Shifting tapped his hoof in thought against the clipboard, the Commander’s brow furrowing.
“’The Bringer’, and he’s a gryphon? The same that attacked the chemical lab?" the Commander of the Lunar Nights mused. “That’s all you could get out of him?”
“Considering I had to blast him out of Toxic’s mind before anything else, yes,” Luna replied. “It was like there were two minds in that gryphon’s though, quite strange. Some other force perhaps? Or a supportive party.”
“Well I hope you gave him a few hits from me. So, all we know is that a nebulous organization, likely the remnants of the Windigo’s group is at large. A ‘Whisper’ could refer to their continued influence. But that’s all we’ve got for now.” Shifting let out a growl at that. “Which means very little. No motive other than targeting Toxic, which implies a chemical attack, or some sort of utilization of such that only he would be able to stop. That would make the assassination logical. But still, that’s an escalation I didn’t anticipate, along with Toxic’s use of dark magic utilized from the leylines no less,” Shifting let out a huff. “I most certainly didn’t teach you that.
“You probably didn’t have to,” Luna remarked, leaning on her love’s shoulder, the pair sitting in a private conference room. She put down the report from the guards; the aforementioned stallion’s family now under constant guard from disguised legionnaires. “From what I was able to gather before blasting that apparition to oblivion, fear and rage were amplified in Toxic’s mind and heart. It’s likely he just reacted. The game just changed with the attempt on his life, obviously. He and his family are under guard now, and he should be considered a high-risk target. I don’t recall him ever using dark magic in any report I’ve read, but certainly a few warranted moments where he has gotten rather emotional during an incident.”
“Ah, but for emotions you mean the Klugetown event? That one I remember hearing about personally. There’s a lot of redacted material though- things erased beyond recovery. Even from what I gathered, it doesn’t surprise me that he became more publicly emotionless after that. I certainly would have done the same,” Shifting mused. “Well, in this case, if he was able to access dark magic so easily that is troubling indeed. Perhaps due to the Windigo’s magic influencing him? They do thrive off such emotions, dark magic sometimes causing such,” the Commander said thoughtfully.
“Perhaps, but it may be much more natural than that, Shifting,” Luna added, “Dark magic is, after all, still just magic at its core. It’s naturally occurring but just feeds off different emotions. Despite its past uses, it isn’t inherently evil in nature, simply the other side of a figurative magical coin. In this case, it would make sense if he was able to utilize a leyline for it. It uses similar emotions to the Windigos and the like. However, this attack will necessitate a shift in his training as well as to control this other type of magic. The fact the leylines seemed to reach out to him is interesting and adds a new aspect. It seems he has an affinity for the energy as you do.”
“No kidding. His interactions are much more different than mine. I’m able to tap into that source of magic easily, but Toxic just, I don’t get it. It’s like the leylines are attracted to him in a way,” the Commander admitted, his fiancé reaching over to poke his side with a hoof.
“Well, we know there are creatures that live in the Leylines per se, right?” Luna suggested. “Nacreous’s friends for example. So, in a way, the leylines are alive, even if not in a corporeal sense like Nacreous has experienced. Toxic may have sparked their interest.”
Shifting let out a hum at that, the stallion shrugging.
“I don’t know much about that,” he admitted. “Are you saying these leylines chose Toxic? I know that your words are true, I’ve just never met one of these leyline creatures. I know the Order Nacreous was a part of communed heavily with such magic, but only the basics.”
“Oh, I’m not saying each leyline has one, only that they may be alive in the general sense the Tree of Harmony is. My knowledge of that sort of magic is rather primitive, I admit.”
The raised eyebrow from Shifting, prompting Luna to let out a huff.
“What?”
“Luna, the Tree is now sapient and evolved to be such. The leylines have been around longer than that.”
Luna stared at her stallion, reaching up to massage a temple with a hoof.
“You raise a fair point,” she admitted, “but my words stand. In whatever form the leylines exist, they may be more open to Toxic for some reason. Perhaps Nacreous could-”
A knock interrupted the pair, the afore-mentioned and familiar hippogriff poking his head in.
“Nacreous! What can we do for you? We actually had some questions of our own, but that can wait,” Luna asked from her comfy position on Shifting’s shoulder.
“Oh? I’d be glad to answer. My words are about Toxic. I assume you all were going to shift his training?” the Doctor asked. Seeing Shifting nod, Nacreous couldn’t help but grin widely, an alabaster Alicorn poking her head in as well. She was clearly unsettled about something, but still seemed supportive of her fiancé.
“I have a different idea. I’m curious what you two, and Toxic will think. I think we all agree that Specialist Shield will need more than just additional training in this fight.”
The longer Shifting and Luna listened to the Paladin the wider their smiles got.
“Will it work? I mean, that would aid in more resources to combat threats on his life, and I assume guard against the influence of darker magics on a passive level,” Shifting asked as Luna stared, his grin now matching her own. They had thought a previously-discussed project was on the mind of the Emperor and the Solar Princess, but this option was much more appealing.
“It’s not just up to me, but yes, it would most certainly fulfil those requirements,” Nacreous said with an eager chuckle, a previous spark of enthusiasm now becoming a roaring fire as the Emperor summoned his breastplate, claws tracing over the symbols gently. “But if anypony is worthy, it would be Toxic.”
“Will it not be another burden?” Celestia asked softly, “that stallion bears enough weight for his duties as it is. I will not recommend an option to Toxic that will put more stress into his life.” Her ears were flat against her skull, more words seeming to be unsaid, but her posture conveyed her reluctance.
“I don’t think he’d see it that way,” Nacreous replied, surprising Celestia as he reached over to grasp her hoof gently, Luna and Shifting watching curiously. There seemed to be a hidden weight to the hippogriff’s words. “He has already been walking the path, he just didn’t know it. All this would do is unlock some help. There is no more responsibility with this calling, only the promised power that this pony already should have access to. Would it be a burden to finally have the power to defend that which you hold dear? To know that you had a greater strength to draw upon than just your own? All of us here have that option; Toxic doesn’t in multiple meanings of it. I don’t just mean the sun and moon either. He’s a natural protector, Celestia.”
Luna couldn’t help but grin at seeing her sister so flustered, even after all the time she had spent with Nacreous. Shifting gave her a nudge on the shoulder, the Commander of the Lunar Knights winking at his Fiancé to accompany Nacreous’s words.
“Then ask him, Nacreous. You have my support. I’ll stand as a witness for him, if Toxic accepts,” Celestia said. “I made a promise to keep him safe, and to deny this potential source of strength from him would betray that trust.” Her voice then dropped to a whisper only Nacreous was able to hear. “What little trust that hasn’t been betrayed, that is.
“Likewise,” Luna added. “He needs the help, this recent incident showed as much. I cannot watch as a pony falls to a darkness we still don’t know how to combat. Perhaps this new opportunity can harden his mind against this evil. I trust you on that matter, Nacreous. Whatever this new evil threat is, it has targeted a pony already buckling under the weight of responsibility. I will gladly vouch for him.”
“For what weight my view carries, I as well,” Shifting concluded. “Luna was right when she spoke of Toxic many moons ago. I see quite a bit of myself in this stallion. There’s a great will in that pony, an odd attraction to the leylines that has given him some aid, but Specialist Shield can only take so much. If I can help prevent the darkness in another’s life that consumed myself for so many years, I must try.”
Nacreous nodded, summoning a parchment with a wave of his claws as the three other individuals signed it. It was a simple summons, but their signatures with his would add considerable weight. Considering things could immediately proceed if Toxic accepted, it was a weighty request indeed. It would be sent within a few days, at least until the stallion in question had recovered from his ordeal. But they could not wait too long, for predators often struck again when their prey was wounded.
A quip sprang to mind, modified from an ever-popular comic book of which a certain dragon assistant hypothetically had two original copies of.
“With great responsibility…” Nacreous whispered.
Once alone, Celestia called up a specific report from years ago, hoof massaging her temples.
How could she have forgotten?
“Lulu, I need to show you something. It’s about Toxic. Give me an hour first. Then again, see if you can snag Shifting and Nacreous too,” Celestia called out, sending her voice magically over a temporary mental link.
As her sister sent a soft chime back in acknowledgement, the Solar Princess shook her head. It was logical that she had forgotten. Over a decade of interactions, a single moment in time when so much had been chaotic with Luna returning a few years after.
Opening the classified recording, Celestia zipped through the crudely-recorded images of the incident, zeroing in on a single frame taken from a nearly-destroyed security camera from a remote warehouse in the Badlands.
Face a mask of vengeful rage and clad in a broken hazard suit, a familiar blue stallion leered over five cowering reptiles, broken weapons surrounding them as their claws were raised up in a begging gesture. The image was broken with static and a dense fog, light refracting across numerous bright surfaces to one side. Was that purple mist spilling from his eyes, or was it a trick of the light?
What else could I do? I monitored, spoke with you, and forgot. You said that nothing felt different, no intent on accessing those magics. I know how fickle magic can be so I passed it off as a one-time thing, if it even happened at all. I suppose I convinced myself of the lunacy of it all, and I didn’t want to pry and disrupt your life any more than I already had.
But this new incident; it wasn’t a trick of the light at all. I can’t afford for you to fall down a dark path, Toxic.
We can’t afford it.
And yet there was a strong fire of hope in Celestia’s chest. She knew this stallion. It wasn’t evil intentions that day that made dark magic course through Toxic’s veins, nor a desire for power or domination. It was rage, righteous anger at what he found in that warehouse.
Celestia would never hold such actions against him, nor any other creature. She herself had turned the area to glass not a few days later; Toxic had been more merciful to those monsters than she, even under the influence of such magic. There was a reason their interactions with the Badlands were next to none, and that was even before Twilight’s adventures.
Unlike other fallen sorcerers, Toxic hadn’t let the dark magic control his mind or actions that day in the Badlands. Pure intentions sometimes meant everything when meddling with such powers. The power Darkness held over one’s heart was next to nothing if your intentions were selfless and pure; that much had been shown.
You’re stronger than that. I know you are.
In some ways, you’re stronger than me.
“You’re sure that you’re ok?” Spectrum asked her son, Toxic nodding at the simple portal where his parents looked on in concern.
“Yes, I got released from the hospital with a clean bill of health, and that was after being asleep for two days straight, and a third day of solid tests before they let me contact anyone myself. I’m just taking it easy in a hotel now, just got here. And I’ve got a few doctor appointments this week for the non-physical injuries.”
“Do keep us in the loop, and take care, Son, try not to get mugged again,” Manifold Shield said, Toxic actually surprised at seeing his father choked up slightly.
“I will, and I’m ok, I promise. I’ve got a dozen guards and probably two dozen more I don’t see on a daily basis. The bonus of high security clearance.”
“Love you.”
“Love you guys too.”
As the call ended, Toxic shook his head tiredly, the sleep in the hospital not seeming to have helped that much. No dreams, just completely out.
But at least it’s something.
He hated lying to his parents, and by now they could probably tell something was amiss. They always seemed to know when his various assignments took their toll, even if they knew not to ask. But now Toxic’s safety and whereabouts were being pushed up to top-secret levels. The less his parents knew the better and the safer they would be. That was how it had been for many years, and his parents knew better than to ask more.
And that’s why I understand, Celestia. Lies have to be told to keep those you love safe. I don’t like it, I never will, nor will I agree with it as a standard to operate on. But I get it. It feels different when you are the one being lied to though.
He opened a portal to retrieve some enchanted parchment, running down his list of who to contact. Parents, check. Varti? Check. Now for a certain, special gryphoness. Poor Gelly, she probably had no idea what was going on. It had been three days, and he had just sent a few parchments saying something had come up. How could explain it? He….
Toxic’s hooves abruptly began to shake, making the unicorn sit down on the floor. Every noise seemed to be amplified, the air itself seeming heavy.
Somecreature tried to kill me.
Again.
For the first time, the statement now began to disseminate through the pony’s mind, Toxic knowing full well the signs of an anxiety attack as his heartbeat thudded in his ears.
An assassin, sent to kill me. And he almost did, if not for my security systems and that weird leyline tug to get that bracer ready.
The world seemed to spin for a moment, Toxic taking deep breaths as he struggled to stop his hooves from shivering.
I guess it never sank in, still hasn’t sunk in. How do I even process this?
Am I even safe here?
I learned a long time ago that even a Goddess can’t save my life. And now…
A few tears trickled from his eyes, the stallion feeling pent-up sobs in his chest aching to be released.
I always feared it would happen again after that incident years ago. And now it did, in Equestria, not some backwoods forest bordering the badlands. This was much closer, not some random fanatic.
Someone tried to-
A knock on the door made the Unicorn’s fur stand on edge, a quick spell indicating there were just two individuals outside, one a legionnaire. It served as a good enough distraction to stem the tears as Toxic swiped a forelimb across his face.
Friends, that’s good. Guess I’ll be on edge for a while to say the least.
Fantastic. I get to add ‘attempted assassination’ to my list of mental traumas.
At least I didn’t kill them, contrary to what I thought.
The simple question to Celestia had assayed that thought; the ‘body’ of the assassin, while having been blown apart, was more magical than physical. Whatever it was, it definitely hadn’t been permanently destroyed by Toxic’s efforts.
That both made him feel better at not having taken a life, but also didn’t assay the fear of a returning event.
I still never want to take a life. Even in Klugetown, I never-
“Hey, Toxic. It’s Hammer.”
As Toxic opened the door, two concerned violet eyes met his, a familiar gryphoness’s beak clenched in worry.
“I’ll leave you two be. She’s got temporary security clearance for this incident by the way.”
Hammer trotted off promptly, leaving Gelliana looking over Toxic in genuine concern.
“Are you alright? T-they didn’t tell me anything until an hour ago, just that you were unavailable. There were more guards posted around Icait, and I didn’t know what was going on, only that you stopped answering my parchments,” Gelliana whispered, ears flat against her skull. “T-they said that you w-were ok, b-but I didn’t know i-if y-you…”
Her words faded as Toxic dropped his gaze to his hooves, a lump in his throat preventing everything but a few words. She must have seen his damp eyes, the way his voice wavered and cracked. Toxic could feel Gelliana’s gaze on him, even though his own eyes were now closed.
“S-sorry. I was going to…I…”
A quiet sniffle that accompanied the soft shaking of his sides was enough for Gelliana to quickly step forward and wrap Toxic up into a tight hug, her own worries taking a back seat. Burying his face into her soft shoulder, the stallion took a shuddering breath knowing that tears were running from his closed eyes but not caring in the slightest. As the gryphoness held him close the stallion let himself cry, barrel shivering as the dam holding back the emotional impact of the past events cracked and began to break.
And yet Gelliana didn’t say much more, only tightened her hug around Toxic and rested her head against his. The shaking of his hooves and sides refused to stop, the stallion just focusing on the warm gryphoness holding him close as he sobbed, burying his face into her feathers. Gelliana rocked the distraught pony back and forth as the peaceful scent of her feathers made everything else fade away.
“I’m just glad you’re not hurt,” she whispered, “but it’s ok to not be ok.”
Thank you, Gelliana.
I’m so glad you included Luna, Shifting, Celestia, and Nacreous in this chapter. I absolutely love them as couples and seeing them interact in that way and it feels like it’s been a while since we have seen that side even tho it hasn’t been. I think I have an idea of what they want to do to Toxic. Also I like the double chapter every 2 weeks.
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Thank you for the feedback! I like the format too- keeps the flow and pacing going!
And it was fun having a royal cameo They still have parts to play, just lesser ones in this story.
Well. 'Lesser' in terms of focus!
Always does
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Yuuuup. It's a lose-lose situation in this case. But logic can't always trump emotion.
Chapter 12. Toxic lives. The aftermath of the assassination attempt clear as daylight. Broken minds here and there. Here we go...
Erase the hyphen in between.
And again, away with the hyphen.
I think it should be either "their prey" or "the prey".
Huh. I thought it was "With great power comes great responsibility".
Oh, he is bitter about this, isn't he? Not towards Celestia, but this entire thing going on.
Wait, again? What the— How the— WHAT?!
It's Klugetown, as you wrote above. Also, what the hell happened there?
Okay... things are getting heavy here. Toxic saw things more than just chemical leaks, things that were a direct danger to him and Equestria, and now he's paying the toll those experiences gave on his mind. After more than a decade's constant exposure to dangers and deaths, the Rescuer is now starting to crumble. But that, ironically, shows how durable he is, how strong of a motivation he had in the first place. He knew that ponies would die if he gave up, and that drove him to endure the 10+ years he has been doing this.
And just what are the other four planning? It's not that I get a bad feeling from how things are described, but at this point, I am wary of everything that's heading Toxic's way.
P.S. As for the chapters, you do you! Just do whatever you think would result in chapters with better quality!
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Changes made, thank you!
And that is the quote- I made a note in their that Nacreous is using a play on words (modifying the quote.)
Oh, very bitter. He doesn't have to trust Celestia every again- but he understands the raw logic of it. Doesn't mean he doesn't like it.
Yep. Again, and that's separate from the Klugetown incident. Things happened....things that will eventually come to light.
And that's the crux of the matter. He can't live with himself with the knowledge that refusing a call would lead to innocent deaths. However, that raw will can only persevere for so long before the mind begins to crack, as we've seen here. And indeed, there seems to be other things besides chemical disasters that this stallion stepped into helping with. The question is, what did happen in the Badlands....
Wariness is pretty much how Toxic would view it for sure! I can safely say it's not a bad thing- but I think you'll appreciate how things play out. Celestia/Luna/Nacreous/Shifting do want to help...
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I think I'm starting to put myself into Toxic's shoes more and more as the story goes on, haha. Though one question: does Toxic wear horseshoes? I mean he wears boots as part of his protective gear, but that's different from horseshoes.
Speaking of getting worn down, Toxic really needs a break, and so do I once this whole mess is over. The first half of 2020 has been exhausting, to say the least. Curse you, COVID-19, and curse you, my high school.
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I think ALL ponies wear horseshoes, tbh, judging by the imprints they leave/etc. Otherwise their hooves would crack on the stone/etc. That's a fun idea for a scene actually! *makes note* I know in Sunspots that there's a bit about Celestia/Nacreous joking how they can't find horseshoes big enough and need them custom made!
And you're preaching to the choir on that one. Ugh. What a mess 2020 has been.
Toxic does need a break though. The problem is that he knows it...but doesn't know what to do.
finally! Someone acknowledges that dark magic is just magic and not inherently evil. I swear, this story could end right fucking here and I would be satisfied. this is the first story I have ever read where someone acknowledges that dark magic isn't all evil.
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I decided to take a different view than other stories/interpretations (perhaps even non-canon)- that it's the opposite side of the same coin. Not inherently evil, but definitely can incite such tendencies in those seeking power. Fear, anger, wrath- those emotions are very real, and not inherently evil, just the opposite of emotions we deem 'positive.'
I see dark magic the same way. Is it more likely to be used for evil purposes due to those emotions? Of course- but that doesn't mean it's inherently bad. One can fear the harm that comes to a love one, be angry that justice was thwarted, wrathful towards someone that harmed a loved one; that's the dichotomy I wanted to present. I'm glad you like it!
I think changing "with" to "comes" would work better here considering the phrase is "with great power comes great responsibility." Unless you had something else in mind when you typed that out.
About five minutes later I finish the chapter Now you've got me crying, damn you!
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The funny thing is I've actually been trying to get my own fiction written but due to the fact that the ideas come in spurts it's been over a year since I started working on it, but that was an idea I was going to center around and I was going to use the term "corrupted magic" for those who allowed the dark intentions when using the magic to control them. just because something is dark magic doesn't make it evil after all I'm pretty sure well over half the magic Luna uses is technically dark magic.
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The point is to reverse the phrase- maybe I should have made that more clear. With great responsibility, comes great.....
Aaaah, that's an interesting point! Corrupted vs Dark magic. It's a lesser-explored thing of MLP, mainly because it's just labeled as 'evil' and that's that.
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I don't know, maybe the phrase you're going for is going over my head. Also from what I'm understanding Nacreous is about to start teaching Toxic so I cannot wait to see how powerful he becomes later. And I can pretty much see Gelliana getting into some serious trouble in the future and since toxic seems to have a good grasp of dark magic as his natural....... Ley-line connection I guess would be a good term for it, he's going to come swooping in to save her like some sort of dark angel........ Oooooh, please tell me you're planning on turning him into a paladin who harnesses dark magic. That would be badass, a shield of darkness.
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Actually I changed my mind don't tell me, I look forward to seeing what you do with Toxic and I want it to be a surprise.
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I wouldn't tell you unless you asked specific details over a PM. No spoilers in the comments!
I can safely say that these ten+ chapters? Those are basically building up to the actual meat of the story. Like, we're maybe a third through? ish? I have the next arc planned out pretty well. The final arc is still up in the air, but due to the length of the middle one....oh, I think you'll enjoy it.
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You think I'll enjoy it?!? I know I'll enjoy it, every single story you have written has been pure gold, I take that back every single story written has been pure Platinum. You're one of my favorite authors on this site. And on that note I think I'll follow you as well since I don't think I've done that.
Note: Nevermind, I was wrong, I'm already following you.
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Why thank you! It's definitely going to be a different tone from these past chapters.
If you think the story has been fluffy.....oh, you know nothing of the potential, oncoming fluff! Among other things.
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With Gelliana I am looking forward to the fluff. Maybe even enough to fill a pillow.
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Pillow?
You're gonna need a LOT of pillows! Think a mattress.
...or ten.
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Fluff the world!!!
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Here's a video representation of what reading said fluff will be like.
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Hundreds of pillows to the face followed by dragging Chrysalis away for some fun....... Sounds about right.
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Well, Sans the Crysalis bit.
I wonder if the plan they have in mind for Toxic is related to the paladin training mentioned before. Interesting that this wasn't his only time harnessing dark magic due to rage. It was nice to see that they allowed Gelly to be there; Toxic definitely needed her support. Also...
Yes they...wait. Again?? Hmmmm......
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Toxic hears knock on door. Opens it, sees the evil Gryphon hold a Bush in front of himself.
Toxic: What are you doing?
Silver: its camouflage. Is it working?
Toxic No. *Toxic deadpans *
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For better or worse, our evil friend isn't THAT dense.