I say to you now trekking trough forests is not my favorite past time. "How much longer to a road? or even a trail this is annoying." No answer. It had been like that for the past while, or since the girl had gone into the forest when we left the town. Never talking, heck not even a grunt. The only sounds other than steps and birdsong was a occasional low sobbing. It was something odd about her that I know. only once in awhile did she stop and that was only when I was lagging behind. she stopped again and to my relief I saw a road ahead. "Finally" I muttered.
"Well we won't go much longer today anyway." The being pointed at the sky and to my surprise the sun was setting. Only then I noticed my hunger. The girl, I still presumed that she was one walked right over the road and into the forest on the other side. I followed. What have I gotten myself into? Asking myself this now was a little late but still I did. I walked into a small clearing only ten meters from the road. It looked like somepony else had used it for camping before. The girl was making a small fire. Where she had gotten the wood from I did not know.
"So can you answer my questions now? Or are you going to be quiet again?"
"Two more to the list, the answers is Yes and No. You wanted to know what I am? Correct? I nodded. It was quickly getting darker so I sat down by the fire and put the filly that was now sleeping next to me.
"First I want confirmation about something." She said and paused.
"What is that then?"
"You are not a true Alicorn are you? And by true I meant not born as one." That's not of your concern. Why I answered the way I did still eludes me.
"That's... True I became an alicorn sometime ago."
"So.. How? It takes some great deal of magic to do that on your own. Who helped you? Another alicorn?" She asked.
"No. I did it myself." I said. Reluctant to tell the whole truth.
"How long?" She asked. What?
"How long what?"
"To do it yourself. Because it need so much power that it would get both the caster and target in a coma for at least some days. Saying that they survives the process." How does she know so much?
"Gluing permanent wings on takes that much power? No way!" I said trying to brush off the subject.
"Permanent wings? Being a Alicorn is not only having wings and a horn. But you know that already." She was pointing at me now.
"And what do you know about it?"
"Much I tell you. When it comes to being long lived I'm quite the expert and becoming an alicorn is not an easy task. I senses that you are a proper one to. But I also senses that you are not born one and mixing the magic of the three alone is a deadly task alone for nothing less than alicorn's and gods. Now tell me. How long?" She was stern but not aggressive in the least. Yet again I don't know why I answered that question like I did, i'll guess I was getting angry
"Fifty years. It took me fifty years of endless channeling, experimentation and pain. All for one thing but now that's not necessary anymore. First thirty it took me to get the spells right and build up power. Using magic hurt me but I did not care. The rest was even more painful and I pumped even more power into the spells. Only stopping every ten years for an hour of mockery."
"And how did you learn these spells? Transformation spells like that are hard to come by."
"Princess Luna, she is a master of transformations temporary and permanent ones." I was getting annoyed at her now.
"I know. She is such a pearl, One of the greatest of persons I have ever met."
"Person? you mean pony right?"
"Of course I meant pony. But there is more sentient beings in this world than ponies and all have a personality, thus person. But she is doing good so far I know. Just hoping that she is not angry with me." She mumbled the last part and it was har do hear what she had said. To any other ermm.. Regular pony that would be an unheard sentence
"And that's why becoming this is pointless now." I said looking down at myself as I now laid by the sparking fire.
I was getting in a bad mood, not because the days events or the outburst I just had. It was because all my planing I had done was null and void. She just had to remind me?
"Revenge is a strong thing, for those who use it there is only sadness and hate. I see in you that you want justice but vengeance is not that path." Does she read my mind? "Know this, Celestia was as hurt to lock away Luna as everypony else. Correction she was even more so. She lost her sister for a thousand years." Now I only stared at her. How did she know?
"How?"
"How do I know? Because I am Justice, that is my name by the way. Just as yours are Nocturne Rose, Just as hers are Licentia Rose." She promptly pointed to the sleeping filly.
"Licentia? Wait how do you know that?"
"Magic dear, much can be achieved with it. Her name is Licentia Rose. means freedom... Also It means licence and authority. In her case it's Freedom and yes you are related to her before you ask. Congratulation on motherhood. I was just stunned at the answer but that did not last long, a few minutes tops. She said motherhood right? I'm not ready for that. Was just some thoughts I thought during that time.
"Well now you answer my questions what and who are you? to begin with" I said when I had comeback to my senses.
"Very well, You did answer mine. I'm part of a person known as Nero. He is a human just like me but male, I am female if your still wondering. As you have seen I have red and white wings and no they are not natural, human usually not have wings. As I said my name is justice, If you want to be picky its Justice Lancer. She took a pause. I took my chance for another question.
"Part? You where part of some,one?"
"Yes, Nero. He needed something that resulted in him being split in five parts. I am one of them. Only me and one other have wings, we all can do magic to some extent and I am blind as a bat. Short, simple and this is me. There is not much to say because I only became what I am yesterday most of my memories are Nero's anyway so technically I am him. Sorry you must be hungry." She said when my stomach grumbled.
"Yes in fact I am. So who are the others? There was five of you." I asked. She handed me a peach, an orange and a banana all cut up in dices in a bowl seemingly from nowhere. Looking at her and not the fire I had been staring into, I saw that she had cut up the fruit on a small board and had another bowl for herself. Where did she get that stuff?
"Indeed there is, now eat and listen." So I did. She told me briefly about her ''siblings'', about Nero and why he ''split.''
"And here we are. I don't really know where the others are but we are all heading in the same direction."
"Okay last question before sleep." I said "Why did you not tell me this when we walked?" She looked to the side for a second.
"I don't really like talking when I travel. Head in the clouds and all. Now like you said you need some sleep before tomorrow its getting late." She said.
Right on time for the little filly to wake up.
"Hungry." She said while blinking into the fire and settled to squint into it for a while before trying to look around. She looked at me and once again said "Hungry." Justice answered her this time.
"Here you go Sweetie, you like bananas?" She nodded and a bowl settled by her. "Nocturne if you want to sleep I will sit up all night. I don't need sleep, looking after her will be no problem."
"No I can wait until she falls asleep, just let her eat first." The filly was headfirst into her bowl.
"Nore pwese" She said with banana still in her mouth, then suddenly. "Potty" She said and started to look around.
"Bushes are all over." Justice said.
"And she can go alone? It's a forest in the middle of the night." I said to Justice. "Common sweetie I'll go with you." The filly nodded. She seems really irresponsible.
A minute later we was back at the fire. Licentia was once head down in a bowl munching away. This time it ended with a low burp and a yawn. She laid down and snuggled up to me to try to sleep, I did the same putting a wing over the filly. An hour later I was still not sleeping an nether was Licentia. she had been tossing and turning all the time.
"Maybe singing her a lullaby will let her sleep." Justice suddenly said. The filly seemed to like the idea because she was no longer tossing and was looking at me.
"You want me to sing?" I asked her Licentia nodded.
"You have the mark for it so why not." She referred to my cutiemark. A cluster of stars forming a note on a blue blot symbolizing the night sky some stray stars was around the note. If you did not know it was easy to just confuse it to be only the note or even just a cluster of stars. My mark came from my love for the music and to be ironic mostly nocturnes.
"Not bad for a blind human. How did you know?"
"Once again. Magic. song?" I could not help to shake my head. I still decided to sing.
"Okay a song it is. It old I hope you like it." So I sang. it began like this. "Now let the day just slip away so the dark night may watch over you. Velvet blue..." And it went on. When I had finished the song, Licentia was softly sleeping under my wing.
"Beautiful. Truly beautiful." Justice said. "I bet Hope would had added music to that to make it stunning."
"Thank you" I said with a yawn and once again Justice told me to sleep, so I did just that. I fell asleep to a melodic humming that soothed my ears.
That night I had a dream, two humans both winged clashed in battle. The smaller of the two clad in red parried a massive blow with what looked like a saw but it did not bend like others did and the teeth on it where much larger. The bigger I figured was a male wielded a scythe and downed a azure cape lazed with gold. The Wicked blade struck with extreme precision still every blow was blocked an countered. The humans clashed in the air, ran up walls and jumped between pillars all while in constant battle.The battle only intensified with time as the two combatants went in for what looked like a final clash in the center of the hall but before they connected I woke up. And I could not for the world remember what I saw in that dream. Damn it it was only moments ago I saw that thing! Common Rosie you can do it. THINK!
"Morning, bad dreams?" Justice had not moved an inch from her spot by the fire that now only was prying embers. The sun was rising. "You better get yourself ready I want to be in Cherries Stead before eight That way we can be in Canterlot tomorrow night." Train take that long? From what I read it should be quicker.
"Really. Do it really take that long time with the train?" I got a straight answer.
"Yes. The train an rails are relatively new and such the ride will take longer. No direct route to Canterlot from here. Darn train need to go all the way to Ponyville before it goes to Canterlot. Our best option seeing that you don't fly yet. Tho flying would be much faster."
"Very well." I said and made myself ready to begin walking again. "I'm glad that the road will make this easier." I said when I was done with my ermm! Why am I narrating my personal hygiene in my head? Then when everything was ready we set out. I felt nice to have a road under my hoofs again.
Around lunch I had noticed an odd behavior in Justice, some time ago she had began to wander with her gaze to the general region of Canterlot. Right before I was going to suggest eating something she stopped dead in her tracks for a moment, then just began to walk again. "Justice maybe we should take some lunch? I'm pretty hungry and I think Licentia is to." This was comfirmed by a small stomach growl from where she was slumped on my back, the little filly had been awake for some time but had not bothered talking or crying. She was just laying there being sad.
"You can stay and eat just don't take more than an hour and continue in the same phase as earlier." She said
"You are not staying to eat?" I interrupted. She shook her head.
"No I need to fly to Canterlot. Something is happening there... Something BAD." she did not take her eyes from the sky.
"What about us? We can't board a train without money?" I was almost not able to finish that sentence before I got a saddlebag shoveled in my face.
"This will be all you need for the trip. The document inside will get you on board and into Canterlot itself without questions asked. Royal invitation and that mambo jumbo. Also hide that you are an alicorn or you will no be able to avoid any weird questions. Cloaks are in the bag if you need em." Then she took of into the sky. What the Buck did just happen?
Now when both of us was in a somewhat bad mode we ate a quick lunch in form of carrots and apples. I mostly ate carrots seeing that Licentia did not want much of those. For being such a small filly she ate a lot. After the lunch I found two cloaks in the the bag one a little big for Licentia and one that was a little small for me. I ignored mine and put the other one on Licentia she was ofcourse not happy about that. Children! But she still wore it. I hid my own wings with a quick concealment spell. Good was that I did that right after lunch.
Two hours later a group of tough looking Griffins and a pair of ponies. a unicorn and a pegasi. Creeped out of the woods before me an I heard more from behind. Really? REALLY?!
"Your bags and we might not hurt ya the unicorn said with a tough voice. The pagasi and the griffons let out a cruel laugh. "Might fine pi'ce a Flank ya got there hun." You speak worse than me mate. The pegasi said. "Not now bro. But if she resist I might share her." The unicorn said.
"You better watch it fellas or I'll kick your sorry rumps to next week. I have training." I said and somehow knew that it would not help much.
"Ohh Look boys a guards pony. What will we do a lone guard with a babby foal on her back." The gang of robbers laughed again and then a griffon lounged at me at the sound of a low whistle. Bad choice.
I cracked his beak with a front hoof at the same time I dislocated his yaw. The sheer pain alone made him fall unconscious to the ground. The unicorn started to shout orders and more of the griffons and the pegasi all got readdy to attack me. I felt a anti magic field take hold. I broke it easily while bucking two of the griffons into a third. And proceeded to ground the flying ones, Low thumps was heard when the five flying bandits hit the ground hard for I had a gravitation spell that held them in place and had increased the impact from the fall by five.
"Only you and me left sissy boy." I said when I took a step closer to the now terrified unicorn and he proceeded in soiling himself. I weaved a quick spell and made him lay down in his own embarrassment. Serves them right. I checked on my back and Licentia was only gaping at me. She had not moved an inch thanks to a spell of placement, useful to keep the usually sleeping foal on my back. Then she just said "Kooowl."
"I was not the commander over the 3rd Lunar regiment for nothing you know." I said with a smile while gracefully jumping over the unicorn.
Around five and a half hour later I was walking up to what somepony had pointed out as the train station. A pony in blue announced the arrival of the days last train. I read the document that Justice had left me scanning it for vital information. The document was indeed my ticket to Canterlot and supposedly showing this to any innkeeper in Canterlot will get me free lodgings until the wedding and for the rest of the weekend. I asked the conductor how long until the train would reach Canterlot and it was as Justice had said, a long trip.
When the train arrived I showed the document to the conductor inside the train right after I ''boarded'' If that now is the correct term and was shown to first class. I was presented a luxurious cabin and was told where the restaurant cart where. Me and Licentia almost made it a double for that cart. After a long day of walking and some small talk with Licentia I was tired enough to go right to sleep in the cabin after the meal. Bad Idea for I awoke early the next morning. WAY to Early!