several dragons.
Standing in front of the bridge, however, was a massive nord that was glowing, though Sonata also noticed that he was wearing no chest piece and carried a battleaxe on his back.
"What brings you, traveler grim, to wander here, in Sovngarde, Shor's gift to honored dead?" the large nord asked Sonata the moment she and Kael approached him, though it was clear that he was more interested in Sonata.
"I pursue Alduin, the World-Eater." Sonata declared, knowing that the dragon was waiting for the end of their battle, something that she wanted to bring an end to anyway.
"A fateful errand." the large nord responded, though Sonata was unsure if he had been expecting that answer or if he had been expecting her to say something else, "No few have chafed to face the Worm since first he set his soul-snare here at Sovngarde's threshold. But Shor restrained our wrathful onslaught - perhaps, deep counselled, your doom he foresaw. No shade are you, as usually here passes, but living, you dare the land of the dead. By what right do you request entry?"
Sonata had no idea what the man before her was speaking of, and she wanted to say by the right of being the Siren Queen, but decided that revealing what she was once more would only make things more complicated for someone that wasn't familiar with her past self. So that left her with only one path she could take, the only one that would get her into the building that was standing on the other side of the massive bridge. Though as she thought about it, and everything that Grul was forcing her to go through thanks to him discovering what she was, she figured that she might as well accept who she used to be and add it back into her life.
"By right of birth." Sonata declared once more, though she knew that Kael was sure to be surprised by what she was about to say next, "I am not only the Dragonborn of Legend, but also the Siren Queen!"
"Ah! It's been too long since last I faced a doom-driven hero of the dragon blood." the large nord replied, apparently taking more to the fact that she was Dragonborn than what she actually was, "Living or dead, by decree of Shor, none may pass this perilous bridge 'till I judge them worthy by the warrior's test."
Sonata sighed as she drew her ebony sword and parried the attack that came her way, as she had expected the massive warrior to attack considering that he had mentioned a 'warrior's test'. Kael, knowing that she had to face the man alone, had backed up and was watching what was happening before his eyes as Sonata parried the next attack. She then parried the next three attacks that were coming her way, trying to determine what she could do to defeat the large warrior, before she forced it back for a moment and struck him in the chest. The wound didn't seem to bother the man very much, leaving Sonata to parry several more attacks before she could deliver another wound and get the show on the road.
It took some time, and a large amount of parries on her part, before the nord sheathed his weapon and stared down at her, leaving her to wonder if the fight was over or if it was a way to make her lower her guard.
"You fought well." the man said, moving out of the way as if he was permitting her to cross the bridge, "I find you worthy. It is long since one of the living has entered here. May Shor's favor follow you and your errand."
"Kael, wait here for a few minutes," Sonata said, sheathing her weapon as she approached the bridge, "I should be back with some allies that will help us defeat Alduin."
Kael nodded his understanding as Sonata began the trek across the bridge, not bothering to think about what she was stepping on as she focused her energy into figuring out how she was going to stop Alduin. She was sure that the power of four Tongues would be able to do some massive damage to the ancient dragon, but she seriously hoped that they would be able to bring an end to the World-Eater. The building she was walking towards got more impressive the closer she got to it, though when she stopped at the entrance she noticed that it was definitely a massive structure, far larger than she had originally been expecting.
When she walked inside the building she noticed that there was a massive amount of ancient warriors, far more than she was expecting to see when she had stepped into Sovngarde, though she was greeted by a buff warrior that seemed to have an air of authority around him.
"Three await you Dragonborn," the large warrior commented as Sonata approached, before beckoning to three ancient warriors that she recognized from when she looked into the Elder Scroll to learn Dragonrend, "to loose their fury upon the perilous foe. Gormlaith the Fearless, glad-hearted in battle; Hakon the Valiant, heavy-handed warrior; and Felldir the Old, far-seeing and grim."
Sonata smiled when she spotted who would be fighting by her side when she called Alduin to battle one last time, because she knew that this time the World-Eater would finally meet his end.
Sonata and the three ancient heroes left the massive building in time to hear a roar shake the entire area, something that told them that Alduin had grown tired of waiting and was ready to fight them once more. The four of them quickly crossed back to where Sonata had left Kael, who fell in with them as they arrayed themselves between the black mist and the bridge, though before they did anything they all drew their weapons as they prepared themselves.
"Come now, Clear Skies," Gormlaith shouted, facing the mist as everyone else turned towards the mass of darkness that was hanging in front of them, "We will drive back the Enemy's mist and bring him to justice this day."
The Clear Skies Shout escaped from the mouths of four Tounges, though the combined power of their Shout tore into the mist, ripping it apart and driving it from the area in front of them. Sonata would have cheered at the fact that they had beaten Alduin's mist, but before she could do anything she heard three words, Ven, Mul, and Riik echo through the air as the mist stitched itself back together before their eyes. Gormlaith called for them to try again, to which they tore the mist apart with their Shout for the second time, though that was rapidly followed by the same three words echoing through the valley and the mist reforming. The third time was definitely the charm, because the moment it was torn to pieces Alduin didn't bother trying to restore it again as he burst out of the sky and descended towards where they were standing.
As Alduin neared them Sonata and the other three Tongues loosed the Dragonrend Shout, forcing their enemy to the ground and allowing them to fight him on equal footing. Alduin roared and loosed a gout of flames at them, forcing them to separate from each other for a few seconds as they attacked the massive dragon from both directions. Their enemy brushed off their attacks, which annoyed Sonata considering that they had forced him to the ground with the Dragonrend Shout, and gave them the impression that they weren't doing enough damage at the moment.
When the next wave of Dragonrend Shouts collided with Alduin, and continued to make sure that he stayed grounded, Sonata summoned her power and started shooting lightning into her enemy's sides, trying to wound him like she had done back at the Throat of the World. Her power, combined with the elemental fury that Kael commanded and the additional power of three more Nordic Tongues, seemed to have almost no effect on their enemy despite the fact that he was being weighed down by the Dragonrend Shout, leaving Sonata to wonder what was different between this fight and the last one.
"You cannot defeat me, joor!" Alduin roared, his left wing smacking Sonata in the face while she was distracted, sending her flying into the rock wall that was behind her, "Your power means nothing to me."
That was when Sonata remembered what she had done back at the Throat of the World to force Alduin to come here, as she had been in this position during their previous fight. She had opened herself up to the power trapped inside of her, which also included her anger towards Lord Grul, and had overpowered the World-Eater. She moaned as she opened herself to her true power, as much as she was able to wield thanks to her shattered necklace, and noticed the red aura from before surround her as she powered up. The sky seemed to flash for a few seconds as she picked herself back up, though she was glaring at the World-Eater the entire time as he focused on her allies and not on her.
It gave her the perfect opportunity to connect her power to the sky above them and create the beginnings of what could be the storm that would destroy her enemy, before she focused her lightning and blasted Alduin in the side.
"If you know a Shout that can summon a storm I suggest you use it!" Sonata shouted to her allies, focusing her attention on the World-Eater as she struck him with the Dragonrend Shout, though that was followed by the sky darkening even more than it had previously been as lightning started to flash everywhere.
Alduin turned his attention to Sonata and breathed gouts of flames at her as she moved through the air, avoiding all of them thanks to her enhanced speed and smiling at the entire time. Her enemy clearly had no idea that she was using his own flames to increase the power of the storm that was building above their heads, all so she could create a powerful attack that could end this fight. Starswirl had told her that this was possible before he had been forced to banish her and her sisters, to use flames to increase the power of the storm that she could command. It basically meant that she didn't need to expand her power creating the storm itself, especially when she could make Alduin empower the storm that she would use to destroy him.
He also managed to score a lucky hit on her as she moved around his head, as he appeared to be permanently grounded thanks to four Tongues constantly blasting him with the Dragonrend Shout. Though not a few seconds after getting hit she noticed that the clouds were busy with activity, informing her that this was the time to unleash the power and destroy her enemy.
"Let's end this!" Sonata shouted, raising her ebony sword to the sky as a bit of lightning danced around it, while the storm itself seemed to flash in response to what she had done, "Lightning Rod!"
Sonata flew down to where Alduin was waiting and drove the blade right into his head, but even with the Dragonrend Shout it didn't seem like he was phased by her sword penetrating his skull. She then kicked herself off of his head, leaving her sword where it was for the moment, and opened herself to the storm that was above their heads, calling upon all the power that it could muster. Lightning flashed through the air and slammed into the ebony sword, coursing through the blade and entering Alduin's body, though that was followed by the World-Eater roaring in pain from the attack. Sonata did not relent in her attack, using everything that the storm had, and even most of her own power, to inflict as much damage as she could upon her enemy, all while hoping that it would be enough to stop him.
That was seconds before Alduin roared in pain one last time and his body exploded, his soul rushing towards the skies above them and ripping apart the storm that Sonata had put together, until there was absolutely nothing left of the World-Eater, save for Sonata's ebony sword that had been stuck in his head.
"I can't... believe that worked." Sonata commented as she landed on the ground near Kael, falling to her knees as she cut off the aura and left the power behind.
"You deserve to rest for at least an hour before we even think about heading back to Nirn," Kael replied, making sure that his companion was fine from the blow that had knocked her into the side of the mountain, "then we'll figure out which of your enemies we should take out next... after we gather up the rest of your small army."
"That was a mighty deed!" the large nord that had challenged Sonata said, as if he was actually impressed by the defeat of the World-Eater, "The doom of Alduin encompassed at last, and cleansed is Sovngarde of his evil snare. They will sing of this battle in Shor's hall forever. But your fate lies elsewhere. When you have completed your count of days, I may welcome you again, with glad friendship, and bid you join the blessed feasting."
Sonata nodded and looked up at the sky of Sovngarde, somehow finding a sense of peace from the troubles that awaited her back in Skyrim, where Lord Harkon, Miraak, and Lord Grul waited for her return. She reached for her shattered necklace and pulled it out for a second, though she noticed that two of the fragments, which had been two separate pieces, had merged into one half of the original pendant. She smiled as she looked at the necklace, now knowing that the way to restore her former powers laid through her dealing with the enemies that plagued Skyrim, which meant that she would be paying the Dawnguard a visit after she returned to Skyrim.
And then, once she was done with Harkon and Miraak, she was going to enjoy using her full power to find Lord Grul, break him like the fool he was, and rescue her sisters from whatever prison they were trapped in at the moment.
Lord Grul looked at the ceiling of Blackreach as his minions focused on completing their work, a smile appearing on his face as he felt the World-Eater meet his end. He had been expecting the Siren Queen to deal with the massive black dragon, and she had thanks to what he was feeling, but he knew that there were two more enemies for her to fight. Grul chuckled for a moment, knowing that it was almost time for them to reveal what they had been working on, to which Aggronak, his right hand, looked up from the crystal that he was working on the moment he chuckled.
"One down," Grul commented, picking up a twisted piece of metal that resembled Alduin, crushing it as he turned to the twisted pieces of metal that resembled a vampire and a dragon priest, "two to go." |
Sonata's Crazy and Wacky Adventure in Skyrim | 31: Return to Whiterun | Sonata and Kael waited a whole hour after dealing with Alduin the World-Eater, allowing Sonata time to rest from having spent most of her energy to obliterate one of her enemies from the face of Nirn. Kael spent his time either enjoying the sights or speaking to several of the mages that had found their way to Sovngarde, despite the fact that most of them happened to be nords. He was clearly interested in this version of the afterlife and wanted to ask his questions before Sonata decided it was time to return to Nirn, where they would retrieve the rest of her friends and begin the hunt for either Harkon or Miraak.
Sonata, on the other hand, had gotten her hands on some of the food from the Hall of Valor, the building that she had been so eager to enter to find allies that would have helped her stop Alduin, and had been able to get some well deserved rest. She knew that she and Kael couldn't stay in Sovngarde forever, not when Lord Grul was running around Skyrim and had her sisters held captive in some unknown area. She also knew that she had to deal with Harkon and Miraak first, because they were threatening Skyrim and would likely restore a fraction of her power once she had taken care of them, if the defeat of Alduin was anything to go by.
When the hour was finally up, and she had some of her energy back, Sonata got onto her feet, collected her ebony sword from where she had left it, made sure that Kael was following her again, and then approached Tsun, the giant nord who's name she had failed to learn when she had first arrived in Sovngarde.
"We are ready to return to Tamriel," Sonata told Tsun, though even as she said that she had to wonder where they would end up in the end, something that she was sure was running through Kael's mind as well.
"Return now to Nirn, with this rich boon from Shor, my lord: a Shout to bring a hero from Sovngarde in your hour of need." Tsun replied, allowing a new Shout to fill Sonata's mind before he drew in his own power, "Nahl... Daal... Vus!"
Sonata felt the world go dark as some unknown power grabbed onto her and pulled her out of Sovngarde, dragging her, and no doubt Kael as well, back to Tamriel. When she next opened her eyes she found that they had been dropped off at the peak of the Throat of the World, where she had originally met Paarthurnax, only this time she noticed that there were quite a number of dragons flying through the air around her and Kael. She silently wondered if they were here to avenge their fallen master, because if they were then she knew she didn't stand a chance to get rid of all of them with what energy she had left.
"Alduin los dilon!" A dragon shouted, causing an uproar from all of the others, while Sonata turned her head to the side as she looked at the host of dragons, "Alduin lost kosaan krinaan!
Sonata and Kael watched as the host of dragons scattered themselves to the winds, though Sonata assumed that they had been somewhat pleased that Alduin had been defeated. Two dragons remained near her while the others disappeared, the one that was still flying around the mountain she immediately recognized as Paarthurnax, though it took her a moment to realize that the second was Odahviing.
"Greetings, Dovahkiin," Odahviing called out, landing behind Sonata and Kael, though Sonata though she saw a smirk on the dragon's face, "I see that you have succeeded in your...mission. Alduin, the Firstborn and the Lord of the dragons, is no more. Paarthurnax is leaving his mountain. No doubt so he can try to teach the other dragons the peaceful lifestyle that he developed in the Way of the Voice. I wish him luck in his quest, as many of our kind would not exchange Alduin's Lordship for the tyranny that comes from Paarthurnax's peaceful teachings. I, on the other wing, shall go high into the other mountains. I shall honor my word and come to your call whenever you need me, if I am able to reach you. I hope to see you sometime in the future, but until then I will take my leave. Farewell Dovahkiin."
Sonata watched as both Paarthurnax and Odahviing took off in different directions, until she and Kael were the only ones left at the peak of the Throat of the World.
"Well then," Sonata said, turning to Kael for a moment, who seemed stunned by what they had just seen, "We had best get underway... because this journey will take us a couple of hours to reach Whiterun."
Sonata had been half right in saying that it would take them a few hours to reach Whiterun, because in reality it took them half a day to reach their destination. As they walked along the path that took them towards the massive city Sonata was pleased to find that there was nothing that jumped out and wanted to kill them, though at the same time it made her worry about what Grul was planning next. She hadn't seen a sign of him or his orcs since she had retrieved the Elder Scroll, giving him an untold number of dwarven machines to mess with and do whatever he wanted with them. Grul had wanted the machines for some reason, though she was beginning to think that she had allowed him to get his hands on something that he had been searching for.
Something, she mentally added, that might be the key to him opening that portal she had seen in her dreams, back when she received a vision of Grul burning Nirn to ashes, It was something that she hadn't actually told anyone about, because she wasn't sure if she was right or if she had had a bad dream.
When they actually reached their destination Sonata immediately spotted several guards that happened to be waiting in front of the main gate, though instead of the usual two she always saw she noticed that there were at least five of them now. She had to wonder if any of them had been with her when she released Odahviing so she could get to Skuldafn, though it was impossible to tell thanks to the identical armor all of the guards wore. The moment the guards noticed them walking towards the gate one of them exclaimed something about the defeat of Alduin, which was roughly followed by the entire group cheering and beckoning the pair into Whiterun so they could deliver the news to Jarl Balgruuf.
Sonata assumed that news of what she was doing had spread like wildfire throughout the city, which explained why everyone she and Kael passed seemed overjoyed. She only wished that she could be like them, but knew that she would only truly be happy once she had eliminated the remainder of her enemies and had rescued her sisters.
When she and Kael reached Dragonsreach, and were allowed in by the overjoyed guards, Sonata was pleased to find that all of her friends were scattered around the main hall, apparently helping the various people in the hall with whatever they needed help with. Gol and Mez seemed to be the only ones absent at the moment, which told her that they were at one of the city's forges, no doubt preparing weapons and armor for the coming trials. Kree spotted her the moment she walked through the door, to which she called to the rest of their companions and everyone stopped what they were doing, before they all gathered around the hearth to welcome her back.
"Is... is the task complete?" Kree asked, though it was likely the first time that Sonata had ever heard her friend seem uncertain about something, "Is Alduin... dead?"
"The World-Eater is no more," Sonata replied, which brought on a large amount of cheering and declarations that a celebration had to be planned for what she had done for them.
Sonata was fine with what they were saying, because she almost felt like she had earned one at this point, but knew that now was not the time for them to be celebrating. Grul was still out there, using Harkon as a pawn of his until he got whatever he wanted, and Sonata wouldn't actually take part in any parties until her enemy was destroyed.
She spent the next two hours telling her friends, and by extent Jarl Balgruuf, of her trek through Skuldafn, where she met Kael roughly ten minutes after Odahviing dropped her off and flew in the opposite direction. Several of her companions were surprised to find that her newest companion was actually a former member of the Thalmor, or more accurately the Second Emissary, until he and his soldiers had been dropped off on the mountain by a pair of dragons. As she reached the part about Sovngarde, and the defeat of Alduin, one of the guards ran into the area they were all in, though this time she dreaded to wonder what was coming next.
"My Lord, there's a small group of heavily armed orcs heading this way," the guard told Balgruuf, which only made Sonata moan as she realized that her enemy had come for her head, "and it appears that there is a group of vampires marching with them."
"It seems that we can't catch a break at all, can we?" Lorthan asked, sighing as everyone got onto their feet and turned towards the door, "I'd say that our enemies have decided to give you their own personal welcome back party... wouldn't you say so Sonata?"
Sonata couldn't believe her luck, because she had literally just returned from saving the world from Alduin and now had Harkon's forces, and some of Grul's, breathing down her neck. It was almost as if the vampire lord wanted her to come and kill him, though at this point she knew that it would be best to kill him the instant they crossed paths. No going on some epic quest to find the one thing that might end the fight or anything like that... she was just going to end the vampire lord the moment she laid eyes on him.
She knew that she was thinking like the Siren Queen she used to be, back when she was angry at someone, but right now she barely cared about that... she only wanted to end the attack on the city before innocent people were hurt by her enemies.
Once she and her friends had exited the city, and had walked up the ramps to see where their enemies were coming from, Sonata spotted a force of twenty orcs marching towards the city from the road that led to Riverwood, making her wonder if they had attacked the small village as well. Beside them marched an equal number of vampires, telling Sonata that they we likely paired in the manner of one warrior with one mage, which could have actually made things interesting if she didn't have her friends with her. She turned to Kree for a moment and nodded her head, to which Kree pulled her bowstring back and took aim at one of the orcs that were coming their way.
The instant her arrow pierced the orc's skull, and dropped him to the ground, the rest of the advancing war party began their charge towards the city, which was what Sonata wanted them to do. Lydia and Lorthan charged out to meet their enemies, though not seconds later both Gol and Mez, who had seen the group leaving the city, joined in the fight and tore into some of the orcs. Sonata left Kree, Saerza, and Kael to attack from the ramps, using their spells and Kree's arrows to deal with the enemies at the back of the pack, while she drew her ebony sword and marched towards the soldiers that followed Grul's orders.
She hacked, slashed, and cut her way through all of the enemies that stood in her way, not bothering to use her magic at all, until the majority of the enemies had been routed, save for one wounded vampire and a wounded orc.
"Lord Grul... will tame... your power!" the orc declared, struggling to pick up his weapon while Sonata and the others gathered around him.
"Yes, I have heard that from every orc that I've killed so far," Sonata replied, extending her hand before engulfing the orc in a wave of fire, to which she turned to the vampire as she ignored the burning orc, "So tell me, how badly does Lord Harkon want to capture me and exchange me for whatever Grul has promised him?"
"Oh, very badly," the vampire replied, a fanged smile appearing on his face, "Your power will fuel his portal... and then this world will burn!"
"Then there is no time to waste." Sonata said, engulfing the vampire in flames as well as she turned back to her friends, "So, whose up for finding the Dawnguard and showing them how to properly hunt down and fight vampires? Because seriously, this is starting to get annoying and I have half convinced that they're merely waiting for me to arrive before they do anything useful."
"We should depart for Riften at once," Kree commented, collecting the last of her arrows as she returned to them, "I am eager to see if there is anything special to these vampires... besides joining forces with the orc that wants to capture you."
Sonata hoped that Lord Harkon would at least put up a fight when she found him, though she had the feeling that he was going to be a complete waste of her time and energy, which she could use in finding where Grul was hiding and put that orc down. She only hoped that the orc warlock had killed himself on accident and that his entire war with her was over before it had even started. |
Sonata's Crazy and Wacky Adventure in Skyrim | 32: The Hidden Secret | Sonata was somewhat surprised when she and her friends departed from Whiterun, because not too far away from where the orcs were spotted was a small caravan they had used to get here so fast, though they had stopped behind the brewery for some reason. There were at least five wagons sitting behind the building, almost as if they had been abandoned the moment the orcs had arrived, and there was still a horse attached to each one of them. It was as if the orcs were supposed to attack the city and then retreat, as if they had come to drag someone out of Whiterun, but in the end they were dead.
And, Sonata mentally added, the orcs had given her the perfect way to get them all to Riften without having to walk all the way there, as they could now use the carriages to get to their destination.
Kree, Goz, and Mez spent some time gathering everything that they could use, and making sure that the horses they didn't need would have a good home at the Whiterun stables until someone purchased them, before they got underway once more. They had decided to take two of the carriages for themselves to ride in, while using the third one for any additional treasure and supplies they might come across. Fortunately the orcs had apparently ransacked a camp at some point, though whether it was an Imperial or Stormcloak camp Sonata had no idea, so they now had the ability to set up a camp if they needed to.
Everyone else had searched everything that the orcs and vampires had brought with them, including going back to the bodies of the fallen and searching them for a few minutes. Gol and Mez, once again, insisted on taking certain pieces of armor and weapons from the fallen, so that they could use the metal for something better than what their enemy was using it for. The rest of the gear had been taken into the city, where some of it had been sold to the blacksmith and the general goods vendor, while the rest of it had been gifted to the Jarl.
Sonata was sure that their three carriages would attract unwanted attention from bandits, but considering that she had just killed Alduin, and saved the entirety of Nirn, she knew that common bandits posed little threat to her and her company of friends.
Once all of their preparations were complete, and they were sure that the city of Whiterun was safe from any further attacks, Sonata and her friends departed from the area and began their journey towards Riften. Sonata was somewhat happy that she was finally starting the hunt for Lord Harkon, in a manner of speaking considering that Lorthan could tell her where he was, because it was time to make him pay for everything he's done to her while she was figuring out how to stop Alduin. That also included making him suffer for anything that she wasn't aware of at the moment, though she assumed that Harkon had done more than what she already knew about.
"You never did finish your story on how you and Kael killed Alduin," Saerza commented, snapping Sonata out of her thoughts, "So, what happened after the two of you crossed through the portal that took you to Sovngarde?"
Sonata smiled as she told them what happened next; their journey through the soul snatching mist that Alduin commanded, her brief battle with Tsun, her meeting with the original heroes that banished Alduin, and then their fight with the World-Eater. She also mentioned that she had to tap into her true power, which half of her group knew about, and that she was able to end her foe with what she called upon. That was when Kael informed her that when she powered up, and tapped into her true power, her hair became spiked and went straight into the air.
What he described reminded Sonata of something she had seen back on Earth, before she and her sisters were defeated, something that she was sure was called a 'Saiyan' or something. She let the thought leave her mind as she focused on her next task, though she hoped to see what Kael had mentioned the next time she had to tap into her true powers.
When they arrived in Riften they asked one of the guards where Fort Dawnguard was located, to which they were pointed in the direction of Stendarr's Beacon. Oddly enough Lorthan knew where the Beacon was located, though Sonata guessed that it made sense considering that he would want to steer clear of it. He quickly led them towards the Beacon, though he was somewhat annoyed when they found the entrance that would lead them to the fort itself, as it happened to be a hole in the side of the mountain with two flaming blaziers in front of it.
"I do hope this is a joke." Lorthan commented as they climbed off of their carriages, "Its almost like they want Lord Harkon to find out where they are hiding."
"And yet it explains so much," Sonata added, walking up to the entrance, "A stupid leader means stupid decisions... but let's hope that they are willing to listen to reason."
Upon entering the hole in the wall, and entering the canyon area they had been told about, Sonata found a scared farmer who looked like he was trying to decide between walking up to the fortress or going back home. As she and her friends walked forward, and began to approach the fortress, the young man seemed to make up his mind and fell in with them.
"You guys here to join the Dawnguard, too?" the young man asked, trying to engage them in conversation while attempting to calm himself down, "Truth is, I'm a little nervous. I've never done anything like this before. I hope you don't mind if I walk up with you. Just don't tell Isran I was afraid to meet him by myself. Not the best first impression for a new vampire hunter, I guess. You guys have probably killed lots of vampires, huh? I'm sure Isran will sign the lot of you right up. Not sure he'll take me. I hope so."
Sonata had to contain the sigh that had been building up while the young man had been speaking, because she knew that she and her friends had killed quite the number of vampires during her time in Skyrim, though it made her wonder how many more of them there were between her and Harkon.
"Yeah, we've killed plenty of vampires," Sonata commented, to which every one, including Lorthan, nodded their heads in agreement, "though I've been itching to cut the head off of the beast lately."
The young man, clearly not sure what Sonata had told him by the last part, fell silent as they approached the front door of the fortress, though Sonata noticed many of the assembled soldiers gathering supplies to make the place livable. The soldier in front of the door took one look at Sonata, and the people around her, and beckoned for them to enter without a single word, as if he knew that they were here to help them stamp out the vampire menace. When they walked inside the fortress they found two people arguing, though Sonata decided to wait for them to finish before bothering to approach them.
"Why are you here, Tolan?" the man on the left asked, staring right at the nord that was standing in front of him for a moment, "The Vigilants and I were finished long ago."
"You know why I'm here Isran," the man, Tolan, replied, letting out a sigh as he spoke, "the Vigilants are under attack everywhere. The vampires are much more dangerous than we believed."
"And now you want to come running to safety with the Dawnguard, is that it?" Isran angrily said, as if the very idea went against everything that he stood for, "I remember Keeper Carcette telling me repeatedly that Dawnguard is a crumbling ruin, not worth the expense and manpower to repair. And now that you've stirred up the vampires against you, you come begging for my protection?"
"Isran, Carcette is dead." Tolan answered, sorrow filling his voice for a moment, which caused Isran to stare at him in shock for a few seconds, "The Hall of Vigilants... everyone... they're all dead. You were right, we were wrong. Isn't that enough for you?"
"Yes, well... I never wanted any of this to happen." Isran simply stated, recovering from his initial shock enough to give a decent response, "I tried to warn all of you... I am sorry, you know."
Sonata had half a mind to jump into the conversation and mention that it wasn't the Vigilants that had stirred up the vampires, rather it was an orc warlock by the name of Grul that had promised Lord Harkon power if he handed Sonata over to him. She actually starting to wonder how Grul had come into contact with Harkon, because it didn't seem like chance was even involved at this point anymore. Though she knew that she couldn't put off meeting with the Leader of the Dawnguard forever, so she walked forward and forced both Isran and Tolan to look at her.
"So who are you?" Isran asked, something that Sonata was actually expecting, considering that the man before her should have no idea who she was or what she had already done to get this far, "What do you want?"
"I am Sonata Dusk, Dragonborn of legend and Slayer of Alduin the World-Eater," Sonata replied, bowing her head ever so slightly, more to show respect towards the person who commanded the Dawnguard, "I had heard that there was a group of people who were trying to get rid of the vampires that have been plaguing the people of Skryim, and considering that I have run into them many times I figured that I could lend my skills to your cause."
Sonata wanted nothing more than to accuse Isran of doing a piss poor job at taking care of the vampires she had mentioned, but decided to keep her thoughts to herself. Harkon was apparently a very old vampire, from what the Council had told her before they had been destroyed by Lady Vespula, so it stood to reason that it wouldn't be easy to take him out of the picture, or his closest allies for that matter. All she needed to do was figure out where Lord Harkon was hiding... and then she would ensure that his world came crashing down all around him for everything he's done.
"You heard right." Isran said, crossing his arms for a moment, though Sonata could see a smile on his face for a few seconds, "I'm glad word's finally starting to get around. But that means it won't be long before the vampires start to take notice as well. Seeing how you are willing to get started immediately I need someone out in the field, taking the fight to the damn vampires, while we're getting the fort back into shape... Tolan, tell her about, what was it, Dimhollow?"
"Yes, that's it. Dimhollow Crypt." Tolan replied, turning to Sonata and her friends for a moment, though the information was for both Isran and the assembled group, "Brother Adalvald was sure it held some long-lost vampire artifact of some kind. We didn't listen to him any more than we did Isran. He was at the Hall when it was attacked..."
"That's good enough for me." Isran said, beckoning for Tolan to show Sonata where the crypt was located, which he proceeded to do without delay, "Go see what the vampires were looking for in this Dimhollow Crypt. With any luck, they'll still be there."
Sonata nodded once she knew where the crypt was located, and the others did as well, before turning around and departing from the fortress, leaving Isran to tell Tolan that it wasn't a good idea to go there as well. The young man that had followed them into the fortress remained behind as well, clearly wanting to learn how to be a proper vampire hunter, though Sonata wished him luck. She and her friends swiftly returned to where they had left their carts, which were still packed with everything they had brought with them, before they mounted up and began the journey to Dimhollow Crypt.
Thanks to Tolan indicating where the crypt was located, and Lorthan easily navigating them into the area they needed to be in, they managed to find Dimhollow Crypt in record time, though it was merely a hole in the side of a mountain. Sonata was sure that anyone could have found the crypt and made off with whatever the vampires were searching for before their arrival, but she wanted to search it anyway. Gol and Mez were assigned to watch the carriages, as they had the ability to fight off multiple enemies at the same time and would keep the supplies safe, before Sonata led everyone else inside. Tolan also managed to catch up with them, thanks to the horse he was riding, and insisted on staying beside them on the journey to the crypt, so that they could explore it together.
Sonata wasn't sure why he seemed so calm around Lorthan, who happened to be a vampire, but decided that the Vigilant had decided that a friendly vampire was better than an enemy... or whatever his reasoning was for not hating her friend.
Once they walked inside the cave they found four vampires talking among themselves, though they seemed to be discussing whatever was located further inside the crypt that their master was searching for. Sonata assumed that Harkon already knew about Dimhollow Crypt and was having his underlings search for the artifact as well, though that just meant that she couldn't let him have it. She beckoned to Kree, who had pulled her bow out, and an arrow went flying into the room, to which a vampire collapsed on the ground while the remaining three started to search for the intruders. Lydia loosed a roar of her own and charged into battle, tearing the head off of the enemy she came to, while the others assisted her from behind.
Sonata was pleased that they had such a strong group dynamic in place, as the warriors would take to the front lines and hold the enemy's attention while she and the other magic users would stay at the back and hit people from afar. Tolan, who was completely new to how their group worked, fought along side Lydia with ease, to which that was where Sonata wanted him as they traveled further into the crypt. She also counted herself fortunate that the vampires had foolishly left the gates open for them, allowing them to save some time now that they didn't have to search for levers to open the doors.
The next part of the crypt was an open area that was covered in graves, though it was a few seconds after they entered the area that skeletons began to pull themselves from their slumber and attack them. It was rather easy for Sonata and her friends to clear out the undead, considering that they could shatter a skeleton's bones with a hard strike from one of their weapons, and the only thing that really proved to be of a challenge was the vampire that was raising the dead. When the vampire was dead they moved on once more, searching for anything that they could use and, more importantly, whatever the vampires were searching for.
The following area they came to had some draugr that were fighting the vampires that had invaded their home, though Sonata had them all wait until the vampires were taken care of before they attacked the wounded draugr. It was an effective plan, as the undead clearly weren't expecting more enemies to show up quite so soon, so they were able to move forward in a matter of minutes. Once they had looted the nearby chests, while killing and looting a Deathlord that had been protecting one of those chests, they continued deeper into the ruins. That was until they reached a small waterfall like area, where the dead rose of the water and attacked them while the vampire that had been watching the entrance ran for help.
Sonata set fire to the vampires that came at her and her friends while Lydia and Tolan remained at the front, taking the majority of the attacks while allowing the others to use their magic and arrows to take their enemies out. It took some time to clear out the vampires that were waiting for them, and the massive spider that happened to be guarding a door they needed to pass through, but eventually they managed to enter the area of the ruins that they had been searching for. Sonata was sure that this was the part of the cave system they had been searching for, because there was some strange structure sitting in the middle of a small lake that was resting in front of them.
There was also the matter of removing the vampires and their thralls that happened to be blocking their way, but it proved to be very simple and soon they were walking over the bridge that would allow them to access the strange structure. She approached the middle of the structure and spotted what she assumed was a button of sorts, so she turned back to one of the enemies they had slain and dragged it over to where the button was located. She pressed the vampire's hand against the button and, in a moment of genius, decided to pull her own hand back, removing in time to see a spike of sorts puncture the hand for a few seconds before sinking back into the pedestal the button was attached to.
That was before a ring of purple flames appeared around the structure that they were standing on, though while Sonata stayed in the middle of the area everyone else backed up to the edge of the structure and kept their eyes on her. Sonata looked around the area she was in and spotted a few braziers, one of which was on fire at the moment, and noticed the stream of magic that was attached to it. She moved the brazier a bit until it connected to the flames, to which the fire moved to the second one and forced her to repeat the process a few more times. Once all of the braziers were in place, and the circle was complete, the floor started to shake as it began to sink for a few seconds, though Sonata remained where she was standing and watched what was happening.
Eventually the shaking stopped and the floor came to a screeching halt, revealing a stone monolith directly below where the button had been standing, one that reminded Sonata of the coffins they had seen throughout the cave system. Sonata then approached the monolith and pressed her hand against it, feeling the front of the pillar lower until the monolith had split in half, revealing a woman that had resting inside the pillar. Sonata, noticing that the woman started to fall the instant the cover was removed, immediately reached for the woman and prevented her from hitting the floor, though it gave the woman the chance to awaken from whatever slumber she had been inflicted with.
"Unh... where is... who sent you here?" the woman asked the moment she opened her eyes, which was followed by her getting onto her feet and staring at Sonata.
"A man named Isran," Sonata replied, though that was when she noticed that the woman in front of her was a vampire, which she knew thanks to the time she had spent with Lorthan, so she had a feeling of what the woman would be asking next, "And no, he's not a vampire like you. Can you explain why you were locked away in such a complicated fashion?"
"That's... complicated." the woman admitted, letting out a sigh as she looked at the rest of Sonata's group, "And I'm not totally sure if I can trust any of you. But if you want to know the whole story, help me get back to my family's home. My family used to live on an island to the west of Solitude. I would guess they still do. By the way... my name is Serana. Good to meet you."
That was when Lorthan tapped Sonata on the shoulder, because this was the piece of information she had been searching for the entire time after she had learned that her vampire allies had been slaughtered by one of their own. Now she knew exactly where Lord Harkon was hiding, which meant it was time to pay him a visit and destroy him like the bug he was, though before she could do that she had to speak with Serana first. Mainly to clarify that Lord Harkon was who Serana was talking about, because she didn't want to invade another Vampire Lord's home and destroy them for something that another one of their kind had done.
"Your father wouldn't happen to be Lord Harkon, would it?" Sonata asked, though the look that crossed Serana's face told her everything that she needed to know, and that was that she had her target in her sights now.
"What did he do this time?" Serana asked, though she sounded more annoyed than pissed off at the moment. |
Sonata's Crazy and Wacky Adventure in Skyrim | 33: Punishment | Sonata and her friends stayed in the room where they encountered the strange structure that Serana had been locked away inside, explaining everything that they knew about Harkon's dealings with the orc warlock called Grul. At first the vampire seemed shocked that her father would even ally with such a dangerous character, after everything that she and her mother had witnessed before sealing themselves away from him. Then, as the got into more recent events, she learned that her father was responsible for the deaths of many vampires, including the Council of Three, which was actually an old custom that had been left alive since the time of her departure. She also learned that her father was killing innocent people, which wasn't too shocking for her to believe, and that he was essentially helping the orc bring about the end of Nirn, while not even apparently trying to fulfill the prophecy they had discovered.
Sonata also informed their latest ally of the fact that her father had likely handed her sisters over to the orc warlock, as only the vampires had known about Adagio and Aria, which only served to make Serana even angrier than she had been when she had first opened her eyes.
"Oh all the stupid stunts my father has pulled over the years, this has to be the most idiotic one of them all," Serana said, letting out a sigh as she tried to calm herself down, though she wasn't doing a good job in that department, "The Council of Three, one of the oldest network of vampires that ensured that my father didn't go off the deep end, has been destroyed thanks to one of their own betraying them to my father. Innocent people across Skyrim are being attacked at random, by either vampires or orcs, and are being taken alive for whatever foul purpose this Grul has in store for them. And, to top this madness off, my father has earned the wrath of a person who legend says will destroy a creature that's capable of bringing the world to an end... which I'm guessing has already come to pass."
Sonata was impressed that Serana was even taking this so well, but she had the feeling that the vampire was keeping her rage trapped inside herself and was trying to remain calm in the face of everyone that was around her.
"Your going to kill my father, aren't you?" Serana asked, receiving some gasps from several of the people around her, though it was more because she had guessed what was coming next and not from surprise.
"Yes. He betrayed my sisters, not to mention all of Nirn for that matter, and so he deserves to die," Sonata replied, nodding her head as she tapped her ebony sword for a second, "I know he's your father, and that this is likely going to be hard on you, but if you have anything to say on the matter, however small you might think it is, I would like to..."
"I'll help you kill my father." Serana declared, much to the shock of most of the group, though Sonata was somewhat glad that the newly awoken vampire was seeing things her way, "Before my mother and I fled, and took two Elder Scrolls with us, he was considering the prospect of sacrificing the both of us for the greater good of all vampires. We considered fighting him, but my mother declared that we weren't in a position to get away with it, so we fled and I was locked in this cave. Now, however, I think its time that we end this madness that my father started so long ago... and I'm more than happy to help you put down the monster he's become."
"Welcome to the team then," Sonata said, a smile appearing on her face as she, and by extension the rest of her friends, made their way to the exit, "We'll just use the back entrance, gather our carriages, and then we'll be on our way to your father's castle... then we can put this nightmare behind us."
Sonata wanted nothing more than to get rid of both Harkon and Miraak, where the vampire lord was nothing more than a constant thorn in her side while the mysterious man she knew nothing about, so she could track down Grul and put an end to his schemes.
As they made their way towards the exit Sonata noticed two stone statues to their left, though the moment they left the area of the strange structure the statues torn themselves apart and revealed stone creatures that she assumed had been left here, by Serana's mother she guessed, to prevent intruders from removing Serana from the area. It was at that point that Sonata discovered exactly what her latest ally was capable of, because the moment she shouted that the creatures were gargoyles she turned on them and froze them to the ground they were walking on. That was before two large ice spikes were thrown through the air and punctured the chests of the stone creatures, dropping them to the ground in a matter of seconds.
Serana, despite being a vampire, was a powerful frost mage, which Sonata was happy to have on their side because she knew that, when Serana regained her true potential, they would have a mage capable of using the frost and ice around them to their advantage.
Once the gargoyles were taken care of the group continued into the next chamber of the ruins, where they found a host of draugr that happened to be waiting for them. Kael, apparently taking a moment to try and impress their new ally, clapped his hands together and released a wave of flame at the undead, causing many of them to ignite the moment they were touched. Only the Deathlord, the heavily armed draugr that had been staying near the back, remained stable after the attack and began his advance towards them, though before he could even reach the halfway point Serana attacked him.
They gathered anything useful in the room, which was mostly weapons and armor that the nordic brothers could smith down and repurpose into whatever they desired, before they followed the pathway and came to a chamber that was filled with more draugr. Sonata had been expecting something like this, including the Word Wall off to the right of where the head draugr was sitting, which was why they all separated from each other the moment they entered the chamber. This time, however, the draugr seemed to hesitate before they started a fight, as if they knew what had happened to the previous batch of undead that had fought Sonata and her friends.
What happened next caught Sonata, and likely her friends, by surprise, as the head draugr, something that looked more powerful than the Deathlord they recently defeated, raised its hands in the manner of how someone would surrender to another. Sonata was somewhat shocked that the draugr were even capable of such thoughts, as she had been told that their primary goal was to protect their fallen masters and maintain the barrows they were buried in. The other draugr, as if following their master's silent order, laid down their weapons and returned to their slumber, as if they were allowing Sonata and her friends to leave without a fight. Even as the draugr laid down their arms Sonata noticed that the head draugr had a weapon that was different than what the others were carrying, but decided that now wasn't the time to figure out what it was.
"Does... does this normally happen to you?" Serana asked, as she was definitely confused as everyone else, though Sonata had the feeling she knew what was going on.
"No. This is the first time this has happened," Sonata replied, beckoning for everyone to head towards the exit, while she made her way towards the Word Wall.
Sonata kept her eyes on the head draugr, who was merely sitting on his throne and staring at the fire pit that seemed to burn without end, just in the off chance that it took offense to her learning the Word of Power that it was guarding. She approached the Wall as silently as she possibly could and let the new Word, Gaan, enter her body like all of the other Words she had learned so far. She cast her eyes back to the draugr for a moment, wondering if it was going to be pissed off by her taking the Word of Power, but its eyes remained on the fire pit. She quickly headed to where her friends were waiting for her and they left the ruins behind, where they emerged on the mountain side and found some snow waiting for them.
Once they were in the clear Sonata had Kree and Lydia head back to where they left their carriages, because she had the feeling that they were going to need them once more.
"That... that was a Draugr Death Overlord," Tolan commented, though it was clear that he was trying to stop himself from shaking, "Back when the Dragon Cult ruled Skyrim the Death Overlords were essentially the third in command, under the Dragon Priests that followed whatever their dragon masters ordered them to do. To see one of those Death Overlords up close like that... we're fortunate that he didn't want to fight us."
"That wasn't any old follower of the Dragon Cult," Saerza said, staring at the cave they had emerged from, "There is only one man, or undead as the case now is, that could have been carrying that weapon; Gurgath the Wicked. During the days of the Dragon Cult he slew everyone and anyone that dared to oppose his masters, all while drinking the blood of the fallen like the vampire he was. How a vampire, who served the Daedric Prince Molag Bal, ended up becoming a part of the Dragon Cult, and served his new master Alduin, is beyond me. Before the fall of the Dragon Cult it is said that he was supposed to be added to the ranks of the Dragon Priests, making their numbers nine instead of eight, but then Alduin was defeated and the Cult collapsed.
No one knew where Gurgath went after the defeat of his masters, and I only recently discovered his existence thanks to a trek through Labyrinthian, but it seems that I have another question answered. And that weapon he was carrying has to be the infamous Blood Blade... which means, if you believe the legends, that he's killed at least a thousand enemies in combat and stained his weapon with the blood of those he killed."
Sonata didn't like what she was hearing, nor did she like the thought of leaving behind such an artifact for some foolish adventurer to find... or worse, her enemy Grul. She could already imagine the damage the orc could do if he claimed the blade that the Death Overlord had been carrying, which she assumed would be adding its power to the reserve that would allow him to open his gateway. She wondered if it was best to go back in and take the weapon while she still had the chance, but considering how powerful he had to be, and was likely even stronger now that he was undead, she decided not to go back into the cave. She was still recovering from her fight with Alduin, so she didn't have the energy to waste on some ancient nordic warrior that could hold his own against everything they threw at him.
Sonata sighed and let it go, knowing that there would be time to recover the blade in the future... once she was finished with Lord Harkon anyway.
It took them a few hours to reach the boat that would take them to Serana's home, as they had to go through a small village and then through the mountain itself, but they were finally ready to meet with whoever was waiting inside the castle. Gol, Mez, Tolan, and several others stayed back with the carriages, leaving Sonata, Serana, Saerza, Kael, and Kree to walk up the bridge that would take them to the main gate. The plan was simple, they approach the guard that was watching the gate, gain entrance to the main hall, and then do whatever came next, which all depended upon who was leading the castle. If it was anyone other than Lord Harkon then they could play nice and get out of there before something terrible happened, but if it was Lord Harkon, and Sonata hoped that it was, then everything was going to get crazy.
The gatekeeper took one look at Serana as they approached the gate, as if trying to make sure his eyes weren't betraying him, before the gate opened for them, allowing them to access the main hall of the old castle.
Once the five of them were inside the building another vampire tried to stop them, but when when he laid eyes on Serana he backed up and approached the main hall, to which he declared that Serana had returned. The five of them stopped at the stop of the set of stairs that would allow them to access the room before them, choosing to take a moment to take in what was around them. Sonata could see at least ten vampires, not counting the Lord of the Castle, in the entire room, five on either side of their lord, along with quite a number of thralls that had been bent to their will. It reminded her of what she and her sisters had gone to the students back on Earth, before they were defeated and stripped of their powers, only now she was definitely more pissed off than she previously was.
"My long-lost daughter returns at last." the man said, looking up at the group as the rest of the vampires turned their attention towards them, "I trust you have my Elder Scroll?"
"After all these years, that's the first thing you ask me?" Serana replied, clearly pissed off that the scroll she was carrying was apparently more important than she was, "Yes, I have the scroll."
"Of course I'm delighted to see you, my daughter." the man said, though this time Sonata detected a hint of annoyance flickering in his voice for a second or two, "Must I really say the words aloud? Ah, if only your traitor mother were here, I would let her watch this reunion before putting her head on a spike. Now tell me, who are these strangers that you have brought into our hall?"
"These are my saviors," Serana answered, barely moving her hands to indicate the four people around her, which was fine considering that everyone could see them, "they are the ones who freed me."
"For my daughter's safe return, you have my gratitude." the man declared, directing his full attention to the group, though Sonata knew that he was staring right at her, "Tell me, what is your name?"
"I am Sonata Dusk, Dragonborn of Legend and Slayer of Alduin the World-Eater," Sonata replied, staring down at the man and prepared herself for what might be coming next, "And you would be?"
"I am Harkon, lord of this court!" the man answered, failing to notice the grin that appeared on Sonata's face, "By now, my daughter will have told you what we... are?"
Harkon had to stop himself as he heard laughter for a moment, though it became clear that the one laughing happened to be Sonata, which made him glare at her. He couldn't believe that he was being laughed at, in his own castle no less, by someone who his daughter claimed to have saved her from whatever prison her mother had sealed her in. He guessed that he wouldn't be recruiting the Dragonborn into his ranks at this point, as he was fairly sure that it would have ended with her betraying him at a critical moment, even if he managed to convince her.
"Today is a good day," Sonata said, jumping over the side of the railing and landed on the floor, to which she straightened herself and approached Harkon, "Now then... onto the business at ha..."
"Who dares to laugh in the presence of Lord Harkon?" a voice shouted, to which Sonata turned her head to the left for a moment and spotted Lady Vespula, who seemed shocked to see her again, "Oh, Dragonborn... this is kind of awkward..."
"And my day just got a lot better!" Sonata declared, turning to face the vampire that had betrayed her Council, "Wait here Lord Harkon... I've got some business to take care of."
Before anyone could say anything Sonata leapt over the table that was between her and Vespula, not to mention making the vampires move out of the way, before she landed in front of the traitorous vampire that had turned her sisters over to Lord Grul. Lightning wrapped around her right hand as she used her left hand to throw Vespula back against the wall, causing her to stagger for a moment, before piercing her chest with her Lightning Blade. Vespula was surprised by what was happening, but that didn't stop Sonata from making sure that her heart was being ripped to pieces by her lightning.
"W... why?" Vespula asked, as if she wanted to know the reason for why Sonata had ended her life, which she knew would be soon just by looking at Sonata's face.
"You betrayed my sisters... and ultimately me, the Siren Queen." Sonata replied, a grin appearing on her face as she noticed a look of realization appear in Vespula's eyes, "Yes, now you understand what my sisters told you. Now, however, you shall leave this world and trouble me no more."
Once the life had left Vespula's eyes, and Sonata was sure that she was dead, she tore her hand free from the vampire's chest and threw her into the room she had been hiding in when she and her friends had arrived. She turned around and noticed that Harkon was descending upon her with his sword drawn, but before the blow could connect Sonata sidestepped the attack and slammed her fist into his wrist, knocking the sword free for a moment. She didn't give Harkon time to recover from the attack, as she threw her fist into his chest and knocked him back a few steps, which was followed by her flipping backwards and using her feet to kick him in the chin, causing him to flip onto the table and land hard on his back.
A few seconds later Harkon rolled off the table, landed with his feet touching the floor of the area he had been standing on when Sonata entered the hall, and cracked some of his joints as if he was getting rid of some pressure, before he beckoned for Sonata to come at him again. Sonata sighed and undid the belt that was holding her ebony weapon, which she tossed over to Serana, who was holding her father's blade as well, before she entered the area that Harkon wanted to fight her in. The two of them faced each other, silently daring the other to take a swing at them, before Harkon threw his right fist at Sonata and was blocked by her left hand.
Sonata went on the defensive almost immediately, letting Harkon throw punches and kicks at her, which she blocked, while she studied his every move. He was a vampire lord, which was the most powerful type of vampire in Tamriel, so she had to be careful and not let him score any blows that could potentially give him the advantage in this fight. So she blocked all of his attacks while giving him none in return, feeling the amount of power he was putting behind each of his blows and determining how much she would need if she wanted to end this in a matter of seconds. That was seconds before he changed his pattern and slammed a fist into the side of her face, knocking her back a few steps as Harkon gloated over finally hitting her.
"Is this all the fury the Dragonborn can muster?!" Harkon shouted, as if he was amused by the fact that she hadn't touched him since they started fighting in the middle of the room, "I expected more from the person who slew the World-Eater... I guess you really don't care about your sisters."
"Your overconfidence will be your downfall, Lord Harkon," Sonata said, standing straight as she rubbed her cheek for a moment, "but fine, if you wish to witness the power of my rage... well, let's just say you'll enjoy this."
Sonata tapped into her powers and felt the red aura from earlier wrap around her, allowing her to tap into her powers as she stared at Lord Harkon. The vampire lord charged at her and swung his fist at her, but this time Sonata merely caught the arm before it could reach her and stopped the attack dead in its tracks. Before Harkon could say anything Sonata raised her right leg for a moment and struck him hard in the chest, letting him go flying into the wall behind him and crushing the table that he would normally be sitting at. It was in that moment that Sonata was disappointed with her opponent, as she expected something much greater than what she was getting, but she let out a sigh as she approached the fallen vampire lord.
As she walked up to where Harkon was laying she allowed her magic to gather around her left hand, forming a blade that she would use to end his life and bring an end to whatever the vampires were planning.
"Do you expect me to beg for my life, Dragonborn?" Harkon coughed, struggling to pick himself up as he watched her approach him, though it was clear that the fighting spirit had left his body.
"No Lord Harkon," Sonata replied, coming to a stop in front of the fallen vampire lord as she drove the energy blade into his chest, causing him to cough up some blood, "I expect you to die!"
"It seems that my skills were sufficient enough to fool you," Harkon said, to which was consumed by green fire until an orc replaced him, one that Sonata recognized as another of Grul's Lieutenants, Faldruuk she recalled, "I am called the 'Many Faces' for a reason, as my magic allowed me to wear the face of another person and act like them... allowing the real Lord Harkon to escape before you arrived. He will find Auriel's Bow and deliver its power to my master... who will find another to replace me in time."
Sonata growled and released the magic that was holding her energy blade together, though as it fell apart she wove it into another spell and set the orc on fire, allowing him to burn under the intensity of her anger. She was annoyed that she had been played by her enemy again, as now it meant that they had no idea where the real Lord Harkon was hiding, but they knew what he was searching for. Auriel's Bow... that was something that she assumed that Serana knew about, or maybe her mother considering that it was her idea that lead to them being locked away.
Despite all of this she had to be somewhat pleased, because she had taught the vampires that had betrayed her a lesson that she was sure that none of them would forget... and soon Harkon would know that lesson as well. |
Sonata's Crazy and Wacky Adventure in Skyrim | 34: A Day of Surprises | "I had no idea your hair could do that!" Saerza commented, staring at Sonata's hair for a few seconds, which had been spiked upwards thanks to her tapping into her anger again, "When did you learn to do this on command? And why did your hair suddenly turn red when the aura wrapped around you?"
Sonata had a number of answers for those questions, as she knew exactly what had allowed her to do this, but she had no answers as to where her target was hiding. Harkon was definitely allied with Grul, as the appearance of one of his Lieutenants was a clear indicator of that, but now the vampire lord was out there somewhere, plotting his next move. She had never heard of other races, save for her sisters and the Changelings, having the ability to change their appearance at will, though it appeared that such an ability was useful to the warlock. She then considered that there were many orcs in Grul's army, all under the command of his four Lieutenants, which meant that there could be more like the orc she had just slain... which meant that there might be more shapeshifters roaming Skyrim.
It was a pity that she couldn't ask the dead for information, as Serana told her countless times that her necromancy didn't work like that, despite the fact that some times she wished that the dead remembered everything so she could extract information from them. Though even as she thought about that she knew that she would need to answer Saerza's questions, otherwise she would never get around to leaving this cursed castle behind.
"I learned to do that in my first battle with Alduin," Sonata replied at last, noting that Saerza was taking notes while the others were making sure that the remaining vampires didn't try anything funny, "Anger and rage are the keys to tapping into the power trapped within my necklace, where the power of the Siren Queen resides until I am ready to take on that mantle once again. There is, for lack of a better word, a barrier that's preventing me from accessing my full power, which is why Grul wants me to deal with Alduin, Harkon, and Miraak before the two of us fight. Somehow he learned of a way to bypass the seals on Aria's and Adagio's necklaces, only to give the same information to me when I destroyed that dragon outside Solitude.
As for the other question; anger is usually associated with the color red, so I can only assume that the reason my hair turned that color was because of what I was feeling at the moment."
"Your the Siren Queen that Lord Harkon has been searching for?" one of the vampires spoke up, as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing, "Don't make us laugh Dragonborn. The Siren Queen, according to Grul's messengers, is a being of incredible power that could level this entire castle with one spell, yet your power in nowhere near hers."
"And you should be thankful that I haven't done so yet," Sonata replied, glaring at the vampire for a moment, silently daring him to piss her off more than she already was, "otherwise you would have a ruined castle resting around you. Now sit down and shut up, otherwise you'll find out just how powerful I really am."
One of the things that was slowly returning to her, in addition to her powers, was the authority that came with her voice, which was how Adagio and Aria followed her orders before she gave up and stopped caring all those years ago. This power was similar to a ruler telling one of their subjects to do something, regardless if it was important or not, and the person did it, no questions asked. It was also similar to the powers that she and her sisters had used to keep themselves fed back on Earth, before their necklaces had shattered anyway. She hadn't used this particular power in over a thousand years, so she was a little rusty in terms of her practice, but she knew it would get the job done.
Eventually the vampire sat back down in the chair he had originally been sitting in, though it was clear that he knew he had been mistaken when calling her a liar.
"Now then, onto the business at hand." Sonata said, turning to face her friends again, who were all eager to hear what their next course of action was, "We know that Harkon is searching for something called Auriel's Bow, which I assume is some legendary weapon with an incredible amount of power. We don't know the location of the Bow, which means that Harkon doesn't know it either, because the fake Harkon appeared to be a little excited when he noticed our Elder Scrolls. Our Scrolls are linked to the Bow, which means we need to focus on them and figure out what they're trying to tell us or where they're trying to lead us."
"Well, Lord Harkon's imposter did say that a Moth Priest was coming to Skyrim," one of the other vampires commented, drawing the attention of everyone in the room to her, "Last I heard he was supposed to be arriving in Solitude this morning, which means that he's already left the city and will be heading to Dragon Bridge. From there he's supposed to be heading to the College of Winterhold, though what route he takes after leaving the small village will be up to him and his escort."
"We seem to have our next task," Sonata said, to which she pulled herself out of the chair she had been sitting in the whole time they had been talking, "We'll go find this Moth Priest, no doubt save him from whatever trouble he's in, and then we'll see what we need to do with our Elder Scrolls... and then maybe we'll figure out where this bow is located."
What she didn't tell them was that she hoped that they would bump into the real Harkon sometime in the future, so that she could bring this entire venture to an end and give her the opportunity to focus her efforts on Miraak.
It didn't take Sonata and her friends very long to return to where they had left their carriages and return to the road they had taken to reach the boat that took them to Lord Harkon's castle. Nor did it take them very long to reach the docks that rested outside Solitude, where they got out to stretch their legs for a few seconds before they moved on to Dragon Bridge. Sonata's mood had improved over the course of their short journey, because for the first time in ages they weren't attacked by random bandits, a pack of wild animals, or members of a faction that wanted her dead. Even Grul's orcs hadn't been seen since their last encounter, which only made her happier as they approached the small village the Moth Priest was supposed to have passed through this morning.
She had the feeling that this was one of Grul's plans to make her lower her guard, but she kept her eyes open for anything that would threaten her or her friends.
When they reached their destination they were greeted by one of the guards as the people who lived in the town looked at them for a few seconds before going back to their business. Sonata knew that most of them hadn't seen her and her friends when they came through the village the first time, because it was mostly night when that happened, so she didn't expect many of them to get excited or show hostility towards them. Considering that none of the villagers wanted to interact with them Sonata decided that the guard would have to be the one they asked their questions to.
"Have you seen a Moth Priest pass through the village lately?" Sonata asked, hoping that the vampire's information had been correct and that they hadn't been mislead, "He and his escort were supposed to have passed through this village sometime this morning."
"So that was a Moth Priest?" the guard inquired, though he sounded as if he was a little annoyed that he had missed the chance to speak to one of the elusive monks, "He was riding in a wagon with some Imperial guards. They didn't stop to visit, though. They rode through town heading south, and went across the big bridge. It was only just a little bit ago. I bet you can catch them if you hurry up."
Sonata could not believe their luck, as they were quite literally behind the monk that they were searching for, which meant that they could save him from whatever threat was waiting ahead of him. She quickly thanked the guard as they continued down the road, passing over the actual Dragon Bridge as they hurried to catch up with the Moth Priest. It actually didn't take them very long to find the Moth Priest and his caravan, because they had stopped on the side of the road and the soldiers were protecting their charge. There appeared to be a large force of vampires standing on the bridge that they needed to pass through, though that wasn't the oddest thing Sonata was seeing.
The vampires weren't fighting the Imperial soldiers, rather they were fighting two figures that were literally tearing them to pieces. The first of those figures was a draugr that looked almost like the one they had seen at the end of Dimhollow Crypt, though a few seconds later Sonata spotted the Blood Blade and knew which draugr they were staring at. The other figure was an orc warrior that was wearing the standard orcish armor she had seen them wear, as well as the fact that he was carrying an ebony sword and shield, though Sonata noticed that he was also carrying a flag on his back... one that bared the symbol of Lord Grul.
To make the situation even weirder the orc took one look at Sonata and nodded his head to her, which almost made her wonder if she had found an orc that had turned on his master and left the army behind.
Apparently they had arrived at the end of the fight, because the orc and the draugr just happened to be finishing off the last of the vampires when Sonata and her friends arrived. For once Sonata didn't have to raise her hand and fight something, which no doubt surprised her friends as well, though she climbed out of the carriage and approached the odd pair.
"You must be the Dragonborn, Sonata Dusk." the orc commented, bowing his head towards her in respect, something that she wasn't expecting at all.
"I am," Sonata replied, wondering what was happening, because nothing was making sense anymore, "And you would be?"
"Krovor Bloodaxe," the orc replied, though that was when he tore the flag from his back and tossed it at the ground, before he took a torch out of his backpack and set the entire thing on fire, "formally of Lord Grul's army. I have severed my ties with my former master and set out to find you, the Siren Queen, so that I can inform you of what the evil warlock has planned for this world."
"Just like that?" Sonata asked, as she suspected that the warlock would have been furious by Krovor's betrayal, "Grul just let you go and did nothing to stop you?"
"Yes, though I know I should be dead right now," Krovor admitted, as if he had been expecting such a question, "The last time an orc dared to leave the warlock's army he killed the unfortunate warrior and used his twisted magic to use the stolen life energy to empower his already considerable power. I know that I should have faced this fate myself, and I would gladly have faced it if it meant having a chance at killing that vile warlock, but he has not been at the camp for several days... thus allowing me to leave with my life.
I can tell you why Grul was not at the camp, and why this draugr came looking for you as well; Grul is searching for artifacts of incredible power, so he can sacrifice their power to fuel his infernal portal."
Sonata's nightmare, where she had seen the whole of Skyrim look dead and twisted beyond believe, came back to her... as well as the creature that was lurking behind the portal. She fell to her knees for a moment as a new part of that vision took shape in her mind, forcing her to observe what it wanted to show her. She saw the large oval shaped portal, resting in the side of a mountain somewhere, though this time she saw Lord Grul standing before it as an army of demons poured out of it. The vision widened to give her an overview look of the entirety of Skyrim, where the demonic army cut their way through the Imperials and Stormcloaks and burned the very ground they walked on.
The vision turned back to the portal as a massive creature, easily the size of Dragonsreach, stepped out of the portal and brought about the end of Nirn... before she regained her focus and came back to her body.
"Ah, my words have triggered a vision for you to see," Krovor said, helping Sonata onto her feet, "Grul wishes to dominate all life on Nirn... and then allow his master to burn the world to a withered husk. I saw the same thing a few days ago, which is how I discovered the warlock's plans. Let me join your army, Siren Queen, and I will give you all the information I have on Grul and his plans... just so we can save this world."
Sonata stared at the orc for a moment, wondering if it was a good idea to allow one of Grul's former underlings into her group, but then considered all the information that he could give her on what her enemy was doing. If she wanted to she could use this information and decimate Grul's main camp while he, and likely his Lieutenants, were out searching for whatever artifact they were trying to get their hands on.
"I would be a fool to turn down your assistance." Sonata said, noticing a faint smile appear on Krovor's face for a moment, to which she turned to the draugr that was still standing nearby, "Gurgath the Wicked... it was an honor to watch you fight. What can I do for you?"
The Death Overlord stared at her for a moment, as if it was trying to determine how to speak to her, before it sheathed its legendary weapon, undid the sheath from his side, and held it out for Sonata to take. She knew what the ancient warrior wanted; his weapon was likely charged with magical energies from all the people he had killed, or blessed by one of the Divines or Daedric Princes. He somehow knew that Grul would be coming for his weapon, now that his resting place had been revealed, so he wanted his weapon in safe hands before the orc came to his burial chamber.
Sonata smiled and took the weapon from the ancient warrior, to which the Death Overlord turned down the path to the north of where they were standing and started walking... until he disappeared into the distance.
"Well then, I guess its time we see where Grul's main base is located," Sonata commented, attaching the Blood Blade to her belt for the moment, "Maybe we can blow it up while we're there."
Even as she said those words she knew that there would be a large army standing outside the portal, which meant that they would study the base and then move on... which was just fine with her at the moment. |
Sonata's Crazy and Wacky Adventure in Skyrim | 35: The Whiterun Surprise | Krovor had been true to his word when he said that he was going to show Sonata where Grul's main camp was located, but she was not prepared for what she actually saw. The orc stronghold known as Dushnikh Yal had been completely overrun by Grul's forces, though according to Krovor many of the citizens that called this place home had been forced into Grul's army. Apparently the warlock had pressed some twisted and demonic power into those that had lived inside the stronghold, because they had turned into savage warriors. It made Sonata sick when she heard what horrors the warlock visited upon the orcs he captured, which made her ask about the other races that existed throughout Skyrim.
The reason she was asking was because several of the apprentices and professors that attended the College of Winterhold had been kidnapped by the orcs the first time she visited the place... and she knew that Saerza was dying to figure out what had happened to them.
"Dead." Krovor replied, staring at the infernal gateway that was being built into the side of the mountain, where two statues of orcs warriors stood on both sides of where the portal would actually go, "Grul stole their magical powers and their life energy, pooling their collective energies into a dark green crystal that he carries around with him at all times. He's gathering magical energy to tear open a hole between worlds, which I heard thanks to his Lieutenants speaking about his plans. His plan is to summon something that will end this world..."
"I will not let that happen," Sonata told the orc, glaring at the portal they were staring at, thankful that they were at a safe distance so that the other orcs didn't notice them, "but we cannot take on all of these soldiers by ourselves... Kree, I think its time we put the civil war on hold and use what soldiers are available to attack this stronghold."
"Now that we know where Grul's main base is we should be able to convince General Tullius and Jarl Ulfric to come to a truce for the moment," Kree commented, as if she had been thinking about the war ever since they spotted the fortress, "Neither one of them would want to continue the war while there's another faction on the loose... one that's bent on destroying the entirety of Nirn. We could always call on that dragon that befriended you, but considering what happened to the last dragon these guys fought and captured I'd rather not give them anything that would make them more dangerous."
Sonata remembered what happened to the last dragon that Grul had captured, because she had been forced to fight the twisted beast when it attacked Solitude. It was clear that her enemy was allied with some sort of demonic creature, maybe one of the Daedric Lords that she had heard about, but that didn't change the fact that she needed to stop him from destroying the world. Unfortunately her focus was on finding and destroying Harkon, because stopping him would actually repair part of her necklace and allow her to access more of her former powers.
She also remembered when she had that brief conversation with Grul, at the same time she defeated his pet dragon, and recalled that he wanted her to defeat the dragons, the vampires, and the cultists. He had known that their leaders would hold the keys to her getting her powers back, though how he had come across that information Sonata had no idea.
There was also something about this whole situation that bothered her to no end; what did Lord Grul hope to gain from allowing her to figure out where his base of operations was located? He would have been found out eventually, either from the Imperial Legion or the Stormcloaks finding it themselves and giving the information to her. Krovor mentioned that his former master wasn't at the base at all, which was how he was able to escape like he had, but she was sure that the other orcs wouldn't have allowed a traitor to escape without seriously wounding them. She was beginning to suspect the orc that was walking beside her and her friends, because he was walking around without any scratches on his body, almost giving away that he had managed to slip out of the base without being detected.
Sonata was either being paranoid or she was right about the fact that there was a spy among them, though if her time as the Siren Queen taught her anything it was to be wary of someone who offers you something that is too good to be true... just like what Krovor gave her and her friends.
It also annoyed her that she had the very location of Grul's base, where her sisters were being kept, and that she couldn't simply storm the place and rescue them from whatever foul prison they were locked up in. It gave her a sense of urgency to deal with her remaining enemies, Harkon and Miraak, but she knew that she couldn't be blinded by her desire to see her sisters freed from their shackles. She hated to leave them there, after finally uncovering where they were being kept, but at the moment she had no choice but to walk away from where they were hiding and resume their journey to Whiterun. They needed an army to deal with the amount of orcs that were stationed at the base, which was something that they currently didn't possess but might be able to obtain if they spoke to Tullius and Ulfric.
As the group walked away from the area that Grul's base was located in Sonata could hear the cloud above them rumble and saw a flash of some lightning hitting a tree in the distance, which only made her smile as a storm opened up above the base and ignored her and her friends completely.
When they returned to Whiterun they discovered that it was rapidly approaching nighttime, so they concluded that they would simply speak with the Jarl in the morning. The problem that Sonata faced next was figuring out where everyone was going to sleep for the night, or rather those that would be sleeping while some of the others watched out for danger. Sonata knew that Grul liked to march his soldiers up to the gates of whatever city or town that he was preparing to strike at, so it made sense that she'd have some of her friends watching for their enemies. In the end several of them were given small cots inside Dragonsreach, while the others slept outside the palace, giving a few of them the opportunity to be on first watch.
Sonata knew that it was another step towards being paranoid, but once again she knew that evil villains sometimes liked to attack their enemies while they were sleeping. She fully expected her sleep to be ruined by her enemy, which was why her ears were waiting for a guard to burst into Dragonsreach before such a thing even happened. Imagine her surprise when she managed to wake up in the morning, hear what all of her friends happened to witness during the night, and eat breakfast before a guard ran into the massive building with the news she had been waiting for.
"My Lord, I bring news from the soldiers near Fellglow Keep," the guard said, huffing for a bit to indicate that he had ran the entire way from where his post was located, "Unsettling news I might add."
"Well spit it out man!" Jarl Balgruuf demanded, eying the soldier as Sonata and her friends turned their attention towards them, "What exactly are we dealing with?"
"I... I don't know," the guard admitted, which immediately raised the alarms in Sonata's head, "One of the other guards mentioned that he saw something shinning in the area around the keep, something that resembled a caravan or something similar to it. The caravan, lead by roughly twenty orc warriors and one mage, arrived at the keep and disappeared for a few hours, leaving us to wonder what the orcs were planning on doing inside the fortress. We were debating whether or not we should send someone to investigate the fortress, and see what they were up to, but before we could reach a decision a jester passed by the watchtower, handed me a note, and said that I should make for Whiterun and inform the Dragonborn that her 'Enemy' has been found."
"Sonata, what do you make of this?" Jarl Balgruuf asked, though it was clear that he was worried that Lord Grul might very well be preparing for an assault on Whiterun.
"Cicero is repaying us for the help we gave him a few days ago." Sonata replied, a smile appearing on her face as she remembered the jester and his mother's coffin, "Apparently he's found Grul's latest hiding place... and this time he has no idea we're even coming. Come on guys, let's go show that warlock what happens when you mess with the Siren Queen."
At this point Sonata was beginning to not care about hiding who she really was, because everyone she was talking to seemed to know the truth without her even saying a word. Now she was just going to tell everyone who she was, and what she was for that matter, and see how they reacted to the truth that she was a walking legend in two different worlds. As she turned around and walked towards the opening of the castle she took a moment to wonder how Twilight Sparkle, the alicorn that had figured everything out about her and her sisters, would react to the truth that she was the Queen... and that she might have been able to change the tide of their battle if she really wanted to.
"So, what are we going to do when we reach the fortress?" Kree asked as she and the others fell in behind Sonata, though her tone said that she had some idea of what was coming.
"We're going to go to Fellglow Keep, find the orcs that are hiding there, and kill them before they do anything to Whiterun," Sonata answered, though a smile appeared on her face when she heard the sound of thunder outside the building, "Hopefully we find Grul in that fortress, so we can end this nightmare... but if not then we'll have dealt him another blow that he cannot ignore."
Even if they finished off Lord Grul, and ended his reign of terror, Sonata would still have to deal with Harkon and Miraak, the other two thorns in her side at the moment. She had no idea where Harkon had run off to, though she was sure that her vampire allies were hunting for him now that they knew their former master wanted the destroy the entire world and wasn't trying to fulfill an ancient prophecy anymore. Miraak, on the other hand, she knew next to nothing about, save for the fact that he was supposed to be on an island that was near Skyrim, Solstheim if her memory was correct. Harkon and Miraak were the people she needed to take out if she wanted to restore her power to its full potential, if killing Alduin was anything to go by.
Despite everything that was going on she couldn't help but feel like she was a pawn on Grul's chess board, that she was being used to wipe out any potential enemies that might stall his plans of destroying the whole of Nirn. She would show Grul that the Siren Queen wasn't a pawn in anyone's game... and that it was unwise to anger her or capture her sisters and keep them hidden from her. |
Sonata's Crazy and Wacky Adventure in Skyrim | 36: Assault on Fellglow Keep | Sonata had been correct in thinking that a storm would be happening soon the moment she heard the sound of thunder outside Dragonsreach, because the moment she and her friends walked outside the sky was as black as night. It actually made things a lot easier for them, because Sonata had originally planned on attacking at nighttime while the majority of the orcs that were stationed at Fellglow Keep were asleep. It was an underhanded method, she knew that already, but considering the fact that her enemy would likely do the same thing if their situations were reversed was how she justified the reason. Her friends were eager to make Lord Grul pay for everything he had already done to Skyrim, even though it meant agreeing to attack while the orcs wouldn't be expecting it.
She had also rejected Jarl Balgruuf's offer of sending several of his own guards to aid her in her mission, because none of them were a match for the orcs that she and her friends would be facing. She knew that the orcs would tear them to pieces in a matter of seconds if they fought at the front of the line, or would be destroyed by magic if they used their bows from the back of the group. The orcs always eliminated the weaker enemies first, this was something that Sonata had noticed the few times that she had seen them fight, because they preferred to keep the stronger ones alive after they had beaten them. She didn't want to lose any more lives in the process of hunting down and killing Lord Grul, the mad orc warlock that appeared to be bent on bringing destruction to this world.
Even as she and her friends made their way out of the city, and started in the direction of Fellglow Keep, Sonata had to wonder how the warlock had managed to build such a strong army and still possess the power to corrupt people to his own way of thinking. It was almost as if one of the many gods of the world was growing tired of Nirn and wanted it erased so they could start anew, though the opposite was technically true considering that the Divines seemed to be helping her in her quest. Besides, she had half of her full power thanks to two fragments of the necklace fusing together after the defeat of Alduin the World-Eater, which had also been part of Lord Grul's plans.
He was forcing her to take out the enemies that would bar his way to destroying the whole world, though only two of them, Harkon and Miraak, remained at the moment.
"Something on your mind Sonata?" Kree asked, though at the same time it started to rain on them, indicating that this was a storm that they were walking through.
"Just thinking about Fellglow Keep at the moment," Sonata lied, knowing that Kree would tell her to stop thinking about Grul's master plan if she told her the truth, "We're going to want to hit them hard the moment we arrive, though everyone should be alert in case they have something hidden up their sleeves, which I'm sure that they do. Once the fighting starts we'll want to make sure that they don't sound any alarms, otherwise they might make the fight harder than it needs to be."
She already knew that there was something strange about Fellglow Keep, because Lord Grul would never let his orcs be seen by someone unless he truly wanted them to be lead into a trap. It was possible that he might be growing tired of her searching for Harkon and had his orcs bring the Vampire Lord to this particular keep so they could end their fight. Or maybe this was a group of orcs that had displeased their master and were seeking to regain his favor, by taking over a fortress and planning an attack on Whiterun. In the end it didn't matter to Sonata, because she and her friends were going to have to take them out before they did something stupid... while keeping her eyes on the orc warrior that she had acquired.
Krovor Bloodaxe came to her aid at a strange time and gave her information that was most helpful, but the fact that he had betrayed Lord Grul, and got away with his defection, didn't sit well with her at all. He had been a part of an army that had destroyed villages, killed innocent people in the name of his master, and did whatever foul acts that Sonata had no knowledge on. She often considered that this was a move made by her enemy; send someone into her ranks to try and bring her down from the inside, which was why she kept her eyes on him the moment he came to her. Her time as the Siren Queen had taught her not to blindly trust anyone that came forward to help her, which was why Starswirl, and everyone else that wasn't her sisters, had to work to earn her friendship, though Kree and her friends were the strict exception to her former rules.
The orc that was walking behind her had done nothing besides give her the location of Grul's main base... and the information she had been given wasn't really enough to make her fully trust him yet, not when she was sure that he was going to stab her in the back at some point in time.
Once they were outside the city the group made their way towards Fellglow Keep, following the one guard that was returning to his post, who wanted them to know exactly where the keep was before he returned to his duties at the watchtower. Sonata smiled as they walked through the rain, because soon another group of Grul's followers would be dead and she would have one less thing to worry about.
"Ugh, I hate the rain," an orc said, shaking his arms for a moment to get the water off of his armor, before staring out at the darkness that surrounded the keep, "I cannot wait for Lord Grul to capture the Divines and burn this world to its core... maybe then I can finally enjoy life again."
"You say that every time your put on guard duty," another orc stated, clearly annoyed that the other orc wouldn't stop mentioning the weather, "so either say something new or don't bother speaking at all."
"Well, I wish Lord Grul hadn't assigned me to guard some keep that mages liked to use," the first orc commented, knowing that his companion would like the change in their conversation, "Personally I'd prefer attacking, pillaging, and burning Dawnstar to standing here, on the outskirts of Whiterun... or maybe sacking the College now that our target and the Archmage are no longer there."
"Once Lord Grul's gateway is complete we'll have the full power of an endless army at our backs," the second orc replied, a smile appearing on his face for a moment, "then we can get around to destroying what remains of the College."
Usually a comment like that made the first orc reply with his own, to which the two of them would argue over what their master was planning and where they were going to be stationed next, though this time he remained silent. The second orc wondered if his partner was thinking of something funny to say, in an effort to liven up their pitiful situation, but as the seconds passed he was beginning to think something was wrong. The orc was almost never stopped talking, not unless one of their superiors was giving them their instructions or if Lord Grul himself was walking past them.
After a minute of waiting in silence he finally snapped from the lack of the other orc saying nothing, to which he turned to his companion and grabbed his shoulder, though when he touched him he noticed that there was an arrow sticking in his heart... and that he fell to the ground and stopped moving. The second orc realized that something was out there in the darkness, using the shadows to pick them off one by one, but he grinned as he turned around and bolted for the center of camp. He didn't get two steps forward before an arrow pierced his chest, knocking the wind out of him, but he steeled himself and kept moving, intending to raise the alarm before he died.
He barely crossed half the distance between his post and the alarm as the second arrow tore into his heart and knocked him to the ground, but as he lay there, dying from a ruined heart, he smiled as the other orcs noticed him, to which they raised the alarm as they realized that they were under attack. He let out a final breath as his body went still, knowing that whoever had killed him and his companion would soon face the full might of their garrison.
Sonata was a little disappointed that they couldn't take out the second orc before the alarm was raised, but she was also surprised that the orc didn't notice his companion was dead for a whole minute. Their short conversation had been interesting, considering the fact that the lowest levels of Grul's army already knew what his master plan was, though she already knew that Grul was planning on opening a gateway to summon his reinforcements. She almost wished she had told Kree to hold off on loosing the first arrow, because it almost seemed like the two orcs knew as much as the Lieutenants themselves and were likely going to talk about Grul's mysterious master during the night, but there was no taking back what had been done. All she could do now was ensure that the orcs were put in the ground before they could do any harm to the people of Whiterun, or any other settlement in the nearby area.
She signaled to Lorthan for a moment, who nodded and started moving to the right of where Sonata was standing, heading towards the secondary group that would be flanking the courtyard that was in front of them. She, Lydia, Saerza, and Krovor would be attacking from the front, drawing the attention of the orcs to them so they wouldn't notice the fact that Lorthan, Gol, Mez, Kael, and Serana would be flanking them from behind. If they were lucky the darkness would be in their favor and the orcs wouldn't know what hit them, allowing the group to silence their enemies, where they could then check the rest of the keep to be sure that there weren't any remaining orcs left.
The orcs came pouring out of the keep in groups of three, quickly growing to the size of a small army, leaving Sonata to wonder how so many of them could have been living in such a small area, but then she shook her head and signaled for them to attack. Kree stood up and loosed an arrow at one of the orcs, hitting him in the chest, though before their enemies could find her she disappeared into the shadows around them. Sonata already knew that the Divines were aiding her in her missions, as she had already seen in the past, but she was also sure that several of the Daedric Lords were likely aiding her in their own ways, which was why she was sure that Nocturnal was allowing her and her friends to disappear so suddenly.
Sonata actually wondered what Grul would think if he knew that she was receiving aid from both the Divines and the Daedric Princes, because she was sure she'd have a laugh or two at his expense.
Lydia and Krovor attacked their enemies from the front, allowing Sonata to dance around the enemies that were still pouring out of the keep so she could see where the others were. That was when she spotted what appeared to be several Dwarven constructs, pulled from Blackreach if she was correct, that were corrupted by Grul's green flames. The flanking group was fighting them, using their temporary powers to their advantage in their fight with the constructs, leaving Sonata and the others to deal with the other orcs. This time she decided to join the battle herself, her sword clashing with whoever she sought out, though she restrained from using too much magic, as she had to rest after loosing her powered up state.
As much as she liked her 'Super Siren' form, as she had taken to calling it, she also discovered that it would wear her out if she wasn't careful, so it would be her trump card for when she truly needed it.
When the enemy mages and warlocks joined the fight, as Sonata knew they would, she turned her attention on some of them and dashed passed them, her hand lightly touching the shoulder of one, before landing on the ground and disappearing into the shadows. That was followed by a crack of thunder as a bolt of lightning tore out of the sky and crashed into the orc that Sonata had touched, while spreading to the other two around him and knocking them all to the ground. It was a special rune she had used, designed to concentrate a single lightning blast to her chosen target, though sometimes it jumped to nearby enemies as well, allowing her to help reduce the number of enemies they had to fight.
Things were going so well until one mage survived a lightning blast that killed the two soldiers beside him, to which Sonata approached him with the purpose of making sure he stayed down.
"Oh, I should have known it was you," the mage said, staring up at Sonata as she approached him, though oddly enough he wasn't using his magic at all, "We were planning on having this be a surprise for Whiterun, on Grul's orders, but now I guess we can settle on killing you at long last. I'm sure that you are somewhat familiar with the Dwarven Centurions, though we have pooled several of them into one being that will crush you into a fine powder... he's name is Malus, and he'll be coming for you."
The moment Sonata heard the name Malus she knew that something was wrong, because a few seconds passed before the ground started to shack and buckle all around her and the orc. She stood her ground and waited, wondering what was even happening, before pieces of the ground broke apart as parts of a Dwarven construct erupted out of the ground. She watched as the hand gripped the area around it before heaving itself up, as if something was pulling itself free from the earth beneath her, before a second hand appeared to her left. It took her a moment to realize what was happening, and another for her mind to accept what she was seeing as more pieces tore apart the ground beneath her, but once she accepted it she turned to her friends.
"Get out of here!" Sonata shouted, though she jumped into the air and walked on the wind as she watched what was unfolding before her eyes, silently glad that her friends were wise enough to run when she had told them to.
Sonata watched as a massive Dwarven construct, at least five times the size as any of the ones she had seen in Blackreach and empowered by Grul's dark magics, tore itself from the ground and ruined the entirety of Fellglow Keep, smashing the keep into pieces as its feet touched the ground around it. She had absolutely no idea where they had built such a monstrosity, in so little time no less, but now that it was awake she knew that it was going to kill everything in its path as it hunted for her. This was just another test of her powers, as if the warlock was trying to figure out her strengths and weaknesses, but she knew that she couldn't allow the construct to remain in Grul's control.
She silently swore to herself, as she had known that she and the others should have taken care of the orcs that had followed them into Blackreach, but there was no going back and changing the past... she was going to have to live with her choices and hope that nothing else went wrong.
Before the construct had any time to lock onto her location, or her friends for that matter, Sonata burst through the air and sailed for the machine's right knee, intending to bring it down in one motion. When she struck the knee with her elemental magic she was shocked to find that the creature was unaffected by her attack, which made her worry that the entire thing was protected against her powers. She tried the same thing several more times, attacking a variety of places while the massive construct tried to swat her out of the air, but the same result continued to show itself.
After a few seconds she was beginning to worry that Grul had created this construct with the sole purpose to cancel out her powers, which meant that it was the device he had planned on using to capture her alive so he could siphon her energy to bring about the end of Nirn. She then went on the defensive, looking for something, anything really, that would allow her to deal any sort of damage to the construct, while also avoiding the metallic hands that tried to catch her. That was until she spotted some sort of symbol on the construct's head, left shoulder, right leg, the middle of its chest, and, oddly enough, the center of its right palm.
Due to her being distracted for a moment the construct managed to hit her with its fist, sending her flying through the air and colliding with the earth around her, though she was thankful that her natural abilities had slowed her down, otherwise she was sure that she would have broken a few bones or snapped her neck during the fall.
"It seems that I little choice in the matter," Sonata said, bringing herself back to her feet as a red aura surrounded her, though when she looked at her hair she found that it was now red colored and was spiked like the last time she had entered this form, "Let's see how the construct feels about this form."
She drew the weapon that the draugr deathlord had given her, the powerful Blood Blade as Saerza had called it, and watched as her own power seemed to surround it as well, likely increasing its own reasonable abilities. She grinned as she took to the air once more, flying right at the construct that had been slowly making its way towards her, before she flipped over its outstretched hand and drove the blade into the machine's right leg... right into the symbol she had seen. That was followed by the construct letting out what appeared to be an inhuman sound, almost like a scream of pain or something, before Sonata pulled the blade free and backed up into the air, though she did notice that there was a small geyser of green energy from where she struck the construct.
She looked at the next symbol she had spotted, the one that happened to be resting on the middle of the machine's chest, and decided that she might as well try the same thing again. Sonata maneuvered around the construct, confusing it for a moment, before flying up to her target and driving her empowered weapon into the symbol, which was followed by another inhuman howl and another geyser of green energy when she backed away. It was then that Sonata discovered that this had to be some sort of test, as if Grul was actually seeing if she was as smart as he believed she was, though it only made her angrier, because Grul saw everyone as mere pawns to be discarded.
Sonata had to be careful when she went after the symbol on the construct's palm, as it could have easily crushed her if she wasn't careful, but in the end she managed to slip past its defenses, stab the symbol will her weapon, and dart back to safety as the inhuman howl followed her. The shoulder symbol was another easy one for her to take out, though this time the construct stumbled and went to one knee for a moment, to which it hung its head in what appeared to be shame. She actually paused for a moment, wondering if this was a trick to make her lower her guard, but she remembered that the massive construct would destroy anything in its path to get to her.
Sonata then let out a sigh before she drove the blade into the final target atop the construct's head, to which the machines seemed to go still as it collapsed on the ground in a heap of metal. Once she was sure that the machine was dead she powered down and returned to the ground, where her friends gathered around her, in what would normally be a celebration of their victory... though when she looked on their faces she noticed that Lydia was missing. Before she could ask what happened Krovor approached her, carrying Lydia's body, allowing her to see that one of the orcs she had been fighting had scored a lucky hit in the middle of her chest.
"I am sorry Dragonborn... Lydia is no longer among our number," Krovor said, though Sonata wasn't sure if he was actually sincere about his feelings or if he was faking them.
"I'm going to make Grul pay in blood for what he's done," Sonata growled, though the sky flashed while she spoke, as if someone was agreeing with her anger, "I will make him pay for all the lives he has either taken or ruined over the course of his cursed existence... and I will make him beg for mercy once I'm done with him."
Sonata was furious that one of her friends had been taken from her, never to return, but that made her think about her sisters and her anger increased, though she eventually let out a sigh and regained control of her emotions. There would be a time and place to unleash all of her rage and anger, like when she found Grul or his Lieutenants, so she had to remain calm and continue fighting. They would stay in Whiterun for a little while longer, so they could give Lydia the burial she deserved, before continuing with their original plan.
She only hoped that they could stop Grul before he did something even worse than what he had already done... otherwise she was sure that more people would be joining Lydia soon enough.
Grul walked through the remains of Dimhollow Crypt, the hidden resting place of the vampire princess known as Serana, with a small group of soldiers following him. The draugr that called this place home appeared to have attempted to bring the entire place down to hide themselves, as if they were actually trying to keep something from him. The thought made him chuckle a tiny bit as he used his power to move some of the rocks out of his way, allowing them to walk across the bridge that led to the vampire structure in the middle of the chamber. Even now he could feel the lingering essence of the power that had been used here, though he pulled out the dark green crystal that he carried at all times, allowing it to absorb every ounce of power that remained in the stones around him.
The power would be added to his reserves, allowing him to continue his preparations for the opening of his master's portal so he could burn this world to a cinder, though once it was all inside the crystal he and his minions continued moving. It didn't take him long to reach the chamber that housed the draugr, all of whom appeared to be ready for his eventually arrival, as if they had been expecting him to show up at some point. Even the mighty Gurgath the Wicked was awake, though Grul noticed that the powerful draugr wasn't carrying its signature blade, though in the end he was less interested in the weapon at the moment... as it was quite easy to determine who was carrying it at the moment.
The mighty draugr lifted another weapon at Grul and seemed to issue a command to the other draugr, no doubt in the Dragon Language, but Grul merely lifted a hand and beckoned for his followers to do what they had been ordered to do. Instead of the warriors running into battle, like they usually did, the mages stepped forward and started chanting spells, to which green chains erupted from the ground and wrapped around all of the undead, preventing them from moving or attacking anyone.
"I can see that you believed that I would be coming to take your mighty weapon," Grul commented, stepping forward as his crystal floated around him, though the only other sound in the room was his staff touching the ground every so often, "and you would have been correct, had the weapon actually been what I was seeking to begin with. Gurgath the Wicked, your soul burns with immense power from your time as one of the former champions of the Daedric Prince Molag bal, while also including the amount of power you gained during your training to become a Dragon Priest, which never happened. Your soul will empower me and my crystal, allowing me to begin my hunt for the essences of the seventeen Daedric Princes, whose powers will fuel the opening of my portal... and bring about the end of this world."
The orcs watched as Gurgath's soul was ripped from his body by Grul's foul powers, causing the body to turn to dust as the soul was absorbed into the crystal. Once the ceremony was done he also seized the souls of the other draugr in the room was well, adding to the pool of power that he and his fellow orcs were gathering. With the souls inside the crystal he chanted a spell and witnessed several visions pass by his eyes, revealing the locations of sixteen pieces of power, though that left one piece out. He decided that sixteen was still enough to enact his plans, to which he turned to his followers and started giving them the locations they needed to head to in order to obtain these pieces of power.
Grul grinned as his followers left the crypt behind and went on their way, because he was now three steps ahead of his foe and that wasn't likely to change in the near future. |
Sonata's Crazy and Wacky Adventure in Skyrim | 37: Strange News and Stranger Allies | Sonata was exhausted, both mentally and physically, from her assault on Fellglow Keep, where she and her friends decimated the orcs that had been stationed there by her enemy. She had not been ready to assume her 'empowered' form, especially after the last time she had used it, and it drained her if she used it in rapid succession. As a result her body ached with pain, which she would have been able to endure had something else not happened during the assault. Lydia, one of her oldest friends, had been cut down by her opponents when the orcs loosed their terrible Dwarven construct, which had consumed Sonata's attention until she brought it down.
The loss of Lydia hurt Sonata more than she had expected it to, but it also came with the feeling that someone had betrayed her to get to her housecarl... and her prime suspect was Krovor. The orc claimed that one of Grul's followers had struck Lydia while the two of them were fleeing and killed her before he had a chance to save her, though she knew he had to be lying. Her time with Adagio and Aria gave her a better understanding of when someone was being truthful and when someone was lying, so while the orc appeared to have a great poker face, and was hiding his deed from everyone else, she knew the truth.
She could not strike him down, not with some many people standing around her, so she decided to wait for her chance to do so in the future... and pray that such a thing didn't happen to anyone else.
Shortly after they had finished off the orcs, and recovered anything of use, they had returned to Whiterun and announced their victory over the orcs, much to Jarl Balgruuf's joy. That was followed by a moment of silence for Lydia, which made the Jarl ensure that she would have a proper warrior's send off on a funeral pyre. The event was held not thirty minutes after Balgruuf had been informed of Lydia's passing, though Sonata barely paid attention to anything that had been said as she watched her friend's body be devoured by the flames. Even once the ceremony was over, and everyone else backed away from the flames, she stood there and watched the fire as it danced over the wood and across Lydia's body.
Her earlier anger returned and she felt like she was ready to snap, but before she did anything reckless she calmed down a bit and focused on the task at hand... figuring out what the Moth Priest knew about the Elder Scrolls and track down Harkon, before he could do more damage to Skyrim.
"Sonata, we've got company," Kree said, causing her friend to finally look away from the flames and turn towards her, before she pointed back at the person in question, "It seems that Cicero has something else he wishes to share with us."
Sonata looked back at the jester, who seemed to be smiling while he was carrying three unique looking items in his hands; one happened to be a sword that was glowing with a bright light, the second appeared to be a staff that was modeled after a rose, while the third was, strangely enough, a shield that looked like something one of the ancient Dwarves had made. That wasn't even the strangest part, because on Cicero's right arm was some strange lettering that appeared to have been burned into the fabric of his clothing, though he didn't seem to mind it at all. She had no idea what the lettering said, though she could have sworn that she could make out five letters, though she eventually shook the thought from her mind and turned her attention on the jester.
"Hello Cicero," Sonata said, somewhat thankful that they were outside the city and not inside, otherwise someone would no doubt be asking questions about what the man was carrying, "What news do you have for me today?"
"Sly Cicero has been following your enemy, lurking in the shadows and spying on his movements," Cicero replied, indicating that he was constantly watching Grul, "Last I saw he was trespassing in Dimhollow Crypt, where you found the vampire called Serana, where he stole the souls of the dead for his own schemes."
"Molag Bal won't like that one bit," Serana commented, as she had been interested in what the jester had to say and stood near the three of them, as Kree was standing by Sonata as well, "He's, well, got a thing for taking souls..."
"Yes, but it was what sly Cicero heard next that will interest you," Cicero said, drawing the attention back to himself, "I heard him mention that he's looking for the essences of the seventeen Daedric Princes, the powerful beings that control all the various realms of Oblivion."
"He must have misspoke," Serana stated, as if she didn't like the fact that Cicero had done something wrong, though it was clear that she sensed that something was amiss, "there are only sixteen Princes, not seventeen."
"No, he's right about the number," Kree commented, to which the assembled group turned towards her for a moment, "During the Oblivion Crisis, when Mehrunes Dagon tried to destroy the world, a door opened to the Shivering Isles and one of my ancestors, an argonian warrior named Dan-Ja Steelgrip, braved the call of the Prince of Madness. It is said that during that time the long forgotten Prince of Order, the dreaded Jyggalag, resurfaced for just a few moments to battle Sheogorath, but then he disappeared and was never heard from again. My ancestor never returned home, much to his wife's sorrow, but the line continued on until it came to me, along with the stories that they chose to tell me."
"How do you know what happened in the Shivering Isles if your ancestor never came back?" Serana asked, though even as the question was spoken Sonata had the feeling that Kree had an answer.
"A man by the name of Dyus, who happened to be dressed in black robes, came to my ancestor's home and told them what he knew," Kree answered, before letting out a sigh, "and then he disappeared, never to be seen again."
"Okay then, so there's a seventeenth Daedric Prince," Serana said, pinching the bridge of her nose for a moment, before turning back to Cicero, "and you said that Grul is looking for the 'essences' of the Princes?"
"Yes, though sly Cicero already figured that part out," Cicero replied, beckoning to the unusual items he was carrying, "The Dawnbreaker of the Prince known as Meridia, the Sanguine Rose from Lord Sanguine, and the Spellbreaker from Prince Peryite. All of these items, including the ones I have not yet obtained, contain a small portion of their respective Princes' powers, meaning that these are what our enemy seeks. I also stole the pieces of Mehrunes Razor from their respective owners, just so I could keep another item out of the warlocks hands."
Sonata was beginning to understand what Cicero was saying, because as she understood what was going on Grul wanted the artifacts of the known sixteen Daedric Princes, not counting the mysterious Jyggalag. Seeing how Grul had a crystal that could absorb energy, which must have been how he was ripping out the souls from everything he killed, she figured that he was going to subject any artifact he came across to the crystal and absorb its powers. She could tell that her enemy was trying to weaken the Princes, no doubt because the arrival of his own master would shatter whatever barrier was keeping the daedra from invading this world again.
Once again Sonata found herself wondered who Grul's master really was, because all she had seen in her visions was a colossal creature that was surrounded by smoke. The being had to be incredibly powerful, so much so to have enticed the orc warlock into serving him with the promise being more power for every world he conquered. She was sure that Grul's master was a god, one that wasn't native to this world at all, but she had no idea what the god actually commanded and didn't like that she knew so little about him or her.
"I also come as a messenger for someone else," Cicero said, putting away all three artifacts, which seemed to vanish in the blink of an eye, before beckoning to the writing on his arm, "Can you read this?"
"I can," Serana stated, stepping forward to see what was on the man's arm, before pulling back with a look of shock on her face, "Cicero, these letters are in the Daedric Language, which I spent some time studying and memorizing before becoming a vampire... and they spell out the word 'Order'. Does that mean what I think it means?"
Instead of answering the question Cicero turned to the ground for a moment and pressed his hand against the earth, though that was rapidly followed by a dull grey crystal pillar ripping through the ground and stopping at about twice the height of Sonata. The group waited for a moment, to see what happened next, though that was before a humanoid creature, wearing a complete set of crystalline armor that covered its entire body and carrying a crystal sword, stepped out of the crystal pillar and stared at them. Sonata's friends immediately stepped away from the figure, leaving it and Sonata alone at the moment, though all Sonata did was stare at the creature in wonder.
That was eventually followed by the creature dropping to one knee, how Sonata had no idea, and taking up the position of a knight that was kneeling in front of their master.
"Siren Queen, I bring an issue from my master, the Prince of Order," the knight stated, though its voice sounded like a cross between something human and something inhuman, "the Knights of Order are being dispatched to Skyrim to hunt down and kill the orc warlock called Grul."
"And Akatosh is fine with that?" Serana asked, causing the knight to turn its head in her direction for a moment, "The Chief of the Nine Divines is okay with an army of Daedra marching through Nirn and doing battle with someone that's as powerful as Grul is?"
"The barrier between worlds is already weakening," the knight replied, though it returned to looking at Sonata while it spoke, "the gateway is slowly tearing a hole through the barrier, so the warlock's terrible master can enter this world. At the same time the opening can allow any Prince to do the same thing, though my master as contacted the other Princes and decreed that none shall act without the permission of Akatosh and the other Divines. Only my master has bothered to receive permission, which is why we are starting to assemble in this world."
"This cannot be happening," Kree commented, shaking her head as she finally realized what could possibly happen next, "this is going to be a second Oblivion Crisis if we're not careful... and this time it will be centered in Skyrim and not in Cyrodiil. Jyggalag just gave the other Princes their way into Nirn... and all they have to do is try and trick the Chief of the Divines and we'll be finished. If the armies of the Deadlands or Coldharbour were to attack while dealing with Grul and his army... we'd never be able to standing against three opposing enemies."
"So the legendary Prince of Order is our ally," Serana said, looking up at the sky for a moment, as if she could believe her ears, "Well, I guess that means that Grul's screwed no matter what we do... because if we fail then Jyggalag will just carve the warlock to pieces, and then I guess move on with his life."
Sonata had the feeling that it wouldn't be that simple, regardless of how powerful the seventeenth Prince was, so she decided to stick to her original plan and hunt down Harkon.
"Very well, I shall accept Jyggalag's support in this war," Sonata finally said, knowing that having the Prince as an ally would be better than having him as an enemy, "How much time do we have before the barrier completely fails."
The knight, instead of replying with words, merely shook his head, indicating that he had no idea when it would happen, before picking himself up and disappearing into the crystal behind him. Sonata let out a sigh as the crystal pillar dimmed and went dark, because now she had to plan for the eventual arrival of Jyggalag and his army if she failed to stop Grul. Sometimes she wished that she had just chosen to stay back on Earth and try and make friends with the girls that had beaten her and her sisters, but now she guessed that she would have entered the portal anyway.
Her life was getting more difficult before it was getting any easier... and for some reason she sensed that things were going to continue to go downhill for a while before they got better. |
Sonata's Crazy and Wacky Adventure in Skyrim | 38: Madness | Sonata had known that some of the guards had been watching her when Cicero had come to Lydia's funeral, armed with knowledge that would shape her war with Lord Grul. She knew that some of them would listen in on their conversation, all thanks to the artifacts that the jester had been carrying with him, but had chosen to ignore them at the time. Several of the guards had heard that the daedra would be allowed to visit Skyrim if their masters gained permission from Akatosh, though they were still frightened anyway. According to what she had heard, about the first Oblivion Crisis that happened at the end of the previous age, one Daedric Prince had nearly brought about the destruction of the mortal world. She could easily guess why everyone, besides her anyway, seemed terrified of the thought of another potential Oblivion Crisis rearing its ugly head in the near future.
Despite everything she knew at the time she still decided to speak with Cicero and the Knight of Order, though now she was inside Dragonsreach, sitting at one of the tables that the Jarl had brought in so she and her companions could participate in the discussions. That was because shortly after the Knight of Order had disappeared, and left them to chew on the news he had delivered, both General Tullius and Jarl Ulfric came into the city and demanded to speak with her. As such the Imperials, based in the left half of Skyrim, sat at the table to Sonata's left while the Stormcloaks, controlling the right half of Skyrim, sat at the table to her right. Some of her friends sat with her, while some sat around the room in the spare tables that Jarl Balgruuf had, though the more important figures of Whiterun sat with Sonata.
That also, unfortunately, included a man that was apparently the current avatar of Sheogorath, the Prince of Madness, as he had this crazed look in his eyes that forced the guards to back away from him and Cicero, apparently cursed with some sort of Order thanks to the symbols on his arm, even backed away from the man.
"Cheese for everybody!" the man proclaimed, waving a staff in the air as pieces of cheese, either individual slices or whole wheels, appeared in front of everyone in Dragonsreach, though at the same time he sat beside Sonata, "Ah, you must be the Siren Queen the other Princes have been talking about. Don't look so surprised, we've known about you since you arrived in Skyrim... or was it that we recently discovered you? Bah, who cares? Time was always irrelevant to me anyways."
At this point Sonata wasn't about to even try to figure out how the Daedric Princes had known of her original powers and her true title, because it was just going to give her a headache. She knew that it didn't matter in the long run, not when everyone seemed to know her secret at this point... save for the Blade known as Delphine, who seemed completely unaware of the truth.
"Your likely wondering why I took over this mans body, but I won't bore you with the details," the avatar continued, levitating a piece of cheese into the air and taking a bite out of it, "Jyggalag might be the most boring, and the most hated, of the Daedric Princes, but he's given you an army to fight your enemy's army... or something like that. I can never pay attention to anything he says. He says that there should be a reason behind doing something, but why should I need a reason to visit the Siren Queen?"
"Look, I'm not familiar with the resident Daedric Princes that rule the seemingly infinite realms of Oblivion," Sonata eventually said, shaking her head as she looked at the avatar, because she only knew a few of them by the names that Cicero had told her earlier, "Which one are you again?"
"Me? Why I am none other than The Madgod Sheogorath, Daedric Prince of Madness!" the avatar proclaimed, while a vast majority of the people in the room nodded their heads, "Normally I would skip rope with your entrails for not knowing who I am, but we haven't the time for that. It is unfortunate, because I really wanted to see how you'd function without your entrails. We never have time for what poor old Sheo wants anymore..."
"When we are done saving Nirn, then you might have some fun," another powerful voice, this one possessing an echo, said, to which Sonata watched as another person, this one being a nord who appeared to have a mass of shadows surrounding him, though there were some floating eyes following him, "I dislike possessing my followers and assuming direct control to use an avatar, but its a part of Akatosh's conditions for speaking with you. I am Hermaeus Mora, Daedric Prince of Knowledge and Fate. Among the Daedric Princes I am the one who knows the most about your enemy's leader."
"You mean Grul?" Sonata asked, because at the moment she knew that she had the most experience dealing with the orc, but knew nothing about him or how he had come to power.
"No... I mean his master," Hermaeus said, though his tone changed to a humorous one for a moment, as if he thought that Sonata was being serious in her question, "I speak of a Daedric Prince that is as strong as Jyggalag... one who had been dormant since he went to sleep so many eons ago, allowing Magnus and the others to create Nirn and the other worlds. I speak of a Prince that waged endless wars against the other Princes and myself, tearing apart whole planes of Oblivion when his powers clashed with another's. I speak of a Prince that recently awoke from his long slumber and discovered this world... and he intends on collecting it for his own purposes."
"Wait... you can't be serious..." Sheogorath said, though the trembling of his avatar indicating that this Daedric Prince wasn't someone that he liked or even wanted to mess with.
"I speak of Bal'droth," Hermaeus continued, as if he hadn't heard Sheogorath speak at all, "Daedric Prince of End Times. He was also once known as the Lord of Demise, the Malefic Destroyer, Master of the Tainted Fire, and even the World-Ender."
"Well if you need me I'll be back in the Shivering Isles, skipping rope with the entrails of some poor adventurer," Sheogorath nervously said, before apparently withdrawing his power from his avatar, as the man collapsed on the ground and stopped moving.
"So that's why Grul wants to use your artifacts to weaken the barrier between Nirn and Oblivion," Kree commented, turning her gaze towards the avatar of the Prince of Knowledge, "Not only will it empower him, to some degree, but it will give him the ability to call forth a creature that even the known Princes fear."
"Jyggalag does not fear Bal'droth," Hermaeus replied, again finding something funny in what had been said, "but even so they are evenly matched. A battle between the Prince of Order and the Prince of End Times will spell the death of either this world or a plane of Oblivion. But if Jyggalag had the help of an equally powerful Prince... well, the two could easily push Bal'droth back into his plane and seal him there, provided Akatosh was willing to help."
Sonata stopped listening at that point, because based on what was being said they needed to find, and convince, a being that was strong as Jyggalag to aid them in stopping Grul's master from entering this world and burning it to the ground. She remembered the vision she had back before she went into Ustengrav, where the world had been burning before her eyes and her sisters had told her what needed to be done. At the time she had wondered if that was the future that she couldn't beat, but now she was positive that it had been a vision of what could happen if they failed. She didn't like the sounds of this Bal'droth at all, but her first priority was to find Harkon and beat him so she could restore her power to seventy-five percent... and then she would need to have words with a certain Miraak.
As she sat at the table she couldn't help but wonder what Grul was even up to right now, because without any scouts reporting in it seemed like he was waiting... and that wasn't a good thing in the long run.
Grul smiled as he walked out of his tent and sealed the fire behind him, the same fire that was currently keeping the two Sirens trapped in their prisons, though in his left hand he carried a special ring he had taken from the hands of Namira's chosen champion. He was amused that the coven of cannibals thought that they could overcome the squad of orcs that had ransacked the place and slaughtered them where they stood. It was also amusing that it was so easy to capture one of the fragments he needed to tear open the portal that his master would use to enter this world at long last. He cast a look at an approaching group of orcs, one led by one of his remaining Lieutenants, the ever loyal Aggronak, and his smile widened a bit when he realized what his most trusted Lieutenant was carrying.
Aggronak has apparently been successful in his mission to claim the second fragment of power that had been hiding in the city of Markarth, which pleased Grul to no end.
"Lord Grul, my squad and I were successful in our mission," Aggronak said, kneeling before his master, which his followers copied instantly, before holding out his hands and presenting the item he had acquired, "I present to you the Mace of Molag Bal, the Daedric Prince of Domination."
"You continue to please me Aggronak," Grul replied, knowing that his most trusted Lieutenant enjoyed his praise, while at the same time collecting the mace in question, "this makes two artifacts you have been able to acquire in a single day. Tell me, what about the other fourteen fragments of power?"
"I have scouts searching for them as we speak," Aggronak answered, though at the same time he lifted his head to look into his master's eyes, "though I have received word from the scouts in Falkreath... they have uncovered the whereabouts of the artifacts belonging to Hircine and Clavicus Vile."
"Good," Grul said, stretching the word out for a moment, to indicate how pleased he was, "Take an hour's break and then depart for Falkreath... I expect to have both of their artifacts by the end of the week."
"It will be as you command," Aggronak replied, bowing his head towards his master in respect, before he and his underlings stood at their full height and departed from where Grul was standing.
Grul let the smile remain on his face as he walked over to the massive portal that his workers had finished constructing, allowing his magic to manipulate the material as he carefully placed the two artifacts inside the holding areas he had designed for them, backing away when the job was done.
Soon my master will purge this world from the face of existence, Grul thought, an evil chuckle escaping him as he returned to his hut, and not even the great Siren Queen can stop us. |
Sonata's Crazy and Wacky Adventure in Skyrim | 39: Land of Souls | Shortly after both Hermaeus Mora and Sheogorath withdrew from their followers, leaving the poor men confused as to how they got to Whiterun to begin with, Sonata packed up her gear and walked down to the main hall of Dragonsreach. Now that she knew that Grul was planning on summoning a Daedric Prince, one capable of destroying the entire world, she and her friends were going to have to act fast if they wanted to save everything. This was no longer about saving her sisters, as she believed in the beginning of her journey, rather it was a race to stop Grul and his horrible master, before they did something that wasn't fixable.
"Sonata, do you have a moment?" Serana asked, beckoning her over to Farengar's quarters, though the mage was absent because he was questioning the men about their experience of containing the powers of a Daedric Prince for the time they had been possessed.
"Sure, what's on your mind?" Sonata replied, knowing that they had to find and stop Harkon before he did something stupid, though she hoped that the vampire had something for her.
"I stopped Dexion from reading the Elder Scrolls," Serana said, beckoning to the two golden scrolls that were in the room, the one she had insisted on carrying and the one that Sonata had put down the moment she heard that she would be listening to two Daedric Princes talk to her earlier, "I finally remembered that my father is after an ancient artifact known as Auriel's Bow, which is a powerful weapon once wielded by the elven god Auri-El. I was there the day my father first heard the ancient prophecy that mentioned the bow and its ability to do something with the sun, though I think my father believes that he can blot out the sun so that vampires won't have to fear it. Without the sun to protect against the vampires my father could raise his army and attack during the day... along with Grul's orcs considering that they happen to be allies at the moment."
"So where's the bow?" Sonata asked, knowing that such a weapon couldn't be allowed to fall into Harkon's hands, as it would only be handed over to Grul and used as fuel for the portal.
"No one knows, save for the third Elder Scroll," Serana said, holding up a hand to stop Sonata from saying anything, "Look, my mother and I stole the two Scrolls that my father had collected, where one was sealed in that stone coffin with me while my mother worked to hide the other one in a place my father would never think to look. The only problem is that I have no idea where my father wouldn't have checked yet, as he's had all the time in the world to search for my mother and her Elder Scroll."
Sonata stared at Serana for a moment, wondering if she was being serious at the moment, because this was something that she had taught Starswirl the Bearded, in thanks for being her first friend... though she was certain that he passed it on to one of his students, likely the one called Celestia if her memory was right. The best place to hide something was literally under the nose of the person that your trying to hide it from, like the last place Adagio thought to look for her picture booklet, the one time Sonata took it anyway, was right under her bed.
"How about inside Castle Volkihar?" Sonata asked, knowing that it had to be the one location that Serana's mother would hide without being found, as she was sure to know all of the old passageways and could easily hide if Harkon ever got too close to her.
"Wait... that almost makes sense!" Serana declared, slapping herself on the forehead for not thinking of that earlier, "There's a courtyard in the castle. I used to help her tend a garden there. All of the ingredients for our potions came from there. She used to say that my father couldn't stand the place. Too... peaceful."
"Then we shall head back to Castle Volkihar and see where your mother is hiding," Sonata said, though as her eyes turned back to the main hall of Dragonsreach she found herself staring at Krovor again.
"You don't trust him either, do you?" Serana asked, while at the same time she made sure that the second Elder Scroll was secure, because it wasn't something they wanted to leave behind.
"No... and I'm convinced that he's behind Lydia's death." Sonata quickly said, though in a lower tone so the orc didn't hear her on accident, "One does not simply turn their back on the power that Grul offers... that, and I can feel the desire for power radiating off of his body, even from over here."
"I may have an idea," Serana said, glaring at Krovor for a moment, whose attention was currently on Jarl Balgruuf's unusual child at the moment, "but we'll have to wait till we reach the castle to put it into effect."
Sonata nodded and the two of them left the room they were in, to which the rest of their group fell in with all of their gear packed and their weapons polished for the coming battles, courtesy of Gol and Mez. With everyone ready they thanked the Jarl for allowing them to stay in Dragonsreach for the time they had spent in their city before making their way outside the building. Once that was done they made their way towards the exterior of the city so they could ride their carts to the small dock in the area of Solitude, where they could ride to the castle and begin their search for Serana's mother.
As Sonata and her friends arrived outside Castle Volkihar, and climbed off the boat they had taken, Sonata silently marveled at the fact that they hadn't been bothered by bandits, dragons seeking revenge for the death of their master, orcs wishing to capture them, or even vampires wanting them dead. It had been a strangely relaxing ride from Whiterun to Solitude, and then from Solitude to the dock they needed to use, but that actually troubled her. Grul was out there, gathering the hidden Daedric Artifacts for his master, though this time he seemed to want to keep his army alive for the coming war.
The fact that they had reached this location, without being attacked at all, made Sonata worry that they were walking into a trap, though whether that trap was Harkon's or Grul's she had no idea.
"It was too easy for us to get here," Kree commented, to which everyone around her, even Serana, nodded their heads in agreement, though at the same time they all drew their weapons, "Be careful... I smell something fishy."
"There's an undercroft on the northern side of the island," Serana stated, leading the way for the group this time, while everyone else followed and watched for any enemies that might attack them, "one that the previous owners used to bring supplies into the castle. An old escape tunnel from the castle exits there... that's our way into the castle without raising the alarm and bringing my father's forces down on our heads."
Serana lead them to the left of the massive bridge and the group walked around the island, though after a minute or two they came to the inlet that she had just told them about. Not a few moments later they found four skeletons walking around, all of them armored to the teeth in steel weapons and armor, but Serana challenged them and launched several ice spikes at their enemies. Sonata, on the other had, stood back as both Saerza and Kael summoned their magic and approached the closest skeleton, to which their fireballs tore their enemy to pieces and scattering the bones. Sonata and the rest of her friends got to work on taking out the remaining enemies that were in their way, though at the same time they quickly made their way to the tunnel that had been mentioned earlier.
Once the group was inside the undercroft, and the door was closed behind them, they were assaulted by a group of death hounds, where Gol and Mez charged forward and used their large two handed weapons to put down the death hounds before they could harm anyone else.
The moment that the death hounds were down for the count the group continued on through the undercroft, having to pause to take out a feral vampire who had been living there for who knew how long, before they found a lever that they needed to pull, which activated the bridge in front of them. The next part had two paths for them to choose from, but Serana pointed to the left passage and said that they were supposed to head to the left, mentioning that the traps had been put in place to dissuade thieves from continuing any further. They then found another chamber filled with death hounds, each of them looking like they wanted to slaughter anyone that annoyed them, but Krovor charged into the room and slaughtered one of them without wasting a second, before spinning around and killing the other two with his sword, as if they were nothing to him but obstacles that needed to be removed.
As Krovor moved around the area, searching for more enemies to eliminate, Sonata glanced at his sword and wondered if he had used it to kill Lydia, before sighing and continuing forward.
A few seconds later they found a massive spider guarding the lever that Serana said they needed to pull, but while she was fast to enter the room she wasn't the only one to attack the spider, as Saerza and Kael added their spells to her volley. The poor spider was blown into the side of the wall, apparently killed long before it had even struck the wall, allowing the group to pull the lever and progress even further. They then returned to the bridge and continued up the stairs, eventually opening a wooden door and coming to a courtyard area that had a golden dial resting in the center of the area.
As Serana began to talk about the area they were in, explaining how she and her mother had tended to a garden before they were forced to flee, Sonata walked around the area and studied the moondial, noting that some of the plates were missing. She moved up to one of the upper areas and looked over the courtyard, though she found one of the missing plates as she came up to the top of the stairs, noting that it hadn't been in the best hiding spot. She then cast her eyes over the courtyard and almost immediately spotted another one of the missing plates resting in the water, to which she called down to her friends and beckoned to it. Lorthan, being the closest one to the plate, walked over to the water and collected it, though he smiled as he walked back to the dial and attempted to put it in its place. Sonata cast her eyes over the area once more and noticed something in the garden itself, though before she could say anything Serana seemed to notice it as well, as she picked up the final missing plate.
Sonata, Lorthan, and Serana carefully placed the missing plates into their respective holes, to which the mooddial began to turn around for a few seconds, though it eventually came to a stop and the area around it lowered into the ground, revealing a hidden staircase.
The group followed the previously hidden path into the deepest reaches of the castle, but as they followed the pathway they came across dozens of skeletons and a few gargoyles. It was clear that Valerica, having anticipated that someone might figure out her secret and investigate, had prepared the area with a small army of the undead. Sonata was amazed by the amount of power that Serana's mother had, which she had to attribute to her skill as a necromancer, though one of the unfortunate side effects they noticed was that the undead didn't recognize Serana. That immediately told Sonata that Valerica clearly hadn't been expecting her own daughter to uncover her secret passageway, which meant that they had to fight their way through the entire army of the dead.
Kree, being the most experienced person who knew how to use a bow, fell to the back of the group and started to pull arrows out and let them loose when whenever she had a target, smashing skeletons into pieces or pushing gargoyles backwards. Gol and Mez gripped their heavy weapons and smashed whoever came near them, moving from one enemy to another, while sometimes exchanging enemies for the other to deal with. Lorthan swung his sword around and cut into any enemies that happened to be coming at him, though that wasn't counting the fact that Krovor stood by his side and helped him survive the number of enemies attacking him. Sonata, Kael, and Serana used their magic to either heal their allies if a wound appeared, though they mostly used their magic for blasting an enemy to pieces in the end.
They eventually came to a chamber with three more active gargoyles, which burst out of their stone casings and attacked them, but it didn't take the group very long to finish them off. It appeared that they had reached a dead end and that Serana was going to give up, but then Sonata, in a moment of inspiration that rivaled some of her earlier choices in life, pulled a candlestick and revealed another hidden pathway, which allowed them to climb even higher until they came to a large chamber. Sonata looked around and noticed all of the alchemy ingredients, telling her that Valerica was also an accomplished alchemist before she was forced to flee, though that was before her eyes were drawn to the circular patter in the floor. Serana commented on the fact that she had never seen this chamber before, telling everyone that this had to be the place that Valerica had come to hide the Elder Scroll, but there was no sign of the artifact anywhere.
The group split up and started searching for any clues that might tell them were Valerica went, during which Serana merely stood in front of the middle of the room and stared at the pattern... though her thoughts were interrupted when Sonata returned with what appeared to be her mother's journal. Serana immediately started reading what her mother had written down, discovering that they needed three very special ingredients and her mother's blood to activate the portal her mother had used. It was then that Krovor mentioned that Serana, being Valerica's daughter, shared her blood, which meant that she might be able to activate the portal as well.
Sonata glared at the orc as she walked around the room, carefully gathering the ingredients that Serana had mentioned, before gently placing them inside a container on the second story of the room. The others quickly gathered in the area behind her, as they didn't want to be on the lower section of the room, before Serana approached the container and added a few drops of her blood to the mixture. That was followed by the entire room shaking for a few seconds, to which the group watched as the stone circle in the floor began to crack and break, pieces lifting into the air and circling around until they created a staircase. The new staircase lead right into a portal that had an unnatural purple glow... one that Sonata suspected that lead to another plane of existence, similar to the one she and Kael had used to reach Sovngarde.
Serana, on the other hand, exclaimed that she couldn't believe that her mother created a portal to the 'Soul Cairn', naming the realm that Sonata knew that they were going to have to enter to find Valerica and her scroll. She also learned that the Soul Cairn was a land of the dead, which meant that vampires wouldn't suffer from entering the portal and that she would either have to soul trap herself or become a vampire as well.
"Neither of those options are going to work on me," Sonata quickly replied, tapping the shattered necklace she was wearing, "I'm the Siren Queen. I've had many necromancers try to take my soul when I was engaged in fighting their forces, back before Celestia and Luna rose to power, and they've never been able to latch onto my soul. My body also rejects being a vampire for some odd reason, one that I've never been able to figure out, so my only option is to walk in and see what happens to me."
"Allow me to join you inside the Soul Cairn," Krovor said, placing his hand above his heart for a moment, "you two are sure to encounter heavy enemy resistance, so it would be wise to have some muscle along."
Serana glanced over at Sonata for a moment, as it was her call to bring along the one person neither of them trusted, but in the end Sonata nodded. Her thoughts were that the dead that called the Soul Cairn home might not take too kindly to one of Grul's minions entering their home, as she was sure that the warlock would love to siphon the power of the realm of Oblivion to further his own goals. If the dead sensed where his allegiances truly were then she could indirectly get rid of him, and then blame it on him not listening to orders and being overwhelmed by enemies before she and Serana could help him. Serana quickly explained that she was going to partly soul trap him, as it would allow him safe passage and that they could find the rest of his soul once they had done what they came to do, before the three of them walked through the portal.
Sonata expected there to be some pain involved with passing through a gateway that led to the realm of the dead, but for some reason she was able to pass through without any harm coming to her.
When Sonata stepped through the other side of the portal and appeared at the top of some stairs she immediately looked around her and took in the terrible plane all around them. The ground, seemingly dull and gray, was clearly lifeless and stretched outwards in every direction, though the dead state seemed to give way for some unusual cracks in the ground and dead looking weeds. The trees that rested around the stairs were clearly dead, as they were completely withered away and were nothing more than shadows of the tress that she had seen across Skyrim. The sky itself, on the other hand, was a completely different shade of blue, if not completely violet purple she told herself, and there was this churning hole in the middle of the sky, which she assumed had to be this realm's sun.
Sonata even heard the sounds of souls lightly screaming in the background every now and then, telling her that this horrible realm was definitely not made for the living... all while making her wonder if this was what Tartarus looked like.
"Everything about this place is wrong," Serana said, looking around for herself, while echoing Sonata's thoughts, "Let's hurry up and find my mother... I'd rather not be here longer than necessary."
"Yeah... let's get moving," Sonata replied, already wanting to leave this place and never come back, but she let out a sigh and followed the path that was at the bottom of the stairs.
They followed the pathway until they came to what appeared to be a massive black wall that was blocking their way, but that thought was quickly thrown away as they noticed an opening they could walk through. They qucikly passed between the opening in black wall before rejoining the path, though when they did Serana spotted a sinister looking castle in the distance. Sonata noted that Serana acted as if her gut was telling her something, as she immediately started walking right towards the castle, to which she and Krovor followed her before any of them got lost. As they drew closer and closer to the castle Sonata could have sworn that she felt the power of a barrier, a powerful one she quickly added, that had to rest somewhere in the castle, no doubt keeping someone from leaving.
Once the trio reached the stairs and climbed up them they immediately noticed that they weren't alone, as there was another women, this one much older looking than Serana, standing behind the barrier that Sonata had felt.
"Mother!" Serana exclaimed, running up to her mother before stopping short of the barrier, to which Sonata and Krovor stopped behind her and kept their eyes peeled for dangerous creatures.
"Serana?! What are you doing here?" Valerica demanded, before taking a moment to collect her thoughts and letting out a sigh, "Its Harkon isn't it? He's found a way to decipher the prophecy, hasn't he?"
"Actually, he hasn't." Serana replied, just a little annoyed that her mother was more concerned about the prophecy, especially when she knew that there was something more dangerous out there than her father trying to blot out the sun, "All he's trying to do at the moment is bring about the end of the world... which my friends are trying to stop."
"You brought strangers into our conflict?!" Valerica said, though the anger in her voice was not lost to Sonata, especially when Valerica turned to face them, "So how has it come to pass that the two of you are in the company of my daughter? It pains me to think either of you would travel with Serana under the guise of her protector in an effort to hunt me down."
"Look, we didn't come to hurt you," Sonata replied, annoyed by how this entire venture was going, but knew that she needed to explain something before they moved on, "in fact we were hoping that you'd be willing to give us the Elder Scroll you've hidden so we can stop Harkon from handing it over to Grul."
"Wait... you mean that arrogant warlock who thinks that he owns the Soul Cairn?" Valerica said, causing both Serana and Sonata to raise an eyebrow, while Krovor coughed for a moment.
"Yeah, that's who we mean," Sonata replied, as Grul was the only orc warlock that she had encountered, "How do you know about him if you've been trapped in here for so long?"
"His portal, not yet attuned to the realm of his master, is unstable at best at the moment," Valceria explained, folding her arms for a moment while she told them what she knew, "He's briefly entering the portal and writing down what he discovers about the realms that he visits, though he has come to the Soul Cairn at least five times in the last two weeks. He's been trying to steal as many souls as he can to further power his gateway, so he can attune it to the plane of Oblivion that his master controls and watches from. The Ideal Masters, the rulers of this realm, have already ordered his death whenever he or his minions enters this realm, as the taint of his master lingers in everyone that willingly serves him.
As such the guardians of this realm, a dragon by the name of Durnehviir and a set of special guards known as the Keepers, are tasked with killing anyone that is willingly following that warlock, if they should be so foolish to step foot in the Soul Cairn... and it seems that one such person has been following you the entire time."
Krovor, upon hearing that statement, turned around and spotted three large menacing creatures that appeared to be wearing armor crafted from the bones of several dragons, while noticing that all three of them had their weapons drawn. He charged passed the three of them, intending on leaving the realm so he could return to his true master, though before he could get very far a large sinister dragon landed in front of him, causing him to stop where he was. Sonata watched as the three Keepers boxed Krovor in with the dragon, who seemed to be eyeing the orc with what appeared to be a look of hunger in his eyes... which was followed by the dragon opening his mouth and scooping Krovor up in one swift motion.
Sonata and Serana looked away for a moment as Durnehviir used his teeth to chew Krovor to pieces and shollowed him, though they heard a rumbling sound that indicated that the dragon was pleased.
"Well then, let's see about getting you that Elder Scroll," Valerica said, to which Serana and Sonata noticed that the barrier had faded, as if it had been there to prevent Krovor from going any further.
Sonata had no idea who the Ideal Masters were, but so far they seemed to be on the side that wanted to keep Nirn intact... so she said nothing as she and Serana followed Valerica to the Elder Scroll, while Durnehviir took to the skies to see if more of Grul's soldiers had entered the realm they were in. She had the suspicion that the dragon would love to leave the realm and eat more of Grul's minions, which made her smile for a moment as she thought about the image that sprung to mind. It seemed that luck was finally on her side once more... and she hoped that it continued like that for the next few days. |
Sonata's Crazy and Wacky Adventure in Skyrim | 40: Its a Trap! | As Valerica lead the way to the location of the third Elder Scroll, the one thing that would tell them how to find the ancient artifact known as Auriel's Bow, Sonata began to wonder if it wasn't time for her and her friends to play some tricks of their own with their enemy. The reason why she hadn't spoken of her long term plans was because she was certain that Krovor had been a spy for Grul the entire time, which had been proven to be correct when the forces of the Soul Cairn cornered him and killed him. Now that Krovor was gone, however, Grul would have no idea where she was and what she was doing at any given moment, which meant that they could plan the downfall of Harkon without fear of their enemy finding out.
"So Serana, whose your friend?" Valerica asked, apparently wanting to have some sort of conversation with her daughter before they reached the Elder Scroll, which was why she wasn't in too much of a hurry to get to their destination.
"I am Sonata Dusk," Sonata replied, wondering how many times she was going to have to say those words before everyone knew who she was, "most people know me as the Dragonborn, the fabled hero who destroyed Alduin the World-Eater, but in my home world I went by another title; the Siren Queen."
"Wait a second, your a Queen?" Valerica inquired, though at the same time Serana remained silent as they walked, as if she was studying the land they were in.
"No, there were only ever three Sirens in all of my home world's existence," Sonata stated, still saddened by the fact that there weren't more of her kind in Equestria, or anywhere in Equus for that matter, "There's my sisters, Adagio Dazzle and Aria Blaze, and then there's me, the strongest of the trio. I won't bore you on all the details, but the three of us were eventually banished to a world without magic, where we lived for quite a long time until our necklaces were shattered. Two weeks after that, and with my sisters suddenly disappearing, I entered the portal between two worlds and ended up in Skyrim, though I eventually learned that my sisters had ended up here as well.
One of Grul's Lieutenants informed me, sometime ago during a failed raid on the College of Winterhold, that Grul had already captured by sisters and was holding them hostage... to which I promptly destroyed my opponent."
"So if your necklace, and the powers tied to it, is shattered, then how can you get back to your full potential?" Valerica continued, though at that point they had reached a little room like area that happened to house the Elder Scroll, which she held in her hands as they started the trek to the portal's opening.
Sonata didn't reply for a moment, mainly because she was amazed that Valerica had made the connection between her powers and her necklace without her even saying anything about it, but she quickly decided that the vampire was much smarter than she was giving her credit for and had deduced the information on her own.
"Apparently my powers will only be restored when I end a specific threat to Skyrim," Sonata explained, holding up a hand with three fingers sticking out, while the other two were pointed down, "or more specifically three specific enemies; Alduin the World-Eater, your husband Harkon, and someone by the name of Miraak. Right now I am at half of my former power, but in order to reach my peak I need to end Harkon and find Miraak... and I think I have a way to draw one of them out of hiding."
"Oh? You have a plan to kill Harkon, one of the most powerful Vampire Lords in the history of Skyrim, if not the northern half of Tamriel?" Valerica asked, as if she couldn't believe what she was hearing, but then she seemed eager to hear what the plan was, "Go on, I'm listening..."
"We're going to trick him into coming out of hiding with the one thing he wants; Auriel's Bow," Sonata replied, recalling that Gol and Mez had an ebony bow in one of their packs, "Here's what we'll do first..."
Harkon sat inside Movarth's old lair, sitting on his wooden throne and taking a sip from the goblet that he held, wondering how his life had gone from the livings of a Vampire Lord to the livings of a lesser vampire. Then he remembered that one of Grul's orcs had taken his place so he could find and obtain Auriel's Bow, a weapon that would allow him to block the sun and let vampires rule over everyone... until it came time for Grul to conquer everything. According to what he heard Grul was more than willing to hand him the keys to true immortality, where he wouldn't have to drink or eat ever again unless it was for the fun of it and where he could train his magic until he was on par with the strange warlock.
Unfortunately with none of the three Elder Scrolls in his hands anymore, as his wife had taken two of them before she and Serana had disappeared, that dream was so far off that he didn't even consider it a possibility anymore. Then there was the Dragonborn, who was supposed to have the third Scroll he needed, but his spies couldn't keep track of her at all... and the only person who gave him any good news was the orc that Grul had assigned to help him. He had never bothered to learn the orc's name, and the orc appeared to be fine with Harkon not knowing his name, but he couldn't deny how helpful the creature had been in disposing of the Council of Three.
His thoughts were interrupted as the orc stepped out of the shadows and approached the table that he was sitting at, stopping to bow when he reached the point that Harkon desired him to stand at.
"I take it that you have some news for me?" Harkon asked, wondering if this time he'd be able to find the Elder Scrolls and secure them or if Grul was demanding another update on his progress.
"Yes. My master's scouts have informed me that the Dragonborn and her allies left your castle some time ago," the orc replied, knowing how annoyed Harkon was with the fact that his enemies had marched through his old home, which he intended on reclaiming at some point in the future, "they lost our main spy inside the castle, which is a pity, but they managed to pick up another vampire, a lady that's older than your daughter, and some sort of jester."
"Valerica!" Harkon growled, enraged beyond belief that his traitorous wife had been hiding inside his castle the entire time, though he calmed himself when he noticed that the orc had more to tell him, "Was there something else you wished to tell me?"
"Yes. According to what our scouts have learned the Dragonborn intends on stopping at Fort Snowhawk for the night," the orc replied once more, though he smiled as he prepared to say the next bit, "and, if our information is to be believed, she has already obtained the artifact you are after; Auriel's Bow. The scouts indicate that the jester was 'holding a bow that shined like the sun itself'."
"Then it is as good as ours!" Harkon declared, rising from his seat and gathering his sword, while at the same time downing the rest of his goblet before tossing it to the side, "Tell your master to be expecting me soon... for I shall have the weapon that can blot out the sun in a matter of hours."
"As you wish." the orc said, slipping into the shadows and disappearing, leaving Harkon alone once more, though all that meant was that he was free to bring an end to this mission of his.
Harkon marched out of the cave he had been hiding in with a smile on his face, because now it appeared that his dreams were about to become a reality after all. He had no idea how Valerica had gotten her hands on Auriel's Bow, or how she managed to hid it and herself inside his own castle for so many years, but he decided to ignore the fact that pieces of this story didn't make sense. Once he was outside the cave he shifted into his Vampire Lord state and spread his wings, to which he flew in the direction of the ruined fort that the group would be staying at. He guessed that someone must have cleared out the fort since the last time he had been there, helping himself to the necromancers that called it home, but that fact also didn't matter at all.
It didn't take him long to reach his destination, though he landed in front of a nearby cave and shifted back to his normal form, as he intended on making sure that he hadn't been lied to... and his resting place was the best location to watch the front of the old fortress and determine what was actually going to happen. Not ten minutes after his arrival he noticed a small caravan pull up to the front of the ruined fort, though he immediately recognized both his daughter and his former wife sitting among the people around them. At the head of the group sat the girl he knew to be Sonata, the Dragonborn, though before he could find the bow the caravan stopped inside the fort and the entire group made their way inside.
Harkon waited for another hour or two, waiting for the sun to finally go down and for the moons to rise into the sky, before he finally emerged from his hiding spot and silently approached the front door of the fort. He was surprised to find that none of the people he had seen had bothered to post any guards for the night, to make sure someone didn't come in and slit their throats, but he wasn't about to argue with such easy prey. He mentally wondered how Grul was having such a hard time killing the Dragonborn, or capturing her if he had understood the orc, but then threw the thought aside as he checked the door in front of him.
The room he walked into had a number of shelves lining the walls, filled with everything a necromancer could ever want, before he found his prize in the middle of the room... an ebony bow that looked nothing like the description of Auriel's bow!
Before he could even consider the fact that someone had lied to him, and properly process how angry he was going to be, the ground shook for a moment, as if something was happening outside. Harkon then carefully made his way outside the fortress, making sure not to fall over or anything, before he emerged and found the night sky staring back at him. As the ground became calm once more he spotted something odd, as standing direction in front of the fort's entrance was what appeared to be a knight in some sort of crystalline armor. The knight was also carrying a crystalline greatsword, which was currently embedded in the ground, though as he walked forward he also noticed that the carriage he had seen earlier was missing.
As he walked out of the fortress he found that there were more knights standing in what appeared to be a perfect circle around the fort... though when he tried to pass by them he was pushed back by some sort of barrier, one that phased into existence for a few seconds before disappearing completely.
"What in the name of Oblivion is going on?" Harkon said, glaring at the knights that were apparently powering the barrier, wishing that he could get at them and strike them down so he could leave.
"I asked Jyggalag for a few of his knights so I could trap you inside this area with me." a voice said, to which he turned around and found Sonata standing behind him, though while her left hand had lightning gathering around it she was also carrying a shining sword that reminded Harkon of the Dawnbreaker he had read about in the various tomes that were back at his castle.
"So you sealed the two of us in here?" Harkon asked, though at the same time he carefully drew his own sword as he stared at his opponent, wondering what she was going to do next.
"The barrier is designed to keep you in here until I'm done with you," Sonata replied, keeping her eyes on Harkon as the vampire moved a tiny bit, while at the same time she made sure that she was ready to release her power, "I planned on drawing you in, getting everyone else out before you showed up, and then setting this all in motion the moment you opened that door. Its actually surprising that you fell for my trick, especially when I wasn't even trying that hard."
"What do you mean I 'fell for your trick'? You haven't..." Harkon started to say, but then when he remembered why he was so eager to come here he realized what she was talking about, "Auriel's Bow... I should have seen that one coming."
"Ding ding, it looks like we have a winner!" Sonata declared, as if there were actually people around them, before appearing to think about something, "Actually, its more like we have a loser instead of a winner. Though let me tell you the real kicker... we never bothered to actually collect the bow."
Harkon growled for a moment, because he realized that he, and the orc that had been his messenger, had been fooled into believing that Sonata's group had acquired the legendary bow, which no one knew the location of. It made sense now that he thought about it, because the light coming off of the Dawnbreaker, which had no doubt been behind the ebony bow he had noticed a few minutes ago, would have fooled anyone looking at them from afar. Harkon then smiled as he unleashed his full power and transformed into his Vampire Lord form, to which he took to the air and stared down at his would be opponent, who merely stared up at him in return.
"So what if you tricked me?" Harkon shouted, though at the same time he gathered his magic in his hands, thankful that this place had been a necromancer's lair until some time ago, "I have the high ground... and all the servants I could ask for!"
Sonata watched as Harkon's magic summoned the dead from their rest, which was mostly skeletons pulling themselves from the ground and pointing all of their weapons at her. She chuckled as she simply swung the Dawnbreaker at one of the undead skeletons and cut off its head, which released a wave of light that burned all of the skeletons until they were nothing more than piles of ash. With the skeletons taken care of Sonata engaged her magic and floated into the sky, to which she rose until she was parallel with the beast that Harkon had become.
"So you can kill my servants," Harkon spat, not sounding impressed at all, though he made no move to change positions, "that doesn't mean you have the power to kill me."
"Maybe normal Sonata can't kill you," Sonata replied, to which she accessed her power and let her hair flare upwards, taking on its new color when she used this form in combat, "but I bet I can do it in my Super Siren form."
"So you changed your hair," Harkon said, shocked that his opponent was playing around at a time like this, "that has got to be one of the worst transformations I have ever seen."
"That is where you would be wrong, my dear Harkon," Sonata replied, just as the sky above them flashed with a bit of lightning, "this form increases my speed and power, both physical and magical, by twenty-five times what my original power was to begin with. That may not seem like a lot to you, but it allowed me to be on par with Alduin the World-Eater... and right now I've been trying to access a higher level, one beyond what I am currently capable of using."
Harkon's blood went cold for a moment, because he could deal with someone whose power was below his own, but what Sonata had just told him shocked him a little bit. He knew that Alduin was the one dragon that could bring an end to this world, but if Sonata had used this exact form, and its power boost, to defeat the World-Eater... Harkon could only wonder what would happen to him if she managed to obtain a level beyond what she was using.
"I see your wondering how I could possibly obtain a more powerful form," Sonata stated, snapping Harkon out of his thoughts and drawing his attention back to her, "Let me tell you something; the rage I felt when I learned by sisters had been kidnapped is more than enough to push me all the way through the first stage of this form, well passed the second stage, and arrive at the third with enough rage left over for me to attempt something far greater. I chose not to use my rage for that purpose, not when I'm waiting for my necklace to be restored to its former glory... but the loss of Lydia should be sufficient for my purposes."
"What are you..." Harkon started to say, but as he watched his opponent he noticed that the wind shifted all around them as several bits of lightning tore out of the sky, though at the same time he noticed several blue streaks of lightning began to appear in the red aura that was surrounding Sonata.
He watched as Sonata's hair, which had spiked upwards when she took on this form, became even longer and more rigid than it had been mere seconds ago, while at the same time one of the strands seemed to fall out of alignment as it rested in front of Sonata's right eye. Sonata's flowing aura took a drastic turn as it changed from a flowing liquid like form and morphed into something that almost looked like moving fire. Harkon was sure that this was what his opponent was after, but as he thought about what was happening Sonata turned towards him again and stared at him, though he could have sworn her expression was much colder.
"There... Super Siren 2," Sonata said, the sky lighting up once more as she spoke, though she assumed a certain Divine was doing it on purpose at this point, "I must apologize if you find this form to be much colder than my normal self... I am drawing even more of my true power, that of the Siren Queen, and as such I start to care less about being merciful. This form increases my power by a multiple of fifty, twice what the first form does... so that means your done for before this fight even started."
Harkon barely had time to raise his magical blood shield, which formed a perfect sphere around him, before Sonata charged at him, though in the brief seconds that followed he was sure that he had made it in time as his opponent appeared behind him... which was followed by a cut appearing on his chest as the shield shattered. At first he had to wonder how she could have harmed him, especially when there was no sun out and his shield was designed to protect him against all sorts of magical attacks, but then he remembered that Sonata was carrying Dawnbreaker with her. Meridia, the Daedric Prince that had made the weapon, hated both the undead and vampires, making her weapon the perfect tool to damage him in place of Auriel's Bow.
"Its a good thing you raised your shield on instinct, otherwise your head would be rolling on the ground right now," Sonata commented, turning around so she could face Harkon, who was staring back at her, "I know that you have allied yourself with Grul, which means that he has to have given you some new power in case you ever fought me... so show me your true power."
Harkon looked at his opponent for a moment, wondering how she knew about his new partner granting him even stronger abilities, but decided that now wasn't the time for questions as he touched the second necklace he was wearing, the one that had a sinister looking emerald in the center of it. His arms and legs caught on fire, but unlike the normal red fire that hurt him, and weakened him, the sinister nature of the green fel fire inflicted no pain on his body... and instead hurt whoever he was fighting. Grul had told him that this power would protect him against Sonata's abilities, but after seeing how easily she shattered his shield, which had been designed to protect him, he wasn't too faithful in the warlock's promises.
He threw his hands at Sonata and released his new fire at her, but she disappeared seconds before the flames could touch her, to which Harkon felt another gash being cut into his body as his foe appeared behind him. Harkon tried to follow his opponent's movements, throwing his fire at her while trying to raise more undead to fire arrows at her, but every time a skeleton rose from the ground Sonata shattered them before moving on. He quickly found that Sonata's speed was much faster than what he had been expecting, because every time he thought he caught up with her, and could hit her, she picked up the pace and escaped his grasp... until the one time she swung back around and knocked him into the side of the tower they were fighting near.
It continued like that for some time, with Sonata purposely inflicting more wounds on her opponent instead of outright ending the fight in a single go, making Harkon wonder if this new version of the Dragonborn was slightly enjoying the torture she was inflicting on him. She had already torn off one of his wings, cut a large number of gashes into his body with the Dawnbreaker, which refused to heal, shattered his shield every time he tried to summon it, and he was sure that she had even cracked several of his ribs with her power. That eventually came to an end when she thrust the tip of the Dawnbreaker through his chest, or more accurately his heart, and knocked him into the side of the tower they were near... though to his surprise he was still alive.
"So... your going to torture me until I die," Harkon coughed out, glaring at Sonata as she floated parallel to where he was resting, "I should warn you, I won't scream or cry for you."
"Oh, you'll be dead in a minute or two," Sonata replied, lightning gathering around her left hand, which she raised into the air until her palm was facing the sky, "I just thought I would end this fight with one of my stronger abilities."
Harkon watched as the sky opened up and a serpent like creature, completely made out of dark blue colored lightning, lowered itself until it was completely wrapped around Sonata, who smiled at her creation for a moment. Harkon had heard of fire, frost, and storm atronachs before, but this was the first time he had seen one of those creatures that was on the level that Sonata was controlling.
"I call this technique 'Kirin'," Sonata commented, to which the creature raised itself back into the clouds it had spawned itself from, "Begone with the thunderclap!"
The moment Sonata swung her hand downwards, leveling her palm with the Dawnbreaker, Harkon watched as the massive creature tore itself from the sky once more and raced down towards where he was resting... though the last thing he knew was the searing pain that coursed through his body before it completely consumed him.
Grul had known that it was only a matter of time until Sonata had found Harkon's hiding spot or lured him out with a trick, though when his spy indicated that Harkon was on the move he made sure to position himself for the fireworks. He had expected there to be more than a one sided fight, as he was sure that Sonata would have started out in her ordinary form before jumping into what she called her 'Super Siren' form, but instead she jumped to what he could only assume was the Super Siren 2 stage. He had watched Harkon get pushed around like a doll, taking every hit that Sonata could throw at him while never actually hitting her in return, leaving him to wonder if he should have bothered with allying himself with the useless Vampire Lord.
That was followed by Harkon getting pinned to the wall of the tower and Sonata summoning an elemental creature that rivaled the ones Grul had seen in the realm of his master... though when the creature struck Harkon, and obliterated him, Grul heard the metal effigy he had created for the Vampire Lord shatter into a thousand pieces.
"She is coming along nicely," Grul commented, a grin appearing on his face as he looked at the Siren Queen for a moment, imagining what her power would feel like once she overcame her last opponent and unlocked her full potential, "Two down, one to go." |
The Perfect Mate | pre | Luna's focus went completely onto Ryan, having heard his silent conversation with himself, but not completely understanding what he was referring to. "I take it you have siblings as well?"
"Yep."
This made her a bit more curious about him and his upbringing. "What are they like?"
"They were all assholes."
"That's not very nice to say about your family."
"Correction, they were my relatives. They were not my family." He explained. Ryan had a very interesting view on those who were close to him and an even more interesting definition of the word family.
Luna wanted to question him further, but now didn't seem like the best time. Instead she grabbed a nearby chair and slid it beside his bed, allowing her to take a seat beside him. "How's your arm feeling? Any better?"
"It feels kind of like a wet noodle." Ryan waved his arm around, loosening his wrist and letting his hand flop around freely
The night princess couldn't help but giggle at his comment, but still couldn't help but feel concerned for his well-being. "You should get some rest."
"Without a goodnight kiss? How rude!" He teased, making Luna put on a cocky smile.
"Oh please; like you would be brave enough to place your lips upon those of royalty." Ryan was a brave character, this much she could see, but there was no doubt in her mind about this. He doesn't have the guts to make that kind of move.
Um...Excuse you, bitch!
Did she just fucking challenge him...again!? Nope, no way. This is not allowed! By now, most people who had met him learned not to challenge him. His stubborn streak would not allow him to back down.
With this part of his mind set in motion, he reached up and grabbed the neck of her top with his good hand and pulled; The force being more than enough to pull Luna out of her seat and onto the bed.
As their faces rested just centimeters from each other, Ryan decided to do something that sickened him to his very core. He was going to give her a chance to take it back. "You wanna run that by me again, sweetheart?"
Luna was surprised by his actions at first, but her mind eventually settled on the assumption that this was merely for looks. He wasn't going to do it, he just wanted to make her think that he would. All she would have to do is call him on his bluff. So, with the shit eating grin now spread across her face, she did just that. "You heard me. You don't have what it takes to-"
Her words became caught in her throat as her lips were forced against Ryan's. Her eyes became wide and for the second time in the past twenty-four hours she was struck with a mixture of both shock and awe.
Ryan kept his eyes glued to hers, sending a message that he was more than willing to do whatever she called him out on. And, from the look she was giving him, he could tell that the message has been sent, read, and eaten straight into her brain. Once again, he had won. |
The Perfect Mate | Beneath The Surface | The area is dark, empty, hollow; it's as if nothing had ever existed there, nor ever would. Luna couldn't understand what she was doing wrong, this was something she had done time and time again with no error; so why wasn't it working now. She wandered through the empty dream field, hoping to find something, anything. Lo and behold though, she was met with more darkness. The night princess let out an annoyed sigh and pulled herself out of her dream stride.
Once she was back in the real world she eyed the interior of her bedroom shortly before placing her head in her hands, rubbing her temples with her finger tips. This was ridiculous. She wanted to know what it was that made Ryan her perfect mate; what is it that made them so similar?
They both got along fairly well, they had some of the same interests, and the two loved to wrestle about and play games together. There was never a point where they were put in some sort of awkward positioning or uncomfortable situation. She wasn't complaining that things were working out, she just wanted to know why.
Her answers would soon come from a very unnerving source, one she could sense immediately upon its entry to her private chambers. She growled slightly to herself, looking towards a rather dark corner in her room. "I know you are here, Discord. Reveal yourself."
Discord grumbled to himself before stepping out of the shadows. He was a rather tall man with grey skin. His eyes were yellow with red pupils, his hair, as well as a well-trim goatee, were silver in color. He wore an old brown suit that fitted his lengthy form perfectly, he had two large but completely unmatched horns. Finally, on his back were two wings; One was feathered, while the other was extremely bat-like. "I really hate that you and your sister can sense my presence, it takes all the fun out of being nosy."
"I'm sure it does." She said with a scowl. This wan't anything new for him, he was constantly listening in and trying to stay on top of whatever was going on. Whether this was just out of curiosity, or for a more insidious agenda, was completely unknown to all others but him.
"Oh, come on, Lulu," Discord suddenly appeared beside her, levitating several inches off of the ground. "Don't be that way. I thought that we were friends. Do you not want to be friends?"
She could tell by his tone and that shit-eating smirk on his face that he was saying all of this in mock sadness. The night princess just wanted him to stop with his games and be more direct for once. His games were fun to him, but a living hell to anything else.
"I even brought you a present from the Badlands." With a snap of his fingers a small jar full or red sand appeared in his hand. He examined the jar with a smile before holding it out to Luna. "Here you are."
Luna grabbed the jar and went over it. There was nothing out of place about it, no special magical properties, there wasn't even an engraving on the jar. It was, in all of its glory, just a hunk of glass full of sand. Nothing more, nothing less. "What's your angle, Discord?"
Discord eyed Luna in mock surprise. "Me? Have an angle?"
Luna stared at the chaos bringing abomination with a stern look plastered across her face.
"You're telling me that, I, your good friend, Discord; Cannot simply give you a gift out of the kindness of my heart?" he asked with a multitude of dramatic poses to emphasize his 'pain'.
She raised a brow at him, causing the god to grumble before swiping the jar from Luna's hand with a playfully angered expression on his face.
"Fine, be that way." He said, letting himself lower to the ground. "I'll just give it to Ryan. He loves the desert, so maybe he will appreciate it more." With that being said, Discord walked toward the door, secretly grinning to himself.
Luna was about to shrug his words off, but then it hit her. Discord had been in the Badlands for several weeks now, how did he know that Ryan liked deserts, let alone that he even existed. How did this monster know something about the human that Luna didn't? "Wait!" She called out, causing the god to stop in his tracks.
Discord turned around, still smiling. His little plan was starting to come together. "Yes, oh great Princess of the Night? How may I serve you?" He asked with a kneel.
She rolled her eyes at Discord's behavior and waited for him to go back to his normal posture before continuing. "How do you know about Ryan?"
"Well, Princess. I live here too you know, and it would be rude for me to not know every single guest that enters the castle and greet them properly, would it not?"
Luna could tell that he was planning something, this is how it always starts, but he wouldn't allow her to jump right into the thick of things. She would have to play his little game and ease into it. "So you have spoken with him?"
He nodded and took a seat in a chair that seemed to appear out of nowhere. "I most certainly did. You see, when I came back I felt an unfamiliar presence wandering the halls and just so happened to bump into him. We talked over a few cups of coffee before he decided to retire for the night."
Ryan and Discord sat down together, talked, drank coffee, and no fights broke out? Nopony ran away screaming? No great disaster was about to take place? What is this world coming to??? "I take it the two of you got along rather well."
"Most definitely." Suddenly a pillow that had been sized and stitched to look like Ryan appeared in Discord's arms. As it did, he gave it a powerful hug. "We're practically best friends now. Who knows, maybe one day he'll even let me into his family."
The pillow was creepy, plain and simple. Why would he create something like that? Was this just to mess with her, or was it simply due to his weird personality.
"Even better than that." He continued, throwing the pillow onto Luna's bed, "He does not fear me, or my powers. In fact, he adores them. Even let me test a few spells on him. Oh, it was so much fun!"
Luna really hoped that whatever bond Ryan was forming with Discord would not go much further than what it is now. She would really rather he didn't end up getting caught up in one of the chaos god's schemes, thus getting him into trouble and likely banished.
"It was rather upsetting that he had to go to bed, but I knew a way around that." He made sure to keep his eyes on Luna when he spoke the last part, wanting to see her reaction.
"Excuse me?" What did he mean by 'I knew a way around that'? What was he planning, better yet, what was he doing?
"Well, since he and I became such good friends in a short time, I didn't think he would mind too much if I, you know...Went inside of his mind." Discord knew she was having trouble getting into Ryan's subconscious mind. He was rather surprised at the difficulty it posed to him as well. Not many have mental barriers that strong.
Luna stood in place, completely awestruck that Discord had actually managed to get into Ryan's mind. This had to be some sort of trick, there was no way in Tartarus that he actually managed to do it. "You're bluffing." She said with crossed arms. "I couldn't even get into his mind, so there is no way you could."
"Well, I'll admit it was difficult at first, but then I learned the secret." This time he wasn't lying. There was a way into the human's mind, but it required something very different than just simply tearing down walls
"Very well; if you think you have it figured out, then prove it. Show me." Luna demanded, only for her words to be met by one of Discord's hands reaching out to her.
She was hesitant at first, but took Discord's hand, being careful not to be cut by his jagged fingernails. Once her hand met his they were in the same dark area that she had been in during her first attempt to get into Ryan's mind. "Okay, we're here. Now what?"
Discord made several clicking sounds with his mouth while nodding. "Oh sweet, naive, stupid Luna. Do you really expect me to give you all of the answers. That would be boring. I am here to aid you, not guide you." He looked down to the jar of sand still in one of his hands and tossed it to her. "Here, take this. Consider it a re-gift."
She watched as he crossed his arms while the two floated in the empty space, holding the jar in her hands. The night princess just wasn't sure what to do, and why he was so insistent on her having a jar full of sand he found in a desert...Wait a minute.
"Fine, be that way." He said, letting himself lower to the ground. "I'll just give it to Ryan. He loves the desert, so maybe he will appreciate it more."
Luna stared down at the jar before opening the lid. The sand within started to stir from an unknown force and soon started spinning around, forming into a large spiral. Before long, the jar exploded and the entire space became full of rapid winds that blew copious amounts of sand every which direction.
Luna had to cover her face to keep the annoying little particles from entering her eyes, but suddenly the wind died down, she could no longer feel sand hitting her body; more importantly, she could feel solid ground beneath her hooves. She opened her eyes and uncovered her face to find herself standing on top a large rocky mountain in the middle of a desert.
Her eyes scanned the whole area, taking in every detail. But it was dark, luckily there was a full moon above her head, giving her just enough light to see everything in her general area. "What happened?"
Discord appeared by her side, levitating at an angle that allowed him to be in a laying down position. "It seems our friend here has a very adaptive mind. It keeps itself as a blank canvas, finds something to latch on to, then adjusts itself accordingly. Example; I know he is not a fan of parties, but get him in one and after a few minutes he'll be a party animal."
"How do you know all of this about him?" She found it weird that Discord had only just met Ryan, but already knew so much about him. They shouldn't have had the time to talk about so many different subjects and just browsing his mind wouldn't give out detailed information.
"When I came here, I knew just being here would limit my knowledge, so I pushed the boundaries a bit and found where his memories were stored."
"You went through his memories?" This slightly irked Luna. Not only was it rude to just barge into somepony else's memories, it was a complete abuse of power.
"Only the ones that were open. Memories are like doors, some of them are practically open, while others are locked. For some reason, a majority of his are locked, sealed, chained, and then welded shut."
Luna was starting to look beyond the point of just crossing boundaries now. If somepony was trying this hard to block out memories, then something horrible must have happened to them. That, or he's hiding something. "I see. Can you take me to where his memories are stored?"
"Sadly, I cannot. This place is simply too hectic for even I to navigate through it." It was true, with the quickly adapting landscape around them, Ryan's mind would soon find a way to seal them out completely. "But, I might know someone who can help us."
Discord pointed to a set of mountains in the distance. Luna had to squint her eyes to see what he was trying to show her. Her eyes adjusted and she saw a bipedal figure sprinting across the top of the mountains and expertly leaping from boulder to boulder as they entered its range. The figure suddenly stopped moving and Luna became overpowered by this nagging feeling that something was watching her.
In the blink of an eye both Discord and Luna were standing directly in front of the figure. It was nearly eye-level with Luna, just staring at her. She quickly started to make out its features; Black shoes, dark blue jeans, black shirt, Ryan's face-Wait a minute...
The figure rose its arms and suddenly the moon burst into flames, immediately bringing light to the dark land. Luna had to rub her eyes as they were assaulted by the sudden brightness, but at least now she would be able to see properly. She opened her eyes and looked back at the figure. It was Ryan!
"So are you gonna hug me or am I just gonna keep standing here with my thumb up my ass."
Discord teleported over to Ryan wearing a pair of sunglasses and swimming suit. He threw an arm around the human as if they had known each other for years.
Luna was about to happily oblige, but stopped herself. This wasn't Ryan. It looked like him, but it didn't completely sound like him. The vocal patters seemed to echo a lot, telling her that this was some weird thought in his head. "You're not Ryan, are you?"
Discord and Ryan frowned. Discord, because he was hoping it would take her much longer to figure everything out. Ryan, because she was kind of right. He wasn't Ryan, not completely. "Yes and no." Ryan simply said. "I'm Ryan's thought process, the impulses he gives in to, the little voice in his head that'll tell him what he should and should not do. So; No, I'm not Ryan. I'm kind of just the guy who gives him advice and feedback."
"Ryan has a very independent mind-set." Discord said, stretching one arm over to her and pulling her closer to the group. "Which usually means that he should have a one-track mind. However, certain things have transpired in his life which made him more open. It created our little friend here."
Ryan waved at Luna with a childish smile on his face. "So, onto the matter at hand. Something told me I was needed and I answered. What do you fuckers need?"
Discord nudged Luna, it was her idea after all. She cleared her throat before speaking. "I wish to see how Ryan is handling his memories."
Ryan seemed a bit uncomfortable with this. She could tell because of how his happy expression faltered slightly. His left eye even twitched slightly. "I'm sorry sweetheart, but if you want to go there, you better have a damn good reason."
Why was he being so defensive? Was this part of Ryan's brain the reason he was hiding things? "I wish to know why the portal chose him as my perfect match. It can't just simply be because we get along, the portal goes into your very soul and searches for someone thats soul resembles theirs. So it has to be more th-"
"Than just a simple liking. I know; I know what it is, I know why it happened, and I know the source personally. Can't say I like it though." Ryan had heard the guards talking about Luna behind her back, whispers of who she might truly be beneath the surface.
"Look," Ryan continued, now wearing a stern look on his face. "I know you're gonna be persistent and I know that the longer I make you wait, the worse your curiosity will get and that'll just make my job harder. So how about we cut straight through the bullshit?"
Discord and Luna glanced at each other. Discord was still wearing a grin on his face. She could swear that he knew more than he was letting on. She gave him a suspicious glare before answering for both of them. "Agreed"
She turned to face Ryan, but when she did the environment around them was completely different. They were in a very old fashioned looking, candle lit hallway that seemed to go on for miles with doors after doors, after doors going down both sides. Most of these doors were boarded over and even had chains going across them, complete with a padlock in the center.
She stared in awe at the hallway, wondering what would be behind each door. Her question was soon answered by Ryan. "Welcome to the hall of memories."
Ryan turned and looked down the hallway. The group was suddenly levitating just above the carpeted floor and started flying at what seemed to be a million miles a second. "Each door holds a memory of a different time, a different event, each and every thought and action he has ever had; Everything is in this hallway.
Discord couldn't seem less amused, he had already been through here and found little to address, but he was curious as to what was behind the doors as was Luna. "Why are so many of these doors blocked off?" The night princess inquired.
Ryan looked back at the princess, still looking very uncomfortable. "To protect him and everyone he's around."
"What do you mean?" As she asked this the group came to a grinding halt.
"I mean what I fucking said!" Ryan yelled, suddenly being filled with anger. "Damn near every door here has something fucked up in it, something that should have fucked him up. So I sit here and work my fucking ass off to make sure that he doesn't have to remember the shit!"
Luna had taken a step back when Ryan started yelling. If he was reacting like this then maybe she should just forget about going through his memories. If they were enough to make his mind react like this just by being asked a simple question, then perhaps she doesn't want to see them.
Ryan closed his eyes and took a breath, letting himself calm down. "I'm sorry for my little bipolar outburst. It's just-I work so hard to make sure that he doesn't turn into that fucking thing again and its...It's a lot on me."
Discord levitated over to Ryan, now dressed in his normal attire, and patted his shoulder. "There, there, child. We are here for you if you need us." He said, doing his best to keep playing the 'good friend' card with Ryan.
The god held out a hand in front of Ryan and a glass of carbonated brown liquid appeared. Ryan happily took the glass and sipped from it, letting the rest of his nerves settle.
Luna carefully approached Ryan and slowly pulled him into a loving embrace. She understood how hard it was to battle your own mind and fight to forget all of the bad you had done.
Ryan was surprised at first, but was more than happy to wrap his arms around her and hold her close. It's not often that he receives actual hugs. He could usually only do things like this by reliving the actual Ryan's memories. But this, this was much more enjoyable.
A strange sensation came over Luna as they held each other. It was like she had just walked the home of someone who she knew accepted her. She felt welcomed to be here.
The group started flying rapidly once again and soon came to the end of the hallway where there was a single iron door with locks of all kinds holding it shut. They landed softly and Ryan approached the door, placing one of his hands against it. The locks suddenly clicked open, metal bars were pulled out of their latches, chains fell to the ground, and the metal door creaked open; Revealing a dark padded hallway.
Luna didn't know what to expect and looked to Ryan questioningly as he walked away from the door. "What is it that I'm going to find in here?"
Discord placed a hand on either of Luna's shoulders, leaning so his face was just beside hers as he stared into the new hallway. "In this room, dear princess, is the sole reason that you and Ryan are seen as perfect mates." He explained, "You, just like him, have something living inside of you, something dark. A monster to both you and anypony around you."
She felt her own eyes widen. Was that truly the reason that they were matched; because they both had something sick and twisted living inside of them just trying to get out. "So, you mean that-"
"In this room is the part of him that is much like your Nightmare Moon."
She didn't tell him about that. She had referenced Nightmare Moon once or twice while talking about all of the bad things she had done, but she had never actually said it. There was no detail about the events that transpired, she never even said the name. "How did you-"
"The royal guards have big mouths and I am constantly listening in. Ryan knows all about Nightmare Moon."
Luna was shocked and thoughts of all kind started running through her head. How Ryan might feel about her past, about Nightmare Moon. Would he still want to be around her? Or would he completely avoid her? She had to know. "How does he feel about it?" What she heard in reply surprised her.
"Frankly, he couldn't give less of a fuck. To be honest, it makes him feel closer to you." He watched as Luna's features started to lighten up. "People in our world are violent, but he never knew anyone else with a problem like his until you came along." Ryan took a breath and nudged his head in the direction of the door. "Well, you wanted to see it. It's right in there."
She turned her attention back to the open door and took a deep breath before walking in, alone.
With his part out of the way, Discord decided that it was probably about time he had left. He already knew what was in there and didn't see too much of a point in going back. Besides, that thing was very rude to him last time. "Well, I guess I'll be off. Ta-ta." He said with a wave and vanished before anyone else could get a word in.
Luna took a few more steps into the hallway. Her hooves would sink into the odd flooring, feeling the soft pillow texture beneath her with every step. She jumped as the iron door behind her slammed shut and the locks all clicked back into place. Now she was alone and stuck in here. Terrific.
There was a single light at the end of the hallway that hung down from the ceiling in what appeared to be some sort of room. She cautiously made her way over to the room, the rattling of chains in the distance could be heard.
The sound picked up as a figure entered her vision from the far side of the room. After quickly analyzing the room, as well as the figure, she ceased any movement and stood her ground. The figure lowered itself before leaping at Luna. However, the night princess was just out of his reach. The chains let out a sound that indicated that they had reached their limit. This caused the figure to jerk backward and fall to the soft ground, just below the light.
Just like the last one; he looked completely identical to Ryan, but you could easily tell that there was something wrong with this one. She wasn't sure what truly gave it away; was it the bloodshot eyes, perhaps the dark rings around those eyes? Or maybe it was because he was dressed in what looked like white pajama pants and a straight jacket covered in blood and wrapped in thick metal chains that bound him to some solid structure behind him.
Better yet, it was probably all the the above.
She watched as he pulled himself up into a sitting position and glared at her. His mouth was shut and his teeth were bared, but his eyes were sending hundreds of death threats every second they looked at her. This made her extremely uncomfortable.
Just as Luna was about to speak to Ryan, he shot back to his feet, pulling against the chains with all his might in hopes that he might get to her. "Come on! Come here so I can pull your spine out of your ass! I'll kill you, you hear me!? I'LL KILL YOU!!!"
Luna didn't know what to do, he was in a frenzy and, from the looks of it, he wasn't going to calm down. As he struggled against the chains and howled like a mad-man Luna ran through every possible action she could take.
Happiness is finding someone who's insanity matches yours...
Suddenly an idea was hatched.
Two plus two is fish!
She charged her magic and a light blue hue suddenly enveloped her horn.
Show him that he's not alone...
There was a bright flash and now, being projected from Luna's horn, there was a tall black mare with a flowing blue mane and tail wearing a rather skimpy set of armor standing right in front of her.
The maniac stopped struggling against his restraints and stared at the mare, taking in every wonderfully placed curve of her body. He couldn't help but just stand there, not making a single sound.
Nightmare opened her eyes, revealing the teal colored orbs beneath their lids and scanned the room. It had been a while since she had seen much of anything and soon enough she found her eyes resting on the psychotic human before her.
She didn't know why, but she felt something about him, something strong, something that she liked. The darker half of the night princess made her way over to the restrained human, stopping just inches from his reach. "Now just who might you be?" She asked, reaching a hand out and stroking the side of his face.
It took him a moment to answer; the feeling of her hand caressing him sent shivers down his spine and made responding slightly difficult. "Ryan; My name is Ryan." He said calmly. What was with this mare, why did he feel so comfortable with her? He didn't care, he was enjoying this new feeling. He didn't want it to end.
Luna was actually shocked at how well that had worked. The two darker halves of both parties were actually enjoying each others company. She could feel a powerful bond forming between the two.
As she admired her work a sudden obnoxious beeping noise filled her ears. She covered them and closed her eyes, the noise becoming more than just annoying. When she opened her eyes to look for the source she found herself in her room, laying on her bed.
Turning her head to the side she found the source of the noise. Her alarm clock was going off, telling her that it was time to awake and lower the moon. Letting out a rather unpleasant sigh she raised her fist and slammed it down on the mechanism, silencing it until tomorrow.
Luna rose from her bed and stretched her limbs before exiting her room to find her older sister groggily standing in the hallway and waiting for her. Their bodies were clearly demanding that the two go back to bed, but they had a job to do. With a bit of magic the moon was lowered and the sun was raised.
With that taken care of, the sisters went their separate ways to prepare themselves for the rest of the day. Just as Luna was about to enter her room though, she was grabbed by something hiding behind her door. Had the sun not shined enough light to make out who her assailant was at the last second, she would have cast them into Oblivion.
As Ryan pulled Luna into his arms he placed a firm kiss on her lips, earning him a small but adorable squeak from the night princess.
When Ryan broke the kiss Luna stared up at him; she wasn't expecting him to just pop up out of no where and perform such an affectionate act out of the blue. "Well, somepony is feeling rather lovey-dovey today." she teased the human.
"Bite me." He replied jokingly, "I had a good night and I'm feeling pretty damn good myself."
Especially around her...I wonder why that is.
Ryan ignored his weird, but rather sarcastic sounding, thought and focused on the beautiful mare in front of him. He wasn't sure why, but for some reason he felt so much more comfortable around her. It was like part of him craved her and it was making him hungry for her attention.
Luna found it hard to resist staring up at the human longingly. She placed her hands behind his head and pulled him into another kiss. As they stood there with their lips embracing each other, the two could feel some strange sensation welling up inside of them. Something that told them that everything was alright, that this moment right here was perfect. |
The Perfect Mate | Playing Rough | Luna hit the ground with a light thud, but with a quick re-angling of her body she was able to somersault back into a standing position. However, this only lasted a few second, as she was tackled back to the ground by her otherworldly guest. The two were sent back onto the hard surface, rolling over each other other as they fought for dominance over the other.
Ryan did his best to pin the mare he was currently wrestling, but soon found himself being pressed to the floor with a pair of hands holding his down. He struggled to free himself from her grip, but to no avail. She had beaten him.
"Dammit...Alright, you win." He confessed; he wasn't really a fan of losing, especially when it came to fights or wrestling, but he wasn't a sore loser. If he lost, he lost; there was always next time.
Luna stared down at the human with a strange look in her eyes. It was something Ryan had seen before, but he couldn't quite remember what it was. "Hey, you alright up there, sweetheart?"
His question was met with silence as Luna looked like she was about to attack him. Did he do something wrong? For once though, Ryan's luck kicked into full gear in the form of the alicorn sun god.
"Luna, what are you doing?" Celestia asked as she stumbled upon a rather interesting sight. Her little sister straddling their otherworldly guest and pinning him to the ground with a somewhat hungered expression on her face.
Luna snapped out of her strange mental state and shook her head before looking up at her sister, thinking of a thousand different ways to explain what was going on. "Tia, we were just wrestling! That's all." She said, quickly removing her hands from Ryan's arms to allow him his freedom.
Celestia was eyeing her sister with a somewhat reprimanding look to her features. It was like that look your parents give you when they walk into the room and find you stabbing all of their couch cushions with a kitchen knife...wait, sorry, that's a little bit, completely different. Maybe more like when they catch you doing something they said not to...Like putting the cat in the toilet.
"Sister, you know what this time marks for you, right?" The older sister reminded. Luna knew fully well what she was talking about, but was too ashamed to admit it. She didn't want to just keep herself locked up all day. She wanted to be with her mate, she wanted Ryan.
"But Tia, I just wanted to-"
"Luna! Please, you know as well as I do that if something were to happen that it could ruin everything you've worked for with him." She explained to the night princess.
She didn't want to, but she had to. Celestia was right, she was just about to lose herself just by fooling around with Ryan. She had to go away for a bit. "I'll be in my chambers." She said with a defeated tone, removing herself from Ryan's form and teleporting away.
Ryan pulled himself off of the ground, unsure of what had just transpired. "What was that all about? Is girl alright?" He asked, a small part of him being genuinely concerned, which actually kind of freaked him out. He wasn't used to caring about others, but for some reason, with her, he did.
Celestia sighed and looked over to Ryan, wondering if maybe the humans from his world suffered the same thing. She would have to explain it to him if otherwise. "It's...it's her time of the season, if you know what I mean."
A look of realization dawned on the human. "Oh, okay, I got you." She was menstruating, that's understandable. Hell, he grew up mostly around women and most of his friends were of the opposite sex so he knew how it was when they got this way. "The girls in my world have the same problem, I know exactly how to handle this."
Create an unbreakable barrier and throw chocolate at her. Bitches love chocolate, especially when they're bleeding like a sliced artery.
She smiled to herself, glad that he fully understood Luna's current predicament. "I'm gonna run and grab a few things, I'll see you in a bit, Tia."
"Stay safe." She said as she waved to the human who was now jogging through the halls. "Thank goodness he knows what a mares heat cycle is." She muttered to herself, "That could have ended very badly."
Ryan slowly opened the door to Luna's bedroom with a box of chocolate in one hand and a wooden chair in the other, just in case. Better safe than sorry; despite likely having to apologize later for hitting her with it, but that's only if he actually has to.
He looked around the dark room, seeing no sign of the lunar mare. "Hello? Lulu, you in here?" He was met with nothing but silence. Against his better judgement he entered the room, keeping a tight grip on his weapon of choice.
Once in, the door behind him slammed shut, causing him to jump and swing the chair. It ended up hitting the door and breaking into several small pieces, leaving him with only the back board in his hand. "God dammit!" He yelled, his paranoia forcing him to rapidly scan the room around him.
Again he found nothing, it was too dark. It was like a shitty version of the movie Pitch Black in here. He decided against going any further and just coming back later, but for some reason when he tried to open the door it wouldn't budge. He dropped everything in his hands and pulled with all of his might, but it didn't move in the slightest.
Did they bolt this thing shut, what the hell?
Ryan stopped trying to open it and attempted to kick it down, resulting in doing nothing but making a loud bang against the structure and slightly hurting his foot. "Motherfucker!" He yelled, hopping on his good foot, trying to wait for the pain in the other to subside.
He hobbled his way over to Luna's bed and took a seat on it, letting his aching appendage rest for a bit. That door was hard; it felt like he had just kicked an iron bar.
Before he could take the time to try and massage the pain out of his foot he felt something rather odd. It was like he was being watched, which was a feeling he was usually used to, given his odd mental state, but this one was different. Like there was something right behind him.
He turned his head around to see a pair of glowing teal orbs staring back at him, connected to a feminine figured silhouette. His eyes finally forced themselves to adjust enough to get a better look at whoever was behind him until he picked up on who it was. "Luna? Are you alright?"
Ryan felt himself suddenly being grabbed and thrown to the center of the large bed. The shock itself was enough to keep him in place, but the dark figure now straddling him played a damn good role in doing that as well.
Luna pinned him down in the same manner that she had earlier, holding him in place and staring down at him longingly. That look she had in her eyes then was nearly tripled now.
He finally recognized it, what that look she was giving him was. This was something he had seen a couple times before, but never as strong as this. It was lust, pure and raw, angry lust. The kind that could drive someone to force you into some rather uncomfortable predicaments, depending on which side you're on and who they are.
Um...Rape?
Before Ryan could get a word out his mouth was forced against Luna's. Before when they had kissed it was short and sweet with a little bit of passion on his side, but this was something entirely different. It was long, hard, and full of desire.
Like my dick!
He mentally sighed at the internal voice for being so weird. He could have sworn that his mind and that of some pervert freak were swapped at some point. His thoughts came to a grinding halts as Luna's tongue found it way into his mouth, but only for a second. It was weird how large her tongue was, usually his was the freakishly huge one. Ryan was born with the gift of a tongue that could come out and curl upward while still being able to go pass his chin. He learned pretty quickly how to use it to his advantage, porn is a hell of a thing, but this was something different.
Ryan turned his head, breaking the oral assault, making Luna almost whine. Once he had managed to catch his breath he looked up at the lustful mare above him with a questioning gaze. "Seriously, what the hell?"
"Please, Ryan." She begged, "Don't pull away from me. I need this, I need you." Luna released Ryan's arms long enough to grab his shirt and tear in half, exposing his upper body to the hungry mare. She lowered her head and planted a small row of kisses down his chest, running her fingers up and down his body.
His body was literally shaking as his arousal picked up, every touch sent shivers down his spine. He wanted this to continue, but some part of him kept nagging that it just wasn't right, that there was something severely wrong with this picture. With his now freed hands he grabbed Luna's horn and pulled her up from his form.
She gasped as he did this, her body begging for him to continue doing whatever it was he was doing, but nothing happened. Her eyes looked up to see him with a stern expression on his face. Fine, if he wasn't going to give her what she wanted then she would take it by force.
A rope suddenly appeared in front of Ryan's face. He could feel it wrapping around his wrists before forcing his arms up to the head of the bed where it tied itself in place, keeping his arms locked above his head.
Luna brought her head to his, staring at him with a disturbing grin. "Comfortable? I asked you nicely to let me have you, but since you're being stubborn, I'll just take care of it on my own." She had a very dominant look on her face. Ryan didn't want to admit it, but he was always very fond with the idea of being dominated and that was exactly what she was doing.
The night princess could see it in his eyes, she could feel it in her bond with him. He was enjoying this, allot. "Oh? So you like this kind of thing, hmm? Well then, maybe you and I can both have a little fun then."
Yes, please!
Luna smiled at the restrained human as he tried to make it look like he wasn't enjoying the treatment he was receiving, but she knew better, and she would make sure he'd show just how much he was enjoying it.
She lowered one of her hands to his pants where he had a moderately built tent growing little by little. When she found her target she gripped it through his pants, causing Ryan to inhale sharply and jerk to the side a bit. She wasn't going to allow him to pull away though and tightened her grip, which he only seemed to enjoy more.
Can you stop being a bitch and just let the woman ravage you!
Luna grabbed the zipper of his pants and pulled it down, allowing his hardened member to force its way out into the air. Luna stared at it for several second, making Ryan feel a bit self-conscious for the first time in years. He was probably an ant compared to a stallion, in his world he was considered decent in size, but what he lacked in that he made up for in performance.
Much to his surprise though, Luna continued her assault. He was sure she would laugh or giggle or something, but the only thing she seemed to notice was his lack of undergarments. "Walking around with nothing to hide I see, you're so naughty."
Really? That's considered naughty here?
The mare grabbed the base of Ryan's pulsating shaft and gave the head a slow and tender lick. His body contorted slightly at the feeling of her tongue on the most sensitive part of his body, this only continued as she placed the tip and her mouth and started gently suckling on it.
Ryan was never one for making any sort of noise when it came to this kind of thing, he had trained himself to be dead quiet for several reasons, but these small actions were enough to make him fill the room with a series of sharp breaths.
Luna's free hand soon found it's way into the opening of Ryan's zipper, her fingers rubbing against his sack before placing a firm grip on his balls and giving them a light but firm squeeze.
Ryan let out a light cry of pleasure as his hips jerked upward, forcing himself deeper into Luna's muzzle, which she seemed to enjoy. Her mouth suddenly lowered, slowing taking in his entire length, massaging every inch of it with her tongue.
Ryan was in a state of ecstasy as the feeling of her maw sent waves of pleasure throughout his body. That soon ended when he felt Luna's muzzle completely remove itself from his member. He tried to hide his disappointed expression, but before he could even register his own facial patterns he felt a new sensation taking over his length.
He looked down to see that Luna had slipped his saliva coated dick through the opening of her tank top, letting his cock slide in between her breasts and become trapped between the mountain of cleavage her small shirt created.
Luna looked down at her own chest as the head of Ryan's member poked out through the top of her massive chest, allowing her to lower her head and suck on the tip as she started to titfuck him.
Ryan lost all control of his lower body as it instinctively humped into her chest and mouth. His mind was completely lost at this point, the only feeling in his body being the warning signs of his approaching climax. It had been a good while since he had been sexually active, so it was no surprise that he already about to burst. He tried to warn her, but with his brain being as fuzzy at it was he couldn't seem to form the words. Luna seemed to know somehow and picked up speed. In a matter of seconds he finally popped off into her mouth, coating the inside of it with his warm seed.
Luna sucked harder as he finally finally reached his climax, making sure to greedily suck down every last drop as she ran her tongue across the very tip of his member. When he seemed to be completely drained she removed him from her mouth and climbed up his body, letting his cock slide out of her cleavage and rest against his jeans.
As she climbed up his body she forced him into another passionate kiss. At least she seems to have calmed down. However, there was quite the interesting conversation going on in Ryan's head now.
We let the girl play her game, we had our fun. Don't puss out now!
Come on, do it!
Luna's eyes suddenly wandered up to the restraints holding her human in place as the sound of them being pulled upon echoed in the silent room.
Do it, you faggot!
The roped holding him in place finally gave away and snapped, releasing him. Luna's was ready to use her magic to pin him back down, but rather than taking off like she thought he would, she found herself being grabbed and pinned down to the bed.
Ryan now had the upper hand and he planned on using it to the best of his abilities. He held her down as he started kissing her neck, occasionally nipping and biting it in several spots to test her sensitivity. When he was met with the desired reaction he knew he would have power over her very soon.
The human grabbed her shirt and gave it the same treatment she gave his, making sure to grab the bra she had beneath it as well. With one hard tug both of the garments concealing her chest were now just useless scraps of cloth laying about on the bed. He let go of her arms and placed his hands on her breasts, giving them a firm squeeze.
Luna moaned loudly as her sensitive chest was assaulted by the human on top of her. She couldn't help but moan louder when she felt Ryan's tongue running down from her neck to her chest and onto one of her nipples.
Ryan was a sucker for big boobs, he couldn't help it, so he made sure to give each one the attention it deserved; Massaging both with his hands while his tongue ran circles around the nipple, occasionally sucking on them as well as biting down just to get a more pleasant reaction. He repeated this several times, switching off between the two mountains on her chest until he felt it was time to take a step further.
He started licking down her chest, to her stomach, then to her waist, digging under her shorts with his saliva soaked appendage. If there was one thing he enjoyed, it was teasing. He loved to tease women with his over sized tongue, and just like them, she was enjoying every second of it.
The human wasn't as gentle with her shorts as she was with his jeans. Sliding his fingers down into the waist of the shorts he pulled hard and tore them out of the way, throwing the hunk of cloth off to the side. It's not like they would be of use for anything anymore. He ran his hands across her thighs, molding his fingers into the soft yet firm flesh. He could feel the powerful muscles in her legs contracting at his touch which just just made him want to do it more.
However, he had a job to do now, and he wasn't going to let her get away with basically raping him without any form of consequence. He grabbed her legs with his hands and pulled them apart before lowering his face down to her glistening sex; she was already soaked with her own fluids. This to him was just another sign that he was doing a good job, no point in stopping now.
Ryan licked up the lining of her slit, digging through her folds until he found his target, that magical little button that could make any woman scream in ecstasy. With it now in his line of sight, he attacked, dragging his tongue over it once just to hear her cry out in pleasure. With that little urge satisfied he dove right into his meal, letting his tongue run circles around her clitoris.
Luna's body was trembling, the feeling of him going down on her was unlike anything she had ever felt before. Despite her age, she had never actually had any suitors. Well she had suitors, but she kept turning them down; and whenever she was in heat she would hide out in her room until it passed. She was, by any and all definitions, a virgin. With these amazing waves of pleasure going through her body though, she began to mentally question why she hadn't done this sooner. Her thoughts became lost though as she felt an entirely new sensation gracing her sensitive button.
Ryan had more than enough experience to know that there are certain things you have to do and there are certain things you should never do. He found a middle ground with this one and would use it as often as he could. Keeping track of her clit with his tongue he pressed his face deeper into her and gently massaged it with his teeth, giving it a light nibble as he did so and letting it grind against the edge of the solid surface.
It was at that moment where Luna lost all control of her body. He legs wrapped around his head and pulled him deeper into her as she literally screamed in pleasure. The human, now trapped between the powerful vice grips known as the female thighs, felt a wave of fluids filling his mouth. This was more than enough to tell him that this mare was spent, all he had to do was survive.
Sir, if our head pops like a watermelon right now, just know that we died for a good cause.
As Luna was finally starting to come down from her orgasm the two heard the sound of her bedroom door opening, revealing a tall white alicorn with a look of concern on her face. "Luna! I heard you scream, what hap..." Her words faded as she looked down at her sister who was currently naked on her bed with a familiar hairless creatures head being held between her thighs.
Ryan managed to wiggle his head out of Luna's sex just enough to look up and see the mare standing in the door. "...Fuck!"
It was for a good cause!
He knew he was royally fucked.
Hehe, puns.
There was not point in running, he would just get caught again. So he pulled Luna's legs apart and climbed off of the bed before raising arms in determined submission. "Have at thee, villain!"
Bring it, bitch! |
The Perfect Mate | Monster Or Misunderstood? | Ryan had survived, much to his own surprise. You would think that the alabaster mare would have had him culled after catching him literally buried between her sisters legs. However, she just gave him a lesson that should have been explained before the day of the incident. The wonders of heat versus the human menstrual cycle, apparently different in a few aspects. Who'd of thunk?
That being said, he basically got away with a slap on the wrist by Celestia; whereas, when Luna was back in a proper set of mind, he was met a number of I'm so sorry's. The girl had basically lost control of her lust, which he wasn't really complaining about.
After all of that had been taken care of the mares informed him that he had a mere day to decide if he wanted to go home. He decided rather quickly not to, commenting that he nothing to go back to.
With that out of the way, Ryan and Luna worked on spending more time together to get to know each other better on a more personal level. They discussed their pasts; Luna told him about her time as Nightmare Moon and her banishment. He told her several parts of his past, but not as much as she had. Something about having a difficult time remembering most of it.
Luna knew very well why he wasn't able to remember a good portion of his life, but was still weary as to why. Yes, his subconscious mind told her that it was for his own good, but what exactly was it that had happened?
The human also spoke of possibilities of his return ending in his death, which led Luna to wonder, what had he done to deserve death back in his world. He had brought up before that he was technically on death row, but never specified why.
She wanted to know, but wasn't sure how to approach the subject, or if attempting to do so would anger him in some way. It was worth a shot she figured.
As the two sat beside each other on her bed, his arm wrapped around her shoulder comfortingly as she told the story about her banishment, she worked up the courage to finally ask, "Ryan, why is it that you were sentenced to death in your world?"
The human fell silent for a moment, not too surprised that she was curious about it, but still curious himself as to why she wanted to know. "Why so curious all of a sudden?"
She shrugged at his question. "I'm not sure, I guess I just can't see why they would require you to face such a fate. I've heard small tidbits about your childhood, from what you remember, but even less about anything else. I understand your memory is not what it should be, but I just can't seem to place you as one to deserve such a thing."
Ryan folded his lips into his mouth and bit down on them as he thought back on his last days on earth, the ones that revealed what kind of person, that he believed, he truly was on the inside. "I'll tell you, but only if you promise not to see me as...some sort of monster."
He seemed to be somewhat upset at this, and as much as she didn't want him to be uncomfortable, she had to know. And, he had to know that it was okay for him to talk to her, to confide in her, to trust her. She wrapped her arms around his side and offered him a warm embrace. "I won't, I promise."
The human nodded before taking a second to collect his thoughts. "It all started about two days before I came here..."
Ryan was standing wide eyed in a brightly lit hallway, donning a casual outfit consisting of a pair of dark blue jeans and a gray tank top and jacket. If he were to look down at his own attire, he would find fresh blood decorating several parts of his body.
Instead, his attention was focused on one of many rooms in front of him where an older looking blonde male was laying in a bed surrounded by different medical staff attempting to aid him.
Ryan ran towards the room, only to be stopped just a few feet away by security. He fought hard against them, trying desperately to get to the room where someone he cared so much for was being held. The struggle didn't go one for too long before the officers had to hit him with a taser gun. It took a few tries but eventually he stopped struggling and was dragged away.
The next day he was sitting in the waiting room, still wearing the blood stained clothing he had shown up in, waiting to hear something, anything. His prayers were soon answered by a nurse who entered and called out his name. "Ryan Curtis, you may come back."
The young human rose to his feet and followed the nurse to the room he was fighting to get to just the night before. In the room was a single doctor holding a clipboard and the same blonde male laying in the bed. Ryan walked over so he could be by his side, scanning his body and noting every bullet wound in his chest.
He moved his eyes from the sleeping form to the doctor on the other side of the bed. "Is he going to be okay?"
The medical expert held a solemn look on his face as he looked over to Ryan and nodded. "I'm sorry, we've done everything we could, but the wounds were too much. You have maybe an hour to say your goodbyes."
Ryan could feel wave after wave of tears rolling down his face as the man nodded to him and left the room for the two to have a moment to themselves.
He looked down at the man, his long hair push back so it was out of his face, and could do nothing but stare at him as he placed a hand on his chest. He could barely feel his heart beat. But, by some miracle, the man stirred from his sleep and looked up at the person by his bedside. "Ryan?"
Ryan couldn't help but smile as he awoke, but it didn't stop the water works from continuing to trail down his face. "Hi, Danny."
Danny took notice of the saddened expression on Ryan's face before speaking weakly to him. "Man, look at you. Standing here crying like a bitch."
The two shared a light laugh before Ryan's features became serious again. "Why did you do it? Why the fuck did you push me out of the way?" He knew why he did, but still found himself asking.
Danny raised one of his hands and placed it on top of Ryan's, grabbing it with what little strength he had. "Because you're my little brother, I couldn't let you get hurt. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if you did."
Ryan gripped the hand of the man he happily called his brother. They had only known each other for a few years, but with everything that they had gone through together, with all of the bullshit that surrounded them, they stayed loyal to each other. This meant the whole world to both of them; neither of them had ever found that kind of loyalty from anyone else but each other.
Danny could feel himself slipping away, Ryan could see it in his eyes as well. He wasn't going to be here much longer and they both knew it. "I love you, little brother." He said as the life in his eyes completely died out.
"I love you too, buddy."
The room was suddenly silent, minus the heart monitor that showed a flat line stretching across the screen. Ryan could feel the sadness in his heart slowly fading away and being replaced with something else, something stronger, something angry. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a crescent moon, much like the one he wore around his neck, and placed it in his brother's hand before releasing him from his grip.
Ryan went to leave the room, but took notice of a small pile of clothes neatly folded in the corner. His brother's signature clothing, a black trench coat and a pair of cargo pants. He walked over to the clothes and reached into the coat pocket, knowing very well what was hidden within it.
What are you doing?
He pulled out a small hand gun and inspected it. The safety was on and the magazine was full. Before anyone could see it, he stuffed the weapon into his pants before looking back at his brother. "They're not getting away with this."
Ryan, no!
[2 Hours Later]
Ryan sat in the middle of the woods, staring down a large shed that rested within, hidden from the outside world. He stopped at his house just before to grab a different set of clothes then made his way here. He remembered how Danny would always tell him to stay away from here, that the people out here didn't like their family and would kill him on the spot. These were the bastards that did it.
Drove by in a black SUV with gun blazing. He tried to shove Danny out of the way, but he just grabbed his arm and threw him to the ground. Ryan was spared, but Danny wasn't so lucky. This was all their fault and there was no way in hell he would let them get away with taking the only person who meant anything to him away.
He watched as a single SUV pulled up to the shed, the one that had drove by and taken his whole world away from him. Exiting the vehicle were six men, all dressed in black to make them harder to spot.
He waited for them to enter the building and close the door before coming out of hiding. The hideout had several windows just low enough for him to peek through. All of them were taking a seat at a small table, lighting cigarettes and starting up a game of cards.
Time to crash the party.
Ryan, don't do this. It's not what Danny would have wanted.
Danny is dead. Kill them. Kill them all!
Ryan was about to be at a crossroad for a moment there, but with a much louder voice egging him on his mind settled on continuing what he had set out to do. He checked the vehicle, it was unlocked. Climbing in he tossed his bag into the backseat and reached under the dashboard, removing a small panel before pulling down several wires. Time to see if his older brother's teachings were going to pay off.
The six men now sitting at the table started up their game. "Pair of kings!" One of them called out, making all but one of them groan in anger.
The one that remained silent threw his hand down on the table. "Royal flush, bitch." The whole table erupted with angry yells. Once the yelling died down and the winner collected his earnings they started up another hand. "You think we should have stopped to take out the kid?" he asked, thinking back on when they finally brought down Danny.
"Nah," One of them replied, "he's just some punk that hung out with Danny. They weren't even related, he's got no reason to do anything. Besides, he's only like nineteen, what the fuck is he gonna-"
The room fell silent as the sound of their vehicle coming to life echoed through the woods and into the shed. They all looked at one another before pulling their guns out of their pockets and going out to inspect the area.
When they went outside they were met with a bizarre sight. There was nothing out there, just the over-sized car running for god knows what reason. They put their weapons away before one voice spoke out among them. "Hey, it's your shit, go fix it."
Two men groan in annoyance and went to go see what was wrong with their vehicle. The headlights suddenly shinned brightly, blinding them for a few seconds.
A few seconds was all Ryan needed as he stepped on the gas and drove over the two, crushing them under the three ton beast's tires before continuing to drive at the building. The four remaining men ran out of its way, letting it tear through the wall and crash into the one on the other side.
They looked over at the now totaled vehicle, only one of them being man enough to run over. He held his weapon up and pointed it into the window only to find that nothing was there. He pointed to the others, "You guys, look around outside, I'll check out everything in here."
They obeyed and started searching the forest while he looked back through the window to see the kid they had almost shot earlier sitting in the seat and holding a gun to his head. He back way from the vehicle and Ryan climbed out, keeping the weapon pointed at him. "Drop it, fucker, or I'll blow your brains out!"
The man laughed at Ryan. "Come on kid, this isn't like one of your stupid video games. Put the gun down and let's talk."
"Like you talked to Danny, you fucking bitch!" Ryan pointed the gun at the mans leg and pulled the trigger. As the whole area erupted with a loud bang the man dropped to his knees, screaming in pain. "Now put it down!"
He decided it would probably be best to cooperate with the little brat and tossed his weapon aside. His buddies likely heard the gunshot and would be here any minute.
Ryan was going to say something, but his mind was starting to become a blur. The man saw this as hesitation, thought that maybe he was afraid to kill him. "I told you, it' not the same in real life, is it?" He said, reaching for his weapon.
He watched as the young adults eyes started to become blood shot, now thinking that he was on some kind of drug that was just starting to kick in. As he went for his gun, Ryan charged, tackling him to the ground and wrapping his fingers around his neck.
Do it! Strangle him. Kill him!
Ryan obeyed the screaming voice and tightened his grip, watching the guy beneath him suffocate in his grip. The sound yelling came from outside, the others were on their way.
The fucker laying beneath Ryan started smiling, despite not being able to breath. Ryan remove his hands and delivered a hard punch straight to his wind pipe, shattering it in an instant.
As the others entered the building they found their friend alone in the room, laying on the ground as he struggled to take in what air he could. They ran over to check him, one of them dropping to their knees and holding him up.
"Erin, what the fuck happened!?" He yelled, watching his friend turn blue as he suffocated in his arms before he stopped trying to breath, his body going completely limp. "Fuck!" The man yelled, getting back to his feet. "Where are you, you prick!? Come out and face me like a man!"
As much as Ryan would love to, he knew that he had backup and each of them were armed, they'd play dirty. So he would have to respond in kind.
He waited under the vehicle for them to separate once more, much to his luck, they did. They thought going their separate ways would help find him faster and that would be it, but he wasn't going to let that happen. Ryan sneaked his way outside, to wait for his next target. Soon enough the shorter one of the group came out, looking around the building.
Every passing second felt like an hour. Finally he reached the spot where Ryan wanted him, out of sight of the others. He pulled a line of guitar wire out of his pocket and threw it over the guys head, wrapping it around his neck and sawing at his throat.
"I can't remember a lot pass that point, it's all very hazy, it was like I wasn't in control of my own body anymore." He explained to the night princess who just stared at him in a mixture of shock and sadness, just watching his frozen expressionless face as he spoke
She didn't want to press too much, and to be completely honest, she wasn't sure how much more she wanted to hear. But she had already pulled the pin on this grenade, she would have to put it to use now. "Is there anything you can remember."
"Well..."
Ryan rested just outside of the carnage he had created, sitting on his knees in the cool night air, listening as the signs of an oncoming storm approached, letting everything that had just transpired sink in. They were dead, all of them. In his mind he had done what was right, he avenged his brother's death. But, even when all of this was done, his heart still hurt at the loss of someone so close to him. At least now those bastards wouldn't be able to make anyone else go through what he was.
A sudden familiar flashing of lights entered his vision and when he looked up he found himself face to face with a police car. It stopped just a few feet from him and out came a woman dressed in what appeared to be a black military combat suit. "Well, well, well. Ryan Curtis, right?"
He didn't say anything, just stared up at the woman. He could have sworn he had seen her somewhere before.
She leaned closer to get a better look at him. "My god, it is you! I remember you back in high school. The kid that everyone accused of bringing weapons and bombs to school." She said with a laugh. "How did I know that some day I'd end up finding you like this one day?" She asked with a cocky attitude.
"Probably because you were an ignorant bitch who judged people without knowing them." He explained. "You're self-opinionated, you're ignorant, and above all you're a fucking cunt."
She nodded and walked over to him before grabbing her pistol and slamming it into the side of his head, causing him to fall down into the dirt. "You wanna run that by me again, sweetie?"
He was about to respond but was deterred from doing so when she pointed her gun at him. "You have the right to remain silent, anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of-"
"Just shut up and let me grab my bag so you can arrest me with more than enough evidence to put me away for life." He said to her, knowing very well that once he was sent to prison for all of this that he was never getting back out. A small price to pay for family.
"Put you away!" She said with a laugh. "You're funny! No, baby. You just killed six men, they're not going to lock you up, they're gonna put you in the chair." Hearing this made his eyes widen. Prison was one thing, but death was another. "Well, if they still used that. Now they're gonna strap you down and stick you with a needle. Either way, I'm still gonna enjoy watching your ass die."
She got down on her knees so she would be face to face with the rising, soon-to-be, corpse. "Do me a favor too and don't bother running. I'll catch you. Now what was that about a bag of evidence?"
He sighed and rose to his feet, her doing the same and keeping her gun on him. Ryan walked over to the vehicle he had used to literally crush two of the guys earlier and pulled out a single-strapped backpack, once he had it he opened it and grabbed his brother's gun that he had somehow managed to drop earlier and placed it into the largest pocket.
Here he was now, after just finishing his work to making sure his brother's death wouldn't be in vain, about to be sentenced to death. Redemption was a hell of a thing if you looked at it from every angle, as well as being sure to observe the consequences; something he did not do thoroughly.
Ryan made his way over to the woman and threw the bag over his shoulder. "Uh, uh, no. Not happening. Give it here."
He sighed and grabbed the strap.
Now!
Once he was sure he had a firm grip, he swung the bag at her, knocking her in the head. Inside of this thing were a couple of clothes, yes, but mostly tools. The hard structures from within the cloth carrying bag struck her right to the dome with enough force to knock her down.
Ryan took advantage of this opportunity and ran out into the woods. The forest was dense with trees and wet leaves. The sound of rain and thunder echoing in the distance as a storm tore through the area.
"Stop or I'll shoot!" The officer he had just struck yelled as she started chasing him.
"I'll stop running when you stop being a cunt-odactyl!" Ryan shouted, running as fast as his legs could carry him.
As he ran the woman behind him fired two shots in his direction, intentionally missing. "I said freeze, dirt-bag!"
"And I said fuck you, bitch!" He shouted to her before finally coming up on a clearing and being forced to stop. "Holy shit!" He shouted, stopping just short of a cliff. He leaned forward to see if there was a way down, but sadly that trip would be very muddy and likely lead to a few hundred foot swan-dive straight into the raging waters below.
Damn... He thought to himself. That would have sucked.
The woman behind him came to a halt, holding her gun up only a few feet from his head. "Hands up, now!" She demanded, taking an internal sigh of relief when he actually complied. She walked up behind him, grabbing a set of hand cuffs strapped to her side. "I told you I'd catch you, Ryan. You can't run away from me forever."
"It wasn't you I was running from, it was the death-sentence. But, seeing how I'm a little fucked right now, how about you do me a solid and just pull the trigger." He said as his eyes scanned the area for anything he could use to escape.
"Sorry, buddy," She started, grabbing one of his hands and pulling it behind his back, "but I'd rather watch you suffer. I know the needle of death thing doesn't scare you, but just the fact that you've finally lost is enough to get me off. And I plan to ride it out for as long as I can."
Don't do it.
Ryan took one last glance at the edge of the cliff. "Sorry sweetheart, but I never lose." He quickly used his free arm to elbow the woman behind him, breaking her nose the second he made contact.
Don't do it!
The woman stumbled and took a step back, giving her almost-prisoner more than enough of a chance to execute his plan of escape. The only part that sucked about it was that if it didn't kill him, it was gonna hurt a lot.
Goddammit!
Once he knew he was free from her grip he took a few steps forward and jumped, letting gravity do the work for him. He looked down and stared at the fast approaching waves beneath him and closed his eyes.
Ryan's body hit the water with a loud smack.
"That's when I heard your voice." he said, causing Luna to look up at him. "While I was literally drowning in those waters, I could hear your voice. You saved me."
She didn't know what to say, not just about saving him, but about any of it. He went through all of that because some punks killed a man that he considered family.
"So what do you think?" He asked, wondering if her opinion of him changed, if it had he hopped it would be for the better, but he highly doubted it.
Morally, she knew that what he did was wrong, but in the times that she grew up in as well as the things she would have done if she were in the same situation, could she blame him? No, she couldn't. "I think that what you did was wrong, but honestly I can't say I blame you." Ryan shot her a curious look. "You're a good person, Ryan, I can see it in your eyes. You've just gone through something that not many can say they have. You did what you did out of anger, but if somepony were to hurt my sister, or take her from me...I'd probably do something similar." She confessed.
He couldn't help but notice a growing wetness in his eyes, but he quickly wiped it away. "You really cared about him; you have so much love in your heart, but every time you give it to something it's taken from you." Reading him was becoming somewhat easier with each passing day. He would open up more to her and confide in her and she could understand his pain.
She cupped his cheek and made sure that he was looking at her when she said this. "Ryan, don't let your past haunt you. You did what you had to and if you ever need anything, I'll be right here. I will never leave you."
Her words brought a strange comfort to him, like he knew she was being truthful, that she really would be there no matter what. It reminded him of Danny. When ever Ryan needed something, truly needed something, Danny would be there for him. He would do anything for him, even risk his own life to save him. He could feel that comfort with Luna, but he would be damned if he let something happen to her.
Ryan took a silent vow at this moment to protect her no matter what. He's not gonna let another persons coffin rest on his conscience; he wasn't going to lose anyone ever again, especially her. |
The Perfect Mate | Sick Day | Ryan shuddered as the feeling of hot water washed over his body, the warmth tickling his senses as he let the liquid engulf his body, giving him some relief to his current ailment. All started well when he woke up that morning, then the migraine kicked in, causing him severe pain in the back of his head and soon extreme nausea which was followed by an occasional emptying of his stomach.
Oh god, just kill me now. Take a gun and shoot us in the fucking face, please!
Ignoring his own mental cries of agony the human let his body collapse in the shower, going into an almost fetal position as he silently prayed to whatever deity that may hear him to take this awful feeling away.
After nearly an hour of remaining immobile in the bathroom he heard a faint knocking at the door. "Go away! I don't want your damn girl-scout cookies." He mumbled to whoever was trying to interrupt his self-treatment.
Luna stood on the other side of the door, after knocking she called his name and asked if he was okay. She knew he was in there, as she could hear the shower running and a light mumbling in response to her questioning.
Unsure of what else to do, she entered to bathroom, only to be met by a giant cloud of steam. This likely came from the running water; the air was humid as she entered. Just how hot did he have that thing?
The mare made her way over to the shower and pulled the curtain aside just enough to peak into the shower and found his bi-pedal hairless form laying on the floor of the tub.
Instinctively she grabbed Ryan by the arm and rolled him partially onto his back, just enough to where she could see his face. He looked terrible. Minus the redness of his skin due to the high temperature of the water, he was completely pale, his barely opened eyes had dark rings around them and she could sense a great deal of pain coming from within him.
"Oh my goodness." She gasped, "Ryan, are you okay?"
He tried to respond but his body started to convulse and he rolled over, getting up on his hand before promptly throwing up all over the tub flooring. Luckily, with the help of the running water, the contents of his stomach were washed down the drain before he could collapse back onto the hard structure with a groan.
Fuck life...
Luna turned her head back to the bathroom's entrance. "Guards!" She yelled, causing two thestral guards to enter and stand at attention. "I require a nurse immediately!"
They nodded and were gone in less than a second, leaving Luna with her ill human. She looked back down at Ryan and began gently caressing his face. "You're going to be okay, I promise."
With the help of her magic, Luna managed to get the human out of the shower and dry him off, not bothering to put clothes on him as she led him to his bed and tucked him in with a worried expression on her face. Minutes later a bright white unicorn mare dressed in all white clothing entered the room. "You summoned me, princess?"
Luna looked over to the medical personnel she had called for and nodded. After explaining how she had found Ryan the nurse examined his body, scanning him with her magic every so often to get a proper reading on his condition. She jotted down some of her findings on to a clipboard before turning her attention back to the night princess.
"Well?" Luna stated curiously, hoping it was nothing serious.
The nurse looked back down at her notes and thought about her findings before coming to a definite conclusion. "I wouldn't worry too much if I were you. From the looks of it I would have to say that he is suffering from a severe migraine." She explained. "We have some medications that can help, but this is a difficult thing to combat. The effects can last anywhere from a few hours to a few days."
She held out her hand and a small pill bottle appeared. "Here, give him one of these, it should help with the pain. If we're lucky it might even make the symptoms go away faster."
Luna let out a audible sigh of relief. She was happy this wasn't something too serious, but wasn't keen on the idea of him being in pain for so long. She reached over and grabbed the bottle from the nurse's hand, examining it as it entered her own. "You say that this could last a few days?"
"Yes, but that's the worst case. Just give him one of those to help; other than that, all we can do is keep him in bed and let this run its course."
She nodded and thanked the nurse before letting her return to her station. Once gone Luna made her way to the bed, taking a seat by Ryan's side. He didn't wasn't too happy with her trying to put medication down his throat, but he wasn't exactly cooperating with her when she tried to be nice about it.
Eventually he submitted due to the amount of pain it caused him to fight back and, thanks to the night princesses magic, fell into a deep sleep.
Luna wanted to stay by his side, but time was flying by and Night Court was fast approaching, she would soon have to leave to attend her royal duties. However, she couldn't just leave him here alone. Perhaps she could do something to make sure he wouldn't have to be.
It was a rather quiet day in Ponyville, which didn't pose too much of a problem to one particular lavender alicorn.
Twilight sat peacefully in her throne room, reading one of the many books that Celestia had sent her way upon her coronation. She wasn't complaining that the day was so uneventful, all of her friends were busy either working or running errands, which gave her time to catch up on some much needed reading. After all, what could be more fun than books!
Her attention was pulled out of her book as she heard a familiar belching come from a nearby room. Knowing what that meant she placed a book mark where she had left off so she wouldn't lose her place and waited.
Spike entered the room not even a second later, holding a scroll with Luna's royal seal bared on it's front. "Twilight, you've got mail."
The lunar princess waited patiently for the arrival of her sister's once protege, checking the clock every so often. Just five more minutes before she would have to leave. For a little while she didn't think she would make it on time, but as luck would have it a soft knock came from the bedroom door. "Princess Luna, are you in there?"
Luna rose from her seat and opened the door, greeting the young alicorn on the other side before filling her in on what had happened earlier that day. "I couldn't just leave him all alone here, it wouldn't feel right. I would really appreciate it if you would do this for me."
Twilight smiled at Luna, "It's no problem at all. I'd be happy to watch over him." Much to her surprise, Luna pulled Twilight into a hug. After the shock wore off she returned the embrace and Luna went off to perform her royal duties.
Once she was gone Twilight entered the room fully, removing a small backpack she had brought with her. The letter specified that this could go anywhere from a few hours to a few days, so she made sure to bring a few necessary needs; those being a few pairs of clothes and books.
She grabbed a chair from a nearby desk and placed it beside the bed, letting herself take a seat next to the sleeping human without getting too close. Once seated her eyes scanned his face. He didn't look well at all. In her studies of illnesses she had learned a lot, but it never hurt to double check.
Twilight levitated her bag to her side a pulled out a book on pony health and illnesses. She opened it and went through the index to find what she was looking for. "Let's see here, migraines, migraines, mi-aha!" She quietly celebrated, finding where the topic she wanted to look over was. She flipped through the pages and found the section on migraines. "Let's see here; A migraine is a severe, painful headache that can be preceded or accompanied by sensory warning signs such as flashes of light, blind spots, tingling in the arms and legs, nausea, vomiting, and increased sensitivity to light and sound. The excruciating pain that migraines bring can last for hours or even days."
She couldn't help but frown a bit at this as she looked back up at the human laying as still as a corpse in the bed. She felt bad for him having to go through this. She also levitated a garbage can from the bathroom over to the bedside, better safe than sorry. Maybe if she read a bit more she would find a way to help him. "Hmm...Symptoms; A severe, throbbing headache, sometimes concentrated on only one side of the head or around one eye lasting between four and seventy-two hours. A headache that worsens with exertion. Extreme sensitivity to light, so painful to the eyes and head that it requires retreat to a darkened room."
She looked around to see that the lights were on. Using her magic she turned off the lights and made a small glow from her horn so she could continue to read about the subject. "Migraine headaches are caused by blood vessel enlargement and the release of chemicals from nerve fibers surrounding these blood vessels." Before she could continue to read on she heard a light groaning coming from the bed.
Ryan forced his eyes open. The room was dark, but his eyes made quick work of adjusting to it. He noticed a significant drop in the level of pain he felt in the back of his head, but still, he should probably check in. "Brain, status report!"
Light headache in the normal spots, not too much damage done. We're probably gonna be a bit fuzzy up here for the rest of the day, so take it easy. We should be back at one hundred percent by tomorrow as long as you don't do anything stupid.
"So, we're fucked?"
Pretty much.
Ryan sighed, maybe this time around he won't run around and act like a complete jackass. He'd rather just be lazy for the rest of the day so he'll feel better tomorrow.
Twilight stared at him in complete and utter confusion. Who was he talking to? Was he actually talking to his brain? Is this some weird thing that humans do?...Does it actually respond???
The human rolled onto his side, with his vision fully adjusted to the darkness, he would be able to see her perfectly, but that wasn't the case. He rolled over to see Twilight with a light coming off of her horn, a light that actually caused him a bit of pain in his eyes. "Ow, fuck!"
Twilight squeaked, realizing the error she had just made, and turned off the magical light. She knew he wasn't feeling well, why didn't she turn it off when he started waking up? Stupid, stupid, stupid! "I'm so sorry! Are you okay?"
Ryan rubbed his eyes with his hands, forcing himself into a sitting position. "Yeah, I'm fine. Don't worry about it." He replied before putting a closed fist to his mouth and coughing a few times.
Ow, ow, fuck! No coughing! Stop!
He grimaced in pain and rubbed the back of his head. He forgot that when his mind says 'Take it easy' it means 'Try not to exist and do normal human stuff'.
Twilight was relieved that he was okay and was actually moving a bit, but wasn't so sure it was the best idea in his current state. Then again, would he get mad if she tried to reprimand him for it? She had only seen him once and that was on his first day here, which ended in him sprinting through the halls to get away from her and the princesses.
Maybe if she took it slow he would respond better. "How are you feeling?"
Ryan ran his fingers through his hair; It was kind of a gross experience. His hair was greasy and left a slick feeling on his fingers. "A lot better than I was earlier." He replied, noting that he should take a shower later.
Maybe one that involves you actually getting clean rather than just laying down like a dead fish.
"That's good." She replied, being genuinely happy that he was feeling better. But still, staying in bed would probably be the best for him right now. The book did say that the headache would get worse if he exerted himself. "But maybe you should lay down, I don't think you'd want to agitate your body."
As much as he would have loved to argue with her on how he knew his body better than her, she was kind of right. If he got up and started moving around it might end badly. He was feeling better, but he was also still a bit nauseous. Movement might end in vomit, which would not be pleasant. He could tell from the burning in his throat that if he were to throw up now it would be nothing but bile and that would hurt...allot.
So he complied and laid back down, making sure to face her, he wasn't planning on going back to bed any time soon. Now that he thought about it, why was Twilight in his room watching him sleep? "So, what are you doing in here?"
She smiled a bit. Although she hadn't been here to watch his and Luna's relationship grow, Celestia made sure to write about how close they were getting every so often. "Because you have a very caring marefriend who didn't want to leave her coltfriend alone while he was sick."
God damn horse puns, they will never end!
He wasn't surprised by this at all. He could tell that Luna cared deeply for him, he cared almost as much about her; but in all honesty, that kind of scared him. He wasn't used to this kind of affection being given to him, nor was he used to giving it in turn. "I should have known. I swear, that woman cares too much about me."
Twilight giggled at this sentiment. "I don't know, maybe she loves you." She teased.
The idea of this actually scared him even more. Would he be able to care for her in the same way? Would he be able to return that kind of affection completely and do everything right? The only reason he actually worried about this was due to past experiences. Never before had he actually been able to give the women he was with what they deserved, whether that be love or an ass-kicking varied on the person.
Regardless, he wasn't going to let this mare tease him without giving her a taste of her own medicine. "Well maybe, I love you." He said, earning him a wide eyed, shocked expression from Twilight. He reached over and grabbed one of the chair legs, pulling it so she would be closer to him. "Maybe I don't want to be with Luna, perhaps my preferences go toward one with more of a...purple complexion."
Twilight blushed heavily at this, whether it was out of fear or flattery was unknown to her. Her body became as still as a statue as he brought his face closer to hers. "Ryan, what are you-"
He place a finger to her lips and shushed her. "Don't talk, just feel." He said, making his voice as sultry as a man could. He waited a few seconds before leaning closer to her and poking her nose. "Boop!"
You sir, are evil and I love it!
The alicorn placed a hand on her muzzle and watched as Ryan rolled onto his back, laughing at her. Part of her was relieved, for a minute there she actually thought he was trying to make a move on her. Honestly, she had no idea what she would do if he had. However, with this little event now being completely unfolded, she couldn't help but wear an annoyed expression. He did all of that just to boop her nose.
Once Ryan had calmed down from his laughing fit he looked over at Twilight who's horn was glowing. He could do nothing but wonder; What is this mare planning? God he was really starting to hate this whole magic thing.
These ponies are OP!
"You know what?" Twilight began, "You're grounded."
"Grounded? From what?"
"These!" She said, using her magic to yank all the covers off of the bed and throwing them on to the floor. "Let's see how you-" She fell dead silent as she looked at Ryan, her eyes widening with shock once again as a massive blush began spread across her features.
He looked down to see that he was completely naked and with the blankets gone he was now utterly exposed to the young mare sitting just inches away from him. Ryan was in shock as well, he had no idea how this was going to play out.
I know what to do...
Ryan couldn't help but smile as the gears in his brain started turning. He propped his head up with one arm and used his free hand to trace his body from the bottom of his neck down to his waist. "Yes, Miss Sparkle. Paint me like one of your french whores." |
The Perfect Mate | Our Second Date | Celestia watched as Ryan dressed himself; throwing on a clean pair of blue jeans and a black t-shirt. She wondered what was going through his mind right now. She knew that tonight was supposed to be his and Luna's second date, but if that's the case why was he dressing so casually? Shouldn't he be wearing a suit? This time around Ryan was the one setting everything up, so she had no clue what was going to happen.
"If you two are going on a date then shouldn't you be wearing something more formal?" Celestia asked, completely unaware of Ryan's plans for the evening.
"I would, but I don't think you'd like what would happen to it in the process." He explained. "From what I can see, Luna is allot like me, so fancy dinners at expensive restaurants are not the way to go. I prefer little more adventure than that, and if she is the way I'm actually perceiving her, then she will prefer this alternative."
Celestia couldn't help but giggle a bit at this. He was really doing his best to search for things her sister would enjoy doing. "Look at you; analyzing my sister and trying to please her. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're really starting to like her." She teased.
Ryan put on a serious expression. "Actually, I am known for being a notorious woman beater. I like to take my women out into the middle of the woods and bludgeon them half to death with a baseball bat covered in nails."
...well damn...
Wow...She knew that he wasn't being serious, but in her eyes joking like that was just uncalled for. "That was not funny." She said, wearing a serious expression of her own.
"It was to me!" He replied with a laugh. Once that was out of his system he picked up the bag he had with him upon his arrival and started throwing a bunch of items out of it. "No, no, nope. Don't need you, don't need you...might need you."
She watched as he threw a multitude of items out of his bag; a plastic block with a cord on it, a small black umbrella, a plastic bag with toiletries, sewing supplies, a small knife with a skull handle, a mallet, a pick hammer, a rusty hatchet. "What in the wide wide world of Equestria would you need any of those for?"
"Believe it or not, everything in this bag has saved my sweet ass at least once." He said, pulling out his brothers handgun and examining it. He thought back to the day that he had avenged his brothers death by taking out the bastards that killed him. Thinking back, he had pulled the gun out on one of them, but only pulled the trigger once.
Ryan opened the magazine to see that it was one bullet short of being full before pushing it back in and making sure the safety was still on. This would be coming with him. It was all he had left to remember his brother. With that in mind he shoved it into the bag and went over to grab a spare set of clothes.
Celestia couldn't help but eye the weapon. She had no idea what it was, but she could see that it meant allot to Ryan from the look in his eyes when he grabbed it. She decided it would probably be best not to ask about it. In fact, what she thought was important was the fact that Ryan was grabbing some of his own clothes as well as some that belonged to Luna.
"Ryan, why do you have a pair of my sisters clothing?" She asked, seeing the black shorts and tank top he grabbed from on top of his dresser hidden among his own.
"Backup." He simply replied, shoving the clothing into his bag. "Where we're going, we might need something to change into afterward."
"Where are you going?" She finally asked, her curiosity finally getting the better of her.
Ryan sighed. "If you must know, I am taking her on a hike through the woods." He could see a look of fear come across Celestia's features, but quickly corrected his error. "I'm not taking her to the Everfree or anything like that, I already know enough about that place to keep it off limits. But, I did find a wooded area nearby and I thought it would be a nice place to hangout for a bit."
Celestia seemed to calm down as he said this. She was worried that the two were about to get themselves killed for a moment there. Maybe letting Ryan wander around outside and socializing with other ponies was a good thing. He seemed to be learning more and more about Equestria every time he went out.
With her nerves now settled and the thoughts of them running into a potentially dangerous situation now out of her mind, she smiled up at the human. "Very well. Just promise me that you will be careful and come home safely."
Ryan shrugged. "I can promise you that we will come back, but that's about it." He said as he leaned onto his bed, using his arms to keep him in a somewhat standing position.
Celestia raised a brow at him. "What do you mean? I thought you said you were just going on a hike."
He chuckled a bit. "Sweetheart, if you only you knew how me and my friends would go on hikes."
Ryan hit the ground hard, rolling as he did so to reduce the impact as much as he could. Doing this though only made his body tumble down the hill until he slammed into a collapsed tree at the bottom. With his body slightly beat up and scratched a little bit of everywhere, he rolled onto his back and looked up at the sky. It was difficult to see with all of the surrounding trees, but there was enough room for him to get a good eyeful of the bright sun above him.
"Ryan!"
"Holy shit, is he still breathing?"
He looked over to find the source of the voices that echoed through the woods. Both had come from on top of a two story rock at the top of the hill. These voices belonged to two of Ryan's friends. Both stood slightly taller than him. The oldest was Reggie, he had short brown hair and was dressed in all black, minus a vest that was half black and half grey. The second voice belonged to Alex, the youngest of the group who had black hair and donned a pair of red and black pants, a black shirt, and a red beanie.
Ryan lifted his right hand toward them before promptly raising his middle finger to the two.
"Yep, he's fine."
"Asshole!"
He chuckled as the they made their way down to him. He had more than enough time to pull himself back to his feet and inspect his body. Aside from a few cuts and bruises he was in perfect condition. Thank god he left his phone in the car, otherwise it would have been destroyed.
That was really, REALLY stupid. You could have just climbed down, but nooo. Mr. Badass over here has to jump off like a fuckin' retard!
Ryan couldn't help but laugh at that moment. He knew what he had done was stupid as all hell, but fuck it, it was fun. He took a seat on the collapsed tree he had become very well acquainted with and waited for his friends to come down to his level.
The first to get to him was Reggie who took one look at Ryan's beat-up body and laughed at him. "Man that was funnier than hell. You rolled down this motherfucker like a rag-doll."
Alex made it over shortly after. "Dude, are you okay? That looked like it hurt."
Ryan nodded, "Oh it did, it hurt allot." He said with a smile, "But we still got a full day ahead of us and I aint ready to stop."
"That's the spirit!" Reggie yelled holding out a hand to help Ryan back to his feet. "Alright, how about we go down the the creek and see if we can't climb out way over to the other side again."
"Sounds like a plan."
Despite the memories of home and his friends, Ryan found himself barely missing any of it. He was always very quick to adapt to things on a mental level. He didn't know how he was able to do it, but it came in handy so he would rather just accept it as it is than question it and end up fucking himself in the long run.
As he thought back to his life on earth, he remained seated just outside of the castle walls, waiting for Luna to arrive so he could commence his plan. He looked up at the night sky, seeing countless stars and the bright white moon just above him. He always loved to look up at the moon, even as a child he felt he had some sort of connection with it. Even as he got older he still basked in its glory. Some nights he would go outside with a plastic chair and just stare at it for hours upon hours. Sometimes he would even find himself talking to it, just speaking about random nothings into the night sky.
Luna arrived after a short while wearing her signature outfit; Black shorts and tank top with a small black jacket. As she made her way over to Ryan she could see that he was staring blankly at the moon. This made her blush slightly. Every night when she went to see him he was always like this, just sitting outside and staring longingly at the moon, her moon.
She made her way over to his side and tapped his shoulder, making him jump slightly as he looked over to her. She giggled a bit, he was always easily startled when he wasn't paying attention. "Hello, Ryan." She said with a grin. "I believe you and I have a date to commence."
"Damn right." He replied with a smile. "Come on."
The two walked for nearly fifteen minutes before coming upon a forest. This confused Luna a bit. He had told her to dress as she normally would and to be ready. She wasn't exactly sure what he meant by ready, but if this was going to be anything like the last date they were on it would involve allot of physical activity.
She looked around at the heavily wooded area. "What are we-" Before she could finish her question Ryan took off into the forest, sprinting through the trees as if he were being chased.
Luna couldn't help but smile at this. So tonight is going to be fun. She took off after him, watching as he dodged trees and leaped over obstacles to get to wherever he was going. Mimicking his movements she was able to catch up to him in record time, soon running by his side.
The two glanced at each other and shot the other a smile before continuing their run. They soon came to a small clearing where a creek had formed, likely many years ago. Ryan's eyes quickly scanned the area for a way around or otherwise. He spotted a low hanging branch near the center of the creek and picked up speed, making himself run a bit further ahead than Luna. He leaped up and grabbed the branch, using it to propel his body forward. Once he let go his body flew right over the clear waters below and he landed on the other side, stopping to wait for Luna.
Luna was able to spot the branch thanks to Ryan's previous actions and decided to try out his tactics rather than simply flying over. She leaped up and grabbed the branch, only for it to break and send her plummeting into the water. The current wasn't strong, and was only deep enough to meet her chest. She re-surfaced and took a breath, a slight blush of embarrassment spreading across her face as Ryan looked down at her and laughed.
She heard a slight clicking sound and a soft thud before looking up to see Ryan jumping into the creek. "Cannon ball!"
Ryan made a large splash as he hit the water. However, he had no idea how shallow it was, resulting in his a rather painful meeting between his ass and the soaked gravel below. He re-surfaced with a pained expression. "Ow...fuck!"
Now it was Luna's turn to laugh at him, earning herself a splash to the face from the human. She looked over at him as he glared at her with a playful expression on his face. She shot him the same look, accepting his challenge before splashing him back. This war went on for several minutes before Ryan could finally get close enough to tackle Luna, holding both of them under the water.
He released her when the need for air became too much and they re-surfaced, gasping for air.
Luna, doing her best to catch her breath was then grabbed from behind. At first she thought Ryan was attacking once again, but found that he followed up with nothing. He was just standing there, holding her. She could help but smile as he wrapped his arms around her and held her in place.
She made him loosen his grip, allowing her to turn around. They both stood there for a moment, just holding each other and enjoying the others company.
Ryan pulled back slightly, allowing him to look into Luna's eyes. She really was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen. He couldn't figure out why he was so attracted to her or why he was so comfortable around her. Frankly, he didn't care. He was happy to have someone like this in his life, someone he could talk to and be himself with. Someone who looked pretty damn sexy in shorts, especially soaking wet.
Are you just gonna stand here with your thumb up your ass? Kiss the girl, you faggot!
He smiled, doing his best not to laugh at his own thoughts and pulled her closer to him, planting a gentle kiss on her lips. Luna was eagerly waiting for him to do this and recuperated in response, pulling herself deeper into their oral embrace.
Once the two were done sharing this romantic moment they climbed out of the water. Luna made a comment about how they were going to be soaked all night, but that's when Ryan's master plan came into fruition. He more expected them to get covered in dirt and mud, but this was just as good a reason. He pulled out the spare clothing he had grabbed and handed Luna hers. They then went their seperate ways to get changed.
Ryan couldn't help but peek over at Luna as she changed, watching her slim wet form strip down to literally nothing. Her naked body was practically glowing in the moonlight, showing off all of her wonderful curves; from her large perky breasts to her soft round flanks. The way she moved though was what really drew him in, it was almost like she was putting on a show. He forced himself to stop staring when he felt his excitement rising and went on to changing into his dry clothes.
She could feel his gaze on her and honestly she didn't mind it in the slightest. She loved the fact that they were connecting on an emotional level, but knowing that he found her physically attractive felt good. It made her feel desirable. With this in mind she made sure to strip down slowly to tease him and even positioned her body so that he could get a nice view of her figure from the side. When she felt his gaze leave her she decided it was only fair to look in turn.
Luna peeked over and watched his wet fur-less form removed his clothing. He wasn't the strongest looking creature she had ever seen, but his body had an appealing tone to it. His biceps were well shaped and his stomach was showing where a six pack was trying to force its way onto him. His little friend seemed a bit smaller than it was when they had their incident a few days ago, but that was likely due to the cold water they were just in.
Ryan felt as though he was being watched. Usually when he felt this it was because someone was out to get him and he would start frantically looking around for whoever was trailing him. Not this time though, this one seemed almost comforting, never the less he re-position himself soon after sliding on a dry pair of pants.
The front of his body had a very decent tone to it, the back of his body was a whole other story. His muscles were very well defined, he could probably pick up both her and her sister with little effort. The perverse thoughts that soon flooded her mind after that became too much and she averted her gaze.
Once they were both dressed and mostly dried off Ryan stuffed the wet clothes in his bag and threw it over his shoulder. They continued their journey to wherever Ryan was taking them, this time walking and having idle conversations on their way. Luna tried to ask him where he was taking them, but he refused to tell her.
They eventually came to a hill where the trees seemed to lessen in number the higher they went. Once the made it to the top there were no trees around them. Just the open air and the sky above. Ryan made his way to the highest pint and tossed his bag to the ground before planting himself on the ground, patting the spot next to him so Luna would join him.
She smiled and sat by his side and they looked up at the night sky, once again in complete silence, just enjoying each others presence. Luna felt Ryan's arm slide over her shoulder and she leaned into him. "Tonight has been lovely. Thank you, Ryan."
He chuckled before responding. "If anything I should be thanking you."
She gave him a curious look. "Why?"
"Well, if I didn't have someone like you at my side then I'd just be out here all alone."
"You're the one who brought us out here." She commented.
"Yes, but you're the whole reason I wanted to." He snapped back.
"You're still the one who brought me though!"
And so they went on, having another one of their verbal assault challenges. Ryan couldn't help starting these, he enjoyed pestering her. Luna would never admit it to him, but she enjoyed them just as much. Being able to have playful arguments was not just fun, but it made them feel closer.
Deep within the castle a portal opened, rippling time and space around it as it did so. It began to close, but before it did, something fell through, something alive. A bipedal figure rose from the ground, looking around the empty room. She had brown hair and dark skin and wore what could only be seen as military combat suit. |
The Perfect Mate | Karma's A B**ch | "The castle has a club!?" Ryan asked, damn-near shouting as he did so. He and Luna had taken to sitting around in his room and talking for hours shortly after he arrived and that was exactly what they were doing. While he knew allot about the castle from simply wandering around, he had never gotten an official tour and never bothered to look around too much. It would become boring after a while.
"Indeed it does," Luna began, her head resting on his lap as she spoke, confirming what she had told him earlier while talking about things she enjoyed doing in her spare time before he came around. She didn't necessarily like hanging out in the club, but it was a nice place to unwind from time to time. "but it's only open on the weekends."
Ryan went silent as he counted the days in his head. "Yesterday was Friday, so that means today is Saturday..." If his calculations were right then Saturday was classified as a weekend. It's open tonight!
No shit, Sherlock!
"Oh, this is going to be great..."
Luna just looked at him for a moment. She had no idea he was actually the kind of person who enjoyed parties. Yeah, he's a bit goofy sometimes and acts like a child here and there, but she just never saw him as being one to enjoy such festivities. "You're interested in going?"
"Interested?" He asked in mock surprise before actually moving into a somewhat serious tone, while still managing to sound like a playful idiot. "I fucking love clubs. The music, the dancing, the drinks! When does it open?"
She looked up at the clock so she would be able to give him an accurate answer. It was around six o'clock now. "It should open in about a half hour. I'll have to attend Night Court by then, but I doubt there will many ponies coming on a Saturday night." She explained. "Perhaps I could join you when it's over?"
"Do you really have to ask?" Was his response. Honestly, it's her castle, she can do whatever she wants. He wasn't sure why she was asking, but he would be more than happy for her to come. It's likely she'll end up having to drag his body out by the end of it, which he would prefer rather than some random pony he didn't know. "When everything's all taken care of just come down and find me. I shouldn't be hard to spot."
"What makes you think that?" Yes, he was a human, so finding him would be relatively easy. Her bond with him was also more than enough for her to find him, she could always feel when he was near. But, she was curious as to why he was saying it.
"Trust me, you'll see." He said with a grin plastered across his face.
She couldn't believe her eyes. After she had landed in that room she had fallen unconscious for a time and upon waking wandered around to see quite the sight. Colorful anthropomorphic type creatures were wandering the halls of the building she was in. Some were even dressed as guards. She knew her mental state wasn't the best, but this was ridiculous.
After taking a few breaths and calming herself she managed to sneak by allot of the residents within this castle-like structure. Looking out of a few windows she could see that it was dark and after running by a clock on one of the walls she had learned that it was nearly eight at night.
"Get a hold of yourself, Brittany." She said to herself, running her fingers through her dark hair. "This is just some weird dream and you're going to wake up soon."
She couldn't help but continue mentally arguing with herself about whether or not any of this was actually real. Reaching for a knife she had sheathed in her boot and pulling it out, she held it to her arm and cut it, wincing slightly at the pain. Yep, this was real. She didn't know how it was real, but this was more than enough proof for her.
Brittany slid the blade back into her boot and examined her wound. It was deep enough to draw blood, but barely, she would live. At that moment a song began playing, one that she recognized. It was only coming from a short distance away.
She followed the noise until she found an open door surrounded by more of these creatures. There were lights coming from inside of the room and the song became clearer the closer she got to it. The ponies soon walked off and she moved in closer to get a better look at what was going on.
Once she was by the door she leaned her head just enough to get a good look at the events going on within. It looked fairly similar to a party, kind of like the ones they would have for a high school prom, but the song being played was definitely far from being school appropriate.
As she stared at the flashing lights she felt a sudden rush of blood go to her head and started thinking back to the night of her first prom nearly two years ago where she had met the most wonderful person.
Brittany stood off in a dark corner, she was wearing a bright purple strapless dress and was standing away from everyone else, looking at her so-called date on the other side of the room. He had asked her to go with him, picked her up, then left her to go make out with one of her friends.
The young woman let out a sad sigh as a lone tear worked its way down her cheek. A slow song started to play, turning what was a chaotic mess into a cesspool of cheesy slow dancing. She was about to go back to her date and give him another chance, only to watch him walk off into the bathroom with the girl he had abandoned her for.
She couldn't help it, she sank to the floor and started to break down. This night was supposed to be perfect. She had found the perfect dress and what she thought was the perfect guy, and now it was ruined.
A strange barrage of colorful lights entered her vision, causing her to look up. In front of her was a guy dressed in black dress pants and a vest that was resting on a blue dress shirt with its sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He had light skin and short blonde hair, his eyes were bright blue and his body was wrapped completely in glow sticks of all colors.
He was crouched down in front of her, just smiling. It was kind of weird at first, she was about to send him away until he spoke. "How's it going?" He asked playfully.
She grimaced at him, he was probably just some pig looking to take her into one of the stalls. "What do you care?" She asked with venom in her words.
"What I seek, madam, is knowledge." Brittany gave him a look of confusion. Was this one of those weird nerd guys who actually came to school to learn just trying to talk to her? "You see, there is a slow song playing and in front of me is a very beautiful woman slumped down in a corner crying. Sorry, sweetheart, but that doesn't seem right to me."
Brittany wasn't sure how to respond to him. Should she tell him why she was doing what she was doing or simply send him away. Before she could generate a response, he lifted his thumb to his mouth and licked it before dragging it along the underside of her eyes. She could only assume this was because her crying had made some of her mascara run down her face.
The mystery man got to his feet and started yanking the glow sticks from his body. Once they were off and now decorating the floor around him he held a hand down to her. "Come on." He said, "A pretty girl like you doesn't deserve to miss out on something like this."
She didn't know if it was out of weakness or something else, but she reached up and took his hand, allowing him to bring her back to her feet. The guy didn't bother taking her over to the massive group of slow dancers, which she was pretty happy about, she didn't feel like being around people at the moment.
Instead he took her arms and placed them around his neck before respectively placing his hands just above her waist and moving her body with his. Her face just kind of went still, she was confused and wasn't sure what to do. All she could do was stare at the smiling young man who had just randomly come over and started dancing with her.
A strange sense of comfort washed over her, causing her to smile back at him. She didn't know what she had done to deserve this, or if his kind display as well as his intentions to just simply dance with her were purely genuine, but she was enjoying it. Despite how weird the situation was, she was happy someone had come to comfort her, even it was some stranger from her school. On top of that he was pretty cute in her eyes.
The song ended and went back to it's upbeat party tone. The two separated and Brittany stared at him with an appreciative expression. "Thanks, I guess I kind of needed that."
He shrugged, before crouching down to pick up the glow sticks and reattach them to his body. "It's no problem."
Brittany was about to walk back over to her corner, but stopped when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned around to see Matt, the guy that had asked her to prom in the first place and shot him a dirty look.
Matt was glaring daggers at her. "Who the hell is that guy?" He asked, pointing at the man who had danced with her just minutes ago.
She looked over at him before turning her attention back to Matt. "He's no one, just someone who offered to dance with me."
"That's not how this works!" He snapped, "I asked you here, you were supposed to dance with me!"
"While you're off making out with my friends and fucking them in the bathroom!?"
Matt's angered expression only grew before he gave her a hard shove, forcing her to hit the wall and fall down. Before continuing his assault, he turned around, having felt a slight tapping on his shoulder.
In an instant a blur of colorful lights entered his vision before he felt something strike him in the side of the head, causing him to collapse and pass out.
Brittany shook her head, being slightly dazed from the impact. When her vision started to focus she found Matt out cold on the ground by the mystery man's feet. "That'll teach the bitch." She watched as his eyes moved from Matt to her before he came over and helped her up for the second time today. "Are you okay?'
"I'm fine." She said, looking back down at an unconscious Matt. "Asshole."
"No kidding." the guy said with a laugh. "Come on, let's go outside for a bit. I think you need a break."
She giggled and followed him outside where they sat on a bench beside the doors to the school gym. Brittany's eyes didn't leave him for a second. Who was this guy and why was he being so nice to her? He had come over to her, comforted her, danced with her, and even knocked out her date when he put his hands on her. "Who are you?"
"That depends on who you're asking."
She gave him a playfully annoyed look. "What's your name?"
He laughed a bit before holding out his hand to her. "Ryan."
She shook his hand. Ryan, that name sounded familiar. "Wait, aren't you the guy who was accused for wanting to blow up the school."
"Yep, had my house searched and everything." He said with a grin. "If I'm remembering correctly, you were one of the accusers."
Her eyes widened at this. She had accused him of this because one of her friends brought it up and she was simply following the group. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to-"
He held a hand up, stopping her in her tracks. "Don't worry about it. We all make mistakes."
She felt an odd wave of relief wash over her when he said this. "I'm Brittany by the way."
"Nice to meet you."
Seven fifty, Luna noted as Night Court was brought to an end. As expected, barely anypony showed up, allowing her to close down for the night. Then tomorrow, a whole day off, well, unless an emergency where to come up. For the time being though, she could finally go and spend time with Ryan.
She had been looking forward to this all night; going out and socializing while being by his side. She truly did care deeply for him and that showed, earning her a bit of teasing from her sister. She didn't let it bother her though. The whole reason Ryan was brought here was because the portal said that they were the perfect match. Despite their differences here and there, they truly were in her eyes.
As she made her way to the club she could hear Ryan's voice echoing through the halls. This confused her a bit, until she entered that is. There he was, standing on stage, his body covered in glow sticks for some reason, and holding the microphone to his mouth.
"Ladies and Gentlcolts, my name is Ryan Curtis and I've got a little something for you tonight!" The crowd cheered at his announcement. "Now, back in my world, I was a bit of a man-whore." Luna smiled as the crowd let out light chuckle at his words. "Not gonna lie to you, I was." He continued, smiling as he did so. "So a friend of mine showed me this song and it was considered my theme song for about three years now. Let's do it."
Time to show these ponies what real music is!
A light rock and roll tune picked up as he cleared his throat. Luna couldn't help but smirk and lean against the wall. Rather curious as to what he was going to sing.
"~You'll never meet my mom, strings will never be attached.
We'll always get along, cause it doesn't have to last.
And anytime I call, you don't have to call me back.
I'm never gonna fall, but I'm never hard to catch!
She says she's cool with it, she's down with it.
There's nothing wrong with it, cause it's easier this way.
She's so cool with it, she's down with it.
There's nothing wrong with it, don't want it any other way!"
The music suddenly picked up as he moved on to the chorus. This made everypony in the crowd start cheering dancing around like maniacs, basking in this new song from another world.
"~It's just your typical, hardcore, casual sex!
We're single but we're lovers, crazy for each other.
Just your typical, hardcore, casual sex!
We're wild under the covers, crazy for each other!"
Luna mouthed the word 'Wow; to herself. He really wasn't that bad of a singer, but more importantly, this was the song that his friends thought suited him? Did that mean that had allot of experience. She was starting to become a bit self-conscious now. With how he was displaying himself he clearly has a history and she was still a virgin.
"~We don't have to go on dates, you don't have to like my friends.
I won't get in your face when you're making other plans.
If you're tired of the taste, you can try another blend.
My heart will never break, I'm just here to break a sweat."
"~That's why she's cool with it, she's down with it.
There's nothing wrong with it, cause it's easier this way.
She's so cool with it, she's down with it.
There's nothing wrong with it, don't want it any other way!"
The song was rather catchy, but Luna's attention was soon draw to something on the other side of the room. She could see a dark figure lurking around near the back of the crowd. With her curiosity nagging her, she began walking toward it.
"~It's just your typical, hardcore, casual sex!
We're single but we're lovers, crazy for each other.
Just your typical, hardcore, casual sex!
We're wild under the covers, crazy for each other!"
As she got closer to the figure she could see that it was clearly not a pony...but what was it?
"~She's so cool with it, she's down with it
There's nothing wrong with it, cause it's easier this way.
She's so cool with it, she's down with it.
There's nothing wrong with it, don't want it any other way!"
The figure suddenly pulled out a small handheld device, it looked similar to the one Ryan kept on him. He would refuse to go anywhere without it. Just as she was about to address the creature, it aimed the device toward the stage.
"~It's just your typical-" The music was cut off as a loud bang echoed through the room, startling everypony, especially the DJ. No pony recognized the sound, but Ryan did, he even felt a growing pain in his chest. He looked down to see a small wave of blood pouring through his shirt from his rib cage. "Fuck..." He said as his body collapsed to the stage floor.
The ponies all saw this and exited, running and screaming. Doing their best to avoid whatever it was that may have attacked the human. Once they were all gone, only three remained; Ryan, who's body now laid lifelessly on the stage floor with a pool of warm red liquid forming beneath him. Luna, who stared in shock at him. And Brittany, who placed her gun back into its holster, not even noticing Luna.
Luna teleported over to Ryan's side and flipped him over, shaking his body. "Ryan? Ryan!" She tore open his shirt and looked over the wound, using her magic to pull out a small metal object that had punctured his skin and dove into his body. "Please, please! Wake up!" She looked up to see the dark figure from earlier attempting to leave, but closed the door and sealed it with her magic.
Brittany stepped back, startled from the sudden life that had been given to the door. She looked over to see the night princess standing straight and tall over Ryan's body. Her horn and eyes were shinning brightly, as were the tears streaming down her face as she stared her down.
"What did you do!?" Screamed the extremely pissed off alicorn in her Canterlot voice. This caused Brittany to recoil a few steps backward. She could feel the sheer force of just her yelling hitting her like a train.
Luna was charging up her magic for a massive blow, but Brittany quickly drew her gun again. Three more bangs echoed through the room before the uniformed human's body fell to the floor.
The mare, shocked at this development, looked down to face the source of the banging.
Ryan laid on his side, one hand over his wound while the other was stretched over his head, holding a device similar to the one the woman had reached for.
Luna lowered herself back down to Ryan with tears still in her eyes, but the glow slowly subsiding. "Ryan!" She shouted, sitting him up and pulling him into a tight hug. "I thought I had lost you..."
"You're not getting rid of me that easily..." He weakly stated, chuckling a bit as he did so. He dropped his gun and joined Luna in the embrace. He was happy he was alive, but more importantly, he was happy he was able to protect Luna and wouldn't be leaving her on this night.
"Can you Identify her?" The nurse asked, unzipping the body bag.
Ryan stood by Luna's side, his wound had been healed earlier that day with the help of his wonderful marefirend's alicorn powers and he couldn't be in better condition. "Her name's Brittany." He said. "She's from my world."
The nurse nodded before zipping up the bag and pushing it away. The couple looked at each other; Luna giving Ryan a very curious look. "This was the woman that tried to arrest you back in your world, right?" He nodded. "Why did she try to kill you?"
He thought back to a time he had nearly forgotten about, the day he and Brittany had broken up.
Ryan stormed out of the house with Brittany following close behind. They had been dating for several months and it was becoming too much on him. For a long time he had had problems with staying in a committed relationship, he would find himself becoming irritable and aggressive over the littlest things with his partners. He just needed to get away from her for a bit, have his space to work this all out on his own. She wasn't allowing this.
Brittany ran up behind him, grabbing him by the arm to stop him from going any further. "Ryan, talk to me! We can work this out. Let me help you."
"There's nothing to work out!' He snapped at her, pulling his arm from her grip. "You can't help me, just leave me alone!" He didn't want to yell at her, he didn't want to hurt her, but right now that was the only thing on his mind. He had to leave before he could do something he would regret.
She just stared at him with watery eyes. She wanted to do something, anything to make him feel better. He had told her when they first started going out that a time like this would come and he would need some space to figure it out, but she had convinced herself that she could help him. "I can help you! I know I can, but you have to let me in!"
"Fuck you! Stay away from me." He tried to walk away again, only for her to wrap her arms around him from behind.
"Please, Ryan...I don't wanna lose you." She pleaded, soaking the back of his shirt with her tears.
Finish what you started!
Ryan couldn't help himself, he didn't want to leave her, but that's what it was coming to. He growled as he reached down and grabbed her hands, pulling them off of him as he shoved her away. "What part off 'fuck off' did you not understand!? I don't want anything to do with you anymore! You can die in a fucking hole for all I care!" He turned around and took off running, leaving a teary eyed Brittany standing in the middle of the road by herself.
"Ever since then she's been out to get me." He explained, now sitting on the edge of his bed. "She became a cop and started stalking me, looking for reasons to put me away." He paused and started rubbing the small hairs on his chin. "I don't know, I guess she just never let it go. She relied on me for damn near everything and I just up and left for no reason."
Luna sat beside him, listening intently as he explained Brittany's hatred for him. "I can understand her being upset, but that shouldn't be enough to drive her to try and murder you."
"You'd be surprised." He started, "Human's are fucked up individuals. I've seen people being killed over something as simply as living space. We're a violent race and there just comes a point where something becomes too much and you snap. Plus, she was emotionally unstable and bipolar as hell."
"Okay, I can't say I agree with the solution though." Luna thought back to when she had almost taken over all of Equestria. Back when all she wanted was to take out her sister and make night time eternal. She had done it simply because she was jealous of the attention her sister was getting as well as the day time. She poured her heart and soul into making the nights as beautiful as they were and never got recognition, just as Brittany pulled her heart and soul into Ryan, only for him to leave her. "Then again, I can't really judge, can I?" She said with a light giggle. "But, I guess I can understand it on some level."
"I guess I can too. Hell, I'd probably kill for less." The two shared a short laugh.
Luna couldn't help but ponder what Ryan had spoken about earlier. "What you said; about having commitment issues and wanting to leave your partner. That's not going to happen with me, is it?"
He looked over at her, she could see it in his eyes. He was scared. "I hope not..."
Ryan just sat still, staying deep in thought as he reached up and rubbed the area he had recently been shot in. Luna gazed at him with concern. "Are you alright? It's not still hurting is it?"
He smiled a bit. "No, not at all. It's just that..." He paused again, looking for the right words as he let out a sigh. "Karma's a bitch." |
The Perfect Mate | A Night To Remember | It's a wonderful day in Canterlot. The air is clear, the sun is high and bright in the sky, and the two royal sisters are up and about performing their royal duties. Celestia, the great and powerful sun god, has yet to see Luna's mate up and moving. Thus, she decides to take it upon herself to see what is keeping him
She enters the human's chambers to find his form still in bed, laying face down with his head buried in pillows. She finds the sight rather funny. The mare walks over, gingerly placing a hand on his back and giving him a few gentle shoves. "Good morning, sunshine. It's time to wake up." She says with in a tone so warm it could melt even the coldest of hearts.
"Fuck. Off. Sunbutt."
Eat a dick, a big bag of dicks
Well, maybe not the coldest.
Celestia couldn't help but giggle at his behavior. She wasn't too fond of the nickname he had given her, but was getting used to it rather quickly. She gives him a couple more shoves. "Come on, it's a beautiful day out. You shouldn't stay in bed and miss out on it."
He groans slightly, clearly not being even the slightest bit willing to cooperate. "Fuck the sun and fuck you. Leave me alone."
Fine, if he was going to play this game she could play it right back. Her horn lights up as she grabs the blanket with her magic and pulls it off of the bed, tossing it onto the floor. "Now don't be so..." Her train of thought comes to a grinding halt as she looks down at his completely naked form. She instantly remembers the story Twilight had told her back when Ryan had fallen ill.
The sun goddess could do nothing but stare down at the human as he remained still in his bed. "I hope you like what you see, just remember though; That ass, your sister's tapping it."
You're an idiot.
Luna makes her way over to her mate's room. She noticed that she hadn't seen him at all this morning and was starting to worry. Her bond with him was enough to tell her that he was safe, but she couldn't help but get anxious when he wasn't around. When she makes it to the door and is about to turn the nob she hears something akin to a loud smack come from the inside of the room, which was quickly followed by a yelp.
Her ears fold back at this, she didn't know what to expect when she opened the door. What she found was her sister standing on one side of Ryan's bed, while Ryan himself was on the floor on the opposite side. He was completely naked and rolling around in, what looks like, pain. Her face turned a rather deep shade of red at this. "Sister...Ryan...what are you doing?"
Celestia looks over to her sister, but before she could answer, the human on the other side pipes up. "She smacked me on the ass!" The two sisters do there best to stifle a boisterous laughter. "You could have at least used the whip, that's what it's here for!"
They go silent, both turning a dark shade of crimson at his words. The same thought runs through their minds. Does he really have a whip...and what does he use it for? Better yet; what's he planning to use it for?
Ryan got up on to his feet, clearly not caring that he was standing completely nude in front of the two princesses. He positions his body so that he can look at his behind, quickly spotting a large red hand print where he had been struck.
Damn, that bitch can really leave a mark. I wonder how much practice it took to get that down.
Ryan's mouth immediately follows suit with his mind's thoughts. "Who's ass have you been smacking to-" He sees her face darken further. "You know what, I don't wanna know." He places a hand on his sore cheek and rubs it slightly. "Damn, never thought anything would match rubbing Bengay on my nuts."
Dude, it felt like our skin was melting off!
He shudders slightly at the thought. It was funny when his family and his friend did it, but when he tried it..."Never again."
Ryan walks over to his closet and pulls out a clean pair of clothes. The thought of rubbing sand paper across his phallus comes to mind. The pain it would cause, a slight burning sensation if some of it managed to enter through the tip.
Why are you thinking about this!? Stop!
Honestly, he had no idea why that thought came to mind. It just kind of did. It was weird. He wonders if maybe he has some weird fetish for pain. He's never been one for masochism, one incident almost led to him getting stabbed. She said she was missing intentionally, but he wasn't convinced. That bitch was the sole reason he no longer allowed knives on his bed.
...You...your thoughts are going a little bit of everywhere...You feeling alright?
Ryan shrugged, his mind has always been this way. It settled down a bit after he got here and met Luna, but after a while it returned back to its usual state. He wasn't complaining, he actually kind of missed the chaos. It's what made him one of the funniest people in his group of friends.
Once he is done getting dressed he turned around and watched as both princesses shoot their heads up towards the the cieling to make it look like they hadn't been watching him the whole time. "What the hell are you two still doing in here? Don't y'all got a country to run? Go on, git!" He says in his best southern accent.
The sisters nod and take off out the door. He really didn't mind Luna staying a bit longer, but Celestia had to go. He'd have asked for just Celestia to leave, but that would lead to a future of nonstop teasing, then him retorting, then her likely throwing him into a wall...again.
Ryan thought about getting breakfast, but eating shortly after waking up would upset his stomach in ways that shouldn't be possible. The last time he made that mistake had had to call his brother and ask him to retrieve a plumber, a plunger, a priest, and a rabbi; no questions asked!
I still blame the soy sauce.
The day went on rather peacefully, which actually sucked. Nothing ever happened here! He would hear about this place called Ponyville which would receive all kinds of action; Timber wolves, manticores, a big ugly fuck named Tirek. He was missing out being here! So, who better to visit than the master of chaos himself.
Ryan found the door he was looking for and pounds on it three times. He could hear music on the other side before a voice spoke up over the volume of the beat. "Come in!~" The voice almost sang.
He opened the door to find Discord sitting at a small table with his feet resting on it, the song still playing as he entered.
"Discord! I'm howling at the moon
and sleeping in the middle of a summer afternoon.
Discord! What ever did we do,
to make you take our world away?"
"What the hell are you listening to?" Ryan asked before the music finally cut off.
"Oh, it's nothing. Just a little song I found while playing around in a few different dimensions." Discord lowers his feet and straightens his posture. "So what brings you to my chambers; back for a little more magic fiddling?" Just as he says that a fiddle appears in his hands and he plays a small tune.
When Ryan had first met Discord, they ran around playing all kinds of tricks with his magic. He could only assume that the whole fiddle thing was a play on words and he's just having fun with it. "Actually, I was just bored out of my mind. Luna's busy working, so I really have nothing to do."
"Well, I could think of a few things." Discord snaps his fingers. The fiddle vanishes and an array of fancy looking glass bottles filled with different shades of liquid appear on the table. "How about a friendly drinking game, I know how long it's been since you've had a hard drink and I can tell you're practically itching for one."
This guy can read us like a book...I DON'T LIKE IT!!!
Despite how weird it was that Discord knew Ryan was a drinker without him ever bringing it up, he was right. Since he had come here he hadn't had a solid drink. He even made a few attempts at sneaking into the kitchen to find something fun. There was a bar at the club, but they wouldn't serve to him because he was under twenty-one. Damn age restrictions laws existed here too!
Yes, the times here are different, which is why the bar tender, while looking at his license, asked what year it was back in his world.
You could have just lied!
Ryan mentally smacked himself for not thinking of that, but then again he didn't know if the laws here were different. Fuck it, he's wasted too much time dwelling on the thought. He walked over and took a seat on the opposite side of the table. "Sounds like fun. Let's get started."
Unbeknownst to the human, Discord only drinks for fun. However, he was completely immune to alcohol's effects. Basically meaning he could down a barrel full of vodka and not even be the slightest bit tipsy. He was doing this for fun, to see how the human would react. One thing was for sure in the god of chaos' mind; this was going to be an interesting day.
Seeing how nothing ever really happened at Night Court, Luna and Celestia agreed to work together and just have a Day Court in which both princesses were present. It definitely made the work allot less taxing on Celestia and she was happy to have more time with her sister in the process. Between cases they would talk about whatever came to their minds and even discuss Luna's relationship.
The Court was finally coming to an end, allowing the sisters to finish up some of the paperwork they had received while Celestia continues to tease Luna about her new relationship.
Celestia raised her brow at her younger sister, wearing a rather annoying smile on her muzzle. "So, just how intimate have you two gotten since being together?"
"Tia!" Luna shouted, slightly embarrassed at the question. "Ryan and I have done nothing of the sort. Regardless, I don't see how it's any of your business."
She laughed at her sister's response. She was simply too easy to provoke and she found it absolutely adorable. "Really? That's not what I saw last time you were in heat."
Luna buried her face in her hands, her face flushed a bright shade of red. Maybe combining their court sessions wasn't such a good idea. "That was different. I had no control over myself. It was your fault anyway, you should have told him!"
She was right about that, she should have told him. In all honesty though, it was a complete misunderstanding. Ryan had told her that the women where he came from went through something similar and seemed like he knew how to handle it. Turns out humans go through something completely different. However, she wasn't going to let her sister win this argument. "Maybe I wanted him to go in there; maybe I thought it would be funny to watch him-"
For the second time today, her words were cut off. Once again, it was by the human, Ryan. They watched as he stumbled into the throne room, moving around like he had just gotten off a carnival ride. You know, like that one that they strap you in and it spins around and around...and around...and around...oi.
Ryan struggled to make his way over to the princesses, taking each step as carefully as he could. Once he had finally made it to the halfway point, his right leg stuck out and he stopped completely. After a moment of silenced the weight of his leg brought him forward and he collapsed to the ground.
Celestia and Luna rose from their seats and ran over to aid him. Luna sat down behind the human, gabbing his arms and pulling him up, making him sit up on his knees. Celestia lowered herself as well, only she was directly in front of him.
The sun god's eyes scanned his features. His eye lids seemed to be heavy, his body was leaning every which direction, and his breath...Her expression went from one of concern to slight annoyance. "He's been drinking."
Luna turned her head to the intoxicated human, she figured out real quick that he sister was right. "Oh my gosh." She spoke in an annoyed fashion. "Where did he even get it?"
Discord hid in the shadows, his hands placed firmly over his mouth so no one would hear him laughing.
Ryan leaned closer to Celestia, causing her eyes to widen a bit. She had no idea how humans reacted to alcohol. Should she be worried, scared, would he-"You have really big boobs..."
Celestia's face went completely blank. A light blush quickly spread across her muzzle. Luna was almost in tears she was laughing so hard. Before Celestia could say anything, she felt something poking one of her breasts. She looked down to see that Ryan was sticking out two fingers and simply pushing them into the soft flesh.
"They're like balloons." He said with a fascinated tone. "Like, if you took a regular balloon and filled it with warm water." He stopped for a minute, letting that word run around in his head. "Balloons...ballllooooooons..." He started snickering at the word.
Luna had completely busted out in guffaw, to the point that she actually let go of Ryan and started rolling around on the floor. "Oh gosh, ahahahaha, I can't breath!"
Ryan used everything in his power to stay in a somewhat upright position, but it wasn't enough. He fell forward, his face burying itself directly into Celestia's bosom before letting out a satisfied hum.
Mmm. Silky, warm balloons.
Celestia's face only grew redder before grabbing Ryan's shoulders and pushing him back into a sitting position. "Luna, I believe your mate is in need of some rest."
"Holy shit, you're alive!?" Ryan shouted in genuine surprise, staring directly at Celestia.
"Of course I'm alive! Why wouldn't I be?"
"I don't know, you weren't moving. I thought you were a statue." He looked back down at her breasts and began poking one of them again. "A very squishy statue."
Luna finally managed to catch her breath and grabbed Ryan, picking him up and holding him like one would a child. "Okay, lover-boy. I think it's time for bed."
He put one of his arms over Luna's shoulder and leaned into her. "I want a panda hat for Christmas, Santa."
The night princess rolled her eyes, still wearing an amused smile on her face before walking out of the throne room.
Don't forget the hat!
"Wait, my panda hat!"
"You don't have panda hat." Luna said with a light chuckle.
Ryan thought about it for a minute, then the realization dawned on him. "Oh yeah..."
Once the two had left Celestia stayed completely still on the ground, taking in everything that had just happened. A minute had passed and she buried her face into her hands. "Dammit, why does he have to be so cute!"
Luna carried Ryan down hallway after hallway, her alicorn strength being more than enough to hold him for an extended period of time. On the way she happened to bump into Twilight, who seemed rather curious about the predicament.
"He did what to Celestia!?" She nearly screamed as Luna finished the story.
Luna started laughing again, tightening her grip on the human so she wouldn't accidentally drop him. "H-he kept comparing her bosom to over-sized water balloons the whole time too!"
Ryan looked over at the young alicorn. She appeared to be in some weird state of shock. He had to do something quick to calm her down. It was his duty as the royal jester!
We took an oath!
He reached out, grabbing Twilight's head in both of his hands and shaking her slightly. "Calm down, Twinkle! It's going to be okay." He stopped shaking her and the two shared eye contact for about five seconds before all thoughts in his head shut down and moved on to a new subject. His gaze shifted upward to her horn. "What it with these things?" He asked, reaching up with one hand and poking the appendage.
Luna watched as he did this, a unicorn's horn was an extremely sensitive spot. Part of her wanted to make him stop immediately, while another was curious to see what he was going to do.
Twilight knew she couldn't react the way she should about her horn being touched, he was human, he didn't know any better. She would have to explain it to him. "You really shouldn't-"
"Are they flavored?"
"What!? No they're not-"
Before she could continue, Ryan pulled her head closer and licked from the base of her horn all the way to the tip, elciting a loud moan from Twilight.
Luna's first thought was 'Holy shit! No wonder his tongue was so good. That thing goes past his chin!' Her second thought was, 'Oh fuck, he's violating Twilight!'. She pulled him back just enough to free the young alicorn from his assault.
Twilight's entire body was frozen and her face was a deep red color. "I-uh...I need to go to my room now." With a bright flash of her horn she was gone.
Ryan looked around frantically, wondering where she had gone. "Wait, I wasn't done yet! Dammit, I wanted to get to the tootsie roll in the center."
They made it back to the room, finally! Aside from fondling her sister and molesting Twilight, it wasn't that bad. Ryan was a goofy and adorable drunk. Maybe she should let him drink more often. Then again, that could also lead to him doing something really stupid, so she would have to keep him under her constant supervision.
Luna carried him over to the bed, setting him down gently as to not make him too uncomfortable, despite how much he might actually deserve it.
"Hey, can we go out for tacos? I miss meat. I want a cheese burger." This slightly disturbed Luna, as her species was herbivore by nature. Does he actually eat meat, or is he just being weird? She would have to ask him at some point. If he did then why didn't he bring it up sooner?
She was about to leave shortly after levitating his blanket over him, but was stopped when she felt a tugging on the waistband of her shorts.
"Nuuu, come back." He adorably pleaded, making her giggle slightly.
"Sorry, dear, but I still have a bit of work to do. So if you don't mind I-" She yelped as the tug became a full on pull, causing her to stumble and fall into the bed.
Ryan threw an arm around her and held on tight, refusing to let her go. Cuddles were going to happen, even if they had to be forced.
I like snuggling.
Luna tried to get up, but the intoxicated human seemed to have some sort of hidden strength. He wasn't going to budge. She sighed, maybe taking a slight break from work wouldn't be too bad. Besides, it felt nice being wrapped in his arms. He may be slightly shorter than her, but he played big spoon pretty well. His body was warm, his arms were soft...
Before she could continue her thought Ryan pulled himself up and laid his body down on top of Luna, resting his chin on her chest as he looked up at her. "What are you doing?" She asked, seeming slightly worried.
Ryan opened his mouth to speak, but stopped. He looked like he was thinking really hard to try and find an answer. "That...is a very good question." He looked around at where he was and what position he was in. "How did I get up here?"
Luna laughed again, he really was too cute sometimes. When she stopped laughing she saw him staring up at her horn. 'Uh oh' she thought as one of his hands reached up and gripped the appendage. She let out a muffled moan as he did this. "Seriously, Ryan...What are you doing?"
He ran his hand up and down her horn, letting his thumb run circles over the odd ridges as he did so to get a better feel of the texture. It was hard, but also very smooth. Like there was a layer of silk-like skin over it. "How is a thing that exists? It's so weird!" He pulled the horn closer to him, making Luna's head raise from the bed.
He continued to examine it while his hand explored it up and down. Luna was gasping repeatedly for some reason, but he was too distracted to find out why. Curiosity took over again; He didn't get a strong flavor off of Twilight's horn, maybe his did it wrong. He stuck his tongue out and dragged it up Luna's horn, placing the tip in his mouth this time to see if he could get a better taste from it.
They're flavored, I know they are! Don't stop until we find out what it is!
He continued to run his hand along her horn, not even realizing he was still doing it. He kept the tip in his mouth and ran circles over it with his tongue.
Luna was in a complete state of pleasure. She wanted to make him stop at first, but something inside of her wasn't going to allow it. No pony had ever done anything like this to her, so the feeling was completely new, but she was loving every second of it. She reached her arms up and wrapped them around Ryan, digging her fingers into his back.
He could feel her nails digging slightly into his skin. It kind of hurt. Why was she trying to hurt him? He was just studying her, he doesn't know about these pony's weird biology. So why is she doing this? Regardless, he wasn't going to let her get away with it, he just needed to figure out how to get back at her.
Bite that bitch!
That would work! He wouldn't be able to do it too hard due to a lack of feeling in his jaw. That was probably because of the fall he took back in the throne room. He did land pretty hard. Ryan wasn't going to let it stop him though; so he brought his front teeth down on Luna's horn.
This completely sent Luna over the edge. She screamed as her horn began to shoot small bursts of magic into his mouth. Once it had stopped her head dropped back down to the bed, finally being released from the oral prison.
Ryan was in a slight state of shock at what had just happened and let go of Luna, letting her fall back onto the bed. He didn't get any sort of flavor from the horn, but his mouth did feel a bit tingly. It was hard to explain, especially in his drunken stupor.
The release of her horn left her in a state of euphoria, but there were other things calling to her attention. She could feel a certain aching between her thighs, as well as a growing wet spot in her shorts. If he was going to play around with her body, then it's only fair that she gets to play around with his.
Once this thought entered her mind, Luna found herself filled with a sudden burst of energy and vigor. She pushed Ryan off of her and to the side, before he could react she straddled him and forced her lips against his.
Ryan wasn't complaining in any way, he always enjoyed their embraces, especially this one. As they continued their agreesive make out session, the human could feel something odd going on down by his waist. He broke the kiss and looked down to see his lower half covered in an odd blue glow.
His belt came undone and his pants were forced off of him, soon after his shirt was pulled off as well. "Hey, I need those." He said lazily and with a slight lisp, his TH's sounding more like a D. He looked up to see the mare on top of him pulling off her shirt.
Once Luna's shirt was gone she leaned down for another kiss, pressing her tongue against his lips, practically begging for entry. She was much more forceful when he allowed her in, letting their tongues battle for dominance. She raised her lower body, using her magic to slide her shorts off of her.
One of her hands worked its way down his chest to his groin. She quickly took noticed of the still flaccid member between his legs. At fist she felt a little insulted, then she remembered that he had been drinking, whiskey-dick is a thing. Granted she only heard about it after visiting the club and talking to a group of mares, but at least she knew it wasn't because he didn't find her attractive.
Never-the-less, this was a problem that could be easily fixed. She used her magic to envelop his cock in a blue glow, filling it with what could only be describe as a magical aphrodisiac. His member soon began to elongate and harden until it looked as if it was about to burst.
Luna grabbed Ryan's arms and pinned them above his head as she positioned her moist entrance above his throbbing rod. She broke the kiss and stared at him with a dominant look, her eyes were hungry and full of lust.
Ryan, still in his stupid drunk state, was confused and slightly terrified by this. "Brain...what's happening?" He whispered not too quietly. Luna giggled at him again before lowering herself slightly, allowing the head of his cock to enter her.
RAPE!!!
He started wiggling around beneath her, trying to break free from her grip. Luna saw this as him playing along and simply wanting more. With this in mind she let her body drop down, taking in his full length. Her eyes shot wide open as she gasped at the foreign appendage now inside of her body. She never imagined it would feel anything like this. It was warm, hot even. She could feel his heartbeat pulsing through his member and into her.
Her eyes wandered down to Ryan. He was completely frozen still; He looked like he could have just up and died at that moment. Worry started to fill her. "Ryan?"
...ohhhhh fuck.
Suddenly Luna felt a powerful thrust come from Ryan. Her arms went weak as she moaned into the air. The human freed himself from her grip before grabbing her shoulders and forcing them to roll over.
Ryan pinned Luna down beneath him and started pulling out of her moist slit. She looked almost disappointed, like the thing that had given her pleasure just moments ago was going to leave and never come back. Much to her surprise though, Ryan thrust hard back into her tight caverns, hilting himself within her. Luna released an almost primal moan as his length was shoved into her.
Biting her lip, she looked up at Ryan who began thrusting in and out of her at an aggressive pace. Luna let out a series of soft moans every time he would force his way back into her. The human released her arms and began roughly playing with her breasts, pinching her nipples between his knuckles.
Luna never pictured her first time being so rough, but at this point she didn't care. She was loving every second of this and wanted more. Her wish was soon granted as Ryan released her breasts and lowers himself down closer to her. His thrusts had slowed down, but they didn't lighten up in the slightest. With his face closer to hers he prompted for a quick kiss before lowering his head and biting down on a particularly sensitive spot on Luna's neck that she didn't know she had. "Oh fuck, yes!" She cried.
Ryan had enough experience in his world. Twenty-eight relationships failed and gone down the drain. Tell you what though, none of them came from problems in the bedroom. He wasn't as big as some of his friends, especially Alex. They called him Godzilla for a reason. But, he has slept with a couple of the girls that Alex had, and they openly admitted to Ryan being much better. He knew how to use what he had, and he had teased enough women to know every sensitive spot in the book. As this one shows, ponies have them as well, he would just have to be a little bit more rough with them.
Granted, in his current mental state, everything he was doing was based purely on instinct. Either way, Luna couldn't get enough of it. The mare below was doing everything in her power to force him as deep into her as he could go.
Again, instinctively, he knew what needed to be done. Much to Luna's disappointment he pulled out of her before flipping her body so she would be laying face down on the bed. "Is something wrong? Why did you-ahh!" Luna soon found that blissful filling feeling return to her as Ryan hilted himself back within her passage, this time deeper. "Please, keep going!"
He ran his fingers down her toned back, teasing her and making her body shudder before finally resting his hands on her soft round flank and continuing his work on her. He always preferred this position. Not only did it allow you to go deeper, which is great for both parties, but he loved the this kind of physical contact. The feeling of the soft flesh of her ass pressing up against his waist, it was amazing before, but Luna's smooth fur was making him love it even more.
"R-Ryan..." She managed to say between moans. "I-I feel...something's gonna-" She didn't know how to describe it, this growing feeling inside of her. Like something was building up and begging to be released. Ryan continued thrusting into her, making the feeling even stronger until finally she felt something else entirely. He body released a wave of fluids onto her mate's cock as she screamed into the heavens. There it was, the blissful release that had been clawing at her for so long.
Ryan wasn't too far behind, but the feeling of Luna's release along with the tightening of her walls that pulled him deeper into her coaxed it out of him. He leaned over her form, hilting himself inside of her as he felt his climax hit hard, releasing wave after wave of his baby gravy into her caverns.
Luna could feel a warm fluid filling her insides, a clear indication that her mate had hit his end as well.
The two collapsed and the human's now softening member worked it's way out of her before he rolled off to the side. They looked over at each other with exhausted smiles on their faces.
Luna crawled over to Ryan with her arm, as her legs felt like jello at the moment, and curled up against him, wrapping one of her arms around his stomach while her head rested on his chest. "That was...wonderful..." Her eyes started to close, she couldn't believe that she had gotten so tired. In a matter of seconds, she was out like a light.
After catching his breath, Ryan looked around the room. He was still a bit out of it from hanging out with Discord earlier, but he wasn't tired. He looked down at Luna's peacefully sleeping form, then his eyes became set on her horn.
Dinosaurs goes omnomnomnom
He stared at it for another few seconds before placing the tip in his mouth again. "Nom"
Luna gasped as she woke up. |
The Perfect Mate | Please Don't Leave | "God damn sun..."
Ryan's eyes felt like they were melting out of his skull as the sun's rays worked there way through his window and onto his face. It seemed much brighter than usual. Not only that, but he felt kind of dizzy. He moved to get up, but something was stopping him. He felt a strange texture going across his chest and holding him down with the strength of a bull. Oh well, might as well see how everything's going. "Brain, status report."
Fuck off, Todd.
"...What?"
He must have gotten really fucked up if his brain is this fuzzy. Fuck it, shit happens. He looked down and grunted in pain. Whatever was holding him down just stabbed him in the eye! "Mother...ffffffuck!" He quickly placed a hand over his eye, pulling it away just as fast. "No blood. No damage done."
He looked down once again, this time being more careful. Much to his surprise, there wasn't a leprechaun sitting on his chest with a small sword. Instead he was met with this; A blue horn pointing directly at him, which seemed to be connected to a blue head with a flowing mane that-"Luna!?"
The night princess was stirred from her sleep. Who was yelling her name? It didn't matter, she just had the most wonderful night with her mate, nothing would spoil her mood today. He sat up, letting the blanket fall from her chest as she stretched out her arms and let out an adorable yawn. Last night was perfect, she made love to her mate and in so many different ways. They went hard and rough, then soft and loving, and would continue to switch off every so often.
She turned her head to see Ryan pulling himself into a sitting position. She smiled and leaned against him, wrapping her arms around his torso. "Good morning, love. Did you sleep well?"
He didn't reply, he just continued staring at her.
His silence prompted her to release him from her hold and look directly at him. "Is there something wrong?" She asked with genuine curiosity. Why was he acting so weird, they should feel closer than ever right now.
"Yes, no, I don't know!" He placed his hands on his head, trying to figure out what had happened. Part of him was panicking a bit. He had to piece together what had happened. He walked around, got bored, went to see Discord, started drinking, then...blank. "Fuck!" He removed his hands from his skull and began slamming one of his fists into his forehead. "Work, dammit, work!"
Luna was taken back by his sudden behavior. She reached up and grabbed his arm to stop him from further harming himself. "Ryan, stop!"
He pulled away and climbed out of the bed. "No, no, no. I have to remember." He went to a nearby wall and began headbutting it repeatedly. "Wake up, you useless fuck!"
Her mind only clicked on one thing at this moment. "You don't remember..." Her eyes began to water and a single tear worked its way down her face. In her mind, what she had just heard, was that her first time was nothing more than a forgotten memory to him.
Ryan hit his head harder, he knew what had happened just by how they woke up together, but he desperately wanted to remember everything. One more solid hit and the wall cracked. This one made him dizzy and he stumbled backward, falling onto the floor.
Alright! Fuck! I'm up!
At that moment everything that had happened last night came back to him. Discord winning the drinking competition due to biology.
And cheating!
Fondling Celestia and burying his face into her chest.
That was funny.
Licking Twilight's horn.
...I'm not sure if I can call that gay or not.
What happened between him and Luna.
Twelve rounds!? Damn, that's a new record!
With his brain awake and his memories retrieved, he turned around to talk to Luna, only she wasn't there.
This can't be good...
"No shit!" He didn't see her leave, that can only mean she teleported. Her clothes are on the ground, so she's naked. She must have gone to her room. Not like royalty is just going to up and strut around nude. He made a quick break for the door.
Clothes!
He stopped and turned around to get dressed, throwing on what he had worn last night before charging into the hall and toward Luna's room.
She couldn't believe it. She lost her virginity to the most wonderful creature she had ever met and he just completely forgot everything! She wanted so much to just be mad, but she couldn't. She was hurt.
Luna kept her face buried in her pillow as she wept. How could he be so thoughtless as to just forget their first time together. Last night was the night that they finally had done it. Not just sex, but the connection they made that night completed their bond. They were bound for life now and he doesn't even remember.
Three hard knocks came from her door. She knew who it was, he always knocked three times and it always sounded like he was pounding on the door rather than knocking. "Go away!"
"Luna, please. I just wanna talk." Ryan pleaded on the other side.
"There's nothing to talk about. I gave myself to you and you just forgot! I'm like one of your stupid ex's to you!"
"No you're not, just let me explain!"
"Leave me alone!"
Ryan was known for allot of things, being forgetful, being kind in a very crude and sometimes mean manner. One of the main things he was known for was his temper and how strong it made him. He was doing his best to stay calm, but something was tearing his insides apart. He could feel how hurt she was, but that pain was quickly turned into rage. He stepped away from the door before delivering a powerful kick. One strong enough to break the door off of its hinges.
Luna gasped and looked up at the enraged human, ready to attack if need be. Strangely enough, once he saw her, his anger started to dissipate. It was a shock to both of them. Her; because anger like that doesn't just simply melt away, him; because never before has anything ever managed to make it do so.
"Look, I just need one minute. Just give me that, please." He begged, mentally debating whether or not he should get down on his knees to make this more convincing.
She sat up on her bed, using her blankets to cover her still naked form. Her eyes were still wet with tears, but the look on her face was more stern than saddened. "You have one minute. You better make it count."
He walked over and took a seat on the bed, taking a deep breath. He was happy she would hear him out. As long as he could try to help her understand then he can say that he at least tried. "I'm sorry, Luna. I was drinking and every time I do I wake up the next morning not remembering anything for a little bit. It takes me a minute to get my brain working right so I can recollect everything."
Ryan looked over at Luna, she was still pretty pissed. That much he can tell for sure. He reached over and grabbed her hand, she tried to pull away, but he refused to let go.
"I'm really fucking sorry. Yes, I forgot." He watched her expression only turn more sour. He let go of her hand and rose from the bed. "But, if it's any consolation, I remember it now. And I don't regret a damn thing." With that he began walking toward the now broken entry way only to be stopped at the last second.
"Wait!" Luna called out, quickly earning the human's attention. "So, you do remember it?" She asked, her eyes almost pleading with him to give her the answer she wanted.
He nodded. "I don't remember it. I remember everything. Every last little detail." He chuckled slightly. "It's funny. The only time I can remember anything in perfect detail is when I'm drinking, but like I said, it takes me a minute."
Luna leaned back against her bedpost, her stern look now looking somewhat playful. "Oh yeah? Prove it." She demanded, now sounding much more upbeat.
"...What?"
"You heard me." Her magic suddenly engulfed the broken door, repairing and reattaching it back to its frame.
Ryan watched this in awe. "The fuck?"
"You say you remember, so prove it." Luna tossed the blanket aside, revealing her naked form to him. "I want you to show me every little trick you did last night, right now."
The human was practically frozen solid. He could not believe that she really just said that. And how the fuck did she go from pissed off and crying to ready to fuck in the blink of an eye?
Bitch is bipolar.
"Uh huh..." Even he didn't know who he was replying to; his mind, or the extremely hot alicorn sitting not ten feet away from him.
"Ryan~" She sang in a voice so sultry it would make a priest weak at the knees while fluttering her eyelashes at him. "I'm waiting."
He was about ready to tear his clothes off and jump this mare, but was stopped when he heard a soft knocking coming from Luna's door. He turned to face the door, "Luna is-uh no es home. No hablo Ingles. Check is in mail."
Did you really just do your Consuela voice?
"Um...Auntie Luna? Are you in there?" The voice replied in a smooth, but confused fashion.
Luna shot up from her bed, quickly throwing on a pair of clothes before answering the door. "Niece! It's so good to see you." She wrapped her arms around this...wow this bitch is cute.
On the other side of Luna's embrace was a woman just a bit shorter than Luna. Her fur was pink, her mane was...weird to look at. Not as bad a Celestia though. She had wings and a horn, so she's clearly an alicorn. The purple tips on her wings look pretty cool. She wore a colorful, but mostly pink, regal dress. So he knows what she looks like now, but who is she?
Ryan walked up behind Luna and soon found himself staring directly into the mare's purple eyes. They bore directly into his skull, it felt like she was looking inside of him. He threw his hands over his eyes and yelled before falling to the floor. "Back demon!"
Luna pulled away from the mare to see what all of the commotion was about. She shrugged it off rather quickly as Ryan just being weird. "Ryan, this is my Niece, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza of the Crystal Empire. Cadence, this is my mate, Ryan."
Cadence made her way over to Ryan, extending a hand to help him up. "Pleased to meet you." She said with a warm, welcoming smile. She's clearly being nice, she looks nice, and she has a loving aura of sorts that Ryan could definitely feel.
I don't buy it.
He squints his eyes at her, giving her a look that says 'I'm watching you' as he takes her hand and allows her to help him up. "Likewise."
Cadence could see that he doesn't trust her, honestly she's not sure if she should trust him either. Something about him seemed off. She could clearly see that he cared for Luna greatly when she was able to look into his eyes, but she could have sworn she found something else in them. Something not too charming.
"I hope you don't mind, but I would like to borrow my aunt for a short while."
He glared at her for a second before putting on a playful smile. "Sure, go right ahead. Take her off my hands for a bit." Right as he said this an empty glass flew off of a nearby table and into the side of his head. "Ow." He said sounding more un amused than anything else. He turned his head to face Luna who was looking at the ceiling and whistling. "Dick."
"Bitch." She replied with a smirk before walking over and kissing the side of his head. "You take care while I'm gone and don't get hurt,"
"I feel like the only time I get hurt is when I'm around you." They smiled to each other before sharing a tender kiss.
"Aww, you two are so cute." Cadence cut in, earning the couples attention. "Don't worry auntie, he'll be safe. Shining Armour will protect him."
"Shining who-now?" Ryan's question was soon answered as a white stallion with a blue mane dressed in shorts and a sports jersey walked in.
"So, this is the new guy, huh?' He walked over and threw and arm around Ryan. "It's about time we got another guy in the family. Come one, the hoofball tournament is about to start!"
There was a very distinct reason why Ryan has been with so many women. He grew up around damn near nothing but women, he had very few men in his life. In turn, he had a hard time communicating with guys. Not only that, he didn't like a lot of what a normal guy would do. One of those many things was sports. He'd rather do dishes that watch any kind of sport. He could tell real quick that he wasn't going to like Shining Armour.
Ryan leaned over to Luna and whispered, "You can't leave me with this guy, this is going to be a nightmare."
Luna just smiled and kissed him one last time. "You'll be fine dear. Go have fun."
As she said this Shining Armour started dragging Ryan out of the door. "Come on, we're gonna miss the first inning."
"No, No! You can't do this to me! Please...Luna, don't leave me!" Luna's bedroom door was shut as the two exited, Ryan soon being thrown over the stallions shoulder. "Dammit!"
Luna just laughed and took a seat on her bed. "And here I thought we were the ones who would be leaving. So, my dear niece, what brings you here? I haven't heard of any crisis that would demand all of us to be together."
Cadence nodded. "No, it's nothing like that. I just happened to hear from Twilight that you have yourself a coltfriend and-"
"She told you what he did to her last night, didn't she?"
The mare blushed a bit at this for some reason. "Well, yes. I was a bit concerned about his intentions. I just thought that maybe I should come see him for myself. Honestly, I'm not sure though."
Luna raised a brow at Cadence. "What do you mean?"
"It's just...He seems nice...kind of. " She did her best to choose her word carefully, she didn't want to upset her aunt, but she had to be honest. "I can tell his feelings for you are genuine, he really does care about you, but..."
"But..."
"There's something...in him. Something dark. I could see it, I could feel it. There's something...not right with him. Like he has something evil in him."
Luna sighed, "I'm well aware of that and I have done my best to keep him as he is."
"What do you mean?"
"I knew immediately when I met him that there was something lurking around in the depths of his mind." She explained, preparing to go into detail. "I had the opportunity to enter his mind a while ago, I found out things that would have taken me months to discover in a matter of minutes. He does harbor a darker being in him, it's a darker version of himself. Something terrible that seeks blood. I met with it personally."
Cadence sat down next to Luna, clearly intrigued by the story. "What happened?"
"I quelled the beast within him by showing it the beast within me. That was how our bond started. I connected with him, with all of him. The part of his mind that seeks order and fun, as well as the one that seeks chaos and death. I showed the beast within him Nightmare Moon and they were as enticed with each other as Ryan and I are. So long as I am around, the monster within him will remain calm."
"Wow." She didn't know what else to say. What else could be said? "I've heard the saying that love is when ones demons get along with anothers, but I never thought something like that could...wow." As interesting as the matter was, she did come here to talk about her sister in law and her safety. "So, about Twilight..."
Luna stood up and placed a hand on Cadence's shoulder. "Niece, I can assure you that it meant nothing. It was merely an act of drunken stupidity. He didn't know any better. I made sure to explain to him that night that what he did was wrong."
"So you told him about it?" She asks, giving Luna a knowing smirk.
Luna blushed, she could tell Cadence was onto her. "Well, yes of course I did."
"Really? Are you sure you didn't show him?" She teased.
"Y-you...I...Urg!" She had been defeated.
Cadence clapped her hands together, soon pointing at Luna. "Aha! I knew it. I could tell when I walked through the door!"
Luna rolled her eyes, "Oh, please. It's not that obvious."
"Not that obvious! You're practically glowing!" Luna continued to ignore her, "And you kind of really need a shower. You smell like you two went at it all night."
Luna's ears folded back, her blush quickly returning. She buried her face into her hands. "I wish Ryan and I could swap places right now..."
The music was loud, but the announcer was louder. Loud enough to be heard over the crowd of screaming fans. "An here's the pitch." The sound of the baseball meeting the bat echoed throughout the stadium. "And it's a high flyer! Look at it! It could go all the way...HOME RUN!!!"
The crowd went wild, Shining Armor jumped up, cheering like a madman. He came back down for a moment and shook Ryan's still sitting form, sharing the hype as best as he could before returning back to his standing position and cheering the runner on.
Ryan looked up at Shining Armour before burying his face into his hands. "Kill me now..." |
The Perfect Mate | Late Night Stories | "Alright, that's everything." Ryan said to no one in particular as he tossed his bag on the floor. It wasn't too far into the afternoon, so Luna was still in court with her sister. However, the night before, the couple discussed living arrangements. Despite him feeling like it was a bit early for them to be staying in the same room together, the idea didn't bother him all that much. After coming to an agreement with the night princess, he got to work; moving all of his stuff into Luna's room and reorganizing so everything would fit.
It wasn't exactly hard, Luna's room was much bigger than his. So much unnecessary space that wasn't even being used. It wasn't like he had much anyway, just a few clothes and utensils that came with him from his world, as well as clothing that was gifted to him by Celestia. In short, all he really did was move things around in a dresser.
After taking a seat on his new bed, that he would be sharing with his extremely hot girlfriend, he let thoughts of all kinds fill his head. Mostly how his nights were likely to end up being a lot more productive. Since they had first slept together, Luna seemed to grow much more open and willing to do things she would never have even considered.
There was even one point in time where they were eating dinner in the kitchen with Celestia; Luna had decided to sit next to Ryan. Once the food came out and they all began eating, the mare's hand slipped under the table and started making quick work of little Ryan under the table. She even dropped her fork just as he was about to finish so she could make sure he wouldn't make a mess.
This started a war of epic proportions between them. Before, it was constantly friendly bantering and insults, now it was a combination of that and whom could make the other squeal first.
Ryan's proudest moment of this war was one in which he sneaked into the office that Luna and Celestia started working in together. They would go in and take care of loads of paperwork for hours at a time. Little did Luna know that her mate had managed to slip in before they came along and was hiding under the desk where she sat.
That was fun; and the look on Celestia's face when you crawled out and walked away like nothing happened! Priceless!
It was a good day. Now, all he could do is kick back and wait for something to happen. His prayers were soon answered when a smiling dark blue mare bounced happily into the room, her smile only growing wider as she found her mate on the bed.
Luna leaped into the air, diving down on top of Ryan. The human yelped at the sudden impact and soon found himself being pinned beneath the beautiful mare. Before anything else could happen she planted a firm kiss on his lips, humming as she did so. As she broke it she lifted him up and hugged him. "I'm so happy to see you, love! How did the moving go?"
Is it just me or does she seem to be getting a bit clingy?"
"It was fine. It's not like a have a whole lot of stuff."
"Well, since you're going to be staying with me, feel free to add whatever you would like." She said with a smile, still hugging him tightly. "I missed you so much."
Ryan tried to pull away from her. It wasn't weird for her to be a little attached to him, in fact, not a day went by where he wasn't greeted by her hugging or kissing him at least five plus times. But this, this was new. She's never acted like this before. It was almost like she had to be near him to live, like she was thriving on his very presence, like she's-
Oh fuck...
He couldn't help but notice the feeling of her hand pressing against his inner thigh and traveling upward, getting closer and closer to his groin. Just as she was about to cup him a knock was heard at the door.
Luna growled, obviously being very displeased with the interruption. "I'm a little busy at the moment. Whatever it is, I'm sure it can wait."
"Sister," Celestia's voice called from behind the door, "I need to speak with Ryan. Is he in there?"
His eyes wandered to the mare holding him. He could tell she was about to say no, but there was no way in hell he was going to get caught in the middle of a flame war between the royal sisters. That would very likely end in allot of physical trauma for the poor human. "Yeah, I'm here! What's up?"
"Ryan, I need you to come out here for a moment."
"I'll be right out." He quickly pulled away from Luna, who was looking up at him with pleading eyes, and made his way out of the room. The door closed behind him, thanks to Celestia. Now all that was left was to find out what she wanted.
The sun goddess stared down at him with a knowing look. "You've noticed, haven't you?"
"Yeah." He said plainly.
Her weird behavior, constantly wanting to be around him, practically being glued to his side whenever they were together. Hell, she was supposed to be at work right now! Did she leave early? All of this could only mean one thing.
This bitch is in heat! RUN!!!
Celestia crossed her arms before raising one of her hands to her face and massaging her temples. "You chose the worst possible night to move in to her room."
"Hey, she was the one who suggested that we do it the very next day. I just rolled with it." He had to correct her on that much. Granted he didn't argue against it very much at all, but it was still her idea.
...Wait a minute!
The realization clicked, sending thousands of messages into his mind at once. His eyes widened as his hands came up and grabbed on to his head. "She fucking planned this!"
It's like you two built each other in a computer...It's creepy!
"Fuck! What do I do?"
Celestia gingerly placed a hand on his shoulder to get his attention. "I believe the best course of action would be to stay away from her. Just until her heat calms down."
That's...actually allot easier than my first plan.
"Yeah, that's probably a good idea." Ryan shrugged off the whole situation. It was just a simple problem with a simple solution. He loved being intimate with her, there was no doubt about that, but some of the stories that Celestia has told him about how some mares get still give him nightmares. He figured that it would be easier to just avoid her during this time.
Unless you WANT to wake up with a large rubber phallus in your ass.
"So," Celestia began, "how are you going to break it to her?"
Ryan's entire body went pale as an audible gulp escaped his throat. This was going to end badly, he could feel it.
Luna's bedroom door creaked open as Ryan attempted to force himself to enter. There were a couple of close calls, moments where he was ready to run off screaming, but Ryan aint no bitch.
You keep telling yourself that.
Shut up!
He makes his way into the room, his breath caught in his throat as he tries to come up with a million different excuses as to why he wouldn't be able to share a room with her for the next couple of days. His body forces him to exhale and take in a new wave of air. As he is about to just reach down for his bag, as it is the only thing he will need for the two or so days of separation, he hears a very enticing voice calling to him from the bed.
"Oh, Ryan~" The voice practically sang, causing his body to stand at attention like a soldier listening to a general. "What took you so long? I was starting to think that you weren't coming back." The door behind Ryan suddenly slammed shut, causing him to let out a less-than-manly yelp.
His mind was completely jumbled. Her voice flowed out of her mouth in a manner so smooth that silk would be put to shame. The way she was batting her eyelashes at him made his knees weak, then there was her body. As he eyed her he quickly realized that she was wearing what appeared to be a black latex suit.
...oh shit...
Luna laid across the bed on her stomach. Aside from her head, her entire body was covered in a very shiny, rubbery looking outfit. It was tight, tight enough to match the curves of her body, leaving very little for the mind to imagine.
He could do nothing but watch as she rolled on to her back, her eyes still glued to him as she ran her hands down the smooth material, letting her fingers trace over every line on the front of her body. "Mmm, you like what you see?"
"I think I peed..."
That's not pee...
Luna giggled at the human before patting her right hand on the bed. "Come on now. I'm not going to bite."
Ryan hesitated for a moment. While part of him was screaming yes at the top of it's lungs, another part knew that he had to leave. Now! "Sorry, sweetheart, but I don't think we can-"
Her expression turned to something...less than pleased. She patted on the bed again, this time harder. "You will obey your mistress or you will be punished."
"Yes ma'am!"
Oh God, take me now!
What's taking him so long? Celestia wondered. He's been in there for over fifteen minutes.
Ryan had entered Luna's room about fifteen minutes ago while Celestia waited outside for him, just in case. She was listening for anything; screaming, hollering, the jingle of chains gliding across each other...Her ear twitched as she picked up on the sound. Yep, it was definitely chains. That's weird. What are they doing with chains? Part of her assumed the worst, but she shrugged it off. No, my sister would never do something like that. She's not that kind of mare.
Regardless of her beliefs, she still felt the need to go check on him. Luna might be upset with the information that they would have to wait a little longer to share a room, so he might be comforting her. That, or she's beating him with a stick. In hindsight, she probably should have gone to check on him sooner.
As she opened the door, she was met with a sight she will not soon forget. Her younger sister on her knees with Ryan hanging from the ceiling by two thick metal chains that were cuffed to his hands. Luna was wearing a latex bodysuit with the zipper pulled down to her stomach, allowing her large breasts to be free from the rubbery prison. Ryan was completely naked with a shirt tied around his mouth.
Celestia stared in shock and awe at the two, who noticed her upon arrival, unable to say or do much of anything. Much to her surprise, as if this wasn't enough, the door behind her closed and Luna rose.
The night princess made her way over to her older sister, her mind still lost in a state of lust that she simply could not control. Once she was within range, she reached out and grabbed Celestia by the hair, pulling her into an aggressive kiss.
The shock from earlier had left her body frozen, but this was more than enough to snap her out of her trance. Celestia broke the kiss and pulled away from Luna. "Sister! What do you think you're-" She was cut of by her own gasping as she felt her sister's hand beginning to rub against her slit.
"Oh, dear sister of mine, you truly do need to loosen up." Luna re positioned her fingers, rubbing against her sisters clit with her thumb while her middle and index finger poked around at her entrance through her undergarments. This caused Celestia to moan loudly. Luna shushed her sister as she reached into her sibling's clothing and continued her assault. "Relax, just enjoy it."
As much as Celestia wanted to fight this, she simply couldn't. The feeling of her sister's fingers attacking her most sensitive area was driving her wild. She didn't want this to end, she wanted more.
The once regal mare was thrown into a state of pure lust and began treating her sister in kind. The two stood side by side, fingering each other and moaning into the others mouth as the human watched.
The sight was clearly very arousing. Within a matter of seconds his dick swollen to the absolute limit; he could feel his pulse vibrating through his cock, as well as a painful throb that followed.
The two sisters stopped assaulting each other and turned their attention over the the human. It was weird how they did it at the exact same time. It was almost like they could both feel his arousal and knew that his body was as ready as it would ever be. They made their way over to him, slowly stripping out of their clothing in front of him.
Ryan could tell just by looking at Celestia that her assets were definitely a bit more well-endowed than Luna, but once her dress was gone he could see the truth behind it. Simply put, the clothing she wore lied for her body, they were much bigger without clothes.
humunahumunahumunahumunahumunah
The human was literally drooling at the two alicorn princesses gracing his sight, he couldn't help it. If it weren't for the makeshift gag in his mouth he would have started forming puddles at his feet. He watched as the sisters glanced at each other knowingly, it was almost like the two could talk with their minds. The chains he wore disconnected from the ceiling and reconnected to the bed. With the chains moved his body was levitated on to the bed, with his hands still cuffed together. With a few quick adjustments his arms were officially stuck above his head and the two princesses climbed on to join him on the comfortable mattress. He tried to say something, but all that came out were muffled moans.
Luna placed a finger to his mouth, shushing him as she did so. "Hush now, darling." Once he was quiet she placed a hand on his cheek and nodded to Celestia, who lowered herself down Ryan's form. "We'll take care of you, my pet. I promise."
His eyes widened and his body tensed up as a warm wet feeling began to swallow down his length. He looked down by his waist to see Celestia deep-throating his cock while one of her hands gave his balls a soft but firm squeeze. She was, by all means, amazing. The way that she was holding him in almost effortlessly, the way her tongue was caressing him the whole way around his shaft. If his body hadn't been as well trained he would have burst right then and there. This mare knew her stuff.
Before long Celestia lifted her head before plopping it back down, sending wave after wave of pleasure circulating through his body. With the elder sister working on his body, the younger one decided that hers deserved to be treated as well.
Luna removed the shirt that had been tied around his mouth before raising up and placing one of her legs on the other side of Ryan's head, letting her hot, wet entrance rest against his mouth. "Come on now, my pet. You may only have treatment like this if you earn it."
Message received!
Ryan let his tongue slither out of his mouth and across the mare's folds, rubbing up against every inch of her soaked marehood as he searched for his target. Luna was moaning like an animal Ha! as he did this, but once he found her clit...He could have sworn someone just up and stabbed her from out of no where.
Needless to say; that day started off very interestingly, went on very loudly, and ended in a small pile of sore, exhausted, bipedal creatures huddled up against each other.
"And, just to wrap this one up nice and tight, I had allot of fun." Ryan finished explaining to the mare across the table. "Yes, everything on my everywhere hurts like hell, but it was worth it." He took a sip from the wooden mug, his face twisting a bit from the flavor of the harsh drink. "So, Dawn, now you know how my day went. You regretting it yet?"
The red mare stared over at his bruised body with a somewhat envious look on her face. Her hands were practically pulling at random chunks of her brown hair as she gazed at him with her large green eyes. Finally, she spoke in a thick accent that Ryan could only recognize as Russian. "Not even in the slightest. If I am being honest with you, I am rather jealous."
Damn. I didn't expect to hear something like that from her.
"I never pictured you as that kind of mare, but then again I rarely ever see you. And the times when I do happen to run into you it only lasts, maybe, two seconds." He hadn't spent much time with this mare at all since his first day in Equestria. She was allot more chill than he expected, and really fun to talk to. "We really need to hang out more."
"Perhaps we could hang out more, you just need to stop being coward about drink." She gave him a semi-serious, but also teasing look as she said this.
"I already fucking explained this! Vodka will make me go to bed, then wake up, and puke...Unless you wanna clean up that mess, I'm sticking to my Bourbon."
"It is fine, I understand...Pussy."
Excuse you, bitch!
Ryan slammed his fist down on the table, "That's it, you and me, right now. I will drink your ass right under the fucking table!" |
The Perfect Mate | A Day With A Friend | "Nooo..." Luna tiredly pleaded, holding onto Ryan's arm to keep him from leaving the bed. "Come back and cuddle with me."
It's very difficult to say 'no' to cuddling with a mare as beautiful as Luna, especially when she was laying naked in the bed that they shared. However, Ryan was a man, he would not fall victim to her feminine charms! "I'm sorry, Luna. But, I promised to meet Dawn early today so we could actually hangout for once."
Luna grabbed the blanket covering her and threw it open. In her weary state of mind she was just silently begging for him to come back to bed. On the human's side though, she was completely exposing herself to him. Her body was as tempting as it was gorgeous. Maybe he could lay down for a few more minutes...
No, we must not be seduced!
Ryan shook all perversions from his head and pulled out of Luna's grip. She was reluctant to accept him leaving, but she would accept it. Honestly, she didn't know why he wanted so badly to spend time with the mare he was going to see. Her knowledge of her sister's guard was limited, so she knew nothing of this Dawn Breaker. Maybe she was fun to hangout with...maybe more fun than her...
Once that thought entered Luna's mind, it began to steadily grow. Maybe this mare was prettier than her, or even has been dropping hints that she would do things for him. She began to think about something, something that made her heart hurt. What if he was planning on sleeping with her?
Luna looked up to see her mate putting on a clean pair of clothes. He slid on his signature blue jeans, a white T-Shirt, and a red flannel jacket with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. Her features started to fall as her mind continued to plague her with thoughts of insecurity and suspicion.
"Ryan," She spoke quietly, earning the now fully dressed human's attention. "I love you. You know that, right?"
He was honestly very confused with her saying this. Not really that she said it, but more of how she said it. It sounded almost as if she were extremely sad. Like in a way that a girl might act if she thought you were...
RED LIGHT!!!
Ryan couldn't help but chuckle a bit before walking over to the bed and placing a hand to his girlfriend's cheek. "Of course I do. And, I love you too." As honest as it was, he really hated saying 'I love you.' It just felt weird to him.
Once upon a time he didn't believe in love, but his feelings for her had grown to a level that only that word was capable of describing it. Luna knew that he didn't originally believe in love, and was patient with him when it came to saying it. She knew he still felt weird, but at the moment that only pushed her suspicions further. Maybe he didn't actually love her.
Her nerves suddenly relaxed as he placed a passionate kiss on her muzzle. The kind of kiss that told you that there was no way this person felt nothing for you. She could feel her suspicions for him subsiding, it wasn't him that she shouldn't trust. However, the mare he was going to see was a whole different story.
Ryan broke the kiss and gave her a warming look. "I have to go, okay. Have fun at work, tell your sis I said 'Hi', all that bullshit." Luna giggled at him, signifying that he was good to go.
He exited the room and closed the door before making his way down the hall. He spotted Celestia walking down toward the night wing of the castle, probably going to grab Luna so they could get started on the work day.
Celestia spotted Ryan and flashed a smile in his direction. Just as she was about to give a light wave and say hello, the human ran past her at a full sprint before yelling at her. "I fucked your sister!"
The mare froze in place, her eyes wide as she did so. Her face soon moved on to a deadpan expression and her horn started to light up. In the distance she could hear Ryan yelp as he fell to the floor.
"Ow...fuuuuuck!"
Celestia smiled triumphantly and continued making her way to Luna's room.
Even I knew that was just plain stupid
Dawn Breaker sat patiently at the bar within the Canterlot Pub. She had one hand placed upon the counter while the other was gripping a small glass filled with a clear liquid. She swallowed down the strong beverage before slamming it down on the wooden surface. "Another one."
The bartender nodded, grabbing a tall glass bottle labeled 'Everfree Vodka' and refilling her glass. Once it was filled his attention was drawn to the entrance as a strange creature with red stains going down its face entered. "Sir, are you alright?"
Dawn Breaker looked back to be met with the same sight, only she was able to recognize him quickly. Ryan walked over to the counter and took a seat beside her, the lower half of his face and a good majority of his hand covered in blood. "I'm fine. You got a towel?"
The stallion nodded and tossed the human a rag. "Thanks."
Ryan started whipping the blood from his hands first before moving on to his face. Dawn stared at him, slightly confused as to why he seemed to be bleeding so much. "What happened? You got into fight with small bunny?"
"Har-de-har-har." He mocked, lightly dabbing his nose with the rag. "No. Your, ever so lovely, sun god thought it would be funny to undo my shoe laces while I was running down the hall. Ended up making out with the floor pretty hard after that."
"Sounds fun. You do something to make her mad?" She asked, knowing the princess wouldn't do something like that unless provoked. She has been in the guard for a good couple of years now. And, although she doesn't know the princess personally, she does know about a select few of her quirks.
"No..."
LIAR!!!
Ryan finished cleaning himself off and tossed the rag into a nearby trash bin. The bartender then looked at him. "Can I get you anything sir?"
"Yeah, I'll take a glass of Bourbon."
"Pussy..." Dawn muttered, earning her a stern look from the human beside her.
"I will break my foot off in your ass, bitch."
Celestia could do nothing but watch as her sister ran around her room. She was practically tearing it apart, looking for something. "What do you mean you want to take the day off?"
"I mean, I want to take the day off." She replied, soon finding an outfit she could wear without being noticed.
This was confusing to the sun goddess. The second she walked in here she found Luna digging around in Ryan's drawers and pulling out a number of his clothes, then she started demanding to have the day off without so much as looking at her. "I understand that, but why?"
The night princess quickly started slipping on some of the human's clothes. "Because I want to make sure that mare isn't going to try anything with my mate...and that he won't allow her to do so either."
Now the pieces were starting to come together. Celestia's face soon put on a knowing smirk. "Okay, I see where this is going. You're jealous."
Luna paused just as she was about to put a shirt on before turning to face her sister. "I am not jealous, I am just being cautious." She slipped the shirt on then moved on to grabbing a pair of old shoes.
"Sister, don't you think you're overreacting a bit. I thought you trusted Ryan."
She paused again, trying to find the right words. "O-of course I do, I trust my mate completely. It's that mare I don't trust." Luna finished getting dressed and looked over herself in a mirror. She was now wearing a black T-shirt and a pair of black cargo pants. "This should do."
Luna's horn became illuminated and soon her whole body became engulfed in a bright light, causing Celestia to squint her eyes a bit. When the light was gone, her sister looked different. Her mane was straight, as it had completely lost its magical flow, and was black as night. Her fur was a darker shade of blue, and her wings were gone. Lastly, her massive chest had become smaller, as did the roundness of her flank. If Celestia hadn't just watched her sister transform she would have sworn she was a completely different mare.
"There, now he shouldn't recognize me." She said, pulling out an assortment of fake piercings and clipping them on to her ears and lip.
Celestia knew very well that Luna had done this before, she had caught her in the act several times. It was actually a pretty clever idea. She would never admit this to her little sister, but she had even done it a few times. It was nice to get away from the castle every now and again. It was a way to kick back and just enjoy herself.
"Luna," Celestia began, "I will humor you this once, because I know that by the time this is over, you will regret ever doubting him."
Luna rolled her eyes at her older sister as she put on the finishing touches to her face. The piercings were done, so all that was left was to add a touch of dark blue eye-liner and black lipstick. "Perfect."
"~I can't stay with you for nothing, only a crazy man would
But I still can never leave you
Cause you look..."
Ryan waited for the beat to catch up, then kicked up his speed tenfold. The shirtless human had gotten intoxicated to the point that he decided to jump onto the counter and sing. He even grabbed Dawn and pulled her up with him. The crowd began cheering as he went on with the song. He was actually a bit surprised that they were enjoying it so much, most of the ponies in this town were usually a bunch of snobs.
"Got it in an act when you been breaking my back
You give it to me, give it to me
I ain't giving it back
Get a text from my ex wondering what's up with that
And I reminisce of this of eatin' up a kitty cat
Seen the pickin', pick a time on the flow
And I wish that Crystal walk out the door
Do her thing and just about ready to go
But she kiss me, now I can't eat for sho
And you know..."
The beat slowed down a bit and Ryan followed suit, couldn't be fucking up the show by improvising. That would just be a dick move. He was really enjoying the attention up here.
"~Your love is like schizophrenia
And I be like a-ya-ya-ya
Don't know what done got into ya
Maybe I try ya-ya-ya
Your love is like schizophrenia
And I be like a-ya-ya-ya
I'll be your strait jacket, hold you tight
Maybe then you'll be alright now."
Ryan looked over at Dawn and tossed her the mic. She caught it, despite her intoxication, but she wasn't as far gone as Ryan. She held the mic up to her lips and began singing along to the song. She had no idea where the lyrics were coming from, but what she was saying just felt right.
"You make me mad, you make me...
You make me...crazy!
You make me mad, you make me...
Make me say!"
Feeling as though it was the end of her verse, she tossed the mic back to Ryan who continued to just throw lyrics out as if he knew them all by heart. In all honesty, he did.
I never would have guessed...
"This is the drug I will be talkin' about.
Delivery... love you
This is the drug I will be talkin' about.
Delivery... love you"
The beat ended and Ryan dropped the microphone before hopping off of the counter. The crowd was cheering like crazy, but he ignored them and held a hand out to Dawn. She took it and made her way off of the counter as well. "Such a gentlecolt."
What surprised Dawn was, not only that Ryan was able to sing so well, but that the bartender was letting the two of them stand on the counter to sing. No pony even cared when Ryan had, at some point, taken his shirt off and thrown it into the crowd. She couldn't help but laugh at this.
"I try." He said with a smirk. His attention was then drawn to a stallion who was coming up behind Dawn. "You know this guy?"
Dawn put on a confused expression before following Ryan's gaze to the stallion that was now standing just a few inches behind her. He was just a bit taller than her, his body was covered in orange fur, and his mane was an ugly shade of green. It almost looked like seaweed. "Can I help you?"
He wore a very unsettling smile on his face. "Actually, you can. You see, I saw you on the counter singing and dancing and I just thought-"
His words were cut off as the red mare lifted a finger to his face. She knew where this was going and wasn't interested. "I am sorry, friend, but I will pass."
The stallion's smile turned into a very angry frown. He took a step forward, but stopped when the shirtless human behind the mare stepped in between them. "Back up, buddy. You don't wanna piss me off, trust me."
He scoffed at the creature and reached a hand out, placing it on his shoulder and lowing himself a bit so they were eye level. "Listen here, punk; Either you can move out of my way or I'll snap you in half in front of all of these nice ponies."
Ryan was ready to unleash hell on this overgrown prick, but stopped when he heard an unfamiliar voice speak up from behind him. "Is there something wrong here, baby?"
He turned around to see a dark blue unicorn mare with a jet black mane standing beside Dawn with an arm around her.
...what!?
The mare grabbed Dawn's muzzle and pulled it so she would be looking directly at her. Once their eyes met she leaned in and kissed her on the lips, causing Ryan's jaw to drop a bit as his eyes scanned the mare.
While his attention was stuck on the two the stallion pushed past Ryan and placed a hand on both mares. They separated, Dawn looking at the mare in confusion while she stared up at the stallion. "Well, this is definitely going to be allot more fun now."
Luna gave the stallion a dirty look before reaching up and grabbing the him by the balls, using her alicorn strength to literally crush them through his pants.
His hands fell from the mares and he dropped to the ground with am 'oof', holding his, more than likely popped, cranberries.
Damn, she fucked him up with one hand!
The mare's attention moved from the stallion to the human, then to Dawn. "So, how about I buy us a few rounds?"
The three sat at a small table with mugs of hard cider in front of them and discussed the events that had just taken place. It was a bit out of no where and left them all confused, minus the mystery mare.
"I could tell you didn't want anything to do with the guy, so I tried to play the lesbian lover card." She explained, "Usually it works, but he was much more persistent than I anticipated. It just seemed like the best course of action."
Dawn was put at ease now that she knew why the mare had randomly come up and kissed her. It may have been weird, but she was just trying to help. "I appreciate your assistance, miss..."
"Moonlight."
"Well, thank you for your help, Moonlight. If you'll excuse me, I must find mare's room." Dawn rose from her seat and walked off to find the bathroom, leaving Ryan and Moonlight to their own devices.
Moonlight leaned on the table and gave Ryan a look that almost seemed flirtatious. "Quite the mare you got there."
Ryan shrugged with a light smile plastered on his face. "Yeah, she's pretty cool. Just wish I could hangout with her more." He grabbed his mug and took a swig of the cider before placing it back on the table.
"Really now?" Her curiosity was going nuts. Why does he want to see her so much. "Why is that? You looking to have a little fun with her?"
His eyes widened and he waved his hands out defensively. "Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!...Slow down there. No, I don't. I'm in a committed relationship, okay. The last thing I wanna do is fuck that up."
This brought some comfort to Luna, but she has to keep playing the role she was in. "Come on, you're telling me you don't want a piece of that even a little bit? Be honest here."
His expression went from defensive to very stern. "I am. I like Dawn, she's a great friend and a cool pony. But, I don't have those kind of feelings for her."
"Hmm, what's so special about this mare you're with?" She wasn't sure why she asked this, maybe she was just becoming insecure. She was curious as to how he would respond though.
Ryan had to think about this for a minute before answering. "Honestly, I can't think of one thing in particular. I mean, everything about her is just so fucking great! Her eyes, her mane, that sassy attitude she has. She's everything I've looked for in a partner and more. One of my favorite qualities about her is her strength. She's strong both inside and out. I can literally fight this woman and she'll beat the hell outta me in response." He laughed a bit as he recalled the memories of their sparing. "But most of all, I love the fact that she's honest with me. Not once has she ever lied to my face. And I know that no matter what, she's always gonna be there for me."
It took Luna everything she had to hold in her emotions. She wanted so badly to just leap over the table and tackle him into a hug. She should have known better than to do this, she should have just trusted that he wouldn't let anything happen. Celestia was right, she feels like a total jackass now.
"Even now, she's here for me. She kept me from likely getting my ass beat by that stallion, and now we're having a few drinks together." He watched as Moonlight's expression suddenly changed to pure shock.
"I-I umm, I don't, I..." Luna was at a complete loss for words. "H-how!?"
"Oh, please." He said with a shit-eating grin. "I could tell it was you from the start. A; I can literally feel when you're near me. And b;" He paused for a moment then pointed to her leg. "There's a bleach stain on the left leg of those pants you're wearing."
She looked down to her left leg. He was right, there was a brown spot that seemed to be imprinted on the dark material. Clearly it didn't belong there, and there was no way it could be something as simple as dirt.
"Yeah, I know my clothes. Those are the pants I was wearing back in my world when I went down to Florida to help my grandfather after he had surgery. I had to bleach this plastic pond he had in his back yard and ended up splashing myself with the shit."
Luna looked back up at him and smiled. "I don't really see how that part is relevant if you can feel whenever I am around."
"I was a little distracted at first. The pants were the first thing I noticed that gave you away." He started laughing she rolled her eyes at him and flipped him off. It was weird to him that ponies had no idea what it meant when he did that. He had to actually explain it to Luna and she started using it allot. Not as much as him, but it would pop up from time to time. "So, what brings you out here, sweetheart? Couldn't stand going without me for so long?"
"You're so full of yourself." She commented, her face turning to a frown as she lowered her gaze and prepared herself to answer him. "I came out here to watch over you."
"Jealous much?"
Her eyes darted back up to him. It was starting to get on her nerves how he is finding all of this out so quickly. "How did you-"
"I might be new to this whole magic thing, but I told you, I can feel it. Anything that's going on with you, I can just barely pick up on it as long as I'm really focusing."
Luna took a deep breath and finally asked what has been bothering her this entire time. "So, you don't have feelings for Dawn?"
Ryan shrugged, "I don't know. I mean, she is pretty cute. And that accent, oh my Satan! I wanna fuck her throat!"
"Ryan!"
The human started laughing like a mad-man at Luna as her face turned red with frustration. "I'm just kidding, chill out." He calmed down and cleared his throat, still smiling at her. "No, I have no interest in Dawn. And hell, if you don't believe me, go ahead and check."
"Excuse me?"
"You're more connected to magic than I am. If I can tell when you're feeling jealous, then you should be able to tell if I'm lying and if I have any feelings for her. So go ahead." He leaned back in the chair and waited. He wouldn't admit this out loud, but it was actually a bit bothersome that she actually thought he was just going to go out and mess around with Dawn. It almost made him feel like she didn't trust him.
Luna was tempted to do as he said to make sure that he wasn't lying, but she didn't need to. She could tell by looking into his eyes that he was telling the truth, she could also tell that he was a little upset with her. For the second time in the past five minutes, she felt like a complete jackass. "No, I will not."
"What?" Ryan seemed genuinely shocked by this.
She nodded at him and smiled. "I don't need to. I can tell that you mean what you say, without even digging through the bond we share. I love you Ryan, and I trust you completely."
The human smiled at his mate and before too much longer Dawn came back to see the two staring blankly at each other and smiling. She audibly cleared her throat to catch their attention. "I am not interrupting something, am I?" She asked with a hard gaze, her arms crossed as she spoke.
Ryan looked up at Dawn and nodded, "Nope, just spending time with a friend is all." He pushed Dawn's chair out from the table with his foot. "Care to join?" |
The Perfect Mate | Internal Love | "I can't believe she fucking hit me!" Ryan said as he rubbed a red knot on his jaw.
The human had taken refuge within the bedroom he shared with his mate, sitting on the edge of the bed as he tried to massage the pain out of his face, caused by events that had taken place earlier that day.
"In her defense," Luna began, "You were kissing a strange mare while hiding out in an ally." She said with a smirk.
"Need I remind you that the Strange Mare was you?"
"You might have known that, but she didn't."
Ryan paused as he thought about what Luna had just said. It was true that he figured out the mystery mare was Luna all along, but Dawn had no idea. He had taken Luna out back after a while and started making out with her. Dawn had gotten suspicious and followed him out to see that him shoving his tongue into the mare's muzzle.
No words were exchanged as the solar guard walked up and socked him in the jaw, very hard I might add. As he was getting back onto his feet, Luna revealed herself to the angry mare and explained the situation.
"I guess you have a point there..."
Luna smiled, knowing she was right. Dawn had apologized once she had found out the truth behind the mystery mare, and she was glad Ryan wasn't mad at her.
She loved how he never let things bother him, especially when he knew that what had happened was a mistake or a simple misunderstanding. This was only one of the many thing she envied of him.
After grabbing some ice and wrapping it in a paper towel, she walked over to the bed and took a seat beside her mate. She pressed the cool material to the knot on his face to help bring down the swelling.
Ryan smiled, thanking her as she did this.
They sat in relative silence for a moderate amount of time as Luna pondered an idea that had been crossing her mind as of late. She lowered the ice pack from him, the swelling had reduced dramatically, then swallowed hard as she prepared herself to vocalize the thoughts she had been having.
"Ryan, I would like to try something with you, if you don't mind." She asked with a nervous tone.
He was able to tell rather quickly that what she was about to purpose was something that was bothering her. He knew that whatever she recommended would not be something bad, she would never do anything to hurt him, but something told him that it might be a bit sketchy.
Please no butt stuff, please no butt stuff, please no butt stuff...
Luna continued to wear a nervous expression on her face, which only seemed to grow when Ryan shot her a questioning gaze. "It might seem a bit odd, and maybe even a tad bizzar, but I feel like it will make things more...interesting."
I don't want to be sodomized!
"Go on..." Ryan said, hiding his internal freak out as best as he could.
Luna began rubbing her thumbs together and took a deep breath before continuing. "I learned of an interesting spell a little while ago. It's supposed to help our bond grow at a much faster rate."
Oh, thank Cthulhu!
"What it does, is it helps our minds connect more. Whenever we are to be within the vicinity of one another, it creates a small world, of sorts, for certain parts of our consciousness to enter; One in which they would be able to freely interact with each other, but still remain in their respective places."
Ryan took a minute to let her words sink in. It was not what he feared hearing from her, but it was definitely weird. So weird, in fact, that he had no idea what the hell she was talking about. "Uhh, brain?"
The girl is going to let your mind and hers basically co-exist. Your mind communicates with hers and vice versa.
The human nodded as a look of realization came across his features. It didn't sound too bad really. I mean, her being able to link them together in a way was a little weird, almost feels like a violation of privacy. However, she did say this would strengthen their bond, so no matter how uncomfortable it makes him, he will allow it. He really cares about Luna, his biggest fear lately has been losing her. If this will make them stronger as a unit, then he's ready.
"Okay, how does it work?"
Luna's eyes widen in shock. "Really? Just like that, you're going to allow this?"
"Yeah. Is it a problem?"
"No, not at all. I just..." She paused and rubbed her neck, still feeling a bit weird with how he reacted. "I was expecting a bit more reserve, or even a strong hesitation."
He sighed, feeling as though what he was about to say came straight out of a very shitty romance movie. "If I'm being completely honest with you, I'm not too fond of the idea. It's weird, it's invasive, it makes me uncomfortable." He noticed at this moment that Luna was about to butt in and say something, so he spoke up to cut her off. "But, If this is going to help our relationship, and help keep it strong, then I will do it."
Luna couldn't help but to continue staring at him in shock.
"I love you, Luna. I don't say it enough, but it's true. I will do anything to make sure that you and I will stay together, even if it means I have to step out of my comfort zone."
A single tear graced Luna's cheek as he spoke. She smiled and opened up her arms to him. "Come here."
Ryan leaned into her, accepting the embrace before looking into her eyes. He could tell that she was thankful for him doing something he didn't like just to make her happy. The two stared silently at each other and pressed their lips together, sharing a strong but loving kiss as the moment went on.
Luna's horn began to light up after a few seconds. Ryan could feel an odd new sensation going through his head. It was uncomfortable, but not painful. It was a strange, pulsing feeling. Like there was a heartbeat separate from his own in his brain. The pulsing stopped and the kiss broke.
"How do you feel?" She asked worriedly.
"I feel fine. A little dizzy, but fine."
She smiled and kissed his forehead.
Ryan and Luna sat on a mountain top, staring up at the sun with little to no interest.
The human was donned in all black clothing. He wore only a pair of clean black cargo shorts and a black sleeveless shirt.
Luna was dressed in clothes much like his. She wore what he could only recognize as black basketball shorts and a simple black tank top. Her mane didn't have its magical flow to it and was a light shade of blue.
They continued to stare at the sun for a little while longer before Luna piped up to express her feelings on the matter. "This is relaxing and all, but it just doesn't feel right...you know?"
"Like you're not in your element?" He asked.
"Yeah!"
"I can fix that." Ryan rose to his feet and stared up at the giant ball of fire that rested in the sky. With little hesitation he raised his right hand and snapped his fingers.
The light of the sun immediately vanished as the flames went out. The large orb then turned white and casted a new form of light across the area.
"Better?" He asked with a smile.
"Much." She replied, staring at him with a dreamy look in her eyes.
The human smiled back at her then snapped his fingers again. The light of the moon became focused onto him like a spotlight as he continued snapping his fingers to the beat of a song that seemed to be playing from out of no where.
Luna looked up at him, a knowing blush quickly spreading across her face. She may not know much about his world, and even less about music there, but she knew that a song was coming on, and he was going to sing it to her.
"~I gotta take a little time
A little time to think things over
I better read between the lines
In case I need it when I'm older."
Luna leaned forward as Ryan sang to her, becoming enticed by the words and the tones. Something about it seemed almost sad, like he had been through some kind of pain. Rather then interject though, she just sat still and listened.
"~This mountain I must climb
Feels like the world's upon my shoulders
Through the clouds I see love shine
It keeps me warm as life grows colder."
Ryan moved closer, holding his hand out to her. She gingerly took it and rose. His grip on her was soft, almost as soft as the look he was giving her. This song clearly meant something to him, it held some sort of connection to his being. She could tell from the light reddening around his eyes.
"~In my life there's been heartache and pain
I don't know if I can face it again
I can't stop now, I've traveled so far
To change this lonely life."
His arms wrapped around her body as he started slow dancing with the mare, a smile forming across his face as he did so. One that showed that he had been through allot, but he was ready to move on, ready to be happy. Happy with her.
Luna couldn't help but smile back as she danced with him. She could feel a growing warmth in her chest, one that made her happy. This moment right here, right now, was perfect. She never wanted it to end. Here they could pour their emotions out to each other without a single care in the world, here they could love each other with no limits.
"~I want to know what love is!
I want you to show me!
I want to feel what love is!
I know you can show me!"
The two picked up the pace with the last verse, dancing around in harmony with the other. There was nothing in this world that could stop them from enjoying their time together as they laughed and continued to hold each other.
"~I'm gonna take a little time
A little time to look around me
I've got nowhere left to hide
It looks like love has finally found me."
Ryan dipped her down, holding her up with a single arm. The beat began to fade away as her looked down at his marefriend with loving eyes. How could he have been so lucky to run into her, to be pulled into a different world entirely to share his life with such a beautiful creature.
Who cares. It doesn't matter how or why. They didn't care that things happened the way they did, nor that they weren't even the real versions of themselves. All that mattered right now was that they were together; two different creatures locked away in two different minds finally meeting and being able to express themselves in a way that not many others can. The two shared one last smile before leaning in and sharing a gentle kiss, locking their lips together in hopes that they would never have to break apart.
"Darkness, just how I like it." A voice said through the pitch black void that surrounded them. The voice clearly belonged to a female, but the way it spoke was strong, powerful. It had the tone of a leader.
A dark mare entered one particular area with the smallest bit of light coming from a lightbulb that dangled off of a nonexistent ceiling. Her fur was black as night and her mane and tail were a flowing blue. On her body was a set of skimpy-looking armor.
Nightmare Moon, a creature that feared by all now graced this dark land with her presence. A monster so great that very few have had the gull to stand against her and even less have shown her any form of affection; Minus the humanoid figure that sat on the ground just a few feet from her with its head facing the floor.
He was dressed in white pajama pants and a straight jacket; his clothes were stained with blood while his body was bound by both the jacket and several chains that were wrapped around his form.
The mare raised a brow at the creature. She had seen him only once before, but she could always sense when he was near, which almost constantly for some reason.
"It has been a while." She spoke, placing a hand against her hip.
The human's head rose, his angered expression softening as she entered his vision. "You again..." He spoke with a natural growl in his voice.
She lowered herself down to his level, leaning closer so their faces were almost touching. "Yes, it is me." She spoke as she began to feel his desire for her. "Aww, you're attracted to me? That's so cute." She said, pinching his cheek.
This annoyed him, but he found it difficult to remain mad at this mare. There was something about her that made him feel calm, but excited at the same time. He felt like a dog who's master finally came home after a long day at work.
Nightmare could feel something within her as well, something strong, but at the same time subtle. Seeing this thing again was like running into an ex lover, one whom you still cared deeply for. A combination of resentment and want filled her mind. She liked this thing, she didn't know why, but something about it appealed to her. It wanted him, it craved him.
The desire Ryan felt for the mare was growing stronger by the second as he stared hungrily at her. So much so that he attempted to jump at her. His attempts were brought to a grinding halt though by the chains that bound him. He turned his head to see a large block of cement behind him that the chains seemed to be connected to.
She chuckled a bit at this, flashing her fangs at him as she did so. "Look at you, trying to pounce on me like some kind of animal."
She wouldn't admit it, but Ryan's desire for her was kind of comforting. It made her feel wanted. With her past being the way it was, her trying to take over, being hated, being banished; it left a mark that she refuses to show. But, whether she shows it or not is irrelevant, the fact is that it hurt her. So finding something that does want her makes her feel good, like she's worth something.
However, Nightmare is not so easily won over. "You want me that badly, don't you?"
She rose up and took several steps away from Ryan before finding a spot to settle and facing him once again. "If that's the case, then come and get me."
Ryan looked at the chains, then back at her. His expression shifted to an angered determination as he rose to his feet and began pulling on the chains, using every bit of his strength to move closer to her. The chains were strong though, and the cement block was far too heavy for him to pull.
His body started to feel weak and he stopped, sweat pouring down his face as he looked up at her. His body was a mere few seconds away from collapsing.
The mare simply fluttered her eye lashes at him as she began removing her armor. "Such a pity, and here I thought you really wanted me." She mocked as her armor fell to the floor.
Ryan couldn't help but stare as she was quite literally stripping in front of him; revealing her exquisite body to the ragged looking human. HIs eyes became fixated on nothing but her. He watched as her massive chest rose and fell with every breath she took, her toned midsection flexing from even the slightest adjustment to her form, and the way her flanks would lightly shake with every movement she made.
Nightmare lowered herself back to the ground, sitting with her arms propping her body up from behind her. She could see how much he wanted her and she knew he could do it, all it would take is a little push. "Come, my pet. Don't keep me waiting." She said in a sultry, but still very firm, voice.
Something within Ryan began to grow, something strong that demanded that he obey this mare, that he do anything to be beside her. The chains holding him burst into flames, melting through his clothing and singeing his skin. With a sudden new-found vigor he pulled hard against the chains, surprising even himself as he heard the large block behind him dragging across the floor. The pain from the hot metal against his skin only fueled a much larger fire raging within him. With every step he took he pulled harder, moving closer at a faster pace until he was finally standing above her.
The flames vanished and his skin, as well as his clothes, repaired themselves. His body collapsed from exhaustion, causing him to fall onto Nightmare, who caught him. She wore a victorious smile on her face. He did want her, he wanted her so much he was willing to put himself through immense pain if it meant he could be by her side. "That's a good boy." She said, petting his hair and pulling his face into her chest to let him rest. "My good boy..." |
The Perfect Mate | Without you... | It's been nearly a week since Princess Luna has left the castle on official business. There was a matter of upmost urgency at one of the thestral training grounds, one that demanded her immediate attention. On that note, she left; leaving Ryan behind so she could handle the situation without any distractions. As much as she enjoyed his company, this was a royal duty. She couldn't allow her affections to get in the way of her responsibilities.
The first couple of days went by smoothly, but something was wrong. Ryan seemed to be growing a bit distant as time went by, always being on edge. He started keeping more and more to himself as each day passed, until he stopped leaving his room all together.
Celestia tried reaching out to him, but he never responded. He stopped eating, sleeping; she could hear him pacing around behind the door every time she came into the night wing to check on him.
His behavior had become more than worrisome to the Princess, but she didn't know how to go about this alone. So she sent a letter to Twilight; requesting her companionship. Twilight had become very good at reading ponies and always had useful information and even a few very clever ideas here and there. Her company could be of use.
Within the hour, Twilight arrived, stepping into the throne room to greet Celestia. "Hello, Princess." She said with a bow, still showing the upmost respect to her former mentor.
Celestia nodded, smiling down at the young mare she used to call her student. "Twilight, as I have said before, you don't need to address me by my title."
Twilight smiled nervously, rubbing the back of her neck. She knew she was no longer required to call Celestia, Princess, anymore. But, it was almost instinctive. She grew up calling her that and it just stuck.
"Sorry. Have you heard anything from Ryan yet?"
Celestia frowned and nodded. "Regretfully not. He's been keeping himself locked in his room for several days now and I fear for his health; both physical and mental."
Twilight raised a brow at this. Although she knew Ryan, she didn't know much about him. Her knowledge only went as far as knowing he was a bit odd with an even odder sense of humor. "What do you mean?" She asked with genuine curiosity.
"His bond with Luna has become quite the thing to admire. They have been almost inseparable." Celestia explained, rising from her throne and pacing back and forth in front of it. "I fear that her departure is having a negative impact on his mind."
Two thestral guards stood outside of the doors to their princess', and her mate's, chambers. They stood as still as statues, listening to the sound of something tapping within the room. Despite how annoying it would become after a few hours, they kept themselves in check and stayed in their respective places.
Much to their surprise, the tapping stopped and all was silent. This caused them to glance over at the other. In the last couple of days that noise was all they had that told them the human was still alive. What could have possibly made him stop?
The sound of something being shattered reached their ears from the other side and the two guards nearly jumped as the door clicked, signaling that it was about to be opened. It slowly swung away from its frame with an unsettling creek.
Once the door had fully opened a strange sight made its way out of the room. The bipedal, hairless form walked out from the dark of the chambers with its head hung low and its body trembling.
The guards locked gazes once again, an uncertain expression donning both of their features. they looked back at the human, who's head was slowly turning to meet them.
It was probably one of the most horrifying sights they had ever set their sights on. His face was pale, with dark rings around his eyes. The eyes themselves were bloodshot, nearly to the point that no white could be seen. He also seemed to be holding the neck of a broken bottle in his hand.
He just looked at them, his body still trembling as if he had done an eight ball of cocaine. "Where is it?" He muttered.
One of the guards cleared his throat and looked over at him curiously, not being entirely sure what it is he was looking for. "My apologies; but, what is it that you are-?"
"I LOST MY VIRGINITY AND I CAN'T FIND IT!!!"
Celestia and Twilight have been discussing strategies and ideas on how to reach out to Ryan. This conversation had gone on for several minutes, but they couldn't seem to settle on what the best plan of action would be. The conversation was soon cut off as one of Celestia's prized chefs burst into the throne room.
The two princesses nearly jumped from the shock of the sudden intrusion. Once they were able to collect who it was and mentally relax themselves, they stood up to greet the stallion.
"Gourmet, I trust this intrusion is of some sort of importance?" Celestia questioned as she scanned the rather irritant expression on his face.
Despite his anger, the chef respectfully bowed before going further into discussion. "I apologize for barging in here like this, princess, but I am a bit agitated at the moment."
Celestia raised a brow at him, as did Twilight. "I see. Would you mind explaining why?"
He nodded, "There are a select few bottles of wine that I keep in the kitchen at all times for my specialty meals. These wines are very hard to come by, and very expensive."
"Go on..." Celestia urged, becoming slightly annoyed herself as to why he was in here talking about wine.
Gourmet crossed his arms before continuing, still holding his cold gaze. "Well, from the looks of it, each and every bottle I had has gone missing. I do not know who took them, but they are extremely-"
Everypony in the throne room fell silent as an audible yelp echoed from the hall. Judging from the sound, they could conclude that it wasn't any farther than just outside of the door. Strangely enough, a conversation was struck by whatever was out there.
"Hey, guard pony." A very familiar voice spoke. One that both Celestia and Twilight recognized as the human mate of Luna. "Give me your spear."
"What?" The guard pony replied, "No."
"Give me your spear!"
"No!"
"Guard, give me your spear!"
"I said, no!"
"Come on, just a touch?"
"Get away from me!"
"Just the tip?"
Celestia sighed, "I think that's enough out of him."
Her horn began to glow as the human was levitated into the throne room from just outside of the entrance. He was placed not even a foot in front of her, flailing about wildly and trying to run toward the nearest guard.
"Givemeyourspear! Givemeyourspear! Givemeyourspear!" He yelled out, reaching for the guards who would just stare at him oddly. They were basically giving him a look that asked 'What the fuck?' in a thousand different ways.
Dude, calm drunk. You're down...
"Not yet I'm not!" He shouted to the voice in his head before collapsing onto his face. "Now I am...I feel like that should have hurt more..."
I can't feel our face.
Twilight grunted, "I'll take it from here."
Celestia nodded and thanked her as she left. Twilight would take care of the human while he recovered while she tends to the matter of Gourmet's special wines.
"And here I thought today was going to be a hassle..."
Twilight carried the human back to his room in her magic. She had tried walking normally by his side, but it would seem that his attention would keep getting caught on a number of different things and lead to her having to chase him down the hall. With him in her grasp, she mentally tried to puzzle together what was leading him to behave in such a way.
It clearly had something to do with Luna leaving, but why was he dealing with it in this manner. Wouldn't it have just been easier to seek out Celestia and speak with her about how he was feeling.
Ryan let out an audible belch. "I wantz twisslers..."
She sighed; not only did she not know what a tissler was, but he just wouldn't stop talking. And nearly everything he said either didn't make sense, or was completely incoherent. "I think what you need is to go to bed."
"But if I go to bed then I can't defeat the mightly dragon!" He said loud and proud, as if he were some knight who had shown up to save the day.
"Twinkle!" He called out, turning his head to face Twilight. "Twikle, twinkie..."
"Twilight." She corrected with an annoyed huff.
"Turkey, listen." He paused as she nearly growled at him. "This is important..."
Twilight's expression shifted to one of curiosity, but also caution. She didn't have a clue as to what he might say, but if he was claiming it was important then it was probably a good idea to listen at least a little bit.
He tried to lean closer to Twilight, but being suspended in the air made that a bit difficult.
She picked up on what he was trying to do and brought his face closer to hers, allowing him more than enough room to lean in a whisper whatever it was that he wanted to say to her.
Her eyes widened as he relayed a secret message to her, her face turning a deep shade of red before he finally leaned away from her and started laughing.
Celestia had agreed to pay for Gourmet's wines to be replaced and have the order shipped to him within the next few days. Luna was going to get a serious talking to about keeping her mate on some sort of leash. Never-the-less, no real damage had been done, so all was well for the time being.
Twilight re-entered the throne room just as Celestia had taken a seat back in her respective chair.
She watched as her former student made her way up to where she was with a strong shade of red forcing its way through the fur on her face. Her eyes would avoid making any sort of contact with the alabaster alicorn.
"Twilight, is everything alright?"
"Yep, everything is fine, just perfect!" She replied with a nervous smile, her eyes never moving anywhere near Celestia's position. She just couldn't bring herself to look at her former teacher. Not after hearing what Ryan had told her.
She couldn't help but replay the memory in her head over and over, rubbing her ear as she did so.
Ryan leaned into her ear before whispering, "You smell like Celestia tastes."
Twilight's eyes widened as he relayed the information to her, her face turning a dark shade of red as Ryan gently licked the edge of her ear and bit it before leaning back and laughing.
"Yeah, just perfect." Twilight repeated to herself.
Tonight could not get any weirder...
Just as that thought crossed her mind, the human could be seen sprinting down the hall; wearing literally nothing at all as he did so.
"Woo! We're going streaking!" He yelled enthusiastically. If his nude sprinting didn't catch the attention of everypony in the castle, then his screaming sure as hell did.
Twilight groaned and let her body sink into the chair. "I give up."
Ryan ran about the hall in his birthday suit, having the time of his life. He didn't know how his cloths had come off, but he wasn't exactly complaining either. The freedom felt nice. As fate would have it though, his fun came to a grinding halt.
More like sudden stop. Why is the world spin-ninging?
His body had collided with something very hard, causing him to stop dead in his tracks.
That wall came out of nowhere!
The human took a few steps back and, much to his surprise, discovered that he had not run into a wall. Rather, who he ran into, was a mare. One that he considered a very good friend; one that was completely red all over her body.
"Holy shit!" Ryan screamed, "You are sunburnt like a motherfucker!"
Dawn let out an annoyed sigh. She could already smell the stench of alcohol on his breath. He was clearly intoxicated, but she could have assumed that from his naked tirade through the castle.
"My friend, why is it that you are running about in the nude?" She asked, doing her best to bide her time and keep her eyes above his waistline. The last thing she needed was for another guard to see her glancing at the human's package and starting a rumor.
His left eye started squinting at her as he scratched at his head. "I don't know. I sewer, they just kind of vanished."
"I swear." She corrected.
"Hey, you shouldn't swear!" He exclaimed, pointing an accusing finger at her. "That's extremely rude, you fucking asshole!"
Dawn flinched at his sudden outburst, she wasn't expecting him to just up and yell at her. Then he started laughing at her reaction. The headache he was already causing her was going to drive her crazy.
She took a moment to close her eyes and massage her temples. That was very short lived. There was a slight tugging sensation coming from her side, where she kept her spear.
Her head raised from its previous position and turned to face Ryan, who was holding the end of her weapon in his hands and staring at her with an almost perverted smile.
"Give me your spear..."
Luna sat patiently in the back of the carriage, letting herself finally relax from all of the chaos that took place in the training grounds. The trip had been the exact definition of a walking nightmare. The only thing that helped her make it through the day were the thoughts of returning home to her sister and her love.
She could already feel his presence, they were getting close. She smiled at the thought of snuggling into her bed with Ryan and cuddling up against his warm skin. Laying her head on his chest and listening to his heart beat so smoothly that it practically sung her to sleep with its mystical tunes.
Her daydream was soon interrupted as the carriage came to a somewhat rough landing. "Princess, we have arrived."
Luna couldn't help but smile a bit at this information. Finally, she was home. She exited and stood just outside of the castle, looking up at it in all of its glory. Her eyes closed and she took a slow inhale of the air that surrounded the area.
Yep, it definitely still smells like home.
She smiled and released her intake, beginning her journey toward the entrance. She stopped, however, when she heard a strange noise in the distance. It wasn't one she recognized immediately; in fact, she didn't identify it until several shards of broken glassed rained onto the ground.
"Cause I'm free!"
Luna heard a voice sing from above her and instinctively looked up to find the source. Her breath became caught in her throat as she saw the naked human plummeting to his death.
"Free falling!"
She quickly extended her arms, catching him just in time and holding him in the same manner that a husband would hold his bride. Her breath became freed from her throat, allowing her to breathe properly once again.
Ryan looked around him, surprised that he was no longer falling. When his eyes finally found Luna a smile that could tear faces apart spread across his face. He quickly wrapped his arms around her neck and buried his face in her neck.
"Sweetheart, I missed you!" He said happily, glad to finally have Luna back from...
I'm sorry...you...but I can't fuckin'...remember...why she left. Something about emeralds?
Luna smiled, she had missed him as well, and his affectionate behavior was very much appreciated. However, one particular thought came to mind and was bugging her beyond anything she could ever comprehend.
"Ryan, why were you falling out of a window? And why are you naked?"
He pulled himself back a bit, thinking hard about what had just happened. "I don't know. Damn Russians."
She raised a brow at him before shrugging it off completely. "Oh well. As long as you're okay."
A blush quickly spread across face as she felt something large slide between her breasts. She looked down to see that Ryan had completely submerged his head into her cleavage.
Ryan hummed with delight. "I missed these too."
He rested his head within the large mountains of flesh, nuzzling her chest as he did so. If there truly was no god in this world, then the magnificent orbs that existed on this mare would not exist.
Praise be to the boob god...whatever her name might be. ...
Oh, come on! If there's anything in this world that knows what true mammary perfection is, it's a god damn woman.
Ryan was not in the right state to be fighting with himself; rather, he was in a pretty fantastic state for a little foreplay. He would have started sooner if the world weren't spinning so much. Apparently Luna was already walking down the halls toward the night wing.
Fuck, this bitch is fast.
Oh well, a little bit of nausea wasn't going to stop him. The fact that they were still in the hallway meant just about as much as the nausea as well.
He sneakily worked his fingers up to the neck of her shirt, he would have tried from the bottom, but with how she was carrying him, he would have been caught on the spot. Once he got ahold of the neck he pulled it down, hard.
Luna winced a bit at a slight pain she felt in the back of her neck. She felt a tugging on the front of her shirt, and soon enough, a cool breeze brushing across her bare breasts.
Her eyes immediately shot down to Ryan, who had somehow managed to pull down her shirt and bra so that her chest was completely exposed.
A deep blush spread across her face as she looked around the hall to make sure no pony was around to see her like this.
"What are you doing!?" She whispered to Ryan.
He completely ignored her and moved on to massaging one of her massive boobs in his hand. She let a small squeak at this, doing her best to hold back the moan that was so desperately trying to work its way out of her throat.
"Please, not here." She begged.
Ryan either didn't hear her, or was still completely ignoring her. Rather than stopping, he grabbed her other boob with his free hand. Now holding both of them at once, he began kneading his fingers into the soft mounds, earning him more satisfying squeaks from the lunar princess.
Just as she was about to plead with him again, he took one of her nipples into his mouth; suckling and nibbling on it once it was past his lips.
Luna threw her head back and moaned loudly, there was no way in holy hell she was going to be able to hold that one back no matter how hard she tried.
With her body now trembling and a growing wet spot in her pants, her mind finally kicked back into gear and she ran for their room as fast as she could.
They were about halfway there when she finally remembered that she was an alicorn. This small realization made her mentally slap herself just seconds before she teleported them into their bed.
Using her magic, her cloths became non-existent and the door to the room locked itself in place so no pony could get in.
She was only seconds away from ravaging Ryan when she realized that he had completely stopped his assault on her. Confusion kicked in and she inspected the human to see that he was fast asleep.
As much as she didn't want to wake him up, she had to. Her lust was calling to her and it's been a little over a week since she has had any release. She needed this.
Luna grabbed his arm and gently started to shake Ryan's sleeping form. "Baby, please, wake up."
He showed no response, just continued staying in the world of slumber.
She shook him again, this time harder. "Come on, you're the one who started this!"
His eyes just barely opened, earning him a bright smile from the mare. That smile quickly faded as he rolled over to face the other side of the room and began drifting off once again.
"Ryan? Ryan!" She started yelling out desperately, leaning over to shake him much more aggressively. "Wake up, dammit. You can't leave me like this!"
"Yes..." He muttered with a slight lisp. Being just loud enough for her to hear. "Yes I can."
Luna stopped shaking him and plopped her rear down onto the bed as she started pouting like a puppy. "You're such a dick!" |
The Perfect Mate | Bonding With Family | Run, you stupid son of a bitch!
"What the hell does it look like I'm doing!?" The human sounded off, sprinting at full speed down the night wing hallways in nothing but a pair of black shorts.
Waking up this morning had definitely been interesting. He was laying peacefully in bed, his eyes opened, then he found himself being suspended in the air. A dark figure had emerged from a corner of the room, it was Luna, obviously, and she was holding a long black whip. At that moment, Ryan realized that he had fucked up.
It was quite the battle at first, mostly consisting of him struggling to reacquaint himself with gravity. Neither of them knew how, but Ryan had managed to break free from Luna's magic before promptly grabbing his shorts from the ground and taking off out of the room like a bat out of hell.
He had put a good deal of distance between himself and the lunar princess, but that whip had one hell of a range, and she was catching up quick.
"Stop running and face your punishment like a stallion!" Luna called out to him as she flew down the hallway. She would have snatched him up in her magic again, but he was somehow blocking her from doing so.
"I am not a stallion!" He loudly replied, "I am a man! A man who would like to keep his ass from being beaten to a bloody pulp!"
He continued sprinting until he found himself just outside of the throne room. A plan quickly came to mind as he caught sight of its entrance and he made a B-line right for it. Ryan burst through the door, quickly catching the attention of Celestia, as well as several solar guards.
"HALP!" He screamed desperately. "My bootyliciousness is at stake!"
Celestia didn't have time to respond as the human dove behind her chair and crouched down so he wouldn't be seen. There were a thousand different questions going through her mind at once, most of which were answered when she spotted Luna flying in with a whip in her hand and an annoyed expression on her face.
"I know you're in here." She said in a seductive tone, her features turning from annoyed to an odd mix of both sexy and mischievous as she began pacing around the room. "~It's time to come out and play."
Ryan couldn't help it, his smart ass attitude as well as his damn near childish nature kicked in when she tried to coax him to reveal himself. "Fuck your couch!"
...There are no words...to describe...how fucking stupid you are...
Luna's ear twitched and her head turned toward Celestia's throne. "Found you!"
She took flight, aiming to fly right over the throne to get to her prize hiding just on the other side. That was the plan. However, before she could even get to the throne her body became consumed in a golden aura and she froze in place. "Hey, let me go!"
Celestia watched as Luna started thrashing about in her magical hold, but to no avail. She wouldn't be able to get out no matter how hard she tried.
"Luna, what do you think you are doing?" She asked her younger sister with a stern look on her face. The kind of look you would get if your mother found you tracking bloo-I mean mud- through the house.
Luna crossed her arms and put on a stubborn expression. Clearly she wasn't looking to have a conversation with her sister. Especially when it came to as of why she was hunting down her mate like a dog.
"Luna..." Celestia pressed, her gaze growing more cold with each passing second.
She sighed, "If you must know, Ryan was misbehaving last night. So I was going to punish him."
Celestia rolled her eyes at her sister's words. "Oh please, not being able to bed you because he was tired is hardly something worthy of punishment."
The lunar princesses eyes widened dramatically. "How did you-?"
"I pay attention, sister. More so than you may realize." Despite her words, her knowledge on the matter came purely by accident. It wasn't really a matter of watching them, it was more of how she happened to be walking past the room and heard what was going on, on the other side.
"I'm going to put you down now," Celestia continued, "and I would like for you to take the day off to relax in your room."
"But, what about Ryan?" She asked, looking over her sister's shoulder to see the human's hand flipping her off from behind the chair. She growled at this, tightening her grip on the whip.
"I can handle him for a while." She said with pride. "Besides, he and I have yet to spend any real time together and I would really like to get to know my future brother-in-law."
Luna blushed, she hated when her sister teased her like this. Her eyes shifted from her sister, to the now standing human, then back again. She really didn't want to do this, but she knew that arguing with Celestia would only lead to bad things. After taking a moment to think things through she finally let out a sigh of defeat.
"Fine, I will retire to my chambers for the day."
"Woohoo!" Ryan cheered, raising his fists to the air victoriously. "I'm gonna live!"
Right as he said this, the button on his pants came undone, causing them to fall to his ankles and trip him. Ryan fell to the floor, smacking his head against the solid structure with a loud thump. "Ow, bitch!"
See that? You jinxed it. Fucking moron!
The two sisters giggled and performed a light high-five in honor of the human's torment.
With Luna now out of the way and spending the day in her room, Ryan was left at the mercy of the all powerful bitch herself, Princess Celestia. If that wasn't bad enough, she had invited Princess Cadence over as well. This way they could get to know the human more personally rather than by just hearing the stories Luna told about him.
So, here he was; Sitting in the dining room. To his left, at the head of the table, was Celestia. Sitting across from him was Cadence who, thankfully, decided to come to the castle without Shining Cock-hole.
I really don't like that guy...
They all sat in an almost awkward silence. Nothing had been said since they took their seats and ordered their food. Cadence nearly gagged a few times when she had heard Ryan order a cheese burger; cooked rare so it was nice and bloody. That made him laugh a bit.
After a few minutes, the silence was finally becoming unbearable. Luckily Cadence decided to speak up first. "So, Ryan. Do all humans eat meat like you do?"
He could see that his eating habits were slightly unsettling to her, which made this much more amusing, but he didn't see the point in going completely nuts about it and telling her that humans were meat crazy freaks. That might get him into allot of trouble. Might as well just stick to the facts.
"Yes and no." Ryan answered simply, causing the pink alicorn to cock her head slightly in confusion.
"What do you mean? If you don't mind me asking."
He shrugged a bit. "People have their own preferences. Some humans like their meat bloody, like me, but most prefer a lack of blood. Some humans don't even eat meat, it's just how they are. We're a very diverse species, so it all depends on your background and personal decisions...Then you have the cannibals."
Celestia, who was sipping a glass of water as he spoke, began choking on the liquid and spit out most of what she had drank. "I beg your pardon?" She asked once she had managed to get her bearings back.
"Yeah, they exist. Some interesting people they are." He explained, "In some countries its normal, in most it's heavily frowned upon, if not illegal. There are exceptions for if you're stranded out in the middle of nowhere with no food and someone dies from natural causes, but that's overcomplicated shit."
The two princesses glanced over at each other, then back at the human. "I think I'd like to change the subject." Cadence said in a shaky voice. "How's your relationship with Luna going?"
"She tried to beat me with a whip not even an hour ago." He replied with a deadpan expression. He could see Celestia doing her best to hold back a smirk. "Yeah, I bet that one tickles your fancy, doesn't it? Sick bastard."
Celestia blushed and now it was Cadences turn to hold back her amused expression.
Anyway, do you have any hobbies?" Cadence asked with a slight twinkle in her eyes.
That's weird...
Ryan nodded. "Yeah, I have a few. I like fighting, wrestling. Uhhh...I sing sometimes."
The princesses' eyes both widened. "Really!?" They asked in unison, causing the human to jump back a bit.
"Yeah..." He replied in a tone that almost made him sound scared.
I feel like this isn't going to end well.
After some more idle chit-chat, their food arrived and was quickly take care of. Once they had finished their meals Celestia announced that she wanted to show Ryan something. Upon this being mentioned Cadence started bouncing with glee. The sun goddess led them down a few hallways before finally finding the door she was looking for. She opened it up and one look is all it took for Ryan to process what was about to happen.
"Why have I not see this!?" Ryan yelled at the mares.
They've had a fucking karaoke room this whole time!?
"What bullshit!?" He continued to scream, digging his fingers into his head as he did so. "Ahhh!"
Cadence and Celestia both flinched at his response. The karaoke room had been here for long time, ever since Cadence was a filly. They used to hang out in here and sing whenever they had some free time. It was a nice way to kick back and have a little fun.
Ryan took a few breaths to clear his mind and settle himself down. Okay, so they had a karaoke room. He would make sure to abuse it later, but right now he was up to have a little fun. "What kind of songs do you have on here."
Celestia shrugged. "Instrumentals, mostly. We used to have so much fun trying to come up with lyrics for each one." She said with a smile, thinking back on all of the good times she had in here.
"Okay..." Ryan began, "I'm not really good at freestyling, but I can give it a shot."
"Aunty," Cadence piped up, flashing everyone an eager smile. "If you wouldn't mind, I would like to go first."
Celestia couldn't help but smile back at her. "Of course, dear."
The young alicorn ran up to the machine and sifted through a few of the instrumentals on it before finding one she liked. "Ryan, if you wouldn't mind, could we possibly do a duet?"
Asking him to do a duet with her wasn't exactly weird, but how she asked was a bit offputting. She sounded almost nervouse for some reason. Deciding to ignore her weirdness, he thought about it for a moment and could only see a thousand plus ways that this could go terribly wrong. "Sure, why not."
Live dangerously and die with a smile.
The mare practically beamed at his agreement. "Wonderful!' She selected the song and turned to face the human. "Since you're the guest, I'll let you start and follow your lead."
Well shit...
His body sunk slightly. "Terrific." He said in an almost dead tone.
Ryan suddenly perked up as a familiar beat started to flow from the machine. He instantly recognized it as a song from his world. It was one he was actually quite fond of. The band that made it was German and they didn't make very many songs in English, but this one was.
The mares noticed his sudden emotional change, seeing how it was a rather positive response, they smiled, knowing that he was getting excited now. Cadence grabbed two microphones, holding one in her right hand and tossing the other to Ryan.
He waited for the right moment to start singing, loosening up his body to make him more comfortable. Once he was nice and loose he pointed a finger to Cadence and started the song in a voice slightly deeper than normal.
"~There's so much wrong in your life.
And you wish you could turn back time.
No time for sorrow, no time to regret.
You're drowning in the sands of time."
Cadence flashed him a smile that almost looked like she was challenging him, that or accepting a challenge. She took a few steps closer to him, catching on to his lyrics and singing in unison with him.
"But life goes on day by day...
And all the faults will remain...
You walk away.
You walk away.
From the place you left before; without me.
There is nothing, that will make you stay."
The two moved closer to each other, getting to the point where their faces were almost touching. Both of them wearing a mixed expression of determination and enjoyment.
"You walk away.
You walk away.
From the place you left before.
You won't go back, 'cause there's nothing more for you to say."
Celestia had no words to describe how well put together this was. It was supposed to be something where ponies would have to come up with lyrics on the spot, but Ryan seemed to be playing it off as if he already knew what the words were supposed to be and the way Cadence was working off of him was simply remarkable.
"You keep all the memories in your heart." Ryan continued, this time alone.
"You know they will keep you from being free.
You walk with the devil deep inside.
As long as you're not able to forget."
Cadence was waiting patiently for where she felt she could join in again. She knew where her place was in the song, she could see it in Ryan's eyes. Something about the way he looked at her was telling her when she should go along with him and when she shouldn't. It was odd how well he was doing. It was almost like he knew what the words were supposed to be.
"But life goes on day by day." She sang with him, seeing that it was time for her to join in.
"And all your faults will remain.
You walk away.
You walk away.
From the place you left before, without me.
There is nothing that will make you stay.
You walk away.
You walk away.
From the place you left before.
You won't go back, 'cause there's nothing more for you to say."
Ryan paused, letting Cadence take the lead now. Singing in the most angelic voice he had ever heard.
"Oh! Oh!
You walk away...You walk away."
There was a brief pause between the two as they eyed each other. As if by clockwork, they both continued as the beat to the song began to pick up.
"You walk away.
You walk away.
From the place you left before, without me.
There is nothing that will make you stay.
You walk away.
You walk away.
From the place you left before.
You won't go back, 'cause there's nothing more for you to say..."
The song ended and they lowered their mics, just staring at each other. They jumped slightly as a one-person applause picked up just a few feet away from them.
Celestia was absolutely awestruck. Her eyes were wide and her mouth was agape. "That was absolutely marvelous."
Cadence looked back at Ryan with a small smile on her face, as well as a blush that she was failing to hide under her mane. He smiled back nervously, rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand. Why was he feeling nervous all of a sudden?
"Thanks, Tia." Ryan said, his eyes strangely never leaving Cadence. They couldn't leave her. It was like he was locked in some sort of trance, one that he wasn't sure he wanted to break free from.
Snap out of it, you fucking tool!
He closed his eyes and shook his head to recollect himself. It worked, for the most part. He wasn't stuck looking at her. However, that plan completely backfired when Cadence placed a hand on his cheek.
"Are you alright, Ryan?" She asked with a horrifying amount of genuine concern. "You're not feeling sick are you?"
He kept his eyes closed, but he could feel her smooth fur gently caressing his cheek and moving up to his head. "You're a bit warm. Maybe you should go lie down." She said in a very peculiar tone.
I don't like this...I don't like it!
Her hand started to wander down until it was resting on Ryan's chest. His eyes shot open and he jumped back just far enough to be out of her reach. "No, I'm fine. I, uh, was just having too much fun I guess."
Get the fuck outta dodge!
He quickly put on a fake smile. "I think I'm going to go take a bath or something to help cool myself down. I'll see you guys later."
Ryan didn't even wait for a response; he walked to the door and closed it behind him before taking off down the hall until he was far enough away that he was sure no pony would hear him.
"You caught that, right?"
Eeyup...We're fucked.
"I am terribly sorry, Cadence." Celestia said, hoping she wouldn't take offense to how Ryan was acting. "He has a tendency to act weird sometimes, but never like this."
"Maybe something is bothering him." She suggested, "If you don't mind, I can stay here for a bit to analyze him and see if there's anything I can do to help."
She smiled at her niece. "You're welcome to stay as long as you like. Just be careful, Luna has been showing signs of a slight jealousy problem. Wouldn't want her getting the wrong idea." She said with a giggle.
Cadence just smiled and waved her comment off. "Don't worry aunty, I'll be fine. Maybe I can even help her out with that problem of hers as well."
"I wish you the best of luck." Celestia stated with a slight bow. "I have some paperwork I need to catch up on, so I'm sorry to say that I must be off for the time being."
"I understand perfectly."
"What do you plan to do for the time being?"
"Not sure yet. I might try to find Ryan, maybe get an early start on figuring out why he's acting weird."
Celestia nodded. "Very well, I'll meet up with you later." With that she was off. She couldn't say she was ready to take on all the paperwork, but it needed to get done.
Cadence stood alone in the hallway, an excited smile spreading her face as she began searching the halls for the human. |
The Perfect Mate | Forced Affection, Love Ejection | This was a good idea.
Ryan hummed in approval at his brains comment. Deciding to relax in the royal bath house was a great idea and he was loving every second of it. The room was very large, white, and decorated with a number of statues. In the center was the largest bath tub/Jacuzzi thing he had ever seen. The water was heated to a tolerable one hundred and fifteen degrees and all that was left was for him to reach the highest peak of relaxation.
The heat of the water caused his skin to become red on contact, but he didn't mind. It was soothing and very calming to the nerves. What had happened earlier that day was just plain weird. He had the strangest feeling when he had locked eyes with Cadence, but now that he was away from her he felt perfectly normal.
Fucking unicorn voodoo.
"Ponies are weird." He muttered to no one. "But, I guess it's alright with Luna. I Love her the way she is and I wouldn't change it for anything in the world."
You got some crackers to go with that cheese?
"Fuck you!" Ryan started ignoring his own mental processes and reached over to his side, grabbing one of the wine bottles he had brought with him. They were very gentle on the taste buds, but still pretty strong. He didn't exactly remember how he came to possess so many, but he wasn't going to complain about it either.
He reached into his pants, which were sitting just outside of the tub, and pulled out a small pocket knife with multiple smaller attachments. One of these attachments happened to be a cork screw. He twisted the screw into the top of the bottle and pulled out the cork. With that done, he tossed the tool aside and took a small swig from the bottle.
Mmm, fruity...
He swallowed down the sweet liquor and held the bottle just in front of his face. The label read, Berry Delight. Seemed fitting enough. With his curiosity now sated he took another drink and set the bottle aside for now, letting his body sink deeper into the water.
"Mind if I join you?" A soft, feminine voice spoke from the doorway to the bath house.
Ryan jumped, not really expecting any sort of company for the rest of the night. "What the hell are you doing here?" He asked in a somewhat hostile tone. Cadence may be pretty, but whatever happened earlier was very weird and he blamed her completely. Something about her just didn't feel right and the thing he kept buried deep within the depths of his mind was practically growling at the very sight of her.
Cadence didn't seem to mind his aggressive tone and continued to make her way over to the bath. Once she was over she started looking around the water, mostly around Ryan. "You were acting a bit odd earlier. I thought I should come and check up on you."
Good thing we added the bubbles, bitch is trying to sneak a peak!
"Well I'm just fine, as you can see. So you can leave now." He said, leaning his head back to continue his quest of relaxing. When he notice that she hadn't even moved an inch he looked back up at her and started waving her off. "Go on, shoo."
She flashed him an odd grin as he tried to convince her to leave. "Come on, Ryan. You and I both know that you felt something earlier while we were singing together."
He turned away from her, his face starting to turn red with anger. Something about this mare was quickly triggering him and if she didn't leave soon he doesn't know what could happen. "You have ten seconds to get the hell away from me."
Cadence just laughed off his reaction. The way some would deal with emotional stress was always interesting. He seemed to respond aggressively, maybe she could help relieve some of that stress.
The mare started slipping off her clothes and tossing them aside. She tried to make a small show out of it, but the human's attention was more focused on a wall in the exact opposite direction. A shame, but she would make due with what she had.
Ryan felt the water stir slightly, which was a bit weird to him. He hardly moved even slightly enough for it to ripple the way it did. He was about to turn around when he felt a pair of soft hands on his shoulders, ones that seemed to be trying to massage him. His body started to tense up at this. He never understood why people enjoyed massages so much, granted he was very good at them, but they always caused him more pain than anything else.
"Get your god damn hands off of me; while I'm still being civil."
She paid no mind to his increased tension, nor his hostility. This was merely a false self-defense mechanism, she could tell. Being the princess of love she could see these kinds of things in a person. Ryan may be a bit violent sometimes, but he would never do anything to hurt another pony. It just wasn't part of who he was.
Ryan's anger was starting to hit a boiling point, if it went any further then it would spiral. He needed to do something to scare this mare away. His eyes locked onto the bottles just a few inches from him. He reached out and grabbed one, quickly spinning around and going to swing it at her.
The plan was for him to stop just inches from her head, just something to help prove a point. Before he could even get close to his mark though, her hand reached up and caught him by the wrist.
"Oh, please." She said with a dominant tone. "You and I both know you weren't actually going to hit me with that. You can play the bad boy role all you want, but you're not a bad person, no matter how much you want to be."
Cadence started leaning in to him, pressing her naked body against his while pushing back on the arm he had the bottle wielded in. Using her free hand she grabbed his other arm and brought it to her chest.
"Come on, I know that you've been stressed lately, I can see it in your eyes." She said in a voice so sultry that it would make God bend to her will. "Let me take all of that tension away."
Hey, buddy. Hey! Why aren't you responding? ...
Hello!
Deep in the depths of Ryan's mind, his consciousness could hear the sound of chains rattling. At one point, he could have sworn he even heard one break.
Shit, fuck!
Luna had spent most of her time laying down and relaxing, but that came to a rather annoying end. She couldn't seem shake off this strange feeling of dread that was filling her. It was like something bad was going to happen, but she couldn't figure out what.
Luna...
Her head was buzzing around with a thousand different thoughts per second. What could possibly be going on that is upsetting her so much. Maybe Celestia was right about having her sit out today. Perhaps what she needed was some rest.
Luna!
The lunar princess laid herself down on the bed, letting her head sink into the pillows to drown out the rest of the world. She really wished Ryan were here with her. He would definitely be able to-
BITCH!!!
She shot up from the bed upon hearing an odd yelling from within her mind. The voice was oddly familiar. It almost sounded like Ryan was calling out to her. "Hello?"
Bath house, Cadence, him-uh-me...Fuck! We're about to be raped and Ryan is going to lose his shit!
Cadence was beginning to close the gap between them, her eyes half lidded as she leaned in to kiss him. She stopped though when he started twitching, his body tensing up, and his features becoming pale. Her eyes opened back to their normal position in time to see this happening. The white in his eyes became blood shot, almost to the point where his blood vessels should have rightfully popped.
Ryan's grip on the bottle tightened until it shattered in his hand, leaving broken shards of glass to dig into his balled up fist. He started pushing against her, making her back up into the edge of the bath.
The princesses expression started to shift from dominant to fearful. She was an alicorn, her physical strength should have been enough to keep him held in place, but now she was up against a wall with him looming over her.
His fist opened up, revealing his glass-riddled/blood-soaked hand before pulling out of her grip and grabbing on to her wrist. The glass in his hand tore through her skin, causing her to yelp in pain, his tightening grip making the painful sensation much more enhanced.
Before he had to chance to continue his assault on the mare who was trying to force herself on him, the bath house door was opened once again, this time much more aggressively.
Ryan's body was grabbed by an unseen force and pushed to the other side of the tub where he was held in place, flailing around and screaming like some sort of wild animal.
His grip stayed tight on Cadence when he was shoved back, causing his hand to glide down her arm and leave multiple gashes in the appendage. She cried out as her arm was sliced, grabbing it as she jumped out of the tub. She was going to make a run for it, but found herself standing before one of her aunts.
Luna stared down at Cadence with daggers in her eyes. "What the actual fuck do you think you are doing, niece!?"
Cadence flinched at her aunt's words. She had never heard her speak that way before, especially directed at her. "I was just-I wanted to-"
"Do you realize what he could have done to you!?" She shouted, grabbing Cadence's arm and holding it up. "You're lucky this was all that happened."
"I didn't think he was actually capable of-"
"Well, he is!" Luna paused, panting slightly. "Let me get something perfectly clear. Ryan, is my mate and mine alone. I love him and he loves me." She shoved Cadence's torn arm back to her side.
"Our bond is too strong for another to steal him from me. Even attempting would be a death wish." Luna continued explaining to her niece. "I told you before; there is a part of him that should never see the light of day and your actions nearly drew him out. I am the only one that can calm this beast. It wants me and me alone. I fully intend to keep it that way. Understood?"
Cadence's ears dropped and her head sank. "I understand."
"Very well then." Luna huffed, "Now grab your belongings, fix yourself up, and leave. I am very disappointed in you Cadence."
Cadence nodded and teleported away, her clothes vanishing with her as she made her departure.
With her out of the way, Luna could now deal with the raging human still thrashing about in the tub. She made her way over to his struggling form, moving slowly. She loved Ryan more than anything in the world and she trusted him with her life. But in all honesty, she didn't know what to think about him while he was like this.
Ryan watched as the mare moved closer to him. His anger seeming to dissipate a little bit more with every step she took. By the time she had made it over to him, his mind had settled from a small rampage to just minor irritation.
The bloodshot look in his eyes slowly began to recede and color was starting to return to his skin. The human looked down at his hand, quickly taking notice of the shattered glass imbedded in his skin.
He pursed his lips a bit as he eyed the wound, quickly realizing just how much it hurt to have tiny shards of glass digging into your body. "Hmm...well shit." He said in his normal, somewhat joke-like tone.
Luna couldn't help but to smile upon hearing him beginning to speak like his normal self. She quickly stretched out her arms and grabbed him, pulling him into a hug, one in which he was facing the other direction and flailing a bit.
"Halp! RAPE!!!"
She smiled and kissed Ryan's cheek, causing him to blush lightly and stop flailing around like some sort of lunatic. Instead he just smiled and spun himself around so he could return her embrace; while also making sure to keep his weaponized hand from touching her.
Luna pulled away, her smile dropping to a frown as she looked him over and spotted his wound. "I'm sorry, Ryan. I should have been here. This never would have happened if I had just stayed near you."
Ryan raised a brow at her. "Seriously? You're going to blame yourself for this?"
Luna looked genuinely sad, she really was blaming herself for this. "Yes, if I had just-" She fell silent as Ryan placed his good hand against her muzzle, giving her an almost reprimanding look.
"Sweetheart, not only is it NOT your responsibility to watch over me," He began, his joking nature vanishing completely as he spoke, "but this was no where near your fault."
"But, I-"
"No buts! This was not your doing; this happened because your niece is kind of a freak." He was completely surprised with how Cadence acted toward him. He knew from the start that he couldn't trust her, but never expected anything like this. "Now, before anything else, can we fix my fucking hand?"
Please! It feels like tiny knives are trying to work their way into my tendons!
She nodded, taking his injured hand into her palms. Her horn started to glow, as it did the broken shards of glass were levitated out of his skin and into a nearby bin. Once they were gone she started using a healing spell that quickly sealed up the small holes left in the glass' wake.
Ryan pulled his hand back and examined it, flexing his fingers to ensure his mobility. Everything seemed to be working properly. His eyes wandered over to Luna, who still had an upset look about her. He couldn't allow this, for her to be upset about something that was completely out of her power.
He reached up and grabbed her arm, quickly earning her attention, before promptly pulling her into the bath. She fell in with a loud splash and resurfaced not even a second later. Her entire body, as well as her clothes, were completely soaked now.
Luna looked over to Ryan, ready to verbally tear him a new ass for this little joke of his. Before she could even get a word out, he was upon her, his lips pressing into hers. Like placing ice in an oven, her anger melted away into nothing; evaporating into a steaming passion as they shared their oral embrace, soon opening their mouths to welcome the others tongue.
Ryan ran his hands along her body. She may have still been clothed, but he could still feel her soft toned figure beneath. He pressed her up against the edge of the tub, sliding his hands along her front as he started to work on pulling the sopping wet clothing from her body.
She was more than happy to let him strip her as they made out, her soon getting adventurous enough to slide her hands across his thighs and onto his already hardened member. She slid her fingers across the under side of his cock to tease him.
He could definitely feel what she was doing to him and sadly it was working. His anticipation was already through the roof, but if this was the game she wanted to play then he would play it right back. Once he had her fully stripped down to nothing he slid one of his hands in between her thick muscular thighs, soon finding her special little button and pinching it between his index and middle fingers.
Luna gasped, instinctively throwing her arms up and wrapping them around his neck. If spending a week at a thestral training ground with no way to relive herself wasn't bad enough, she had also had the female equivalent of being blue-balled last night, leaving her body more than just a little sensitive.
He continued to assault her clit with his fingers, rubbing and pressing against it with gusto, leaving Luna locked in a state of pleasure that she couldn't describe. However, it wasn't enough. She wanted more, she needed more!
"Ryan, please..." She begged, "I can't handle any more foreplay, just put it in."
"I'm sorry," He said with a devious smirk, "but I didn't quite understand what you said. Would you mind elaborating?"
Luna felt one of his fingers curl up and just barely force it's way into her entrance, causing her to wince. "God dammit!" She practically screamed. "Fuck me! Please, I can't take it anymore!"
"That's my girl!" Ryan removed his hand from between her and grabbed her legs, pulling them apart and lifting her up high enough for him to align himself with her slick entrance. Hot baths are a hell of a thing. He let her body drop down slightly, the head of his dick forcing its way into her. They both hummed in approval; hums soon turning into moans as he slowly hilted himself inside of her.
"Finally..." Luna whispered, her hips beginning to rock themselves back and forth; trying to force him further into her.
It didn't take much more to tell him that, at this moment, he had a job to do and he had no problem in doing that job until his body dropped. With that in mind he began thrusting into her, starting with slow and deep thrusts. Each one caused her breasts to bounce arousingly and would earn him a soft moan from the alicorn goddess.
"Harder..." She whispered into his ear, followed by planting a few soft kisses up his neck. "Please, go harder."
Ryan nodded, "As you wish, Princess." He replied, nibbling her ear for a split second before picking up his speed and adding a little extra force.
Luna gasped at this, her legs wrapping around him as he fucked her. They could have sworn that the water was getting hotter at this point, but then again that could have also been due to a number of different reasons...most of them being due to the-
Ow! She bit me!
With Ryan's increased pace, Luna was doing everything she could to keep herself at least relatively quiet. After all, they were in the royal bath house and not their room. She eventually found the only solution being to bite down on her mate's shoulder.
No matter how hard she bit, she couldn't stop herself from letting out an occasional squeak, and even a few grunts here and there. The pain she was causing the human though only seemed to fuel his lust, causing him to stop thrusting and start slamming into her.
In a matter of minutes Luna was already screaming out in ecstasy. "I'm...I'm gonna-AH...I'm gonna cum!" She yelled into his ear, her walls beginning to tighten around him until she finally let out a guttural moan and her body started to sink into his.
Ryan stopped thrusting and settled with holding her, letting her rest in his arms with his still hard dick pulsing inside of her. He looked down at her and smiled.
Damn, how did a guy like you manage to get a woman as amazing and as gorgeous as her?
Luna shifted a bit, noticing something a bit odd. She reluctantly lifted her head and looked up at her mate, who was still smiling down at her. She looked tired, but for some reason, he didn't. "Ryan...did you not...?"
He nodded, "Nope."
Her eyes widened at this. She finished, but he didn't. That just wasn't even right, not only that, but it wasn't even fair. The lunar mare sat herself up and wrapped her arms around him tight. "Keep going then."
"What?"
"You heard me. Keep going until you are satisfied."
He couldn't help but laugh a bit at her reaction. "Luna, it's fine. I still love you and I had fun. Don't think that-Holy shit!"
Luna quickly rose to her feet, picking Ryan up in her arms and laying him down on the cold floor so she could straddle him. He struggled a bit at first, but he was immediately won over as she started grinding on him, rubbing her labia across his entire length.
He let out a few muffled moans before finally submitting. "Okay, go ahead. I'll allow this."
She smiled and raised herself up, grabbing on to Ryan's cock and positioning it into her moist slit. Once he was lined up with her, she let her body drop hard. The two moaned loudly at the electricity of pleasure this caused them to feel and before long Luna was bouncing up and down, riding Ryan like a hairless horse.
Ryan was practically hypnotized with her movements, every time she would impale herself on him her breasts would bounce around wildly. He reached up, grabbing one in each hand and started massaging them with his fingers. It wasn't soft either, it was rough. Like digging your hands into a tub of play dough as a child.
If only Luna knew of the mental comparison you just did between her breasts and child's toy.
Even if she did, she wouldn't be able to react much to it at all. Her mind was lost in a state of euphoria. Her sensitivity didn't vanish when she had hit her peak earlier, in fact, it felt much stronger. She could already feel her oncoming orgasm building up in the pit of her gut. She was about to explode already. It was actually starting to scare her with how fast he could throw her over the edge.
"I'm gonna...cum again..." She said breathlessly. "Are you...close?"
Ryan nodded, confirming that he was indeed about to burst. His mind stayed focused on fondling her massive chest, while his body had instinctively started spearing her, thrusting deeper into her on its own accord. He could feel her walls already clamping down on his shaft, making the feeling so much more intense.
"Oh! Here it-" Luna didn't even get to finish what she was saying as her pussy unloaded a wave of juices onto Ryan's waistline. In return, she could feel Ryan's dick finally unload the large wave of semen it had been holding back into her. The warm feeling it filled her with was all she needed. They were even now.
Her body collapsed onto him, she was officially done for the night. She looked up to him with her eyes nearly lidded shut. "There...even" She said as her body began to shut down and her head fell into his chest.
Ryan just laughed before grabbing her and picking her up. "Come on, sweetheart. Let's get you to bed."
"How are you not tired?" She asked with genuine surprise.
"I'm me, that's how."
Stamina for days! |
The Perfect Mate | Hooked On A Feeling | Luna collapsed on to her bed. Court had been the very definition of a long day. Hours upon hours of sitting around and listening to the snobby nobles complain about such pointless garbage has left her both exhausted and annoyed. But that part of her day was over and now she could kick back and relax.
She would prefer to partake in such spoils with her mate, Ryan. Laying in bed beside him and snuggling up to his hairless form. It sounded absolutely wonderful to her right now. But, alas, he was not here.
The reason being because he was simply getting bored of just sitting around waiting for court to end so he would have something to do. So he came up with a few ideas on how to keep himself busy. Then the day came when he finally found a way to keep himself preoccupied long enough for court to end, and even give himself a little something in return.
In short, he got a job. Small-time construction, mostly just a few minor repairs on the homes of the lazy nobles. He had requested this job from Celestia several days ago and explained that, back in his world, he was taught how to do a number of repairs and even build small structures much like the ones in Ponyville. Minus the hay for rooftops thing...And the houses that appeared to be made of candy.
Celestia agreed to give him a job in construction and he was on his merry little way to being an honest worker again. The work was taxing and slowed him down a bit throughout the days, but it kept him from being pent up in the castle, being bored for hours on end, and allowed him to go out and meet new ponies.
The ponies at the jobsites were not only interested in him and what he was, but also his relationship. Rumors about Luna finally finding a suitor was spreading faster than herpes. Almost everypony had heard and they were starting to ask questions. With him finally being out and about, these questions instantly became directed at him.
At this very moment, Ryan sat on top of a building in Canterlot, surrounded by a small group of stallions. They were asking questions like; whether the rumors were true or not, if he came from a far away world, and yada-yada-yada. This would go on for hours almost every day. It didn't matter if he was working, or in the bathroom trying to take a piss. They were always there trying to pick his brain for information.
Luckily for him, the work day was coming to an end. Soon enough he'd be able to stop answering the same questions over and over again and be able to head back home to his gorgeous marefriend. Right now, all he wanted was to curl up in bed with her and snuggle the day away. He knew that sounded cheesy, but he was content with the idea and fully intended to make it happen.
"Alright, slackers!" A firm and powerful voice yelled from the ground below. Rusty Nails, was his name. He was Ryan's new boss. Despite being kind of an ass, he was a good stallion. All he really wanted from his workers was loyalty, dedication, and a willingness to work. As long as the job got done and was done right, he was happy. "Pack up, it's time to head out!"
Ryan hopped up from his spot on the roof and made his way down a tall ladder, being careful not to let anything drop from his tool belt. His body was covered in dirt, debris, and sweat. Lots and lots of sweat.
This didn't bother him though. Being able to go out and do something always gave him a certain feeling of satisfaction. Like he actually did something good for the world and he wasn't just some waste of space.
It's nice to know you serve a purpose.
Just as Ryan was about to start walking back to the castle, he heard a strange noise coming from behind him. He turned around and saw nothing but a simple bush. It rustled a couple of times, telling him that there was something hiding in it.
If this isn't the most obvious set-up, I don't know what is. We've seen enough horror films to know exactly where this is gonna go.
Knowing that walking over there was likely what somepony wanted him to do, he simply shrugged it off and continued making his way back to the castle.
Before he could even take more than a few steps he felt a light stinging in his arm. His eye lids became heavy and trying to continue walking was almost as hard as lifting a car with your bare hands. He looked around, but saw that everypony was already gone, no one was there to help him.
Seeing no pony around he drowsily investigated the stinging, poking sensation in his arm, finding what looked like some kind of dart sticking out of it. "You've gotta be...ffffuuckin...kidding...mrrr."
Ryan's body collapsed to the ground with a light thud.
Luna continued to lay in bed, awaiting her mate's arrival. After some time had passed she decided that after a log day of work the both of them could use a little bit of relief. She got up out of the bed and after a bit of searching she managed to find a black, see-through, night gown and removed all of her clothing so she would be wearing nothing but that.
She walked over to look over herself in a nearby mirror, analyzing all of her curves that could be seen almost perfectly through the thin material. Just looking over herself was making her excited. The way the gown hung loosely over her body, how her large breasts caused the chest region to bulge out some with her nipples forming small pointed ends at the tip. The way her thighs would shake whenever she swayed her hips was almost hypnotizing, causing her to do it several times.
The show she was putting on for herself soon came to a grinding halt as she felt a sudden shiver run down her spine. Something was wrong; something was very, very wrong. Thoughts of Ryan began to flood her mind, and not in the way she would have liked just moments ago.
She closed her eyes, trying to focus on nothing but him, using her thoughts to try and communicate with him.
Ryan? Ryan, are you there?
She received no reply, leading her to assume that he was unconscious. That was the only time he wouldn't respond to her mentally calling out to him. With that being the case, she should be able to track him. She focused even harder, wanting to find him as soon as possible. However, she could not get an exact location. This must mean that he's moving. But how could he be moving if he's...
"SISTER!"
Oh my God...Don't throw up, don't throw up, don't throw up...
Ryan's eyes just barely opened enough to register that he was sitting in a chair before he turned his head to the side and began emptying his stomach contents onto the floor beneath him.
Fucking Hell!
He lifted his head up, doing his best to ignore the pain that became ever-so present in his gut. It was almost like that night he spent at his friend Don's place. Everything started off fine and dandy; there was topless women, soda, liquor, everything you needed to have a good time.
Unfortunately for Ryan, that was the day he found out that his body REALLY hates vodka.
One bottle was shared amongst everyone there, but no one had the guts to even get started on the second one. To him, that was a challenge. So he popped off the lid and chugged it until there was nothing left. This stupid decision led to a night of laughing, crying, burying his face between some girl's thighs, then eventually passing out on the floor and waking up naked in the bathtub.
I still remember the taste. Never again will anything that is salted caramel apple flavored ever touch our lips...EVER!
Snapping himself out of his own thoughts, Ryan looked up to see that he was in a very dark room with dim green lighting in every other spot. That was the first thing he noticed, the second thing was a pair of glowing green eyes staring directly at him. He started to struggle, leading him to discover one more thing. He wasn't just sitting in a chair, he was tied to it.
Son of a whore!
"Don't bother struggling." An odd feminine voice spoke out from the darkness. Likely coming from whatever was watching him right now. The voice itself was weird though, like two people were talking at the same time, almost perfectly in sync. "You'll never be able to break out of those bonds."
The green eyes that watched him moved closer and a light picked up from atop of its head. Standing before him was a tall black mare, if you could even call her that. She looked like she was some kind of humanoid bug, what with the rough looking skin, the almost bee-like wings, and...
She has holes...all over her body...that is fucking hilarious.
Ryan could help but snort as he looked her over. Her body was actually rather attractive. Large breasts, slim stomach, large waist, likely to accompany a pretty nice ass. But, the idea of her having random holes in her limbs was simply too amusing for him to not find it funny.
Bet money she's had at least one guy in every hole on her body.
He couldn't hold it back any longer, Ryan started busting out laughing, causing the mystery mare to flinch in confusion. She couldn't understand why he was laughing. Usually when something looks at her it becomes terrified beyond all belief. But, this thing was laughing at her!
Her expression turned sour and she leaned closer to the human, so close that her muzzle was nearly pressed up against his nose. "Silence, you cur!"
"I-I cant!' He said between laughs while struggling to breathe. "It's just too much!"
She pulled herself back and growled at him as his laughing fit started to calm down.
"Okay! Okay...mhm..." He coughed to clear his throat, an amused smile still plastered across his face. "I'm sorry. Where are my manners? What's your name, sweetheart?"
She raised a brow at him. Even now, he doesn't seem the slightest bit frightened by her appearance. In fact, he looks like he just walked out of a theater after seeing the funniest comedy act known to ponies. "My name is Queen Chrysalis. I am queen of the-"
Guess that explains why she looks like a giant bug.
The queen's words were interrupted as the human started laughing...again. What was it that he found so amusing about her. "What is it now?" She asked in an annoyed fashion.
Ryan didn't reply, he couldn't. Instead he continued busting out in guffaw while stomping his feet as best as he could. Before too long, the so-called Queen delivered a rather painful punch to his jaw.
Luna started rubbing at a spot on her chin that was beginning to feel a bit sore. If she weren't so focused on developing different strategies and tactics to the guards on how to rescue her mate, she would have sworn that somepony had come up and flicked her really hard.
She rose from her seat and approached the commander of her guard, a thestral by the name Shadow Beam. "How's the plan coming along commander?"
Shadow rose up from his seat as she approached and bowed. "It's coming, Princess." He said, raising to a full standing position. "I believe I have come up with a plan that should get us in and out with minimal casualties."
Luna nodded, but there was something else here, there always is. No good plan comes without some sort of downfall. "What's the catch?" She asked, looking to skip passed all of the bullshit so he could get right to the point.
A drop of sweat worked its way down his stoic face, showing just how nervous he really was with the information he was about to pass. "Well, in order to do this right. We would have to move slowly, your highness."
She glared at him, urging him to explain himself with her eyes.
He choked slightly before speaking. "W-we want to do everything we can to bring Prince Ryan back safely, so we must be subtle in our pursuit. Which means we would have to drag out our approach as to not be discovered."
"For how long?" Her voice was filled with venom as she asked this, leaning closer to her commander.
"Um-uh..a couple...of...days..."
The room seemed to grow much colder as he said this. Luna's eyes stared directly into his; one of them twitching, which only succeeded in frightening him further.
Ryan managed to bounce back quickly from that last hit, but something told him that there was no way in hell he was walking away from this without a black eye.
Girl's got one hell of a hook.
After hitting him the first time, the queen began questioning him about all kinds of things, mostly about Canterlot. The questions consisted of the status of the guards, their defenses, and any change in structure to the city. The only thing he really knew about any of this were a few select buildings that he had worked on. Everything else was just going in one ear and out of the other.
He didn't know anything about Canterlot's defenses and the only thing he knew about the guards was that they stood as still a statues. The only time he would see them move was when they blinked and even that was a rarity. It was actually kind of creepy. They kind of reminded him of mannequins.
Honestly, Ryan had a huge disliking for mannequins. He always felt like any one of them could be a real person just playing themselves off as some sort of beauty prop.
As time passed, more unanswerable questions were asked, more punches were thrown, and more laughs escaped Ryan's lips than anything else.
Before too long, Chrysalis became fed up and left, abandoning him in the dark crypt of a room.
The queen growled as she made her way back to her chambers. "What could that crazy princess possibly see in a buffoon like him!?" She asked no one in particular, mostly just speaking to herself. "He's clearly an idiot; he's lived there for months and doesn't know a single thing about it!"
She kicked open her doors out of anger and took a seat on her bed, angrily! "How can something be so dense!? His only good quality is that pretty face he has and now it's a bleeding mess!"
She paused to take a breath before letting her body fall down onto the bed. "No matter, everything shall go according to plan." She babbled on to herself. "The princess will come looking for her little boy-toy and we will be ready to apprehend her. After that, nothing can stand in my way."
Ryan sat in relative silence, still bound to the chair. Not much else could be said. He was stuck and really had no way of getting out. All he could do now was listen to his own thoughts.
So, let's recap! She asked us questions about stuff we don't know, beat us harder than a limp dick, then stormed off all pissy cause that's just how queens are.
"Yep, pretty much."
We've taken worse, this aint shit.
"Mhm." He hummed, actually sounding rather unphased by everything that had just transpired.
Well, since we're stuck here we might as well have a little fun.
"How do you suppose we do that?"
I have a few ideas.
Two changeling guards stood outside of the room where Princess Luna's mate was being kept locked up. Their queen had demanded that they make sure he does not escape. The only ones allowed to enter would be her and the occasional changeling to hose him down and feed him so he wouldn't die, nor smell like a barn animal.
Things were pretty quiet once their queen left to go back to her room, but that ended quicker than they expected as the creature behind the door began chanting something very odd. It's voice echoing through the halls.
"Ooga chaka, ooga, ooga, ooga chaka. Ooga, ooga, ooga chaka. Ooga, ooga, ooga chaka. Ooga, ooga, ooga chaka."
They both looked toward the door, occasionally glancing at each other with a questioning gaze. Neither of them knew what was happening. Was it calling for help? Getting ready to cast a spell? Summoning an ancient evil?
"I, I'm hooked on a feeling!
I'm high on believing!
That you're in love with me!
I'm hooked on a feeling!
And I'm high on believin'
that you're in love with me!
Said I'm hooked on a feeling!
And I'm high on believin'
that you're in love with me!"
The two guards groaned in unison, knowing that whatever this thing was, it was not panning on being pleasant. It's obnoxious yelling/singing was already giving them a headache. It shouldn't last too long though, it's gotta get tired at some point, right?
4 Hours Later
"`You and me, baby, aint nothing but mammals!
So let's do it like they do on the discovery channel!
Do it again now.
You and me, baby, aint nothing but mammals!
So let's do it like they do on the discovery channel!
GETTIN HORNY NOW!
Bada, bum, buda, nana, nana! Buda, bum, buda, nana, nana!"
The guards were practically bleeding out of their ears as the creature continued to assault their brains with it's never ending list of songs. Each one becoming either more obnoxious, annoying, or just plain dirty than the last.
One of them finally snapped at. "Will you shut up!"
"Hey, fuck you!" Ryan screamed back at them.
A smaller female changeling approached the guards, carrying a silver platter with fresh fruit on it in her hands. "Um, excuse me." She shyly spoke, earning the guards' attention. "I'm here to feed the human..."
The guards nodded and allowed her entry, using their magic to open the door for the small changeling.
She walked in, nearly jumping at her own shadow as she made her way to the tied up creature sitting just a few feet from her. "Hello...I'm Silver. I'll be feeding you today sir..."
Ryan stared awkwardly at, what he could only assume was a child. She walked closer to him and grabbed an apple from the tray she was holding and held it out in front of his face.
"So...Silver, right?" He asked, taking a bite out of the apple. It wasn't that bad actually. He was assuming that the fruit was drugged but, seeing how he wasn't passing out, his assumption was wrong. Thank God.
She nodded, keeping her arm held out so he could eat. "Yes, I'm supposed to come here and feed you so you won't starve."
This was very odd for Silver. She usually felt so inferior around others, but for some reason she didn't feel that around this creature. Something about him seemed different; it seemed nice.
"Nice to meet ya." He said with his mouth full before swallowing. "I'm Ryan, Princess Luna's boyfriend."
"I-I heard." She replied with a smile. "It must be fun to be dating royalty."
"It's alright. I mean, she can be kind of a bitch sometimes." He chuckled at his own remark and smiled when he saw Silver giggling. "But, she's only like that when she needs to be. And trust me, I give her a thousand different reasons to every day."
Silver couldn't seem to wipe the smile off of her face. She was enjoying talking to Ryan. He was funny, weird looking, but funny. She would have to come down here more often to talk to him. |
The Perfect Mate | Where My Demons Hide | "~I need a hero!
I'm holding out for a hero, till the end of the night!
He's gotta be strong
and he's gotta be fast
and he's got be larger than life!
LARGER THAN LIFE!!!"
The two changeling guards didn't know how much more they could take. This had been going on for five days now and it was starting to make their ears bleed. You'd think the human being kept locked up would grow tired after the first few times, but no. He would continue to sing for hours upon hours. For days, upon days. It never ended!
"Stop singing!" One of them finally shouted to the obnoxious singer.
"Hey, I wanna go for a walk!" Ryan replied. He was starting to feel very pent up just sitting here and not being allowed to do anything. The first day he was okay, the second he started to get antsy. Now he just wanted to get up and move.
Being stuck in a chair for days with no end has taught him something. First off, he never knew that an ass could get so sore just from sitting. The second thing was that if he ever had to spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair, he'd probably kill himself.
"Come on, let me out! Just for a few minutes." He pleaded, really needing to stretch his legs.
"You can't go for a walk." The same guard answered. If the human would have been less annoying he might have considered it, but his queen wouldn't allow it anyway so it wouldn't matter.
"Come on, Changey. Be a pal. Don't be douche like Shifter over there."
The guards eyed each other at this. Apparently the human didn't just give them random, and somewhat racist, names. But, he also seemed to know that there were two of them out there. Which didn't make sense because the other guard hasn't spoken once.
"Yeah, Shifter! I know you're out there you fucking silent bitch!"
"Gorton!" The changeling that had been dubbed Changey yelled.
"What?"
"My name is Gorton!"
"...Come on, Changey!"
"Dammit, you're not getting out!"
"Why not?"
"Shut up!"
"~Promiscuous girl!
Where ever you are!
I'm all alone
and it's you that I want!"
Gorton was about two seconds from kicking down the door and beating the human with a bat. Luckily, for that annoying creature, he was interrupted from his almost violent outburst by the small changeling who came by to feed him so he wouldn't wither away.
Honestly, he felt like they should have let him die a while ago. Worse than that, the young changeling, Silver, was keeping him in high spirits. Every time she would go in there he would hear them chatting away as if they had known each other for years. They would talk for nearly an hour and laugh about who knows what. In his mind, she was a traitor. For all he knew, she could be giving away secrets to the human and information about the hive.
He nearly growled as she approached the doors before cutting her off with his spear. "Just what do you think you're doing?"
Silver flinched at this. Normally she would be able to just walk right by the guards and they would hardly look at her. So, why the sudden hostility? He knew that this was her job. "I'm going to feed Ryan."
"Oh, so you're on a first name basis now?" He asked, his feelings of anger growing as quickly as his suspicions of her.
"I just...I-um..." She backed away, being able to feel the guards increasing emotions.
Gorton took several step closer to Silver and grabbed her arm, causing her to drop the tray of food she was supposed to be taking to their human prisoner.
Silver let out a pained yelp as the guard's grip on her arm tightened.
Was that Silver?
The sound of rattling chains echoed from deep within Ryan's mind. Like they were being dragged across the floor only to be caught on something.
Is he hurting her?
"Oh, Changey!" He sang, quickly earning the guard's attention.
Gorton turned his head to face the closed doors to their prisoner's room. "What do you want now?" He asked with a thick venom in his voice.
"You better not be hurting my meal carrier..."
The guard grinned. Finally, he had a way to get to that annoying creature. "So what if I am? What does it matter to you?"
"If you hurt her...I will come out there...and I will stick that spear through your fucking leg..."
Gorton's smile grew at this. He already suspected that Silver was a traitor, so it brought him no shame to hurt her. And, knowing that it would bother the human, just made him feel so much more justified.
He turned his head to face Silver again before delivering a hard smack across her face with the end of his spear.
Silver cried out from the hit, a small trickle of green blood oozing out of a small cut on her cheek.
That son of a bitch!
The sound of a single piece of metal snapping in half boomed through his brain, sending a wave of intense rage coursing through his veins. And, in the real world, back in his little room, the sound of ropes being pulled against with great force started to fill his ears.
Outside of the room, Gorton was having a field day as he continued to beat silver with the wooded end of his spear. Her screams quickly filling the dark hallways of the hive. He knew there was no way in all of the Badlands that the human could break free from his bindings. So why stop at just one? If he continued to hurt her, then it would break him down. Maybe it would even get him to stop singing.
It wasn't until he heard something snapping loudly from behind him that he stopped and looked back at the doors. Almost in an instant they were kicked open by a very pissed off looking Ryan with eyes so blood shot it looked like he had just escaped from a burning building.
Ryan stood there, eyeing both Gorton and Silver, his body trembling as he did so.
The other guard, who had kept his post, attempted to stab at the human with his spear. However, the blade was caught in the human's powerful grip.
His hand began dripping blood as he caught the weapon just inches from his chest, the metal digging deep into the flesh on his hand. "I'm gonna make regret ever being hatched you ugly fucking bug."
The guard started to shake in fear as Ryan's eyes locked onto his. Before he could react further the human lunged at him, roaring like a wild animal.
Luna felt a cold shiver run down her spine, followed by a strange tingling sensation in her left hand. She looked down and inspected the appendage, seeing nothing wrong with it. There was no sign of injury, but there was a prominent red mark going across it. Like she had been leaning it up against the edge of a table for too long.
"Your highness." Her commander spoke up, causing her to snap back to reality. "We're nearly to our destination. As my theory had suggested, we were completely unseen. We are ready to infiltrate on your command."
She wore a determined look on her face as she nodded. "Let's go save Ryan."
Ryan looked over what he had done with not even a single ounce of regret filling him. One of the guards laid unconscious on the floor with his body bloody and bruised while Gorton, his primary target, was sitting upright and still conscious. His own spear buried deep into his knee, the blade of the weapon prominently sticking out of the other side of his leg.
He stood over the bastard who had started mercilessly beating Silver with a fire in his eyes, watching as he tried to remove the spear from his own leg.
Gorton looked up at Ryan with hate-filled eyes, still gently pulling at the weapon. The pain was too much for him to bare. He would not be able to get it out without some kind of help.
Ryan wasted no time in leaning down and picking Gorton up by the neck in his right hand. He lifted him into the air and pinned the changeling against a wall, tightening his grip until he could hear him choking.
Keeping his grip tight, he watched as Gorton started to fall unconscious, the light further fading from his eyes with every passing second. Once he was out cold, he started squeezing tighter, making sure that he wasn't going to wake up, ever...
He dropped Gorton's limp body to the ground. With both of the guards out of the way he could focus on something much more important.
Ryan started looking around the area before finding Silver hidden underneath a nearby table. He walked over and crouched down so he could see her. What he saw though made his heart drop. One side of her face was bruised to a dark shade of green with cuts leaking what he could only assume was blood.
Silver stared at him with a certain amount of fear in her eyes. She had just watched him beat one of the guards to a bloody pulp and then kill Gorton. So her judgment on him was a bit fuzzy at the moment.
He could tell she was scared, but he couldn't just sit back and do nothing while they hurt her like that.
Ryan reached a hand out to Silver, his eyes showing her nothing but kindness. "Come on, Silver. It's okay. I'm not gonna hurt you."
Even though she had just watched him commit what was easily the biggest crime in the hive, she still felt as though she could trust him. She could see how much he cared for her in his eyes, and she could feel his emotions seeping into her. Nothing about them read any sort of hostility toward her.
She smiled, this was all she needed to know that he wasn't going to do anything to her. Reaching out, she grabbed his hand and let him lead her from under the table.
Once Silver was out and standing Ryan pulled her into a gentle hug. He was happy that she was alright. Over the past five days of him being a prisoner here, he and Silver had developed a powerful friendship. She came by every day to feed him and take care of him. During her visits they would talk for hours and she always managed to keep him smiling. He learned to trust her and care for her like family.
In his mind, she was family. She was loyal, kept him busy, and did everything she could to keep him from feeling like all hope was lost. She gave him faith that everything would be alright.
He broke the hug and looked over her wounds. They were bad, but not lethal. She might have a nasty scar though. "Are you alright, sweetheart?"
"I am now..." She looked passed him, staring at Gorton's corpse just a few feet from them. "You choked him to death...for me..."
Ryan chuckled. "No, I didn't choke him."
Silver looked up at him with a raised brow. Obviously being slightly confused.
"I strangled that motherfucker."
She couldn't help but giggle at his remark. Then it hit her; her eyes widened upon remembering that she wanted to tell him something when she came to feed him. "Oh! Some Lunar guards were spotted snooping around near the hive. They've found you!"
Ryan threw his arms to the air. "Woo! It's about fucking time."
"Yeah...it is." Silver went quiet. Her features sinking a bit, but keeping a forced smile on her face.
He spotted this quickly and kneeled down to her level. "Hey, what's wrong?"
"It's nothing," She replied, still keeping up her fake smile. "It's just that..." She looked into his eyes, a tear soon falling down her cheek. "I'm gonna miss you."
Ryan cocked his head to the side, a comically confused look plastered across his face. "I'm sorry, did you think you were staying here?"
Her eyes went wide once again after her mind had pieced together what he had just asked her. "What?"
"Come on, you think I'm gonna leave you in this shit-hole with assholes who beat you? Fuck off! You're coming back to Canterlot with me!"
A bright smile stretched across Silver's face before she straight up tackled Ryan to the ground, forcing him into a hug that should be way too tight for someone her size to give.
C-can't...breathe...mrrr
"Okay...kinda need air here..." He managed to choke out.
Silver released Ryan and climbed off of him, allowing him to catch his breath and eventually get back to his feet.
"Such a heart warming moment." A voice spoke from across the room. One that the two instantly recognized as the Queen of the changelings.
Queen Chrysalis stood just opposite of them with her arms crossed, a shit-eating grin spread across her face. "It's too bad that neither of you will live through the night."
Silver started to shake with fear, but calmed down when Ryan walked out in front of her. "That's some big talk from such a little bitch."
The queen rolled her eyes. "That's funny, coming from you at least." She said in a sarcastic tone. "Exactly how much of a fight did you put up while I was torturing you."
"About the same as these two fuckers." He gestured the unconscious and dead guards on the ground.
She shrugged. "I'll admit; I'm impressed that you managed to break free and even take down some of my guards. But that matters little. You cannot stand against a whole army and neither can your precious princess of the night."
Excuse you, bitch?
"Come again?" Ryan's heart started beating faster. The sound of chains rattling around in his brain started to fill his ears once again.
"Your mate, as you call her, has arrived and is currently walking directly into my trap. Soon enough, she'll be apprehended then executed."
Ryan nodded. "Mhm...Tell me, queen. Do you know the difference between choking and strangulation?"
She giggled at his words. Like he would ever be able to get his hands on her. She snapped her fingers and various green eyes began popping up from the surrounding darkness. "I think I'll just have you killed now. Then I'll go after Luna..."
Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit!
"Silver..." Ryan whispered.
"Are we going to die?" She asked shakily.
"No, I won't let you die. That's why I need you to start running."
"B-but..."
"NOW!!!"
In the back of his mind Ryan was sprinting as fast as he could toward the large metal door at the end of the hall. "Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit!"
Once he was close enough, he focused on all of the locks and in a split second they fell to the ground and the door swung open, allowing him immediate access. He ran in and slid across the dark floor as he forced himself to a stop just inches away from the rampaging monster in a blood stained straight jacket.
The darker half of Ryan's mind was in a frenzy, throwing its body around with a vigor that could only be fueled by unbridled rage. It screamed and roared incoherently as it thrashed about, trying to break free of its chains.
The lighter half shushed it at first, but that didn't do anything but become drowned out by it's hollering. "Shut the fuck up, you babbling moron!"
The dark half ceased it's tantrum and started glaring daggers at it's other half.
"Look," He began, taking a breath to calm himself. "you and I both know that this isn't going to end well. That is why I'm here, and that's why I need you to focus."
The darker half's eyes seemed to show a sign of understanding, allowing the lighter half to continue. "I'm going to let you out, but you have to promise me something." The darker half tilted its head slightly. "First, you will not hurt Silver." It growled. "You will not hurt her! You will not hurt her and you will come back here when this is all over."
It started to roar, seeing this so-called agreement to be a little one-sided. "And in exchange..." It paused, wanting to hear what he had to say. "I want you...to kill every other motherfucker you see in here."
It froze for a moment, then smiled. It nodded furiously, a blood curdling smile spread across its face.
He closed his eyes and swallowed, nervously making his way over to the dark half and undoing the belts on the jacket. "Leave no survivors. Just leave Silver alone and the rest are all yours."
He made his way to the last belt, the one that kept his arms bound to his sides. After taking a deep breath he separated the two leather strands from each other and the jacket that once held Ryan's darker half fell to the ground.
It smiled as the implement that had kept him stuck in place for years was finally free from his body. "I'm gonna kill them all. I'm gonna kill their friends and their family. I won't stop. I'll never stop!"
The lighter side took a few step back. "This might not have been a good idea."
A severe pain shot through Ryan's skull, causing him to reach his hands up and burry his fingers into his head. It felt like hundreds of small razors were burrowing their way into him. The sensation sent wave after wave of blood to his brain. He could feel his pulse in his eyes sockets as several blood vessels started to pop, leaving the white in his eyes red as they filled with blood.
The pain passed and he looked up at the group of Changelings surrounding him, as well as the smiling queen.
A disturbing grin graced his features. "I'm gonna kill each and every one of you." He spoke with an unnatural growl in his voice. "I'm gonna rip off your skin, wrap it around my dick, AND FUCK YOUR QUEEN WITH IT!!!"
They recoiled at this and before they knew it, the human was charging at them, screaming like a maniac.
Luna had to take a seat on the floor. Her mind was becoming overwhelmed with images of her mate. In each image he was covered in an odd green liquid, his eyes were blood red, and he always seemed to screaming.
She placed a hand to her head, becoming dizzy from the overabundance of violent pictures in her brain. This must be some kind of sign. She needed to find him and quick.
Several of her lunar guards had stopped to tend to her, but she waved them off and pulled herself back up, continuing their journey deeper into the changeling hive. The lighting was too dim for them to see very far in, so torches were lit and lined up along the walls.
The sound of screaming began to echo through the tunnel-like halls. It sounded like something small, like a child. A short figure appeared in the darkness, becoming clearer as it ran closer to the light.
As it got closer they began to make out its features. It had dark, tough looking skin, long green hair, and bug-like wings. The guards raised their weapons, causing the small changeling to stumble and fall as she tried to stop herself.
"That's one of them." A guard shouted.
Two guards walked over and grabbed the changeling, lifting her into the air by her arms. She didn't fight them, just remained still as they brought her to Luna.
Luna looked down at the changeling. She wanted to appear strong and firm to it, but something about this changeling made her feel strange. Almost like she cared about it. Her toughened look turned motherly as she spoke. "Who are you, little one?"
It took her a moment to realize who was talking to her, but once she realized who it was she unloaded. "Princess Luna!" She nearly yelled. "My name is Silver. Please, you have to help Ryan. They're going to hurt him!"
Luna's eyes narrowed at the changeling. This could be some sort of trap, but they weren't going to be getting anywhere soon unless they had something to go off of. "Who's going to hurt him?"
Before Silver could answer, another form started to appear from the dark. This one was much taller, but had a body that was very similar to the smaller changeling. It appeared to be wounded, if the limping was any indication. Once it was close enough, they easily recognized her by the crown on her head, but not much else.
Chrysalis, queen of the changelings, stumbled toward them. Her body was covered in green blood; a combination of her children's and her own. Her horn was nearly gone, as if it had been snapped off just above the base of her skull.
"Please..." She weakly begged. "Help us...he's killing them. He's killing my children..."
Everypony watched her, frozen, in a state of shock as she made her way over, soon collapsing just inches away from them. She was still alive, but they all wondered what could have possibly happened to her. Then they all heard it. The sound of footsteps making their way over to them, followed by a familiar voice that seemed to be singing as it got closer.
"~Ladies and gentlemen!
You hero has returned again!
Everything is going to be okay-ay-ay-ay!"
Ryan appeared from the shadows, looking just as he did in Luna's visions. His body covered in a thick green substance, his eyes blood red, and filled to the brim with an unquenchable bloodlust.
Luna wanted to charge over, to run in and hug him and love him, but this wasn't Ryan anymore. This was something else entirely. It was horrible, monstrous, and down right evil.
He made his way over to the collapsed queen, gripping her broken horn tightly in his hand. He dragged the tip of it across the wall, making a threatening scratching noise that made everypony turn pale. As if seeing him in this state wasn't enough already.
Once Ryan made it to the queen he leaned down and grabbed her by the hair, pulling on it to force her head up. She screamed...and he laughed, raising the broken horn above his head.
"~Ladies and gentlemen.
Your shepherd and your very best friend.
Bow your head and let us in to stay-ay-ay-ay!"
Just has he brought the horn down, with the intent to shove it straight through her neck, his vision went black and all was silent. The last thing he heard was the screams of a woman he loved more than anything else in the world. She called out to him, begging him to stop. But now, now everything was gone. No more screaming, no more blood. Just nothingness.
Finally he heard something; the rattling of chains, a closing door, the sound of a lock being put in place.
Just one more thing he won't be able to see... |
The Perfect Mate | Where My Demons Hide (Part 2) | Ryan awoke in his own bed, much to his surprise. Last time he checked he was trapped in some kind of hive for weird bug-people. Of course, he had no idea how he got here, or even how he got out of being captured. His first assumption was that Luna must have found him while he was asleep. She can track people down when they're asleep, right? Never-the-less, he needed to make sure everything was in order.
"Brain, status report."
I wouldn't recommend moving.
"What?" He asked in confusion, trying to sit himself up. A sudden shockwave of pain surged through his body, causing him to collapse back down to the bed. He couldn't figure out why, but he felt like he had just spent a whole day at the gym. Every muscle in his body was sore and his bones felt like they were about to crumble.
"Shit...What the fuck happened last night?"
It was a hell of a struggle, but you managed to break out of the hive. Wasn't long before Luna found you.
His mind traveled back to the hive again. He could just vaguely remember breaking out of the room they had him in. He remembered beating down the two guards to save...
"Silver!" He yelled, not knowing if she made it out or not.
Calm down, she took off before that group of bug guards showed up.
Ryan couldn't seem to remember much about the group of guards. Them showing up was pretty fuzzy in his mind. After that though, everything just went blank. "What happened?"
You made a valiant effort, good sir...but you got fucked up. They beat you down pretty good, but you managed to bring a good number of them down with you.
"So I'm not a complete bitch."
I wouldn't say that.
The bedroom door opened and Ryan tried to lift his head to see who it was, but his neck was pretty stiff and moving it seemed to hurt more than getting a baseball to the testicle. Not testicles, not both. Only one. Just charging head on right into ol' lefty.
Luna walked over to the bedside, taking a seat on the edge. She was happy to see that he was awake, but she could tell that he was in a great deal of pain. "Good morning, Ryan."
"How's it going mooncheeks?"
She giggled at the nickname he had given her. "I'm certainly doing better than you. How are you feeling?"
"Like I got hit by a bus." He replied nonchalantly, turning his head to face her. She had an odd look about her, like she was staring down at someone who was about to die. "You alright there, sweetheart?"
She nodded, a soft smile spreading across her lips as a single tear ran down her face. "I'm fine, dear. I'm just happy that you're back and you're perfectly healthy."
Luna placed one of her hands on his chest, she could feel the gentle beating of his heart. "I thought I had lost you."
Ryan shot her a cocky smile. "I already told you once; You can't get rid of me that easily."
She sniffed, holding back just how much she was truly hurting. The battle was a long one and it almost resulted in her losing him forever. There was no time for this though, she needed to figure out what was going on in that head of his. "Well I'm glad. And, you have a visitor as well."
His brow raised at her. Who could possibly be here to see him? "A visitor? If it's your sister, then he can go right to hell."
"Don't you mean She?"
"I said what I meant."
Luna snorted and looked towards the door. "Alight then. You may come in now."
The door opened again and Ryan could feel a bit of movement on the bed down by his feet. Before too long a small changeling was hovering over his head. "Hi, Ryan!"
"Silver!" Ignoring the pain in his body he reached out an arm and pulled the little one into a hug. One that she happily returned. "It's so good to see you. I wasn't sure if you made it out or not."
"Of course I did." She said happily. "I had you watching over me."
Gay!
Luna could hear his brain speaking and figured this would be as good a time as any. "I'll be back in a moment. There's something I need to do."
She rose up from the bed and made her way back out to the hallway. Once out she closed the door and took a breath, closing her eyes and focusing on the spell she was about to cast.
When she opened her eyes again she was in a barren wasteland, surrounded by crumbling buildings and destroyed vehicles. There was a layer of thick black clouds above her that roared with thunder and lightning as rain poured down on top of her.
"It's nice isn't it?" A familiar voice picked up from behind her. She turned around to see the mental image of Ryan sitting on top of an old semi-truck, basking in the rain. "To some people an area like this would be considered an eye sore. But, I like it. It's peaceful, empty. The rain just makes it all the better too. How it slides across your skin, sending little tingles through your body. It's like a little slice of heaven."
Luna smiled up at him. Of course he would enjoy something like this. She couldn't blame him though, it was peaceful and the rain was a nice touch. As much as she would love to hang out in here for a while, she needed to figure a few things out. "How much does he remember?"
"Not allot." He replied, hopping down from the truck. "As far as he knows; he got out of the chair, kicked some ass, then got the shit beat out of him."
She nodded. "Will he remember anything else?"
"Not a chance. I made sure of that."
"And what of the beast?"
"Back in his cage where he belongs."
There was a pause between them before Ryan made his way over to Luna. "I know it's hard to understand, but there are some things that are better left forgotten. The guy's got enough memories haunting him for several life times." He stopped once he and Luna were close enough to make out each others eyes. "I just don't want the fucker to suffer any more than he already has."
Luna's gaze dropped to the ground, she couldn't help but think about what had happened when they found him.
Ryan stabbed Chrysalis' own broken horn deep into her throat, leaving a pool of thick green goop to seep out of her neck and onto the floor. When her body had finally stopped convulsing, he looked up at the group of thestrals that stared at him with wide eyes. He started growling like some kind of animal and lunged up at them, fists swinging and teeth bared.
Luna called out to him, begging for him to stop. He wouldn't listen though, he just continued to attack her guards. It didn't take long for them to start fighting back.
She had to grab Ryan in her magical grip to stop him from hurting anypony else. She begged and pleaded with him to calm down, but his mind was too far gone for her words to have any meaning.
Hit him...
Her eyes widened as she heard the voice from within Ryan's mind speaking to her, telling her to hurt him.
You want Ryan back? You wanna put an end to all of this madness? Hit him! Knock him the fuck out!
She closed her eyes and let out a silent apology before punching Ryan directly in the skull, knocking him unconscious the second her fist connected with his head.
"It was a bitch to get that guy back where he needed to be, even with him being dazed from how hard you hit him. We got lucky, I wouldn't have been able to overpower him other wise."
Luna sniffed again, doing her best to hold back her tears. She just couldn't seem to cope with the idea of Ryan being lost from her forever. Seeing him in that state was horrible, but him being that way for the rest of his life...It hurt her, it hurt. It hurt her heart knowing that he could have been stuck that way and there would have been nothing she could do about it.
Ryan could see that she was upset and placed a hand on her cheek, gently guiding her gaze up to him. "Hey, try not to think about it too much. The important thing is; He's back and everything can go back to normal."
She nodded, using one of her arms to wipe the developing tears from her eyes. "You're right. I shouldn't think about it. Ryan is okay and that's all that matters."
"That's the spirit!" He shouted as thunder echoed from above them. "Now get your sexy little ass outta here. You got a man to go see."
Luna smiled, her body becoming covered in a bright blue glow as she removed herself from Ryan's mind. "Thank you..."
He sighed and looked up at the sky, watching the rain as it fell down on to his face. He was going to climb back onto the semi so could continue to enjoy it, but another flash of blue light entered his vision where Luna had been previously standing.
His eyes traveled back to that spot to find a face he was pretty happy to see. "Well, well, well. If it isn't the blue menace herself, Lulu."
The younger looking version of Luna placed a hand on her hip and playfully rolled her eyes at him. "Yeah, whatever cock-bite. Do you wanna insult me or have a little fun in the rain?"
"Don't think I can't do both." He said with a shit-eating grin on his face. "I am quite the multitasker."
Luna opened her eyes to find herself standing back in the hallway just outside of the room she shared with her mate. She could hear him and Silver talking to each other an laughing every so often. Feeling a little nosy, she peeked her head in to listen to what they were saying.
"Really, I don't understand why some clubs and stuff have dress codes." Ryan started explaining. "I mean, do they want me to go in there with a one thousand dollar suit just to get smashed and ruin it?"
Silver started giggling at him as he continued.
"I can't imagine that the guy who made it was just like; I make the finest suit that you wear to the club. You do a jaeger bomb and you spill! Then you puke...Then you do cocaine and you wake up!"
At this pint Silver was rolling around on the bed laughing. She didn't know what a jaeger bomb or cocaine was, but the way he delivered the joke and how he yelled as if he were mad just made it funny to her.
"You grab your girl then she pukes and pees down your back...Not a pleasant experience."
That girl sucked...and she wasn't even good at it.
Silver could hardly breathe as she continued with her giggle fit.
Fuck! Why is she so adorable!?
Luna was doing her best to hold in her laugh before making her way back into the room. "How are you two doing?"
Silver got back up and calmed herself down. "We're fine. Ryan's funny!"
"Yes, yes he is." Luna commented.
"Yes, yes I am." Ryan simply said. Not for ay particular reason. Mostly just to be an asshole. "How you doing over there sexy?"
Luna raised a brow at him. "Are you sure you should be talking like that in front of the child?"
He thought about it for a minute and realized his error. "Right, at this age they're supposed to think that people of the opposite gender are gross. Allow me to rephrase that." He cleared his throat then raised his hand, sticking his thumb up and then turning it upside down. "Boo! Boo! Go away!"
...She is gonna cut you!
Silver collapsed onto the floor, once again entering a ridiculous laughing fit.
Ryan inched his way to the edge of the bed to look down at Silver. "And like that, the bed is all mine again."
Luna rolled her eyes and made her way over to Silver. "Are you alright down there?"
Silver somehow managed to recompose herself and get back to her feet. "I'm fine, it was just funny."
She giggled. "Would you mind giving me and Ryan a few minutes to talk?"
"Not at all." Silver said with a smile before making her way out of the room, leaving Luna and Ryan to be alone together.
Luna walked over to the bed and took her spot on the side again, sitting right on the edge and looking over her mate. She could still see a good amount of red in his eyes, but it was clearing up nicely.
He looked back up at her, slightly confused. "So...is there any reason in particular that you wanted us to be alone? Am I going to be raped?"
The princess laughed. "No, I just felt like being alone with you." She continued to look down at him, her eyes speaking a thousand phrases of her love for him. She leaned down and kissed his forehead. "You should get some rest. You still have a bit of healing up to do."
Ryan took a deep breath. "Yeah, you're probably right. Mind giving me a little help with that. I'm not exactly tired."
"Of course." Luna's horn started glowing and in an instant Ryan's eyes started to become heavy. Before he knew it he was asleep with Luna just looking at him with caring eyes. "Good night, love. Sweet dreams." |
The Perfect Mate | Happy... | "Ryan, are you sure you should be doing this? I'm not sure it's a good idea," Silver suggested with a worrisome voice.
"I'vvvve...never been more sure about anything in my entire life. Today is the day...that Imma...I'm gonna...beat this ashhole!" Ryan replied with a bit of a slur.
We...were...we're gonna win this...this time!
Discord, the master of chaos himself, merely chuckled at the human's words.
Originally, after recovering from what Ryan was told was the beat down of the century, he was going to just kick back and relax. That was until the oddly dressed, humanoid...thing, known as Discord, challenged him to a rematch for their drinking game. Silver just so happened to stumble upon the two as they were discussing the matter of the rematch and insisted on keeping the human company.
The first few shots were pretty alright, Ryan didn't seem to change much at all. Around the seventh or eighth though, he started acting funny. He would have a hard time speaking full sentences without some kind of error. Then around the twelfth or thirteenth shot his head started randomly spinning around in circles.
Now, reaching out for his twentieth shot-this number is likely exaggerated-he raised the glass in an odd kind of salute. "Mustafa!"
With that he collapsed, his body falling to the floor with a loud thud. Silver quickly ran over to aid him. His eyes were open, his pulse was steady, and he was still breathing. All of these were good signs, but the way his body seemed to move like it was under water made her a bit uncomfortable.
"Is he going to be okay?" Silver asked, concern filling her features as she stared up at the god of chaos.
Discord waved a dismissive hand at her. "Oh, he'll be fine. But, it would seem that he has lost once again."
Ryan lifted his head and pointed an accusing finger at him. "Ffffuuck...your mother."
He chuckled at the human's behavior and watched as Silver's small body strained as she tried to lift him up. "Allow me to help you with that."
With a snap of his fingers, followed by a bright flash of light, Ryan's body was now laying down in a shopping cart. Discord chuckled before continuing. "Go on now, the game is over. We shall play again some other time. Until then, you should probably push him around for a while. I think some fresh air will do him some good."
Silver wasn't sure how to respond to what Discord had just done and settled with just nodding and rolling Ryan out of the room and into the hallway.
Discord wore a mischievous grin as he watched them leave, getting ready to watch how things would unfurl this time around. With another snap of his fingers he was turned completely invisible and began following the two.
Back in the hallway, Silver pushed the cart to Celestia knows where. She had only been here for a couple of days now and was still learning how to get around. "Ryan, do you know where we are going?"
"Not really..." He lifted his head a bit so he could see over his legs, but that only worked for a few seconds. The movement sent of wave of motions into his brain, making him much more nauseous than he was comfortable with. That being a thing, he lowered himself back down. "Just keep going forward. I'm sure we'll figure something out."
I'm hungry...
"Let's go get some fucking burgers, man. I'm starving." Ryan said to the small changeling.
"What's a burger?"
"Just shut up and keep pushing..."
After about a minute they continued to see nothing but hallway after hallway, occasionally passing by a few ponies who would give them odd looks. In the cart, Ryan made a silent prayer to have another drink and like magic a bottle of Sweet Apple Ale appeared in his hands.
Fuckin magic, dude...rules
He twisted the cap off and took a swig, letting out a content hum as the liquid poured down his throat.
They passed by several more ponies while going down the hall, each one giving them a look of both confusion and curiosity. Silver almost bumped into a thestral guard at one point, but just barely managed to turn away from him.
The changeling was starting to get tired from pushing Ryan. He was heavier than he looked, which led her to eventually stop in the middle of the hall to catch her breath.
Ryan quickly took notice of the lack of movement and turned his head. It wasn't enough to see Silver, but it was as far as his neck could go in his current position. "What's wrong? You gettin tired?"
"A little bit. I'm sorry."
"It's cool, take a break. A couple more minutes won't kill us." He said, taking another sip of the ale.
Once Silver was able to breathe properly again, she returned to pushing the cart.
With boredom eventually sinking in after minutes more of going down seemingly endless hallways, Ryan decided that the best way to pick up the mood would be to sing a song.
"~I walk in the bar and
the fellas all cheer,
They order me up
a whiskey and beer.
You ask me why
I'm writing this poem,
Some call it a tavern
but I call it home.
Fuck you, I'm drunk!
Fuck you I'm drunk!
Pour my beer down the sink,
I've got more in the trunk!
Fuck you I'm drunk!
Fuck you, I'm drunk!
And I'm going to be drunk
until the next time I'm drunk!"
If their current predicament wasn't enough to get them stared at from all directions, then this definitely did it. He went on to finish the song and Silver couldn't make heads or tails of it.
"That doesn't even make sense." She quipped, "How can you get drunk if you are already drunk?"
"Cause fuck you, that's how."
Gourmet was having a rather slow day. There were no big meetings, so minus having to cook and prepare meals for the princesses, he didn't have a whole lot to do today. Seeing how this was how the day was playing out, he predicted that he would be able to leave early and go home to his wife and kids with little interruption.
Boy was he wrong.
In a fraction of a second he heard some obnoxious singing coming from the hallway and before long the kitchen door slowly began opening. He half expected to see somepony walk in, but instead was greeted with a small changeling pushing the ever-so-infamous human in a cart into the kitchen.
The two came to a stop once they got passed the door and started looking around, the human never leaving his mobile transport. Gourmet grumbled at the sight. He knew that Luna's mate was the one who took his expensive wines a while back and since then has held a bit of a grudge.
He walked over to the two, quickly earning their attention, and stood before them with a reprimanding look on his face. "What do you think you're doing in here?"
Silver was about to answer, but was cut off as Ryan spoke up, slowing pulling himself out of the cart and leaning against it to keep him somewhat balanced. "Well, sir. We were just looking to get a quick meal before we went off to bed."
"It's seven o'clock in the afternoon..."
Gourmet and Ryan had a small stare down before the human chugged down the last of his ale and smashed the bottle over the pony's head. He instantly fell to the ground, unconscious.
You got knocked the fuck out!
Ryan eyed the pony for a second before walking around and digging through pantries. Silver walked up to the pony and gave him several pokes in the side. He was out cold and likely wouldn't be getting back up any time soon. "Why did you do that?"
"He was being a dick." Ryan said as he continued sifting through several cabinets, finding mostly a bunch of herbs and spices. Eventually he found his way into the fridge and spotted a small, white frosted cake.
It aint no burger, but it'll do.
He grabbed the cake from its shelf and pulled it out of the fridge, but before he could turn away he spotted several bottles of wine hidden in the back. He hummed to himself as he pondered a thought before coming to a conclusion. He set the cake down and grabbed the bottles, tossing them into the cart. With those out of the way he grabbed the cake and let himself fall back into the cart, his back resting on the bottles and the cake resting on his stomach.
Ryan raised a hand into the air, two fingers pointing toward the exit. "Onward!"
Luna's commander of the thestral guard entered her office, holding a stack of documents in his hands and reading through them one final time before closing them and bowing before the princess. "Your highness?"
Luna looked up from her desk at the thestral who had entered. He was supposed to be delivering a follow up report to her about the changelings from the hive Ryan had been kidnapped to. "Ah, commander. Any news that I should be aware of?"
The commander rose from his bow and placed the documents onto her desk, allowing her to look through them. "Hardly, your majesty. With their queen eliminated they have receded deeper into the Badlands. No sign of retaliation has been identified thus far. It seems, with their queen gone, they are lost. We see no further problems from them in the immediate future."
She nodded, going over the files herself to confirm what he had just told her. "Very well. Thank you, commander. You are relieved for the rest of the evening."
He bowed once more before thanking her and making his way to the door. He paused as he was just about to leave and turned back toward Luna. "If I may, your highness? I did see something rather peculiar today."
Luna's attention moved from the files back to the thestral. "Anything dire?"
"Not dire, but definitely odd."
She gave him a curious look and leaned back into her chair. "Proceed."
"While I was making my way here, I spotted the young changeling you have welcomed into the castle." He explained. "She was pushing a shopping cart around through the hallways."
The princess wasn't sure what to think about this. It didn't seem malevolent, or bad in any way, but it was weird. "That does sound strange."
"It gets stranger. If I'm remembering correctly, your mate was inside of the cart."
There was a moment of silence as Luna tried to piece together what she had just heard. "I think I'm going to go check up on that."
Ryan pointed at the door to his bedroom, signaling for Silver to take them there. "Here it is, let's go."
She pushed the cart toward the room, the guards standing just outside of it being gracious enough to opened the door for her. She thanked them and made her way in with the human still settled into his spot within the cart.
Once inside the doors closed behind them and Ryan climbed out of the cart, being careful not to drop the cake he had been holding. He placed the pastry on the bed, making sure to stare at it for a few long second so he knew it wouldn't fall. "Good shit!"
Silver looked up at the cake. "It does look really yummy."
Ryan's gaze at the frosted treat was almost hypnotic. At this moment, that cake was all his intoxicated mind wanted. "Yes it does...You ready to help me eat this thing."
"Oh yeah."
They were about to dig in when the door opened, causing both of them to turn around and face whoever may be entering; Ryan standing directly in front of the cake so it would not be seen.
To their dismay, the one who had entered was Luna, who seemed to be wearing a curious look on her face. She glanced around the room, spotting the cart, which clearly had something in it, then stopping at the human and the changeling, who seemed to be hiding something.
Her eyes narrowed at the two, her arms crossing as she glared at them. "What's going on you two?"
"Nothing!" They replied in unison.
Luna stared them down for a few seconds, noting that Ryan's body seemed to be wobbling around even while he was standing still. She sniffed the air, a familiar aroma seemed to be floating around the room as well. She followed the smell all the way to Ryan before taking another whiff right in front of his face. "Have you been drinking again?"
Nope!
"No..."
One of her eyebrows raised at him, her stern gaze never faltering for even a second. Silver was already starting to shake in her boots...Okay, if she were wearing boots she'd be shaking in them. Don't judge me!
Uh...mrrr!
"Okay, maybe a little..."
She lifted a hand and lightly pushed the side of his shoulder. His lack of balance suddenly kicked in and Ryan collapsed to the floor for the second time today.
Ouch...
"Okay, maybe a lot."
Her gaze wandered up to the bed and her eyes widened as she spotted the cake that was hidden behind him. She looked back down at Ryan and leaned down, to help him up.
Once he was back on his feet Luna pulled him into a tight hug. "Oh, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to ruin the surprise!"
Silver was the only one who seemed to register what Luna had just said. "What?"
Luna was so busy with her forced embrace that she didn't even hear the changeling and focused on trying to apologize. "I should have just stayed at work until it was actually time to leave." She released Ryan and gave him a big fat kiss on his cheek. "How did you even know it was my birthday today?"
Drunk or not, I will help you save this!
Ryan's head bobbed slightly with how Luna was treating him. This gave his mind time to get a few gears turning. "I have my ways. Hell, it's not like I wasn't going to find out and set this up for you...so, yeah! Happy fuckin birthmas."
Okay, I fucked that up a little.
Luna chuckled at him. He was such an adorable drunk. She was still a little upset for spoiling the surprise, but Ryan didn't seemed bothered by it. Maybe she hadn't ruined it completely. "Thank you, love."
Ryan leaned over toward the cart, grabbing one of the bottles of wine and holding it out in front of her the way a waiter would. "A drink for the lovely birthday girl?"
She smiled and grabbed the bottle, looking it over for herself. Her eyes nearly bulged out of her sockets as she read the label out loud. "Sparkling Honey Moscoto? This wine only comes from the honey farms on the other side of Equestria! How did you get a bottle?"
"I know a guy." He said with a shrug.
A guy who's currently passed out on the kitchen floor.
Luna wrapped her arms around Ryan, this time kissing him on the lips. "You spoil me, you know that?"
"I could say the same thing to you." He laughed, "So, how about some cake? I hope you don't mind, but I asked Silver to join us. She did help me get everything here after all."
The princess looked down at Silver, who was smiling nervously and giving her a small wave. She smiled at her, easing the little ones nerves some. "Of course not."
Luna looked back at Ryan and leaned into his ear. "Later, I'll make sure to give you a present for being so sweet."
His body shuddered slightly. You know; The good kind of shudder you get when a fine ass woman basically tells you that she's gonna fuck your brains out for the next couple of hours.
"I'll cut the cake!" Luna proclaimed, using her magic to make knife appear in her hand before making her way over to the bed to get a few slices ready for everyone.
Ryan took a deep breath as a sudden wave of relief washed over him. He felt a light tugging on his shirt and looked down to see Silver motioning for him to lower himself. He complied and she leaned up to his ear. "I'm confused, did you actually know it was her birthday?"
"Of course I knew it was her birthday. I wouldn't have been getting this stuff together otherwise." He said out loud, turning his head to see Luna smiling at him with a blush on her face.
When she turned back to the bed to continue cutting the cake, Ryan looked back at Silver and nodded while mouthing the words, 'I had no fucking idea'. |
The Perfect Mate | I want you... | Today has been interesting, to say the least. This morning Celestia walked into the kitchen to find her top of the line chef, Gourmet, passed out on the floor and surrounded by glass. Upon further inspection she also found that the fridge was open and that the cake she had made for Luna's surprise birthday party had gone mysteriously missing.
Well, maybe it wasn't missing. It could have just been moved to a different spot. Besides that, she still wondered why her favorite chef was passed out on the floor with a broken bottle laying beside him.
There were a number of theories that could be made about that one; from him deciding to have a private celebration, to being knocked out. She doubted that it was the latter, but it was still a possibility. Just not a very likely one.
After having a nurse come by to grab him she made her way back to her room and got started on making invitations. She was making out a few letters and having them sent out. She also needed to get started with preparations. She thought it would be best to leave Cadence out of this arrangement, seeing how Luna seemed pretty pissed at her last time she was over.
She never did get the full story on what had happened. She would have to make it a point to ask Ryan some time, he didn't have a lot of shame from what she could see. He would tell stories about things that, any normal pony, would be embarrassed by. But, rather than be embarrassed, he would make a joke and laugh about it.
Yeah, he is definitely an interesting character, there's no doubt about that. There was one story he told that made her worry about his mental health...and allowing him anywhere near fire.
"What kind of man would do that to his own genitals?" She asked herself, still wondering why someone would be so brutal to their own body.
Ignoring any further thoughts about Ryan's weird behavior she went back to sending out letters to the whole gang. There wasn't allot of ponies to invite; Primarily it was just going to be her, Luna, Ryan, Twilight, and the rest of the elements.
This should be fun! They can play games, get to know Ryan better, and just spend time together. That was something they hadn't done in a long time.
The letters were sent out to their respective ponies, now all she had to do was inform some of the castle staff of the arrangement so they could get started on setting everything up for a lovely evening among friends.
After finding no trace of the cake she asked for a few of the other chefs to get started on preparing a new one for the party.
Much to her surprise, Luna and Ryan were nowhere to be seen. They were usually up around the same time as her. Well, Luna usually was. Ryan was a bit more stubborn. Settling on the idea that they decided to sleep in, she made her way over to her sisters room and gave the door a few knocks. She could hear a few groans from the other side, but not much else.
Celestia pushed the door open, wanting to have them up and ready for the party. Luna was the only one who knew about the party, as she had not gotten around to informing Ryan about it quite yet. Though, she did assume that Luna would tell him at some point. He probably knows. She would have preferred to have the party yesterday, on the day of her sisters birthday, but they simply had too much to do.
She made her way into the room and flicked on the lights. The first thing to grace her vision was a large lump in the blankets on the bed. After moving closer to get a better look, she saw the two huddled up against each other, just cuddling the day away. Luna's face was buried into the humans bare chest and Ryan's arms were wrapped around her form, his head resting just a bit higher than hers, angled in a way to keep him from being stabbed by her horn. The sight would have been absolutely adorable if it weren't for the fact that the whole room smelled like sex and booze.
This whole room, the bed especially, needed a viscous scrubbing with bleach. All of the bleach!
Without further delay, Celestia grabbed the blankets and pulled it off of the sleeping couple. Not caring that they were literally butt-ass naked in front of her. She's seen more than enough of both of them for this to phase her. "Rise and shine, love birds. The day is young and-"
Fuck your shit!
Celestia quickly ducked as a glass bottle came flying for her head, just barely managing to dodge it. It flew over her and shattered against the wall, leaving shards of broken glass spread out in the nearby area.
She rose back up, glancing at the broken bottle before glaring back at Ryan. Surprisingly, he was till fast asleep. How in the hell did he do that if he was still passed out?
Never mind, right now she just needed to get them up. Her horn started glowing as she prepared a spell.
Shit, fuck! Wake up, you stupid son of a bitch!
Ryan groaned as his eyes began to feel as though they were being forced open. He spotted Celestia, who quickly took notice of him regaining conciseness, and watched as a glow in her horn began to fade away. He let out an annoyed sigh. "What?"
She was gonna do a thing. I don't know what it was, but I'm not taking any chances!
Celestia, thinking he was talking to her, cleared her throat before responding. "As I was saying earlier; you two need to get up. Our guests will be here soon and Luna needs to ready herself for the party."
"What party?" He asked, his face contorting a bit from confusion.
One of Celestia's brows raised at his question. Had Luna really not told him about the party, or that yesterday was her birthday? "Yesterday was Luna's birthday, the party is today. Did she not tell you?"
Ryan's wore a deadpan expression as he took in the information. He let it all seep in as last night's events started flooding back into his mind at record speed. His encounter with Discord, Gourmet, the shopping cart, the-
Uh oh...
The cake...
Luna began to stir from her sleep, the sound of the two talking finally being enough to pull her out of her slumber. The first thing she saw was Ryan, propped up on one of his arms. She smiled and sat up just enough to kiss his cheek. "Good morning, hun."
Ryan didn't respond, making her feel a bit uncomfortable. She started to notice the expression on his face, a look that he had whenever he realized that he had just done something that was either really bad, or really stupid. He also seemed to be looking very intently at something behind her.
She turned around and saw her older sister standing just a few inches from the bed. "Tia, what are you doing in here?"
Her gaze left Ryan and shifted to her little sister. "I was coming in here to wake you. The castle staff is currently getting everything ready for your party and the invitations have already been sent. We can't seem to find the-"
She stopped as a soft squelching noise was heard when Ryan began lifting himself off of the bed. His body froze as he realized what he and Luna were both laying on top of. "Did we really...just right there...Like it-?"
Like it didn't even exist.
Celestia leaned closer to them to get a better look at what they were laying in. "Is that the cake I had Gourmet make for the party?"
Luna's eyes widened. Did her sister just say that, that was the cake she had made for her party? Her head slowly turned toward the human laying beside her, her eyes glaring daggers at him. "Ryan..." She said with a slight venom in her voice.
"Uhhh..."
She was about to charge her mate when suddenly a chunk of the cake was thrown in her face and Ryan took off at a full sprint out of the room, making an odd noise as he made his escape from the room.
The night princess growled as she wiped the cake from her face with her hands. A light chuckling caught her attention from behind her. Her sister seemed to find something about this amusing. "What's so funny?"
Celestia placed a hand over her mouth, trying to silence herself. "I'm sorry." She said between laughs. "I don't know why that got to me. It was just too funny."
Luna and Ryan would meet again in the bath house where he would explain the whole situation to her. She couldn't help but get a few laughs from his story. She was a bit shocked with how well he played off his shenanigans as a good natured gesture, that mind of his is definitely a crafty one.
Once the air was cleared between them they got to work with cleaning each other off in the bath, pausing to kiss or make out every so often. There was a quick relief period between the two of them. This led them to having to drain the water and refill it to get cleaned up again, but they didn't mind. They were having fun and they still had some time to kill before the party actually started.
After they had gotten themselves cleaned up they went back to their room to get dressed. Seeing how this was technically a formal event, Ryan wore his favorite suit; which consisted of a pair of black dress pants and a vest overtop of a blue dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up passed his elbows. As usual, he tossed the tie aside and settled with having his moon necklace take its place, keeping the top buttons of the shirt undone so it could be seen.
He placed a bit of gel in his hair and spiked it to the side, something he liked to do that made him look nice as well as it still looking pretty cool in his eyes.
Ryan made his way to Luna and his jaw nearly dropped. She wore, what they called in his world, a convertible navy blue maxi dress. It hangs low and is very loose around the lower body with a wavy look to it. She had a teal hue around her eyes and cheeks that shined and glistened in the light. Finally, she wore black lipstick...that's all that can really be said about it. It's black...
Never the less, she was absolutely stunning. Luna began walking over to Ryan, her hips swaying almost hypnotically with every step. His eyes couldn't seem to leave her as she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. "Holy fuck, you are gorgeous."
"Aren't you the sweetest." She giggled, staring up into his bright blue eyes. She wondered how she managed to be so lucky to find someone like him. Granted she kind of cheated when it came to the whole finding him part, but still, she felt like the luckiest mare in the world.
They stood in relative silence, merely enjoying the others company. Even when all was quiet, everything that happened between them just felt so perfect. No matter what happened the only thing they wanted was each other. Nothing else mattered when it came to their mate. The world could be burning around them and, as long as they got to hold each other, they'd let themselves burn.
Sadly, this little daydream of theirs had to come to an end. There was a party waiting for them just outside of their room and they fully intended to be in attendance.
The couple made their way to the dining room, where the party was being held, with a bit of pep in their step. Luna managed to catch a glimpse of something that struck her as a bit odd. Ryan looked nervous.
She stopped just before they could enter the dining room, causing him to stop as well to check up on her. "Everything alright, sweetheart?"
"I could ask you the same thing." She said with a knowing look.
Shit, make something up!
He smiled at her, doing his best to mask his feelings. "I'm fine, Luna."
She raised a brow at him, knowing that he wasn't telling the truth.
"Okay, maybe I'm a little nervous about meeting the whole gang. Give me a break, I'm only human."
Luna couldn't help but laugh at this. In all actuality, despite the obvious biological dissimilarities, human and pony kind were pretty much the same. Hell, they even spoke the same languages. At least, that's what Ryan had told her. They just had different names for them. Among language, humans had come up with ways to fly, control the weather-
The government controls the weather. DON'T LET THEM LIE TO YOU!!!
-and even lift things without using their hands. They truly were an interesting species, and very smart from what she had deciphered. She would like to see more of them one day, but the chances of that happening were very slim. But, a mare can dream.
Despite Ryan's words, she knew that what he said wasn't true. There was something else bothering him, she could feel it. From the looks of it though, he wasn't planning on telling her what it was. Not yet anyway.
"Come on," Ryan pushed, like literally, he started pushing her into the party. "time's a wastin!"
Once they entered they were met by a whole lot of hollering that totally didn't make Luna jump and scare Ryan into cowering like a little bitch behind her.
Stop being a pussy and get out there. It's a party, this is your territory!
Ryan peeked over Luna to see an assortment of mares of all colors and sizes. One very poofy pink looking pony was holding some sort of rope in her hand and upon pulling it a number of canons sounded off, shooting confetti every which direction.
...or maybe it's not...
"What the actual fuck?" He asked no one in particular.
Focus! Just play it cool and stick to the plan. We can't fuck this up!
Luna laughed, knowing these ponies she was able to expect something like this, but Ryan was completely unaware which just made it funny to her. "Calm down, they're not going to hurt you."
Ryan walked out from behind Luna and stood by her side, playing it off as if nothing had happened. "I know that, I was just...caught off guard is all."
"You're too cute." She said, grabbing his head and pulling him in for a kiss.
He accepted it and ignored the whistles and whooping going on around them. You'd think this room full of mares was a college frat house with how much noise they were making. Ryan broke the kiss and smiled at Luna. "Go fuck yourself."
She gave him a hard, but playful, punch in the arm before sending him off into the small crowd to mingle. And by all means, she actually shoved him, causing him to bump into a very colorful Pegasus.
In his mind this had been planned between them, because right as he bumped into her, her hands grabbed on to his arms and pulled him in between two other mares among her.
They all stared at him in all, letting out a series of gasps to show how fascinated they were of him. Ryan had never seen these mares before. The only one from their group that he had any knowledge of was Twilight and he didn't even know her all that much. If anything he scared that poor mare more times than he can count. From what he could see, the young purple alicorn was talking to Celestia while Luna was speaking to two other ponies that he didn't know.
He took a moment to analyze the mares around him; One was a light shade of blue with wings and a rainbow mane, she was wearing jean shorts and a white tank top. Another one was orange with no extra extremities, she had hair almost as blonde as his and was dressed much like how a cowgirl would in his world.
She even has the hat!
The final pony was clearly a unicorn; her body was whiter than white and she had purple hair that had been expertly curled to its current position. He really had no way to describe what she was wearing, but it was fancy. That's all he could really get about it.
He eyed this mare for maybe a minute and she quickly took notice of this. In fact, she was starting to look uncomfortable. He figured he should probably say something to fix this. "Thanks."
She cocked her head to the side and gave him a questioning gaze. "I beg your pardon?"
"Well, after looking around for a bit I was starting to feel a little over-dressed. Felt like I needed to run off and change into something more casual, but you have taken my self-esteem and given a much needed push." He explained, her features softening up a bit as she realized the point he was getting across. "So thanks for making me feel less awkward. Lovely outfit by the by. The name's Ryan."
He held a hand out and she smiled as she reached out and accepted it. Once it was in his grip he decided to play the true gentleman role and lifted it to his face, placing a kiss on her knuckles. She blushed slightly in response. "It's no wonder Princess Luna is so taken with you. You are quite the gentlecolt. I am Rarity, the element of generosity. It's a pleasure."
She reminds me of a much more refined version of our aunt...Keep and eye on her...
Ryan nodded to her then turned to face the cowgirl-er pony? I don't fucking know, I'm a human for shit sake! He held a hand out to her, which she quickly accepted, nearly crushing the appendage in her grip. "Howdy, partner. I'm Applejack, the element of honesty."
His hand instinctively tightened until his grip matched hers. He'd have done that to begin with if he had known that she had the handshake of a fucking body-builder!
"You got quite the grip there." She commented, releasing his hand. "I take it that you're a working man."
He silently winced at the pain in his hand, but played it cool. Can't look like a total bitch in front of Luna's friends. "I dabble here and there. I do construction for some of the many buildings in Canterlot. Back where I come from though I was doing everything from farm work to demolition. I'm real good at demolition."
She chuckled, "I'll be sure to give you a holler next time I need a barn taken down. Last time I had RD do it she nearly took out half of Ponyville."
Before he could respond, the blue Pegasus that had pulled him into this little circle cut it. "Hey, it wasn't that bad. Besides, no pony should have been complaining. They got a free show from a genuine wonderbolt."
The two mares rolled their eyes at the Pegasus, who merely scoffed at them before jumping in front of the human with a look of pride. Mostly cockiness, but still pride. "Anyway, I'm Rainbow Dash; Fastest flyer in Equestria and element of loyalty."
You forgot ignorant, stuck up, and bitch...
Wow, where the fuck did that come from?
Ryan paused for a moment, analyzing this mare especially. "You seem like the daredevil type, am I right on that?"
Rainbow Dash seemed to light up a bit at this, as if she were expecting a challenge to be issued. "Heck yeah, I am! I can take on anypony at just about anything."
"Bet you can't out-drink me."
Luna felt a small tingle run down her spine.
Rainbow Dash seemed shocked by this. She had just met this creature from another world and he already thought he could best her at something. "Oh really?"
Cockiness levels rising. Prepare for shit-storm!
Just as Ryan was about to retort he felt a hand grab him by the arm and pull him away from the group. Come to find out, it was Luna who was pulling him away. "Okay, that's enough you two. We don't need my mate having too much fun."
"But-"
"No, Ryan. No drinking games tonight." She reprimanded while still somehow managing to look playful about it.
"What's wrong, Ryan?" Rainbow began, "Can't stand up to your mare?"
This was a cruel way to tease Ryan, in his sense. He wasn't going to argue with Luna, he would respect her wishes simply because it was the right thing to do. But now, he went from wanting to take this mare on in a friendly drinking game to wanting to beat her with a golf club.
Give her the same treatment Elin gave to Tiger Woods.
"Well, Rainbow..." Luna cut in, "If that's how you feel then I guess you won't be drinking tonight either."
Rainbow Dashes face immediately dropped, her cocky attitude vanishing in less than split second. "What!? B-but-"
"No buts. You're just going to have to settle with watching your friends have fun without you." She said with a smile, dragging Ryan off to meet the rest of the group while leaving Rainbow in a pouting heap; her friends whispering back and forth and giggling at her.
Ryan and Luna made their way to the next group, the human leaning over and kissing his princess on the cheek. "God, I love you."
"You better." She teased.
They went up to the group, which consisted of Celestia, Twilight, and two ponies Ryan has yet to meet. One of them was yellow with a pink mane. She wore a simple pair of pants and a green sweater. She seemed shy...and had really big boobs.
Holy shit...
Luna smirked and pushed his head to the other mare, knowing that Fluttershy was basically eye candy to him. This one was pink with an even pink-er mane...
How is that possible!?
Like with most of the others she was dressed rather casually. A pair of pants and a pink t-shirt with balloons on it. She was a bit thicker than the others. She wasn't fat, but she had noticeably more meat on her bones. This one appeared as though she was going to jump out of her skin at any moment and in the blink of an eye Ryan's vision went pink.
Oh God, it's going to consume us!
The mare wrapped the human in a spine crushing embrace, lifting him off of his feet like he weighed no more than a feather. "Hi, I'm Pinkie Pie and I hope that you and I can be friends!" She said at speeds that could not be matched before releasing him so he could breathe. "You're weird looking. Not a bad kind of a weird though, more like a fun kind of weird. You know; the kind of weird where you're like 'Oh! That looks cool! I wanna try it.' You and I are going to be great friends! I can throw you parties, we can play games, there's just so much we could-"
The flow of words came to a relieving end as Twilight placed a hand over Pinkie's mouth. "I think what she is trying to say is; It's nice to meet you."
The pink mare nodded furiously in agreement, a few muffled noises coming from her mouth as she attempted to vocally agree as well.
Ketamine is a hell of a drug, kids. Stay clean, don't be a Pinkie.
Ryan placed a hand to his head, massaging his temples as he tried to recuperate from whatever the fuck just happened. "I think I'm going to have an aneurism."
Celestia put a hand to her muzzle to keep herself quiet. This was already becoming pretty amusing to her. Rather than interfere, she figured that she would just sit back and see how the rest of this plays out.
"That's not good." Came a very timid voice just beside him. Ryan turned to see the final mystery mare very slowly making her way over to him. "Are you going to be okay? If you're not feeling well then maybe you should see a doctor."
He waved a dismissive hand to her. "I'm fine, it's just an expression where I come from."
She blushed slightly, mostly from being slightly embarrassed for not realizing he wasn't serious. But, she managed to put on a smile. "Oh, okay. I'm sorry, I didn't know."
"It's fine. There's a lot of things I say and do around here that ponies don't understand. I actually spend allot more time explaining myself than I'd like to." He said with a light chuckle.
"You seem very fascinating though." She commented, actually being very interested in him and what he was. "I'm Fluttershy, it's nice to meet you."
"Ryan, it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance." His eyes couldn't seem to stop wandering down to her chest region. He did his best to fight it, but it was like trying to pull metal away from a magnet. A very BIG magnet.
Fluttershy caught him glancing down at her chest and blushed once again. Luckily for her, Luna came to the rescue by grabbing Ryan's head and pulling it towards her. "Stop staring." She whispered.
"I can't help it." He replied in an equally hushed tone. "They're so fucking massive! You can't tell me that you haven't been looking either."
Luna stuttered at being called out like that. "T-that besides the point!"
Ryan laughed, knowing that, once again, he had won. He grabbed her by the hips and pulled her close, placing a gentle kiss on her lips. This act earned them a chorus of aww from all around the room.
The human broke the kiss and looked around the room before speaking in a stereotypical new Yorker accent. "Ah shut up, the lot of ya."
The room then filled up with a light chuckling from every direction.
Ryan felt a light tugging on his leg and looked down to see Silver wearing, wouldn't you know it, a silver dress that fitted her small form perfectly. "Hey, shrimp. Where've you been hiding?"
Silver smiled up at him and slipped one of her hands into his pocket, dropping something into it and removing her hand before anypony could see. "I was just making sure that everything was taken care of." She said with a prideful look about her.
The human winked at the changeling. "That's my girl." He gave her a fist bump.
Luna stared them both down, knowing that they were up to something. The way they were behaving around each other was a dead giveaway that they had some sort of plan in motion. But what was it?
Silver slipped away from Ryan and Luna and was now going for for the eldest. Once she had spotted Celestia she gave her a thumbs up. The alicorn nodded and cleared her throat to get everyones attention. "Okay, my little ponies. Who's ready for some cake?"
Minus Luna, the whole room cheered. She had watched Silver give her older sister some kind of signal before she called for this. Was everypony in on it?
After the cake had been cut and served everyone sat down at the table, ate, and mingled. Ryan was getting most of the attention, him being from another world and all. He would tell stories of all kinds of things; most of them were funny, some were full of suspense and fighting, there were a couple of tear jerkers, but he tried to keep those ones to a minimum. The last thing he wanted to do was spoil a party.
Once the cake had been cleared through, mostly by Celestia and Pinkie-
At least Celestia was being subtle.
It was time for presents. Luna had told them all that there was no need to bring gifts, but they did anyway. They were friends after all. She received a number of things; A collection of old books from Twilight, a special brew of cider from Applejack, a very shiny new dress from rarity, a track suit from Rainbow, lilipop-zilla from pinkie-
That thing is taller than her!
stuffed animals from Fluttershy, and a slice of cake to the face from Celestia. Everypony laughed at the final gift, even Luna found herself nearly busting her gut at her sister's little prank. Silver went out of her way to help clean the princess off, taking a napkin and placing it over her face to wipe it clean of any pastry remnants. Luckily none of it got on her dress, so no real damage was done.
If she were being honest, she was expecting Ryan to do something like that. She mentally slapped herself for not suspecting her sister of having a plan like this up her sleeve though.
Silver pulled the napkin from Luna's face, having cleaned all of it off. Luna thanked the changeling then noticed something odd. The lights in the room seemed much more dim than they were earlier. Everypony had gotten out of their seat and was standing on the opposite end of the dinning room table, but those were just the ponies.
She looked to her side and spotted Ryan sitting on the edge of the table on the same side as her. He was holding a small black book in his hands and looking down at it as if he were reading it. Clearly she was dumbfounded by what had happened and, above all, confused.
Ryan licked his fingers and flipped the page, coughing a couple of time into his hand before reading aloud. "Luna, I can't say how much you mean to me.
Being with you has made my life so much more dreamy.
You light up my night.
Like the moon, you always shine bright."
Luna couldn't help but blush. This was probably the sweetest thing he had ever done for her. The fact that this was happening at her birthday party only made it feel that much more special to her.
"We are different, but the same.
Calm as the wind, but can't be tamed.
Before I came here my heart was always in two."
He shrugged his shoulders and looked up from the book.
"These pages are blank, why am I lying to you?"
Ryan showed her the inside of the book. As he had said, the pages were completely void of any filling. Each one was empty and white. He lifted the book and placed it on top of his head like a hat, making everypony in the room giggle.
"That's not something to worry about, I'd never lie.
Not to you, my dear. I'd rather die.
Let's cut through the bullshit, I hope you don't mind.
But this connection I have with you is unlike any kind.
Hold on."
He grabbed the book from his head and looked down at its blank pages, licking his finger and flipping it to another blank page before placing it back on his head. The ponies laughed again while Luna eagerly waited to hear the rest of it.
"I don't want to give up what I have now,
You're all too perfect.
You're sweet, you're crazy, you're well-endowed.
He paused for a second to laugh with everypony after that last line.
"You're mind may not be perfect, I know that's not kind.
But frankly I don't care, your crazy matches mine.
So enough of this foolishness, I'm ready to start my life.
What I'm trying to say is..."
Ryan grabbed the book once again, but this time tossed it aside. He got off of the table and slipped a hand into his pocket, pulling out something small before reaching out and grabbing one of Luna's. Once he had her hand in his he lowered himself down on to one knee.
Luna's eyes widened as a thought came in to her mind. That thought only became stronger when she felt something sliding over one of her fingers. Her eyes locked onto his, never moving, just waiting.
"I want you to be my wife."
There was a painful pause after he said those last words. Luna didn't say anything, she couldn't. All she could do was look down at him and the ring he had slipped onto her finger while tears worked their way down her face, making her makeup run along with it.
She couldn't believe what was happening. "Are you serious?"
"As a heart attack." He said with a warm smile aimed directly at her.
She pulled her hand away from her mate, making his face fall to something so heartbreaking that it could cause Hell itself to turn into a block of ice.
Luna stared at him for a few more seconds, then she smiled. Before Ryan could react she was upon him. His body fell to the ground from the sudden force and her face was buried into his neck.
Hoy shit! For a second there I thought we were going to be speared by that fucking horn.
"Yes!" Luna shouted to him. "Yes, yes, a thousand times yes!"
She lifted her head from his neck and looked down at him, their eyes locking once again as they leaned in for what was probably the best kiss of their lives. A kiss that was filled with so much passion that it trumped all of their others added up and multiplied by 42!
The room was in a complete uproar. Everypony was cheering and hollering congratulations at them and wishing them luck and so on.
Get some!
And then there was him...
Not even a month later they were wedded and ready to officially start their lives together. Just for fun, here's a few quick add ons; Celestia was the priest.
Big fucking surprise.
Silver was the ring bearer.
She was so fucking cute! Walking down the isle in that little poofy dress. Fuck, I wanna hug her!
And Ryan's best stallion mare was Dawn Breaker.
Do we really not have a single guy friend anymore!?
Now Luna and Ryan can be seen together almost anywhere; Never leaving each others side, constantly teasing each other, and in more ways than one, and over all, just being happy.
And they were happy, especially Luna since she managed to marry the most badass human in the world. Literally the coolest motherfucker you could ever meet and a god in the sack. His greatest qualities about him was everything. Nothing was wrong with this guy. He was practically-
*Door Creaking open*
"Ryan, what are you doing?"
"Nothing sweetheart, just finishing up that story I've been working on."
"You're still not done yet?"
"I'm getting there, calm your tits."
"But if I calm them then you wouldn't be able to play with them." ;P
"...I'll be done in a minute, maybe less."
"Okay dear, I'll see you in a bit...You know, you really don't have to write that for me."
"Of course I do! It's our two hundredth anniversary and my memory is shit. Besides, I wanna do something special. And what better than to compile everything we've gone through together during our first year?"
"Alright then, you big goof. Come and find me when you're done." *Leaves*
"Don't act like it isn't a nice gesture! I know you'll love it!"
Okay guys, I got a very hot wife to go play with so I'm gonna go ahead and take off. My first year in Equestria was definitely an interesting one, but fun none the less.
And before anyone asks, yes, I said that it was our 200 year anniversary.
Fun Fact: Sleeping with an alicorn makes your immortal.
No wonder they're so picky about who they choose as a mate. That's probably why Luna got so pissed the first time we had sex and I couldn't remember. Apparently that's common knowledge here. So, yeah, a bit of culture shock.
"~Ryan, are you coming?"
"..."
Naked mare in the room. Gotta go! |
The Perfect Mate | THE END | THE END
Seriously, what else did you expect? The title say 'The End". What the fuck else is there? That's it, the story is over. Go home, do some shit, get a job. You especially, Jeff! Get off your lazy ass and go do something, you fuck! Sheesh!
ADIOS, BITCHES!!!
Okay, okay, that wasn't my only reason for typing this out. Just for fun I figured that I'd do a little Q and A session. They've worked out pretty well in one other story I was working on so why the fuck not. Feel free to ask a question down below, just make sure you specify who you are addressing it to and I'll start having the characters answer them in about a week.
Lastly, I would like to put up a story vote. I have several different stories I have been working on that are not published yet. So far, only two of them will even be worth a damn. I'm going to put down the names and the extended description. PM me the name of whichever one you would like to see and I will kick the highest voted into gear.
Son of a moon- You know those moments where you stayed up all night partying and just kind of wake up in the middle of no where with literally zero recollection of how you got there? Yeah, this is kinda like that. The name's...I really don't know. To make this a bit shorter I'm a bit of an alcoholic despite my young age and I'm very well known for having a short-temper, a bit of an attitude, no filter, being brutally honesty, and more importantly; being sent to the nut house several times for paranoid schizophrenia. This is my story about how a night of drinking turned into a complete shit-storm as well as some crazy bitch who thinks she's my parent. Arriva darchi, motherfuckers.
The Perfect Mate, Twilight Saga- Okay, this one I haven't been working on, but it seemed like a fun idea. I'm not planning on giving out the details about it yet, but this was something I was thinking about throwing together for a few weeks now. I just need to get it started, but first I need to know how many people would be interested. |
The Perfect Mate | Optional- Read this s**t! | Gamer91: Could you tell us about the time you had a threesome with Luna and Celestia in detail?
Ryan stood atop of the Canterlot castle. He was wearing a pair of dirty blue jeans, a white t-shirt, and had a red flannel tucked into his pants. A recent dispute between the princesses and an ambassador of Yakyakistan led to a rather nasty outcome. Repairs were more than needed on the inside, but the roof somehow managed to sustain some damage as well. He wiped a large amount of sweat he was accumulating from his face before cracking open a bottle of water and pouring it over his head.
Fuck it's hot!
He decided it was time for a short break and planted his rear on the slanted roof, using a board he had nailed in place beneath his feet to keep him from sliding down. After taking a look at the ponies he was working with he noticed that they were all stopping to take a breather as well. No harm no foul.
Placing a hand to his chin, he thought about how to answer the question presented. "So you want me to tell you about how my three-way with the royal sisters went huh?"
Pretty sure that's what they just asked, dipshit.
"Well, I could tell you...but then Luna would probably cut my nuts off. She already made me swear to never bring it up again." He said with an all too serious look, "I will tell you this though. Celestia really knows how to move that flank of hers. And when they double teamed me while I was tied to the bed." He could do nothing but smile and chuckle at the memories. "Fuck, that was a good ass night."
He suddenly felt eyes on him from every direction. Turning his attention back to the workers he quickly took notice that they were all staring at him with a mixture of shock and curiosity.
Ryan mentally cursed himself for opening his mouth as the swarm of stallions charged him, demanding that he give them the story of that sweet, painful, deliciously hot night.
Fuck my life!
The oracle: So Ryan, how do you think Discord keeps cheating when it comes to your drinking games?
After a hard day of work and being bombarded by his fellow workers, Ryan decided that he had earned himself a few drinks. He went back to his favorite drinking buddy in an attempt to beat finally him. They took a seat at their table and began another round. About an hour in Ryan was beyond shitfaced and could barely tell the floor from a block of cheese.
He looked toward something with an awkward stare, his right eye looking forward and his left eye looking right. "Look, I done...I dunno how she's doing it. But, I know she's cheating!"
Discord chuckled at the humans behavior. He poured them another round of shots and passed one to Ryan. "Oh, my dear friend. I would never do such a thing to you. I would feel absolutely horrible if I were to cheat against someone so close to me." He said in mock sadness at Ryan's accusation.
Bullshit!
"Don't ya try and play yer fffuckin' games with me, lad!' Ryan yelled in a slurred Irish accent. "I'll come over there and...and I...and I'll...fuck, I forgot." Ignoring his own threat Ryan grabbed the shot and took it like a pro before promptly falling out of his seat and landing pretty hard on the floor.
Discord laughed at Ryan and a chalk board appeared in front of him. One half of the board was labeled Ryan while the other was labeled Discord. Ryan's half of the board was completely blank, but Discord's was covered in tally marks all the way to the bottom.
He added another tally under his name and the board vanished. "That's six hundred and forty-eight to zero. You really need to step up your game."
The only response Discord got was the sound of Ryan throwing up on his floor and then a pattern of soft snoring. The god's face cringed a bit at the sound of the human emptying it's stomach. "Huh, so he wasn't lying about his problem with vodka. But, I already knew that. Oh well, guess I'll just have to keep those ones to myself from now on."
His attention turned to the audience and he flashed an odd smile. "Go on now, This part of the story is over. Next question!"
CaioCoia: Ryan, how was going Silver?! And did you meet the Spike the Dragon?! I want to read the details of everything you did in 200 years. Even the battle drinks with Rainbow Dash and Discord. And did you have a picture of yourself? Show us please.
Ryan sat down in a black leather lazy boy chair, scratching a six o'clock shadow he was growing. There were a number of ways to answer these questions, but most of them might make him seem a bit weird. "Okay, I'm going to have to explain this one real quick."
He leaned back and took a breath to recollect his thoughts. "After about ten years of watching Silver grown into a beautiful young changeling I decided that I really didn't want lose her." He paused, but could find no better way to explain this. "I talked to Luna...and she told me that having sex with any immortal will in turn make you into an immortal. I told her I know that, that's why I came to you. Then she emphasized the word any."
His brow raised.
See where we are going with this? Say it anyway, help all the stupid people.
A sigh escaped his lips as he decided to continue. "I asked Luna to do it and she was really uncomfortable with the idea so...I slept with this thing that I had considered my sister for the longest time."
No worse than what your cousin did to us. Silver was at least willing...and strangely pleased with the idea...
"To make matters allot more weird, she cannot sleep with anyone else now without them becoming immortal. So when she's in heat I HAVE to be the one that she falls back on."
In more ways than one.
"Moving on!"
He thought about the first time he had met Spike. It was a shocker at first, seeing how every story he heard about dragons from this world all pointed to something bad. "My first reaction when I met Spike could have been less awkward. I couldn't stop eyeing him, it was weird. Everypony keeps saying that dragons are greedy little shits that grow to the size of mountains. I didn't wanna look away from him for too long out of fear of losing my wallet."
Ryan laughed at the memory for a second. "After we did some talking he turned out to be a pretty cool guy. And, since he's not as greedy as other dragons, he's not going to age really at all. Who knows, maybe he'll live as long as me."
"Back when RD was still around, she and I would go at it with drinking games. I won those, no problem. The only time I ever lose is when that cheating asshole shows up. He's doing something, I know he is! I just can't figure out what..."
He reached behind the chair and pulled out his old traveling bag. Its exterior showed a great deal of aging; loose strings, a few holes and tears, a broken zipper. After digging his hand through the bag he pulled out a really fancy looking phone. "I used to have pictures of myself in here. But this old thing hasn't worked in many years. I used its remaining battery life to take a photo with Luna and Silver. Sorry, but I guess you're shit out of luck unless you can find some sort of description of how I look and draw me."
GameAssassin: Ryan, how'd you handle all of Luna's crazed heats? Also did you ever get to know the elements better and how often did you mind fuck Twilight?
Celestia, Luna, and Ryan were all sitting at the dinning room table enjoying a small meal. The meal mostly consisted of salads and various other fruits and vegetables. The human was the only one who had anything out of place. A steaming hot steak with a side of pineapple and a glass of wine. The big sister sat at the head of the table while Luna moved from her usual spot to sit beside Ryan, who was just to the left of Celestia.
Luna began blushing deeply while her sister let out an amused giggle. "Please don't answer that." She begged to her mate.
Ryan couldn't help but smile at her misery. "It's really allot more simple than you'd think. One of her favorite things for me to do is taking my-"
The human was silenced as Luna pressed her hand over his mouth. "Next question!"
He pulled her hand way with a chuckle. "I did get to know the other elements pretty well. They would stop by here every so often and in my free time I occasionally went down to Ponyville to see them. Best part; I got to stay with Twilight during my visits. Needless to say, she's a completely different mare now."
Luna, how's the sisterly prank war? Any favorites? Will you and Ryan ever try for kids???
Celestia and Luna flashed each other a challenging smile. Pulling pranks on each other was one of their favorite things to do, no matter how out of this world some of them came to be. Some of them were even just plain mean. "We do indulge in such spoils every now and again." Luna began, "I believe my favorite was when I casted a spell on one of my sisters cakes to make her gain a copious amount of weight. After the first bite she could have truly been mistaken for the sun itself."
The solar princess seemed humiliated by the thought of that particular prank. After that stories and rumors about her having a large flank seemed to spread like a wild fire. In reality, she did have a nice looking ass, but it was not as large as some claimed. "I prefer the one where I had you lactating like a cow for six months."
Now it was Luna's turn to feel embarrassed. No matter what she did she just could not get her breasts to stop shooting milk out of her nipples like a fire hose. Okay, that's a bit exaggerated, but that's what it felt like.
Ryan just sat back and listened with a shit eating grin on his face. This was way too entertaining for him to just interrupt. In fact, he wanted to hear more about their prank wars. He knew that they would do things like this every so often, but lately the ones Celestia did to Luna just made things more fun for him. There was one time when she made Luna's flank and chest double in size.
Heaven truly was just beyond the veil.
Their amusement came to a grinding halt at the next question though. Ryan and Luna glanced at each other and had an odd look about them. "Should I-?"
"No, I'll do it." Ryan cleared his throat before speaking. "I have never been the biggest fan of children, especially infants. Even after two hundred plus years I can't seem to get around to the idea of having them. Luckily, in order for us to have kids it requires a spell to make us genetically compatible. So caution doesn't need to be too high."
Thank...whatever deity is watching over us right now.
"Silver was more than enough child for me, so I think I'll just leave it at that."
Luna shrugged, "Honestly, I would love to bear a child with my mate one day. But, if he's uncomfortable with it, I can wait. We have all the time in the world to reproduce together."
"Keep counting down sweetheart, cause it aint happening."
"Come on, Ryan. I'm sure once the child came around you would love it dearly." Luna playfully begged.
"I feel like you would make a great father." Celestia teased, knowing how much this topic annoyed him.
"Give me another few hundred years to think about it."
Celestia, will you ever get over your cake addiction or will you continue your cake tyranny on all cake kind!?!?
Ryan was sipping from his glass of blackberry wine just as this question popped up. His body convulsed and the purple liquid immediately shot out of his mouth and nose. In the midst of his choking there was an occasional laugh finding its way out of his throat.
Luna was much luckier in this aspect. She followed Ryan's example, but with her mouth free of anything that could be used as a projectile.
Lucky bitch! It's funny, but it hurts!
Celestia froze in her seat with her eyes widened to the limit. To think that someone other than Ryan or her sister would know about that and have the gull to call her on it. She makes one mistake with getting caught eating a cake and suddenly everypony thinks she's obsessed.
Those living with her know better, but still choose to tease her about it relentlessly. She let out an annoyed sigh, "I am not a cake tyrant. Yes, I enjoy a few pastries here and there. But, I do not have any sort of addiction, nor do I stuff my face with them as the papers have so claimed."
Ryan managed to calm himself down enough to defend Celestia, but couldn't seem to wipe the amused look from his face. "I gotta back her up on this guys, sorry. Come on though, if she really was stuffing her face with cake constantly then she would probably be a big fat fuck. Trust me, she's got a great body. A body that does not come with inhaling pastries by the dozens."
"Thank you, Ryan." Celestia said with a smile.
"But what she does consume seems to go right to that flank of hers."
Her smile dropped and her horn began to illuminate. Ryan yelped as his head was suddenly forced down and smacked against the table by an unseen force.
"Ow, bitch!"
YOU FUCKING CUN- |
The Night's Companion | pre | Sleepy Head rolled his eyes and sighed. "You're too kind, Luna," he said and followed her out of the room.
He spent the following days trying to escape. Being an Earth pony, there wasn't much he could do to get over the walls of the castle. And even if he managed to get over the walls, he still had that moat that surrounded the fortress. He wasn't sure what was in the moat, and he wasn't about to find out. Even so, whenever Luna was preoccupied with something, Sleepy Head would slink away to look for some path of escape. He tried everything: climbed a tree to jump out, inspected the wall for any kinks, fashion a pole vaulting stick. He even tried to find some way out through the huge hedge maze in the back of the garden, hoping there was some magic in there that could teleport him home.
Through some of these endeavors, he would get maimed in a terrible way. And although the pain was splitting, the night would kindly repair any damage he caused to himself. Whenever that would happen, he'd be revisited with visions of Nightmare Moon. Her words echoed in his mind and cut into his very soul. Was he really the embodiment of a dark power? It was unlikely, but it was also the best explanation he'd been given all his life. But then again, he didn't really know anything about his life, for all the memories past a year ago ceased to exist. All he could think about was getting away from this awful place.
Now, he was afraid of what he might remember.
A week had passed since he had arrived at the castle. One faithful night, he had left the Twilight Sparkle version of Luna fast asleep in a book. This time he just trotted to the closest wall, but could think of no tricky way to get up it. Instead, he tried desperately to grind the wall to dust with his hooves. He cried. He cried because he knew it was hopeless. He would never leave with the knowledge he retains. He knew he would forever serve a crazy moon princess under the careful eye of her all-powerful sister. He wailed bitterly there and continued to grind away at his prison.
"What are you doing Sleepy Head?"
The maroon stallion didn't want to turn around. He didn't want Luna to see his face like this. Stallions were strong, dependable, and courageous. If they had a weakness, they didn't show it. But... he had to speak to her.
Sleepy Head stopped chipping at the wall and hung his head, "I'm gonna be honest... I don't want to be here... not with you, and definitely not with Celestia. I'm finished."
Luna didn't say anything for a minute, and Sleepy Head assumed she had flown away. His tears silently flowed as sat on his plot, still facing the wall. He shut his eyes tight to try to stop his weeping, but the hopelessness, the pain, the sorrow, the truth still weighed heavily on him.
After a moment, he suddenly felt a warm embrace from behind him. Luna's hooves wrapped around his neck and she rested her head on his shoulder.
"I'm sorry, Sleepy Head... for everything," she whispered.
He didn't know what to do. He couldn't remember the last time he felt so comforted. His tears stopped and he could feel his cold demeanor melt in the grasp of Princess Luna. "The mare feared by so many ponies... how could anyone fear such a loving princess... how could I have been so dumb as to think running away from my problems would somehow resolve them... No, I have to stay here; for Luna and for myself!" Sleepy Head smiled as she nuzzled his neck with affection. He returned the gesture and wiped the tears from his eyes.
"I should be the one apologizing, Luna. You didn't even do anything wrong!"
She looked surprised, "Oh but I did! I was the one who got you injured from the pillow fight!"
"Huh?"
"My sister told me you were still suffering from anxiety attacks from that first night. I really am sorry. I've read more on what we can do at night so I can prevent myself from hurting you anymore."
Sleepy Head looked at her for a second and burst out laughing. She gave him an odd look as he rolled on the ground in merriment. He got up and put an arm around Luna neck, "Sister knows best. I feel like she and I should have a talk tomorrow evening. How early do I have to wake up to see her?"
"Oh, uhh... well, we usually have dinner at seven o'clock. You could come then."
"Wow... that's early... I dunno if my body will get up then," he said with a grin.
Princess Luna giggled, "Don't worry, Sleepy Head, I'll make sure you get up in time."
"Don't get mad at me when I throw a pillow at you when you try to wake me up. We wouldn't want another pillow accident on our hooves."
The two laughed as they made their way back toward the castle.
"Sleepy Head! Wake up!"
"Uhhnnn, go away. It's not seven yet," he mumbled.
"It's eight now! I've already finished dinner, and sis' is almost done!"
Sleepy Head pulled the covers over himself in protest. He quickly found himself floating in midair, a blue glow surrounding his body. Luna shook the stallion in midair with her magic to wake him up. He was a little dizzy, but collected himself and reluctantly walked down the stairs with the moon princess. They had been around each other so much that Sleepy Head could tell which personality Luna was just by hearing her voice. "Her voice was a little raspy, so she must be Rainbow Dash."
When they made their way to the garden, he spotted Princess Celestia finishing her meal. Luna flew ahead of him and joined her sister at the table. The sun had yet to go down, and Sleepy Head's eyes were still heavy. Still, he was determined to talk to Celestia; hopefully she would give him the answers he needed. He cringed as he recalled their last confrontation. "This time, I'll be more subtle."
When he reached the table, Princess Celestia greeted him warmly, "Good evening Sleepy Head."
The stallion nodded his greetings and went straight to the point. He turned to Luna and asked, "Luna, could I talk to your sister in private?"
"Sure!" she said, smiling. "Pinkie Pie now, huh?" he thought, for he recognized the high pitched voice. Princess Luna bounced away as Celestia rose from her seat.
"Let's take a walk, Sleepy Head."
"I was thinkin' the same thing," he agreed, following her toward the fountain. The fountain was still in the garden, but surrounded by statues of famous ponies. The Discord statue was not there, for obvious reasons, but the action poses of each stone pony was a sight to see. The fountain was outlined by a marble pathway, and lush grass grew in places not covered in fine stone. Princess Celestia sat on her legs in the soft green near the fountain, but Sleepy Head wanted to stand while talking to her.
"So, I have some ques-"
Princess Celestia quickly interrupted him, "Before you start, I have something to say."
"Yeah?"
"I want to apologize for the way I acted back in my room. That was uncalled for and childish."
Sleepy Head rolled his eyes, "You can say that again."
"It was just a combination of things that day that really had me stressed. I had a hard day at work and I welcomed the time I had to rest. When you burst into my room shouting, I was a little irritated."
"That's understandable," he said, remembering how he acts when people try to wake him up.
"That coupled with the fact that you wanted to leave us after the first night, it was hard to bare. I get passionate when it comes to my sister, and I have never been spat on before! I did not know how to react, and I apologize deeply," she hung her head in repentance. Sleepy Head was taken aback by the politeness, and quickly forgave her.
"That's actually a good segway to what I wanted to ask you. You injured me enough to cripple a regular pony, but knew about how the night can heal my wounds. I have never revealed that to anypony, so how did you know?"
"I have connections," she said with a wink.
Sleepy Head was not amused, "Come on. I'm awake at night, so I know you aren't watching me then. Give me a real answer."
"That... that is something I can never tell you..." she said, with a distant look in her eyes.
"Great... well, can you tell me why my cutie mark is so important. You said something about how my cutie mark was supposed to help Luna... I think... It was hard to make out what you were saying while I was getting beaten up."
"I... cannot tell you that either."
Sleepy Head was angry now. "Can you tell me anything?!" he shouted, standing over her.
The princess looked up at Sleepy Head, and her face struck a nerve in the stallion's heart. Her kind demeanor faded to an expression of sad longing. Suddenly, she seemed older than she appeared; like the years of her life weighed heavily on the poor mare. Sleepy Head took a step back, afraid of what he had done to the usually chipper alicorn.
"I wish I could tell you... but decisions I have made in the past have forbidden me to speak of it. All I can say is that you have to power to save Luna from herself..."
"Really?... are you sure about that?"
"Pardon?"
Sleepy Head grey eyes burned with a fiery passion, "Tell me this then! Who were my parents? Where did I come from?"
"How am I to know-"
"Am I really a pony, or something else?"
Celestia looked at him, surprised. Sleepy Head started to confess, tears forming at his eyes with every word, "A few nights ago... I was visited by the shadow of Nightmare Moon. She said... she said that I was her son; the physical form of a dark power she had created on the moon... I.. I-I really don't know what to believe anymore." The tears were streaming down his face now, overcome by his emotions and the thought that he was a demon spawn.
Celestia rose and walked over to the maroon stallion. She rubbed her head with Sleepy Heads neck to comfort the sorrowful pony. Her flowing multicolored mane rubbed against his muzzle as she hugged him softly. At that very moment, Sleepy Head's heart skipped a beat. "The smell of her mane... the warmth of her body... this all seems so familiar..."
"I can tell you this," she whispered behind his ear, "You were born on this world, naturally, as a real pony. That is the truth."
She backed away with Sleepy Head putting a hoof against his heart. She smiled kindly at him and said, "Now, I must return to my quarters, for the sun is about to set." Princess Celestia began to fly toward the castle when Sleepy Head shouted at her.
"Wait!"
She turned in midair, "Yes?"
"One more question: Princess Luna... is her form now really her or is it just the Elements controlling her?"
Princess Celestia smiled and answered, "The way she acts on the outside might be the Elements of Harmony..." The stallion looked disheartened. Then she added, "...but the way she FEELS is definitely the real Luna. They cannot change her emotions."
And with that, she left him to wonder by the fountain. |
Classroom Changeling | pre | I lowered my head. "I want to be okay with this, I really do... My mind keeps trying to convince me that my life could be better if I embrace this change. Am I better this way, or is that just my reeling mind trying to cope?"
For the longest of moments, Osmond sat there, absorbing what I'd said.
Then he smiled. "Well, no matter what you decide, I'll be there for you. I'm not your friend because of how you look; I like being your friend because you're a great guy."
I stared at him, eyes misting over. "Y-you really mean that?"
He leaned over, extending out his arms for a hug that I gladly accepted. His aura was orange with just the barest hint of pink.
We spent the rest of the car ride talking about various things, trying to get my mind off of my predicament. By the time we arrived, we were laughing and bantering, as if nothing were wrong.
"Sorry to cut your conversation short, but we're here," Mazarine pointed out.
I looked forward, taking in the neighborhood. Truth be told, I hadn't actually been to Lily's house before. Even so, it was exactly how I'd imagined: not too attention-drawing, while still being pretty in its own right.
I decided to just get straight out of the car this time. Since I was already all over social media, it didn't make much sense to try and hide myself. Osmond and Mazarine got out as well, and we all approached the door.
But before we could even get to the door, it opened to reveal Lily's mother, Mrs. Brantley. She seemed rather frayed, as if she hadn't slept all weekend.
As I'd soon learn, that may very well have been the case.
She took one look at me, nodded in acknowledgement, then shouted back into the house, "Lily, your friends are here!"
"Bring them inside!" Lily's voice called back.
Mrs. Brantley turned back to us. "If you'll follow me," she stated, then backed into the house. We all looked at each other nervously, then stepped inside.
The room we entered was a nice enough living room, furnished with two sofas, an armchair, and a table that overlooked a small television. It also faintly smelled like ash, though that was easily explained by the ashtray on the table (although one thing I failed to notice was that the ashtray was brand-new).
I began the conversation, "Nice place you got here, Mrs. Brantley."
She smiled, but her aura was still indigo. "Thank you... Rove, is it?"
I nodded. "Yes, ma'am. I'm assuming you're wondering what I am?" She nodded hesitantly, and I gave her a good-natured smile. "Yeah, I'm not fully used to it, either."
Mrs. Brantley chuckled awkwardly. "Neither is Lily..."
Osmond raised an eyebrow. "What's that mean?"
She shook her head, "It'd be better if she told you herself."
Osmond and I exchanged a nervous look. That didn't sound good...
Mrs. Brantley turned towards a nearby hallway. "You ready, Lily?"
Her anxious voice came around the corner, "Ready as I'll ever be..."
I began to ask, "Ready for whaaaaaaaaaaa....?"
Then I trailed off, completely dumbstruck as Lily eked around the corner.
Or rather, a dragon in Lily's clothing.
Her green eyes housed thin pupils like a lizard's; her reddish-orange hair had carried over to her main scale color, with a very desaturated chartreuse for the underbelly; a row of dark maroon scales ran lengthwise down her spine, ending in a sharp arrowhead on the tip of her tail; two horns matching the underbelly's tone curved down from her ears; and, in the most eye-catching part of it all, two folded, reptilian wings poked out through special holes in the modified shirt she wore.
Neither Osmond or I could say anything for the longest of moments, as we stared at the being our friend had become. She shifted uncomfortably under our gazes, clearly abashed.
Finally, Osmond broke the silence: "Okay, now I'm jealous."
Both Lily and I stared at him as though he were crazy.
He just shrugged, "What? You have to admit, she looks cool!"
She took a step back, blushing profusely. "Y-you really think so?" When he nodded, she smiled benignly. "Thank you, Os; you have no idea how disconcerting this has all been..."
I piped up, "I may have an idea, though."
She looked at me, her smile dropping. "I can hardly believe it happened to you, too..."
I pshawed, "Hey, look on the bright side; at least you still have hands." To emphasize my point, I held up a hoof.
She grimaced. "Right..."
Osmond, being the great guy that he is, decided to deflect the conversation and break up the tension. "So, is this why you've been holed up in here all weekend?"
Lily blushed. "I changed on Saturday, and we've been trying to figure it out ever since."
I frowned. "No such luck, I presume?"
She shook her head sadly.
I... I didn't know how to feel about that. My reasons have already been stated, so I'll refrain from repeating myself.
Although now, I should probably add 'Lily is clearly uncomfortable' to the 'Cons' list. |
Classroom Changeling | Chapter 6: Pros and Cons of Being a Changeling | For the longest time, the three of us sat in Lily's room, unable to think of anything to say. I was twitching my wings; Osmond was writing something on a piece of paper; and Lily was half-heartedly sorting through her secret leaf collection.
I should probably explain. Lily used to be bullied -- and I mean really bullied -- for her fascination with botany. In fact, I don't think there was a single bully that didn't go after her at least once. It was only when we started standing up for her that the bullying finally started to let up, and she began to actually feel comfortable. Even so, the bullying never entirely went away, and I fully admit that we should've been a lot closer than we actually were.
Finally, Osmond finished what he was doing, and looked up. "Alright, I've started a list of pros and cons regarding this situation."
I raised an eyebrow. "You did? Why?"
"To lift you out of the dumps and get you thinking critically about this."
I looked to Lily, who was just as curious as I was. "Alright, I'll bite; what'd you put on it so far?"
He regarded the list, clearing his throat. "Pro: You can both fly now."
Lily seemed surprised, as if she hadn't fully considered it. She looked over her shoulder and flexed one of her wings, already holding more control over hers than I had over mine. "That's true..."
He nodded, then continued. "Con: You'll need time to relearn your new bodies."
I nodded, "I've already fed on love once." When Os raised an eyebrow, I clarified, "My Mom willingly gave it."
"Ah," he mouthed, then turned back to his list. "Pro: you both have magic in some form."
Lily blinked. "How do I have magic?"
"There's a dragon in MLP that can send and receive letters with his fire breath. You may have that power, too."
She raised an eyebrow, then grabbed a blank piece of paper from her desk. She wrote something on it, then rolled it up and held it in front of her muzzle. After a moment of concentration, she was able to breathe out a small burst of fire, and the paper was, indeed, whisked away by it.
A moment later, a trail of smoke coalesced next to my head, bringing the (now slightly burnt) paper back into the world. I gawked at the feat, totally not-at-all jealous that she'd figured out magic before me.
For those curious, the paper said "This is a test".
Os nodded. "Seems my hunch was right. So, back to the list...
"Con: Until the world grows to accept it, you'll be alienated from your peers."
Lily's face sunk. "I can live with that; it's not like I wasn't used to that before..."
Os frowned. "Don't say that, Lily! Y--"
"It's true, though!" She snapped back, instinctively baring her teeth. "If I was bullied for my love of botany, then I'll be bullied for being a scaly, cold-blooded monster!"
I couldn't sit back anymore; I retaliated, "But you're a dragon! You're a mythical. Fucking. Beast! Do you know how many people would give anything to be in your position right now, to spend even one day as a dragon? If anyone gives you trouble for being cool, then they can just go suck it!"
She stared at me for a while, letting that soak in.
Then she asked, "Rove, are you saying you'd want to be a dragon?"
I blushed. "Th-that wasn't what I -- It depends on-- I-I...."
They both looked at me with mischievous smirks, knowing they had me cornered.
Finally, I lowered my head. "Y-yes, I would."
They both chuckled at that. "You know," Osmond pointed, "When you figure out how to shape-shift, you could just turn into a dragon..."
I retorted, "I don't even know how to use my magic yet!"
Suddenly, he seemed to get an idea. He picked up his pencil and shouted, "Catch!"
I was barely able to ask "Catch what?" before I registered that the pencil was sailing straight towards my head. I braced myself for the impact...
But it never came. I cracked open an eye to see why not, then did a double-take at what I saw.
The pencil was floating. It was glowing green, and floating.
Of course, the moment I realized this, the connection broke and the pencil fell to the floor. But it still happened; I just used magic! Fucking MAGIC!
I was almost beside myself, unable to speak for the longest time. Lily, on the other hand, was able to mutter "Holy crap..."
When I finally regained my voice, I stared at him in bewilderment. "How did you... How'd you know that'd work!?"
He smirked, "Saw it in a movie once."
I nodded, still astonished that it'd actually worked.
For the next half hour, I sat there, practicing my magic on the pencil. Focusing back on the feeling my horn had felt, I was easily able to get a grip on summoning forth the magic itself.
Actually directing that magic willingly, on the other hoof, was the tricky part.
I managed to accidentally tear off the eraser, grab the handle of a dresser that was on the other side of the room, and I even had smoke start coming out of my horn at one point.
Then, Os suggested something. "Maybe you're overthinking it? Try simply imagining yourself lifting the pencil."
I blinked, then took a deep breath. My horn lit up after a moment of effort, then I released the breath. The pencil was slowly surrounded by a lime-green aura, shimmering and shifting like a liquid. I pictured the pencil hovering off the table, and after a moment, the pencil began to shake.
Os's eyes widened. "Holy crap, it's actually working..."
The pencil slowly and very shakily began to levitate.
Lily was awestruck. "You're doing it! Rove, you're actually doing it!"
I didn't respond; I was too focused on the pencil. It reached 3 inches, then it unsteadily floated there.
Why'd it stop? I blinked, then began to focus even harder on the pencil. It became even more shaky, but it slowly resumed its trek upwards.
"Uh, Rove?"
Now it was 7 inches off the table, and I was pouring a considerable amount of effort into bringing it higher. The pencil's oscillations became faster and faster, but it kept inching its way upwards. I just wanted -- no, I needed to know how high I could--
"Rove!"
Lily grabbed my shoulders, startling me and breaking my concentration. My magic flared in surprise, and the pencil shot straight up, lodging its tip into the soft ceiling.
I breathed heavily to get my heartbeat back under control as Os knelt down next to me. "Are you okay, Rove? You kinda zoned out there for a second."
I gave a hesitant smile. "Y-yeah, just got a bit too focused."
"Alright, just make sure you don't strain yourself. You look like you just ran a marathon."
I nodded, "Can do."
He smiled, then stood back up. Lily held me for a moment until I could get my breathing back under control, then she stood as well.
I, meanwhile, was kinda worried. What just happened to me? I just wanted to see if I could do magic at all, so why'd I get so obsessed with seeing how far I could go? Was it something to do with this new body? Maybe Mr. Adler could explain?
My stomach growled again, snapping me out of my thoughts. Whatever it was, it could wait until after dinner. |
Classroom Changeling | Chapter 7: This May Be Bigger Than We Thought... | *Beep! Beep! Beep!*
7 AM, Tuesday morning. I quickly sat up, doing a check on myself.
Still a Changeling. There went any hope of this being a dream.
I groaned, swinging my legs off the side of the bed and dropping down on all fours. With a small bit of effort, I lit my horn and pulled open a dresser.
Then Bea came in. "Rise and-- oh, you're already awake?"
I grunted half-heartedly, "Uh-huh."
She nodded, unsure of how to process this break in routine. "Well, okay... I'll, uh, be in the kitchen, then..."
With that, she left me to get ready.
After I realized that none of my shirts fit me anymore, I went to the bathroom (which was an experience I refuse to go into detail about) and headed out to the kitchen for breakfast. We weren't up for talking that morning, so we instead listened to the news on the radio as we ate breakfast. They covered some political events, a report on a recent spike in solar flares, and a fluff piece about a kitten that was rescued from a tree.
Once that was done, I packed my backpack before joining Bea on our walk towards school. Clouds were starting to gather, threatening to cover the city in gloom.
"So," she began, "what do you plan to do now that you're..."
"Not human anymore? I don't know," I admitted, shaking my head. "No offense to Mr. Adler, but I'm not sure how much help he'd actually be able to give me."
Bea nodded slowly, seemingly staring off in a random direction.
"I mean, he knows next to nothing about this, and --"
"Uh, Rove? You might want to look around."
I blinked, then stared at her. "What do you mean, Bea?"
"Just look around and tell me what you see," she stated evenly, eyes widened and aura purple.
I casually did a once-over of the surrounding area, then froze dead in my tracks. "What the hell...?"
Most of what we were seeing was normal; some cars drove along the roads, a few people were out and about, and I could even see some wild birds and squirrels.
But what caught our attention was the sudden increase in non-humans.
A unicorn was warily walking next to an older woman; I could see a Changeling's distinctive eyes peeking out from behind someone's curtains; and there was even a dragon out jogging.
Bea and I were flummoxed. We exchanged a glance, silently deciding to go up to one of them and ask, then approached the unicorn.
She took one look at me and let out a breath. "You too, huh?"
I nodded. "What's going on? When did you lot change?"
The unicorn sighed. "I don't know about the rest of them, but I changed on Sunday. I just woke up, and *bam*-- I'm a pony now."
The woman walking with her added, "I only just convinced her to come outside again."
"When'd you change?" the unicorn asked sympathetically.
"Just yesterday," I replied.
The woman seemed to realize something at that. "Wait, yesterday? Were you the Changeling that was all over social media?" I nodded, and she gasped. "Oh, I'm so sorry! That must've been so frightening, having this be publicly spread across the Internet like that..."
I shrugged, "It's okay; I can't control what other people do with their phones."
The unicorn smiled sheepishly. "If it makes you feel any better, seeing the response to those posts was actually what gave me enough confidence to come outside today."
I blinked. "Really?" She nodded, and I couldn't help but smile a bit. "Well, at least some good came out of this..."
The 'people-turned-non-human' situation only became more apparent as we reached my school. Now, I could see some pegasi, some earth ponies, a dragon or two, and even a griffon, all mixed into the regular student populous. There was even a cop or two scattered around, trying their best to keep the peace.
I gave Bea a worried look, a thought crossing my mind. "You don't think we're ALL going to change, do you?"
Bea seemed to share my thought. "We'd better hope not..."
But just in case, I looked over Bea as she was for what could be the final time. Then I reared up onto my hind legs and gave her a hug, and we split up once more.
I had to push myself to keep walking into the building, being met with odd glances as I walked by. Thankfully, their reactions were tempered by the influx of cartoon-ified people, so I didn't get much more than a slight flinch directed at me.
Then Osmond approached, looking just as confused as I felt. "Rove, are you seeing this!?"
I nodded, relieved to find a familiar face. "I know, right? Lily and I aren't the only ones!"
"Speaking of her," Os continued with a frown, "she's still holed up in her house."
Well, darn. I was really hoping that she'd be able to muster the courage to come back outside after seeing me, but I guess not. I just had to hope that--
Suddenly, Os flinched, grasping his head. I stepped forward and asked, "You okay?"
He tried to shrug it off by saying, "Yeah, it's just a headache," but that only confirmed my worst fear.
He was about to move on, when another headache struck.
Then another.
And then he transformed.
His stature completely changed into that of a pony's, tearing his clothes off in the process; his skin grew short brown fur; his ears distorted and shifted to the top of his head; he gained a muddy blonde tail as well as two wings; and his face elongated into a muzzle.
But what really surprised me were the ADDITIONAL changes: his teeth sharpened; his ears were fluffier than usual; and instead of ordinary pegasus wings, he had the leathery wings of a bat.
Os, now a thestral, took a moment to recompose himself before getting up from the ground and opening his new, pumpkin-orange, cat-like eyes. "I just transformed, didn't I?" he deadpanned.
I could only nod dumbly in response.
Os took a moment to look himself over, taking in his new body, but froze when he peeked down his barrel. I could practically hear cylinders misfire in his brain as he processed what he saw, before finally stating:
"Fuck, I think I'm a girl now." |
Classroom Changeling | Chapter 8: Osmond Has A Few Thoughts About This | I stood there, frozen in shock for what felt like hours. My best friend Osmond just transformed into a bat-pony hybrid right in front of my eyes.
And apparently, he was a girl now.
Despite everything, some tiny part of my mind found this darkly absurd.
Os, meanwhile, was thoroughly shaken. The distant, glazed look in his (or is that 'her' now?) eyes told me he was lost deep in thought.
Then he screamed. "NO!!"
I jumped at his sudden increase in volume. Some of the nearby students who hadn't taken notice now had, and were staring as Os began to freak out.
He pushed himself up from his position on the floor, sitting on his haunches and subconsciously moving his tail into a position to obscure any compromising features. He sat there for a while, wide eyes looking down at his shaking hooves.
"Os?" I asked cautiously (eliciting a few gasps from the onlookers as they realized his identity). "Are you okay?"
He shook his head, not once taking his eyes off of himself. "I... This can't be..."
That settled it; I decided to do something. I turned towards the crowd and stated rather than asked, "Alright, people, don't you have classes to get to?"
Some students mumbled something, and a few actually began to leave, but the majority were still fixated on my friend.
Still, I stood my ground. "That was a hint, y'know. You're not making him feel any better by staring!"
That got the students to become self-conscious of what they were doing. Most of them shuffled off with apologetic looks; the ones who didn't went back to what they were doing beforehand.
I turned back to Os. "Is that better?"
He half-heartedly nodded, managing to look at me and give me a weak, fanged smile.
Then his eyes drifted downwards again. "Why...? Why'd this happen?"
I shook my head, "I don't --"
"I wasn't ready yet."
What?
I stared at him for a moment, brain reeling at what he'd just said. "Ready for what?"
He flinched, unable to look me in the eyes for a moment. Then, in a soft whisper, he mused, "I always was more comfortable around girls..."
My brain misfired, then crashed entirely. "O-Os...?" I stuttered with a great effort. "Are you...?"
A bright blush played across her face as she nodded. "I didn't want to come out with it yet, but yeah."
I sat there, shocked to my very core. The friend I'd known since elementary school... wanted to be a she?
Don't get me wrong: I'm perfectly fine with that kind of thing. It's your preference, and I have no say in it. But in this case, I'd known Os for so long that a secret of this magnitude collided with my perception of her like a bicycle into a freight train.
"I, uh..." I muttered, barely cognizant. "I didn't r-realize..."
She looked up at me with distressed eyes. "I'm sorry... I'll just leave now, if you--"
"Now hold on a second!" I snapped, coming somewhat back to my senses. "What makes you think I'd want that?"
She paused. "Y-you're obviously upset, a-and mad, and you probably hate me for keeping this to myself, a-and..."
I shook my head. "Os, I don't hate you! Sure, this is a lot to take in at once, but I wouldn't stop being friends with you!"
Os, for once, was speechless. She looked at me, as if searching for any sort of deception, and I knew I had to do something.
So, stowing my mental breakdown for later, I lunged forward and hugged her.
She was understandably surprised. "R-Rove...?"
I smiled, "I don't care if you're a boy, a girl, or even a cheese sandwich; I'm here for you no matter what."
After another moment of hesitation, Os returned the hug. We sat there for a while, no doubt eliciting some stares from passerby, but I didn't particularly care.
Eventually, though, we parted the hug. As I let go, I got a good look at her aura. A large part of it was baby blue, with additional wisps of indigo and orange, and--
Wait a second, what's with the trace amounts of pink?
Before I could pursue that thought any further, the bell rang, reminding me that we were still in school. "Looks like class is about to start," I pointed out.
Os deflated slightly, the indigo replacing the baby blue as the dominant color. "Right, I almost completely forgot about that."
"Honestly, so did I."
She chuckled dryly, then stood up and steeled herself. "Well, here goes nothing..."
With that, she unsteadily began to walk down the hallway, leaving me behind.
I took a quick moment to ponder the situation. Osmond turned into a thestral? That much I can handle. Os identifies as a girl? It'll take some getting used to, but I'm certainly not opposed to it.
But why did her aura have pink in it? |
Classroom Changeling | Chapter 9: Back to School | I stood outside the door to my first class of the day -- Algebra -- and gathered up my nerves. What would happen when I walked in? So much was possible, I couldn't even begin to comprehend what might be the most likely scenario.
'This must be how Lily feels every day,' I realized, a pang of sympathy for her ringing in my head.
Eventually, I took a deep breath, and stepped in before my brain could refuse.
The classroom was oddly quiet; hardly anyone was talking, and even those who were did so at a whisper. From my vantage point, I could see about half the class. Most of them were still human, but there was an Earth Pony and a Griffon sitting at their desks, and the teacher was a substitute today, implying something happened to Ms. Una.
The sub looked at me and sighed in exasperated concern. "Another one? Crikey..."
With the teacher having addressed me, all eyes in the classroom turned to face me. I withered at their gazes, but pushed past and got to my desk.
The sub checked the seating chart. "So you're Mr. Hummel, I take it?"
I nodded slowly. "Y-yes, sir..."
He gave me a reassuring smile. "I'm Mr. Xanthe."
The rest of class went relatively smoothly, with the non-humans only getting a few uncomfortable looks from certain individuals. Mr. Xanthe, to his credit, was trying his hardest to be accommodating, even offering at one point to help the Earth Pony write.
The next class, Language Arts, was much the same; a Thestral (not Osmond) and another Changeling were among the students there, and the teacher, Mrs. Haris, showed us sympathy. Same with my English class.
Then I entered Biology.
All eyes were immediately upon me, yesterday's events still fresh on their minds. Among the students were a Hippogriff, a Pegasus, and another Changeling.
But this Changeling was staring at me as though it wanted to rip my throat out.
So understandably, I was immediately nervous.
Mr. Adler looked up from his computer, seeing me standing in the doorway, and immediately stood up. "Rove, is that you?"
I nodded, not taking my eyes off of the hostile Changeling.
"I'd like to speak to you during lunch, if that's alright with you," Mr. Adler continued. He then turned to the other Changeling and said, "And you too, Mr. Johannes."
But the other Changeling shook his head, "No thanks, Mr. Adler. I've got business to take care of."
I didn't like that tone of voice.
Class itself wasn't much different. We continued our natural selection unit from where we left off yesterday, then he passed out worksheets based on the lesson. It took a bit to get my magic to cooperate, but I managed to pick up my pencil and shakily worked.
Eventually, the bell rang for lunch, and everyone except for me began to shuffle out.
But as the other Changeling passed me, I could've sworn I heard him mutter under his breath, "You'll pay for this..."
I blinked, then went to look at him, but he was already lost in the crowd.
That wasn't ominous at all...
Once the room was cleared, Mr. Adler stood up and began to approach me, a small stack of paper in hand. It was honestly rather disconcerting, seeing him silently walking towards me at a height far above my own.
Then he sat down in the chair in front of me and asked, "So... How are you, uh, holding up?"
I shrugged. "I dunno; I'm not as upset as I was, but I'm still really unsure about everything, especially after seeing that others are transforming, too."
He nodded in understanding. A moment of awkward silence then passed.
Then he continued, "I, uh, did a little research last night, and I found some interesting things."
I perked up a little. "Like what?"
Wordlessly, he set the papers in his hand down onto my desk. I gave them a cursory glance, but froze almost immediately as two words caught my attention.
Rove Beetles.
Are you serious?
"Wha-- My name is a fucking pun now!?" I cried out.
Mr. Adler nodded, stifling back some chuckles.
I sat there for a moment, absorbing this.
Then I started to laugh.
It was light at first, and heavily distorted by my new body's vocal effects. But it gradually built up as it truly set in just how ironic this was. My name is related to bugs, and I became a Changeling? Fucking priceless.
And then I started chirping.
I wasn't even trying; my wings just rubbed together on their own, producing a noise not unlike a katydid. Of course, as soon as I realized this was happening, I made a concerted effort to stop out of embarrassment.
But then Mr. Adler started to laugh at my chirping. And then my laughter redoubled, chirping and all.
I guess that, even when life seems to be screwing you left and right, it'll still throw you some amusement.
Once our laughter subsided, we spent the lunch period going over his research into insect-related things. Topics such as wing care and usage, body structure, and pheromones were discussed and tested, providing rather interesting results. With Mr. Adler's help, I made substantial headway into flying (namely, being able to move both my wings simultaneously), we speculated about the purpose of the holes in my legs (our working theory involves aerodynamics and dimorphism), and I even donated a sample of my 'mane' for him to study.
By the time the bell rang again, I was eager to learn more on my own.
The rest of the school day went relatively smoothly. I got a few looks from some people, I gave sympathetic smiles to other non-humans, and at one point, a classmate actually transformed during class (she turned into a Seapony and nearly suffocated, but thankfully, there was a sink in the room), but otherwise, I'm happy to say that most of it was--
*Ring! Ring!*
I blinked, looking back at the pocket of my backpack that held my phone. With a bit of careful fiddling, I was able to use my magic to retrieve it, and used the soft part of my hoof (the frog, I think it's called?) to answer it. "Hello?"
My mom's voice returned: "Rove, it happened to Bea."
Oh, fuck. |
Classroom Changeling | Chapter 10: Buzzing Bea | As soon as the bell rang, I bolted out into the light drizzle that had started. I didn't care about any of the odd glances people gave me as they walked by; I was too concerned for Bea at that point.
At one point, I was going so fast that my hooves were barely touching the ground.
Then my hooves STOPPED touching it altogether.
I blinked at that, then looked back at my wings. Thanks to the practice I'd had earlier with Mr. Adler, as well as some natural instincts kicked off by my desperation to get home, my wings were buzzing enough to lift me off the ground.
I was flying.
Fucking FLYING!
Well, okay, I was technically hovering, but still!
I would've been ecstatic at that, under any other circumstances. Bea's situation was still at the forefront of my mind, however, so I refocused myself on getting back home as quickly as possible.
I made good time, skidding to a stop on the front sidewalk. I stared at the door and took a deep breath to steel my nerves, dreading what was on the other--
"Oh my..."
I froze. That sounded like...
Slowly I turned my head to my left. My eyes met those of Ms. Finch, and we stared at each other for a moment.
"H-hi, Ms. Finch..."
To her credit, she kept from freaking out too badly. "Wh-wh-what the... Rove?"
I glanced back at my door before apologizing, "Look, I'd really love to explain, but my mom really needs me inside right now."
She nodded blankly, "I-I can certainly see why..."
'Oh, you don't know the half of it,' I thought to myself. My hoof waved goodbye, and she hesitantly did the same, before I magicked the door open and ran in.
I think I might've heard her faint, but I'm not too sure.
I bolted into the kitchen, where I found Mazarine with a look of dread on her face. "Where is she?"
She said nothing; instead, she pointed down the hallway, in the direction of Bea's room.
I got the hint and dashed down the hallway. With the way Mazarine was acting, I was dreading the worst.
So imagine my surprise when I find Bea, now a Changeling just like me, standing on the wall.
We stared at each other blankly for a moment, before she buzzed her wings and alighted to the floor. "Hey, Rove."
I didn't know how to respond. It wasn't the fact that she was a Changeling, too; in retrospect, the fact that we're related made that the most reasonable occurrence.
No, what rendered me speechless was the simple fact that she was getting the hang of her new body MUCH more quickly than I was. She'd already learned wall-walking, and she even used her wings on her descent to the floor?
I'll admit, I was a little jealous.
"Uh... You okay?" She asked when I didn't respond, snapping me out of my frozen state.
"Oh, y-yeah; it's just... You're already so adept..."
She giggled a bit. "I know, right? I mean, I'm still kinda freaking out a bit, but today is 'Use Your Common Sense Day', so I figured: if this has happened, I might as well get used to it, right?"
I managed a chuckle. Same ol' Bea, celebrating all the obscure holidays she could. "I only just got my wings working on the way over."
She gasped. "You did? I'm proud of you, bro!"
My face heated up a bit at the praise. "Th-thanks."
Bea then buzzed her own wings in excitement, "Do ya think we could go for a fly together?"
I shook my head. "Maybe later; right now, I've gotta see if Os is okay."
Bea frowned. "Did he transform, too?"
I nodded, "Yeah. She's a thestral now."
"Really? That's cool!"
Then she blinked as my words registered. "Wait, 'she'?"
Whoops. I chuckled absently, "Yeah, well, apparently, Os has been 'in the closet' about how she identifies for a while now, but since her new body lacked a certain... feature, she decided to come out."
Bea gasped. "Really? I'm so proud; I've heard that doing that is really hard, and with the circumstances, it'd be extra hard!"
I nodded. "She was convinced that I'd hate her for keeping it a secret."
She flinched sympathetically. "That's rough. But you didn't, right?"
"Of course not!" I defended immediately.
She let out a bit of a chuckle, raising a hoof to calm me. "I know, I know; I'm just messing with you."
I paused, then chuckled at it as well, letting my wings chirp instinctively. She found that extra funny, and started laughing, and I laughed even harder when she began chirping as well.
I think I like chirping now.
"So, how did things go?" I asked over the video call. It'd taken a bit to set up, what with our hooves, but Os and I had managed to make it work.
Os chuckled humorlessly. "My mom's still trying to wrap her head around it, but otherwise, things went rather well."
"And how about you; how do you feel about this?"
She shrugged, "Okay, I guess. I mean, these hooves aren't as dexterous as hands, and this heightened smell could get annoying, but the night vision and the promise of flight are definite upsides."
I nodded in understanding, before smirking. "Speaking of flying..."
I buzzed my wings and began hovering above my chair slightly.
Os's jaw dropped at the sight. "Woah, that's awesome! I can barely move my own wings..." To emphasize her point, she waggled a wing limply.
I smiled, "You'll get the hang of it, I'm sure."
She nodded, then changed subjects. "Say, when are you gonna be giving away your cards?"
I frowned. "When did I say I would?"
"Yesterday morning, when you said you'd give up your cards if you turned into a cartoon character."
I blinked, before frowning upon recalling the memory. "Aw, crap; I did say that, didn't I..."
She chuckled, "It's okay, Rove; I know you weren't serious."
A sigh of relief escaped my lips. "Good, I don't think I'm ready for that just yet."
We both shared a good-natured laugh at that.
"Heck, if anything, it's me who should be giving up my cards."
I frowned upon hearing that. "Os, you don't have to--"
"No, you know what?" she interrupted, now looking determined. "I can't exactly hold my cards with my hooves; you should have them instead."
"Os, no! You've been collecting those cards since before we met; I can't just take them from you!"
She shook her head, thoroughly convinced. "Nah, it's no trouble at all. I know they'll be in good hands-- er, hooves-- or Magic?"
I... didn't know how to respond. The mere fact that she was giving up her cards was a lot to take in, but to give them to me?
I felt utterly touched.
"Th-thank you, Os; I promise, I'll take good care of them."
She smiled, the faintest of blushes across her muzzle. "I know you will."
For a moment, we just sat there, gazing at each other through the computer screen. As we did, I felt something flicker in my chest, as though something warm, buried deep in my soul, was trying to make its way out.
Then a voice from Os's end piped up, and she listened to it for a moment. "Oops, gotta go; it's dinnertime."
I checked the clock. 6:30 already? "That's okay. I'll see you tomorrow, then?"
She nodded, "See ya."
With that, we both hung up, that lingering warmth still in my chest. |
Classroom Changeling | Chapter 11: The Changeling, The Thestral, and The Moon | Rove and Osmond sat atop the Empire State Building, bathing in a tub of peanut butter. The sun in the distance was crying, but that didn't concern the two at the moment.
"Beware which way the wind blows," Os stated.
"Seek that which isn't lost, and you shall forever lose what is," Rove replied.
The two inched closer, taking each other by the hooves as a ninja played the pan flute.
"How long have we waited for this moment," Os asked, with a twinkle in her eye.
"Eleventeen days," Rove reminisced, running his forked tongue across his lips.
The sun's cries intensified, and for a moment, the moon on the opposite horizon glowed an intense white.
Then the moon opened its eyes. "Something has gone wrong," its silky voice cried out, "and there is little time to fix it."
Os and Rove did not pay attention; they were too lost in each other's eyes.
"Rove, Osmond, listen to me."
That caught their attention. Both of them blinked out of their trance, turning towards the moon.
"The link is growing," Moon began, "and with it, the changes."
"Uh, what's going on?" Rove asked as he became more lucid.
"I dunno..." Os replied, recognizing the oddities of their situation.
Moon simply continued, "There is but one chance for your world: find your Bearers."
"Bearers?" Os asked. "You mean, Bearers of the Elements of Harmony?"
"That is correct," The luna nodded. "Gather them where the change began, and combine power to stop the merge before it becomes too late."
"What is even happening right now?" Rove couldn't make sense of any of it. "Am I dreaming, or what?"
"How will we find them?" Os asked, not paying attention to her confused friend.
"I am out of time," the moon stated as she began to fade, "but you are not. Follow your instincts, and you will succeed.
"Now GO!"
I let out a strangled gasp as I snapped awake, a cold sweat running down my exoskeleton. It took a moment to calm my racing heart, which also gave me time to reflect on that crazy dream I'd just had.
"What the heck was that about?" I mumbled under my breath. "And why can I remember it so clearly?"
'Okay, let's go through that play-by-play. It started with Os and me in a tub of peanut butter atop the Empire State Building, while a ninja played a pan flute... I feel like that's a reference, but I'm not sure to what.
'The sun was crying, which could mean several things...
'Os and I started speaking gibberish about the wind and losing things... either really symbolic or utter nonsense.
'Then it seemed like we were getting ready to...'
My face heated up. "Okay, just gonna file that away until later..."
'But then the moon... it said something about finding bearers and fixing the problem? Then Os mentioned the Elements of Harmony -- are those from that pony show?'
I winced as my head throbbed. "It's way too early to be thinking this hard," I muttered to myself. Glancing at the clock, I noted the time (5 AM), then settled in to try and fall back to sleep.
But the worries wouldn't go away.
*Beep! Beep!*
"Good m-- ow."
Bea's usual morning wake-up call was abruptly stopped by her inability to open my door, causing her to run straight into it. She shook it off, then tried her darndest to grip the knob, but it was far too smooth to acquire any purchase.
"Uh, Rove? Mind getting the door for me?"
I groaned as I got back up, having failed to get any more sleep. My horn lit up, and the door opened to reveal a grinning Bea.
"Morning, Rove!" she chirped (both figuratively and literally). "It's Wednesday, and you know what that means?"
My groggy mind couldn't come up with the answer, so I shrugged. "No, what does it mean?"
"It's time to call Dad!"
Oh fuck. My eyes threatened to bulge out of their sockets as I suddenly snapped wide awake, all thoughts of the strange dream being pushed back for the moment. "Oh no, I completely forgot!"
My family has a sort of tradition where, every other Wednesday while he's deployed, we give him a video call and catch up with him. It'd been such a hectic week that I completely forgot that this week was the one we were supposed to call.
I leapt to my hooves and began to frantically pace around. "What're we gonna do, what're we gonna do?!"
Bea seemed oblivious to the problem. "What'll we do about what?"
To answer, I pointed a hoof at her, then at myself.
It took her a moment, but it clicked for her. "Oh, right," she wilted, ears folding back slightly.
Seeing Bea become sad like that managed to snap me out of my panic, and I took a deep breath. "Okay, it's not that big a deal; we can just stay off-screen while Mom talks."
"AAAAUGH!"
Both of us whipped our heads around at the sound of Mazarine screaming. I bolted out the door and ran into her room, followed by Bea.
I couldn't believe my eyes.
Mazarine had transformed overnight, but she hadn't simply become a normal Changeling.
She was much taller than either of us; her blue eyes were slitted like a cat's; instead of our pale, fin-like manes, she had fiery red hair that fell in strands all around her head; and her horn was very long and curved, with a hook at the back of the base.
She was sitting upright in her bed, staring at her own hooves, a million thoughts running through her head.
And for some reason, Bea and I could faintly HEAR those thoughts.
"M-mom?" I finally found my voice, drawing her out of her catatonic state. She looked up, her breathing just above normal.
"I'm not ready to be Queen..."
With that, she fainted. |
Classroom Changeling | Chapter 12: Wake-Up Call, Caught You In The Morning With A Changeling Queen In Her Bed | If I don't die from the sheer stress of this week, the first thing I'm gonna do is go to therapy.
I stood there, staring at my fainted mother. I could hardly believe it; everyone in our house had transformed. My mind was racing, trying to cope with it.
"R-Rove, what do we do?" Bea asked, her voice shaky.
I couldn't answer; the stress of the past few days was catching up to me, and it was insurmountable. It felt like the walls were closing in on me, rooting me into place as they crushed my chitin into bloody --
"Rove, snap out of it!" Bea was suddenly in my face, concern written all over hers. "What. Do. We. Do??"
I took some deep breaths, but I couldn't shake off the impending sense of doom. "I-I-I don't know! I mean, what CAN we do? We can't just act like nothing's wrong; he'll flip out at the sight of us! And we can't ignore the call, because that'll make him think something happened to us..."
Bea was now pacing around, too. "What'll we do, what'll we do, what'll we DO?!"
My quivering legs finally gave out, and I collapsed onto the floor. I'd never been so unsure and so scared in my life, and I absolutely hated it. I couldn't even bring myself to words; I just lay there, shaking and hyperventilating. Bea soon joined me, and we both just shut down.
Eventually, Mazarine came to. She jerked back up, immediately looking at her hooves and grumbling when they were still hooves. "Damnit, not a dream..."
Then she heard our whimpering, and gasped when she saw us both huddled on the floor. Forgetting her own troubles for a minute, she stumbled out of bed, tripping over her own long legs. She practically dragged herself over to us, scooping our shaking bodies into a hug and whispering soothing words into our ears. "Shh-shh-shhhh, don't be scared; I'm alright, and I won't let anything bad happen to you."
My voice managed to return, "B-but what about D-d-dad?"
"If he's seen the news, he'll likely know about this happening," she assured us. "He won't abandon us because of something out of our control."
Bea managed to calm down a bit. "You really think so?" she sniffled.
Mazarine responded by nuzzling the base of Bea's horn. "I know so."
She sat there, holding us as we cried the last of our stress out. Once there were no more fearful tears, she set us back down, and we turned our attention to her.
"So, what did you say about being a Queen?" I asked, recalling what she'd said before she fainted.
She flinched, glancing back down at her new body. "Please, don't call me that. I may resemble the Queen from that show, but I'm still just your mother."
I blinked. She's a Queen Changeling? That'd certainly explain the differences between us and her.
Bea then piped up, "Is that why we can hear your thoughts?"
Mazarine balked. "You what now?"
"Before you fainted," I explained, "we started to hear your thoughts. I think you've formed some kind of Hive Mind with us."
She sighed. "Oh, great; there went my privacy..."
Bea clarified, "We didn't actually hear what you were saying, but we could still tell it was you; it had your voice."
I added, "And I promise not to eavesdrop through it."
She thought for a moment, then chuckled. "What did I do to deserve such wonderful kids?"
We blushed at the appraisal. "Aw, thanks, Mom."
She smiled, wrapping us in another hug.
So we waited for Halley to call.
And waited.
The normal time for the call came and went, but still, we waited.
Thirty minutes passed, and we became antsy.
Finally, at the forty-five minute mark, Mazarine decided to call him instead, making sure to turn off the camera first.
*Ring!*
*Ring!*
*Ri--!*
Finally, he answered, but something was wrong; his camera was off, too.
"Mazzie?" his voice came, garbled mostly due to the distance.
"Halley, we need to show you something."
A pause on his end. I could hear him breathing a bit more heavily than usual, before he replied, "I need to show you something, too."
The three of us blinked, giving each other worried looks. "Do you want to turn on your camera first?"
"M-maybe we should both do it at the same time," he replied in the shakiest voice I'd ever heard from him.
Mazarine gulped. Now or never...
"Okay, one..."
"Two..."
"Three!"
The screen brightened up immediately as his camera went on, a dark silhouette off to one side. It took a moment for our eyes to adjust to the sudden brightness, but when we did, we all gawked.
Halley was a Changeling now, too.
And not just any Changeling; he was a Royal, just like Mom. His moppy black hair was now barely tinted blue; his green eyes were cat-like; two fangs stuck out of his mouth; and he had a horn that complimented Mazarine's almost exactly (where hers went forward, his went backward). He still had his cleft chin and his glasses, but he was a Changeling in every other way.
And by the look on his face, he was just as shocked at the sight of us as we were at the sight of him.
"I-I can't believe what I'm seeing..." he muttered blankly to himself, helping to realize that the garble in his voice was only partly caused by the distance between us.
"Neither can I..." Mazarine replied in kind.
We sat there for a long while, just taking in the sight. The last time I'd seen him was two weeks ago, and if I'd've known he'd change so drastically so soon, I would've commited his face to memory.
"So..." he finally broke the tension, "uh... How's the weather over there?"
Mazarine couldn't help it; she began chirp-laughing, her chirps much louder than mine or Bea's. Bea and I joined her, and even Halley chuckled a bit.
But my laugh wasn't as full as theirs.
After that, we got to talking. Apparently, Halley also transformed just that morning, and he was also afraid of how we'd react to him. Talk about a coincidence!
So we talked about what we'd become, filling him in on what Changelings were and how they lived. In return, he told us about how some of the other soldiers in his squad were also changing, and we sent our best wishes.
Funnily enough, he noted that he could feel our love even from where he was, and we could feel the love he sent in return. Fancy that.
Eventually, his squad leader came in and told him he was out of time, so we said our goodbyes, and hung up.
"Well," I observed, "that went much better than I'd expected."
But I still couldn't shake the feelings in my stomach. Our lives were changing so quickly that I could hardly keep up with it all. And the way I'd just shut down earlier...
I never wanted to feel that powerless again.
Since Mom wasn't feeling up to doing much, she decided to call us all in sick (us from school, and her from work). That gave us a whole day to get accustomed to our new life.
A day I spent practicing my flight, moreso to distract myself than anything. The rain had stopped sometime last night, allowing us to practice outside, but the sky was still a collage of grays.
"C'mon Rove," Bea encouraged, "you can do it!"
I huffed and puffed as I buzzed my wings, barely a foot off the ground. I could tell I was doing something wrong, but I wasn't actually sure what.
Eventually, my wings gave out, and I flopped back to the dirt. Bea gave out a disappointed sigh, "You were so close..."
"Yeah," I retorted, "to buzzing my wings off of my body."
She began to pace as she thought. "What do we need to do to get you properly into the air...?"
I shrugged, "I dunno. Heck, I'm surprised I even made it that far off the ground."
If we were in a cartoon, a lightbulb would've popped up over her head. "That's it! You're still in the mindset that flying is impossible, and that's holding you back!"
I raised an eyebrow. "How exactly does that work?"
"It's the quitter's mentality," she explained. "You believe you can't do it, so you're subconsciously quitting before you've even started. It's similar to how, if you're expecting a movie to be bad and you head in with that mindset, you'll be more likely to pick out the flaws."
Huh. "Y'know, you scare me sometimes with just how smart you are."
She blushed. "It's a gift."
Then I looked back at my wings. "So, I've just gotta believe I can do it, huh?"
Bea nodded, "You've just gotta believe!"
"I thought 'Cliche Day' was Monday."
"Well, today's 'Gunpowder Day', and there's not much I can do with that."
That got a good chuckle out of me. "Alright, if you say so."
Refocusing on my training, I crouched down on all fours. My wings began to buzz, and I eventually began to lift up.
'Alright, just believe,' I thought to myself. 'You're not restrained to the ground anymore. You can already walk on walls; flying is just the next step. Just believe, don't doubt. The air is your friend, the ground--"
"Rove, look!"
I blinked, then looked down at my sister.
I was about fifteen feet above the ground. Bea was happily prancing about, celebrating my first successful flight.
I would've been celebrating with her were it not for one teensy problem: "Uh, how do I get down?"
She paused. "I dunno."
Fuck me. "H-h-help!" I began flailing my legs uselessly. "I can't get down! Help!"
Bea quickly started to panic, too. "Rove, calm down! I'm sure I can think of--"
"HELP!!" I cried out as I felt the wind pick up slightly.
It was then that Mazarine rushed outside, gasping at the sight of me. "Rove!"
"I can't get down!!" I screamed.
"Slow your wings!" she called out.
I tried as she suggested, but the increasing wind threatened to blow me out of the yard, forcing me to flap harder to keep steady. "The wind's too strong!"
Beware which way the wind blows.
I gasped as the words from my dream came back to me. I glanced in the direction the wind was blowing from, scanning the ground.
Then I began to glide.
I began pivoting my wings in a manner similar to a kid sticking their hand out the car window. Angling them to push against the wind, I slowed my descent substantially. The landing may have been rough, but I still managed to do it without any substantial injury.
Bea was immediately upon me, Mazarine not far behind. "Rove, are you okay?!"
I nodded, brushing my flank off with my tail. "Y-yeah, I'm fine."
"What were you thinking?!" Mazarine chastised me. "You could've gotten seriously hurt!"
"S-sorry, Mom," I wilted under her stern look.
She sighed. "I'm just glad you're okay. Be more careful next time, okay?"
I nodded, "Will do, Mom."
Mazarine gave me a small smile, before sitting herself on the edge of the patio to watch over us.
"Dude," Bea continued, "you were flying!"
I blinked. "I was, wasn't I?"
Her smile grew huge, and she resumed her prancing. I chuckled a little out of relief, then joined her celebration of my aeronautical feat.
But right as we were starting to wind down our celebrations, the doorbell rang. We all looked at each other, then I decided to get the door (I was the most comfortable in public out of all of us).
When I opened the door, I was surprised to see Os carrying a bunch of paper in her wings, and looking like she'd spent all morning running non-stop. "Os, what're you--?"
"Did you have the dream, too?"
I blanched. "You mean, that dream where the Moon talked to us?"
She nodded. "I think that was Princess Luna."
What. |
Classroom Changeling | Chapter 13: The Stages Of Grief Are A Bitch | "What?" I blinked dumbly, not quite believing I'd heard her correctly.
She hastily came inside, setting the paper she carried onto the coffee table. "I think Princess Luna contacted us through our dreams last night."
Now I was even more confused. "I-I'm sorry, could you maybe explain that so it, I dunno, makes sense?"
Os sighed. "Right, I forgot you don't watch the show. Princess Luna is one of the two rulers of Equestria, along with Celestia. Luna governs the night, raising the moon and protecting her citizens from nightmares."
I blinked. "Okay...?"
"I think last night, she used her dream-walking powers to contact us across dimensions, and tell us how to stop all these transformations."
I began to swerve the conversation, trying to retain some sense of normalcy. "Okay, I don't know what you started taking in order to believe this, but you need to get off of it now."
She sighed, pinching the bridge of her muzzle with a hoof. "You had the same dream as me, right? With the Ninja Sex Party reference, and the crying sun?"
I balked. "That's what that was a reference to?"
"Their song, 'Romance Novel'. It's pretty funny, you should check it out sometime. Anyway," she got back on topic, "the moon spoke to us, and told us to find the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony, right?"
I nodded. "I'll admit, that's too much to be just a coincidence. But really, Os? A cartoon character bridged the gap between dimensions just to tell two random nobodies how to fix this mess?"
"Well, that's just it; what if we aren't just two random nobodies?"
Did I hear that right? "What?"
She pulled out one specific paper: a list of names and dates. Included on it were me and her, with the dates of our transformations. And on top of that list...
"Lily?" my eyes widened.
Os nodded. "I went around and gathered dates of transformations, and I can't find anybody who transformed before her. And yes, I know this town isn't nearly a large enough sample size, so I even asked around online."
"Wh-wh-what are you saying?" I managed to stutter out.
"Remember what Luna said, in the dream? 'Gather them where the change began'. If Lily was the first one, then she'd need to tell those who know that! Lily hasn't told anyone other than us..."
"...so we were the ones she went to!" I finished. "Okay, but that still wouldn't explain how a fictional character contacted us in our dreams!"
She blinked, then admitted, "I haven't worked out everything, but it's all we've got right now!"
I thought over that, before slowly nodding. "Alright, so let's say that, hypothetically speaking, a talking pony princess did manage to bridge dimensions and talk to us through our dreams," I had to stifle a gag at how crazy that sounded. "What are we supposed to do about it?"
"Exactly what she said; find the Elements."
I balked, desperate to avoid the route this was going. "Okay, but aren't they, like, in their world?"
"You're only half right," she explained. "The physical Elements are in Equestria, but she said to find their Bearers."
"...how is that any better?"
Os groaned. "Look, the Elements of Harmony represent the key elements of Friendship -- just bear with me on this," she added when she saw my incredulous look. "There's Kindness, Honesty, Generosity, Loyalty, Laughter, and Magic. The Bearers of each Element embody the trait their Element represents -- except for Magic, which embodies all of them."
I nodded slowly. "So you're saying that we just need to find six people that represent these Elements?"
"Yep!"
"Well, good luck with that."
Now, it was Os's turn to balk. "Wh-what do you mean?"
I shook my head. "Forgive me, but I'm finding this incredibly hard to believe."
"Harder to believe than people turning into Equestrians?"
I went to retaliate, but paused. Should I really be doing this?
"...yes, yes it is."
Like a light switch, her energy seemed to drain away. "Wh-what are you saying, Rove?"
I sighed. "I just think the stress may be getting to your head."
Her brows furrowed. "What, are you calling me crazy?"
I quickly defended, "I never said that! I'm just saying, really listen to yourself right now. No offense, but what you're saying sounds like it came straight from a shitty fanfiction."
Almost immediately, I regretted saying that. Her eyes began to moisten, and midnight blue streaks began bleeding into her aura. "What happened to not abandoning your friends?"
I tried to recover, "Look, Os, I just think--"
"Just stop, Rove," she interrupted curtly, regathering her papers in her wings. "I can take a hint."
My ears laid flat against my head as she walked by. "Os..."
As she reached the door, she turned back to give me one last look. My heart sunk as I looked into the most hurt eyes I'd ever seen. "Well, at least we know one person that can't be a bearer..."
With that, she slammed the door shut, leaving me to think about what I'd just done. |
Classroom Changeling | Chapter 14: The Things We Say | Shit.
I felt like shit.
My best friend just spent all her energy piecing a few small slivers of evidence into an explanation and a plan, and I called her crazy for it. And just after she'd bestowed her trust unto me for not abandoning her!
What a piece of fucking shit I am.
I couldn't even stand up anymore; I'd moved to lie on the floor with my chin resting on the coffee table at some point. The minutes felt like years as I lay there. Wallowing in my regret. Like the piece of shit I am.
Shit.
"Rove, are you okay?"
I lifted an eyelid halfway, finding myself looking at Mazarine. "No."
"Who was at the door?"
"Osmond."
"Oh? What did he want?"
I sulked. "She wanted to talk to me about this whole predicament."
Mazarine stayed silent for a moment, likely processing my use of pronouns. "...and?
"I destroyed her trust."
A look of concern came across her face. "What happened?"
I explained the dream we had last night (leaving out the first part), and theory that Os had come up with, which I'd promptly spat in the face of. She stayed silent for the entire explanation, taking in everything I said.
Finally, she spoke up: "Yeah, that was pretty mean."
I groaned, placing my hooves over my head. "I know, I know!"
"But it's not too late."
I blinked. "What?"
She gave me a reassuring smile. "Go to her. Tell her you're sorry, and work to make it up to her."
I threw my hooves in the air, "I-I can't. You heard that theory; it did sound crazy, right? Tell me it sounded crazy!"
She pursed her lips. "I will admit, it was a bit far-fetched. But what else do you have to go on?"
I opened my mouth, but froze. She was right. She was right, and that only made me feel worse.
Mazarine snapped me out of my wallowing by putting a hoof onto my shoulder. She looked me straight in the eye and stated three simple words that got me going:
"Go to her."
Os walked down the street, mulling over everything that'd just happened. She'd never felt so betrayed in her life. One minute, Rove had said he'd always be there for her; the next, he was leaving her on her own to find a solution.
So she stomped down the street as the wind picked up. She hardly even noticed when the papers in her wings' grasp started slipping out and blowing away in the wind. She didn't even have a word for how she felt; she was just... empty.
Finally, as the last few sheets of paper left her grasp, she ground to a halt.
And she started to cry.
She didn't know how long she spent crying; it didn't matter. She finally thought she'd found the one friend she could trust, the one friend who didn't abandon her when she came out, but just when she needed him most, he--
"Os?"
She froze at the voice. A venomous snarl tried to make its way out of her throat, but she held it down. "What," she stated in a low, even voice.
"I, uh... I think you dropped these..."
Os finally turned her head to face the voice.
There stood Rove, her sheets of paper in his magical grasp. He had a demure smile on, but he clearly wasn't happy about something.
Os maintained eye contact as Rove levitated her papers towards her, and she grabbed them with her wing.
A moment of silence passed. Rove's clearly fake smile began to falter.
Then he broke down crying.
"Os, I'm so, so, SO sorry! I should've been there for you like I said I would, I shouldn't have called you crazy, you were only trying to help and you were doing the best you could with the little we have to work off of, I'm a horrible friend, I don't deserve to know somebody as great as you, I'll understand if you never want to see me again but PLEASE FORGIVE ME-E-EEEEE!!!"
Os stared blankly at the quivering mess of a Changeling grovelling at her hooves. A thousand thoughts flew through her head, but she settled on one: "Why?"
Rove flinched back at her harsh tone. He sniffled, his face a mess from his tears. "These past two days have been just... they've been a lot. Everyone I know is turning into cartoon characters, I'm feeling things I've never felt before; it's frightening. I don't know why I pushed you away; maybe I just want everything to go back to normal, so hearing that more could be happening....
"That's not an excuse, I know. I don't have any right to be asking for your forgiveness; I spat in the face of your trust, and right after I told you I'd be there for you no matter what. I'm a horrible friend, and a horrible person, and..."
He couldn't continue; his sobs overtook him. Os wanted to tell Rove exactly why it hurt her so much; how she'd spent the last ten years trying to find a friend she found comfortable enough to come out to, and how she thought she'd found one in him, only to have it crushed the very next day.
But she just couldn't muster the energy. She silently shook her head, and turned around. Rove's expression turned to one of heartbreak as Os continued walking down the street.
"Wait."
Os paused. She turned her head slightly, giving him an even glare.
Rove, now more dejected than he'd ever been, lit his horn and retrieved a binder from the backpack she hadn't even realized he was wearing. "I should probably give these back to you, then," he stated as he levitated the binder towards her. She eyed it warily, flipping open the cover.
Her eyebrows raised. It was the first cards they'd ever traded with each other.
And they were still in mint condition.
Os looked up at Rove, who was already turning to trudge dejectedly back home.
"Hey..."
Rove's ear swiveled, but otherwise, he froze.
Os smirked a bit. "I might need a little help carrying these... wanna walk with me?"
Rove turned, blinking as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing. Their eyes met each other's; cloudy blue eyes meeting yellow slitted pupils.
"S-sure..." Rove eventually stammered.
Os nodded, smirk growing. "Then what're we waiting for?"
Rove turned around shyly and, when she didn't lash out, he hustled to Os's side, taking the binder in his magic.
And thus, they began to walk.
After a few minutes, Os spoke: "I was really counting on you, y'know..."
I flinched, despite her even tone. "I know..."
"I've never been able to put as much trust into anyone as I have to you."
I sighed. "I know, I know; you were only trying to help, and I had the nerve to call you crazy."
She shook her head. "Honestly, in any other circumstances, I'd be right there with you."
We both chuckled a bit, although mine was more forced.
Then I continued, "But still... I know I can never truly make up for how I treated you, but I want to try; I'll do anything."
She looked me over out of the corner of her eye, and I could swear I saw it sparkle. "Maybe come to my place and help me with my theory?"
I smiled. "Gladly."
With that, we gathered up what few papers hadn't been blown away by the wind, and set off towards her house. |
Classroom Changeling | Chapter 15: Rooftop Revelation | Darkness. Even when I opened my eyes, I was surrounded by darkness. All directions around me, as far as I could perceive, were nothing but a vast ocean of blackness that threatened to drown me in its inky nothingness.
Then, from that all-consuming void, three women slowly faded in, all facing away from me.
The first was tall; even taller than Mr. Adler, from what I could tell. Her bright aurora-colored hair flowed on an invisible breeze, and her white dress practically glowed with a warm light.
The second was about as tall as Mr. Adler. Her midnight-blue hair shimmered like a field of stars, and she wore a light blue business suit with metal adornments resembling armor.
Lastly, the third one was about as tall as my human self. Her dark indigo hair was streaked by purple and magenta, and she wore a uniform that seemed straight from the most respectable school in the world.
I'd have to be an idiot not to recognize them. "Wha-- Princesses?!"
They did not respond; instead, they kept standing there, staring at the nothingness.
I willed myself forward, and found myself running towards them. "Princesses! Princesses, you've gotta help!"
Still they stood, motionless.
As I ran, I extended my foreleg out to reach for them, only to realize it was glowing. I faltered at that, tripping and suddenly finding myself falling into the endless nothing.
As the wind whipped past my ears, I began to hear a jumble of voices.
"It didn't feel good, lying to Ms. Finch like that..."
"I have made a terrible mistake..."
"What happened to not abandoning your friends?"
"The night shall last forever!"
"You're doing it! Rove, you're actually doing it!"
"It seems I have not learned my lesson after all..."
"I know, I know; I'm just messing with you."
"I never should've banished you to the moon! I should've destroyed you!"
"Whatever caused this... I'll do what I can to help."
"She warned me, but I did not listen..."
"Sure, this is a lot to take in at once, but I wouldn't stop being friends with you!"
"I'm sorry."
And then everything went white.
I jerked up in a cold sweat, gasping for breath. Looking around frantically, I quickly calmed down at the realization that I was still at Os's house. The thestral herself was nowhere to be seen, but the evidence of our research session still remained -- namely, all the papers that were scattered across the coffee table. The clock on the wall read 2:30 AM.
I sat upright and hopped off the couch, making sure my wings hadn't been crushed by my body. "Os?" I called in a hushed voice, "Os, where are you? Os, I just had another dream!"
No response.
Momentarily fearing that I was still in a dream, I bit my hoof, then winced as my fangs nearly pierced my chitin. 'Okay, not a dream,' I thought to myself before starting my search for Os.
I found her sitting on the roof, staring into the night sky. Making sure to check the wind first, I took off and alighted next to her. "Os, what're you doing out here?"
She sighed. "Couldn't sleep."
"Something on your mind?"
She looked at me with a totally serious face and stated, "No, my body's just becoming nocturnal."
We paused for a moment, before laughing our asses off. Luckily enough, nobody heard us (or, if they did, they didn't voice any complaints about the noise).
Once we got it all out of our systems, we just sat there for a while. The clouds were finally starting to clear up, so we simply looked up at the stars and just enjoyed each other's company.
After about two minutes, I finally broke that silence. "Penny for your thoughts?"
She was quiet for a moment, before replying, "I'm just... thinking about everything that's happened. This time last week, we were just two ordinary guys, getting through high school; now, we're cartoon characters, I've come out as trans, and we're trying to find six people who can stop the human species from going extinct."
I paused. "That is a lot to take in..."
Then I wrapped a foreleg around her. "But you won't have to do it alone; from now on, I'm sticking by you like a..." I struggled to come up with a good simile. "Like a... a fly to... fucking, uh, Fly-paper!"
She chuckled a bit, then continued to look off into space. "Do you know why I was so upset when you almost didn't go along with my plan?"
I shook my head. "No, why?"
She sighed wistfully. "It's because of my dad.
"Last year was when I... figured myself out, if you catch my drift. The first people I told were my parents. Mom took it fine enough, but Dad..."
A shocked silence hung over us. I'd heard that Os's dad had left them, but I'd never understood why! For the longest time, I had no idea what to do as she sat there and held back tears.
Then I threw my arms around her and gave her the biggest hug I could muster.
"R-Rove, what're you doing?" She asked, barely able to breathe.
I simply stated, face buried in her mane, "Trying to give you the love I've collected; you clearly need it more than I do!"
Os chuckled, "I don't think that's how it works."
"Then how about this?"
And then I kissed her.
Time seemed to freeze as our lips met. I didn't even realize what I was doing until a second later; I was so wrapped up in trying to comfort her.
Once I did realize, though, I quickly pulled away, blushing profusely. "O-O-Os, I'm so sorry! I-I-I don't know what came over me; I was just trying to comfort you, I--"
"Rove?" Os was suddenly in my face.
I flinched. "Y-yeah?"
"Stop talking."
With that, she lunged forward for another, much longer kiss.
I was taken aback for a moment, but once the shock faded, I lost myself in the passion of the kiss. My arms instinctively wrapped around her body, and I could feel her wings do the same for mine.
After a while, we parted for air. Now both of us were blushing as we looked each other in the eye.
I hadn't noticed it before, but Os's eyes... They were absolutely gorgeous. The way the dim moonlight glinted off the colors, making them pop out like a neon jack-o'-lantern; the subtle points of the pupil, giving them a sharp and attentive look; and the emotion -- damn, the emotion those huge pony eyes could convey was resplendent! I didn't even need to look at her aura to see what she was feeling!
And judging by the look on her face, she was lost in my misty blue eyes, too.
"Did we just...?" She finally asked.
"Yup."
"Did you enjoy that as much as I did?"
"Yup."
"You wanna, maybe, do it some more?"
"Definitely."
And thus, we did. |
Classroom Changeling | Chapter 16: A New Day | Let me tell you, shingles are not a comfortable thing to sleep on. Especially when your body is nothing but hard chitin.
But when you've got a furry snuggle buddy? They're at least tolerable.
I slowly woke up to the sound of light snoring. Blinking open my eyes, I quickly found the source of both the snoring and the fuzzy feeling: Os was sleeping peacefully on my lap.
I have to admit: she was really cute like that. The way her chest rose and fell as she breathed, the light blush from the crisp morning air, the way her ear unconsciously flicked at the distant sounds of urbanization, and how her brown and gold colors were made even more radiant in the rising sun's light...
The lingering taste on my lips drew my thoughts back to last night. We kissed! I just made out with my best friend of seven years, on the top of her roof, like some kind of cheesy romantic sitcom!
And it felt good! Not even in that "Changelings eat love" kind of way; it just felt... right. It was rather odd just how right it felt, but it did, and I didn't want to change that. I sat up slightly, making sure not to jostle Os, and took inventory on myself.
My wings were opaque now.
I held back a groan. In my research session, I'd watched the Season 6 finale of MLP, and I knew what this meant: I was a step away from becoming one of those garish new Changelings.*
But I couldn't keep a small smile from gracing my lips. If it meant I'd be with Os, I supposed it wouldn't be the end of the world.
<Rove?>
I blinked. That didn't sound like it was said anywhere nearby; in fact, I'd say it sounded like...
<Rove, can you hear me?>
I gasped slightly. It was Mazarine, contacting me through the Hive Mind we'd discovered! After a bit of effort, I managed to reply with a <Yeah?>
<Oh, thank goodness this worked. Where have you been?>
I winced. <Sorry, I'm still at Os's house. I meant to call you, but we just lost track of time.>
Her next reply came with the feeling that she was being coy. <"Lost track of time", huh?>
I rolled my eyes. <Not like THAT, Mom... We were just trying to figure out how to find the Elements of Harmony.>
<Any luck?>
<Not yet; we don't really know where to start.>
She paused for a moment. <Well, did you have any more of those dreams?>
I nodded reflexively, then winced when I realized she couldn't see it. <Yeah, I did, actually. I saw human versions of the Princesses standing in a black void, then I fell and started hearing voices.>
<Whose voices?>
I had to take a moment to consider. <I think Luna was the main one of them. Then I heard some things we'd said in the past few days, like when you said you didn't like lying to Ms. Finch. But there was one voice in there that I didn't recognize; she said something about destroying someone instead of banishing them to the moon?>
She seemed to instantly recognize the quote. <That was Daybreaker, Celestia's evil alter-ego, in Season 7's 'A Royal Problem'. Bea and I watched it just last week.>
<Celestia has an evil alter-ego? Okay, I've really gotta watch the rest of that show!>
She chuckled a bit through the Hivemind. <It's surprisingly good. But anyway, you said Luna was the main voice of them? What did she say?>
I had to think for a moment. <Something about making a mistake, not learning a lesson, and then an apology. I also heard Nightmare Moon declaring the Night would last forever, then the dream then ended.>
She thought for a while. Then she sent, <I think I've got a theory. Come home, and I'll explain on the way.>
<Okay,> I nodded, before the link went silent. Carefully, I used my hooves to lift Os's head off my lap.
Unfortunately, she had other ideas; in her sleep, she reflexively reached out and clung more tightly around my barrel, not wanting to leave my apparent warmth.
I sighed, then tapped her forehead a few times. Slowly, she stirred, yawning adorably (even with the fangs) before looking at me with drowsy eyes. "Hey, Rove," she smiled with a woozy smile. "Morning already?"
I nodded with a patient smile. "My Mom needs me back home, so could you please, uh, let me go?"
Her face turned confused for a moment, before her sleepy brain registered she was clinging around my middle. "Oh, sure," she retracted her hooves and sat up. "I like your wings, by the way."
"Thank you," I nodded, standing to stretch again.
But before I was able to leave, she piped up, "Hey, Rove? About last night..."
I turned. "Yeah?"
A light blush played across her face as her aura turned light magenta with pink stripes. "Do you, uh, wanna, maybe... g-get some lunch sometime? Together?"
I perked up a bit. "I'd love to. The Luigi's on Main Street sound good?"
She smiled, aura now becoming a vivid yellow with pink and sky blue stripes. "See you at noon, 'kay?"
"Can't wait."
We both stood there for a moment, just smiling at each other. Then I buzzed my wings, and flew off.
As I flew off (making sure to stay close to the ground so I wouldn't have a repeat of yesterday), I sent through the Hivemind, <Alright, I'm on my way. What's your theory?>
It took her a moment to reply. <Okay, so who exactly did you hear, and what did they say?>
<Well, there was you saying you didn't like lying to Ms. Finch, Os yelling at me for abandoning her yesterday, Lily congratulating me for using magic, Bea joking with me, Mr. Adler offering to help me understand my transformation, and me telling Os I wouldn't stop being friends with her because of her gender.>
She took a moment to process. <And what're the Elements of Harmony?>
<If I remember correctly, there's Honesty, Loyalty, Kindness, Laughter, Generosity, and Magic, but wha-->
I froze. No way. It couldn't be... could it?
<I think we're the Elements.> |
Classroom Changeling | Chapter 17: The Elements Inside Us All | Tom Adler was not having a good morning.
Yesterday had been ordinary enough; he'd gone in to teach, helped several students with problems, taken some aspirin for a headache he was developing, and started grading papers.
Then he turned into a zebra.
Just like with Rove, it had been so spontaneous that it took him a moment to register what had happened. One minute, he was grading papers; the next, he didn't have any hands to grade them with. Unlike Rove, however, he was at least vaguely expecting something like this. More and more students had been transforming, and he figured it was only a matter of time before it happened to him, too.
No, the thing that bothered him was how different the body itself was. Being a Biology teacher, he had at least some knowledge on the anatomy of equinoids. So when he suddenly became a zebra, he was completely thrown off by the surprising amount of differences his new body had. He could move his forelegs to the sides, something he KNEW wasn't normally possible for horses; he could sit relatively normally, albeit with a little discomfort; and he could even feel some small flexibility in his hoof, allowing him to grab some things with it.
This, along with several other things like his mane being tinged purple, threw him off so much that he had to head home early (abandoning his car in the lot because he could no longer safely drive it) and study his new body.
Now, after a long night of study and comparison, Mr. Adler woke up feeling utterly exhausted. He'd have to take today off; he didn't feel like answering his own questions right now, let alone those of his students.
He stretched his new muscles as he sat up, trying and failing to blink away the sleepiness. After a moment, he jumped off the bed and made his way to the kitchen.
He was just pouring himself a cup of coffee when the phone started ringing. He managed to pick it up with his surprisingly flexible hooves and answered: "Hello, who is this speaking, and what is it you are seeking?"
Oh, that was another thing: he couldn't stop rhyming. He'd noticed it as he was dictating his notes (which were also in verse), and had experimented with it as well. If he stopped in the middle of a stanza, his next sentence would finish the rhyme. He physically couldn't end a line with a word that didn't have a rhyme, such as 'orange'. Even his thoughts rhymed! Eventually, he accepted it as another oddity of this new body.
"Tom, this is Mazarine Hummel," the buzzy voice answered on the other end of the line.
"Ah, Mrs. Hummel, what a pleasant surprise. Though I can't help but wonder what this call implies."
"Tom, why are you rhyming?"
"Nothing you need to fret about, my dear. Unless you'd care to explain the buzz I can hear?"
She paused for a moment. "I changed, just like Rove."
Mr. Adler's face dropped. "That is something I am sad to hear. Though with what happened yesterday, it is not that queer."
"Why? What happened yesterday?"
"I have suffered a similar fate as you lot. As for the species, it is zebra I got."
She gasped. "Oh, that's why you're rhyming! The only zebra character in MLP always rhymed, so you are, too."
Tom frowned. "The explanation is really that clear-cut? That doesn't sit quite well in my gut."
She paused for a moment, and the movement of hair could be faintly heard, implying that she was shaking her head. "Anyway, that's not the reason I called. I think we've found out how to stop these transformations."
He perked up at this. "You have? That is fantastic news! I wonder what it was that gave you the clues?"
"An explanation will have to wait until everyone's here. You know where Lily's house is?"
Lily sat on the couch of her house, staring at her claws. Her mind was still running a mile a minute, internally debating whether or not she should reveal herself to the public. Memories of bullies in middle school kept her rooted out of fear, but Rove's words still rang fresh in her mind.
'If anyone gives you trouble for being cool, then they can just go suck it!'
So she stayed there, uncertain of what to do. It didn't help that her own mother had recently transformed into a dragon as well; it only made her more uncertain.
*Knock knock*
Her head perked up at the sound. Hesitating for just a second, she steeled her nerves and decided:
'Just this one. I'll see how this goes, and go from there.'
Taking a deep breath, she got up and walked to the door. With a shaky claw, she reached out for the doorknob, and--
"Lily?" Rove's voice came from the other side of the door.
Lily sighed, both in relief and mild disappointment. She opened the door, and in came the Changeling--
Followed by two more Changelings, a thestral, and a zebra.
Lily froze, suddenly extremely self-conscious. "Uh, R-Rove? Who are all these?"
The thestral blinked. "Right, I guess we forgot to tell you."
Lily recognized that voice. "Osmond?!"
"I think we should explain," the littlest Changeling stated.
Several minutes later, Lily was sitting on the couch, mulling over everything we'd just told her. "That's a lot to take in..."
"I know, right?" I tried joking to help lighten the mood.
"So, you're saying that, not only are the characters from My Little Pony real, but we're also the Elements of Harmony, and we're the key to stopping these transformations?"
"If our theory is right, yes," Mazarine clarified.
"If it helps, I'm just as lost as you," Mr. Adler comforted Lily. "I'm also having a hard time believing it's true."
"Well, there's an easy way to figure it out," I pointed out. "Where were you when you changed, Lily?"
She thought for a moment. "I was in the basement, looking for our old SNES."
"May we see?" Os asked.
Lily nodded, "Of course."
"Well, that's different."
All six of us stood in Lily's basement, staring at the far wall.
Or rather, at the magical anomaly in front of it.
It looked like a fountain of magic coming out of a crack in the wall, spewing magic into the surrounding environment where it dissipated. The colors were indescribable, and that was without taking into consideration the aura my family and I could see! It just... It was so powerful....
"Rove!"
I snapped out of my daze at Os's concerned voice. "Wha-what happened?"
"You were moving towards it," she explained, a look of worry writ across her face. Looking down, I realized that she was right; I was, indeed, a few paces closer to the anomaly than everyone else.
I shook my head as I stepped back. "S-sorry, I don't know what came over me."
"Maybe I should be the one to approach," she suggested.
I shook my head, "No, you don't have any significant magical senses. Besides, I don't want to put you at risk."
"I'll do it," Mazarine offered.
I hesitated, looking from her to the anomaly. "O-okay, just be careful..."
She nodded, then started to edge her way forward. As she approached, the magic seemed to react to her presence, causing a light orange glow to emanate from her.
Finally, she reached the edge of the anomaly, and peered inside. "Guys, I can see something on the other side!"
"Who's there!?"
We all froze at that. It was a rather familiar voice to some, unfamiliar to others, but we all could tell that it was coming from the other side of the rift.
"Are you who Princess Luna mentioned?" the voice continued.
Now there was absolutely no denying it. "Twilight?!"
The voice gasped. "You know my name; you must be them! Please, help us!"
I stuttered, "H-how?"
Another voice, this one of Spike, piped up. "Just get close to the rift; our magic should do the rest!"
Our group looked amongst each other, not having any other ideas on what to do. I stepped forward, followed by Os and Bea. Mr. Adler came next, and finally, Lily joined us.
As we each got close to the rift, we started glowing a different color. I glowed lavender, Os glowed blue, Lily was yellow, Mr. Adler was dark purple, and Bea was pink. As soon as the last of us stepped forward, we began to feel something pulling on us. It wasn't a physical pull, but rather an ethereal pull, as if it were trying to tap into some kind of magic inside of us.
Suddenly, a beam of light shot out from Os to me. We both flinched, but stopped when we realized it wasn't hurting. In fact, it actually made me feel... I dunno, it just felt like I now had something I'd been missing. Another beam of light then came from Lily, followed by Bea, Mazarine, and Mr. Adler, all converging on me.
Then everything went white.
I don't know how long we were unconscious for, but I distinctly remember that I was the first of us to come to. I groaned, getting to my hooves shakily.
*Gasp!*
I blinked, then turned towards the wall where the rift was, and I gasped, too.
Now, embedded inside of the wall, was a mirror frame.
And on the other side of it was Twilight Fucking Sparkle. |
Classroom Changeling | Chapter 18: A Gateway Bug, The Wizard, and Os | I stood there for what seemed like forever, absolutely stunned.
Twilight Sparkle.
Twilight FUCKING Sparkle was right there, on the other side of a newly formed gateway, staring straight at me!
And right past her, lying on the floor and unconscious just like my friends, were the rest of the main cast of the show! They all looked exactly like they did in the show, except they were real.
If only I were actually a fan of the show; then I'd be having a field day.
Finally, I found my voice. "Y-you're Twilight Sparkle, right?"
"Yeah," she replied, still shocked. "A-a-and you're a..."
"A changeling?"
She nodded absently.
"Don't worry, this was only a recent development."
She visibly relaxed. "Right, Luna said you're supposed to be human?"
I nodded. "Yeah. I'm Rove."
"Rove? As in, the family of beetles?"
I huffed. "Yeah, I'm still kinda miffed about that retroactive pun."
She managed a light chuckle.
"Oh my goodness..."
Both of us turned around at the sound of Os's voice. She'd just woken up, and was now staring at the gateway with wide eyes and a slack jaw.
I rushed over. "Os, you ok?"
She nodded absently, still fixated on the gateway. "A-are you seeing what I'm seeing?"
"Yep, that's Twilight Sparkle," I confirmed.
The lavender alicorn smiled and nodded. "It's nice to meet you, Miss....?"
"Osmond," she replied, "Osmond Bellamy, but everyone calls me Os."
Twilight nodded. I helped Os onto her hooves, and I made sure she wasn't injured by whatever it was we'd just done.
Speaking of which... "So, what exactly did we just do?" I asked Twilight.
She replied, clearly excited, "We just stopped the magic leak!"
"Magic leak?"
She nodded. "A tear opened up in the fabric of reality, causing our magic to leak into your world."
Os gasped, "Wait, is that what's been causing these transformations?!"
Again, Twilight nodded. "Your world has no natural magic, right?" At my confirmation, she continued, "My theory is that your world acted as a low pressure point for the magic to flow into. And since your world has no magic of its own, it couldn't handle ours. The magic must've compensated by changing your bodies into ones it's familiar with, so that they could actually handle the influx of magic."
I stared dumbly, trying to comprehend what she'd just said.
Os chimed in helpfully, "I think I get it. It's kinda like when your eyes adjust to the darkness, or when your skin gets pruny from being in water too long -- except this is on a much bigger scale, right?"
Twilight shrugged, "That's a really unscientific way of stating it, but I suppose it gets the general idea across."
I piped up, "Hang on a second... How'd this all happen in the first place?"
"If what Celestia told me is true," Twilight explained, "it's because both of our worlds have been experiencing heavy solar flares. Our world doesn't experience them that often -- only for eleven weeks every 6 years -- so the fact that both of our worlds had them at the same time weakened the wall between our worlds... or something. Celestia didn't seem too sure, herself."
Os ventured, "Is the Mirror Portal open currently?"
Twilight thought for a moment while I was left in the dark. Suddenly, she gasped, "That's it! With the Mirror Portal already making the walls of our universe weak, both of our worlds experiencing solar flares at the same time was enough to punch through!"
I interrupted, "H-hang on, what's this about a 'Mirror Portal'?"
Thankfully, Os was able to explain. "It's a relic that connects Equestria to another universe for a few days every so often. It used to belong to Celestia, but after her previous student ran away through it, she locked it away until Twilight gained possession of it."
Twilight blinked. "Woah... Luna said you had some knowledge of us, but I didn't know you knew that much! How do you know all of this?!"
Os blanched. "Well, um, it's kinda a long story..."
Twilight raised an eyebrow sceptically. "How so?"
She inhaled sharply through her teeth. "In this world, you're fictional."
Dead silence reigned for a long moment.
"What?" Twilight finally managed to croak out.
"You know what a television is, right? From your visits to the other dimension?" Twilight nodded, so Os continued, "Here, you're the main characters of a fictional TV show."
Twilight had no words as she processed this. For a moment, I could've sworn I saw smoke leaking out of her ears.
Then she gasped. "Wait a second, Starswirl's Theory of Infinite Possibilities!"
Both Os and I looked sceptically at her. "What?"
"If an infinite number of parallel universes exist, then anything that's possible has theoretically happened in at least one of them! Your world must be one of those in which a TV show was made that just so happens to resemble our universe!"
"Oh!" Os and I blinked in realization. That was a much easier-to-swallow explanation than the alternative...
But before Twilight could get any further into metaphysics, somebody on her side began waking up. "Ugh, my head..."
I turned to look, and saw the pink pony getting up. Her eyes locked onto mine, and I suddenly got a feeling of dread in the pit of my stomach.
We stared at each other for a moment, before I tried to break the tension. "Uh... Hello there?"
That's when she struck. Zipping straight through the mirror as though it weren't even there, she got up right in my face and began speaking so quickly that I could barely register it as words.
Although I definitely heard the word 'party' in there several times.
Thankfully, Os came in between us. "It's nice to meet you too, Pinkie, but could you please calm down a little?"
She stepped back, a sheepish smile spreading on her face. "Oh, sorry! I'm just so excited to meet somepony from another universe!"
Os chuckled, "Honestly, I'm pretty excited, too. I just wish it could've been under better circumstances."
Meanwhile, Twilight was studying the portal. "Fascinating! It's a real-time portal with instant transfer, while allowing the traveler to retain their form!"
I blinked. "Uh... Could you elaborate on that? I'm not exactly versed in all things magical."
The alicorn blushed a little. "The last time I travelled through a portal to another dimension, it took a little bit to travel, and it changed me into a human to better fit in."
Wait, what?
Seeing my confused expression, Os suggested, "You really should just watch the movie about it."
I nodded, "You know what? I think I will."
It was at that moment that Pinkie Pie approached me again -- thankfully at a respectful distance this time. "Hey Mr. Buggy, can you do any shape-shifting tricks?"
I blinked at the mare's sudden appearance. "First of all, my name is Rove. Second, I don't actually know how to shape-shift."
The party planner gasped. "You can't shape-shift!? That's gotta be the saddest story I've ever heard! A Changeling not being able to shape-shift is like... It's like Applejack not being able to harvest apples!"
It was at that moment that another character on their side woke up. Hearing her name, the orange mare jolted up, still half-asleep. "What? Ah can't harvest apples?!"
Pinkie gasped again, "Oh no, all my greatest fears are coming true!! What if I don't like cupcakes!?"
Then, to my eternal confusion, Pinkie Pie pulled a cupcake out of nowhere -- while being on our side of the portal, no less -- and ate it whole. She chewed for a moment, before sighing in relief, "Oh, thank Celestia."
Twilight groaned, rubbing her temple. "This is going to be a long day in all of the wrong ways..." |
Classroom Changeling | Chapter 19: What We Do Next | Eventually, everyone awoke, and the situation was fully explained.
My heart nearly stopped when I realized that had been the easy part.
"So, what do we do now?" Rainbow Dash eventually asked.
"Normally, Ah'd be all about bein' straight-forward an' honest," Applejack admitted, "but this's a delicate sit-i-ation, an' we need a plan a'fore we do anythin'."
"I'll say," Mazarine agreed. "The revelation that there's an alien dimension in some random basement, even with the events of the last few days, would be pretty big news. If we handle this incorrectly, it could go horribly wrong."
Mr. Adler then pointed out, "But planning something like that takes time. What do we do in the meantime?"
"You guys shouldn't have to be stuck in the basement the whole time," Lily voiced.
Applejack raised an eyebrow. "We could just go back to Equestria..."
Pinkie then whined, "Aww, but I wanted to explore!"
Lily smirked a little at the country pony, who was gazing questioningly at the pink mare. "You were saying?"
"I, too, am quite curious about this new world," Rarity corroborated. "If for nothing else, then just to get a sense of what these 'humans' look like."
Rainbow eyed her teasingly. "You just wanna see their fashion, don't you?"
Rarity huffed indignantly for a moment, stood stock still for a few seconds, then finally sighed and nodded. Rainbow chuckled a bit at her guess being true.
Twilight thought for a moment. "I'm curious, too... Well, if we just pretend that we've been affected by the leak, then we could head out for a bit. If that's alright with you folks?" She asked us.
I shrugged approval, and everyone else also apprehensively nodded. Even Applejack, who seemed the most against it, eventually agreed once Twilight assured her that they wouldn't actively tell any lies about it; they'd just opt to not say anything.
Bea, having zoned out during the conversation, finally perked up at it being over. "Alright, now that that's settled, I have so many questions!"
Fluttershy chuckled at her enthusiasm. "Well, I suppose I've got some time, since I'm not very good at all of this planning stuff..."
Bea flitted over excitedly. "Alright, first off, is your Stare magical?"
Fluttershy looked concerned. "Oh, I sure hope not! I wouldn't want to be doing anything to my animal friends against their will!"
Bea looked to Twilight expectantly, who chuckled at her enthusiasm. "As far as I can tell, there's no magical component to it."
"Woah!" My little sister was absolutely enamored. "And what about Applejack's lie-detecting ability? Does it have anything to do with her Element?"
AJ smirked. "If it did, then mah brother'd have it, too."
Bea gasped "Big Mac can sense lies, too?!"
"You don't know the half of it."
As Applejack began telling Bea (and Fluttershy, too) of one time that Big Mac caught somepony deep in a lie, the rest of the group began to discuss what to do about them revealing themselves.
Well, everyone except for me.
"In other news, President Nova has announced 'Project Hoof', where several top scientists from across the country have been called in to help determine the cause of the recent epidemic. More on that at nine."
At that point, I decided to turn off the radio; it wasn't really helping. I was trying to tune everyone else out, as thinking about this whole predicament for too long was stressing me out. With the radio not being nearly as distracting as I'd hoped, I tried to think of something else to do.
Os looked over and noticed me, leaving the conversation to approach. "Hey Rove, you gonna join in on this?"
I shook my head, "This is all just too much for me to handle right now. I mean, we're spearheading first contact with aliens; I don't really think my input would be very helpful."
She looked like she wanted to argue, but she didn't. "Well, when you put it like that, I understand. But still, I'm not gonna let you sit over here by yourself; let's go do something."
I smiled, "Thanks, Os."
She responded by giving me a peck on the cheek, before heading out back.
I, meanwhile, was momentarily stunned. Sure, we'd had that make-out session last night, but that was in the heat of the moment; this time, she was treating it as perfectly normal!
Not that I was complaining.
I shook my head, a small grin spreading across my face, and followed her outside.
When I caught back up to Os, I found her practicing her flying. She was certainly better than the last time I'd seen her try, but she still had a ways to go before she could comfortably fly for any length of time.
I thought about what I could do for a while. My wall-walking skills had improved significantly; I wasn't really up for flying at the moment; and, while I could always practice my magic, there wasn't anything out here light enough for me to try levitating.
Then I recalled something Pinkie had said earlier:
"A Changeling not being able to shape-shift is like... It's like Applejack not being able to harvest apples!"
Shape-shifting... That sounded like a fun challenge.
Focusing energy into my horn, I began picturing my body in my mind. The mental image of my changeling self formed, before I began making slight modifications to it. I imagined my mane as a different color, then let the energy in my horn out.
POW!
I reeled as the energy was released incorrectly, causing a blast of feedback that literally knocked me off my hooves. Os noticed and immediately rushed to my side, checking me over for any injuries.
"I'm okay," I insisted. "I didn't expect to get it on my first attempt, anyway."
"What were you trying to do?" she asked, concerned.
"Shape-shift," I stated simply. "I don't know what I did wrong; I just pictured myself with differently-colored hair..."
"You need to let the magic wash over you," a third voice said, catching both of our attentions. We turned to see Twilight poking her head out through the sliding door.
She continued, "A changeling I know, Thorax, has told me a lot about their magical technique. Don't try and force it all out at once, because that'll just lead to a burst of feedback. Instead, let it wash over you, as if you're slowly pouring a pitcher of water onto yourself."
I nodded, deciding not to question the expert. Focusing on my mental image once again, I lit up my horn. But this time, I took Twilight's advice, and simply let my magic flow over me. A warm sensation cascaded around my body, taking the form of flames, and a few strands of my mane became blonde.
Os grinned, "You kinda did it!"
I returned the gesture, then turned back to Twilight. "Thanks for the advice!"
She simply smiled, before pulling herself back inside and closing the door.
The next while passed while I continued to hone my skill. I managed to make about half my hair change before Os piped up, looking at her phone in her hoof. "Hey, uh, Rove?"
"Yeah?" I responded absently, still focusing on my magic.
"I know it's been pretty hectic today, and it's already well past noon, but, uh, you still up for that meal?"
I blinked, then remembered that we'd agreed to go out for lunch earlier. "Right, of course! We were going to the Luigi's on Main, right?"
Os nodded, heading over to the gate. I opened it with my magic, closed it behind us, and we headed towards the restaurant.
As we walked, I took a moment to straighten my mane, fixing the discolored patches left over from my practice. I then looked at Os, taking in her aura (at some point, I'd gotten so used to seeing them around everyone that I'd started ignoring them). She had a lot of tangerine yellow (which was new to me), mixed with ribbons of indigo (the color I'd come to associate with nervousness or anxiety) and some faint splotches of pink.
"Nervous?" I decided to ask, breaking the silence between us.
She jumped slightly, but nodded. "I'm going on my first date ever; of course I'm nervous."
I blinked. This was a date?
Damnit, now I was getting nervous, too. |
Classroom Changeling | Chapter 20: A Date To Remember | Eventually, we got to Luigi's, a quaint italian restaurant run by a local family. The hostess, a teenage woman with red hair and freckles, put on a smile at the sight of us, her aura a mixture of pale rose and khaki (I should really start keeping track of what they mean). "Welcome to Luigi's, how many seats do you need?"
"Just us two," Os smiled back. The lady nodded, grabbing two menus and leading us to an open booth. Looking around, I was surprised to see a few other equestrians, including a hippogriff, two zebras, a dragon, and a fellow Changeling.
The hostess got us to an open table, a nice little booth where Os and I sat across from each other. She placed some menus onto the table, then left us to look over them.
Os began, "So, anything happen lately?"
I shrugged, "My dad became a changeling yesterday."
"Oh?" she raised an eyebrow. "That must've been quite the surprise for him."
"Yeah," I chuckled. "He almost didn't pick up for our bi-weekly call."
"He's in Iran, right?"
"Afghanistan, actually," I corrected.
"Right, right."
It was then that the waitress came back. We ordered our drinks (I got chocolate milk while Os got strawberry lemonade), and she left again.
Os picked up a menu with a wing. "Alright, what still looks good...?"
I used my magic to levitate mine. "Well, I don't exactly need to eat real food anymore, but I still want to get some -- keeps some amount of normalcy, you know?"
She nodded, then went back to looking at the menu. While she looked, her emotional aura began to rotate between multiple colors such as chartreuse, dark blue, and light orchid.
That settled it; I pulled out my notebook and began to write out a guide to my emotion sense. Os looked up, then paused when she saw me. "Uh, Rove?" Her aura was now maroon.
"Yeah?" I grunted, barely noting that she seemed confused and putting that next to maroon.
"Where'd your notebook come from?"
I paused, finally remembering the fact that I hadn't actually brought my notebook with me on this date. "Huh, would you look at that?" I checked the front; definitely my notebook, and not a completely new one.
"I think you just teleported your notebook here!" Os was now beginning to get excited, her aura turning tangerine yellow.
I made note of that. "I suppose I did, didn't I?"
"That's so cool! Do you think you could do it with anything else?"
I couldn't help myself; Os's excitement was contagious. "Let's find out, shall we?"
I then spent the next few minutes trying to get something else from my room to appear next to us. It took a bit of work to consciously do it, but once I realized that it worked better if I really wanted it, I began to get the hang of it pretty quickly. I managed to summon a box of tissues and three pencils before our drinks came. The waitress's aura turned maroon at the extra stuff now at our table, but she didn't comment.
We placed our orders (I got pasta e fagioli, while she got a chicken and spinach calzone), then went back to what we were doing before. I showed Os what I was writing in my notebook, and together, we came up with a pretty comprehensive list of emotions I could sense.
Eventually, the food came out. Even if it wasn't filling, that pasta e fagioli still tasted amazing. And judging by Os's pink-and-white aura, she was satisfied by her meal, too.
We talked for a little while longer about this and that -- the kind of stuff only friends would find interesting. Eventually, the check came, and I summoned my stash of money to pay (Os wanted to, but I insisted).
But as we were leaving, a family entered the restaurant with a Changeling among them. And though we only made eye contact for a moment as we passed, his aura flashed a dozen colors.
But the lead color was fire brick red.
As we walked home, that Changeling plagued my mind. Os seemed to notice, and asked, "What's wrong?"
"That Changeling..." I muttered. "When he looked at me, he suddenly got really angry."
Os looked concerned, and her dark magenta aura backed that up. "Maybe, uh... Maybe they were just having a hard day, having become a Changeling, and the sight of you brought out all their emotions?"
I sighed. "Maybe you're right, but I just can't shake off this bad feeling it gave me."
She thought for a moment, then smirked. "I think I might know something that'll get your mind off of it."
Before I could ask what she meant, she suddenly took to the sky with unsteady wing beats. She gestured with a hoof to follow her lead, and I did so, buzzing up to meet her. She led me up over a house, in a direction I knew led to a park (Cascade Valley, I think?).
As we approached, she told me, "Close your eyes."
"What??" I balked. "But we're flying; I'll crash!"
She paused for a moment, then took my hoof in hers. "I'll make sure you don't."
I could feel a little blush invading my face, but I did as she asked, and closed my eyes. She led me forward for a bit, before we both landed on something wooden.
"Alright, open your eyes."
I did so, and was stunned.
The park looked spectacular. With winter coming in soon, all the leaves were beautiful shades of red and gold, and there was just a touch of frost on everything, making it all glisten. The boardwalk we were on overlooked a small valley with a river running through it, which shone in the evening sun. I'd been here once before, but never had I truly appreciated how beautiful it looked until now.
"Wow..." was all I could say.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" Os asked. I looked over to her to find she was looking at me, smirking. "It truly is something to--"
She couldn't help but laugh at how cheesy she was being, and I joined her in it. When we finally wound down, we decided to just sit there, taking in the view.
Soon, I felt Os's hoof on my lap. I turned to see her looking at me again, this time more dreamily than last. I couldn't help but get lost in her pumpkin orange eyes again, just like last night.
It happened before I could even register what I was doing; I moved forward and locked lips with her, and we both melted into a kiss. This time, however, Os was a little more experimental; as soon as my mouth opened a little, she snaked her tongue in. I was taken aback a bit, before moving my own tongue forward to meet hers.
Suffice it to say, we made enough heat ourselves to stave off the cold autumn air.
<Rove, are you there?>
When I came to, it was just after sunset. I was still entangled in Os's limbs, but I didn't feel like I needed to change that anytime soon. So I simply laid there, taking in her wonderful smell while I sent back my reply: <What's up, Mom?>
<Where have you been? We were looking all over the house before I remembered the Hive Mind.>
<I'm on a date.>
She paused for a moment. <A date? I don't remember you mentioning dating anyone.>
<It was a recent development.>
Her next reply came with a bit of motherly teasing. <I see. So, who's the lucky other?>
I chuckled a little internally. <It's Os, actually.>
This time, there was a shorter pause. <Huh. I thought there was something else going on with you two, but I was never quite sure.>
I rolled my eyes. <Alright, did you really wake me up just to gossip about my love life?>
<Actually, no. While you were gone, we came up with a plan.> |
Classroom Changeling | Chapter 21: Binge Party (or 'How I Learned To Love That Pony Show') | I blinked. <You did?>
<Mm-hmm. Get back here as soon as you can, and Twilight will explain. Damn, it's still so weird to think that she's actually here.>
A little chuckle escaped my mouth. <Alright, we'll be there soon.>
Os stirred from under me, having been awoken by my laugh. "Rove? What's funny?"
I de-tangled my limbs from hers and sat up. "Just talking with my Mom. We need to get back to Lily's and--"
Os's eyes widened as soon as her gaze fell upon me. "Rove, have you seen yourself?!"
Huh? I glanced down at my hoof; I could barely make it out in the dim light, but it was a dark red now. "Wha-- oh no, did I--?"
"--metamorphose into one of the new Changelings, either during or after our make-out session? Yep."
I groaned. "Alright, how bad is it?"
She didn't say anything; instead, she pulled out her phone and fumbled with it until the front-facing camera was activated.
I sighed, then looked over myself. My orange elytra was covered in brown mottling, getting thicker towards the base of my neck; my dark blue torso contrasted nicely with my dark red legs and head; my wings, tail, and fin were a nice shade of light blue; and my horn now had a second, smaller point just behind the first.
On the bright side, at least I didn't have those dumb-looking antlers.
"That's two transformations in the span of a week," I numbly pointed out.
"Three if you count your attempts at shape-changing," Os added.
"Not helping," I leveled a quick glance at her, not too harsh but still irked.
She seemed to get my intention and nodded. "Right, sorry. Just trying to lighten the mood."
I smirked. "Thanks, but leave the sarcastic comments to me."
She rolled her eyes, but still smiled. "Whatever you say, buddy. Now, what was it your Mom said?"
I blinked. Oh, right.
When we returned to Lily's home, we found Twilight and Mazarine waiting in the entrance foyer. As soon as I was in their sight, my mom began to stare at my new form. "Rove, what--"
"Yes, I'm aware I changed again, but that's not important right now; what's your plan?"
Twilight nodded, not at all fazed by the change. "It came to me when Pinkie turned on the radio; it was a news bulletin discussing how your leader is gathering top scientists from across the country."
I nodded, "I heard something similar while I was listening earlier."
"So I had an idea: I'm going to get Celestia and Luna, and we're going to go to the conference they're holding in a week."
Os gaped. "Y-you're bringing the Princesses here?!"
Twilight raised an eyebrow. "Yeah?"
In response, my friend started to panic. I grabbed hold of her shoulders and got her to do a quick breathing exercise, regaining control of her breathing.
She had the decency to blush as she regarded Twilight. "Sorry about that; I'm a big fan of the show."
Twilight pursed her lips in thought. "I'm still rather curious about that, actually. And since the conference won't be for another week...."
Os looked over at me expectantly, as if I was the final authority. "What?"
"You wanna binge the series with us?" she asked, eyes pleading.
I shrugged, "I suppose it'd be worth a shot."
Os cheered.
Suddenly, Pinkie Pie bounced into the room. "I couldn't help but overhear you, and I have exactly one thing to say:
"BINGE PARTY!"
Then I realized something: "Wait a second, we have school tomorrow!"
Pinkie frowned, nearly deflating as she fell from the air.
Then she grinned. "How about Saturday, then?"
We agreed.
And so it was that, on Saturday, all of us returned to Lily's house and began the binge. It took two days of 12½ hour sessions, but by the time Sunday came to a close, we'd gotten through the first three seasons and the first Equestria Girls movie.
The entire time, the Equestrians pointed out little things, such as how the episode order didn't reflect reality, and how it took more work to solve things (like the Season 3 Finale) than what was shown; in return, we pointed out things such as the references to our pop culture and the inconsistencies we'd noticed, like their occasional use of the word "hand" (that one was, apparently, a fluke by the writers; even Spike consistently called his hands "claws" before they went to Canterlot High).
Twilight was particularly surprised at how many references there were to our world -- particularly from Pinkie and Discord, but not exclusive to them -- that were accurate to what actually happened. In fact, the show could be disconcertingly accurate, sometimes down to the word choice. She decided that, once she was done with this whole situation, she'd try and get in contact with the writers to see if she could determine what was going on.
Fluttershy wasn't particularly fond of the idea of strangers recording what she did, but we managed to explain that nobody was actually watching them (at least, not that we knew of), they were just... really good at guessing. Besides, the show's focus on morals helped reassure her that it was doing good.
Rainbow, Applejack, and Rarity were all captivated by the idea of having such a large audience they'd never known about (although Rarity was rather displeased with how the writers tended to overblow her more shallow side).
Pinkie just kept smiling and quoting the episodes, even singing along with the songs.
Mr. Adler initially came to learn as much about Equestrians as he could, but eventually got sucked into the fun. I think it was the 'Huffy the Magic Dragon' joke in 'Over a Barrel' that finally got him to admit he was enjoying it.
(Speaking of that joke in particular, we were surprised to find out that it was also an adult joke in their world; apparently, there's a plant called 'magic dragon' that, when dried and burnt, the fumes act as an aphrodisiac. It's called that because the dried leaves' texture is similar to that of a dragon's scales. I was surprised that Fluttershy of all ponies had said it, but she said it just sorta slipped out before she could stop it.)
As for me? I can safely say that I now see what so many people like about the show, and I'd be lying if I said didn't enjoy myself.
Finally, as a capstone to the marathon, we decided to have some fun and watch The Princess Promenade (Lily had owned it since she was a kid). While it obviously wasn't canon to FiM, Twilight did actually recall reading a similar fairy tale when she was younger (it's actually where she got Spike's name from).
In fact, it was rather funny to them just how many characters shared names with ponies they knew. Rainbow Dash, in particular, walked out the instant that the pony sharing her name said 'Darling'.
Good-natured teasing from her friends ensued for the rest of the night.
On Monday, life continued on as normally as it possibly could. Mom went back to work (her burgeoning magic skills really helped in the kitchen), Os and I had another date at a bowling alley, I continued to practice my magic, and Lily even started coming back to school (granted, she was just as shy as usual, if not more, but it was still something)!
Meanwhile, the Equestrians came and went using the portal, sometimes venturing outside (luckily, Lily lived in a neighborhood of older people, so nobody recognized the main characters of the show). At one point, Lily's dad, Carson (who apparently had been away on a business trip the whole week), came home to find several ponies measuring the amount of magic that was in the air. After the whole situation was explained to him, he decided he didn't want to get involved with any of this, and headed to his room to catch some Z's.
Twilight also began preparing for her trip in earnest once the binge was over. She mapped out a route to Washington, D.C. that would only take her 9 hours of flight (not counting any resting or detours), then went through the portal to inform Celestia and Luna.
When she came back on Tuesday, though, her face was stricken with worry. "Luna isn't coming."
Os and I gasped. "Why not?"
Twilight shook her head, "She won't say. In fact, she won't speak to anyone until she speaks with, at the very least, you two."
Os and I looked at each other. What could she want with us? To congratulate us? To apologize for the hassle all of this caused?
Or maybe she was finally going to explain what those dreams meant? |
Classroom Changeling | Chapter 22: Luna's Regrets | I shuddered as my hooves felt the cold floor of Twilight's Castle. I didn't know whether to be excited or nervous to set foot in another dimension, but there were more pressing matters.
At least Os was with me. "This is so surreal! Though I wonder what Luna wants."
"Based on the circumstances, it's gotta be something important," I pondered.
Twilight soon piped up, still on the Earth side of the portal. "She's waiting in the Map Room. Just go down the stairs at the end of the hall, and it'll be through the doors at the end of the foyer."
Os blinked. "You're not coming?"
She shook her head. "She made it clear that she wants to speak with you two, not me. Besides, I still have to finish getting everything ready for our plan." We nodded in acceptance, and with a quick goodbye, we exited the room the portal was in.
Our hoofsteps rang through the crystalline hallway as we walked. The structure was much more impressive in person than in the few pictures I'd seen of it, but that was a given. I could even see our reflections in the walls, they were so clean.
Eventually, we reached the staircase leading into the foyer, just like Twilight had said. We both decided to fly down, our flying having gotten better over the past few days.
The silence was only broken once we reached the doors. "Well, this is it," Os commented absently. "Once we open these doors, there's no going back."
"I'd say we passed that threshold when we started searching for the Elements," I chuckled a little.
"You ready?"
"As I'll ever be."
With that, we each pressed a hoof against the double doors, and pushed them both open.
Princess Luna sat in Twilight Sparkle's throne, with an aura of multiple swirling shades of gray -- the colors of guilt and regret combining into despondence. Her ear perked up when the door opened, and she turned to see us.
That only made her despondence worsen. "Ah, you're here. I suppose it is time, then."
We both bowed. "It's an honor to--"
She waved a hoof. "No need for the formalities; I am not your ruler, and I would not deserve such respect regardless."
Os immediately countered, "What do you mean? Of course you're worthy of respect; you raise your moon!"
Her head drooped. "After what I've done, I fear I've lost all respect."
I chimed in, "Nightmare Moon wasn't that bad--"
"I am not referring to that."
Os and I looked at each other momentarily, before Os spoke up: "Then what are you referring to?"
Luna now looked closer to Fluttershy in demeanor. "This whole catastrophe... It's all my fault."
I raised an eyebrow. "I thought it was the solar flares causing this."
"That is only part of it," Luna admitted. "But I am the catalyst."
Os gave me a quick glance, which I returned. "What exactly happened?"
"It was just over a week ago," Luna began, "and I was reading Twilight Sparkle's notes on the Mirror Portal. Her solution to controlling when it opened was so ingenious, it made me wonder if we were trying hard enough to understand it.
"Tia tried to warn me; she said that she'd spent two hundred years trying to understand the portal, even going as far as creating a specific scientific branch for Research Into Multi-Dimensional Travel. But Twilight's immediate success with modifying the portal had incensed me; surely there'd be something I could learn if I just tried hard enough?"
"You tried messing with magic you didn't understand," Os realized.
Luna winced, but nodded. "I only meant to get a look into the magic that formed the rift between our world and Terra, but the solar flares messed with my spell-work, and I accidentally punched a hole into yours.
"Thankfully, the rift was stabilized when you created the new portal, but the damage has already been done." Luna lowered her head. "I thought I'd left my stubborn ways behind when Twilight and her friends rescued me from the Nightmare, but it seems I was mistaken."
I blinked. Now I finally understood what that second dream meant!
"So go ahead," Luna finished, tears welling up in her eyes, "tell me how badly I messed up. Tell me how much this has changed your lives for the worse; tell me how you never wanted the responsibility of becoming your world's Elements of Harmony; tell me how much you hate--"
That's all she could say before Os and I interrupted her with a hug. "You really need to stop being so hard on yourself."
She blinked, the tears now freely flowing. "You forgive me, even after what I did?!"
"Sure, it's changed our lives," I began, "but it's not all bad. I can't speak for everyone, but I've grown to like some of the changes." I twitched my wings for an example.
"And I know how hard you are on yourself already," Os added. "But that won't cause anything but trouble."
"Yes, I remember the Tantabus quite well," Luna commented. "Thankfully, I haven't sunken that low... yet...."
I looked at Os for clarification, and she whispered, "We'll get to that episode eventually."
I nodded, then turned back to Luna. "We all make mistakes; I almost didn't help Os with this because I thought that, if I just ignored it, maybe I could retain some sense of normalcy. What's important now is that we learn from our mistakes and move forward with that new knowledge, so we don't make that same mistake twice."
I broke from the hug. "Besides, if this hadn't happened, Os and I wouldn't be dating right now."
She blinked, then looked at us both and smiled. "That... That is nice to hear. I did notice the two of you in that first dream, but I hadn't gotten the opportunity to see anything past that."
"Yep," Os placed a wing onto my shoulder, "we're practically married already."
I spluttered at that. "I wouldn't -- we're not that far yet, Os!"
" 'Yet'?"
I blushed, and they both got a laugh out of it.
Luna wiped away a tear. "Thanks, I needed that. But still, your forgiveness alone can't atone for what I did to the denizens of Earth."
Os pointed out, "Then why aren't you joining Twilight's plan? If you feel so bad, work to fix it!"
The Princess blinked, then slapped herself. "You're right; what am I doing, sitting here and feeling sorry for myself, when I should be helping to fix this!?"
She suddenly stood up. "Hold on, Sister, I'm coming!" With that, she lit her horn and disappeared in a flash of light.
After a moment of silence, Os looked at me. "So... that just happened, right? We just comforted and motivated a Princess?" I nodded, and she continued, "Good, glad to see it wasn't just my imagination."
Then she fainted.
Once Os woke up, we decided to fly back to my house and take a load off -- that interaction may not have been much, but it was still emotionally taxing. Besides, it was pretty late in the day (Twilight only came back through at about 5:30 p.m.).
While we were flying, something clicked in my mind. "What was it that Luna said about 'the responsibility of becoming your world's Elements of Harmony'?"
Os blinked. "Huh, she did say that...."
"Are you thinking what I'm thinking that means?" I turned to her worriedly.
"That we're going to be the ones people turn to for help stopping anything magical that comes in the future?"
I gulped. "Exactly."
Os shrugged. "Eh, we'll worry about it when it comes. Right now, I'm feeling a little hungry."
"Oh?"
She then looked at me sultrily. "Yup. I could go for a nice, big, juicy snack."
I replied obliviously, "Well, we've still got some leftover food that's gonna go bad now that we don't need to--"
"Rove, I'm making an innuendo."
I paused, midair, and blushed. "Oh.... Are you really sure about this, Os?"
She nodded, and I could only detect very faint traces of nerve in her aura. "More sure than I've ever been about anything."
We looked each other in the eye for a moment, and she didn't back down.
Then I grinned my fanged grin. "Os, I would be honored."
She grinned her own fanged grin back. "Then let's do this."
And thus began the best night of our lives.
Meanwhile, somewhere else...
Harold Johannes stood in his bedroom, staring at a printed-out image of a changeling that was thumb-tacked to his corkboard. Just the sight of it made him irrationally angry.
'It's all his fault....'
He thought back to last week, in biology class. First, another classmate changed; the next day, several other students -- including Harold -- had been changed as well. Things like that happened for a reason; it was too similar to how disease spread to be coincidence.
'It's all his fault....'
His expression hardened into a scowl, and his horn lit up, fueled by his anger. With a *Zap!*, the picture was reduced to ash. He was finally ready.
"Just you wait, Rove," he growled. "Tomorrow, you're going to pay for making us like this." |
Classroom Changeling | Chapter 23: The Note | Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!
I once again woke in the warm embrace of Osmond -- only this time, we were actually in a bed. I groaned, wriggling my arm out from under me to try and shut off the alarm, then remembered I had magic. The alarm clicked off, and only then did I remember that we both had school today.
"Os," I gently shook her, "it's time to get up."
She stirred, her pumpkin orange eyes blinking drearily open. "Rove? What day is it?"
"Wednesday," I replied with a smirk, "November 12, 2025 AD. A week and two days since I changed."
She pushed me lightly with a hoof. "Okay, no need to get so specific."
I giggled. "Not sorry."
When Os and I came into the kitchen, Mazarine was humming to herself, while Bea read something on her phone, using her magic to hold a stylus.
I smiled. "Glad to see you're finally using your magic, Bea."
She jumped at our sudden appearance, blushing. "Y-yeah, well, I've had a lot of time to pract--" She seemed to finally realize that it was more than just me there, as she suddenly asked, "Why's Os here?"
"Oh, y'know," I dodged the question, "some late night studying."
Mazarine raised an eyebrow. "Really now?"
Os, however, wasn't on the same page as me -- either that, or she was too tired to get it. "What're you talking about? We--"
I elbowed her in the shoulder, making her flinch. But one look in my mom's eyes told me I wasn't getting away with lying. "Fine, we're dating now. You happy?"
She smiled. "I'm happy that you're finally happy."
Through the Hive Mind, I could tell she was remembering last week, when she'd asked me if I was going to do anything more with my high school life.
It was funny to look back at that after all that'd happened, so I smiled as well. "Me too, Mom."
Mazarine then winked. "Be sure to use protection."
I sputtered, face turning red. "M-Mom! Not in front of Bea!"
"You heard Mom," Bea stuck her tongue out. "Use some fucking protection!"
Everyone else shared a laugh at my discomfort, as well as Bea's comment.
"So," Os turned to Bea, "reading anything interesting?"
She nodded. "Project Hoof is taking place today, and you know what that means."
"Twilight's plan is about to unfold, right?" I guessed.
Mazarine nodded. "She and the other Princesses left last night."
Os blinked. "How do you know that?"
In response, she held up a scroll with her magic. We both read it; it was just a message saying that they were leaving, and that, if we needed to contact them for any reason, we could find Spike waiting at Lily's house.
"Yeah, that makes sense."
After a hearty breakfast for Bea (Mazarine was able to collect the love that the patrons of her restaurant felt for her food), and a bowl of cereal for Os and me, the three of us headed to school together. As we walked, people and ponies alike looked on at us, their auras seafoam blue (what I'd come to know as curiosity).
I responded by bringing out a wing and nudging Os's side with it. She glanced back at it, then carefully took my wing in hers in a 'holding hands' kind of gesture.
The auras of the onlookers changed, varying from apathy, to awe, to confusion. But that's when I stopped paying attention, as I didn't particularly care anymore.
Eventually, we got to our school. We said goodbye as Bea continued on to hers, and headed inside.
When we got to my locker, however, the mood was ruined. The door had been dented as though kicked, and a note had been attached to the outside:
Rove,
Come to the football field at 4PM. I've got a score to settle with you.
-- Harold J.
I blinked. What'd I do to upset this 'Harold' guy?!
Os frowned. "Who's Harold?"
I shook my head, "No idea."
"Are you gonna go?"
I pondered it. "I'll at least show up. I don't know if he wants to talk, or fight, or what. But I have a feeling that, if I don't show up, it'll get worse than a dented locker."
She frowned, but didn't object. The bell rang, and we headed off to our classes.
The first three periods were normal enough, even with the number of changed students and teachers. Ms. Una had come back, having changed into a taller unicorn (like Fleur De Lis), and was teaching Algebra again. Language Arts today was about the changed students sharing what they'd learned about their new bodies (I was surprised to see Lily show off her wings, however hesitantly), and English was same as ever, even if none of the students there happened to have changed besides me.
Then Biology came, and while the class itself was relatively the same (even with Mr. Adler now being a zebra), I couldn't help but feel like the other changeling in the room was trying to burn a hole through my skull with his eyes alone.
Then once the class ended, he stopped at my desk and gave me a hard glare. "See you at four, Rove," he growled, not even trying to be subtle, before walking out.
I blinked, connecting the pieces in my head. That was Harold? What'd I ever do to him?!
Mr. Adler came up to my desk while I was thinking. "What was that about? And what is making you pout?"
I frowned. "I found a note on my locker telling me to meet him on the football field at four. I think he wants to fight me?"
He blanched at that. "It pains me to hear of such a spat. Now tell me, why would he want that?"
"I don't know," I shook my head. "I think I remember him saying something last week, about 'paying for this'? But I don't know what I did!"
Mr. Adler's aura became golden. "I'll speak with the lad. Maybe an understanding can be had."
"Please do," I sighed in relief. He nodded, and I was allowed to leave.
The last bell rang, letting us all out for the day.
3:15 PM, 45 minutes from the fight. Was it too late to back out?
As I walked down the hall, I was stopped by Mr. Adler. "I have spoken with Harold, but for naught. He won't listen until he's fought."
"Did you go to the Principal?"
"As the transformations progressed, they've become more and more stressed, dealing with everything that's been messed. And even if I did stop the fight here, he'll only return when I can't be near."
I huffed. "Well, did you find out why he wants to fight in the first place?"
"He believes you to have spread this change, like a bad case of mange. I told him the real cause, but he found it too strange."
I blanched. "You told him about Equestria?"
He nodded. "The Princesses are enacting their plan currently, right?" I nodded. "Then one way or another, it will come to light."
I mulled that over, eventually deciding he was right. "Alright, but we're going to wait until they've made it public before mentioning it to anyone else."
He nodded, then took notice as I determinedly turned to walk away. "I'd advise you refrain from fighting, friend. Talking is the best way this can end."
"I know," I stated, more to myself than him.
As soon as I exited the building, Os came up to greet me. "How was your day?"
"Okay," I replied. "I figured out that Harold shares my Biology class."
Her tone dropped. "Did you figure out why he wants to fight?"
"He thinks that I 'infected' him with Equestrian Magic, making him transform."
She frowned, thinking for a moment. "Is it at all possible that that's what happened?"
I shook my head, "I don't think so. I didn't go anywhere near Lily after she'd changed, and yet I still changed!"
"But it's still a possibility?"
I shrugged. "I suppose there's a miniscule chance that it could've happened. Whose side are you on, anyway?"
"Yours, of course," she clarified, lightly slugging my shoulder with a hoof. "I'm just worried that he might have a point."
I held up a hoof. "Alright, I concede that there's a small possibility that he has a point. Only Twilight could really know for sure, but she's in D.C. right now."
Os nodded. "So, what do you plan to do about this?"
"I'm still going to show up," I began, "but now, I'm more determined than ever to talk it out."
She nodded, and we started towards the football field. |
Classroom Changeling | Chapter AF: The 100% Canon Happy Ending, by Beatrice Hummel | Damnit, Rove, I thought to myself, why'd you agree to this?! Are you crazy!?
Os and I had just arrived at the meeting spot, the school's football field. Harold was standing on the 40-yard line on the other side of the field, a nondescript look on his face.
"Well, I'm here!" I called out to him. "What's next?"
Harold said nothing; instead, he slowly started to walk down the field, his gaze fixated on me. Os tried to step forward, but I held him back, sensing something off about his stride.
Eventually, after what felt like hours, he stopped about a foot in front of me. We both stared into each other's eyes for a moment...
And then he kissed me passionately, to both of our surprise.
I jerked away suddenly. "What in the hay?!" I asked him, flummoxed. "Why'd you do that?!"
"Oh Rove, isn't it obvious?" He questioned, licking his lips. "Ever since September, I've been watching you from afar. You're such a clever guy, and so funny, too. I developed a fixation on you, and now that we both have something to relate on," he gestured to his new body, "I've finally gotten the courage to come out with it."
I flushed profusely. What reason could he have to say such things?
"But what about that note?" Os quizzed.
"You mean this one?" Harold pulled the note out from his pocket. " 'Come to the football field at 4PM. I've got a score to settle with you.' "
"Yeah, that one!" Os raved. "You wanted to fight him!"
"No I didn't!" Harold promised. "I just wanted you to come out here so I could confess my love!"
Os and I exchanged glances with each other quickly.
"So how about it?" Harold queried. "Will you go out with me, Rove?"
"I'm sorry, but I already have a boyfriend," I replied, placing a hoof onto Os's shoulder next to me.
To my surprise, Os shrugged. "Eh, if he's telling the truth, I'm quite willing to share."
"Really?" I quizzed.
Os nodded excitedly.
"Oh! Well, okay then!"
So we all got into Harold's car and flew off into the sunset, kissing and
Beatrice Hummel was interrupted when the door behind her slammed open, revealing none other than Kathy, AKA Someguy458. "Beatrice, what the hell are you doing here?!"
Bea gasped, trying to quickly hide under the table, but the author was too quick, grabbing her by the tail. "What're you doing to the story?!"
The cornered character tried to wriggle out of her grasp, but eventually gave up. "Well?" Kathy demanded.
Finally, Beatrice responded. "I was finishing the story!"
"And why's that?"
"Because you're taking way too long!" Bea shouted back. "And besides, your version is too much of a downer!"
Kathy sighed, letting go of the changeling's tail. "Look, Bea, it's not supposed to be all sunshine and roses."
"My brother deserves better! Os deserves better -- heck, even HAROLD deserves better than what you came up with!"
Kathy shook her head, sitting down at the computer that Bea had been typing on. She read through the draft of the story, then stopped about halfway through. "Really? You made Harold kiss Rove?" Bea nodded. "But you read my version; surely, you know that Harold's Ace!"
"Yeah, but isn't making your antagonist asexual kinda hurtful towards that community?"
"His orientation has nothing to do with his role in the story!" Kathy countered.
Bea tried to argue, but failed.
Kathy read a little further in, raising an eyebrow. "Did you really try to make them a harem?"
Bea blushed.
The author finished reading, then turned to face Bea. "Alright, you know what? April Fool's Day is coming up soon, so I'll post this as a joke chapter, then get to finishing the real one, okay?"
Bea pouted. "Just go easy on Rove, okay? He doesn't deserve that...."
"I'll think about it," Kathy replied.
The character nodded, before disappearing back into the computer screen in a flash of light.
Once she was sure Bea was gone, Kathy shook her head. "Weird kid; didn't even remember that Os is a girl now...."
Then the story got too meta to handle itself, collapsing into a black hole. |
Classroom Changeling | Chapter 24: Good L_ck (I'm F_cked) | Lily ducked behind a corner just outside of the school. Her breathing was quick from running, and her eyes darted around, trying to find a better place to hide. There was a large dumpster nearby, but it'd take too long to reach it.
Suddenly, a gruff voice piped up from somewhere around the corner: "Come out, little missy! We know you're somewhere around here."
Another voice chimed in, "We ain't gonna hurt ya; we only wanna chat."
"She can't have gotten far," she heard the first one mutter to the other one.
Lily struggled to keep her breathing quiet. Once again, she was being harassed by bullies -- she'd tripped into a tough student and made him spill the contents of his drink on his shirt. Now, he and his Hippogriff lackey were in pursuit, and from the sound of it, they weren't going to give up any time soon.
Then she had an idea: she had magic, right? Quietly, she reached into her half-opened backpack and pulled out a text book. Concentrating on a destination, she blew a steady stream of fire onto it, whisking it away in a trail of smoke.
A few moments later, a loud thud was heard some distance in the opposite direction of her. The footsteps of the bullies stopped for a moment, then trailed off as they searched in the direction of the noise.
Lily waited for a moment in case they were tricking her, then quickly ducked behind the dumpster and sighed in relief. She'd have to wait here in order to retrieve her textbook once the bullies gave up, but she could always take the next bus back home.
At that moment, Os and Rove appeared from around the corner. Lily wanted to call out to them, but she also didn't want to risk being found by her pursuers.
"Did you figure out why he wants to fight?" Os was asking Rove.
"He thinks that I 'infected' him with Equestrian Magic, making him transform."
"Is it at all possible that that's what happened?"
Rove shook his head, "I don't think so. I didn't go anywhere near Lily after she'd changed, and yet I still changed!"
"But it's still a possibility?"
Rove shrugged. "I suppose there's a miniscule chance that it could've happened. Whose side are you on, anyway?"
"Yours, of course," Os clarified.
They talked for a bit longer, before heading off in the direction of the school's football field. Lily peeked out from her hiding spot, concern written on her face.
"Quite a predicament, if I do say so," Mr. Adler's nearby voice startled Lily. "About their situation, I know."
Lily turned to see Mr. Adler covertly approaching her hiding spot. "Oh, Mr. Adler! Thank goodness; can you do something about that bully?"
"I'm afraid I cannot allay your fear; if I stop them from fighting here, they'll only resume when we can't be near. But with your bullies, I can gladly interfere."
Lily glanced back and forth between Mr. Adler and the direction that Rove and Os had gone. "Then what're we supposed to do?"
"I cannot do much with neither magic nor skill," Mr. Adler began, "but you, my dear, simply need your will."
She blinked. "W-what do you mean?"
"I have seen the way you act; you're quite strong when you need. While confidence is something you've lacked, you always heal after you bleed. You're friends with them, too; would they not assist you?"
Lily thought back to how she met the two.
"Give it back, please!" 10-year-old Lily pleaded to the three bullies that were holding her leaf collection hostage. The main bully Ashley (an 11-year-old transfer student from Norway who Lily could only describe as a 'Nordic Valley Girl') was standing atop a rock a distance from the school playground, while her entourage kept Lily from climbing up after her.
"What're you going to do about it, plantejente?" Ashley jeered back from atop the rock. "Throw worms at me?"
Lily was starting to cry now. "Please, my Mom will be so mad if she finds out I lost our leaves!"
The bullies all laughed at that. One of Ashley's entourage pulled out the drink from their lunch and handed it to Ashley, who threatened to soak the binder containing the collection.
Suddenly, a voice called out, "Leave her alone!" The four of them turned to see 10-year-old Rove and Os standing some distance away, trying their best to look heroic.
Ashley rolled her eyes. "This doesn't concern you, whoever you are."
"Maybe not, but it, uh..." Rove paused for a moment, trying to think of what to say.
Luckily, Os jumped in. "But we won't just stand by and watch!"
Lily rolled her eyes; they came off as rather dorky, and a bit showy. But she still smiled; their hearts seemed like they were in the right place.
"Right!" Rove smiled at his friend, then turned back to the bullies. "You'd better back up, or else we're gonna get the teacher!"
Ashley sighed. "Whatever." She lazily tossed the binder over her shoulder as she climbed down, leaving Lily to try and catch it. She managed to grab the binder, but some of the pages fell out and scattered over the ground.
The three bullies left as Lily went to pick up the scattered pages. As she began to pick them up, she was slightly surprised to see that Rove and Os were already helping her with them. She smiled silently, before continuing to retrieve her collection.
Lily opened her eyes and clenched her fists; she knew what she had to do.
Damnit, Rove, I thought to myself, why'd you agree to this?!
Os and I had just arrived at the meeting spot, the school's football field. Harold was standing on the 40-yard line on the other side of the field, looking incredibly ticked.
I gave a look towards Os, who seemed nervous - and rightfully so. "Well, I suppose you should stay over here," I suggested.
"Yeah right," she retorted, "as if I'm gonna let you do this on your own!"
"Os, I appreciate the gesture, but he only has beef with me; I don't want you getting hurt unnecessarily. Besides, I'll need you to stay over here in case anything goes wrong. Be ready to run and get a teacher, or jump in only if needed."
Os looked at me with concern, but nodded, and stepped back towards the bleachers. I gulped, then turned and walked out onto the field.
When I got to the 40-yard line on my side, Harold finally acknowledged my presence. "So, you decided to show up."
"Harold, I think you've jumped to a few conclusions about this whole situation," I began.
The asexual changeling rolled his eyes - at least, I think he did; it was hard to tell because he didn't have pupils. "Are you just going to repeat what Mr. Adler said to me?"
I blinked. "Well, if what he said was 'The transformations were caused by magical leakage from another dimension that had nothing to do with Rove', then yes."
Harold didn't respond for a moment.
Then he began to laugh-chirp. "Y-you actually expect me to believe that?!" he managed to choke out in between guffaws.
"Yes! Because it's the truth!" I pleaded.
Harold managed to reign in his laughter. "Oh, puh-lease. You're just trying to shift the blame! Do you even realize how ridiculous that story is?"
"I get that it's hard to believe; hell, at first, I didn't want to believe it myself." I momentarily glanced back at Os, before turning back. "But dude, you've literally turned into a fictional creature from a show made for little girls; I think the line into the absurd was crossed a while ago."
"Wait a second," Harold realized something. "You're just stalling, aren't you!"
I blinked, "Why would I be stalling?"
"You totally are!" He continued, undeterred by my question. "You called a teacher, and are waiting for them to arrive!"
"No, I didn't!" I denied fruitlessly.
"Just admit it, you coward!" He accused, getting into a battle position.
I responded by getting into a defensive position. 'He isn't listening!'
He seemed to take my silence as an admission of guilt. "Well, seeing as I have limited time now, I'd better make this quick."
With that, he lunged. I dodged to the side as he sailed past me, his horn alight. He quickly turned his head and shot a blast of green fire towards me, grazing my tail but not actually damaging it. I took to the air, and lit my own horn in preparation.
When he next shot a blast, I shot my own, neutralizing his in mid-air. I used the collision they made as a temporary smokescreen, and started flying straight for him. He readied another blast, but I was too quick; I plowed right into him, making him shoot his blast off into space.
We exchanged blows with our hooves for a while, until Harold managed to throw me off, and get back to his hooves. I wiped a bit of blood from my forehead as we both charged our horns, and I prepared for us to have to fight to overpower each others' blasts.
I wasn't prepared for what he actually did.
As I shot my blast, he instead leapt to the side and shot his own shot afterwards. By the time I realized what he was doing, it was too late. The blast sailed directly towards me, and...
Before it could hit me, a brown figure jumped in its path from my right. The blast impacted, and I heard a feminine scream, before the shape flew backwards.
I turned, finding Os on the ground. There was a large burn mark on her right foreleg, which she was clutching with her other foreleg.
That bastard hurt her.
Gritting my teeth, I turned back towards Harold, who was stood there in shock, and lit my horn. The edges of my vision were turning red, but I didn't even notice; I was too furious.
I lobbed a green ball of fire his way, but he managed to dodge it. I shot a second one, and it managed to graze his left leg. A third shot hit him square in the chest, making him stumble backwards. Spell after spell, I pummeled him with increasing anger, driving him further and further back.
Finally, he collapsed, and I readied one final shot. I glared at him without really seeing him, and--
"STOP!"
A crimson shape leapt into my vision, coming between Harold and me. It took a moment for me to realize that it was Lily, with her arms spread out to her sides.
We both stood there for a moment, eyes locked onto each other's. Lily looked more sure than she'd ever looked, with a firm gaze in her eyes. We both stood there for a moment, and though we never said anything, our gazes said it all.
Then I slowly came back to my senses, unlit my horn, and backed off. When Lily finally eased up, I ran back to Os to see if she was okay. Thankfully, she only had a minor burn that, while it would hurt for a while, it would eventually heal.
Me, on the other hand? Well, in our hoof-to-hoof scuffle, Harold had managed to crack the chitin above my right eye. While it wasn't serious, it would leave behind a scar that would never truly go away.
"Wait, that's it?!" I looked over to Harold, who was being helped up by Lily. He looked both flabbergasted and annoyed at the same time. "We hardly fought! That doesn't even begin to --"
Unexpectedly, Lily slapped him in the face. "Now listen here, you insecure jerk. Rove and Os are two of the nicest people I've ever met; even IF they were the reason you turned, it was not on purpose. But that's not what happened, and you need to stop blaming others for something that was clearly out of their control!"
"B-but they were making excuses! Claiming that there's a magical land of ponies, and--"
But Lily seemed to be prepared for that argument; she pulled her phone out of her backpack and opened the camera, showing him several pictures she'd taken of both the Portal and the ponies that'd come out of it. Harold stared in silence for a moment, then his ears dropped and he suddenly couldn't make eye contact.
"Well, Harold?" Lily sighed in relief, having finally gotten through to him. "You have anything you want to say?"
He groaned, but eventually said, "I'm sorry."
I looked to Os, who nodded, then turned back to him. "Apology accepted."
Then Harold muttered, "Still don't like you, though."
Os shrugged, "That's fair." |
Classroom Changeling | Chapter 25: Chicken Soup For The Changeling Soul | Soon, things went back to a relative normal. Mr. Adler came by and, now that the situation was resolved, took Harold to detention. Os and I decided to thank Lily for her help by inviting her over for dinner at my house. Mazarine was a little mad that I hadn't told her ahead of time, but she quickly readjusted her meal plans while we dressed both of our wounds.
As we ate a delicious dinner of BLT's and cottage cheese, an announcement came over the radio, detailing the events in D.C. Apparently, the Princesses were able to get into the meeting and talk with everyone there, which included the President and several top scientists from across the country. The specific details were kept under lock-and-key, but long story short, the truth about the pony world existing was now out there.
Bea was on her phone when she discovered something. "Hey, it's Chicken Soup For The Soul Day."
Lily raised an eyebrow. "Okay, and...?"
I clarified, "She likes to celebrate obscure holidays whenever she can."
Bea nodded in confirmation. "And I've really been slacking this week, so I'm gonna get back on the ball as soon as possible."
I chuckled. "Alright, I'll bite. What does Chicken Soup For The Soul Day entail?"
She read from the site: "Apparently, it's 'a celebration of who you are, where you've been, where you're going, and who you will be thankful to when you get there'!"
I pondered that over. A day for self reflection, eh? How fitting, given all the growth we'd gone through in the past several days. We all took a moment of silence to do so.
First, I looked to my Mom, Mazarine. Just a week ago, she'd been her normal self, working night shifts at the French restaurant downtown. Now, she was a kick-ass bug Queen who could use magic and fly, and that was certainly helping with her career. She could certainly multitask like no other, that's for sure.
I then looked to Bea. She'd probably changed the least out of us, still being the same energetic little kid she'd been before her transformation. Although now, it'd certainly be harder to keep her down, given the fact that she was becoming more adept at flying than any of us. I also think I saw her looking through some books on insect anatomy at some point over the past week, so that's a thing.
Third, Lily. She'd seemingly gone through a lot of growth on her own, and I was proud of her for that. While she certainly wasn't done, and was going to need some help, she was clearly gaining enough confidence to overcome her personal demons. I vowed, then and there, that I'd make an effort to be better friends with her.
Then there was Os. In the span of a week, she'd transitioned to a woman, opened up about her dad, and we'd started dating. Even if I didn't have my emotion-sensing capabilities, I would've been able to tell how draining that all must've been for her. She'd inarguably gone through the most out of all of us, and I was incredibly proud of her for toughing it out.
And finally, there was me. While I hadn't gone through as much as Os, I still had quite an emotional journey of my own. I'd become the Element of Magic, the de-facto leader of a group of magical misfits, and we were likely going to be called for more adventures in the future.
But I was still shaken up at the memory of what happened on that football field. Why did I lose control like that? And it wasn't the first time, either; I'd nearly gotten absorbed into lifting that pencil when I first gained control of my magic, and I nearly walked straight into the magical rift when we first found it because I was mesmerized by its power. Was it my new biology reacting to powerful magic? Was something like that going to happen again?
Then I looked back at Os. If she was able to go back to her life after everything she'd been through, then I could do the same. I just needed to have faith that, whatever came our way, we'd face it together.
Two and a Half Years Later...
*Beep! Beep! Beep!*
I stirred from under the covers. It was once again 7 AM on a Monday morning.
Although this time, things were different. First off, I was now 18. Second, it was also the week after our graduation.
And third, I actually had something new planned for today.
I took a quick shower, brushed my teeth, and headed out to the kitchen. My dad Halley, who finally came back from Afghanistan last month, greeted me first. "Heya, Rove. You excited for today?"
I replied with a fanged grin on my face, "Of course! You know we've been preparing for weeks now!"
Bea looked up from her new phone and frowned. "I'm gonna miss you when you're gone, dude."
"And I'm gonna miss you too, Bea," I replied, a bit somber but still enthusiastic.
Mazarine then turned away from the stove, where she was using her magic to prepare a small breakfast of bacon. "Well, I think this trip will be enlightening for the three of you."
"Exactly! Three months of helping Princess Twilight in Equestria will not only look good on our resumes, but it'll also be good for us to experience their culture first-hoof. Plus, Lily will get to start on the Equestrian section of her book."
Bea pouted. "I know, I know!" She then added in a mutter, "I'm starting to regret volunteering to help at that summer school."
Mazarine levitated the plates of bacon onto the table, and we dug in, turning on the radio while we ate.
"...Ambassador Sentry is returning from the conference in Singapore, and will give a statement later today. In other news, Princess Skystar has made waves with her surprise appearance at the Hippogriff Pride Protests in Russia..."
As I flew towards Os's house (leaving my family to meet me at the portal), I looked down at my surroundings and reflected on how much things had changed. The sidewalks were dotted with people and equinoids of all kinds, the skies were peppered with flying creatures headed who-knows-where, and a lot of the infrastructure had been modified to accommodate ponies (for example, many elevators had their buttons lowered so that quadrupeds could press them more easily). It wasn't at all perfect - there was still a number of people who didn't think that all this change was necessary or even a good thing - but it was progress.
There were also a few remnants from our miscellaneous adventures over the years. Over on Neptune Avenue, the road was repaved where a magical argument broke out between two neighbors, and we'd had to help subdue it. The Italian restaurant on Main still had Bea and Harold's names on their ban list from when they got into a fight over Harold's treatment of me (he was actually more so on the defensive side that time, while Bea was just angry that he'd hurt me). And above my right eye, the scar Harold gave me during our fight still lingered on.
I landed in front of Os's house, set down my bags, and knocked on the door. I heard a faint shuffling from inside, before the door opened to reveal Os's Mom, Carola Majken Bellamy. She stood at roughly 6' 5" and had piercing amber eyes, curly platinum blonde hair, a somewhat thicker body, and a partial sunburn from sitting outside during our Graduation. She worked as a fast food cashier, with a freelance photography job on the side.
Her aura was a bittersweet kind of pride when the door first opened, but once she saw me, she lit up with joy (while still retaining some of that sadness). "Oh, Rove! You're here already?" She leaned down and hugged me.
"Sad that Os is going?" I guessed, just a bit coyly.
Carola flinched. "I keep forgetting you can do that. But yeah," she then sighed, "I'm just not ready to be alone in the house yet."
From inside, I heard a meow as their pet cat, Foo (named as such so that Os could call her mom a 'Foo Fighter' whenever she had to get the cat under control), came out from behind the couch and looked at Carola in an almost indignant way.
"Well, other than you, Foo," she amended. The cat seemed to acknowledge her by blinking, before it padded away.
"I'll only be gone three months," Os's voice piped in as she approached the door, bags expertly clutched in her wings' grips. She was quite a bit taller now, and she'd let her hair grow out, but other than that, she still looked the same - blank flank and all. "And we'll be in touch; Twilight gave us all those books that can communicate with each other, remember?"
Carola glanced at her copy, which was on a nearby counter. "I know..." She was still a little sad and anxious, but she was trying to push past it. "I suspect you want to fly over there, while I drive?"
Os and I looked at each other and nodded, knowing what the other was thinking. "Actually," I said, "We were thinking we should ride with you. Give you a few minutes longer together, that sound good?"
She smiled, relief and joy bleeding into her aura. "I would love to."
So we loaded our bags into her convertible, buckled in, and began the drive. Traffic was almost stationary due to an accident down the road, but that just gave us all the more time to talk. Os complained about a bad book she'd read recently, Carola talked about how her photography career was doing really well (several newspapers had hired her to take pictures of the portal), and I talked about an old show I'd recently discovered.
"...and it turned out it was the comic's creator, who was angry with the film adaptation, that had kidnapped everyone! So Shawn exposed him, the creator was arrested, and, for the first time, nobody had to die!"
Os looked over, bemused. "You sure like that detective show, huh?"
"I like how you made sure you mentioned where the pineapple showed up," Carola giggled.
"Of course I--" I glanced towards her, and froze in my seat.
Also stuck in traffic, two cars ahead and to the left of us, I could see Harold Johannes sitting in the back of his family's minivan. He was facing away from us, but I knew it was him because I'd met his parents when they made him apologize for attacking us, and his dad was driving the van.
"What is it?" Os asked, picking up on my distress. She followed my gaze, and sighed. "Ugh, Harold?"
Carola tried to see who we were seeing, but she wasn't able to spot him immediately. "Where? I don't see him."
"Two rows ahead, to the left."
She squinted, then nodded. "I see him. Did he do something to you?"
"Actually, quite the opposite," Os corrected. "Ever since the news came out about how the 'Incident' happened, he's been nothing but apologetic."
"So then what's the big deal? It's been two years, and he said he was sorry."
I groaned. "It's not as simple as that. You weren't there; you didn't see how angry I got when he hurt Os. How I--I lost control, blasting him with spell after spell until Lily had to physically get in the way to stop me.
"It was one of the most terrifying experiences of my life, losing control of myself like that. He nearly... I nearly...."
Both Os and Carola were silent for a long moment, absorbing the angst-bomb I'd just dropped on them.
Then Os leaned over, and pulled me into a loving hug. "Rove, you're right; we have no idea what you went through, or what you're currently going through. But believe me when I say that I'll be here for you, no matter what."
Carola turned to look back at us. "If you want, I can recommend a good therapist. Dr. Shane's a good friend of ours; he helped us through my divorce."
Os smiled at the thought of her favorite therapist. "Thanks, Mom, but unless he's willing to commute to Equestria...."
Carola's face dropped, and that melancholy sunk its hooks back into her. "Oh, right..."
The cars in front of us then started to move again, so Carola refocused on the road, and we rode the rest of the way in a silence only broken by the radio.
With the traffic clearing up, we were able to make it to the Portal Complex in no time. It was amazing how quickly they'd been able to acquire the neighborhood, relocate everyone, and build the Complex where Lily's house used to be. Sure, she had to move across town with everyone else, but the longer commute was worth it if it meant that Equestria could get a foothold on Earth.
As we exited the car, I noticed a familiar Zebra standing near the entrance. "Hey, Mr. Adler!" I waved to him.
"Please, call me Tom, dear friend," he shook his head. "My time as your teacher already came to an end."
"Come to see us off?" Os asked, receiving a simple nod in response. "Well, thanks!"
"Hello, Tom!" Carola smiled towards him. "How's that study on Equestrian Zebras coming along?"
"Very well, if I may crow. It's reassuring, knowing what I now know. But Carola, if I may confide, I'd appreciate if images you could provide?"
Her smile rose to a grin. "Oh, I'd love to!"
I looked on as they continued to talk, taking notice of the spark slowly forming between them.
We found my family inside, looking at some photographs on the walls that depicted various Equestrian leaders meeting with various Earth leaders. We spent a few minutes chatting before Lily arrived, wearing a green jacket and purse, and wheeling her matching suitcase behind her with her tail. "I'm here, I'm here!" she called, out of breath, as she reached us. "Sorry I'm late; it was hard weaving across traffic with my luggage."
"Actually, you're a bit early," I pointed out, causing her to sigh in relief. "Hey, where are your parents?"
"They both have to work today. Don't worry, though; we already said goodbye." She reassured.
"Alright, if you say so..."
So, the only thing left was for us to say goodbye to our families. As Os hugged her Mom, I approached my parents and Bea. We looked each other in the eyes for a moment, our stares having the conversation our lips couldn't convey, before we all grabbed each other in one big family hug. Then Os, Carola, Lily, and even Mr. Adler joined in.
Finally, we all parted from the hug. "We'll see you in 3 months."
"Write to us once you're settled!" Mazarine called out.
"Have a safe trip!" Halley cheered.
"Don't do anything dumb!" Bea advised.
"Listen to the Princess," Carola warned.
"And most importantly of all," Mr. Adler finished, "have fun, you screwballs!"
We all waved goodbye, then turned and proceeded through customs. Once we were through, all that was left was for us to step through the portal.
"You two ready?" Os asked.
Lily replied, "Ready as I'll ever be."
For a moment, I didn't respond; I simply stared at the portal, feeling the power radiating off of it.
Then I smirked. "Let's do this."
With that, we all stepped through the portal, and into the next chapter of our lives.
THE END
...for now. |
Just Like Us | pre | "I'm just astounded by the complexity of the magic involved; it's almost like a living thing!" Twilight knelt down and joined the pegasus. "And you say it learns from playing?"
"Well, she wasn't this fabulous yesterday." Rarity put a hoof to her chest, gesturing gracefully. "She did learn from the best, after all!"
"I'd like to study it and report my findings. Do you know who made it?"
"Darling, nopony knows who made them. They just appeared in stores. There's a brand name and everything, but no mention of an address or even a country."
"Strange." Twilight peered at the silver jewel-encrusted trinket with curious eyes. "I don't suppose you'd mind if I borrowed it for a while, do you?"
"And if I helped? I mean, if that's okay with you, Twilight." Fluttershy wanted to see just how real these Critters were for herself. Twilight nodded.
"Not at all, girls; I have a big order to fill by next week, so I could do with her out of the way. She is quite something, but that something is also rather distracting." She removed the glittery collar and handed it over, letting Twilight put it on. Vivienne's brief absence was barely noticed; she kept on strutting around the room.
"Thank you Rarity; a week should be plenty of time."
~<O>~
"Luna, could you call Orion over to your side of the table, please?" Celestia was being pestered by the blue Critter as she tried to finish her meal.
"That isn't Orion, Celestia. That is Azure. Isn't he the cutest? Come here, Azure!" Luna giggled joyfully as the skinny creature hopped from dish to dish along the length of the table.
"'Azure'? Just how many of these have you got, sister?"
"Let's see; I have Orion, Azure, Greenflash, Comet, Firebrand, two Fuchsias..."
"Wait, Luna. Why do you have so many? Surely one is enough."
"But they're all so different, Celestia. I couldn't settle for just one; I've got to collect them all."
"I think maybe you should consider training the ones you have first."
"No, it simply will not do; I have to get them all. What if I am missing out on something? That reminds me, I've not fed Firebrand yet; excuse me!" Luna panicked and headed for the door.
Celestia put her spoon down, letting it fall in to her soup. "Luna, could I accompany you? I want to see all of these Critters for myself."
~<O>~
"You're gonna come with me an' tell Diamond Tiara you're sorry, young missy!" Applejack frogmarched her little sister through Ponyville towards the Rich household. "An' when yer done grovlin', you can help Big Macintosh with his chores for the rest of the week, y'got that?"
Apple Bloom sighed, kicking up some dust as she walked.
"Girl, Ah am talkin' t'you! Ah said 'y'got that?; don't make it a month o' chores!"
"Alright, Ah got it!" She pouted, avoiding as much contact as possible. "Ah just don't think it's fair that she gets all these nice things and Ah get diddly nothin'."
"Y'get plenty, Apple Bloom; how dare you! Besides, just cuz somepony has more than you, it don't make it right to steal!" Applejack had to restrain herself before she gave her little sister a thick ear.
Apple Bloom stayed quiet, knowing that it was wrong, but still feeling headstrong and defiant.
"What has gotten into you lately?"
It wasn't long before they arrived at the front door. Apple Bloom tried to hide behind her sister as the doorbell rang, but Applejack pushed her back to the doorstep. The door swung open, answered by a tired looking maid. The mare yawned, dark circles under her eyes. "Rich residence, how can I help you?" When Apple Bloom refused to speak, Applejack dropped her right in it.
"Apple Bloom has come here to apologise."
"A-apologise, for what?"
"Is Miss Diamond Tiara at home at all?" The maid shuddered at the mere mention of the name.
"Yes, she is." She added a quiet "and don't I know it." before heading off to retrieve her.
"Applejack please, can we go now? Ah promise it won't happen again. Ah'll make it up to you, Ah swear."
"No way Apple Bloom, it ain't me y'need to make it up to."
"Ah learned my lesson, Ah promise!" Apple Bloom's defiance fell away as tears filled her eyes.
"Yes, what is it?" a shrill voice interrupted. "I am not in the mood for this, so hurry up." The young filly was just as tearful as she was. Applejack did her best to see past the bratty nature of the young mare; a crime was a crime after all.
"Hello Miss Tiara, Apple Bloom has something she'd like to tell you." she said as she shoved her sister roughly forward.
"Well?"
"C'mon girl, spit it out!"
"Ah... Y'see... Ah kinda..." Apple Bloom stammered.
"What is it?" Diamond Tiara scowled at her; Apple Bloom said nothing more, instead handing over the green collar. "Greenflash?"
"Ah'm so sorry, Diamond Tiara." Apple Bloom bowed her head, sniffling pitifully.
"Sorry for what? I've been looking all over for him!" Diamond Tiara snatched the amulet away, instantly putting it around her neck. Greenflash popped in to existence, darting around joyfully oblivious to the heartache. "I thought I'd lost him forever! Thank you so-"
"Wait, y'don't understand; Ah'm the reason ya couldn't find him."
"What?" Diamond Tiara's eyes narrowed.
"Ah got jealous and... Ah stole him from yer saddlebags after gym class." Apple Bloom's voice shook, perched on the edge of sobbing.
"You stole him? You stole my Critter?"
"Ah'm sorry, Diamond Tiara."
"You will be!" The bratty girl slammed the door in her face.
~<O>~
"Celestia, wait! Don't take them away; I need them!" Luna begged as her Critters were locked in a chest.
"I didn't want to have to do this, sister. What was once harmless fun has become an obsession. You won't be able to open this chest until the month is through; if you can go that long without them, I will let you have one back."
"Just one? I promise I'll not let it interfere with my duties. Please, just let me have them back!" Luna whined, stamping the ground with her front hooves.
"I am sorry, Luna; this is for your own good." Celestia limped away from the chest, having sustained a minor sprain in the struggle to get the Critters away. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some important business to attend to."
"Where are you going?" Luna asked, pouting as she checked the lock. It was solid.
"To the library." She was going to learn more about these things by whatever means she could.
~<O>~
Twilight and Fluttershy watched Vivienne closely as the Critter tried to write on a tiny piece of illusory paper. "Fascinating." Twilight said to herself as she scribbled some notes on parchment, which the tiny being mimicked. "Learns by observation of the wearer..." Vivienne grumbled, dropping the page and patting her stomach. "... and tells the wearer when its needs are not met. Well, I guess I'm kind of hungry too!" Twilight put her quill down. "Time for a break."
"That does sound like a good idea." Fluttershy agreed.
Twilight made the gesture Rarity had shown her, conjuring some food for the glamorous pet. A humongous pile of treats spilled from her hoof, which Vivienne dived into immediately. "Whoops, that's a bit too much. I'll just take some of that back; wouldn't want Rarity to complain if you put on too much weight- ow!" Something had left three red streaks along her foreleg. Vivienne growled and continued to stuff food in to her muzzle.
"Twilight! Are you okay?" Fluttershy tried to examine the wounds. "Is it bleeding?"
Twilight backed away, confused and sore. "What was that?" She focused as she approached once more, trying to take away the food she had put out. The angry Critter leapt, slashing at her with sharp claws. Fluttershy screamed.
This was not an illusion.
"I don't understand!" Twilight yelped as she avoided another attack. "You're not real! How can you hurt me?" Vivienne kept on coming. Twilight grasped for the necklace, ducking as the Critter tried to gouge at her face. The amulet came loose, dropping to the floor. Twilight relaxed, sighing as Vivienne disappeared from sight. "That was-" She yelped as she felt teeth close around her ear. She managed to shake her off as she ran up the stairs, leaving the cowering Fluttershy behind. Vivienne gave chase, cornering Twilight by her bed. "Spike! Letter!" she bellowed. The dragon retrieved a scroll and started writing. "Dear Princess... Critters... Not illusion... Evil... More of them... Not much time... Help!"
Spike didn't wait for her command, instead sending the letter on its way as soon as he wrote the last word. He bounded through the fading green embers, coming to his friend's aid. "Don't worry Twilight; I've got it!" He grabbed his basket, flipping it over and spilling the cushions over the floor. He charged, diving at Vivienne with his arms outstretched. "Gotcha!" he yelled as he landed on top of her. The angry creature rattled about inside the tough wicker. "Whoa, she's strong!" Spike shouted as the basket bucked.
"I don't understand! What happened? I took the amulet off, but she didn't disappear!" Twilight approached cautiously, unsure if Spike's weight could hold Vivienne at bay.
"Where'd they even come from anyway? You said they're really powerful magic, right?" Spike ducked to steady himself as he was almost thrown from the improvised cage.
"They're powerful magic, all right; evil, powerful magic! Nopony knew how dangerous they would become, and now they're everywhere! It's only a matter of time before the whole of Equestria is thrown into chaos!" She paced the library, wings spread as the tension mounted. She had to find a solution before it was too late.
"Maybe it-" Spike belched, nearly tumbling away once more. Celestia's prompt reply appeared in mid-air, dropping to the wooden floor. Twilight scooped it up and began to read aloud.
"'Dear Twilight, your letter was rather hard to read, but from what I can tell that this is an urgent matter. The Critters that you speak of did once seem harmless, but they have been causing some problems at the castle. I have had to confiscate Princess Luna's collection of them for less urgent reasons, but if you say they are evil, I believe you.'" She paused for breath, clearing her throat. "'I shall call an emergency meeting in the courts. If you can bring the dangerous specimen to us so that we can decide on the level of the threat, we may discuss what to do next.'" As she finished, Spike was thrown across the room. Vivienne escaped from her prison, scampering towards an open window, but was stopped short by Twilight's magical grip. Fluttershy appeared in the doorway. "Fluttershy, do you have any cages?"
"I have a spare bird-cage, if that will help." she replied.
"Can you get it for me?" The pegasus nodded and bustled away. Twilight turned to the dragon. "Spike, pack an overnight bag; we're heading to Canterlot on the next available train."
~<O>~
"Your Highness, you have called all of your advisers to discuss a foal's toy? This is absurd!"
"Order, Eversmile; be seated!" Celestia scorned, not willing to suffer insubordination during such an emergency. The eternal grump plopped himself down with a huff, pouting like a spoilt child. The rest of the court's chatter dulled, dropping to a reasonable level before she continued. "As you are all aware, I have called you here to discuss the recently popular objects known as Critters. For the uninformed, Critters are pendants worn by foals - " She glanced at Luna, who rolled her eyes. " - of all ages, that produce the illusion of a tiny pet. They were thought to be harmless, if rather annoying, but a letter from Princess Twilight Sparkle has prompted me to take action." As if on cue, the main doors swung open. The whole court turned to look. Twilight trotted in, levitating a tiny birdcage behind her. In the cage was a frothing, furious purple animal with its hackles raised and teeth bared. Vivienne was pressed up against the bars, fur sticking out all over. It seemed as though she had grown after being trapped inside.
"Princess Celestia, I'm so sorry I'm late. This evil thing escaped on the train and nearly attacked a young filly." There was a collective gasp, followed by a ripple of nattering and speculation. "You may notice that I am not wearing the amulet that supposedly controls it; it is no longer needed, as it sustains itself." She was wearing a bandage around her ear, covering the deep bite marks that Vivienne had left.
"Twilight; please bring me the subject." Celestia requested. Twilight approached across the ornate floor, hoofsteps echoing around the marble walls. She placed the cage in front of her mentor, letting her inspect the lashing Critter behind the bars. "I see... So, you say it is no longer bound to the amulet?"
"I removed the amulet after it attacked me the first time, but it did not disappear. Usually, the illusory Critter vanishes in to thin air when the necklace is removed; this leads me to believe that this creature is no longer an illusion!" There was a much louder, much deeper gasp.
"So you are saying that-"
"This Critter is a living, breathing... biting thing." Celestia looked up at the ceiling as she thought through the evidence. If this was the case, the whole nation was in danger, especially the foals. She had to do something, but even with all the hours she poured in to research, she couldn't find anything written about it. She expected that a scroll or two may have been missing from the Starswirl wing. Or maybe Starswirl had never written about it at all.
"This is terrible news; almost every young pony in Equestria owns a Critter by now. They could turn at any moment; I hate the think of the consequences." She managed to hide her distress, but only from her court. Twilight felt panic rising in her gut; if Celestia was worried, there was cause for alarm. "I hereby declare a full-scale reclamation of all Critters; send word to every city, town and village. They must be stopped before it is too late."
~<O>~
"Celestia, no! Please don't take them away; I love them!" Luna whined, bounding along beside her striding sister. "They're so sweet and harmless! The one Twilight showed you must be defective."
"I cannot have this danger lingering around my subjects, Luna; it is highly irresponsible! I should have seen this sooner." Celestia felt bitter, plagued with guilt for letting it get this far.
"But Celestia, my Critters are fine! They're just toys!"
"Be silent!" she snapped, losing her temper for the first time in a long while. Luna backed off, slamming in to a wall to escape her wrath. Celestia bore down on her, glaring menacingly. "Have some perspective and stop acting like a spoilt foal! They must be destroyed; the will be destroyed, or I shall be held responsible for an unimaginable disaster! Twilight managed to fend off that... thing with her own powerful magic, but just barely." Celestia turned away, looking out at her kingdom through stained glass.
"Tia..." Luna whimpered.
"Can you imagine, Luna, what will happen to the clueless, vulnerable fillies and colts when these monsters suddenly turn on them? It will be unstoppable and I will not sit back and watch as-" She couldn't put it in to words; the thought alone was just far too horrible. Luna silently quivered, tense all over. "I swear, I will destroy every single one and your petty, adolescent griping will not stop me!" She carried on her way, leaving Luna stinging in the hallway.
The younger sister sniffled, trying to raise her voice, but she barely managed to croak.
~<O>~
Applejack was awoken by frantic banging on the front door. "What the... who could this be at this hour?" She pulled herself up out of bed and headed down the stairs. The knocking would not let up. "Yeah, yeah, Ah'm comin'! Hold yer-"
"I want a word with you!"
"Filthy?" Applejack asked through a yawn, making her way to the door.
"Rich!" he bellowed. He sounded particularly angry; not a good sign. Applejack cautiously opened the door, catching sight of the scowling entrepreneur. "You've got a lot of explaining to do!"
"Explainin'? About what?" Applejack pursed her lips, frowning. Diamond Tiara appeared from behind her father, quietly crying her eyes out; her forelegs were bandaged up. "What happened?"
"I was hoping you could tell me!" Filthy Rich barked, tapping his hoof on the doorstep. "Your little sister took her toy away, and now it's defective; care to tell me why?"
"'Defective' how?" Applejack asked, scratching her head.
"Can't you see? It hurt my precious baby!" Rich pulled Diamond Tiara closer, comforting her. "It attacked her."
"Attacked? Y'all are kiddin', right?"
"Do I look like I'm joking?" he hissed; he was utterly furious. "You go and wake your bratty sister up right this second or-"
"Now hold on just a minute! Ah know it was wrong of Apple Bloom to steal, an' she's been punished already, but how dare y'all come t'our house in the middle o' the night and speak like that?"
"Don't you lecture me, you bumpkin; get your sister down her right now or-"
"Bumpkin? Excuse me?" Applejack bowed her head, snarling. "Excuse me?"
"Applejack, what's the noise for?" Apple Bloom came down the stairs, rubbing her eyes. "Is that Mister Rich?"
"You stay back now, ya hear? Go back to bed, Apple Bloom; this ain't t'do with you."
"Oh, it has everything to do with her!" Rich shouted. "She broke Diamond Tiara's toy, and it nearly took her eyes out!"
"How? Those doohickeys ain't nothin' but fancy magic! How in Equestria does it nearly take her eyes out?" Applejack didn't believe a word of it.
"I don't know; it attacked her, but that's all I know. I saw it happen!"
"No way. Ain't no way that happened!"
"There a problem?" Big Macintosh got involved, emerging from the darkness in a most threatening fashion; he'd been listening for a while. Filthy Rich went quiet, looking at his hooves.
"I think y'all better get home and get some sleep; it sounds like you were seein' things. Ain't that right, Big Macintosh?" Applejack smirked, looking to her big brother.
"Eeyup." He cracked his neck, limbering up in case he needed to resort to a forceful ejection. It was quite a while before Rich plucked up his courage.
"This isn't over, you hear? We'll be back in the morning to sort this out once and for all."
"Lookin' forward to it."
~<O>~
Apple Bloom tucked herself in again, tossing and turning until she was comfortable once more. "Ah didn't break it, Ah swear." Applejack walked around her bed to the window.
"Ah believe ya, sugarcube." She opened it, letting some fresh air in. "We'll have a good ol' chat with Filthy an' Diamond Tiara an' get this sorted once an' fer-"
"Applejack, look out!" Apple Bloom shrieked, pointing to the window. Applejack turned in time to see a green blur launch itself at her head. She yelled in surprise as it landed in her hair and started plucking strands one by one.
"Get offa me, dang it!" She kicked, trying to throw it off, but it held on tight.
"Applejack!"
"It's pullin' ma hair! Get it off!" The loud commotion brought Big Mac running. He galloped through the door, narrowly avoiding the frame.
"Hold still!" he bellowed, turning away from her. Applejack complied, trying to stay steady.
"Ya got a good - ow! - good shot?"
"Eeyup!"
"Go!" A well-placed buck launched the tiny creature across the room with blonde hairs trailing behind it, where it struck the wall with a sickening 'crack'. It yelped and whimpered, slumped in the corner.
Applejack replaced her hat, sighing deeply as her heart-rate returned to normal. She took a close look at the green creature, feeling a little sorry for it; it was no bigger than a hoof or two, and Big Mac's hind legs were beyond powerful. "Lil' varmint's mighty sore, Mac; think he'll be okay?" He was resolutely silent. She looked over to Apple Bloom, who was hiding behind her quilt, peering over the top. "Apple Bloom, ya might wanna to go sit with Granny fer a while."
"W-why?" she asked, shivering.
"Uh, maybe she got woke up by the racket, so... so ye should go keep'er company."
"But... Granny Smith never wakes up til mornin'. Why do y'all want me outta here?" Applejack sat by her side, stroking her hair.
"Listen, sugar cube... Sometimes bad things happen... Nopony wants 'em to happen to anypony, but it's just a fact o' life. That there left us no choice; he coulda hurt me real bad, so we had to. Do ya understand?"
"Ah know that, but why could Big Macintosh kick it? It's just a movin' picture, right?"
Big Macintosh knelt down beside the injured animal and poked it. He turned and shook his head.
"Ya mean... ya mean that's one o' those Critter thingies?" She recalled seeing the green imp before; her mouth dropped open. "Cream gravy... That's the one ya took from Diamond Tiara, ain't it?" Apple Bloom nodded. "That means that Filthy Rich was tellin' the truth! He said it was 'broken'; Ah guess he meant that it came to life, like really alive!"
~<O>~
Fluttershy was reading her favourite book with a mug of hot chocolate by her side; she sighed peacefully before a loud thud against the front door made her leap to the floor with a squeal. The cocoa and marshmallows sprayed across the wooden floorboards as her mug shattered.
"Fluttershy!" the distinctive drawl of her friend calmed her; she plucked up the courage to approach, opening the door to let Applejack in. "Oh, yer awake! Sorry if Ah startled ya or anythin'."
"I-it's okay..." she lied, still feeling her heart pounding in her throat. "... I couldn't sleep anyway."
"Well, we got a bit of a problem. Ya know about them Critter things, right?"
"Uhm, yes." she nodded.
"Well, ya need to take a look at this." Big Macintosh stepped forward with a crate far too large for Greenflash. "We stuffed it in Winnona's carrier, cus it's all we got, but somethin' weird is goin' on, Shy." The pegasus moved in for a closer look, catching sight of the green creature within. She leapt back, screeching.
"No, get it away!"
"It's hurt; it ain't movin'!"
"That's what it wants you to think!" she snapped, shivering on the spot.
"Sweet Celestia, Fluttershy! You gotta take a look at it. These things ain't supposed to be alive, right? Well, this one attacked me! It's pretty darn real, if y'ask me. Big Macintosh kicked it off'a me, so Ah'm okay, but Ah don't really wanna be responsible for ending this lil' guy."
"There's nothing I can do! Let it go in the Everfree Forest and forget about it!"
"Fluttershy, this is a living thing! It's hurt real bad and y'all just wanna dump it in the forest?" Fluttershy hesitated, but nodded regardless.
Big Macintosh spoke up. "Ah thought you cared for animals." The words stung. Fluttershy looked away in shame; it was definitely alive, just as Vivienne had been that afternoon. She peeked in to the cage again; Greenflash was barely breathing, bruised from head to toe. Somehow, her maternal instinct took control.
"Oh my, he really is in a terrible state!" She thought it through carefully, trying to weigh up the risk of getting her eyes scratched out; she whimpered at the thought. "Well... y-you'd better bring him inside; I'll see what I can do."
~<O>~
Canterlot's market district was bustling, full of ponies exploring the ornate stores and stalls dotted about, indulging in expertly-crafted coffees and cakes. "I just don't understand how it happened, Spike. Do you think this is just an isolated incident? Is all this worry for nothing?" Twilight sipped at her orange juice, brow furrowed.
"I dunno, Twilight. It's kinda crazy. If this only happened to Rarity's Critter, then maybe it's a false alarm, but you saw what it did! It'd only take one more to change and... well, you get the idea." Spike replied, nibbling on a gem-encrusted doughnut.
"I just don't know what causes it. Is it just a matter of time? What could have changed?"
"Beats me."
"Twilight!" She looked up as she heard Applejack's voice. "Am Ah glad Ah found you!"
"Girls, what are you doing in Canterlot?" she asked, surprised to see her five friends in the capital.
"It's about this whole Critter business; Fluttershy filled us in on what happened. We've been up all night!" Applejack explained.
"Is it true? Did my sweet little Vivienne attack you, Twilight? That sounds absolutely dreadful!" Rarity added, looking guilty.
"It's true I'm afraid, but I'm not sure whether it was just that one, or if we've got a big problem on our hooves." Twilight didn't have to look much further.
"Applejack got attacked by one last night." Fluttershy offered. Twilight gasped.
"Applejack, really? What happened?"
"Well, it's kind've a long story."
"Please, sit. Tell me everything, in as much detail as you can."
Applejack took a deep breath and retold the story of Greenflash up until that moment, giving as much detail as she could while keeping it brief. "... And that's when it jumped at me; Apple Bloom saw it first 'n Ah couldn't shake it off. Big Mac came runnin' and managed to buck it off mah head, but Ah wasn't sure if it was gonna be okay."
"They brought it to me, and I told them what happened." Fluttershy interjected.
"An', well that brings us here." Applejack finished, setting her hooves down on the table. "That... thing... is bandaged up and recovering back at Fluttershy's house. Won't be going anywhere any time soon.
"And you're saying that Apple Bloom stole this one from Diamond Tiara?" Twilight asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Ah know, it ain't like her; she won't do it again, cus Ah made sure'a that!"
"No, I mean: she took it from Diamond Tiara and... wore it?"
"Eeyup." Twilight stroked her chin, lips pursed in contemplation. Her friends watched her as she teetered on the edge of realisation.
"So, Apple Bloom wore it after Diamond Tiara and..." she mumbled, picking through the facts. "... Rarity wore the purple one before me..."
~<O>~
Celestia opened the chest, staring at the neatly arranged collars. She picked up Orion's, inspecting it. "Just what are you?" she asked. The answer wasn't forthcoming, so she fastened the black band around her neck. There was a faint popping sound as Orion appeared in front of her. He sat patiently, waiting for a command. "What makes you tick, exactly?" Celestia stooped down to get a close look, trying to find anything that would help her to understand. The tiny critter sneezed, falling over backwards; if Celestia hadn't been so afraid of it, she might have laughed. As Orion stood again, she noticed that something was different. "Did you just grow?" Another sneeze added a few more inches to its height. Celestia backed off, catching her breath and hastily removing the pendant. Orion remained, just as she feared. The Critter took off running, darting through her legs and disappearing around the corner. Celestia chased it, pounding through the hallway, only just able to keep up.
She caught a glimpse of Orion rocketing down the grand staircase leading to the huge, heavy front doors. Finally with enough space, she spread her wings and launched herself over the banister in a last-ditch effort. "I've got you now, you pest!" The blue animal stopped at the foot of the decorative doors, trying to shove them open, but to no avail. Celestia bore down on him with a victorious grin that vanished as the doors opened by themselves. Orion turned to the princess with a knowing smirk and slipped through the widening gap. "No!" Celestia bellowed before barrelling into the crowd of ponies that appeared. Much surprised screaming and yelping echoed around the entrance hall, with Celestia tangled up in a pile with Twilight and her friends.
Dazed, but not injured, they quickly righted themselves with the help of the guards. "Princess! What happened?" Twilight asked, confused. "Why did you tackle us?"
"It was an accident! I have no time to talk, since I must catch an escaped monster." Celestia urgently pushed past, sweeping through the doors and out in to the gardens. The other ponies followed, vexed by her rude exit.
"Wait, Princess Celestia; I've figured out why the Critters are turning violent!" Twilight called out. Celestia froze, turning back to her.
"Tell me Twilight, what did you find out?" her sudden approach made the smaller mares shrink back.
"W-well Applejack came to find me and she told me that Apple Bloom, her sister, went to school and stole a Critter from Diamond Tiara. She's a friend, well, not a friend of hers... but she stole it and-"
"Out with it; there is no time for details!" Celestia snapped, stamping a hoof.
"Basically, if somepony wears a Critter amulet after it's already been worn by somepony else, it comes to life somehow! Maybe it lives off the magic of one pony, but two might-"
"Then I have made a terrible mistake! I wore Luna's Orion amulet and now Orion has escaped. He passed you on the way in here; did you see where he went?" The ponies looked to each other, silently asking. The result was a resounding collective head shake. "Then we must find it as soon as we can! It is imperative that Orion does not escape."
"Uh, Princess... how big is Orion?" Rainbow Dash butted in, pointing out to the gardens with a look of fear on her face. They gasped as they saw the hulking figure lumbering towards the gates. Orion was now taller than a gorilla, throwing himself along the ground with his strong forelegs, now more akin to arms. He stopped and looked over his shoulder. Knowing he'd been spotted, he growled menacingly and fled. Fluttershy squealed, shaking on the spot.
"After him!" Celestia called, taking off running with the rest of the ponies in tow. She threw bolts of radiant light from her horn, unable to land a decent shot at such high speed. Fires smouldered in the rose bushes and on the lawn as they flew through the gates in pursuit.
~<O>~
In Canterlot, crowds were gathering in the city centre. The amnesty on Critter amulets was in full-swing, with hundreds of ponies returning the defective merchandise. They moved in an orderly fashion towards the huge, sturdy chests, getting a partial refund from the royal coffers. Their quiet mumbling turned to shocked gasps as a voice sounded from nowhere. "Ponies of Canterlot; with the recent popularity of Critters, I have decided to reveal my identity! Of course, until now, the creator of those marvellous toys was unknown. Allow me to put a face to this nameless bringer of joy." The voice was jovial, smooth and polite. "I have heard what wonderful delight they have brought to your children and I want to thank you!" Many of the crowd prepared to run, tensing up all over. "To all of you, I say 'Hello!'" A white flash flickered behind the guards, leaving a stage in its wake.
Stood on the stage was a figure that the audience had hoped never to hear from again. "It's me, Discord!" He stood with a top-hat perched on his head and a cane in one hand, smiling triumphantly at the confused, frightened ponies. Terrified yells turned to shouts of hatred; booing flooded from the square, falling on Discord as a harsh roar. His ears drooped, smile vanishing. "I don't understand! I brought you entertaining curios, perplexing toys of childlike wonderment! Why do you treat me this way?" It wasn't long before he noticed the chests filled with his creations, the flags and banners bearing the words 'Critter Amnesty'.
The crowd were suddenly distracted by a ground-shaking rumble. Discord turned in time to see the enormous dark blue form of Orion leaping through the air. Instinctively, he snapped his fingers, hoping that it would stop the Critter in its tracks. It kept moving. He snapped again, and again, but nothing stopped it. "I don't understand-" was all he could manage before the bloodthirsty beast slammed in to him, dragging him to the floor. He screwed his eyes shut and tried to cast a spell to displace himself. To his dismay, he found himself still staring up at the snarling teeth of his wayward creation. "No, no this is all wrong!" Orion raised a hand, enormous claws glinting in the sunlight. For the first time that he could recall, Discord actually felt fear. An icy shiver ran down from his shoulders, suddenly feeling mortal. Without thinking, he begged for his life. "Please don't kill me!"
Death didn't come.
Orion had stopped to sniff the air, claws still raised.
"I don't understand." It was Discord's voice again, but Discord hadn't uttered it.
"I don't understand."
It took a moment for Discord to realise that Orion was parroting him, all the while peering at the horrified ponies around him. "I don't understand... where... am... I?" Hearing his own voice made Discord squirm. He snapped his fingers again to try and dispel his creation. It sneered down at him. That was it!
"You know my magic!"
Orion repeated him in unison. The chorus was sickening to him. If it could anticipate his every spell, it could negate it before he even had a chance. "Damned learning instinct!" Discord barked. Orion stood up, no longer seeing Discord as a threat. "Oh, this is bad. This is awful!"
"Discord!" Celestia's voice bellowed through the street. The draconequus leapt to his feet and brushed himself off. He looked up in time to see Orion, half crouched, staring the princess down. "I knew you'd be behind all this! I didn't want to believe it, but my gut instinct was right!"
"Princess Celestia!" Orion spoke with Discord's voice once more. Celestia reared back in horror. "Where... am... I?"
"Princess, I can explain-" Discord tried.
"Silence!" Celestia shouted, her fear barely hidden behind her official tone. "The creature is speaking!" Why had she just defended it from his interruption?
"Where... am... I?" Orion lowered his claws, looking more panicked than angry by now. It couldn't take all the staring ponies. It suddenly seemed self-conscious.
"You are in Canterlot, the capital city of Equestria." Again, Celestia had no idea why or how she was speaking with this once feral animal.
"Can... ter... lot." It repeated. "H- Home?" Somehow it had learned part of their language. "Home?"
"Yes. This is home to many ponies, including me, and my sister."
"Sister?" Orion relaxed, his ears perking up. "Lu... na?" Celestia froze for the moment, looking away at the cobblestones. "Luna?" Orion asked again.
"Yes. Yes, Luna also lives here." Celestia turned to Twilight and whispered. "Head back to the castle, send for Luna at once." Twilight nodded and turned on the spot. She leapt forward, conjuring a teleportation spell in midair. She vanished in a flash of magenta sparkles. With that taken care of, Celestia tried to hold Orion's attention. The creature was growing more agitated with every passing moment of silence.
"Luna?" he asked again, shifting uncomfortably on the spot.
"She will be here soon, do not fret." Celestia took a step forward. Orion flinched, claws readied out to his sides. The princess stopped.
"Home." He said again, breathing becoming erratic. "I don't understand." The crowd of ponies were backing up, trying to give the confused creature some more space. Celestia took another step. Orion didn't budge, but he kept his eyes fixed on hers.
"Discord? What did you do?" The chaotic being wrung his disparate hands together, thinking very carefully about his word choice.
"Y-your Highness, I merely created these toys with the intention of spreading joy to-"
"What did you do?"
"They were illusions, nothing more." Discord was serious. He had no idea how his gimmick had become tangible.
"Illusion magic this powerful is barely possible, even by the most accomplished mages. And this is far too ordered and realistic to be sustained by chaos." Before Discord could reply once more, Luna and Twilight appeared either side of Celestia.
"Orion!" Luna called out.
"Luna!" The creature charged. Celestia dropped, steadying herself and preparing an attack spell. It glowed a vibrant yellow on her horn. Orion ignored her, running with his arms outstretched. It pulled Luna in to a tight hug, almost crushing her head in his strong grip. She was surprised, to say the least, but she returned the gesture, putting one leg around Orion's back. "Home." the Critter whimpered.
"Where is his home, Discord?" Celestia asked, approaching him with a furious expression. "Where did you take these poor creatures from?"
"I didn't take them from anywhere! The spell I used was based on an old spell I found in your library. Illusory window something-or-other." He twirled his wrist as he vaguely recalled the details. "It said it was like a viewport to another world."
"From Starswirl The Bearded?"
"How did you guess?" Celestia didn't rise to his sarcasm.
"You need to undo this spell, Discord. These Critters were alive all along! We've been peering into their world through these little trinkets. How do they work?"
"I don't know; something about drawing on the natural magic inside the wearer? You know how you ponies are. Untapped potential in... most of you." Twilight landed beside them. She had her usual studious look about her.
"I knew it! The amulet binds to the wearer." Twilight looked far too cheerful about finding the answer. "I thought back to my studies and remembered an old concept that Starswirl was working on, shortly before he disappeared. It wasn't perfect, so he never used it as a component of any of his other spells. You see, the moment a second wearer is bound, the amulets draw too much power-"
"-thus the Illusory Window opens to become a doorway." Celestia finished the sentence with cold realisation. "You need to put a stop to this."
Discord stood with his fingers pressed together in a steeple. "Ah, you see, that might be a problem." He avoided their stares, feverishly digging through his mind for a way out. He couldn't run; what would Fluttershy think? "I don't know how."
"Discord!" Twilight began. "We need to break the amulets. They're the focal point between ponies and Critters. Can you summon them all?"
"I... I can try. But if we destroy them, it could have consequences for any Critters with physical form in our world." They all faced Luna and Orion. Orion was rocking side to side with Luna still in his arms. The princess of the night peered at them, looking conflicted. "We don't know what will happen."
"It seems that enough of Orion has seeped through to our world so that he can learn language, perhaps even empathy." Celestia mentioned.
"We don't know how much of him is left on the other side." Twilight added. "We don't even know if he'll survive when we break the connection."
"We have no choice." Celestia walked up the street and stood next to Luna. Orion was crying, biting his lip and stroking his friend's star field mane. "Orion?" He made eye contact with Celestia. "We don't know how to send you home." His eyes widened.
"Home!" He protested.
"We don't even know what or where your home is. But when we break the items that brought you and your kind here, we don't know if you'll go back." It was hard to say. "I'm afraid there is a chance you may be stranded here forever."
Orion roared in fear, drawing a shocked gasp from the crowd. Some looked ready to flee. "Home! Orion home!" He bellowed.
"But I promise you that we will take the best care of you. You will be given a place to live in the castle, and we will do all we can to make you comfortable. Maybe in time, you'd be able to call Equestria your home." Celestia reached out a hoof, stroking his arm. Orion was quivering.
"Luna?" He asked again.
"I am your friend, Orion. I would love to have you around. You've brought me so much joy in such a short time already." Luna replied, pressing her cheek in to the monstrous Critter's chest. "We can eat together, dance and play. Nothing will be different to how it was. I promise." Celestia watched as Orion's cheeks shone with his tears. He was obviously very intelligent. She couldn't imagine the pain he felt at that moment.
"I am sorry that it has come to this." She dropped her hoof and headed back to Discord and Twilight in the square.
"Princess, should we?" Discord asked. Celestia nodded.
With a snap of his fingers, the amulets rose up from the crates they were being collected in, swirling up in an enormous, shimmering, rainbow mass. The various brighly coloured collars caught the sunlight vibrantly. They rose up far above the crowd. Discord closed his eyes and concentrated, making sure he got every single one. A dull thunderous rumble rolled across the city as additional trinkets from all over the country screamed towards them at the speed of sound. The sharp crack of them breaking the sound barrier rattled like popcorn on a stove, each joining the drifting mass above them. There were thousands upon thousands, each one glinting spectacularly.
When he was sure they had all been summoned, Discord nodded. "I'm ready."
Luna held her breath. Celestia took one last look at Orion. This was it. She faced Discord.
"Do it."
Discord clicked his fingers one last time. The amulets all shot further in to the sky one after another, a screaming, whistling sound like many thousands or tiny bottle rockets. Then they all exploded. Every possible colour, and even some without a name erupted above the crowd; fireworks brighter than any they had seen before. It was a display nopony would ever forget. The collars drifted back down to earth like silk streamers and confetti. The crowd murmured in awe of the sight, smiles on their faces.
When the deafening sound had died down, Celestia slowly looked up to Luna. Orion was nowhere to be seen. She ran to her sister, sorrowful tears stinging her eyes. "I am so sorry, Luna. I had no idea what would happen if-" Luna was smiling.
"Whatever are you sorry for?" She giggled as a tiny deep-blue snout emerged from behind her crown. Two bright eyes peered at Celestia.
"He... survived?" She muttered. "He survived!" Both sisters began prancing in celebration, dancing around each other with gleeful laughter. Celestia fell in to Luna, hugging her tight. She felt Orion climb in to her mane. His tiny voice squeaked in her ear.
"Home."
~<O>~
A few weeks later, Celestia sipped tea while sat at the table. The Sun began to set as she waited for Luna to arrive for her breakfast. The sound of her laughing echoed down the hall, followed by the sharp click clack of her hooves on the marble floor. A quiet skittering sound emerged from the doorway as Orion shot across the dining room floor. "Curses! You beat me again!" she called out.
"Luna slow!" Orion peeped, scaling a table leg and resting his chin on the top. He surveyed the food laid out before him. "Food?" Luna caught up, panting for breath. She slowed to a halt at her side of the table and sat, chest heaving.
"One day... I will... be the... victor!" she managed to choke out between breaths. Orion tittered his bizarre chirpy laughter, hopping up on the table to go for the fruit bowl.
"Luna, please." Celestia spoke, rolling her eyes.
"I'm sorry sister. Orion-"
"I mean, you'd never be able to beat him in a race. He's far too quick for your old bones." She smirked smugly over her teacup. Luna huffed and slammed her hoof on the table.
"Old bones?" she shouted. "I'll show you old, you... you... mule!" She got up and charged around the table, eyes fixed on her sister. Celestia panicked, dropping her tea. The cup shattered, but she didn't care; she had to leave.
"I bet you can't catch me!" Celestia chuckled as she fled, Luna gaining ground as they both darted through another door.
As the door closed behind them, Orion helped himself to a bunch of grapes from the middle of the table. Feast fit for king, or hunter, he thought. |
Just Like Us | Princess Celestia's Uneventful Day | It was more than I could take. The suspense was killing me, waiting for this nameless stallion so I could reveal my singular ambition. He was strong, there was no doubting that; whether he'd be strong enough to show a little mare like me a thing or two was another matter. I certainly had plans for him. The bridle in my saddlebags was testament enough to that. I hoped I wouldn't be too much for him to handle; then again, being too much was all part of the fun.
He soon returned from the washroom, freshened up and ready to see me. His enormous hooves were no longer dirty from his long stint in the fields, but I could tell that the dirt ran much deeper in this one. "You ready, lil' filly?" he asked me, strutting up with an overconfident smile on his chiselled face. "I uh, I know I'm usually one for plowin' fields, but a plowpony's work is never done." I tried not to cringe at the come-on. I'd already made it this far, so I made sure he was in for a nasty surprise.
"Well, I'll be sure to make you work extra hard if you want your... payoff." I smirked, running my tongue along my lips. "Would you do something for me?"
"Well sure, miss! I love to please the mares. What d'you have in mind?"
"I want you to squeal when I f-"
"Princess?"
Celestia looked up from her book, lounging comfortably on her couch. "Is there something the matter?" The messenger pegasus caught his breath.
"I'm terribly sorry to interrupt, Your Highness, but an urgent matter has arisen in the court. There is some confusion as to the current tax rates and levies imposed on market workers in-"
"I'm sure my chancellor can see to that. I have also briefed Luna on the issue, so she can help if needs be. Is that all?" The messenger looked slightly confused by Celestia's apparent apathy; usually she was very much hooves-on in such affairs.
"I... I think so, Princess."
"Then you may go." Celestia dismissed him, engrossing herself in her book once more.
"Yes, Your Highness, at once." The pegasus left, carefully closing the doors behind him.
"Let's find out where this novel is... going..." As she read on, she wondered quite how this series was getting such glowing reviews from its readers. "Oh my! Th-this is... terrible... awful, filth!" She closed the book at once, putting it face-down on the coffee table to avoid seeing the cheesy cover image. "This is what passes for literature now? No wonder I've not read in so long." She shook her head, standing up and heading out of the room. Maybe it was time to get involved in the market workers' business after all.
~<O>~
"Sister, you really should lighten up! The traders are irate about their tax increase, so what? You're their ruler, right? You decide what sacrifices are necessary for the good of the nation!" Luna tried to cheer Celestia up, trotting along beside her to keep up with her fast, lengthy strides. "How about a good old-fashioned public shaming? Put a bridle on the ring-leader and march him around Canterlot, shave his mane, that sort of thing."
"Luna, I really wish Discord wouldn't talk to you when I'm not around. He keeps putting ideas in your head."
"Yes, but sometimes he has really good ideas."
"We are not tyrants, you know that!" Celestia rolled her eyes.
"I-I know... I was just... joking?" Luna laughed nervously. Of course they weren't tyrants! "I mean... who puts bridles on ponies now? That is... so last millennia."
"It was necessary in times of war and civil unrest, as much as I hate to admit it. Now it is barbaric and unseemly. Public shaming has not been used as a punishment for over a thousand years."
"It really does show them their place, though." Luna had a point. Still, Celestia wasn't about to violate her own long-standing morals to keep the traders quiet.
"Look Luna, I know you are just trying to cheer me up with these wild ideas, but I am really not in the mood for joking right now. I have had a fairly rough afternoon and I could do with some time alone."
"But - " Luna's ears drooped. " - you said we'd spend the evening playing Buckyball; you promised." Her little sister's plea hit her where it hurt, her insides twisting with guilt.
"I... I did." She certainly wasn't up to such strenuous physical exercise at that moment. "Luna, I'm sorry; I am really tired right now. How about you come and wake me up early at the end of your watch and we'll play ball before sunrise?"
~<O>~
Luna hadn't willingly accepted the idea at first, but her sister finally convinced her. Celestia would admit that the puppy-dog eyes were nearly irresistible, but she felt so tired. "What a day." she sighed as she flopped on to her bed. "Maybe I should take a nap before dinner." She settled on top of the luxuriant duvet, taking a deep breath to calm her nerves. The smell of freshly laundered cotton was calming to her. Her quarters were her place of sanctuary, a place to unwind and relax, to forget about the day's tedium. It was a cushy life, living as a monarch, but sometimes she wished for a little more excitement; it was often hard to come by in Equestria.
She looked around, taking in the usual, comforting sights of her bedroom: the silken curtains, the golden furniture, the marble walls; this was solace. When all was going wrong in parliament, in the courts, in the foreign ministry, she knew she could retreat to this place of familiarity. And yet, something wasn't right.
She glanced about, trying to figure out what was bothering her; something was different, but she couldn't put her hoof on it. The vase was on its stand, the mirror on the wall, the curtains open and tied, the drawers and the wardrobe polished; not one thing was out of place, except...
"Oh no." Celestia blushed at the sight; issue one of Fifty Shetlands Grey was stood upright on her bedside table. Somepony must have moved it when they were tidying up, perhaps putting it on display as some kind of practical joke. She was so embarrassed; she had no idea what the book was about when she purchased it, but what must her staff think of her now? "I should send this to the moon!" she hissed. She opened a drawer from across the room and roughly stashed the book away, her magic moving it with such force it could have shattered teeth. She huffed as she placed her head on the covers. "I should get some rest." she muttered, trying not to think about the maids and what gossip might have been fluttering about.
An hour passed, but sleep did not come; she tried every conceivable position to send her off, but to no avail. Her frustration and boredom grew as she realised it was impossible. She groaned and sat up, sighing deeply. "Forget it." She glared at the drawer, knowing that the offending tome was still in there. She resorted to her tried and tested method of coping; a stern lecture. "Horrid book! They found you in my quarters and I am probably the laughing stock of Equestria right now, all because I had no idea what you were about." She scowled for a while before she realised how silly this all was. She couldn't help but chuckle at her own expense. "I've inflicted bridle and bit torture on ponies who have caused me less embarrassment; you are lucky you're a book and don't possess a muzzle."
Celestia sighed again, finally shrugging the anxiety off; she was the ruler of Equestria, anypony could think what they wanted about her and she'd still be The Princess. She rolled her eyes and retrieved the book again, watching it sail towards her in a yellow haze. She tutted as she saw the cover, a farmhoof in working gear, the brim of his hat obscuring his eyes. "My goodness, what liberal times we live in." A thousand years saw Equestria change in many ways, and most of it Celestia was glad for; the happiness of her subjects was the most important aspect of her job and she had eventually realised it was their personal freedoms that brought it about. "Well, it is none of my business what they get up to in their spare time." She set the book down in front of her, still finding the cover amusingly cheesy. Fetching a deck of playing cards from her bedside table, she began setting out a game of solitaire to pass the time before dinner.
The game was going well; she had already found all four aces and was working at finding the kings. She stopped for a moment to get an overview of the cards, planning her next few moves, but something was distracting her. She frowned and shook her head, risking another glance at the book to her right. Maybe it was good to some ponies, but definitely not her. She turned a few more cards over from the top of the deck, looking for another chain. A second glance. Just what was the protagonist going to do with that bridle? They were only used for public discipline centuries ago, weren't they? Could it be less foul than she had thought? Perhaps it was going to be a mystery or an adventure story instead. She picked up the book, turning back to where she left off; for the sake of knowing, she would persevere.
"Celestia? Oh, there you are!" Luna exclaimed as she casually wandered in to her sister's room. Celestia quickly hid her book under the pillow. "What have you been up to? We're waiting for you in the main hall; dinner is served."
"I-I was just taking a nap." She had to think on her hooves. "You... woke me up, Luna; that's very uh... rude of you."
"Rude, dear sister? We've been waiting for nearly twenty minutes; I think keeping your guests waiting is rather ruder, don't you?" Luna's irate tone shot down any defences she had.
"Guests?" Celestia's eyes widened.
"Of course! You remember, right; Twilight and Cadence? You invited them over for a banquet just last week." Luna frowned; Celestia wasn't normally this forgetful.
"Yes, yes of course." she lied. "I just wasn't... feeling very well."
"Oh my, are you okay? Is it the Filly Fever coming back? Twilight said it can do that."
"I - " Celestia coughed, " - I think it might be."
"Hm, your cheeks are rather red; I shall have to fetch the apothecary at once!" Her sister turned to leave.
"No, wait! I'm dealing with it; I will be fine." There was an awkward silence. "You... you go and have dinner without me; I will be down to see you all when I'm feeling up to it."
"But sister, Cadence has travelled an awfully long way to be here; she's not left the Crystal Empire in months. Twilight is getting rather restless as well, but I suppose that's just her."
"I'm sorry Luna, I-"
"If it's the Fever, you won't get them sick; could you perhaps at least stay for the starter?" Luna pouted, feeling bad for the other princesses as they sat waiting in the dining hall.
"I... suppose I could try..."
"Great! Will you be long? I know you might want to freshen up a little first."
"I'll be down in five minutes; go ahead and start without me." Celestia gave a reassuring smile, waiting for Luna to leave.
"Hurry though, Celestia; the soup will be getting cold." Luna left, to Celestia's relief. She fished the book out from under her pillow, glad that she had not seen it. Some of the pages were battered and crumpled, for a moment she felt remorse well up inside; treating a book with so little respect was shameful, but, she reminded herself, it was by no means fine literature. Still, she only had a few pages to go before the end of the chapter.
"Well, I've got some time." She read on.
A knock at her bedroom door brought her to attention; she looked up, casually sliding the book under the covers. "Princess Celestia?" the voice of her student sounded from the other side. "Are you feeling okay?"
"Twilight? Yes, I'm feeling fine, thank you." Without asking for permission, Twilight opened the door and stepped in.
"It's just you've been up here for half an hour, and we're worried about you." She was wearing her crown, part and parcel of being a princess. "I came to see if you needed any help."
"Help with what?"
"I... I don't know. Anything?" Twilight thought through her offer; what exactly would Celestia even need help with?
"I'm quite all right, thank you Twilight Sparkle." Celestia smiled. The blush on her cheeks returned; keeping secrets was much harder than she remembered.
"Well, why don't you join us for dinner? The main course is on its way." Twilight raised an eyebrow; she always knew when something wasn't right. Celestia had to think quickly, or Twilight would definitely find out the truth.
"I mean... I'm quite ill, but I am coping well."
"I see..."
"Yes, so..." she paused to cough "... if you don't mind, I need some rest."
"I thought you were 'coping well'." Twilight started to walk over to her bed, looking her up and down suspiciously.
"I am coping well enough not to need medical attention, but I'm still sick."
"Uh huh." She didn't sound convinced, but she stopped advancing. "Would you like me to bring you something to eat, then?" Celestia thought about it; some food would be nice. If she could keep on playing the 'oh woe is me, I'm dying' card, she could avoid having to leave the room to get it.
"That would be most gracious of you, Twilight."
"Okay, well I'm going to just... get you some food." She left slowly, taking a moment to glance over her shoulder; Celestia stayed unnaturally still until she finally disappeared into the hallway.
The door was still open, but she was sure she could hear anypony coming long before they would be able to see her. Of course, she was only thinking of ponies who walked; she removed the book from under the covers and resumed reading, but it wasn't long before Twilight suddenly appeared in the door-frame and trotted to the foot of her bed. "Okay, I got you some roasted-" She paused, mouth agape; the tray she had brought with her dropped to the floor with a crash. Celestia stared in stunned silence; how could she have not seen this coming? Twilight spent a while trying to compute what she was seeing. She had heard all about Fifty Shetlands Grey, and now she was in the presence of her centuries-old mentor, in front of whom was a copy of the very same book. "Celestia!" Twilight dropped all formality, feeling violated by the very thought of what the princess might want with such a poorly-written, cheap, nasty book in the first place.
Celestia hid the book once more, though it did no good; it was far too late. She felt like she'd been caught with the stallion next door by her parents. She stammered and blushed, avoiding Twilight's accusing gaze; she had never been so embarrassed in all her life. "It's... not what it looks like." She saw that her only option was to keep on digging. "It's not mine; I'm holding it for a friend." Lying was exceptionally difficult; far more-so than she remembered. Twilight gawked, not wanting to believe it.
"What in Equestria do you think you're doing?" she hissed, rushing to her side and snatching the book away. "Why do you have this?"
"I don't know." Celestia felt ridiculous, being scolded by her student. "I just found it and I was going to take it back to the original owner and then I got sick and-"
"No, no, this is yours; this is yours by royal decree!" Twilight flipped to the back page; Celestia's sun emblem was printed in gold ink on the cheap paper. "You ordered this book!" She was cornered. Why did she have to take such smart students in the first place? Why couldn't she have taken on someone less astute?
"Twilight, I just didn't know, really! I heard very little about it, but one of my messengers told me it was very popular."
"And do you know why it's popular?" Twilight snapped. Celestia knew very well why, but she played dumb; she shook her head. "Because it's for lonely mares who need a cheap thrill in their boring lives! This really isn't becoming of you, Princess!"
"Hold on just a minute!" Celestia spoke up sternly. "How dare you talk to me like that; how dare you tell me what is becoming of me!" She scowled, rising up from her bed and looming over her. Twilight was suddenly in two minds about all of this; she hated the idea that Celestia possibly enjoyed the story, but she also didn't want to push her too far. "I had no idea what the story was about, but I am giving it a chance! You, of all ponies, should know that you should never judge a book by its cover!"
"Or by the first twelve chapters?" She couldn't resist. Celestia looked back to the book, realising that she should have removed her ornate bookmark.
"N-no, not by that either..."
"All I'm saying is, you really should consider what your subjects will think if they find out about this. I'm just trying to look out for you, Princess; you're my teacher, my mentor, and above all you are my friend. I just don't want everypony to get the wrong ideas." Twilight tried to be more friendly, hoping that she hadn't caused too much damage already.
"I... I understand." Celestia bowed her head, knowing that she was right; everypony would laugh, ruler or not. "Perhaps I should stop reading, for my own good."
"I think that would be the best choice, Princess." They nodded to each other.
"Well-" Celestia tucked the book away under her pillow; she would deal with it later. "- since my dinner has made friends with the floor tiles, perhaps I should head down after all."
"Yeah, sorry about that." Twilight chuckled nervously as she started to pick it up.
"Do not worry Twilight, I employ ponies for that; it will be cleared before I get back." She was still not used to her elevated status, so felt bad about leaving the shattered plate behind. "Let's go; I do not wish to leave Cadence waiting any longer."
The feast continued without incident; it was a wonderful evening full of fine cuisine and lively conversation. After everything that Celestia had put up with, after what Twilight had seen, she finally felt that she could shake off the embarrassment. She made a note to dispose of the book the following morning, but it could wait. It was safely hidden under her pillow, away from prying eyes; sleep was the only thing left on her mind. She left Luna to her duty of guarding the night, her hunger satisfied, then laid herself to rest.
~<O>~
Her sleep was peaceful, serene; even with the stresses of the previous day, with the confusing allure of the cheap paperback, she felt calm and collected. That was, of course, until Luna came to wake her. "Celestia..." she whispered, rocking her sleeping sister by the shoulder. "Celestia, awaken..." She spluttered awake, grunting gracelessly as she rolled over.
"What... what is it?" Celestia yawned, pulling herself upright. "It is not yet time for the Sun to rise; why have you disturbed me? Is there a problem?"
"No, no problem at all." Luna smiled at her, her pristine teeth seeming to glow in the dim moonlight. Celestia huffed.
"Then why did you wake me; was there any need?" She could vaguely make out the object that Luna presented to her; it was spherical, encased in what appeared to be finely-knitted burlap bound with latex. "... Really?"
"You did promise me!" Luna frowned, hoping that she remembered.
"I did?"
"Yes, dear sister! You said we could play Buckyball before dawn!" She sounded disappointed, as though she expected another rejection. Celestia felt guilty, not wanting to let her down again.
"I suppose I did; are you not tired after your watch?" Luna vigorously shook her head; oh how Celestia envied her youthfulness.
"First to twenty points!" Luna bounded away, stopping to look back at her sister before she left. "I shall race you to the courts!"
"Wait a moment." Celestia grumbled, rubbing her eyes; she was still half-asleep. "Let me just- oof!" she yelped as she tumbled out of bed, pulling the sheets off after her. Luna lit a lamp, rushing to check on her.
"Are you hurt?"
"I am fine, Luna; let me stand." She righted herself, shaking her mane out to blow the cobwebs of sleep away. "Let's go, shall we?"
"Celestia?"
"Yes?"
"What, pray-tell, is that?" Celestia looked down at her feet, where Luna was pointing. "Fifty... Shetlands... Grey..." she read the title upside-down. "Is it a novel?"
"It's nothing!" Celestia kicked it under the bed, suddenly panicking. "It's nothing at all; let's go play some ball! We're racing, remember?" She galloped away, forcing some joyous laughter to encourage her.
"Just a moment, We must know what this book is about; the title is most intriguing!"
"Oh, I... I'll tell you about it while we play, okay?" she bargained, urging her sister not to dig for the book; it didn't look as though Luna would comply, but after a while she agreed.
"Well, We suppose the best reviews come from the readers. Let us go!" She scampered away, none the wiser. Celestia sighed in relief, taking off to chase her down the hallway.
~<O>~
Out on the Buckyball courts, Celestia began stretching her legs, not wanting to pull anything. She was not one for quick physical activity, at least with Luna out of the way for a thousand years; she never had much of a chance to play sports or exercise with her younger sister absent. Due to her rustiness, she opted to wear the full set of armoured pads; Buckyball was known to leave one looking as though they'd rolled off a cliff.
"What are you doing, dear sister?" Luna asked, balancing the ball on her wrist.
"I am stretching my muscles; it is always a good idea to warm up beforehoof."
"We never sustained a muscular sprain during an athletic event, even without stretching prior." Celestia rolled her eyes; Luna's youthful, boundless energy did pry loose a few flecks of jealousy, though she would never admit it.
"Let's just get started, okay?" Luna didn't give warning; the only sound Celestia heard before hitting the ground in a daze was a distinct 'ping'. Her cheek stung fiercely as she watched the ball bouncing away across the blue-stained clay through watering eyes.
"My apologies, sister; We thought you were ready." Her gloating made Celestia's anger stir in her gut; it took a lot to get her upset, but Luna was an expert in the field of provocation. "Is that one point to Us?"
The game continued, Luna getting a firm head-start early on. Celestia's cheeks were hot, stinging in the cool morning air. One too many hits to the face drove her temper right up. The floodlights that lit the court were dazzling, especially through the tears. "Luna, stop!" Celestia landed hard, skidding to a halt as she narrowly avoided yet another jaw-rattler. Panting, she removed the somewhat useless helmet and set it down on the clay. "I need rest."
"It is not half-of-time yet!" Luna pointed to the clock, still ticking down above the court.
"Stop the clock then, I need to catch my breath." Celestia limped to the benches, stripping some more armour from her flank and letting it fall.
"Get back here! I haven't finished with you yet!" Her competitive nature was really begining to grate.
"Oh, put a hoof in it, will you?"
Luna scowled. "Well! I never..." She grumbled, heading over to retrieve the ball, then retired to the furthest end of the bench to get a bottle of water. Celestia stared at the far end of the court, avoiding her sister's gaze. She removed her gum-shield, the golden plastic shimmering in the magnesium-white light. The only sound, other than her heartbeat furiously pounding in her ears, was of Luna making slightly-too-loud remarks about Celestia's age and figure. "I never... slices of cake... exercise wouldn't hurt... not going to kill you..." Celestia sighed, rubbing her temples and gritting her teeth. "... was only tapping it... cry about it?"
"Luna!" she snapped. "That is enough!" Her voice echoed off the alabaster walls surrounding the courtyard, fading in to the night. Luna, for the following moment, looked terrified. Her eyes flicked up to the moon, then back to her sister. Celestia was baring her teeth, brow furrowed.
"... I am sorry." she peeped, playing with the star-field of her mane and avoiding her eyes. "I just get very caught up in the majesty of it all."
"Majesty? This sport is simply barbaric at times."
"Glorious and stirring!"
"Violent and unnecessary!" Celestia leaned in to her shout, feeling a muscle twang in her ribs. Doubling over, she coughed. "Ah, shh-" She took a sharp breath. "- sugarlumps." Luna trotted to her side.
"Are you okay, dear sister?"
"It is but a stitch." she wheezed, clutching at her chest. "I will be fine."
It was only up close that Luna could see the effects of her new favourite passtime. Celestia's cheeks were sore and swollen, the skin around her left eye darkening with every passing second. A red, circular welt bloomed on her neck where her last buckshot had caught her. "Celestia..."
"What? What is it now?"
"I am sorry. I didn't realise that I was kicking so hard."
"You think so?" Celestia let her anger out piece by piece.
"It's just, to score, I needed to knock you-"
"Down? Out cold? Into orbit?" Luna's worried eyes passed over the moon again.
"Sister, please. I didn't mean to hurt you."
"I'm sure." Celestia stood, stretching out her wings. "But then, that's the whole goal of this ridiculous sport, isn't it?" She headed for the gate. "I'm going to get breakfast."
"Celestia, wait." Luna whined, catching up with her. "I really am sorry!" She thought of anything that might distract her, digging through their recent conversations. "Tell me, uh... about that book you were reading earlier."
"Look!" Celestia turned, forcing her to stop dead, leaning back to avoid crashing into her. "I am tired and sore, and the last thing I want is for you to interrogate me about that vile book!" Luna gulped. "Understood?" She nodded.
With that, Celestia disappeared through the open door, her hoofsteps loud on the marble. Luna sat on the cold flagstones, removing her helmet. "I only wanted to spend time with you."
~<O>~
After raising the sun, Celestia took her breakfast alone, choosing to eat in her chambers. She nursed her black eye with a cold compress, cursing her sister for having such strong legs. Sitting in front of her mirror, she checked her neck. The swelling was going down. "I hate that awful game." she grumbled, picking at a slice of toast. A snide comment about 'ponies these days' caught on her tongue as she remembered the jousting tournaments of old. At least nopony had died playing Buckyball, to the best of her knowledge. She sighed, lowering the hand-towel full of ice.
A loud pop by her side startled her. She looked down at the floor as a scroll of parchment landed on it. It was sealed with a crest: a pink, six-pointed starburst. "Oh, from Twilight?" She picked it up, levitating it in front of her as she unrolled it.
Dear Princess Celestia,
I just wanted to let you know that I'm sorry about the way I spoke to you yesterday. It was really out of line for me to question whatever it is you do in private. I slept quite badly, knowing that I'd upset you, so I just had to write to you.
It's perfectly fine with me that you are a fan of E. L. Manes, even if I don't really understand why. Believe me, I wanted to find out what the hype was all about, myself. Her work is of a rather provocative, transgressive nature, and I really can't abide her very basic grasp of modern Ponish. She writes about things I'm not really comfortable reading about.
All the same, I am glad you have something to unwind with. I understand how stressful being a princess can be, now!
Anyway, I hope your day goes well. I need to head out shortly with Spike and visit Sugar Cube Corner. Pinkie has a cake she wants us to take to Fluttershy's tea party later.
Sincerely, your faithful student,
Twilight Sp Princess Twilight Sparkle.
Celestia stifled a giggle. "Fan of E. L. Manes..." She whinnied indignantly. "Yeah, okay." Setting the scroll aside, she stood and stretched, arching her back like a cat. Her joints complained, still recovering from the vigorous game earlier that morning. "I'd best get to work." She had a busy morning ahead.
~<O>~
Lunchtime finally rolled around, albeit late, the Sun still high in the sky. Celestia, still not a fan of E. L. Manes by any stretch of the imagination, carried her copy of Fifty Shetlands Grey (only coincidentally authored by E. L. Manes) out to her private garden. Basking in the warm glow of the afternoon, she sat by a small koi pond and watched the fiery orange fish swimming lazily. She dropped a few pinches of their food into the water, seeing it float on the surface for a moment before it was snapped up. The sight of them enjoying a snack made her smile. "Well, at least you can't judge me." She sat in the partial shade of an old silver birch, the Sun casting tiny rays through the canopy.
The next chapter of the book was agonising; the temptation the farmpony felt around this most dominant of mares was fascinating. With only a few more chapters to go, speculation as to the conclusion of this story was driving her mad. Celestia held the book close to her face, engrossed in every tiny detail. She was so enamored with this story of romance, of lust, power and control, that she barely noticed the hoofsteps on the gravel path.
"There you are."
Celestia leapt up in surprise, dropping her book. It bounced down the hillside and landed with a wet slap on the surface of the pond.
"Luna!" she shrieked. "No no no!" She bounded down to the water's edge, fishing it out with a levitation spell. It was soaked. She pranced from hoof to hoof on the spot, biting her lip. "No, it's ruined!"
"Oh, dear sister, I am so sorry! I did not mean to startle you." Luna approached Celestia and put her wing around her shoulders.
"I was so close to the end!" The Sun princess felt an urge to cry, one she hadn't felt in many years. She just had to know what happened next.
"I'm sorry, Tia." Luna tried once more, resting the bridge of her muzzle on the white coat of her neck.
Celestia sighed shakily, fighting back a few stray tears. "No, it's okay... It's okay, I can send for a replacement." She sat on the grassy bank, looking defeated.
"I had come to talk to you about that very novel, in fact." Luna said, sitting beside her. "A pity that you won't be able to read the final chapters, at least for a while longer."
"Yes, a pity." Celestia sighed.
"I really wanted to ask you about it; it has been a long while since I've seen you so caught up on a piece of literature." Luna leaned on her, just happy to be close to her again. "But, really, I can see why."
"You can?" Her sister looked down at her, puzzled.
"Of course." Luna produced a book, a plain hardback, the cover a matte blue.
"What is this?"
"Why don't you open it and take a look?" She handed it over. Celestia opened the front cover. There, a silver-blue crescent moon was stamped. Above it, the title read 'Fifty Shetlands Grey by E. L. Manes'.
"Y-you... you read this?" her quiet question gave way to Luna's excited squealing.
"Yes of course! I was up all morning reading it!" The younger princess stood, now hopping up and down on the spot. "I sent for a copy the moment you went to breakfast and I haven't put it down since!" Shouting with excitement like a school-filly, she stared expectantly at her sister. "I know you've not read to the very end, but I simply must know! What did you think of their first time together? Don't you think the farmhoof sounds like the most handsome fellow? Did you know what the tack was for? Wasn't their scene in the showers most riveting?"
"Luna!" Celestia stopped her, raising a hoof for silence. "You can't tell me that you really enjoy this... filth. I was simply reading it for the good of the people."
Luna stared.
Celestia stared back.
They both burst out laughing.
"Oh my goodness, the scene where she brings out that crop was amazing! When he starts bawling his eyes out because she says 'who's a silly pony?'"
"I know! I know! I loved the part where he says 'Yeah, well, bite me!' and she actually does it!"
"And when she makes him sign that contract? I've never seen a stallion so nervous; reading it made me feel kind of-"
"- Powerful?"
"Yeah, let's go with that."
Their excited laughter dying down, the both eventually sat back on the grass. Catching her breath, Celestia felt a sense of relief. If Luna was a fan, then surely it wasn't so bad after all.
"If you wouldn't mind, I'd like to borrow your copy so that I can finish it."
"It would be my pleasure."
Celestia tucked the book away behind her wing, smiling brightly. "I must admit, it was a stroke of genius, removing the dust cover. Why didn't I think of that?"
"Oh, I simply spilled coffee on mine." Luna grinned.
"Weren't you worried that anypony could have seen what you were reading?"
"Not really. After all, I am a princess. It's not like they'd stage a coup just because we read some popular book series."
"It's a series?" Celestia asked with her mouth agape. "We simply must get every one of them for our library! Plain covers, of course."
"No, we shall keep the artwork. It is most... exciting." Luna said with a titter. "As far as the peasantry and their opinions are concerned, they can go and fuck themselves." |
The Lost Stranger | pre | As for the training, Twilight had nearly blown her head right off when she held the barrel of a pistol towards her face with her magic. Albert had pulled the gun away just in the nick of time before she pulled the trigger, unfortunately they were unable to save the patch of hair that got blown off when she did pull the trigger. Since she did not posses hands, she used her magic to hold up weapons and shoot them. It was slow learning at first, but she quickly got the hang of it, she only agreed to the training on two conditions. One, was she would only use these weapons as a last resort and the second was she write this stuff down for further study. They had also visited the other locations in Megaton. They went to Crater side supplies and talked to Moira. Albert found that she might have had a few screws loose, while Twilight on the other hand agreed with near about everything she said. Thats how they ended up not only getting new weapons and armored gear, but a new job to take with them, to help her write the wasteland survival guide.
During this time in Megaton, Twilight had mange to help Leo Stahl with his addiction, Albert helped repair the pipe's around Megaton and made some extra caps selling scrap metal to Walter, the water plant operator and they got a quick meal at the Brass lantern. Twilight had made a huge fuss on Albert eating meat and decided that the two would only purchase food that had no trace of meat in them. And finally, as of now they were heading up to Moriarty's saloon to talk to him about the whereabouts of Albert's father, James.
"Yes, I know. But you have to keep with you at all times all right. As long as we don't cause trouble, we won't have to use them." Said Albert as he adjusted part of the armor on his new vault 101 jumpsuit. Twilight wore a similar one except her's was a different number. They arrived at the saloon and entered. The inside of the saloon didn't vary in appearance compared to the Brass Lantern. There were tables in the large room, glasses of wine and other alcoholic drinks could be seen all around. There were also a few patrons in the bar walking about sitting or drinking.
Albert and Twilight waked up to the counter. The man he assumed to be the bartender was cleaning a glass and had his head down.
"Excuse me sir." The bartender turned around.
"Yeah, what is it? Both Twilight let out a sheik while Albert let out a gasp at their glance of the bartender's face. He had a fleshly face with skin peeling off at places. He or it, barely had any hair and his voice sounded disoriented.
"Gah fuck! What are you." Exclaimed Albert.
"What? Ain't you ever seen a ghoul before?" He asked in annoyance. Both Twilight and Albert shook their heads. This apparently caught him by surprise.
"Really, what rock have you been living under?" The ghoul then looked at Twilight.
"And what are you supposed to be?"
"I'm T-t-twilight S-s-sparkle. I'm a unicorn." She said, obviously still scared of the being before her.
"Never heard of one. So you two gonna order a drink or what?"
"Well, sir. I'm here looking for Moriarty. Do you know where I can find him?" Asked Albert. The ghoul pointed him to the back of the shop.
"Thank you. Be right back Twilight. Wait here." Albert walked off towards the back of the saloon. The ghoul returned to cleaning his glass when he saw Twilight still staring at him.
"What?"
"If you don't mind me asking sir. What's a ghoul?" She asked innocently enough.
"What you don't know. Well heres the thing. When the bombs fell, not everyone got to take shelter in a nice cozy vault. Some of us that were unlucky enough to live got exposed to a lot of radiation and became ghouls."
"Thats terrible! Does it hurt to be how you are?" She asked.
"Well aside from the fact that I will probably live longer than the average human and radiation doesn't affect me, . . no, it doesn't hurt at all except for the fact that humans don't take kindly towards ghouls."
"But thats not fair. Your technically still human aren't you? I mean, you almost look the same, you eat like them and can do the same things they can. They shouldn't treat you like this." The ghoul smiled, this 'unicorn' was actually very nice.
"You know, I like you. You and your friend are the first two people who haven't tried to insult, hurt or yell at me. When ever you want, there's a discount just for you two." He said with a smile. Twilight smiled back.
"Thank you. What's your name by the way?" Twilight asked, she no longer feared the being before her.
"Gob. My name is Gob."
Albert soon returned and motioned Twilight to leave.
"Thanks again, it was nice meeting you." Said Twilight as she proceeded towards the exit.
"Thanks! You too." Said Gob.
Right before Twilight could exit the saloon, she saw a human girl sitting alone in a corner of the saloon. She approached her and asked her what was wrong.
"Excuse me, miss. What are you doing here."
"Oh. Hello there. My name's Lucy West. What's yours?"
"Twilight Sparkle. Are you okay? You seemed distressed."
"Do I? Sorry. I'm fine, I'm just looking for someone to deliver a letter of mine to a town called Arefu."
"I could deliver the letter for you." Twilight said happily. This brought a smile to the girls face.
"Can you? That would be great. I need it delievred to my family." She then told Twilight where the town was located, she in turn recorded the location in her pip-boy. She had been getting the hang of it since meeting Albert, he had taught her all about the device.
"Don't worry Lucy. I'a get this letter to your family. This I promise."
"Thank you Twilight Sparkle, I owe you one." Twilight then excused herself towards the exit, only to be called by another person in the bar. It was a human male, a man. He looked like the business ponies of Manehattan and Canterlot by the way he was dressed. He kept his eyes hidden behind a dark pair of glasses and wore a business hat on his head.
"*Pssh* Over here." Twilight came over to him slowly.
"Good. Thought I never spot a good fellow worth talking business with. My name is Mr. Burke." He said extending his right hand. Twilight shook it with her left foreleg and responded.
" My name is Twilight Sparkle."
"Charming name I'm sure. Anyway, I'm here to discuss important business matters here. Such as the nature of demolition, the removal of blight objects and taking care of certain problems."
". . . . . I'm sorry sir, you lost me. What exactly do you want?" She asked.
"You know the bomb in the center of Megaton?" He said.
"Yes. Yes I do."
"My employer wants me to remove Megaton from the Capital wasteland by oh say, detonating the nuke?" He said with a slight chuckle. Twilight stepped back in horror.
"You want to destroy Megaton!?!" She exclaimed. Mr.Burke only laughed in response.
"No, no. The fun part is up to you. I'm just the one who hires you and reports back to my employer. Once you done your job, I'a pay you a generous reward." Twilight could not believe what she was hearing, this human didn't care for the innocent lives here and only wanted to destroy Megaton because he was being paid to. It made her sick.
"No. I'm sorry Mr.Burke. But what your asking me to do is wrong and unthinkable in so many ways. I'm horrified that you would even ask me to do such a thing! Your nothing more than an evil crook who doesn't care for the lives of others. You can forget about destroying Megaton though the bomb, because I already disarmed it." This cased Mr.Burke to raise his eyebrows in surprise.
"You mean, the nuke is no longer a hazard here? Well, all I can say now is that I'm very dissapointed in you. First for rejecting my offer and second for actually caring for the worthless inhabintants here. Now if you don't mind, I have other business to attend to." He turned away from Twilight and motioned for her to leave him.
"Good day Mr.Burke. I hope you get what you deserve later in your life." With that, Twilight turned around and trotted away. As soon as she was gone, Mr. Burke pulled out a holotape and made a quick recorded message.
"Note to self, put out a bounty on the one know as Twilight Sparkle. Small, Lavender colored, a star mark on her flank and has a horn coming out of her forehead. The reward? 1000 caps, extra if they bring her head."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"So where are we going?" Asked Twilight as she and Albert walked though a road in Springvale, a town only a couple of yards away from Megaton. The town was deserted and empty of any life whatsoever, the buildings were old and rusted and the roads were cracked and the paint on them was fading. Much of the houses that were seen were barely standing and surrounded by dead trees. Albert kept an eye on his pip-boy as they passed several structures.
"Were heading to this house, owned by a woman called Silver. Moriarty says that if I bring the caps she owes him back to him. He will tell me where he last saw my father heading."
"So the guy saw your father?" She asked as she trotted alongside him.
"Yeah. But he won't tell me shit, unless I do this errand for him. Were here." He stopped at a house in the middle of town. Unlike the others, it appeared to be stable enough to live in.
"What makes you think you can trust the guy? For all you know, he probably just wants to use you for his dirty work." She said with a frown. Albert looked down at Twilight in surprise.
"Woh. Where did that come from? What happened to friendship is magic?" He said with a grin.
"Nothing. I . . just . . I just remembered what sheriff Simms said. The man is not to be trusted."
"I know. But the guy is my only lead on where my father is." He then turned to the door and opened it.
"Let's go inside and pay this 'Silver' a visit."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As Twilight and Albert walked inside, they took note of the inner workings of the house. It was old, the paper on the wall was worn out and coming off. There was jet and psycho all over the place. Twilight had learn that Psycho,jet,hydra and med-x were all drugs that had all kinds of different effects on people, she wondered at all why humans would do that to themselves at all. As the two were about to walk into the next room, they stopped in their steps at the sound of a click. They both turned to see a woman with blonde hair, wearing a pink sweater and white pants, holding them at gunpoint.
"Who the hell are you too? Did Moriarty sent you here!" She said angrily. Both Twilight and Albert held up their hands in peace. . . (well, hooves in Twilight's case.)
" No, no. Well I mean yes. But were not here to hurt you!" Shouted Twilight.
"Yeah, were just here to collect the caps you owe him. He said you ran off with his loot." Said Albert. This seemed to only make Silver angrier.
"Oh he did, did he? Well forget it. I earned those caps fair and square and he knows it!" She shouted.
"Really. Then why did he tell us other wise. Let me hear your side of the story." Silver looked at Albert and Twilight for a second and then lowered her weapon.
"All right. Here it is. I used to work for Moriarty, doing him 'favors', for him and his men. One day, I decide to leave, so I go up to the bastard and tell him that I'm going and that I'm taking my share of the caps I earned. Hell, I even slept with the guy to seal the deal. But turns out, come next morning, he starts telling everyone lies about me and tries to keep me from leaving. So I instead, cut my losses, took my caps and bolted. I've been hiding out here ever since." She finished her story on a sad note. Twilight as usual was having a hard time believing this. Albert on the other hand, had a different idea.
" Well, here's an idea. How about you give me half your caps. And I'a bring the half to him and tell him that you were killed and that you won't be a problem anymore. How's that?" Said Albert. Silver looked at him with surprise.
"You- you really do that for me? Well . . . . alright. Here-
[Speech Success
200 caps obtained.
"There are the caps. Thanks you for this. Means a lot."
Albert only nodded and waved as he began to leave.
"No problem. Always happy to help. Come on Twilight." Twilight began to follow him but stopped midway.
"Hey Silver."
"Hmm. Yeah what?"
"Why do you hurt yourself with these drugs?" Silver only laughed in response.
" Who knows? Maybe I just do it to myself because I want to shoot myself up 'till I forget who I am. The wasteland sucks kid, unicorn or whatever the hell you are. You better get used to it."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Sooo. You put that bitch down didn't ya. Good riddance." Said Moriarty as he collected the caps from Albert. Twilight was only disgusted by the man that had done terrible things. He was as ugly looking as the things he did. They were back in the saloon, making good on what they told Silver.
"Alright kiddo, heres the deal. Your father was here, now he's not. Said something about meeting someone in GNR down in the D.C ruins." He then told Twilight and Albert where that was located.
"Hmm. You look just like your father you know. Didn't think anyone would come after him from the vault. Especially you. Tell me, is your father the only reason you left the vault and came back to the wasteland?" Albert looked at him in confusion.
"What do you mean, come back? This is the first time I've been out here." Said Albert.
"Don't you remember? No, of course you don't. You were just a baby when I first saw you. Your father brought you in, him and that brotherhood of steel chick. It was sad really."
"What are talking about? Me and my father were born in the vault. We never came from the wasteland!" Said Albert, banging his fist on the counter.
"Oooh. Is that what what your father told you. I've heard about the brainwashing that goes on down there. 'All hail the Overseer!' and such. And it looks like you fallen for a big white lie." Albert couldn't stand hearing anymore. He bolted out of there, leaving Twilight behind.
"Wait, Albert! Where you going?! What's Wrong!?!" She yelled galloping after him.
'It couldn't be true! It can't be true!' He ran ran towards the entrance of Megaton, his mind ablaze.
'What secrets was my father hiding!? How much of my life is a lie!?!'
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Author's Notes: Damn! This chapter came out longer than I intended. But the good thing was it showed me that I can write extremely long chapters on end. So let me know what you guys think in the comments. I'm in need of a pre-reader, to help me revise my work and check for errors. Plus thank you all who have favourited and and liked my fic so far, your comments and likings are the fuel that keeps me typing. So thank you all again. And as for the colored dialogue, I have thrown that out, since many ponies agree that it is unnecessary for reading. Even though it is too early, I want to ask you all who read this, that I'm going to be doing a vote on which of the fallout dlc should I do first. Let me know which one you think I should do first in the comments, I don't plan on doing anything on it soon, but I will incorparate it in to the fic. That's enough talking from me, CIAO! |
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