Another Identity
The evening was silent. The light of the sun had all but vanished, and the sky’s orange rays were changing to dark blue. Small dry autumn leaves crunched under the weight of a small figure in a brown cloak and hood. Tall but thin trees with white bark stood at the side of the path being tread upon. The tiny figure dragged the cloak lightly behind itself as it made it’s way closer and closer to a structure made of stone.
The building itself was a castle; giant stones of gray fortified the building and it’s walls. The small figure picked up the hood a bit, taking note of the towers that were on each corner. From each peak, banners of red and gold flew idly, indicating the small amount of wind. Large darkened brown doors lead to the entrance at the center. This castle was easily the size of several buildings put together.
The small figure, at last, found itself to the front entrance and tugged its head back, letting the hood slide down a bit and expose its face to the cool autumn air. Well, the small head tried to. It was a little buffalo, with two feathers in a headband around tied around a tuft of orange hair. Part of the hood was held back by the tip of one of her horns.
“This always happens,” Little Strongheart frowned a bit, shaking her head rapidly to try and get the hood loose. The young buffalo hated wearing the cloak with the hood on, but it was a bit more chilly than she was used to. Once the hood was down properly, she smiled and moved her left hoof out to knock against the door. Oddly enough, the knocking made a rather loud noise. For such a small-hoofed buffalo, at least.
Almost immediately, the large doors were pulled back and to the sides in order to open. Standing in front of the buffalo was a creature she had never seen before. It was almost frightening to her, both of her eyes had opened wide to take a few steps back. It had two horns on the head, one of a unicorn- twisted though. The other horn was... a deer’s? The head resembled a pony’s, with a dark mane. It possessed two wings, one of a pegasus, the other of a bat. Each one of the creature’s arms belonged to a different species as well. An eagle’s claw, and a large paw. Little had no idea what the paw could belong to, they both had white gloves covering each one.
“Yes?” The creature spoke, its large yellow and red eyes looked down at her. Little Strongheart found herself unable to speak, still trying to make out this strange being. Was the body of that of a griffon? Whatever it was, the male, (she guessed it was male by the masculine voice) wore a red vest around the chest and a dark jacket over that. A black tie around his white shirt collar. His legs were also different body types, and the tail reminded her of a dragon.
“I... uh...” Little shook her head to the sides, trying to be polite. It didn’t appear to be dangerous, he had a large white napkin drawn on it’s paw arm.
“Ah, does my form cause you to worry?” Discord spoke, a small smile forming on his face.
“I’m sorry,” Little said, trying to relax and get her heartbeat to calm down. “It’s just that you remind me of a legend my ancestors warned me about.”
“Oh? Well, do not worry. You are welcomed here at my Master’s castle… So long as you have an invitation,” Discord said as he held out his claw to her.
“My invitation? You mean this card?” Little raised her ears and moved to the side and into the cloak. She pulled out the red card out to hand it to the creature.
“Oh! The red invitation! That means you are the newest guest of honor!” Discord spoke, lowering his form to take the card from her. A quick read of the note gave him her name. He took a few steps back, letting the way through for her.
“What is this about though?” Little asked as she started walking through the entrance. She looked around, taking note of the inside. Torches illuminated the small entryway, showing off a red carpet that lead to the next set of doors. “That card didn’t really state what this was about. And I can’t stay long. Chief Thunderhooves thinks I’m out tree watching again.”
“Is that so?” Discord moved his left claw up to hold his chin. “Very well then, I shall make this brief.” He made the card vanish into the air bringing his arms back down to his sides. “Welcome to the Society of Another Identity. Or, S.A.I.”
“The what now?” Little raised her left eyebrow, turning to look back at the strange creature.
“Let me try this again...” Discord shut both eyes, taking a breath of air to calm himself a bit. He had to refrain from using his chaotic powers now. “My name, is Butler.”
“Hello Mr. Butler. My name is-” The buffalo blinked once, finding a paw over her muzzle as Butler silenced her.
“Upupupup my dear. As I was saying, I am Butler. This is the Society of Another Identity-” Butler took his paw back from her, opening both eyes again to smile. The protruding fang from his lips made him look a bit more peculiar than before. “This place is a safe haven for creatures, beings, and others trying to escape their daily lives.”
“Escape? Why would any creature want to escape their lives though?”
“Oh, young buffalo, there is so much that you have yet to learn,” Butler said as moved closer to the doors. “I stopped you from giving your real name for a reason. I want you to mingle with the other esteemed guests. But do not give your name just yet. Once you’ve mingled a bit, I will explain things to you… Hopefully with a better understanding. Pardon me though, I must attend the bar.” Butler moved his claw to push the doors open, exposing the young lady to a bright flash of yellow light. Little had to shut her eyes a bit, shying her head away from the yellow light. When she could see again, both her eyes and her mouth opened a little at the sight.
Chandeliers hung from the roof, granting the large chamber with yellow and white lights. Ordinate red and golds drapes and carpeting decorated the floors and some walls. Large paintings depicting various creatures known to Little Strongheart hung from stone walls. A set of stone steps further down the center lead to a second floor.
But what got her really surprised, was all the creatures gathered here.
A red dragon with yellow underbelly and wings stood off to the side next to a griffon. But what got her shocked was that they were wearing clothes.
A young dragon by the fireplace, probably a teen by his height- was dressed in large metallic scales. From head to claw, he wore gray, metal-plated armor parts. A large plate was worn on his chest, with a royal blue cape clasped onto the shoulders pads. Metal was wrapped along his arms and legs, while a helmet with with holes for his spines and spikes covered his head. The visor was raised up a bit, his snout exposed so he could talk. Garble the Dragon smiled a bit.
There was also a female griffon. At least, Little guessed it was female judging by the pink dress it wore. It was frilly with a few sparkling gems along the skirt. Her tail had a pink ribbon tied at the lion’s tip part. On her white-feathered head, the griffon wore a diamond tiara. The tiara was almost a crown, gems were studded along the sides to decorate it. Gilda had her eyes closed a little, moving a claw up to hold a pink frilly fan in front of her face.
Off to side, Little blinked twice to spot a unicorn. A really, really, weird looking unicorn. The pony was nothing like Twilight Sparkle or Rarity. He had a red horn, with a black mane what danced along his spine like a flame. The unicorn wore only a red scarf around his neck, looking at some of the paintings on display. Sombra had a relaxed smile, though his lips were closed, to hide his intimidating teeth from view.
In front of the bar, she spotted Butler as he started to serve a rather tall and bulky figure in a black robe. The robe was simple enough, with a cord of rope tied around the waist. Once there was a drink in gray paw, the figure turned around to expose his face to view. The buffalo wasn’t sure who it was, just that it had fangs and a spiked collar around it’s neck. Fido of the Diamond Dogs smiled, then took a whiff of his drink with a moist nose.
There were other creatures around, but it seemed that she was the only buffalo here. Since Butler left her alone, she decided to may as well follow his advice. None of these creatures seemed threatening at least. She walked over to the couple, as they seemed the most interesting to her. Dragons were held in very high regard by her race, after all.
The dragon and griffon stopped talking, turning to look down at the youngest guest. Little smiled a bit, wondering if this was such a good idea. They were both much more than she was used to. The dragon sensed her distress though.
“Greetings fair lady. Be not afraid of us. I am the dragon knight, Artor.” The dragon teen moved his right claw to his chest, bowing to her. “The fair lady at my side is Princess Breeze.” The armored dragon stepped to the left side, letting Breeze lower her fan a bit so she could bow her head in greetings. “I follow the noble dragon code, and also the code of the knight.”
“Oh, hello. My name is...” Little stopped herself, remembering Butler’s words. She blushed, a bit out of place now.
“Ah, I understand. She is tonight’s guest. I think she is waiting for Butler to introduce her to us all. Please, excuse our manners,” Breeze said, a smile on her beak. “But please, allow us to tell you about ourselves.”
“Oh... That sounds nice,” Little said as she relaxed. Her head moved to nod up and down, glad that she didn't have to put too much attention on herself. Spike had mentioned something about a dragon code before.
“As the knight said, I am a princess of the Griffons. Do excuse my lack of attendants, since this is an exclusive club. You would think they would make an exception for royalty.” Breeze frowned a bit.
“Come now Princess. Rules are rules,” Artor spoke as he moved his wings down to rest around his shoulders. “Do excuse her. She is used to being waited on hand and foot. As for me, I merely travel from place to place, seeking honor and adventure.” The teen grinned, glad to introduce himself to someone new.
“Oh! That is why buffaloes honor you dragons so!” Little said, smiling up at the knight. Although his scales were red, Artor’s blush tinted his cheeks in crimson. The dragon moved a claw up to his mouth, half-silencing a cough.
“I trust you are enjoying tonight’s festivities?” Breeze opened her fan again to wave it against her face. The folds on the top of the fan blocked her face a bit, but left her gold eyes staring at Little.
“Well, I just got here honestly,” Strongheart said as she turned her head to look around. She finally spotted a table off against the western wall, with various types of foods on display. Meats, cheeses, candy, oats, deserts, and other vegetables were things were for all to enjoy.
“Please, take a drink from the bar or snack then. We can talk later then once you are presented to us all,” Artor smiled, lifting a free claw out to urge her.
“Yes dear. While it’s not up to par with my palace’s standards, it’s serviceable at least,” Princess shut her eyes halfway. “Knight Artor, would you mind fetching me a snack?” Artor bowed, eyes closed before walking away.
“Well, I suppose it would be rude not to accept a kind offer,” Little said. All she had to drink as of late was water or apple beverages. Her head turned back once more to look at the bar that Butler attended. Behind the chimeric creature, dozens of bottles of various colors were on display. A large counter of mahogany with some stools gave the corner of the room an inviting appeal. Least for the buffalo, she and other younger equines were never allowed inside the saloon in Appleloosa.
“Enjoy yourself dear... But stay away from anything Butler recommends that has a sweet name. It packs quite the punch,” Breeze giggled. With that said, Little nodded her head in thanks and walked over to the bar. She had to wonder why she was not allowed to say her name when the others had. Was SAI a place that various races were playing make believe?
“Is this the guest of honor?” A raspy and gruff voice asked.
“Ah yes. Do say hello Mr. Sage,” Butler chuckled. “I see you met the knight and princess. What a couple they make, no?”
“Are they a couple?” Little asked, her eyebrows lifting up as she got closer to the bar.
“Oh well... Maybe not yet,” the deep voice of the canine replied. “But they do have charming personalities.” The Diamond Dog moved his head down, smiling at the buffalo. Little blinked once, wondering what ‘Mr. Sage’ meant. “My name is Mathias. I am not exactly a sage yet, but I do consider myself a scholar.”
“Nice to meet you Mr. Ma-thi-as,” Little replied with a smile. The name was both exotic and funny to her. His deep voice though, gave him age and experience that she could believe he was smart. Now that she could see the canine closer, she could tell he had a set of fangs that protruded from his lips a bit. “Are scholars like shamans?”
“Interesting comparison.” Butler interrupted. “Can I get you a drink?”
“Oh. Thank you Mr. Butler.” Little turned away from Mathias to look at the drinks on display. “Can I have something sweet, but not... um...” Little stumbled over how to explain it.
“Something without alcoholic content in it right way!” Butler chuckled. The draconequus pulled a nozzle behind the counter to fill a mug with delicious cocoa moo. He handed her the mug, leaning over the large counter so she could take it from his claws.
“Ah. Chocolate milk. A good choice for a young pup,” Mathias grinned. His own drink was a peanut butter daiquiri.
“Is it tasty?” Little asked. She sat down on her haunches, holding on to the mug with both of her front hooves.
“Oh, it’s simply the best! No one beats my personal brew!” Butler bragged in a mock fashion. He brought his paw to his chest, looking offended. “Try a sip.”
Little Strongheart nodded, shutting both eyes to move the mug to her lips and take a small sip. When the dark liquid touched her lips, the young buffalo opened both of her eyes with a pleasant surprise. “It’s delicious!”
“Isn’t it?” Mathias grinned, enjoying the look of the little pup. She had a dark milk mustache on her upper lip. Normally chocolate was unhealthy for his kind- But Butler’s brew had no problems for him. “Back to your inquiry. I suppose some can see a line of knowledge from scholar to shaman. We both seek new things while keeping the old knowledge relevant.”
“Relevant?” Little looked away from the delicious drink to lick her lips clean.
“Well, holidays are a good example. Just because one race celebrates a holiday, doesn’t mean another can’t do it their own way,” Mathias picked up his head to look over at the decorations. While his voice was a bit broken and lazy at times, Little had no problems making him out. “Have you heard of a holiday called “Nightmare Night?”
Little shook her her to the sides, taking another sip of the drink. She could feel the sugar working it’s way into her bloodstream. She was not used to the levels of sugar this had.
“It’s a pony holiday. But, all of the other races have a similar holiday or tradition. They all dress in costumes and pretend to be another being.” Mathias stopped to take a drink of his own. After a satisfying sigh, he smiled and shut both eyes. “Though each have their own histories and methods to celebrate it, a scholar will take the time to find the similarities and differences.”
“So you study things?” Little asked, her eyebrows raised a bit.
“Well, not study- more like study what others already learned and present those findings for others.” Mathias moved his left paw out, motioning to the unicorn with the red horn. “I have had the honor of teaching my findings to him as an example.”
“The unicorn?” Little turned her head over to look at Sombra. “I thought unicorns were smart like Miss Twilight.”
“A bit of a racist comment there,” Butler muttered in a low breath. “Why don’t you talk to him?”
“Let me call him over,” Mathias suggested. He raised his left paw up. “Diego!”
“Hm?” Diego picked up his head, both ears pointing up and then of the direction of Mathias. “Oh, teacher?” The unicorn moved away from the paintings and walked over towards the bar. “Yes?”
“Diego, you were the last newest member here. I want you to say hello to the newest inductee.” Mathias lowered his head down to look down at Little Strongheart.
“Another member? And from the bison family...” Diego lowered his head to smile. Those eyes with the blue hues startled the young buffalo at first. She had never seen anything quite like that before. Or his mane, but she saw the mane before.
“B-b-buffalo, actually,” Little managed to speak out. She tried to be polite and not move back from him. She quickly moved to take a sip of chocolate milk to calm herself down.
“My mistake,” Diego said as he raised his head. “Don’t let my looks frighten you young one. I’m just an artist. As my teacher said, my name is Diego.”
“Mister Di-e-go,” Little replied, trying to make sure she got the name right. “Did you paint the-”
“Gha ha ha ha!” Sombra shut both eyes, a good guffaw released from out of his gut. Oh, he was not that kind of artist. If only she knew. “No, I did not paint these. Forgive my laughter, but I wish I was good enough to paint those,” Diego said after he managed to calm down. “No, these paintings were obtained using the donations from the Knight Artor.”
“The knight?” Little lowered her mug, finally calming down. “But how?”
“He is a knight, and has little need for gems other than eating. So he donated his gems, and they were used. The princess griffon herself also donated the carpeting and banners you see,” Diego turned his head around, inspecting the room. “I donated the castle.”
“Really?!” Little almost dropped her mug at the news. Her eyes opened wide, looking around. “But how?”
“Oh... The castle is truly old young lady. I inherited it, so it was for free for me,” Diego chuckled. “It was fixed up by my teacher here.”
Little raised both eyebrows in question, turning to look back at the sage.
“Well, being a scholar doesn’t pay the bills...” Mathias blushed a bit, a slight contrast against his gray coat of fur. “And when you have paws like mine, it’s easier to fix things.”
“Oh...” Little blinked twice, putting peice by peice in her head. Costumes. Party. Each donated work or things. Different races. But why? That is what she didn’t understand.
“I was telling her how I was teaching you things,” Mathias added, setting his drink down on the bar. “Because Diego is an artist, he didn’t learn many things such as history and things.”
“Ah, indeed. I am particularly interested in history of the last thousand years,” Diego chuckled. “I was more surprised that I could learn more from Sage Mathias than another pony.”
“For the last time, I’m not a sage,” Mathias blushed again. Still, his tail wagged under his robes.
“Such modesty,” Butler cut in, grinning at the teacher and student. “Excuse me while I prepare our guest. It’s just about time to introduce her to everyone.”
“Ah... I’m interested to know more about our guest myself,” Diego added with a nod. “Do go on then.” Mathias also nodded, smiling again at Little.
“Oh, okay. Excuse me then,” Little said as she was pulled away by Butler. The draconequus moved away from the bar and guided the little buffalo towards the stairs. Once they were going up, Butler lowered his head to grin at her.
“So, do you understand things a bit now?” He asked with a whisper.
“I think I do,” Little replied, regretting leaving her drink behind. “But what I don't understand is the reason to do it.”
“Well. I did say I would explain properly after you spoke to a few guests,” Butler smiled as he stopped at the top of the steps. “Who did you meet?”
“I met with the knight, the princess, and the teacher and artist.” Little turned to look at the others from the top of the steps.
“Some of us...” He turned to look at Artor. “Have someone or something we wished to be. But unfortunately,” Butler stopped and sighed. “Grew up where wanting to be that thing was not cool.”
“Cool?”
“It means the other citizens of their races didn’t care and grew up with a different set of values.”
“Oh.” Little closed her eyes halfway. Who wouldn’t like knights?
“Then the princess. Some of us,” Butler moved his head to look at the couple. “Grew up as who we wanted to be. But at the same time, we also wondered what it was like to be someone else.”
“Are you saying she’s not a real princess?”
“Oh, I never said that,” Butler grinned, eyes closed to tease. “But even some princesses are tomboyish and don’t act the part of a proper lady.” Little blinked once, wondering why a princess would grow up as a tomboy.
“What about the scholar?” Little turned her head to look at the bar as the two spoke a bit.
“Well, some of us always were these things. But we are defined by what we do, not who we are,” Butler opened both eyes to look along with her. “Some of us are smart or have beautiful talents, but they are never seen.” Little relaxed her face, remembering how Mathias said he needed a job to earn money.
“Is Diego the same?” Little whispered, turning to look at Butler.
“Oh, a little. It’s true he is an artist...” Butler turned to look back down at her. “But some of us want to return to what we once were, not who we’ve become.” Little tilted her head to the side, wondering what the unicorn had become instead of an artist.
“What about you Mr. Butler?” Little asked, wondering what a creature like him could want with another identity.
“Well some of us are trying to push past our limits. But...” Butler grinned, eyes halfway closed. “Placing limits on yourself and testing how long can you can keep them- is much, much harder.” She raised both eyebrows, surprised by that answer. Little was sure it was because of his strange looks. Better not dwell on it and move to the burning question in her mind.
“Why am I here then?” Little Strongheart asked.
“Because some of us...” Butler shut both eyes half way to move his claw to her feathers. “Have also been given names. A name we come to peace with, but sometimes wished we had another. Tell me, do you like always being called Little?”
“I- I- I like my name,” Little quickly replied after a second, looking away from the draconequus. “As soon as I grow up, I can get my grownup name.” In reality, she didn’t like the name at times. Sometimes it was a little too much. The buffalo winced for a second. One major reason she didn’t like the name was the amount of puns made with ‘little’ like the one in her own head.
“Oh, you don't have to lie with me, Ms. Little. Here, we are all using another name and identity,” Butler said as he opened both eyes, lifting each arm up to point at the others. “I said this place was a safehaven. We can escape the real world. We support each other. We believe in each other. We respect and understand the need to be in another identity.”
“But what do I have to contribute?” Little asked, turning to look at the others. At least their reasons were more adult and relatable than her own. And they all also donated something.
“Little Strongheart. I brought you here because you have something we all need. Understanding.” Butler lowered his arms back down, facing her once more. “While we are all grown up, younger pups, calfs, whelps, or any other kind of child- can provide sympathy, companionship, and understanding that adults simply cannot.”
“Like what?” Little asked, trying to understand a bit more.
“Well, I for one- love the faces of children when I tell them fantastic stories. Sometimes we just need someone to hear our own story and believe in us without malice and think we are lying behind our intentions.” Butler stopped there, moving his paw and claw up to conjure a triangle instrument and a wand beater of silver. “Sometimes, we long to teach or show off our skills in a place where we can. And there is no better audience than a child sometimes.” He moved to stand straight, preparing his little speech. “You never know either. We can become mentors, students, friends, and even lovers. This is a place where it can all happen away from prying eyes and also be what we want to be, even if it’s just a little while.”
“I think I understand now,” Little said, blinking once to look over at the others. “So you want me to pick a new name for myself?”
“Only if you want to dear,” Butler replied. He turned back to look at the rest of the guests. A yellow stage light appeared from nowhere, placing them both in the spotlight. He raised the triangle up, and began to hit it with the wand beater. Subtle chimes begun to quiet the others down. “Your attention everyone. Greetings all, and welcome for coming today. I want to introduce you all to the guest of honor. Please, raise a glass for a toast.”
Garble picked up a goblet of cider, smiling up at the others. Here, he was a noble knight and hero- not a bully.
Gilda lowered her fan and raised her glass up to smile. It was nice, acting from time to time like how her mother wanted.
Fido picked up his daiquiri and bowed his head. He was more than just a miner and pretty face.
Sombra raised a glass in a dark-colored field of magic. Oh how he missed the days when being an artist was simple as these get-togethers!
Discord grinned. Sometimes the most chaotic thing was to act like the perfect tool.
“Is everyone ready?” Discord asked, looking around at the others also assembled. Trixie the watcher. Sunset Shimmer the nerd. Sheriff Silverstar the folk singer. Some he couldn’t place a name, but all in costume of course. “Please, introduce yourself,” Discord said as he took a step back from the yellow stage light.
Little smiled, wondering if she could fit in. But it could be fun to try, and she could learn a lot. The small buffalo stepped out slowly, facing them all. Inside her head, she had the perfect name and identity she wanted to use. With an intake of breath, she began to speak.
“Hello everyone! My name is-”