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Chapter 4

An Unwelcome Return

Reign of the Sun Goddess
Day 30th Month 3rd Year 997 6:57 AM

It was very early morning when the two ponies returned to Hollow Shades. Celestia’s moon was still on its westward drift and her sun had yet to show itself on the opposite horizon, but signs of light were peeking across it. Rock Duster seemed like he was about to fall over while Ricktin was sleeping in the back of the cart, unable to do much of anything. The trouble sleeping and the constant headaches he’d been having on the way back didn’t help keep his sleep restful either. The entire town had yet to wake up. The few weather ponies that were awake, were focused on flitting around in the skies, finishing off a hoard of clouds that had drifted above the town during the night, so the two ponies went unnoticed as they made their way back home. Once they arrived, Rock Duster unhooked himself, trotted up to the front of their house and knocked on the door. After a few minutes Mind Heart answered, her mane still askew from having just awakened.

She rubbed her eyes and gave him a slightly confused, yet happy look. “Rock honey, you’re back early?” she looked around for a moment as she became more alert.

Rock Duster nodded and leaned to the side slightly, blinking his eyes a couple of times. “Yes, something happened when we got to the temple location so we had to make fast tracks back here.”

Her face became more confused and concerned. “What happened? Where’s Ricktin?” she asked as her head scanned the surroundings more thoroughly.

He shook his head and stood straight again, looking back at the cart. “He’s in the cart, sleeping right now. We ran into a bit of trouble on the mountain… our son… might need some mental therapy.”

Mind Heart snapped her head back to her husband and gave him a stern expression as he looked back at her. His ears lowered, giving her a sincere look of exhaustion. “I’ll tell you once we’ve had some time to rest, right now though I need your help getting Ricktin to his bed. My magic is mostly spent and I don’t think I can carry him on my own.”

“You take our son on your trip. You said that nothing could go wrong, that you could handle it and you bring him back, a day early and hurt!?!” Mind Heart nearly screeched.

Rock Duster flinched as he back up a few steps. “Ye-yes, yes I did and you need to keep it down, Ricktin hasn’t slept well the last night or so. He’s finally getting some rest, so please, help me get him to his to bed.”

Mind Heart took a deep breath to calm herself, nodded and followed Rock Duster to the back of the cart to get Ricktin out. They heaved him out, still asleep and put him on Mind Heart’s back.

“I expect a ‘full’ explanation after this,” she said, still giving Rock Duster a stern look. He nodded his head, using his magic to lighten her load slightly as they carried Ricktin into the house and to his room. After they had gotten him into his bed Mind heart led Rock Duster into their bedroom. The room had two dressers, one on either side of a king sized bed that sat with its head at the back wall just below a window, a thick, soft rug covered most of the polished hard wood floor. Mind Heart guided him over to the bed, pulled the covers back and laid her husband on it. She then got in with him and pulled the covers over both of them. Rock Duster had already fallen asleep, but Mind Heart could not join him. With a worried look on her face she held onto her husband and waited for him to wake up. The light of Celestia’s sun was becoming more prominent through the window.

Reign of the Sun Goddess
Day 30th Month 3rd Year 997 2:14 PM

The sun was high in the air when Ricktin Shade opened his eyes. Not being able to call on much strength he simply laid in his bed. He stared blankly up at the sky through his window as if recalling past events. From what his father had told him, if whatever it was wasn’t physical then his mother would most likely know what to do.

Ricktin let out a haggard breath like he had been galloping non-stop for several hours fear coursed through his system. He grunted in pain, suddenly jerking one of his front hooves to his head, pressing on it tightly as another headache hit him. The consistency of the headaches had begun to annoy him and he was about ready to slam his head against something hard, praying it would somehow miraculously stop the incessant throb of his skull. Sadly, unable to get out of bed, he could not follow through with his idea, as well as common sense telling him that it was just stupid, so he laid there, the pain in his head steadily increasing as he waited for someone to come check on him. The sun was getting in his eyes

A few minutes later Rock Duster and Mind Heart trotted through his door, his father simply stood next to the door as his mother took a spot next to the bed, taking one of her hooves and running it through his mane. “Hey there honey, how are you feeling?”

Ricktin wriggled slightly, his eye twitching as he looked up at his mother with a soft smile. “I’ve had better days, but I’m fine.” Both of his parents looked at him worriedly as he shifted around some more, turning his head to see his father. He gave him a waveringly strong look. “So what are we going to do about… whatever happened to me back at the mountain?”

Rock Duster looked at Mind Hear. “Well, I thought we could let your mother run through some of her ‘techniques’ and see if she can diagnose anything.”

Mind Heart nodded and said, “Your father already told me all of what he remembered and all that you told him, so most likely whatever happened at the point that you can’t remember is the catalyst. All we have to do is reopen that memory.”

Ricktin nodded, the twitching stopping as his tensed face relaxed, only raising a brow as he looked at his mother and attempted to blow some hair out of his face. “So, how are we going about this?”

Mind Heart worked on making him more comfortable as she talked. “Well, all you have to do is close your eyes and relax. Just listen to what I say and I’ll take care of the rest.” She gave him a confident smile.

Ricktin nodded and turned his head back to the ceiling and closed his eyes.

“Now just take deep breaths, calm your mind, don’t think of anything and just listen to my voice.” Ricktin inhaled; then exhaled slowly as his mother continued talking to him. Once she had him deep enough into a trance, she began.

“Now Ricktin I want you to go back to the night you were on the mountain… are you there?” He nodded his head. “Good, now, tell me what is happening?”

Ricktin’s brow furrowed for a moment then spoke. “I’m… telling dad off after he had brought up… something.” Mind heart looked back at Rock Duster, he shook his head and she turned back to Ricktin.

“Alright Ricktin I need you to go a little farther, what happened after that?”

“I… went to bed early, but I had trouble really getting to sleep because I was a bit shook up about how I had yelled at dad. I left my tent to see if I could find dad and apologize, but I didn’t see him anywhere in the camp site so I decided to just watch the moon and stars and wait for him to get back.” He began to sweat a little as he started to twitch slightly, Rock Duster swiftly moved over to the bed next to his wife as she stamped her hoof to wake Ricktin up, but it didn’t work as he continued to talk. “While… I was watching the moon… something hit me, in the back of the head…” Rock Duster was shaking him to no avail. “Everything went black, I was yelling trying to find a way out, I felt myself falling asleep and then I heard something say…”

They were both knocked back as pure black shadows hung in the air and crept along the floor as Ricktin opened his eyes and got out of his bed, his voice sounding very off. “I said~ perfect,” Ricktin said, drawing out the word as he stood, surrounded by vine like shadows, his hair disheveled, the whites of his eyes had turned black while the coloration of the iris had gone from grey to a dark yellow, the pupil having turned an ominous shade of red. A smug grin was present on his face.

“What-ghk!” Rock Duster was cut off as a one of the black limbs stabbed into his chest. He shook slightly, watching as Ricktin moved toward him. Leaning down to face Rock Duster, Ricktin chuckled darkly and raised his eye brows, giving him a small venomous smile.

“After being stuck in that cave for so long… I think I’m quite tired of ponies” Rock Duster only had a moment as his eyes flashed, widening right before a blade of darkness came from the side and sliced his neck, letting his blood quickly flew from his neck, splattering on the wall as he gasped for air. His son watched with that little smile. His eyes were nearly closed as he gasped for air one last time and then went limp.

Ricktin stood up straight as he let out thoughtful ‘hmmm’ smiling to himself “he lasted longer than I thought he would, good stallion, strong. Oh well.” He then turned to the only other purple pony in the room. Mind heart was frozen on the floor unable to anything, but stare open eyed at the scene before. She snapped partially out of it as Ricktin slowly moving toward her in jaunt, almost as if he was swaying to music. “Ri-Ricktin what ha-have you-. “

Ricktin stood in-front her smiling the sweetest smile as moved his muzzle down to eye “Sorry ‘mommy’ your little foal is not available, it’s just you and me I’m afraid,” he said. There was a flash behind him and he passed a glance that way, noticing an odd black, cloaked smiling figure in-front of two scythes had appeared on his flank. Turning back to Mind Heart he exclaimed sarcastically, “Oh look ‘mother’! I got my cutie mark.” His smile turned smug as an eye brow raised and his voice became more lighthearted but not the one she knew. “Now please don’t scream and I’ll make sure you won’t even feel it.” Mind Heart was breathing heavily as she saw one of the shadows ready itself above Ricktin. Eyes widening and pupils shrinking, half the town heard her scream before it was cut short.

Ricktin stepped out of his room, a flat look on his face and one of his red eyes twitching. “She just had to ruin the pleasant come back,” he said, sighing and taking a moment to gather himself. He looked to the door his smile returning. “Oh well, nothing to do but make sure the pretty little princesses can’t get anything concrete to follow me with. Now, what is this place called…? Hollow Shades? Excellent! Well Hollow Shades, say hello to the bringer of your destruction!” with that, he exited the house while humming a sporadic tune, leaving a room with a blood covered floor and two motionless bodies.

Reign of the Sun Goddess
Day 30th Month 3rd Year 997 4:28 PM

Hollow Shades billowed with smoke clouds which could be seen for miles around as a smiling Ricktin happily pulled one of his shadowed appendages from the chest of a pony, looking around he blows a piece of hair out of his face. “Don’t tell me that’s everyone, I was sure there a few mor-“

“Ricktin!” three Stallions stood behind him two of them unicorns and one was a pegasus. It was Sleek Breeze and two of their friends.

Ricktin gave them a big grin, red eyes shining in the in the fire. “Oh! There you are! I was wondering where the last of you had gotten off to, you ponies are so good at hiding.”

Sleek Breeze stepped forward, brow creased and face set. “Ricktin, what happened to you? Why did you do…? This!!!” he waved his hoof around at the town. Ricktin surveyed the town, looking at the majestic flames spewing from the surrounding buildings and the intricately placed bodies strewn across the ground, covered in gouge marks, many with eyes wide open in shock or disbelief.

Ricktin shook his head as he turned back to the ponies facing him. “Honestly, no respect… I keep telling you silly ponies, Ricktin is not here, just I and I did this because you don’t let something like me get bottled up in a cave for almost a thousand years; it can really backfire on you, you know?” he said and chuckled.

“You’re not Ricktin? Then what the hell are you!? Why in the name of Celestia would any ‘thing’ think that murdering an entire town would be a good idea!!!?” Sleek Breeze was crazed, barely holding himself back, his two friends just stared in horror at the pony giving the most honest to goodness innocent smile they had ever seen as he put a hoof to his chest looking hurt.

“Aw now that hurts, no one remembers me? Oh well, I’ll leave you to figure that out, but! I will give you a riddle, I haven’t done one in so long! I might even be a little rusty!” Ricktin seemed to shiver with glee as his hoof returned to the ground. “All right, all right, here we go.”

I am the whipping wind, I am the falling seeds, I am the cracking earth, the flashing storm, the blooming flower, the growing forest, the wild fire and the dousing rain. I am everything from nothing, I take everything and make nothing. All look upon me and feel terror. All see my work and feel joy. Madness far from what I desire and to break those with hearts filled with fire, but the world is my toy. Play carefully.

“Ohhh that was ‘so’ much fun.” Ricktin chuckled

Sleek stomped his hoof, his tail whipping behind him. “I. Don’t. Care about some stupid riddle! If Ricktins not in there anymore, I guess that means I don’t have to worry about feeling regret!” he flew at Ricktin and threw a punch with all his might. Only for it to be effortlessly blocked by the shadow limbs that floated around him.

Sleeks two companions, seeing Sleeks attack brought to a grinding halt, his two companions made the decision to save their own skins and high tailed it out of there, not getting far as they were soon done in by their own shadows, which stretched all the way back to Ricktin as he clucked his tongue. “Tsk, tsk, seems you really can’t find good friends these days, huh Sleek?” he said holding the Pegasus up by his neck with one of the shadows.

“How-gha do you know my-my name, I thou- thought you weren’t Ricktin?*gasp*”

“Oh please, just because he’s not here doesn’t mean I can’t see what his life was like.” He moved sleek close to his face, a venomous smile present. “Now, how would you like to die? Slowly? Or painfully?” Sleek spat in his face. He rubbed the spit out of his eye as a new glint formed there. “Painfully it is then.” He then began make deep cuts in areas where very few blood vessels resided. Sleeks cries of pain fell on dead ears

Reign of the Sun Goddess
Day 30th Month 3rd Year 997 5:15 PM

“Well, this is getting boring rather quickly,” Ricktin sighed as Sleek panted, barely conscious as he was pulled back up to face his friend. “I think it’s about that time Sleek my friend.” He could only watch as Ricktin stepped back letting one of the shadows take his place readying to run him through.

“Goodbye Bre-gah!” Ricktin started coughing, covering his mouth with a hoof, he soon pulled it back, covered in blood. “Oh… well that’s not good.” He grimaced as he looked back at Sleek as the shadows receded back to their original positions on the ground. “It seems you get to live, and your ‘friend’ gets his body back, for now.” He waved his hoof in a flourish in Sleek’s direction as if bowing out after a big show. “Until next time Sleek! And do try to be more entertaining in the future!” soon Ricktin’s eyes returned to their normal grey and black hue as his whites were revealed again.

Ricktin blinked for a few seconds as he returned to himself. “What. Wha-“ He looked around in confusion and terror seeing the burning buildings and dead bodies everywhere. He then turned to see his friend Sleek Breeze laying on the ground, covered in blood. “Sleek! What happ-“ Sleek glared at his once friend breathing softly, unable to do much else.

Ricktin took a step back, then another and another, until he had finally turned around and began galloping away from the town, not following any set path, just running as fast as he could to wherever he could get to that was not there.

After a while he was feeling pain in his muscles, whatever adrenaline that had coursing through his body had left him. He dropped to his side in between some grassy hills that into a heavily dense forest. He laid there, coughing up more blood, crying and confused and not sure where to go. “What the hell happened…?”

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