Bound By Scales- Colder than my heart,
if you can imagine Part 2
Point of View: Ken
Out of all the times that I would prefer to be noticed out of the blue, this was NOT one of them. The changelings have been defeated, but now, this world's version of the Mane Six now see Revaan and I as an enemy. Immediately, I placed my weapons away and was going to tell Revaan to not do anything rash, until I heard a familiar voice call out to us. Just as this world's Rainbow Dash was trying to charge straight at Revaan.
“Rainbow Dash, they are our allies!” I turned to my left to see that Gray was holding Luna in his arms. His words seemed to have an effect on Rainbow though as she just stopped shy of Revaan’s nostrils. The dragon was doing his best to hold in the temptation of letting out a small laugh as he watched her move her hoof back to her side.
“Emh… I knew it! I totally wasn't about to kick him!” She valiantly proclaimed before flying back over to where her friends are. As time passed, this world's Twilight took the chance to talk to Gray and Cadence, but it was only a few minutes later that I noticed Applejack, Rainbow, and that one pink pony that I saw before back in my world. God, I can’t remember her name to save my life.
Suddenly, my sight of vision was assaulted by pink. Which caused me to fall flat on my ass. And for the ball I had in my bag to fall out... Meh, I didn't need it anyways.
“Wow! You are a weird looking mare! Hello my name is Pinkie Pie! What is your name? Hey why is your hand so funny? No wait, why don't you have fur? Were you born like that? Is it some sort of new disease!? Is it contagious!? IS IT CONTAGIOUS!?” The pink mare began to shake my shoulders with a great amount of strength. Before I could push her away the orange furred mare grope her by the shoulders and pulled her away from me, making me let out a sigh of relief.
I didn't need to be a genius to put two and two together to know that the mare was Applejack, she even have the same stetson on her head. She pulled the pink menace away and began to try and whisper while taking glances my way, and I mean try because even from here I could hear her.
“Pinkie! Show some restraint. Don't ya go there and made the poor fellah feel bad, you are scaring him for pete's sake! If tha’ fella is anything like the Gray boy then he is ah stallion not a mare.” My eye twitched when the remark hit home in my head. Mare? How in the nine heavens do I look like a mare to them!? “Now ah are gonna apologize and for goodness pinkie don't ya go and scare the fella!”
“Uh… so you are a stallion then? Eh I can see the difference.” Said a voice from my right. Looking at the source I was met by this world’s version of Rainbow Dash, who was lazily sprayed on her backs in the air.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Ken,” I told them, before pointing behind me. “That’s my partner and friend Revaan.”
“Hello.” He humbly spoke.
“Care ta repeat that, sugarcube?” Applejack asked me.
“Which part?” I spoke, wanting clarification.
“The part about being your partner duh! Silly nilly!” Said Pinkie Pie who once again broke into my personal space.
“Yeah… well, it also relates to what you were asking earlier about my… arm. Basically, our souls are bound to each other. For example, if you did kick Revaan earlier,” I said, glaring at Rainbow. “I would have felt the same pain across my face.”
Rainbow’s cheeks flushed red with embarrassment giving an awkward laugh. “Well, it is not my fault! Just look at him! Dragons aren't know for being nice and all you know? The last one we met threw me and my friends to a boulder!” She said loudly while waving her hands in the air.
“I’m not like most other dragons,” Revaan insisted. “I prefer to get along with other species rather than harm them.”
“Wait wait wait! Can you breath fire like a dragon! Oh can you fly? Can you?” Yelled the pink menace from behind me.
“Not exactly. But I can use the energy in my arm for different abilities,” I told her, using my arm to yank an apple pie off of an abandoned cart and then brought it back to my hand. “Then there’s my dragon armor, but I already used it once and I need some time to catch my breath before doing it again. Anypony hungry?”
“Well partner, ah dont think yer gonna find food around here. This place look like ah battleground from ah war.”
“Yeah, but if you give it some time, everypony might get back on their hooves. Oh and I was asking if anypony wanted the pie. Fighting changelings must’ve made you girls work up quite an appetite.” I told them, setting the pie on a boulder.
“Heck yeah! I could go for a booze right about now!” Shouted Rainbow Dash.
That… was something I honestly did not expect. I did not know about this world having any sort of alcoholic drink. But I guess it could possibly make sense somehow. I was in a world of talking ponies after all. Almost anything could happen right?
“Now Rainbow, there would be plenty of time for booze later. Ah reckon the city would be busy with all da repairs after. But ah think I could open some of the Cider barrels back at the farm.” Said Applejack while giving Rainbow an elbow to the shoulder. Rainbow Dash for her part just froze and I swear there were stars on her eyes. She must have been idolizing herself drowning in cider right around now… Not paying attention to the… other person that was behind the three of them.
But she was not as friendly as Rainbow, Applejack and Pinkie. Not by a long shot.
“So Gray, you are saying that this… Dragon is on our side?” Asked a voice from behind the girls. The girls turned around and I could see the one who spoke. She was a white pony, an Alicorn to be more precise. She was wearing a white dress from her neck to the knees and was the same height as myself. Her pink eyes where looking at Revaan with suspicion and caution. The only thing I noticed during this is that this… pony… was barely paying any attention to me and more on Revaan.
He briefly nodded his head, before looking at me. I only said the first thing that came to mind. “Umm… Hi?”
Her eyes snapped at me, it was like I just insulted her or something for how hard she was glaring at me. I was really beginning to feel like I screwed up somehow.
“You must be Ken. Gray said you helped take back the city, and for that you have my thanks.” Her glare loosened a little as she gave me a bow. But when she raised the glared returned then folds. “But I want the truth, why are you here? Dragons, no matter the age aren't know for helping any other species without some sort of reward.” Her gaze turned towards Revaan. “They made an oath too, to never interfere between the affairs of other species. So that means you want something from this little escapade.”
“Celestia, calm down. They are good people! They helped for the good of their heart-” Gray yelled from behind her. He wasn't carrying Luna anymore. Celestia turned sharply towards Gray and looked at him with the same look she gave us.
“You should stay quiet Gray, for even now I have doubts about you. If not for Luna’s words I would have you imprisoned until I could talk to you. I can feel your magic and there is something about you that bugs me.” She hissed at Gray. Weren't they like friends or something?
“That… is actually where you are incorrect.” Revaan replied, taking Celestia’s attention away from a gobsmacked Gray. “I am bound to Ken and he is bound to me. Therefore, his will is mine.”
“Plus, Gray did summon us.” I reminded him, sighing a little as I facepalmed myself with my dragon hand. “If I didn’t help him when he needed it, he would’ve passed out in the forest without any magic. Geez, who knew politics in this world was so extreme.”
“Matters not, the city is in a state of panic. The wedding as per Princess Cadence’s petition would be held tomorrow. But for now I shall comfort my little ponies about what happened today. You along with Gray can sleep at the new barracks at the castle. For your… dragon friend. We don't have a place big enough for a dragon.” She said.
“Ken, I can just return home.” Revaan told me, “I’ll see you back at the temple when you return.”
“Same here, man. Catch you later.” With that, I helped open a hole in the void for him to return back to Obsidian hollow. After my arm glowed a bit and Revaan went back home, that small… trick caught Celestia’s and Pinkie’s attention. For Pinkie, it was because of the lights. For Celestia… it was something else. But she seemed to push the question aside as an unconscious Luna came at her side surrounded by a golden aura.
“We will talk later. The moon shall rise soon and I have work to do. Ask Captain Shining Armor for your quarters.” With that her horn began to glow in a golden aura and she disappeared with.
“Wow… I never saw the Princess like that! She looked like a pansy meany pants! Hey, what happen to Gray? Hello? Anybody home?” The pink menace popped out of nowhere and when I looked at her she was poking Gray’s nose.
“Aw great, Gray’s pulling an egghead on us.” Rainbow pouted. “Ken, mind helping him out for a sec?”
“How am I suppose to help?”
“I don’t know, slap him or something?” I sighed, walking up to Gray for a second. Sighing I then spoke again.
“Sorry but about this Gray, but if anyone asks… Rainbow did it.” With that, I smacked him across the face with my right arm like I was Batman slapping Robin. Oh, the good old days.
“Wha-I-where?” He blinked a few times and a frown slowly creep on his face. “Did you just slap me?” He asked in a low tone.
“In all seriousness, Rainbow told me too. She said you were “pulling an egghead” on them” I told him.
Raising an eyebrow he crossed his arms over his chest. “So you slap me for no other reason, just than a mare telling you to?” He asked with a neutral tone.
“Ummm… yes?” I said with a shrug.
Letting a sigh escape his breath he began to rub his temper. “I know the feeling, I can't say no to them no matter what. But what do you mean about me pulling ‘an egghead’ on you?”
“You were starting to look pale like a zombie. I needed to get you to snap out of it.” I told him. “Oh and if you were wondering why Revaan isn’t here, he went back to our home. Now… I think maybe you have some questions for me?”
“Questions… sure.” Gray said, his gaze unfocused. Waving a hand in front of his face I frowned.
“Gray? … Are you okay? You’re staring off into space again.”
He shook his head and began to rub his temples, he gave out a sigh as his gaze turned to me. “Yeah… just… there are some things on my mind. It is just that I didn't… well, thought that my reunion would be like that.”
“Hang on a second, Reunion?” I asked him. “What do you mean by that?”
Gray looked at me for a few seconds before waving his left hand side to side. “Nothing, really. Hey, where did Celestia said the barracks were?”
“She didn’t really tell me. All she said for me to ask Captain Shining Armor later to take me to my quarters. Didn’t mention anything on barracks.”
“Well, then our guy’s right over… there.” He said pointing towards the main six with the addition of two new ponies. One was a white Unicorn stallion that reached my chin, while the other was a pink Alicorn mare. Both of them had a few… minor cuts and scrapes, but nothing major compared to what happened to the rest of the city.
Making my way towards the group, I made a stop after seeing that Gray wasn't following me. Looking at him with a raised eyebrow, I noticed the confusion on his face. But I’m not sure why he was puzzled.
He catched up on me, not saying anything as we made our way towards the group. He was taking glances at me from the side of his vision every now and then. With a sigh he came to an halt and turned towards me. “Ken, what did you mean when you told Celestia that I was the one to bring you here? Summoned you said I think?” I sighed a little, rustling into my pockets to take out the black scale that I had as a token.
“At one moment, you must have held onto this,” I told him. “This scale is my summoning token… Are you familiar with the Displaced?”
He took a glance at the sky, rubbing his chin with his right hand. Suddenly he snapped his fingers and his gaze returned on me. “Yeah, I remember you saying something about ‘for being a displaced’ back at the forest. What did you mean by that?”
“Displaced is short for Dimensionally Misplaced,” I told him. “You and I aren’t the only people that were sent to Equestria. Are you familiar with the Multiverse at all?” After seeing him look at me with another puzzled gaze, I sighed.
“Well, let me make this simple. There are multiple versions of Equestria. Each one with various differences. Different Displaced are sent to different worlds and do what they want with the abilities they gained. Revaan was concerned about me getting involved because this world is before the events in my timeline. I’m three years ahead of you.”
He cocked his head side to side, mulling the information I just gave him. His face scrunched before he let out a sigh. “So, you mind to tell me that I wasn't the only person who… well… came here? I mean, send to one of those ‘Equestria’ from the Multiverse? Sorry if I don't really get it but I was more into politics and carpentry before getting here. It makes sense though.”
“Trust me, some things are a lot more surprising than others. I don’t know much about them though since I only met a few. But I do know that you can use a Displaced’s token to summon one.” He explained, holding onto his to show the cryo mage. “This is my token.”
Giving my token to Gray he began to look at it from different angles, after a while he turned his gaze back towards me with a frown. “But this is just a… dragon scale, there isn't anything out of place. How did I summon you with this?”
“Do you remember how I found you? You were almost dead until I healed you.” I reminded him. “Did anything happen before that?”
Gray took a thoughtful look, for a few seconds he was quiet. Then his eyes widened. “Well, I remember falling to the ground but there wasn't a scale around me. Before you appeared though I asked for help…”
“Did you feel yourself grabbing onto anything solid?” I asked.
“Well… yes? Maybe?” I gave him a deadpan look. “Okay, I don't know. Wasn't really paying attention to my surroundings hehe..he” He said giving me a sheepishly smile.
“One way or another, you summoned me,” I told him. “And I was thinking of sticking around to help. The Wedding has been rescheduled to tomorrow, so maybe I can help with a few things… Which reminds me… why were you holding onto Luna earlier like you were cradling her? Is she family to you?”
“In a way… I think. She seemed to remember me. If not for her, Celestia would have me imprisoned and interrogated. It… it is bunch of horseapples really.” He said giving a sad sigh.
“Maybe we can check on her in a few minutes? She should be awake by then.” I offered, trying to show him my support.
“Thanks, but I don't want to disturb her. Not counting that they would have quite a busy weeks to come. But really, thanks man. I really appreciate the help today. If not for you, Canterlot would be nothing more than a husk of its former self.” He said while raising his left arm for a handshake. I smiled, shaking his hand in return.
“Your welcome Gray. I can help stick around and assist with the clean up effort if you want me too.” I offered, just in case.
“Well… don't mind if I take you on that offer. I was going to volunteer to help in the reconstruction of the city tomorrow. I think we will need all the help we could get, seeing as half of Canterlot have been destroyed.” He said while scratching the back of his neck.
“Same here. I think maybe tonight though we should get the chance to rest a bit. I believe that the city might have some sort of spell to help reconstruct the buildings. But the attacks might have left with some of the children being… orphans. Maybe we should get them some aide and help them?”
“I would gladly like that.” He said with a smile. He was about to turn towards the girls when he froze mid step. Slowly he turned to me with a puzzle face. “Ken, you said that those… ‘Displaced’ guys have tokens right?” I gave him a nod, already thinking what he wanted to ask. “And you said I was one of those… Displaced. That means I have a token right? Well I have lived for years in Equestria and not once did I got summon. Does that mean my token’s… well… broken? Malfunctioning? or something?”
“Hmm… Actually Gray. You haven’t been summoned because you haven’t made a token.” I clarified. “Token’s aren't made automatically. You have to choose an item that represents you, leave a small message on it and then cast it out into the void. You’ll still keep the item you sent out, but sending it into the void has the token be able to span the Multiverse and reach other Displaced. I can help fix that now if you want.”
"You can? Well, I don't really have much on me. The only object that I have that could represent me is this..." He grabbed the necklace around his neck. The fact that I didn't see it before baffled me. "This is what I bought before coming to Equestria, there aren't any other objects that could fit I think. So... How does it work? I don't think that just saying a message would work on it."”
“You need to channel some of your energy, or in your case magic, into it while creating the message. For example, mine is like this.” Getting out my token again, I let him hear the message that I was left there when Zinnia helped me. ‘I am Ken Ahkrin, The Scalebound. Call upon me if you need some help, advice or want to tip the scales in your favor.’ Afterwards, I looked back at him, putting the scale in my pocket. “Something brief and simple, but get’s your point across. Messages can’t be super long, so twenty seconds should be enough at most.”
"Well... I don't know. This isn't doesn't have any tunes to channel my magic. That, and I told myself to have never force my magic on inanimate objects without runes. Without those the object have no way of storing the magi-" Will he continue to talk I increased the volume of my headphones. Never took Gray for an egghead really, he seems more like the action type of guy. When his mouth close I lowered the volume and gave him a deadpan expression. He seemed to get the point across as he gave an awkward laugh before scratching the back of his head. "Ehehehe... Sorry, I tend to ramble a little when talking about magic. Force of habit that I took from an old friend really, anyway. The point is, do you think it will work? Cause if it doesn't you are buying me a costume made necklace."
“Just trust me on this one,” I assured him. “First, prepare the message that you want to send out.”
"Well... I have a message already, but then what do I do?"
“You say it while you're channeling your magic into the item.”
“Okay then… let's see..” Gray’s hand began to glow as a blue rune appeared on the back of his hand. “From those who seek justice and peace. If danger is knocking upon thee, or allies are slim. Call for me. For my name’s Gray Fullbuster, fighter of demons and darkness.” With this his hand’s glow vanished. His eyes looked at the necklace in confusion. “Well… I certainly was expecting everything in twenty radius to freeze, so… what now?”
“I can take care of what’s next.” I replied, using my dragon arm to open a tear in the void. Once I tossed the original token inside, it held still, splitting into multiple tokens before I plucked the original one out of the vortex to return to Gray. “There we go, all done.”
“Well then, let's go and get some sleep. Tomorrow’s going to be a busy day. We continue our way towards the mane six of this world. Twilight’s eyes snapped at us and before she could open her mouth, she froze. Her eyes rolled at the back of her head and she fell face first to the ground. Everything came to a standstill as all of us looked at Twilight, I was beginning to think the world until I hear Gray let out a groan.
“Don't worry, she just passed out for having her magic overcharged. Nothing a good two or three days of sleep won't help.” He said, the mane six just exchanged looks between each other and Gray.
Seeing as the atmosphere was becoming awkward I gave a polite cough to get their attention. “Speaking of sleep, I think a little bit of rest would be good for my bones right about now… Where’s Shining Armor?”
Next Morning
When I woke up the next morning, I felt like my skull had cracked in two. Too many things had happened last night and now, I was beginning to think I was feeling some kind of hangover. I would try to remember what happened besides me getting his token from him, but right now was probably the best time for me to go back home. I did tell Gray that I was going to leave in the morning, given that a lot of the ponies were looking at me like I was some kind of freak the other night. Plus, if he did need my help, he could just summon me. That’s why I left one of my tokens by the door to his room.
I made my way to where I first met Gray outside the castle. Only this time, I was on my own. Calmly, I used my token to conjure my way home and stepped in. Once I was back, I found myself inside the main room of the temple with Revaan overlooking Obsidian Hollow. Apparently, there was a lot of commotion going on down below… and I was curious to know what it was.
“Welcome back… You’ve arrived just in time too.”
“Just in time?” I questioned the Dragon. “For what exactly?”
“For Twilight’s return,” He told me. “Only this time, she has the princesses with her.”
Dear ancestors, what the hell had happened since I left?
End Chapter 7