//------------------------------// // Chapter 12 - Who Are You?* // Story: Fallen Stars // by Zachurra //------------------------------// Fluttershy and War made their way through Ponyville to reach Sugarcube Corner. Still embarrassed from the sudden embrace War had given her earlier, she remained partially hidden behind her mane. War looked curiously at her at first but then decided it would be better not to ask. Fluttershy knocked gently on the wooden door of the sweets shop. There was no response. She tapped slightly louder this time, but still received no answer. War stepped forward and made a loud thump as he put his hoof against the door just once. Almost immediately, a vibrant pink pony opened the door and nearly burst forward. “There you guys are! You’re just in time!” Pinkie ushered the two of them into her sweet home and threw her arms up in a “ta-da!” fashion. The room was completely redecorated with streamers, balloons, and a wide assortment of other things that would most likely be found at a six-year-old’s birthday party. The other girls, along with Dante and a few other miscellaneous ponies, were gathered around and enjoying themselves as they often could at one of Pinkie’s signature parties. “Oh my, what’s the occasion?” Fluttershy said quietly, looking around the room. “Well, when War and Dante first arrived I was so excited and I went all—“ She paused to gasp dramatically, “and I knew that I just had to throw them a party like I do for everypony else that’s new to town so I started preparing but Twilight said that I shouldn’t because they would have work to do and the bad guys could strike at any moment so I asked again and again and again and finally she said that once the immediate threat was gone that I would be able to throw them as big of a party as I want!” she took a deep breath, having used all the air in her lungs to continue rambling, “And so I did!” War and Fluttershy shared a glance before looking back to the bubbly pony. She had spoken so quickly that they almost didn’t catch all that she was saying. Wanting to get away from the odd pony, War moved by Dante’s side by the table where all the food was. Dante was chowing down on a cake that Pinkie has presumably baked herself. “War, ‘ou go’a ‘ry ‘is!” he said, gesturing to the cake he held in his hooves. War shrugged softly before turning to the table. His eyes widened in slight surprise as he found a small, toothless alligator staring up at him. The two stood silently, looking into each others eyes. War looked deeply into the pink empty void that seemed to look into his very soul. Gummy was unphased as he looked into the cold deepness of War’s eyes that had intimidated the hearts of so many. Dante watched as the two glared at each other, blinking only every so often. He rolled his eyes before continuing with his cake. On the opposite side of the room, Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack were explaining what they had learned from Dante to their other three friends. “Demons?” Rarity scoffed, “Twilight, please. They look no different from any other pony around here. Well, for the most part.” “The animals really like War…” Fluttershy said quietly, “And he’s actually really nice, once you get to know him. He’s quiet, but he always listens to everything I say. A few times I’ve actually gotten him to—“ “Well, I guess it is possible that he was referring to himself more in the figurative sense… but he seemed pretty set on convincing us.” Twilight said, hanging her head down a little. “I think you’re just overreacting,” Pinkie said, beginning to trot away. She caught her hoof on a loose floorboard, hitting her head on a table which caused it to flip forward. The cake that sat on the other end flew across the room, drawing the eyes of every pony in the room. The cake made a large splat when it finally hit its target: War. War slowly came out of his trance with Gummy before looking around at his body. He was absolutely covered in pink sweetness. The girls gasped, and Dante raised his eyebrows in surprise. Most held their breath, afraid of what kind of wrath such a large pony could invoke. Slowly, he raised his hoof and wiped some off of his face. He looked down at the mush he held, then turned his eyes to the group; Fluttershy, to be more precise. She held her hoof to her mouth, concerned with how he might feel. After another moment, she was able to read what he was thinking. She smiled softly and gave him a gentle nod. War turned his gaze back down to his hoof and gently licked it off. “It tastes… good…” Every pony in the room stared wide eyed at War. Fluttershy and Dante, being the only to ever hear him talk, shared a smile. Pinkie, who was sitting on the floor, began to shake violently. Eventually, she almost seemed to explode as she shot straight up into the air, causing a hole in the roof to appear. The group waited for something to happen, but when almost a full minute passed, War gave Twilight a concerned look. “Don’t worry, just give her a bit.” She said. Almost on cue, a slight whistling noise could be heard. Her grew louder and louder until Pinkie crashed back through the ceiling. She seemed to be stuck, as only half of her body made it through. “I got him to talk!” she shouted. ------------- Fluttershy and War were making their way through the marketplace as they headed back to her cottage. Fluttershy wore a smile on her face, happy to know that War was not upset by that had happened at the party. It seemed the most ponies were no longer afraid of War now, as he no longer getting any weird stares. That didn’t stop them from keeping their distance from the towering Unicorn however. Upon leaving the marketplace, War came to a sudden stop. Fluttershy looked up at him, looking for an explanation to his sudden halt. He was staring at a pony not too far away that was draped in a grey cloak. He was looking around, as if searching for something. “Famine…” Before Fluttershy could ask what he meant, War began walking to intercept the pony. He put a hoof down in front of the pony, halting him. The pony looked up at War with a pair of greyish-blue eyes. War looked back down with his own cold grey eyes. “Famine…” he said once again. The pony turned his head to Fluttershy, “Uh… is your friend alright?” Fluttershy shrugged softly, turning to War, “Is something wrong War?” War said nothing, only looking deeper into the pony’s eyes. He began to retreat back slightly, giving War a strange look. War stepped closer, still keeping his eyes locked with the pony. “Famine…” he said once more, more sternly. “Listen big guy, my name is Speicher. And I’d appreciate it if you stepped off, because I’m a little busy looking for—“ The pony known as Speicher soon found himself soaring through the air. He groaned as he picked himself up from the remnants of a stand he had collided with. “Ugh, what…?” He looked up and saw War glaring at him from the other side of the street. He picked himself up, and rubbed the side of his head. “I don’t know what your deal is, but I’m more than happy to set you straight.” He waited for War to make the first move but the black stallion stood perfectly still. With a huff, Speicher rushed War. He was fast, but War showed no sign of being intimidated. Just as the two were about to make contact, Speicher disappeared from sight. He reappeared behind War and, thinking he had the jump on him, he threw himself at his opponent. However, War simply vanished into thin air. “What? Where did he—“ War reappeared instantaneously by Speicher’s side, slamming his elbow into the back of his head. Speicher hit the ground hard, but recovered quickly and swung his legs out, hoping to catch War off guard. His legs hit the hard metal of War’s armor, and Speicher recoiled back in pain. War swept his leg under Speicher’s body, lifting him off the ground and high enough for them to be at eye-level for a short moment. Time seemed to stop at that moment, and Speicher could see no sign of emotion in his opponent’s eyes. No, there was something. Was it concern? Why would he be concerned? Time resumed, and War brought his hoof to Speicher’s face, sending him flying back once again. He raised back up, rubbing his muzzle and spitting a bit of blood on the ground. “Serena is gone…” …What? War stared coldly at him, “You could not save her…” “Listen here you overgrown freak, you shut the hell up right now!” Speicher wondered how this strange stallion knew about this “Serena” girl, but right now he didn’t care much. He felt his legs shaking slightly. Even when he told them to stop, screamed at the to stop, they continued. “Tell me… do you remember the look in her eyes?” Speicher opened his mouth to shout at War, but his voice had left him. All he could think about was his dream. And the cold, dead stare that the girl wore upon her death. Speicher’s heart began racing and his eyes narrowed. “Shut…up…” “She died… because you could not save her…” Speicher charged blindly at War this time, not knowing what he’d do when he got to him. War caught him by his neck. “Forgive me…” he whispered before shoving him against the wall. War’s horn began to glow as shear energy transferred from one body to another. Speicher cried out in pain and shut his eyes. When he tried to open them again, War and the rest of Ponyville were gone. They were replaced by a wall of glass and a girl with a knife in the back of her head. In reality, War held Speicher against the wall. His body had stopped flailing, and he was now reasonably still. His pupils faded to white and his body suddenly began to shake violently. War’s glare tightened and he tossed Speicher out into the open. His body writhed about, but he made no sound. He tried to stabilize himself by planting his hooves in the ground, but it did not stop the shaking. He arched his back out and his body almost seemed to split open as several black tendrils slithered out. He screamed out in pain as the tendrils came one after another. Other ponies in the area had long since cleared out. Fluttershy watched from the sidelines, afraid to even move. His screams finally came to a halt. Speicher twisted his head to the left, making a few audible pops. His glare turned to War, who stood before this beast, unafraid. His composure only made Speicher angrier. “Anger… are you lost as well…” The tendrils flailed about violently, occasionally slashing at the ground around him. A sinister smile wrapped itself around Speicher’s face, “War, it has been far too long. How long has it been? One week, two weeks?” “Thirty-nine days…” “Really? Time sure does fly…” “Enough… What has happened to Famine…” “You mean the sad little emo kid?” Anger chuckled, and tapped his head a few times with his hoof, “Hit his head when we landed. Doesn’t remember a single thing. Well, he does remember a thing or two.” Anger smiled devilishly, “I made sure of that.” War glared down at the beast that controlled Speicher’s body. “Oh, don’t give me that look.” Anger shot at War. “You knew I was still awake somewhere in this body, that’s why you coaxed him into remembering that girl. If not for me, he wouldn’t remember her at all and you’d be shit out of luck.” Anger came closer and War allowed it. “You’re welcome for that, by the way.” War turned and nodded for Anger to follow, “Come… We must find Pestilence… Perhaps he can help us with Famine’s situation…” Anger trotted along War’s side in a mockingly-happy fashion. “Oh good, it had been far too long since Carnage and I have had a good talk. Oh, and how is Desolate by the way?” War gave no answer. “Still psychotic, huh? Goody.”