Love Is A Ritual Too

by The Ancestor

Stacking The Deck

There's an ancient power lurking
Deep beneath the rocks and woods
It cannot create, but rather changes, alters and distorts
If it touches you be wary
Stains it leaves forevermore

Onyx waves will pull you under
Dragged away, so far from shore
Doomed to wander, spiral deeper
In that labyrinth of yore

To say Anon was concerned after reading the passage, was an understatement, the message was cut and dry, after all. No sane person would even think of messing with powers that be after reading that. Thing is, Anon was very nervous, and extraordinarily impulsive.
Jesus Christ, a date with a Celestia! His hands were shaking as he took a drag of his last smoke, the empty pack heavy in his pocket. And you didn’t even have the balls to ask her out, she had to do it for you! He shook his head, eyes wandering the shrouded woods, his free hand drumming some beat on the wooden handrail.

What if something goes wrong? Not even on the date, but in general? Lord knows Rainbows told me enough horror stories... In her eyes, they were on the side of action-adventure, but Anon thought otherwise. Surely, taking a peek wouldn’t hurt?

Famous last words... Putting the smoke out, he flicked the butt of it into a nearby bin, still a little lightheaded when he entered his living room. Despite the warmth of the room, he was shaking, mouth dry as he remembered the words required for the ritual.

To accept the future, he must give up his past
Nothing is eternal, none of it will last
Memories will wither, faces turn to dust
Strive to meet his Sunlight, just within his grasp

Quick and dirty,not his best and certainly nothing to be proud of. Anon closed his eyes, hand fishing out the empty pack and grasping it tightly. His hand passed through thin air, a circle of roiling inky water in his mind’s eye. The words came quickly, but deliberately, the empty pack in his hand growing more and more ethereal with each syllable, until he was grasping at nothing.

With his tether to the waking world gone, everything changed. In a blink of an eye, the darkness around Anon swirled, scenes and images flickering in quick succession. A pompous celebration in Canterlot, derailed by an unplanned change in weather, heavy clouds rolling in from beyond the horizon. One of the ponies pointed at one particular cloud, one that seemed to be getting way closer than the others, close enough for everypony present to recognise it as some sort of flying contraption. A blimp.

The singular blimp, soon reinforced by a dozen more, lowered a ramp onto the tone road, hundreds of armored creatures pouring out, odd spheres in their hands. Anon’s breath hitched in his throat as one of the spheres was hurled at Celestia, the mare’s wings spread far, head held high.

Coat and flesh turned to stone before Anon’s very eyes, his screams unheard. His eyes wet as a longsword came down on the statue, shattering it into hundreds of pieces. Losing his footing, Anon stumbled backwards, his eyes shooting open as the vision faded, the darkness in his vision going with it, albeit at a slower rate.

The faint glow of a candle illuminated his living room, the soft carpet underneath him grounding Anon just a bit. Absentmindedly, his arm reached into his pocket, ready to settle in the empty space-

Only to find a solid, rectangular pack. Anon’s heart threatened to leap out of his chest as he brought the pack out of his pocket, into the dim light. A sinking feeling in his stomach overtook Anon as he opened the pack, only to find 20 fresh smokes. His hands shaking, he took one out and lit it, taking a drag right in the middle of his living room.

It tasted of chocolate and tobacco, with a hint of ozone and petrichor. As the smoke billowed from his nose, he swore there was an aftertaste of sea water.

Author's Note:

For anyone expecting Zecora in this one, I apologise. I debated wether or not to torture yall with my terrible attempt at Zecora’s rhyming, and chose not to.

Man, Anon can’t seem to catch a break. Poor guy.

Comments

[Ralanost]

Well, that is quite ominous. Seems the inclement weather is a precursor to the Storm King's invasion. Now I'm imagining our resident human tossing himself between Tempest and Celestia. Welp, time to wait for the next installment to this series.

[LoserkidUwU]

Oh, it seems a storm is brewing up trouble for our dear Anon.
I'd hate to see him swept up in the winds of chaos~
:)

[stealthcam]

Really good stuff. Setting off my [Nope] alarms real good with those descriptions. You commenting on my story reminded me I should come see the sequels lol.

[Jack14]

When will you update dispose of carefully?

[The Ancestor]

11907803
Can't say. Got my diploma right around the corner, so updates are prolly gonna be sparse period.